《Yuusha no Segare》


 Volume 1, Prologue - The Beginning of the End of a Peaceful Family

    Volume 1, Prologue ¨C The Beginning of the End of a Peaceful Family


    Parents will always have a part of their life in the past that their children can never see.


    Kenzaki Yasuo, who had just turned eighteen years old, couldn¡¯t remember when he had become properly aware of such an obvious fact. However, after having reached this age, he couldn¡¯t say that he knew everything about his family, and also realized that not knowing wasn¡¯t a major issue. Even if there were a lot of things he didn¡¯t know, his family¡¯s relationship was still pretty good.


    He had a father who worked as a manager in a fairly large company without any mishaps. His mother was currently a housewife, but she occasionally did part-time work. His sister was at a difficult age, being in the third year of middle school, an experience he still remembered.


    He didn¡¯t know any details about what kind of work his father did at his company, nor did he know how his mother spent her time while he was at school. His sister was attending the same middle school that he once did, but he didn¡¯t think for a minute that she was having the same kind of school life that he had.


    Similarly, his father, mother, and even his sister should have been able to see most of his life, but only the superficial aspects. They probably saw a constrained view such as his image as a high school student, or his schedule for each day..


    However, they probably knew barely any details about how Yasuo interacted with his friends and teachers at school, what dreams he had as he worked on his studies, and how he spent his time when he was not with his family. Even so, his father, mother, sister, and himself were probably working from their own respective positions to keep their family of four in a peaceful state.


    However, the situation that was unfolding before Yasuo¡¯s eyes was something that would shatter that small confidence of his.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ home¡­¡±


    The season was not yet spring, and the weather was still cold. Yasuo entered the living room that was illuminated by the setting sun, and the only thing he heard was the humming sound of the refrigerator in the dining room, ringing in his ears.


    Yasuo stood rooted in place, without putting his bag down and still wearing his school uniform.


    His mother, droop shouldered, and wearing an unreadable expression.


    His sister had a scowl on her face, with her eyes narrowed and arms crossed.


    And above all, his father had a grim and stern expression that he had only seen a few times in the eighteen years of his life. Something horrible had happened to his family. That was the only thing he understood.


    Although they must have noticed that Yasuo had returned home, not one of them raised their heads to acknowledge his presence. This strange behaviour indicated how serious the unknown problem was.


    This morning, he had woken up as usual to the same old nagging, argued with his sister as usual over trivial things, laughed at the comments of the performer who appeared on the morning news, said goodbye to his father who was leaving for work from the living room without even turning around, and left for school before his sister. That scene had suddenly turned heavy for some reason, and Yasuo couldn¡¯t bear it any longer.


    ¡°What on earth happened¡­¡­¡±


    The moment he tried to say that,


    ¡°Sit down, Yasuo.¡±


    At his father¡¯s restrained voice, Yasuo¡¯s premonition solidified into certainty.


    As he made to sit down in his usual seat opposite his father and beside his sister, Yasuo realized that his heart had started to beat chaotically like an alarm bell.


    ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡±


    Looking at the complicated sigh that his sister, Nodoka, gave from the corner of his eye only served to aggravate his unease.


    ¡°M-Mom, what¡¯s the matter¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. This is too sudden, I can¡¯t be the one to say it.¡±


    His mother, Madoka¡¯s voice was very hoarse, maybe due to exhaustion.


    It seemed that the answer would only come from the person in front of him.


    Yasuo gulped and looked at his father¡¯s face.


    At some point he had become the same height his father, but for some reason, his father looked especially large and far away today.


    That appearance of his father began to speak.


    ¡°Yasuo, actually,¡±


    As expected, his father¡¯s voice was just as hoarse and dry as his mother¡¯s. However, his father¡¯s expression had a certain ¡®resolve¡¯ that his mother didn¡¯t have.


    Yasuo, who was having all sorts of bad premonitions, strengthened his heart against any kind of news and waited for his father¡¯s next words.


    The most likely things were the news of illness, injury, or death of a relative. If it was something related directly to his family, perhaps his father had lost his job, or had some serious illness. Maybe it was a large debt, an accident, or they were the victim of a crime.


    As Yasuo began to run through a list of all the bad things that could be imagined by a third-year high school student, his father¡¯s next words fell upon his ears.


    ¡°I want to go to another world, and become a hero.¡±


    The moment it took him to understand the words of his father, Kenzaki Hideo, a forty eight-year old salaryman, seemed like an eternal silence.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    That was the only response he could give. How else was he supposed to react?


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..Huh?¡±

 Volume 1, 1 ? Hideo’s Saga Part 1

    Volume 1, Chapter 1 ? Hideo¡¯s Saga Part 1


    As before, only the humming sound of the refrigerator echoed in the living room.


    Speaking of Yasuo, he was just sitting in front of his father with his mouth open, unable to comprehend even a part of what his father had said.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®what¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Umm, Dad, can you repeat what you just said?¡±


    It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t hear what was said. He had just lost the thread of the conversation because what he heard was so far removed from the sort of troubles he had steeled himself for.


    ¡°You want to go where? To do what?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like I said.¡±


    His father probably didn¡¯t expect to be be questioned in return, so he had a discomfited look as he cleared his throat and repeated his words.


    ¡°I said, I want to go to another world, and become a Hero.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. I heard you properly this time, but I still didn¡¯t understand a single word.¡±


    ¡°What don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    His father asked with a slightly annoyed expression, but the only answer he could give was that he didn¡¯t understand any of it. In any case, Yasuo ignored his father and desperately tried to extract the meaning of ¡°Another world¡± and ¡°Hero¡± from his general knowledge as a high school student, accumulated over the eighteen years of his life.


    ¡°Isekai¡­ ise¡­ ise¡­ Ise? And the ¡®kai¡¯ is¡­ the ocean? The ocean near Ise? The Mie Prefecture?¡±


    (TL Note: ¡°Isekai¡± is written in katakana here. )


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it now. So you¡¯re being transferred for work?¡±


    ¡°Transferred? Ah, yes, I guess you could put it that way.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Now, for ¡®Yuusha¡¯¡­ yuu and sha¡­ yuu¡­ a merger, and a company? A company merger¡­ Oh, so that¡¯s how it is. There¡¯s a merger happening in the Mie Prefecture, so you¡¯re being sent there? ¡±


    (TL Note: ¡°Yuusha¡± is written in katakana here.)


    Yasuo¡¯s mind was still somewhat paralyzed, and by the time he had realized it, he was spouting such words. At this frenzied answer that he had arrived at while attempting to return his racing thoughts to normal, his father made a puzzled face.


    ¡°What on Earth are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Just as he was about to reflexively reply, ¡®That¡¯s what I want to ask you!¡¯, he heard the sound of a toilet being flushed, coming from outside the room.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Yasuo jumped and turned his head towards the door so quickly that it was in danger of flying off his neck. All of the family members were in this room. So, who was using the toilet?


    Just as he was about to ask that question, Yasuo realized something. The other three people weren¡¯t surprised at the sound of the toilet flush. Which meant, they knew who was in the bathroom.


    ¡°Is there a guest in the house?¡±


    He asked that question to the room at large, but no one replied.


    Instead, he heard the sound of someone walking on the floorboards of the hallway, and the clinking sound of metal surfaces hitting each other. Could it be that the toilet was blocked and they had called a plumber to fix it, in spite of this situation?


    That was the only reason he could think of for that sound. When the person making that sound opened the door to the living room, this time, Yasuo was at a loss for words, stopped breathing, and even his mind went blank.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for leaving in the middle of the conversation. I¡¯ve never used a flush toilet before. It seems very convenient. ¡±


    While the family members were all being strangely flustered, an unknown girl wearing light armour put on an apologetic expression and made a comment regarding the usability of flush toilets.


    If there was someone who would not be confused at this situation, he must be a god.


    The girl who had dropped Yasuo into such a fearsome state of confusion noticed his presence and her face lit up.


    ¡°Ah! You must be-!¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    As Yasuo continued to be be confused, the mysterious girl quickly came close enough for him to be able to feel her breath, grabbed his hand and said with shining eyes,


    ¡°So, you are Hideo¡¯s son, Yasuo, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Huh? Ehh?¡±


    ¡°I knew it as soon as I saw you. You¡¯ve inherited that look from Hideo, you have such courageous features!¡±


    ¡°Umm, ok¡­ Ehh?¡±


    His relatives often said that he resembled his father at his age, but he had never heard anyone praise him so eloquently and courteously, so his confusion just increased.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you take the time to listen to me, in spite of your important schedule! Thank you for accepting me into your house, in spite of appearing unannounced!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..Sure.¡±


    His didn¡¯t even know what to do anymore.


    He was supposed to attend prep school after school today, but he took a day off. At around 4:00 PM, right after school had ended, he received a message from his mother on the messaging application, ¡ºROPE¡», to come home as soon as possible.


    Since the message said to forget about prep school and come home right away, he sent a message to his prep school that he would be absent that day and came home only to find this situation, so his head was overheating.


    Unlike Yasuo who was confused, the unknown young lady suddenly recovered her wits and corrected her posture while blushing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I acted so rudely without even introducing myself!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay¡­.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s expression stiffened after seeing that she was kneeling next to his chair while he had been spacing out.


    ¡°Umm¡­?¡±


    After seeing a bonafide kneeling that he had only seen in historical dramas, Yasuo partly rose from his chair.


    ¡°I¡¯m from a different dimension, specifically, the Resteria Kingdom on the world of Ante Lande. My name is Dianaze Krone, and I¡¯m a Magitech soldier. I¡¯ve come here as an envoy to summon the legendary hero, Kenzaki Hideo-dono, who is the hero of salvation.¡±


    Yasuo had remained frozen in his half-standing position since the speech began.


    There¡¯s that word again, ¡®Isekai¡¯. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s called Ante Lande.


    ¡°I was just explaining the situation to the family members of the Hero, Hideo, but we were waiting for you to return before going into the details, Yasuo.¡±


    Yasuo just noticed that this girl who looked like she had jumped out of a game, Dia-whatever her name was, had blonde hair and green eyes.


    She was definitely not from Japan. However, she was speaking fluent Japanese, without an accent. She was also the most beautiful girl Yasuo had ever seen, which caused him to get even more flustered. He finally stood up properly and shook his head.


    ¡°Umm, what does an employee of a theme park from the Mie Prefecture want with my dad? We¡¯ve never gone to Mie, even during our family vacations. B-By the way, please stand up. There¡¯s a stain over there that looks like it came from soy sauce¡­¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    The girl with the beautiful hair color blinked at Yasuo¡¯s response.


    ¡°Umm, has Yasuo not heard anything about the situation yet?¡°


    Well, he had heard something which sounded like Japanese, and yet made no sense.


    The girl was still kneeling even though he had asked her to stand up, and gave off an air of bewilderment. However, Yasuo was still far ahead of her in his degree of confusion. It hadn¡¯t even been ten minutes since he came back home, and there were already so many things that couldn¡¯t be explained by common sense.


    ¡°Well, both of you take a seat for now. Diana-chan, can you start explaining from the beginning again? Yasuo still doesn¡¯t understand the situation.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a matter of ¡®understanding¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay. I understand. I¡¯ll take a seat, then.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s father wasn¡¯t able to watch the scene any longer, so he stepped up and sent a lifeboat to Yasuo. However Yasuo wasn¡¯t able to recognize it as a boat, and the young lady wearing light armor meekly stood up as asked while looking at Yasuo¡¯s face, and what¡¯s more, seeing her sit at the head of the table like it was only natural made him feel like he was going crazy. Also, his father had shortened her name and was referring to her by some sort of nickname¡­


    ¡°Ahem. Well then, let me introduce myself again. Yasuo, Nodoka, my name is Dianaze Krone. People who are close to me call me Diana. Please feel free to call me that as well.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo gave a dazed answer, and Nodoka didn¡¯t look at her even though she was spoken to.


    ¡°I assume you are confused by this sudden turn of events, and I sympathise with you. However, the matter is urgent, so we would like to begin summoning the Hero, Hideo, as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Um, hang on for a second, please stop right there.¡±


    Although Yasuo looked to be the same age as her, the girl called Dia-whatever, now known as Diana, had a mature air about her that couldn¡¯t be compared to him. Yasuo stopped her from speaking and asked in an unsure voice,


    ¡°To start with¡­ what do you mean by ¡®The Hero, Hideo¡¯?¡±


    Of course, Yasuo knew what the word ¡®Hero¡¯ meant. It was a job or title that often popped up in manga, novels, and games, and was usually awarded to the protagonist or a similarly important person. It has the connotation of simply meaning ¡®A brave person¡¯, but judging from what Diana had said so far, the ¡®Hero¡¯ she was talking about seemed like someone who wielded overwhelming power in a fantasy world, defeated monsters by the dozens, and saved humanity from destruction.


    However, coming to that deduction and accepting the phrase ¡®The Hero, Hideo¡¯ were different matters. Diana still continued to speak like there was nothing wrong.


    ¡°Exactly what it sounds like. It is a title given by the people to praise the person who saved Ante Lande by repelling the all-encompassing darkness. The Hero of Salvation and the Holy Swordsman of the Wind, Hideo Kenzaki.¡±


    Hideo Kenzaki. There was no doubt, that was his father¡¯s name. However, she said some words that made no sense again. What the heck is a ¡®Holy Swordsman of the Wind¡¯?


    ¡°I personally find that name to be kind of embarrassing.¡±


    And the person under discussion, Hideo Kensaki, was uncharacteristically blushing after hearing Diana¡¯s serious words. Yasuo wished he¡¯d shut up as he was only making the discussion more complicated, and besides, if he was embarrassed at being called the ¡®The Holy Swordsman of the Wind¡¯, he should have been showing a thousand times more shame than he was now.


    ¡°This happened more than thirty years ago. The people of Ante Lande were facing an unprecedented crisis. The world was almost destroyed by the invasion of an army from the Demon World, under the command of the Demon King Kaul.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Demon King Kaul¡­¡±


    That makes sense. The enemy of the Hero is the Demon King. Yasuo accepted that without really believing it.


    ¡°The humans were being defeated continuously, and the world had almost fallen into despair, when Hideo Kenzaki appeared like a comet cutting through the night sky. He singlehandedly defeated the forces of General Belial, one of Kaul¡¯s subordinates, who was about to attack my home country, the Resteria Kingdom. It is said that even the people who had witnessed that sight doubted their eyes afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, that¡¯s an exaggeration. I just went on a rampage without knowing what was going on. In the end, I would have definitely died if not for the Erijina¡­ your mother¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°Mother told me that you would probably say that, Hideo. She also told me that your valiant fighting is what roused the spirits of the Kingdom¡¯s Knights.¡±


    ¡°Haha, thanks. Hearing about the old days again is really embarrassing.¡±


    Yasuo felt that his head was spinning as he heard his father and Diana talking like old friends in game-like terms.


    ¡°¡­And?¡±


    ¡°After that, many people assembled under Hideo, including the person he mentioned earlier, my mother Erijina who was the leader of the Mage Squad. At the end of their journey filled with trials, they defeated the Demon King Kaul. Hideo then returned to this world, but people from all over Ante Lande still praise the efforts of Hideo, and continue to pass on the legend of Hideo Kenzaki.¡±


    ¡°The legend of Hideo Kenzaki? You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    That retort slipped out of his mouth, but no one could blame him for that.


    ¡°That¡¯s really exaggerated, I didn¡¯t do anything that grand¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop being bashful, Dad! I wasn¡¯t talking about that anyways!¡±


    ¡°But the shadow of Demon King Kaul is once again trying to cover Ante Lande. We don¡¯t know if he has come back after being defeated thirty years ago. However, the situation calls for immediate action. Hideo Kenzaki is still the only person strong enough to fight against Demon King Kaul. Under orders from my mother Erijina, who now commands the Kingdom¡¯s Knights, I have come to Japan to once again ask for Hideo¡¯s assistance.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Since the conversation had gone on for quite some time, Yasuo was still confused, but he was now able to follow the thread of the conversation. So basically, whatever bad things that had happened in that place called Ante Lande in the past were once again beginning to occur.


    To resolve that issue, they needed his father¡¯s help. That much, he understood. But¡­


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how it is? You¡¯re talking about some MMO that is popular all over the world, right? I can see you¡¯ve put a lot of effort into your cosplay, and it¡¯s surprising that my dad knows people abroad, and a young girl at that. So there¡¯s going to be an offline meeting of players from all over the world, and you¡¯ve come to attend that meeting while taking a tour of Japan? Your Japanese is really good, too¡­¡±


    In that way, Yasuo said such things while wishing for them to be true. Rather than his father or Diana, he said it for the sake of his mother and Nodoka.


    However, Diana was truly confused by what Yasuo was saying, and looked at Hideo for help. Hideo let out a long and deep sigh.


    ¡°Your reaction is not really surprising, but enough joking around, Yasuo. This is a serious matter.¡±


    ¡°¡®Serious¡¯? Look, Dad, I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve hurt your feelings, but you mean that like games are not just for fun, right? Ever since I started attending prep school, I¡¯ve only played games on my Slimphone, I haven¡¯t done any serious gaming that requires a PC¡­¡±


    ¡°Yasuo.¡±


    That heavy, single word from his father forestalled the rest of Yasuo¡¯s unexpectedly shrill answer. It was the same tone he had used in the past when Yasuo was scolded for playing a prank.


    ¡°It seems like Ante Lande is in serious trouble. Even if nothing bad happens today or tomorrow, there¡¯s no guessing what kind of bad things will happen within half an year. I plan on accepting this request.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ are you saying¡­?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say anything for certain until I go there and talk to her mother, and see the situation for myself. However, if Kaul¡¯s presence is indeed starting to eat away at that world once again, I probably won¡¯t be able to come back easily. That¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Hideo locked gazes with his son as if attempting to convey the depth of his resolve.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to quit my job, and go to Ante Lande.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait just a minute! What are you saying all of a sudden?¡±


    He was willing to dismiss all the things until now as a bad joke. But at this statement, he couldn¡¯t stay silent.


    Basically, this sentence was a lot more realistic to Yasuo compared to the words of Diana who appeared to be a teenager.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to quit your job? You can¡¯t be serious. What are we going to do from now on if you quit!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Nodoka looked at her shouting brother with a dull expression, but Yasuo didn¡¯t notice that.


    ¡°I would understand if you were being transferred because of your job, and had to live apart from us for that reason. But quitting your job because of a game, that¡¯s not acceptable in these times! Do you even understand what you¡¯re saying!?¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, it¡¯s not a game. I¡¯m being serious.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not a single person who would believe that! I don¡¯t understand you at all! You always warn us to not play too many games and stuff, and now you¡¯re ditching your family because of a game!?¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, about that¡­¡±


    ¡°Think about it again! It¡¯s not normal to quit your job for a thing like this! Do you understand? Both Nodoka and I have entrance exams this year. Depending on what school we get into, it¡¯ll cost a fair bit of money, and besides, quitting a job that you¡¯ve been working at until you¡¯re nearly fifty years old is unheard of!¡±


    Yasuo went on a rant, his excitement causing the blood flow to his head to reduce. However, the stiff atmosphere in that place did not change.


    His mother was still sitting silently with a serious expression on her face, Nodoka was shrugging with a stunned expression, and the main person, his father, didn¡¯t show any hint of wavering after hearing his son¡¯s words.


    Hideo worked for a company called Yamahata. It was a company that had seen a sudden rise in popularity among women, due to publishing a diet recipe book that overturned the conventional practices.


    Yasuo didn¡¯t know any details about what his father did at work. However, there was a time when he mentioned his father¡¯s company name in a discussion with friends about their parents¡¯ jobs, and even girls he usually didn¡¯t talk to were suddenly very interested, and this incident left a strange impression on him. After that, he sat down and did some proper research and found out that they sold recipie books and books related to the retail business.


    Later, he finally remembered talking to his father about this, and he initially assumed that the company produced foodstuffs, but he was astonished to learn that their real business was actually the development and sale of measurement devices.


    His father held some managerial position there, with a western name that he didn¡¯t really understand. By not understanding, he meant that he didn¡¯t know if it was a head of a section or a head of a department, it didn¡¯t correspond with any of the usual Japanese designations. Combined with the fact that his father didn¡¯t usually talk about his work at home, there weren¡¯t many opportunities for Yasuo to learn more.


    Regardless of that, he still knew that it was too soon for his father to retire from work. Considering their lifestyle, and from hearing snatches of conversation as his father spoke over the phone, he also knew that his father was in a considerably important position in the company.


    Quitting such a job for the sake of some weird game was definitely not something a sane person would do.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    However, Hideo looked straight at his son and daughter as though trying to say how strong his determination was.


    ¡°The loan on the house has already been paid up in full. Even if both of you want to go to a private college, we still have enough savings for that, and to help with your wedding ceremonies as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about stuff like that!!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m too old to take a sabbatical. I can¡¯t move around like I used to anymore, and I can¡¯t very well keep my job when I have no idea when I¡¯ll be able to return.¡±


    Taking early retirement due to health issues was not that strange for a middle-aged salaryman, but having a reason like ¡®going to another world to be a hero¡¯ sounded strange no matter how you looked at it.


    Diana, who was dismayed by Yasuo¡¯s anger, interjected with a comment as if trying to soothe the atmosphere.


    ¡°Umm, we have taken into account the fact that Hideo might have formed a family during these last thirty years. During the period when Hideo is absent, The Resteria Kingdom will take full responsibility for the well-being of the family-¡±


    However, what she said only irritated Yasuo even more.


    ¡°You be quiet! The currency from an MMO can¡¯t be used to buy food, nor can it be used to pay for school! Besides, it¡¯s not really a matter of money anymore!¡±


    ¡°B-But what I¡¯m talking about is real! G-Games are a type of entertainment in this world, right? I¡¯m not talking about playing around, this is a serious-¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to shut up!?¡±


    ¡°Uu¡­!¡±


    At Yasuo¡¯s loudest shout so far, Diana shook like a child who has been scolded, and stopped talking while looking like she was about to cry.


    ¡°Onii-chan, you¡¯re being noisy.¡±


    ¡°The window in the kitchen is open. I¡¯ll go close it.¡±


    After hearing what his sister and mother said, Yasuo felt a twinge of guilt and a sense of unease. Since earlier, he was the only one who had been chewing out his father in a loud voice. How were his mother and Nodoka able to stay calm after hearing something so idiotic?


    Yasuo felt an unpleasant sense of impatience, but he was able to calm down a little after looking around the room once.


    ¡°¡­Say, Dad. I don¡¯t know what working in a company is like, but wouldn¡¯t the other people be inconvenienced if you were to quit?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, that¡¯s true.¡±


    Seeing a hint of wavering in his father¡¯s expression for the first time, Yasuo continued to press him for answers without any delay.


    ¡°The same goes for us. Especially Nodoka, who is taking an entrance exam for the first time, and what are we supposed to say if the neighbors ask about you?¡±


    ¡°I do feel sorry about that. Having to do something like this even though it is an important time for you two¡­¡±


    His father¡¯s words depressed words and defeated appearance just made Yasuo more irritated.


    What¡¯s more, from beside Yasuo,


    ¡°I¡¯m not that worried about my exams, actually.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if there are any neighbors who will ask about your father¡­¡±


    Hearing the words of Nodoka and his mother that seemed like they were supporting his father, Yasuo once again got angry.


    ¡°If you understand, stop talking about such nonsense! Games are just games! Your son and daughter have entrance exams this year, you know? And yet you still want to quit your job because of some game?¡±


    In contrast to Yasuo¡¯s anger, his father¡¯s expression just got more sorrowful.


    ¡°Yasuo! It¡¯s not a game! Ante Lande is not a world from some game or manga! It really exists, and I spent two years there, and gained many important friends and comrades! I¡¯m here thanks to those people. If they are once again in danger, I want to help them!¡±


    ¡°How do you expect me to believe something like that!?¡±


    At that point, Yasuo finally calmed down.


    Yasuo knew that his father was being serious. However, the conversation was too absurd.


    He wasn¡¯t young enough to believe in things like the existence of different worlds and Demon Kings without question.


    Besides, regardless of the circumstances, it was not okay for a man to abruptly bring a strange girl over and talk about quitting his job and leaving his wife, a son in his third year of high school, and a daughter in her third year of middle school behind while he went somewhere far away. If he didn¡¯t stop him, then they couldn¡¯t even be considered a family.


    However, his father¡¯s expression indicated that he was resolved to do just that. That¡¯s why, Yasuo wanted to stop his father¡¯s insanity, no matter what kind of oppressive, rude, and dirty words he had to use.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Hideo¡­¡­¡±


    However, even Yasuo¡¯s shout failed to move his father¡¯s heart. After looking at Diana, Hideo looked like he had become even more resolute, and stood up slowly.


    ¡°Right now, I cannot prove that Ante Lande exists. However, I can show you proof that I was a Hero, ¡®The Holy Swordsman of the Wind¡¯. I hope that will be enough to satisfy you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? P-Proof?¡±


    As Yasuo started to get a headache due to his confusion, his father slowly moved away from the table.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s been a while, my other half.¡±


    His father slowly raised his arms up to eye level. In that instant, a gust of wind blew through the living room even though the windows were closed and the AC was switched off, and both Yasuo and Nodoka opened their eyes wide.

 Volume 1, 1 ? Hideo’s Saga Part 2

    Volume 1, Chapter 1 ? Hideo¡¯s Saga Part 2


    ¡°My name is Hideo! The person who will obtain victory for new frontiers! Wings, go forth! Flower petals, take flight! Gather the shining azure sunlight! Avatar of the wind, Holy Sword Liutberga! Answer my call and take form!¡±


    This was hardly the kind of thing a middle-aged salaryman who was nearly fifty years old should be chanting, but Yasuo and Nodoka were unable to look away from their father¡¯s hands.


    A bright blue light, brighter than an LED flashlight was coalescing within Hideo¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    After an especially strong gust of wind, the light faded and their father was holding a sword in his hand.


    ¡°Aah, now look what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°T-That was surprising.¡±


    While Yasuo was frozen from shock, his mother who had been silent until now rose from her chair and started to pick up the things that were scattered around by the wind that his father had apparently summoned. Even Nodoka was showing a shocked expression.


    The picture frames that were on top of the cupboard had fallen down, the framed paintings on the walls were tilted to one side, the box of tissues that was on the table had got blown into a corner of the room, and even the tablecloth had been blown up by the wind. The figure of his mother, Madoka, efficiently fixing all these things appeared to be out of touch with reality, maybe because she saw something so extraordinary. His father looked a little sad as he closed his eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to show all of you so much.¡±


    ¡°Amazing¡­ so this is the legendary Holy Sword of the Wind, Liutberga.¡±


    Unlike Yasuo and Nodoka who were dumbfounded, Diana had a look of awe upon her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten rusty. Back in the old days, I didn¡¯t need the chant, and the sword didn¡¯t look so flimsy either.¡±


    The sword that was polished to mirror finish gave off a faint blue glow, and seemed to leave afterimages in Yasuo¡¯s eyes as it moved.


    What did he just see? Magic? There was no other way to put it, but Yasuo still couldn¡¯t believe what he had seen.


    ¡°Is that some sleight of hand? Something like Diana-san secretly handed you that thing which looks like a cosplay prop while you were distracting us with the light.¡±


    Nodoka proposed a very realistic explanation after glancing at her brother who was confused as to whether it was really magic or not, after seeing the unreal scene before him.


    Yasuo was astonished at his sister¡¯s composure and was about to agree with her theory, but then reconsidered. That was because Diana hadn¡¯t been carrying such a long sword anywhere on her person.


    The sword in front of them had a metallic sheen, and didn¡¯t look like a prop that was built with some trick in the materials or structure.


    ¡°Do you want to hold it?¡±


    Hideo was not in the least worried about Nodoka¡¯s theory, and handed the sword that seemed to be called Liutberga to Nodoka, hilt first.


    ¡°Eh? Can I?¡±


    Nodoka asked back in a simple manner, like a child who had been allowed to hold the belongings of an adult.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is my holy sword. It won¡¯t hurt any of my family members.¡±


    Unlike Nodoka¡¯s simple question, her father¡¯s answer was so serious that it almost seemed unnatural.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    In spite of that, Nodoka cautiously stretched her hand out towards the proffered hilt and made to hold the sword, but:


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    Nodoka certainly held the sword. But the second it passed into her hands completely, the sword started to turn into particles of light and disappeared from the point first, as though it was dissolving into thin air.


    Once the sword had completely disintegrated, the particles irregularly moved back into Hideo¡¯s hand and turned back into a sword in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°I was definitely holding it just now¡­ Wow, that¡¯s pretty awesome!¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, do you want to try holding it too?¡±


    Yasuo frowned at his sister who looked like she was having fun in spite of her confusion, and stretched his hand towards the hilt as well. However, just like before, the sword disintegrated into particles of light before Yasuo could hold it properly and returned to Hideo¡¯s hand.


    The feeling of holding a slender, metallic item remained in Yasuo¡¯s hand. For a moment, he also felt its weight. However, he also felt that it was far too light to have been constructed entirely out of metal, and also felt the sensation of the blade slowly vanishing in his hands, just ten centimeters in front of his nose.


    ¡°Not considering Ante Lande, I hope you¡¯ve come to understand that at least I¡¯m not normal.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why¡­¡±


    Although it was very vague, his father accurately understood the question that was within Yasuo¡¯s groan.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to hate me. I didn¡¯t want to scare you. Swords and magic are not normal things. The fact that your father is not normal, when I considered what effect that knowledge would have on you, I was too scared to tell you.¡±


    Yasuo wasn¡¯t able to confidently say that it wouldn¡¯t have been the case. If he had found out about this earlier, could he have continued to interact with his father normally?


    There¡¯s no way he could have done that. Even now, he was in such a state.


    Even without considering the matter of being a hero and other worlds, his father had just demonstrated something that couldn¡¯t be explained by common sense. There¡¯s no way he could discover how to react to this matter in the few seconds that had elapsed.


    At this point, Yasuo finally felt that something outrageous and incredible was happening in front of him. Yasuo, Nodoka, and even Hideo were unable to say anything, and just looked at each other for a while.


    The incredible secret of their family was now revealed. Such a thing had never happened in the Kenzaki household before.


    None of them knew what was to be done. Even Diana could do little more than just look on while being tense.


    ¡°Say, Dad.¡±


    A gentle voice broke the taut silence.


    ¡°Both Yasuo and Nodoka won¡¯t be able to come to terms with it so quickly after hearing such a story. Why don¡¯t we take a break and talk again after while?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Ahh, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    Their mother, Madoka, had returned after fixing all the things that had fallen over or were blown away by the wind summoned by their father.


    ¡°I know you two are confused, but your father is actually worried because of this sudden development as well. Let¡¯s stop talking about this for today, and set a time for discussing this again later. We can afford to take at least that much time, right, Diana-chan?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, yes, if it¡¯s just that much¡­¡±


    Diana¡¯s reply was a moment late as she didn¡¯t expect to be asked a question.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re done for today. Diana-chan, do you have any place where you can stay for the night?¡±


    ¡°Well, umm, no, I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Diana replied while looking at Yasuo timidly.


    ¡°I expected to take Hideo back with me by the end of today, so¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it then. You can stay in my room for today. We have a futon for guests as well, although it hasn¡¯t been used in a while so it may be a little dusty.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you very much-¡±


    ¡°Mom, wait. Wait just a minute. You seem weirdly calm, are you okay with this?¡±


    Yasuo forcefully entered the conversation between his mother and Diana.


    ¡°About the talk regarding holy swords and the different world, How do you feel about all this?¡±


    ¡°Even if you ask me how I feel¡­¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s mother looked back at him with an expression that could be taken as being baffled, expressionless, or just trying not to think about it.


    ¡°Dad just said that he wants to quit his job for some incomprehensible reason.¡±


    His mother was an avid reader, and was proud of her book collection that had works from many genres, but the only fantasy books she had were the typical foreign books that were made into movies.


    Maybe she was silent all this time because she wasn¡¯t able to keep up with the conversation, and in the end she had on an expressionless face as if she had closed herself off from the discussion.


    It wasn¡¯t clear whether she understood what Yasuo was worried about, but she lowered her shoulders and spoke with her eyes cast downwards after first looking at Hideo and then at Diana.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t want your father to quit his job either. Although we have savings, we don¡¯t know what will happen in the future. One of us could get into an accident, fall ill, or something else might happen.¡±


    ¡°R-Right? See, Mom agrees with me-¡±


    ¡°But I also understand why your father wants to go, and so I¡¯m not able to strongly disagree. I don¡¯t know what to do either.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t strongly disagree with Dad quitting his job¡­ wait, what do you mean?¡±


    Looking at her son who was confused, Madoka looked at Diana like she had given up on everything and asked her,


    ¡°Diana-chan, does Erijina¡­ no, Erize, still dislike eating carrots?¡±


    ¡°¡±Huh?¡±¡±


    At this, Yasuo, and even Nodoka, gave a startled shout.


    On the other hand, Diana smiled a little and gave a small nod.


    ¡°Yes. Every year, she imposes exorbitant taxes only on carrots to keep them from the markets, and the Emperor reprimands her for that. It¡¯s become something of a custom.¡±


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t changed at all. Alex must be having a hard time as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my father¡­ my father was very strict while raising me to not complain about food. Thanks to that, I became capable of eating most things.¡±


    ¡°Eh, Mom, are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Wait a second!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this Alex?¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you kidding me?¡±


    As the brother and sister asked their mother these questions while trying to make sense of the situation, their mother placed her index finger near her mouth as though asking them to calm down.


    ¡°Your father and I fought together in Ante Lande, and fell in love with each other.¡±


    She said that while creating a small flame above the tip of that index finger.


    This time, Yasuo was truly lost for words.


    While he was in that state, the flame that was created on top of his mother¡¯s finger gradually changed in size and shape, and finally took on a spherical shape in mid-air as though it was enclosed in a crystal ball, and looked like a small sun that shone in the colors of the rainbow.


    ¡°I¡¯m very thankful. To think that I would be able to see the magic of Sugiura Madoka, who was known as the ¡®Rainbow Sage¡¯, with my own eyes. As a Magitech soldier, I feel very lucky.¡±


    Unlike Yasuo and Nodoka who were unable to make a sound, Diana looked at Kenzaki Madoka, known as Sugiura Madoka before marriage, with admiration, just like she had looked at the Holy Sword Liutberga earlier.


    Nodoka was even more surprised than she was with the so-called Holy Sword from earlier, and showed a childlike expression for once while looking at the flame that was continuously changing in shape and color while hovering over her mother¡¯s finger.


    ¡°Woah, seriously? It¡¯s so pretty¡­ wow!?¡±


    However, at that moment, the fire alarm on the ceiling started to make a loud noise, and their mother hurriedly covered the miniature rainbow sun with both hands and made it vanish. While pulling the string that would stop the alarm, she said,


    ¡°Am I still called by that embarrassing nickname over there? Seriously, Diana-chan. Forget about being a sage, I¡¯m just an old lady who didn¡¯t even go to college. If you praise me for such a small thing, Erize who has been the leader of the Mage Squad of the Kingdom¡¯s Knights for all these years will become jealous.¡±


    ¡°My mother is too overconfident. It would be good for her to learn a little humility.¡±


    Diana was praising his mother, while his mother was trying to be humble but didn¡¯t look displeased. Yasuo didn¡¯t even know what to do anymore.


    Maybe because she noticed that look on her son¡¯s face, she shrugged and looked at her husband and Diana.


    ¡°I understand your desire to help the people you were indebted to in Ante Lande. I, too have many memories of that place, and I was saved by the people there many times, and if I could do something, I would want to. But we¡¯re old now and can¡¯t fight like we did back then, and Yasuo and Nodoka are at an important stage in life.We don¡¯t know how much money we will need in the future. That is why¡­ I still can¡¯t tell you what I think you should do.¡±


    If this was a nightmare, he wanted to wake up already.


    What was with this scene?


    His mother was a magician? Sage? Mage Squad? What the heck is that?


    How was Nodoka able to listen to such things without batting an eyelid?


    Was he the one who was being strange?


    The mentality of the eighteen-year old boy who had grown up in a completely normal way had reached its limit.


    ¡°Yasuo!?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Yasuo!?¡±


    ¡°Eh? What? Onii-chan, are you for real?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yasuo!?¡±


    Being hit directly with this difficult reality, Yasuo couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fell down, unconscious.


    ¡ù


    Yasuo, who had slept for a long time for once, felt like he had awoken after having a long dream.


    ¡°I might have overslept a bit¡±


    While saying that to himself, he stretched his back that felt stiff and climbed down the stairs.


    While squinting his eyes against the faint light of the early morning, he saw the back of his father, Hideo, wearing a suit and putting his shoes on near the front door.


    ¡°¡­Hmm? Are you leaving already?¡±


    Yasuo looked at the clock near the front door that had an inbuilt hygrometer and thermometer, and saw that it was only 6:00 AM. It was one hour earlier than his father usually left for work.


    ¡°Hmm? Ah, I¡¯m going to Osaka on a business trip for three days. The Shinkansen train leaves pretty early.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Have a good trip.¡±


    It was pretty common for his father to take business trips. The frequency was at least once every month. However, Yasuo didn¡¯t know the exact number. It was just a usual part of his life, and if he didn¡¯t see his father at night, he would just think ¡°Ah, he¡¯s on a business trip.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m sorry for leaving all this trouble behind. We¡¯ll continue the discussion after I get back.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Ah, okay.¡±


    After seeing off his father as he had done many times before, he wondered what trouble his father was talking about. As he struggled to remember while not being fully awake yet, the sound of his stomach due to hunger distracted him.


    Speaking of which, he couldn¡¯t remember what he had eaten for dinner last night.


    ¡°Ah, did Dad come back late from work yesterday? Hmm, but I think I took a day off from prep school¡­¡±


    As he was rubbing his half-open eyes, he tried to scratch his stomach through the gap in his pyjamas, but the cloth he touched felt different from that of his pyjamas, so he looked down at himself.


    ¡°Hmm? Woah, what the hell?¡±


    No wonder he felt so uncomfortable while waking up, for some reason he was still wearing his school uniform.


    ¡°Eh, did I fall asleep like this yesterday? Ahh, the trousers are so wrinkled. Hey, Mom, yesterday I¡­¡±


    Yasuo realized that his memories of the previous night were hazy, and as he called out to his mother who was preparing breakfast,


    ¡°G-Good morning! I didn¡¯t realize you were already awake! How are you feeling now? I¡¯m sorry, breakfast isn¡¯t ready yet!¡±


    He realized that an unknown young girl was standing in the kitchen, and,


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAH! Ah!? AAAAAAAAAH!!¡±


    ¡°Kyaa!?¡±


    The memories of the previous day came rushing back all at once, and he screamed at the top of his lungs.


    The one who was standing in the kitchen was the girl who had thrown a massive bomb into the Kenzaki household yesterday, the self-proclaimed outworlder, Diana. He couldn¡¯t remember her full name yet.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s all the noise about!¡±


    The scream brought his mother running into the living room.


    ¡°Yasuo? You¡¯re awake? Are you feeling okay?¡±


    ¡°W-W-W-W-W-What do you mean, am I okay?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you suddenly fainted yesterday and didn¡¯t wake up at all. I was planning to call the ambulance if you still didn¡¯t wake up in the morning, you know?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not important! Dad just left the house, call him back!¡±


    ¡°Huh? I already know that. Why do you want to call him back?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, why? He was talking about quitting his job, right? He might turn in his resignation today before coming home!¡±


    ¡°Calm down a little. Also, you didn¡¯t take a bath yesterday, so go take one now. If you can make this much noise, then I guess you¡¯re alright.¡±


    ¡°How do you expect me to calm down?!¡±


    ¡°You look pretty relaxed already, sitting on the floor like that. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s just gone on his usual business trip to Osaka. No matter how firm his resolve is, he can¡¯t just up and quit his job in one day. I¡¯ve also properly warned him to not be hasty.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so?¡±


    Yasuo wasn¡¯t able to calm down, and he glared at Diana while still being in the pathetic position of sitting on the floor.


    Seeing that, Diana knelt on the floor in front of Yasuo.


    ¡°Umm, I slept in Madoka¡¯s room last night, and I realized that I was very inconsiderate towards all the family members, so I thought we could begin the conversation again on another day¡­¡±


    Unlike yesterday, she wasn¡¯t wearing light armour that gave off a fantasy-like feeling, and was instead wearing a blouse that he assumed belonged to his mother. Since Diana, who was less than twenty years old and had blonde hair and green eyes, was wearing a blouse belonging to his mother, who was nearly fifty years old, he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that it was really mismatched.


    However, since the clothing was of a style that was ordinary, he was able to keep from adversely reacting to her like he did yesterday. Putting that absurd discussion aside, it seemed that she really felt sorry towards Yasuo.


    ¡°Ah, um, okay.¡±


    But that didn¡¯t mean that he suddenly wanted to be friends with her.


    In the end, Yasuo only gave a halfhearted answer, and wasn¡¯t able to think of anything else to say. It was then that the door to the living room opened suddenly and hit him hard on his back and the back of his head, as he was still sitting on the floor.


    ¡°Ahh!?¡±


    ¡°Woah!?¡±


    Nodoka¡¯s startled cry was heard from the other side of the door, and she peeked in with an unhappy face and looked at Yasuo who was in pain with cold eyes.


    ¡°¡­Thanks to your shouting, I woke up at an hour when I could have still been sleeping, Onii-chan.¡±


    ¡°I-Isn¡¯t there something you should say to me before that¡­.¡±


    ¡°The door bounced back and hit my toes, it really hurts. Why are you blocking the way by lying down in such a place?¡±


    ¡°Ehh, what¡¯s up with that?¡±


    While Diana was looking at Yasuo who was groaning in pain, Nodoka sleepily looked at Diana and greeted her normally while yawning slightly.


    ¡°Ah, good morning, Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Nodoka. Umm, Yasuo made a really loud noise¡­¡±


    Diana naturally exchanged morning greetings with Nodoka, and looked at Yasuo who was holding his head while writhing in pain as if she was uncertain as to how to interact with him.


    ¡°You can just leave him be. Mom, can I have some black tea?¡±


    However, Nodoka just talked like she didn¡¯t even consider her brother to be human, like she did everyday from the moment she woke up.


    ¡°I-Is that really okay? Ah, if you want tea, the pot that boils water quickly is heating up right now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the electric kettle? I hope you haven¡¯t actually put it on the stove.¡±


    After thinking for a second, Nodoka realized that Diana was talking about the electric kettle used to heat water. Heading towards the kitchen, she walked in between Diana and Yasuo.


    ¡°Wha¡­ Eh?¡±


    Yasuo sat up while rubbing his head, but wasn¡¯t able to conceal his misgivings at Nodoka¡¯s behaviour.


    It wasn¡¯t that she was being friendly towards Diana. However, she was tolerating Diana¡¯s presence as though she was a distant relative who had come to visit, and wasn¡¯t as uncomfortable with having her around as Yasuo was.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand what you want to say.¡±


    At some point, his mother had come to stand beside him and said so while looking downwards while having a complicated expression.


    ¡°Go get changed. You have another uniform shirt to change into, right?¡±


    Even those words, which he would normally hear many times in a month, felt like they were coming from a distant place.


    The atmosphere in the dining room turned even worse than it was yesterday.


    Since the main person, his father, wasn¡¯t here, Diana¡¯s presence felt even more abnormal. Diana, too, seemed to feel the tense atmosphere around Yasuo, and just nibbled her toast without saying anything.


    After that, Yasuo took a shower, took a fresh shirt out of his wardrobe, ironed his trousers even though he didn¡¯t really know how, and prepared to leave for school. He focused on the toast and salad in front of him to avoid looking at Diana as much as possible, even though he couldn¡¯t avoid seeing her completely.


    ¡°¡­Such a tense atmosphere.¡±


    Only Madoka said that in an unhappy manner.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s asking too much for all of you all to get along in just a day, but why don¡¯t we at least turn on the TV?¡±


    Although she seemed to be asking for permission, his mother had already taken the remote control and turned the TV on.


    Ah, this way he could just look at the TV and avoid having to look at Diana. Even he felt that this was being too rude, but the moment he started to think that:


    ¡°There are people inside that plank!?¡±


    He heard Diana¡¯s astonished words and had a coughing fit.


    ¡°Eh? Ah, I¡¯m sorry! Did I just say something weird?¡±


    ¡°N-No.¡±


    Since he wasn¡¯t able to believe the supernatural things his parents had shown him yesterday, he was also unable to believe that Diana was from another world.


    ¡°Are you seriously asking that?¡±


    Nodoka, who had been eating her breakfast at her own pace without caring about the tense atmosphere, asked this question. It couldn¡¯t be denied that she had lost some of her reproachful tone, but her tone was slightly friendlier.


    ¡°She probably is. Even yesterday, she tried to turn off the fluorescent lamp before sleeping by removing the cover.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°N-No, I just thought it was a very bright candle, or a light created by magic¡­.¡±


    Nodoka automatically looked upwards at the light on the ceiling of the living room. It was a familiar sight, so she rarely looked at it directly. She saw what appeared to be dust and a dead insect inside the lamp, and thought that it hadn¡¯t been cleaned in a while.


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re joking, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m really not joking or anything.¡±


    Nodoka asked her as if to confirm the fact, but Diana hurriedly gave an excuse.


    ¡°Ah, I heard my mother talking about things that Hideo and Madoka had told her, regarding box-like devices that showed moving people, and devices that projected light onto a large surface, so I was really surprised.¡±


    Diana was upset and looked like she was about to start crying.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Seeing that, Nodoka for some reason looked more reproachful, and nudged Yasuo¡¯s elbow.


    Although she didn¡¯t say it aloud, she was signalling him to not make Diana cry over pointless stuff as it would be troublesome.


    Yasuo too, had noticed that Diana¡¯s eyes were a bit teary, and looked away because he suddenly felt uncomfortable.


    ¡°Ah, so you already knew about the existence of television.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s attitude indicated that he was feeling stressed as he had lost his aggressive emotional stance, and felt uncomfortable even calling a temporary truce, but Diana looked as if she was relieved that Yasuo¡¯s tense behaviour was dissipating, so she spoke rapidly.


    ¡°Y-Yes. I didn¡¯t think it would look like such a thin plank, though.¡±¡¯


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the one in our house still look like a box, though? If only barely.¡±


    The TV in the Kenzaki household was certainly a flat screen television, but it was a fairly old model. Hence, it was a lot thicker than the latest models.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the latest ones are only half as thick as ours, or maybe even less than that.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Unlike Yasuo, Nodoka was able to properly have a conversation with Diana about everyday life. Just what was going on here? Did something happen after he had pathetically fainted last night? Judging by Nodoka¡¯s behaviour, did she come to terms with the bizarre things that their dad, mom, and Diana talked about?


    Maybe because the question was evident from his expression, Nodoka became aware of Yasuo¡¯s gaze. She put the piece of toast that she was holding back on her plate, and asked Diana in a more formal tone.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how serious you are about the whole thing, but both Onii-chan and I are still confused, so let¡¯s not have a rehash of yesterday¡¯s conversation, okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. I too feel bad that I impatiently tried to finish the discussion yesterday. This is an important problem for all of you, so I hope we can take some time and gradually discuss this problem¡­.¡±


    Thanks to Diana¡¯s cliched words that would easily win a high rank in a ¡®are there people who actually say that?¡¯ contest and Nodoka¡¯s ever-unchanging behaviour, the wintry atmosphere at the dining table reduced a little and it felt like a fresh breeze of spring blew through the room.

 Volume 1, 1 ? Hideo’s Saga Part 3

    Volume 1, Chapter 1 ? Hideo¡¯s Saga Part 3


    While Yasuo was cleaning up the corn from his salad that he had coughed up, he was also closely listening to Diana¡¯s words.


    Maybe his mother and Nodoka hadn¡¯t realized the true intent behind Diana¡¯s last statement.Yasuo forced down his feelings along with his breakfast, he left the table without even saying thanks for the food. Regardless of what his mother and Nodoka were thinking, if he stayed at that place any longer, he would only end up making himself and Diana feel bad, and Nodoka would again try to fix the situation and he would be in her debt.


    ¡°¡­Thanks for the food. Although it¡¯s a little early, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    The hands of the clock were showing the time was 6:45 AM.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re leaving pretty early.¡±


    His mother only looked at him with eyes widened a little in surprise. Nodoka¡¯s words were full of the nuance that she thought he was running away.


    True, he would usually spend at least another thirty minutes relaxing, but Yasuo definitely didn¡¯t feel like doing that today. If he spent another thirty minutes with Diana in the atmosphere that was starting to become more friendly, he didn¡¯t know what kind of things he would end up agreeing to.


    ¡°I promised to go to the club room before school starts.¡±


    Did anyone detect a lie in his flimsy excuse?


    At Yasuo¡¯s high school, morning practice for clubs was only held after receiving permission, before important competitions.


    He remembered how his father, Hideo, had been very agitated when Yasuo entered high school, and he found out that there would be no morning practice for clubs.


    It¡¯s not that morning practice was forbidden, and clubs that had chances of competing at the national level and clubs that had their dedicated training spaces were not bound by this rule. However, there had been a tendency in recent years to curtail morning practice for clubs that didn¡¯t fall into either of these categories.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Irrespective of that fact, Nodoka appeared to have seen through his intentions. Maybe that was only to be expected.


    That¡¯s because the club that Yasuo used to belong to no longer existed.


    ¡°Ah, please take care¡­¡±


    As Yasuo left without sparing a single glance at the dining table, only Diana¡¯s voice and the small sound caused by moving her chair back as she slightly stood up went after him.


    Perhaps she intended to see him off at the door, or she just stood up without thinking about it, but Yasuo didn¡¯t intend to talk to her any further even if she came to see him off. Even if he didn¡¯t believe in all this stuff about other worlds, Heroes and Demon Kings, he understood that she was the daughter of some old friends of his parents.


    However, since she was in a position where she was threatening to disrupt the peace of his family, he had no idea what kind of abusive language he would use on her if she came to see him off. If he did that, there was no doubt that the girl would get depressed and stop talking altogether. He could understand that much even from their brief encounter today morning.


    Since Diana appeared to be basically a good person, if he insulted her and caused her to become silent, wouldn¡¯t that make him look like the bad guy?


    That¡¯s why, he was glad that she didn¡¯t come running after him.


    Besides, saying that he had to stop by the club room wasn¡¯t a complete lie. It¡¯s just that he would kill time at the room that had previously been used by his club.


    ¡°Seriously, nothing seems to be going well.¡±


    While bathed in the sunlight of a morning that was still a little chilly, Yasuo headed down the road that would take him to Tokorozawa Station of the Seibu Railway.


    A good metaphor for Yasuo¡¯s highschool life so far would be to say, ¡®defective, but not damaged enough to bother sending it in for repair¡¯.


    He attended a private high school in his area, Takeoka High School, and had a fair number of friends, even though they were all male. As for his studies, in some subjects he was near the top of the school rankings, while in others he was hovering below average and failed a few tests.


    For sports, rather than activities like soccer and basketball that would make people popular in his class, he was good at things like racquet sports, judo, and gymnastics that didn¡¯t require a team effort.


    Although he wasn¡¯t the type of person to volunteer for committee work, he would properly take responsibility and finish any work that was assigned to him.


    In short, he was definitely not the kind of person who would stand out in his class.


    He didn¡¯t particularly want to be the star of his class, nor was he the kind of person who would be noticed by the delinquents. He would speak to girls, but he was not really popular.


    He had maybe two or three close friends who shared the same interests and hobbies as him, and a bunch of other people who he would tend to hang out with because they either graduated from the same middle school as him, they lived in the same direction while going back from school, or they were in the same class that he was in during the last year.


    Although he didn¡¯t have what it took to be a star, it appeared that he was living a fairly fulfilling high school life. However, his high school life still lacked something definite, that would make it complete.


    On that day, he spent time in his ¡°club room¡± looking at his SlimPhone until the other students started coming to school, and once the campus started to get noisy, he headed towards his class, Third-year Class ¡®D¡¯.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Yasu. You¡¯re pretty early today.¡±


    Aioi Aoto, a friend since his first year at school, was carrying a bunch of long objects in a cloth bag.


    Along with having the last name ¡°Aioi¡±, Aoto¡¯s birthday was on 4th April, so he always had the first student number in the class. According to him, the only people who could wrest that spot from him were his cousin Aioi Aika, who was born on 3rd April, or a person with the surname ¡°Aiue¡±, whom he had yet to run into.


    ¡°What are those long things? They look heavy.¡±


    ¡°These? They¡¯re katanas.¡±


    ¡°Katanas? Ehh, are they real?¡±


    Yasuo widened his eyes at the unexpected reply, but Aoto shook his head.


    ¡°Of course not. They¡¯re just props that are used by my club.¡±


    Saying that, Aoto laughed and put down the bundle of long objects on his desk.


    ¡°The person who was President of the club before graduation knew someone who made props like these. Due to that, their house is full of props, so that person pushed them onto us, telling us to use them for the club.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, the Theatre Club?¡±


    ¡°And the Cine Club as well.¡±


    At Takeoka High school, the school that Yasuo and Aoto attend, the Theatre Club and the Cinematics Research Club cooperated with each other and they were rated highly even outside the school.


    The Theatre Club regularly ranked among the top in the Kanto region, and the Cinematics Research Club had participated in National-level competitions several times. Aoto belongs to the Theatre Club, and took over as vice-president of the club after the third year students graduated last year.


    ¡°Want to take a look?¡±


    Aoto said that, and pulled out one of the katanas from within the traditional-style bag without waiting for Yasuo¡¯s response.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s with the katana?¡±


    ¡°Woah, it¡¯s a katana. Aioi, can I unsheathe it?¡±


    Seeing that, Igarashi and Hino, who were also classmates and good friends of Yasuo¡¯s, came over to take a look at the four black-painted sheaths that were on the desk, probably because it¡¯s not something you see everyday.


    ¡°Sure. But the blades are delicate, so don¡¯t hit them against anything hard.¡±


    Aoto readily handed over one of the katanas to Igarashi, and Igarashi accepted it while being excited.


    ¡°It¡¯s so light. This is one of those Takemitsu swords1, right? ¡­Huh, I can¡¯t draw it. Is it because it¡¯s a fake?¡±


    ¡°No, No. It¡¯s built like a real sword, so it¡¯s hard to draw if you don¡¯t loosen the sword in the scabbard first.¡±


    Saying that, Aoto took up one of the other Takemitsu swords, held it on the left side of his waist, and pushed the guard of the sword with his left thumb. When he did that, the base of the sword blade peeked out from the scabbard accompanied by the metallic sound often heard in period dramas, and Aoto drew the blade from the sheath in a single motion.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Apart from Igarashi and Hino, sounds of delight were also heard from the other boys who had gathered around from curiosity. However, Yasuo had seen a far more incredible ¡°sword¡± the previous day, so he didn¡¯t join in.


    However, when it was his turn to hold the sword, even Yasuo, who knew nothing about Japanese swords, could tell that the design of the sword felt pretty close to that of a real one.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty light, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    His father¡¯s ¡°Holy Sword¡± was lighter than this. Yasuo made a noncommittal nod while doing his best to ignore the voice in a corner of his heart that said that.


    ¡°But you know, it¡¯s pretty hard to keep brandishing this if you¡¯re not used to it. In the beginning, my arms felt like they were going to fall off after a single day of practice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Yasu, you must have seen a staged sword fight in a period drama, right? In those fights, they have to make it look like they¡¯re striking each other without actually doing hitting anything. So the way they use their muscles is entirely different from just waving the sword around.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Yasuo didn¡¯t know much about staged sword fights, so he was again only able to give a half-hearted response. Out of curiosity, he stretched his hand out towards the bag that was close to him to see what other designs of katanas were there.


    ¡°Ah, that is¡­¡±


    Aoto gave a slightly sharp warning, and Yasuo also immediate understood his intent. This sword was obviously heavier than the others.


    ¡°Eh? I thought you said none of them were real?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not real. It¡¯s a so-called imitation sword.2¡±


    Hearing Yasuo say that, Aoto carefully unwrapped the covering, and inside was a sword with a black sheath and handguard. Just the appearance and sound made by it was enough to understand that it was heavy.


    After Aoto loosened the sword in its sheath the same way as before, a single glance was enough to understand that this sword indeed didn¡¯t have a cutting edge.


    However, when the sword blade caught the sunlight streaming in through the windows of the classroom, it was clear to see that it had a dignified gleam, quite unlike the Takemitsu sword.


    ¡°Do you want to try holding it? Don¡¯t touch the blade, as it will make it rust. Also, it¡¯s surprisingly heavy, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    The sword, which was an imitation of an uchigatana3, was handed over to him in a serious manner.


    ¡°Eh? I-Is this for real?¡±


    The sword was heavier than he imagined, so he had to hurry and increase his grip strength.


    ¡°Is it that heavy, Kenzaki?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not just at the level of being heavy. Did the warriors of old times really swing things like this around?¡±


    At Hino¡¯s question, Yasuo replied with his true feelings.


    ¡°The material of the blade is different from that of a real sword, so it¡¯s not exactly the same, but I don¡¯t think a real sword is significantly lighter than this. Besides, a katana is basically just a lump of metal, you know? It¡¯s said that the warriors of the Edo period who carried two swords would tilt to the right when they weren¡¯t carrying their swords because they were accustomed to compensating for the additional weight.¡±


    ¡°I-I know, that, but¡­¡±


    The warriors shown on TV would wield their swords like it was an extension of their body, and even in games and other media, the katana gave an impression of being lighter than western swords. But come to think of it, there¡¯s no way that an implement of war that was used to destroy objects and kill people would be made from lightweight materials and easy to swing around.


    ¡°Nope, there¡¯s no way I can wield this. Without proper training, it would fly out of my hands in an instant.¡±


    Yasuo felt like he might accidentally hit someone if he tried to take a stance with it, so he immediately handed over the imitation sword to Hino who was standing beside him.


    ¡°Woah, it¡¯s really heavy!¡±


    ¡°Is it really that heavy?¡±


    ¡°Woah, this is dangerous. Even if it doesn¡¯t have an edge, it will make a pretty good weapon.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you can do Shirahadori4 with this?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t do it right, it¡¯ll easily break the bones of your wrists.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hey, cleaning the blade is really annoying, so keep your hands off the blade, okay?¡±


    As Aoto uneasily looked at Igarashi, Hino and the other surrounding classmates, Yasuo asked him:


    ¡°Hey, are you going to use something so heavy in your stage performances as well?¡±


    ¡°No, the underclassmen will be practicing with it.¡±


    Aoto replied in an unexpectedly serious voice.


    ¡°The takemitsu swords are really light, right? So people are liable to swing them around like bamboo sticks in the beginning. However, if they know the weight of a real sword, they will be able to represent that in their acting and make it look more life-like. Well, it¡¯s not a real sword, but the weight is what matters. Also, as Hino said earlier, you can kill someone by carelessly hitting or stabbing with it, so it¡¯s important to learn that as well. It¡¯ll help increase the concentration of the club members, and increase the quality of the performance as well, stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­So, are you doing a historical play during your next competition?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We haven¡¯t decided yet. But if we have the required props, I thought that even if we don¡¯t do it this year, then someone else can take over and do it next year, after I graduate.¡±


    Aoto wasn¡¯t the type of person to show his passion for acting in his regular life, but after spending time with him since their first year, Yasuo knew that he was a passionate person at heart, and Aoto also had the accomplishments to prove that his words were not just for show.


    In that way, as a person with responsibility, he was thinking about the state of the club even after his graduation, and was leaving a proof of his existence in the school.


    ¡°That sounds kinda nice.¡±


    Yasuo unintentionally let his appreciation leak out.


    ¡°Sorry, Yasu, I got kinda heated up.¡±


    Aoto looked like he suddenly became aware of what he was doing and lowered his eyes in a apologetic manner.


    Yasuo also realized what Aoto was apologizing about, and waved his hands in an unconcerned way.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. Not only did we have no achievements, something like that happened as well. It was not something that could be fixed by hard work.¡±


    ¡°¡­How about-¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re inviting me to join the Theatre Club, no thanks. Even if you put me in front of a bunch of people, I can¡¯t act. Besides, our Theatre Club is not so easygoing that an inexperienced third year can join and hope to achieve something right off the bat, correct?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, yeah. But I think your chorus singing is pretty good, so you can join with a skill like that. You can sing songs with lyrics in foreign languages too, right?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for worrying about me, but things will definitely end up badly if the vice-president shows favoritism. Forget about that, look, someone¡¯s touching the blade over there¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ahh! Hey, I told you not to touch the blade! Even though it¡¯s just an imitation sword, the oil from your skin is bad for the metal!¡±


    Due to curiosity, the sword had been passed from one person to the next and was currently near the edge of the classroom before they realized it.


    What¡¯s more, a classmate who wasn¡¯t part of the initial circle of onlookers was holding the sword by the blade in their bare hands. Seeing that, Aoto rushed over there in a panic.


    Seeing that, Yasuo gave a bitter smile and let out a sigh.


    ¡°That matter has already been settled, there¡¯s nothing more we can do.¡±


    Yasuo felt a pessimistic sense of gratitude towards his classmate who had shown concern towards his present condition.


    Apart from the unexpected topic of conversation provided by Aoto in the morning, the day went by as normal and it was now evening.


    From the grounds, you could hear the shouts of the sports clubs. The magnificent performance of the brass band could be heard from one corner of the school campus. The sound of several hard objects striking each other could be heard from the martial arts room, maybe because the kendo club was practicing.


    Amidst this scene, Yasuo alone was walking across the courtyard of the school, and heading towards the gate as the sun started to set. Of course, he wasn¡¯t heading towards the ¡°club room¡± that he spent this morning in.


    The performance of the brass band suddenly stopped. No doubt, someone must have messed up their part. Yasuo unconsciously turned in the direction from where the sound had stopped coming, and let out a sigh.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way an inexperienced third-year can join the Theatre Club at this point.¡±


    Although Yasuo didn¡¯t belong to any club right now, he was also a member of a club at one point. If you just looked at his standing, he was higher than Aoto, and had held the post of club president.


    ¡°It¡¯s already¡­ too late to do anything about it.¡±


    However, Takeoka High School¡¯s Choral Club suspended their activities as soon as Kenzaki Yasuo took over as the president, due to lack of members. What¡¯s more, the teacher who had been serving as the club¡¯s advisor left the school that year because their contract period had expired. Due to this, the club was formally shut down.


    To begin with, this result could already be expected from fact that Yasuo was the only person from his grade to join the club during his first year. However, at that time, there were still plenty of people from the third and second years, so they didn¡¯t try to proactively search for more new members. Also, the few people who showed up after Yasuo didn¡¯t continue with the club.


    In the meantime, the third years who made up most of the numbers retired from the club and graduated. The members who were one grade above him became the new third years, and they finally realized that their club was in danger of being shut down and began to panic. However, Yasuo never had anyone younger than him join the club.


    To begin with, the curriculum at Takeoka High School did not put that much emphasis on the arts. Also, the Choral Club didn¡¯t have any great past achievements to show, and very few people who joined this school were interested in pursuing singing as a hobby.


    Hence, there was not even a small hope of reviving the Choral Club under Yasuo who was in his third year, and he resigned himself to be a part of the ¡°go home¡± club.


    Yasuo had also lost his drive to revive the club after their advisor had left.


    However, every once in awhile he would remember that the club he had joined because he loved to sing choral music no longer existed anywhere in this school, and that would cause him to strongly feel like he had no place where he belonged. He was still not used to this feeling.


    Although he knew nothing about karaoke-type pop songs, he was confident in his knowledge of the techniques used to sing choral music.


    He had experience singing a capella, and learned all the techniques needed to sing in that style. In fact, he was also somewhat praised by his seniors and the club advisor for his talent.


    Although the praise was mostly meant to keep him motivated, the fact remained that this was the only place where he had come close to taking a leading role, hence he still wasn¡¯t able to get rid of this feeling of loss.


    On days such as this when he saw his friends living out their youth in a grand fashion, that feeling of loss only increased in intensity.


    ¡°Ahh, I need to go to prep school.¡±


    Yasuo was shaken out of his reverie by the vibration of his Slimphone due to a coupon mail notification, he looked at the time shown on the clock, and turned back towards the gate.


    His prep school was near Tokorozawa Station, that was nearest to his house.


    It would take a bit more than ten minutes by local train to get from Tokorozawa Station to the station nearest to his school. However, walking from his school to the nearest station would take more than twenty minutes as it was necessary to take the smaller back roads through the large fields and agricultural land to bypass the national highway.


    Yasuo thought that he should hurry, but his negative thoughts slowed him down. The fact that it was time to go to prep school meant that the time when he had to return home was getting closer.


    Once he got home, Diana would be there. It looked like she wouldn¡¯t go back until she had achieved her goals.


    His current problem wasn¡¯t whether the stuff she said was true or not. If he met with her, he would again be forced to remember what happened yesterday and this morning, and more than anything else:


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s with all this talk about Heroes and Sages.¡±


    He had thought that his parents were just an ordinary middle-aged man and woman, but in fact they might possibly be the leading characters of some incredible world. He was afraid of that possibility.


    If his father hardened his resolve and accepted Diana¡¯s invitation to go somewhere far away, and his mother agreed with that decision, then Yasuo would once again lose a place where he could be in peace.


    Even at this moment, the Kenzaki household was being rocked by the storms of Diana¡¯s proclamation, but his parents were still paying for his private school, his prep school, and were ready to pay for his college as well. In that case, now was the time to work hard and concentrate on his studies so that he could win a place for himself in society.


    He wished they could at least put this talk of Heroes, Demon Kings, and alternate worlds off until his exams were finished.


    ¡ù

 Volume 1, 1 ? Hideo’s Saga Part 4

    Volume 1, Chapter 1 ? Hideo¡¯s Saga Part 4


    Speaking of prep schools that are meant to prepare students for University exams, schools that follow the traditional method of a large number of students sitting in a classroom to take lessons from a teacher are becoming scarce.


    This is because almost every high school student goes on to take university exams these days, and the examination methods are getting more intensive, to differentiate between students with even one point differences.


    Yasuo attends a prep school called Tokorozawa School, advertised as a ¡°thousand year academy¡±. Each classroom is divided into booths, and each booth is equipped with a computer and a headset, similar to an internet cafe. Students can reserve a period of time in the available timeslots and use a booth. Along with having video tutorial courses, the booths also allow students to revise topics and do self-study.


    The tutorial courses can be selected based on factors such as the University the student wants to join, or their level of understanding. After viewing the video tutorials for the allotted period of time, the student will have to take a test to measure their progress. Such a method of teaching is becoming more commonplace.


    If there is something a student does not understand in the tutorials or their self-study, or they need a clarification, they can ask for guidance from their class leader or a university student who is appointed as the tutor in charge of their education.


    Yasuo thought that he could focus on his studies, or rather his life as a third-year high school student, by concentrating on the video tutorial that played on his screen. However, those hopes were mercilessly dashed by the English reading comprehension tutorial that he had selected.


    The theme of the lesson was to read a short story, but the story was about the only daughter of a soldier who fought in the Vietnam War, looking for one of her father¡¯s old comrade-in-arms. The plot was so similar to the current situation of the Kenzaki family, that he was unable to focus on reading it. The daughter pleaded to the old man who was the protagonist of the story to rescue her father from some predicament, but the protagonist had circumstances that prevented him from immediately rushing to the aid of his old friend.


    After reading this much, Yasuo¡¯s mind rejected reading until the end of the story. Even though he knew that this was a part of the course syllabus, he was afraid to see what would happen at the end of the story, when he considered what would happen if the actions of the old man in the story overlapped with the actions of his father.


    Unfortunately, today was the day when he had to clear a test to move on to the next course, and of course he wasn¡¯t able to properly answer a single question.


    ¡°You¡¯re usually not like this, is there something that is bothering you?¡±


    Due to that, Kobayashi Yuusuke, who was a third-year student at Waseta University and the tutor in charge of Yasuo, was worried about him.


    Of course, there was something he was worried about. However, that was not something that could be resolved with the help of a tutor from his prep school.


    Yasuo came out from the prep school looking crestfallen, and started to walk back home with a frown on his face. Eventually, he was able to see the lights of his house. The lights in the living room and the kitchen were lit, but he couldn¡¯t tell if Diana was still there or not.


    ¡°Does she intend to stay here until Dad agrees to go with her?¡±


    Yasuo had fainted last night and hadn¡¯t been aware that Diana had stayed over, but the phrase ¡°Unexpectedly living together with a beautiful girl from another world¡± floated through his mind.


    ¡°Something that stupid can¡¯t possibly happen.¡±


    Thinking about it realistically, that was not possible.


    Staying over for one or two nights was understandable, but he hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that Diana might continue to live in their house.


    Putting aside his personal opinions, it was a simple matter of the size of the Kenzaki family house. Even his mother¡¯s room, where Diana appeared to have slept last night, was full of items that had accumulated over their long stay in that house, and it must have been very difficult to prepare a futon in that cramped room.


    Besides, if he considered whether he wanted to live in the same house as her, the answer was a definite no.


    Diana was definitely a beauty. However, even if you didn¡¯t consider the stuff about her being from a different world and so forth, she was still someone he didn¡¯t know anything about.


    If he told the whole story to his close friends Aoto, Igarashi, and Hino, they would probably say something like this:


    ¡°Not only is your nagging father leaving, but you also get to live in the same house as a beautiful girl, what more could you possibly want?¡±


    If Diana was someone from a more realistic place, and she didn¡¯t fill his father¡¯s head with such nonsense, maybe Yasuo would have thought the same thing as well. However, in Yasuo¡¯s opinion, Diana was an intruder who had come to destroy the peace of his family. He had heard that dubious religious cults sometimes used beautiful women to lure in young men, and this situation felt pretty close to that.


    ¡°Haa¡­ I¡¯m home.¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t have the option of not going home. He opened the front door of his house with a heavy heart, and that¡¯s when he heard it.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Somebody was singing. It was a tremulous voice, but was definitely the voice of a girl singing from her heart.


    However, the lyrics of the song that he heard were definitely not Japanese. Which meant that the person who was singing was¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    When he quietly opened the door to the living room, he saw Diana, who was facing away from him and singing while in a praying posture in front of a gently steaming cup of black tea. By the way, the clothes she was wearing were his mother¡¯s, just like in the morning.


    Listening more closely, he realized that her voice was not tremulous, she was just singing a melody with a slow rhythm while trying to keep her voice down.


    However, it is unexpectedly difficult to sing the higher ranges of a song with a slow rhythm in a low, steady voice without using vibrato, unless you are used to singing it.


    Yasuo was taken in by her beautiful singing voice, and he unintentionally let his voice slip out.


    ¡°Is that a hymn?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Ah! W-welcome back!¡±


    Diana must have heard his voice, so she suddenly stopped singing and turned around.


    Due to that, her knee hit the cup of tea and the contents went flying everywhere.


    ¡°Ouch, that¡¯s hot!¡±


    ¡°H-Hey, be more careful.¡±


    Seeing the apparently hot tea spilling on Diana¡¯s leg, even Yasuo panicked.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay? Here, use this!¡±


    Yasuo rushed into the kitchen without even putting his bag down, and threw a dish cloth to Diana after running it under water and lightly squeezing the water out.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Did you h-hear, hear that-¡±


    ¡°Did you get burned anywhere? Use that to wipe it off, first!¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that!? Did you!? Umm, I¡¯ve heard that you shouldn¡¯t get devices like this wet, wait, did you really hear me just now!?¡±


    Diana seemed to be very confused, and was moving around in confusion with a red face while holding the TV remote that had been splashed with some tea as if it was a very important object.


    ¡°It won¡¯t break so easily. More importantly, your leg! Most of the tea spilled on your leg! Did you get burned¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah! Umm, I didn¡¯t get burned, but I got Madoka¡¯s clothes dirty, I¡¯m very sorry!¡±


    Diana started to take off her pants while still red-faced and holding onto the remote, so it was Yasuo¡¯s turn to be embarrassed and become confused.


    ¡°Hey, stop! Don¡¯t take them off here!!¡±


    ¡°B-But, tea stains are hard to remove so i need to wash it right away!¡±


    ¡°Go to the washroom!¡±


    ¡°But, but I can¡¯t intrude while Madoka is in the middle of her bath!¡±


    ¡°Mom is in the bath!? It¡¯s okay, the bath is separated from the rest of the washroom, so you can go in!¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right! Sorry, I showed such a shameful side of me in front of you, Yasuo!¡±


    ¡°Like I said, don¡¯t take your clothes off here! Go to the washroom!¡±


    ¡°Ahh, I was in the middle of my prayer¡­! And I made such a mess in front of Yasuo¡­!¡±


    Yasuo felt relieved to see that Diana headed to the washroom after the end of their heated conversation. He realized that he was still holding his bag, and set it down. He then put the cup that Diana had knocked flying in the sink, rinsed the dish cloth, and finished cleaning up the spilt tea. He then heard Diana¡¯s voice that sounded apologetic.


    ¡°Ahh, Yasuo, I¡¯m very sorry, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    She was sticking her hand through the slightly opened door to the living room, and was pointing at the door to his mother¡¯s room that was on the other side of the living room.


    ¡°Umm, Madoka gave me some pyjamas to wear at night, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    What did she expect him to do? He nodded as if he understood, but then realized that he was not thinking straight after getting caught up in this kind of ordinary trouble.


    ¡°Umm, could you¡­ go get it¡­ for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ahh! I understand, wait a moment. Sorry, I honestly didn¡¯t realize!¡±


    After thinking about it for a second, Yasuo realized that he had been lacking consideration. If she had washed the pants that she had been wearing, then she obviously could not just walk past Yasuo in that state.


    Yasuo dashed into his mother¡¯s room and grabbed the pyjamas that had been folded carefully to ensure that they didn¡¯t crease. As a boy of high school age, he felt regret for a second that Diana had regained her composure, but shook off that feeling and threw the pyjamas at the opposite door while trying not to get them too crumpled.


    As soon as he threw them, he realized that he could have just handed them to her without looking, but decided not to dwell on that too much.


    ¡°T-thank you very much.¡±


    Before long, Diana appeared before Yasuo wearing his mother¡¯s pyjamas, and stood there while fidgeting and looking at him with upturned eyes.


    ¡°Umm¡­ about that, well¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that one was my fault. I really didn¡¯t have any other intentions, honest.¡±


    Yasuo started to apologize to Diana before she could complete her sentence, but it only sounded like he was making excuses, and couldn¡¯t stop himself from speaking.


    A girl wearing only her underwear had been just on the other side of a wall.


    Yasuo¡¯s heart was completely shaken by that thought, and as his heart rate skyrocketed, his face also became red.


    Diana¡¯s face was even redder than Yasuo¡¯s, but she strongly shook her head to the sides.


    ¡°N-No! I-I¡¯m not talking about that¡­.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Then what is it? Oh, you¡¯re talking about that.¡±


    Yasuo finally remembered what happened before this latest event, and took a deep breath to forcefully calm down, even though he was still shaken. He then spoke in a slightly fast pace:


    ¡°Sorry, I heard you. B-But if you¡¯re going to sing in the living room, obviously someone will hear it.¡±


    Although that sentence sounded like an excuse as well, the words seemed to have a strong impact on Diana, as her face turned even redder.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for making a racket¡­ Umm, that was kind of an etiquette that is followed by people in Resteria in recent times, and it¡¯s something I have become accustomed to doing no matter what¡­¡±


    Was it that shameful for her to be seen while she was singing?


    ¡°The song¡­ is etiquette?¡±


    When he just asked the question that occurred to him, Diana panicked even more.


    ¡°Umm, I have always been hopeless at singing, and the Church Priest would always scold me saying that I wasn¡¯t putting my heart into the prayers, I actually have no power at all!¡±


    He had no idea what Diana meant by ¡®power¡¯ of the song, but Diana¡¯s excuses didn¡¯t stop there.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll believe me when I say this, but the song I was singing earlier was¡­ right, it was what you call a ¡®prayer¡¯ in this world! It¡¯s like the Namu Amida Butsu!5¡±


    ¡°Fu.¡±


    It seemed that Diana was still panicking as she was waving her arms about and crossing them in front of her face several times.


    Yasuo let out a snort of laughter because of her sudden use of the phrase ¡°Namu Amida Butsu¡±, but that allowed him to regain his composure before Diana.


    ¡°Namu Amida Butsu is not a prayer, it¡¯s a sutra. Well, I guess the two aren¡¯t really that different.¡±


    ¡°Okyou? Umm, let¡¯s see, ¡®okyou¡¯¡­ does that mean a big fish?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Ohyou6¡±


    Speaking of halibut, Yasuo had seen on TV before that there was a certain large fish that was used in making sushi, and also went well with curry. He was surprised that the knowledge of the fish came back to him so quickly even though he had only seen it once before on TV, and was also surprised that Diana knew about the fish but not about sutras.


    ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s normal for Christians to pray at home at night, and there are hymns that are sung before going to bed. If it¡¯s that sort of thing, I can understand.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Diana blinked at Yasuo¡¯s unexpected words.


    Even though Yasuo didn¡¯t realize it, this was the first time he said something positive to Diana.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t believe that stuff about you coming from a different world, but your singing¡­ well, I think it¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s the first time anyone has said that to me.¡±


    Diana timidly asked him to confirm, but she was slightly smiling from joy at being praised.


    It would have been fine if he had left it like this, but Yasuo suddenly got embarrassed at having praised her honestly, so he added some unnecessary words.


    ¡°It felt like you were used to singing that particular song. Since you said it¡¯s become a habit, I guess I can understand that. The melody felt a little dark, though.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, about that, the song is actually a requiem that is sung before going to sleep.¡±


    Diana hurriedly replied to his comment. She seemed desperate to extend the time spent talking to Yasuo even by a second.


    ¡°A requiem? Before going to sleep?¡±


    He felt like that could hardly be classified as a cheerful habit.


    ¡°Yes. There are several hymns that are meant for singing before going to bed, but I¡­ no, all Magitech soldiers probably sing this song instead.¡±


    Yasuo was about to ask the reason behind doing that, but he stopped himself after hearing the word ¡®Magitech soldier¡¯. It was a danger signal that she was about to start talking about that other world stuff again. Even if that was not the case, he felt that he had been talking to her a little too much.


    Maybe letting his guard down due to the incident with the tea was a bad idea. Yasuo also felt ashamed at pretentiously commenting about her singing.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going to my room.¡±


    After saying that, Yasuo turned away from Diana and started to leave the room, while silently telling himself that he hadn¡¯t put down his guard against her.


    ¡°W-Wait!¡±


    At that time, Diana called out to him.


    ¡°Thank you very much. That was the first time anyone other than my parents complimented my singing, so¡­ well¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s okay.¡±


    Yasuo didn¡¯t really know what he was ¡®okay¡¯ with, but when he turned around to look at Diana, she was slightly blushing for an altogether different reason, and he thought that she looked cute in spite of himself, and his tone became brusque.


    ¡°Yasuo, do you know a lot about singing?¡±


    ¡°Not really, I just sang a bit, for my club in school.¡±


    Never mind his technique and the number of years he had been singing, he didn¡¯t know much about music and singing in a scholastic sense. He tried to escape by saying those words, but Diana¡¯s sparkling eyes didn¡¯t let him.


    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! I never had any formal training in singing, so I¡¯m a bit jealous.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big a deal¡­ Umm, I should really go-¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry, I held you back from leaving. Thank you very much, and good night!¡±


    She ran away looking like a criminal who was afraid of the stares of passers-by.


    Yasuo felt that he had just been a little more interested in singing than everyone else in middle-school.


    Although his close friend, the vice-president of the Theatre Club, had praised him, he considered that as little more than lip service, meant to encourage him because of his circumstances. More than anything, he felt hesitant to say that he had singing experience compared to Diana who sang everyday as part of her normal routine, and felt ashamed for being presumptuous enough to evaluate her singing in spite of having only a few years of experience.


    He had been rejecting Diana all the way while he was returning home from prep school, but that feeling had completely vanished. Yasuo was filled with an immense sense of shame, and escaped into his own room.


    He threw himself on his bed, and struck the wall in frustration. In return, Nodoka struck the wall from the other side, which was in her room.


    ¡°This sucks.¡±


    Neither Aoto nor Diana had any ill intent when they spoke to him. However, the result was that Yasuo felt as if someone had rubbed salt into the wound that was just beginning to heal.


    He knew that he was living a half-hearted high school life. However, no matter what was said, the Choral Club would not be reinstated, and Diana was still present downstairs.


    He felt like closing his eyes and escaping into the world of dreams, and wiping away everything that had happened today. He closed his eyes thinking that it was okay even if that wound didn¡¯t heal, he just wanted enough time to pass again so that he could forget about it.


    Once he graduated from high school, his environment would drastically change.


    High school was a place where you only spent three years, after all. Instead of struggling pointlessly and hurting yourself more, it was far better to brace yourself against the dull pain and endure it, and then start anew in a new environment.


    However, even with his eyes closed, he was still able to see Diana¡¯s face, full of happiness when he praised her singing, and his cheeks grew hot again. As he tried to rid himself of that vision of Diana, he remembered the appearance of his father¡¯s Holy Sword.


    ¡°Aaarrrrghhhhhh! What the hell has been happening during these last two days!?¡±


    The things that he had tried to avoid facing until now all came back at once, and as if to collect that debt, they attacked him from an unexpected direction. Just how long was he supposed to endure this situation?


    ¡°Quiet down!¡±


    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±


    Nodoka protested through the wall against his impulsive shout, and Yasuo reflexively apologized.


    However, that got Yasuo wondering as to what exactly Nodoka thought about the whole thing. Diana¡¯s beauty caused him to unintentionally put his guard down around her, but that wouldn¡¯t work on Nodoka. She must have a reason for not getting emotional and living her life as normal, even after listening to that absurd story and finding out about Diana.


    Yasuo stood up thinking that the siblings who were being tossed around by their parents¡¯ behaviour should work together to overcome this situation. At that moment:


    ¡°Umm, Yasuo, do you have a moment?¡±


    Diana¡¯s knock and her voice reached his ears through the door, and Yasuo fell back as if stunned by her voice.


    ¡°Ah, we can just talk like this. I just wanted to inform you regarding the plans for tomorrow.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how Diana interpreted the sounds coming from his room, but she continued to talk while sounding slightly panicked.


    ¡°I have come to see that Hideo is very important to all of you, and it¡¯s unreasonable of us to want to take him away from you with such short notice. I¡¯m sure both you and Nodoka can only see me as a nuisance, who has come to destroy your peaceful family life.¡±


    ¡°Uhh, yeah.¡±


    After saying that, Yasuo realized that he had called Diana a nuisance to her face (even though they were separated by a door) but that was realizing after the fact.


    Diana didn¡¯t seem to mind, and continued talking in the same tone.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t intend on giving up on summoning Hideo back, but I don¡¯t want to do that even if it means sowing discord in his family. And hence¡­¡±


    And then, she said something that Yasuo didn¡¯t expect.


    ¡°I¡¯ll return to Ante Lande tomorrow. Thank you for looking after me these past two days.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    At that moment, both Yasuo and Nodoka opened the doors to their rooms, and looked at Diana in a questioning manner.


    ¡°Diana-san, you¡¯re going back?¡±


    Diana gave a small nod to Nodoka who looked surprised.


    ¡°I plan to leave tomorrow morning, at the same time both of you leave the house.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    Although it wasn¡¯t like she had given up entirely, Yasuo and Nodoka didn¡¯t expect her to leave so easily, so they looked at each other with a complicated expression on their faces.


    ¡°However, there is something you should know. I came here on a mission for the Resteria Kingdom. That¡¯s why, regardless of the circumstances, returning empty-handed will mean that I failed in the mission given to me by the king.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you will be punished because you were not able to succeed?¡±


    At Nodoka¡¯s words, Diana gave a small laugh and shook her head.


    ¡°My evaluation at the workplace might fall a little, but that¡¯s trivial compared to the crisis that threatens the world. However, the problem is regarding what comes next.¡±


    ¡°Next?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was given the mission of summoning Hideo because my mother and your parents are old friends. However, I¡¯m still a novice who has only been a Magitech soldier for two years. There are plenty of people who think that I¡¯m not suitable to escort the Hero of Salvation, and that I was given an important mission because of my parents¡¯ influence.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Looks like there are people like that no matter where you go.¡±


    For some reason, Nodoka was nodding as if she was convinced.


    ¡°I plan to report that ¡®Hideo has a family who are dear to him, and he is not willing to abandon them to come to Ante Lande.¡¯ However, I might possibly be removed from the mission of summoning Hideo altogether. In that case¡­¡±


    ¡°Your replacement might not be someone so willing to listen to our circumstances, is that what you¡¯re trying to say?¡±


    Judging from what Diana had said so far, that was the only logical conclusion.


    Diana nodded as if to confirm Yasuo¡¯s prediction.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The two of you might still find it hard to believe, but Ante Lande really exists, and the state of affairs there is rapidly deteriorating. At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if there was a bigger panic than what occurred thirty years ago during the chaos caused by Demon King Kaul. Since it¡¯s a big matter like summoning Hideo, the Hero, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll send just anyone over. However, I still thought that you should keep this in mind.¡±


    ¡°I still can¡¯t get used to hearing him called ¡®Hideo, the Hero¡¯, but can you really go back so easily?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just returning to Ante Lande is easy for me.¡±


    Although he was still not decided on accepting Diana¡¯s story about where she was from, at this moment, Yasuo had an epiphany regarding the phrase ¡°another world¡± which he had heard in his early childhood.


    ¡°In that case, can¡¯t you do something like this? N-not that I believe anything about this other world and stuff, but¡­¡±


    After adding on those unnecessary words, he continued.


    ¡°Can Dad go over to to that place ¨C was it called Ante Lande?- to work when he has some time to spare, and come back here by bedtime?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that sounds kinda okay.¡±


    Diana was wide-eyed with surprise, and Nodoka clapped loudly.


    ¡°Moving between worlds, isn¡¯t that something like doing a warp using magic? If you just send him like that wherever he needs to go, wouldn¡¯t that be nice? Woah, that means Dad can avoid taking a crowded train to work, Onii-chan, you have some good ideas once in awhile.¡±


    Thinking of avoiding the commuting rush using magic that links different worlds, that¡¯s a pretty small-minded way of looking at such a grand mechanism.


    However, Nodoka¡¯s example was still fairly close to what Yasuo was trying to say.


    ¡°Ahh, so that¡¯s what you meant. I¡¯m sorry, we can¡¯t really do that.¡±


    However, Diana rejected their idea after thinking about it a little.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what kind of phenomenon ¡®warp¡¯ is, but it takes a lot of time to move between worlds. The time it took me to come to Japan from Resteria using the Gate Tower which is a magical construct designed for crossing vast distances, would be around two hours in your terms.¡±


    ¡°Sure, two hours seems like a lot of time, but I think Dad is probably used to travelling for that long, you know? Even today, he left on a trip to Osaka, that actually takes a little more time.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the only problem.¡±


    Diana hurried to stop Yasuo, who was making an optimistic proposal.


    ¡°It takes a massive amount of energy for a person to travel between worlds.¡±


    ¡°You mean it requires some powerful magic?¡±


    Diana made a bitter expression at Nodoka¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to think of it that way. At any rate, it is very difficult to maintain the energy levels required to keep the Gate Tower running.¡±


    ¡°Maintain?¡±


    Yasuo and Nodoka blinked at the sudden use of the realistic term.


    ¡°Operating the Gate Tower and transporting a mass equivalent to that of an average adult male requires roughly three percent of the annual budget of the Resteria Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°T-Three percent of the annual budget of a Kingdom!?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not like all that money evaporates the instant the Gate Tower is activated, but it takes a lot of preparation to get it running, and it¡¯s not something that I have the authority to use at will¡­ Sorry for saying something that destroys your hopes.¡±


    ¡°So, does that mean you blew six percent of your country¡¯s annual budget to come here and go back, even though you weren¡¯t able to achieve your mission, Diana-san?¡±


    ¡°The Gate Tower works on the principle of ¡®making a round trip¡¯, so it takes three percent to come and go back. Besides, there are slight differences in the procedure for making the round trip depending on whether you start on that side or this side, and there will also be differences depending on how much mass you want to transport, so the required funds will change depending on those factors. It¡¯s just that, since we¡¯re using tax money collected from the citizens, we can¡¯t just use it as we wish.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    If, as Diana said, it took three percent of their annual budget to travel between worlds, would she really just be forgiven with just a slight lowering of her evaluation at work if she failed in her mission?


    Even though Yasuo understood that it didn¡¯t concern him, he couldn¡¯t avoid being worried. It wasn¡¯t like Diana read his mind, but she still laughed and shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Since we¡¯re summoning the legendary Hero, we already planned to make multiple round trips. Besides, we¡¯re currently in a state of emergency. Since Hideo has the achievement of leading the world thirty years ago, if required we can also supplement our funds by taking out a high interest loan for war purposes.¡±


    So she¡¯s basically saying that they can use his past achievements as collateral to take a loan from other countries, thereby gathering the required funds. It felt quite strange to hear a person from a fantasy world use phrases like ¡°national budget¡± and ¡°wartime debt¡±.


    However, that resonated far more strongly with Yasuo than his father¡¯s Holy Sword or his mother¡¯s magic, and lent a sense of reality to Diana¡¯s words.


    He had heard that recent MMOs operated their imaginary world in a very close fashion to running a real country, but what Diana wanted was not a Hero¡¯s avatar, but the Hero himself.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that I really believe in stuff like other worlds and magic yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Diana no longer wavered after hearing him tediously repeat that he didn¡¯t believe in it so many times.


    ¡°What exactly is going on? You said something about a Demon King called Kaul in Ante Lande, right? What exactly do you mean by the shadow of the old Demon King?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. During the war thirty years ago when Hideo and Madoka created their legend, a large number of people had been killed by the ¡®Grotesque Demons¡¯ who differed from humans in the kind of environment they lived in, and everything else.¡±


    That was really easy to understand, but she seemed to be implying that something was different this time.


    ¡°However, this time, it¡¯s literally a ¡®shadow¡¯. Some of them are minions of the Demon King and the rest of them are something else, but there have been reports of appearances all around the world¡­¡­¡±


    It was just after Diana had told them this much.


    A thunderous roar rang out from downstairs, and Yasuo and Nodoka cowered down at the same time.


    However, Diana moved quickly.


    She jumped down the stairs in one leap, landed lightly in the corridor of the lower floor ad confirmed the direction the sound had come from.


    There, she saw the front door of the Kenzaki house that had been crushed and sent flying, lying on the floor.


    ¡°They¡¯ve¡­ come this far in pursuit? And without even using a Gate Tower!?¡±


    Diana gritted her teeth and glared at the silhouette of the interloper that flickered in that location.


    There was a flickering shadow that looked like a flame, standing over there.


    It looked like a mass of coal that had been placed in a furnace, and gave the impression of heavy, pitch black flame. It collected itself just outside the doorway, and then:


    ¡°Ooo¡­ Hideoooo¡­ Hero¡­. Hideoooo¡±


    A dark knight, cloaked in darkness and possessing ominous red eyes, stood up from there looking like it was born from darkness and was soaking up the shadows.


    Diana looked straight back at it without fearing those burning red eyes, and slowly braced herself.


    The young girl, who was clad in Madoka¡¯s pyjamas, had green eyes that shone as if they were illuminated by sunshine.


    ¡°I will definitely protect Hideo¡¯s family!¡±


    In the next instant, the shadow knight, and the pyjama-clad, green-eyed girl clashed at the doorstep in a flash.

 Volume 1, 2 ? My Mother is Strong Part 1

    Volume 1, Chapter 2 ? My Mother is Strong Part 1


    It was the beginning of Spring, and the city was illuminated by the light of the sun that was still setting fairly early.


    Yasuo sunk his chin into the collar of his coat that he was wearing over his regular clothes, and looked at his prep school. The next instant, he made a face like he had bitten into a bitter bug, and said to Diana who was standing beside him:


    ¡°Please, just go back home already.¡±


    However, Diana replied while looking at him with eyes that were shining with determination:


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t do that! Not after what happened yesterday. We don¡¯t know what could happen!¡±


    ¡°In that case, what about Mom and Nodoka¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about them.¡±


    Diana smiled while clenching her fists.


    ¡°A novice like me would only get in the way of Madoka if something were to happen. That would just put Nodoka in danger. Since the Rainbow Sage is over there, you can think of your house as being perfectly safe.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Yasuo replied in a tired voice and lowered his shoulders.


    He understood that he would not be able to convince her, no matter what he said. As if to substantiate that thought, Diana continued to speak.


    ¡°It is my duty as a Magitech Soldier of Resteria to protect Hideo¡¯s family during his absence. That¡¯s why it¡¯s only natural that I accompany you as a guard while you¡¯re not near Madoka!¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­ Umm¡­ Fine, I understand.¡±


    He had a lot of objections to that statement, but it was probably useless to try and talk Diana out of it since she was so determined, and it was even more improbable that he would be able to send her back home by force.


    In that case, the only thing he could do was try his best to keep Diana from acting strangely in front of other people.


    There was no reason why terms like ¡®another world¡¯ and ¡®Ante Lande¡¯ had to be kept secret. That¡¯s because most people would not believe anything like that even if you told them. If anything, he wanted to keep Diana¡¯s presence itself a secret.


    Judging by her behaviour within the Kenzaki house, Diana was a well-mannered person. However, her speech and actions would definitely stand out in the current Japanese society. Just judging by her speech, people would mistake Diana for Yasuo¡¯s personal servant.


    Of course, she had borrowed a set of clothes from his mother, and she was not wearing her armor. However, there was no doubt that she was hiding that mysterious weapon of hers under his mother¡¯s coat. Besides, the gray coat that looked like a normal piece of clothing when worn by his mother looked like an advertisement for an expensive brand when worn by Diana.


    If Aoto, Igarashi, or Hino caught sight of her, he would no doubt be overwhelmed with questions about who that blonde beauty was and how they were related. Even if he managed to answer them somehow, the word would get out that Yasuo was in a close relationship with a blonde beauty, and he would not be able to deal with all those rumors.


    ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll hide somewhere close by, and come running in case of an emergency, so please relax and focus on your studies!¡±


    ¡°¡­Sure.¡±


    After receiving a hearty cheer from Diana who looked very enthusiastic, Yasuo made to go into the building, but:


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    He had just looked away for a second, but Diana had vanished. Did she jump to the roof of a building or something?


    That absurd thought ran across Yasuo¡¯s mind, and he looked up at the building. He then realized that there was no point in thinking about it, so he shook his head and put it out of his mind.


    He wanted to immerse himself in his duty as a student, at least while he was in prep school. Especially since he had taken the day off from school due to the incident last night.


    Thinking about the reason for his absence, Yasuo understood that his daily life would be messed up from tomorrow. Moreover, he was no longer able to insist that Diana¡¯s words were a lie and reject them outright.


    The world of magic, Ante Lande, that had been saved by a Hero.


    Something that couldn¡¯t be explained by any other means had happened at the doorstep of the Kenzaki house last night.


    ¡ù


    Yasuo and Nodoka had both been shocked by the loud noise, and weren¡¯t able to react immediately.


    Diana alone had jumped downstairs, and shouted something. Yasuo left Nodoka on the second floor and hesitantly headed downstairs, and he saw the front door that had been crushed and blown away by some kind of incredible strength, and the sight of Diana confronting some black shadow creature.


    The shadow soon assumed the shape of a human. It was the figure of a man who was wearing full-body armour that looked far more exaggerated than Diana¡¯s.


    It¡¯s eyes were as red as magma from deep underground, and it gave off a hazy, flickering light and an ominous presence that struck fear into the hearts of people who looked at it.


    Yasuo had been completely paralyzed by the fear of seeing something so unnatural, and Diana said:


    ¡°Yasuo! Get back! I¡¯ll deal with it!!¡±


    Diana¡¯s loud voice brought him back to his senses.


    ¡°B-But this is¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡±


    Diana looked straight at the shadow and shouted that to Yasuo without turning around to look at him.


    ¡°Although I cannot be compared to Hideo and Madoka, I¡¯m a full-fledged Magitech Soldier! So there¡¯s nothing to¡­.¡±


    Yasuo didn¡¯t know why she had hesitated only at that part, but the next moment, Diana ran forward at a speed high enough to crack the floor.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be worried about!!¡±


    The girl from another country who was wearing his mother¡¯s pyjamas swung both her fists at the shadow.


    In each hand, she held something that looked like a gun without a barrel. The next instant, both her hands started to glow, and something that looked like blades of light appeared above the grips. The blades of light were the same color as Diana¡¯s eyes, and were too long to be called knives, yet too short to be called swords.


    Yasuo didn¡¯t know much about weapons, so the terms ¡®short sword¡¯ and ¡®dagger¡¯ didn¡¯t occur to him.


    Diana¡¯s slim body belied her prodigious strength, and she attacked the shadow with incredible speed and power, but the shadow easily blocked the shining blades of light.


    ¡°Ku!¡±


    But it looked like Diana had expected her strikes to be blocked. While keeping the shadow¡¯s sword in check with her two blades, she twisted her body in mid-air, jumped upwards, and wrenched the shadow¡¯s neck around using her knees after landing on its shoulders.


    ¡°Haaaaaaaa!!¡±


    Along with Diana¡¯s shout, ¡°something¡± was shot out of the grips that had produced the light swords that Diana was holding, and the impact sent Diana and the shadow flying outside the house.


    The impact of whatever was released from Diana¡¯s two swords pulverized the coat rack near the front door. Yasuo wasn¡¯t worried about that and instead attempted to go after Diana who was barefoot and wearing only pyjamas.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    However, his legs started to shake, and he wasn¡¯t able to move from that spot.


    There was still something that looked like black embers, smouldering near the place where the shadow had been. He could hear sounds of metallic objects striking against each other, but he was rooted to the spot from fear, and he couldn¡¯t see what was happening.


    While he was in that state,


    ¡°What¡¯s going on!?¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Madoka, who had been in the bath, rushed out without even drying herself off and had only a bath towel wrapped around her. She took in the sight of the destroyed doorway, Yasuo cowering in fear, and the flickering flames of the shadow outside the door.


    After she understood the whole situation, his mother immediately took action.


    ¡°Diana-chan is outside, right? Stay where you are. Also, the TV remote is in the bathroom for some reason, put it back where it belongs later.¡±


    After saying that, his mother rushed outside the front doorway from the corridor leading to the bathroom at a speed faster than Diana¡¯s while scattering drops of water from her bath everywhere, and flew into the air from the road in front of the house.


    Yes, she soared into the air and disappeared from his sight.


    In Yasuo¡¯s memories, his mother was someone who hated exercise, hated lifting heavy things, and ran out of breath during the 50-meter race for parents during Sports¡¯ Day when he was in elementary school. She was definitely not someone who would use the roof of the house opposite to theirs as a foothold to jump into the sky like a ninja.


    He was overcome by fear earlier, but seeing his mother pull of something even more absurd than Diana caused his curiosity to overcome the fear. Yasuo hesitantly stepped outside while avoiding the remaining flames near the doorway.


    ¡°Woah!?¡±


    A fireball exploded right above the house, and the hot blast of air knocked him on his behind.


    Once again, fear took hold of him and he was unable to stand up.


    ¡°Yasuo! Are you okay!?¡±


    ¡°I told you to stay indoors!¡±


    Diana, with her pyjamas slightly burnt, and his mother wearing just a towel, appeared from the dark sky.


    ¡°¡­Did it run away?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But I can¡¯t sense its presence anymore.¡±


    While his mother and Diana were being alert for any further danger, Yasuo thought of something very sinful.


    Why couldn¡¯t his mother and Diana have had their clothing switched?


    It seems humans will think of petty stuff when they¡¯re driven to their limits.


    ¡ù


    The sound caused by the explosion of the fireball and the accompanying heat wave left a definite impact on the neighborhood.


    For example, Kawamura-san¡¯s wife from next door was talking about how she had been scared by her glass door being shaken by a sudden impact, in a tone of 70% anxiety and 30% curiosity.


    It appeared that no one had seen his mother, Diana, or the mysterious shadow, but several people had reported that they had heard the sound of the explosion, or seen the blast. Since their front door had been essentially reduced to rubble, both Yasuo and Nodoka felt that this was no time to be going to school.


    Along with a gas explosion and a fault in the power lines being considered as the probable cause, the police and fire department who had rushed to the scene even stated unjust suspicions that Yasuo or Nodoka had pulled some kind of malicious prank, or their mother who had a driving license had been illegally storing gasoline.


    In the end, the incident was resolved after the police confirmed that nothing else was going to happen (which was pretty strange, as they didn¡¯t yet know the cause) and Madoka calling her husband and owner of the house, Hideo, to inform him about the incident.


    Diana hid herself because Yasuo¡¯s mother had told her to hide on the roof of the house, as her presence would complicate things when the police were checking the identities of the house residents. Later, several news agencies caught scent of the story and collected around their house, so Diana was unable to come back inside for a while.


    ¡°Mom! Our house is being shown on the news! A lot of the details have been blurred out, though!¡±


    When Nodoka said this after watching an afternoon variety programme that she didn¡¯t usually watch, their mother could only hold her head in her hands, and Diana, who had avoided being spotted by the police and snuck back indoors after the news reporters had left, similarly held her head in her hands.


    However, no matter how much both of them regretted it, it was a fact that some incident had occurred that destroyed the peaceful life in their neighborhood. Even worse, there was the fact that some unidentifiable danger was closing in on the Kenzaki family.


    Once things had calmed down a bit in the evening, Yasuo said that he wanted to go to prep school, and Diana had insisted on coming along. In a way, that was perfectly natural.


    It was perfectly natural, but¡­


    ¡°Ante Lande, huh¡­.¡±


    Searching for that on his Slimphone only gave him a few hundred hits for the word ¡®Antenna¡¯. Yasuo glanced at the building that he suspected Diana was hiding in as he scrolled through the results of the search.


    Putting aside whether his father was really a ¡®Hero¡¯, the ¡®Kenzaki residence front door explosion incident¡¯ that occurred last night could not be explained if he didn¡¯t accept the existence of another world, Magitech Soldiers, etc.


    No matter how you look at it, a normal person couldn¡¯t have done the things that Diana and his mother had done. The presence of that mysterious shadow that looked like it was made of black flames could not be explained by the common sense of a Japanese person.


    However, admitting that would mean unconditionally believing everything Diana had said, and accepting it as fact. Once he accepted it, Yasuo¡¯s everyday life might never go back to normal. In that case, what would happen to the Kenzaki Family?


    ¡°¡­Tch.¡±


    Yasuo suddenly stopped and looked around on the path that he was very familiar with.


    It was evening, and the lane running through the residential district was illuminated by streetlights. However, there were a few places the light didn¡¯t reach, such as the areas between the houses, and those places were steeped in shadow.


    Could the mysterious shadow from last night rise up again from one of those places?


    The incident last night occurred so suddenly that he didn¡¯t have time to think deeply about just what kind of creature that was, and Diana and his mother didn¡¯t say much about it this morning either.


    In some way, Yasuo was afraid to ask for more information.


    After this morning, he didn¡¯t want to accept the fact that things had progressed to the level where his father no longer had any choice but to accept Diana¡¯s proposal. Once his father accepted it, his family¡¯s peace would never be restored.


    All of a sudden, the various movies, novels, manga, and anime he had seen flashed through Yasuo¡¯s head. Ordinary people who found out about the secret of the ¡®Protagonist¡¯ would no longer be able to lead an ordinary life.


    The protagonist would have a number of foes, and those foes would make all sorts of plans to lower the protagonist¡¯s strength.


    There would be enemies who would directly challenge him to a battle of strength, enemies who would try to trap him using some convoluted scheme, and some enemies who would use underhanded tricks.


    The protagonist had already saved a world in the past. That meant his character level was on a wholly different level, and the forces of evil could not hope to defeat him easily by attacking him head on. To reduce the threat of such a powerful opponent, they could just hurt his dear family or close friends.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s knees began to shake pathetically, and he felt like he was going to collapse. He had seen several ¡°Villains¡± in movies who came up with similar schemes. Was that shadow just an indirect method used to shake the protagonist up?


    The enemy had already discovered the headquarters of the protagonist, and was waiting for an opportunity to attack his precious family members who were completely unprepared in an attempt to restrain him.


    ¡°Di¡­¡±


    Just when he was about to cling to the name of the messenger from Ante Lande, whom he had been rejecting until now:


    ¡°What are you doing, just standing still in a place like this?¡±


    After being called out to suddenly, Yasuo felt like his heart was going to leap out of his mouth, and cowered down.


    Looking back, he saw that a short person wearing a plain jumper had come out from the prep school, and was looking at him.


    Even before he could process who that person was, she began to speak.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty diligent, coming to prep school even after such a big incident took place.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Yasuo widened his eyes and looked closely at her.


    She was probably the same age as him. She had short hair, and large eyes. Her manner of speech was very friendly, but the problem was that he had never seen her before.


    No matter how hard he tried to remember, he couldn¡¯t recall anyone who matched this girl¡¯s description. In fact, Yasuo barely had any opportunity to talk to females apart from his family and Diana. He considered that she might be in the same class as him at school, and he didn¡¯t recognize her because she was not wearing her uniform, but for better or worse, he couldn¡¯t think of any girls who would take the initiative to talk to him.


    After staring at each other for a while, the girl seemed to understand something and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry for talking to you all of a sudden. I guess I surprised you.¡±


    ¡°Uhh, yeah.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get in the way of other people if you keep standing there. Don¡¯t you need to go inside for your lessons?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Yasuo came back to his senses. The place where he had almost been overwhelmed by an inexplicable fear was right in front of the door of the prep school, and he noticed that a few students of the prep school were stepping around him to pass through the door while looking at him with an annoyed expression.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m going home for today anyways.¡±


    After saying that, the girl left his side and walked away. At that point, Yasuo finally realized that he hadn¡¯t found out who that person was.


    ¡°H-Hey!¡±


    ¡°You know,¡±


    Yasuo felt frozen by the words of the girl who turned just her head to look back at him.


    ¡°Things are probably looking rough for you right now, but stay strong, okay? See you around.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    After hearing her talk like she knew what he was going through, Yasuo forgot what he was going to say and went into a daze. In that time, the girl had turned her back to him and left the prep school.


    ¡°W-Wait!¡±


    Yasuo turned around and ran out of the prep school that he had just arrived at, and searched along the path for the jumper-wearing girl he had just seen.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    He found the jumper that was almost blending into the light of the dusk, and ran after it.


    However, the jumper-wearing girl was walking faster than he expected, and due to being delayed by traffic lights and the crowd of people exiting Tokorozawa station, he found it difficult to catch up to her.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    After finally catching up with her in the residential area, the girl responded to his voice and turned around, looking at him warily.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Umm, well¡­¡±


    Yasuo managed to catch his breath and looked up at her, but realized that he hadn¡¯t thought about what to ask her, and was momentarily lost for words.


    ¡°H-How?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°How did you know about it?¡±


    So he just asked her that directly. What exactly did she know about the events taking place around him? Why did she take the initiative to talk to him?


    ¡°Know about what?¡±


    ¡°About me being in a rough spot right now.¡±


    Yasuo asked her what she meant by her words without putting much thought into it, and the girl tilted her head to one side.


    ¡°I mean, they talked about it on the news.¡±


    Yasuo made a dumbfounded expression at her unexpected words.


    ¡°There was a story about it on the news last evening, so I thought that you must be having a rough time, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°There was a gas explosion in front of your house or something, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    At this point, Yasuo finally realized that he had a made a massive misunderstanding. He also realized that he had been acting rudely, and came to know just how cornered he felt.


    The troubles he had been experiencing these past three days were all caused due to Diana and were related to Ante Lande. That¡¯s why, when an unfamiliar girl tried to offer some words of support, he unconsciously assumed that it was related to Ante Lande.


    However, he wasn¡¯t able to react normally because he was feeling mentally cornered, and also:


    ¡°You look like a pigeon that¡¯s been shot with a peashooter.¡±


    Another reason was because he had never seen this girl who was laughing after saying that.


    It¡¯s true that some pictures were shown on the news about the family affected by the ¡®Explosion incident¡¯, but there were no casualties, and they had not mentioned him by name either. Even so, this unfamiliar girl in front of him had connected him to the news about the explosion.


    That¡¯s why, he assumed that the girl in front of him was also connected to Ante Lande, or maybe knew something about the shadow from last night.


    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±


    By the time he realized, Yasuo had pathetically fallen down on all fours on the street.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry, I¡¯m fine, I just wasn¡¯t thinking.¡±


    Yasuo replied with a smile that looked like a grimace, and the girl looked at him with a bitter smile.


    ¡°I guess so. It certainly looks that way.¡±


    She offered her hand to help Yasuo stand up.


    ¡°Can you stand, Yasu-kun?¡±


    And she called him by a nickname.


    That voice and nickname stimulated Yasuo¡¯s memory. He remembered that voice, calling him by that nickname. He also realized that this was from a very precious memory.


    ¡°You are¡­¡±


    Yasuo stretched out his hand, and was about to hold the hand that she had extended towards him, when:


    ¡°Ah, too bad.¡±


    The girl immediately retracted her hand, and gave a slightly mischievous laugh.


    ¡°You were just trying your best to remember who I am, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh!? N-No, I wasn¡¯t!¡±


    Not only did she accurately say what he had been thinking, but she also retracted her hand just as Yasuo was about to hold it, so he almost lost his balance. While keeping himself from falling over, Yasuo once again took a close look at the girl¡¯s face.


    Were they from the same high school? Or perhaps, they were classmates in elementary school, middle school, or at some extracurricular lessons? Did they perhaps talk to each other at the special lesson that was conducted when he first joined the prep school?


    However, no matter how much he thought about it, he wasn¡¯t able to remember this girl in front of him.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    So, Yasuo chose to honestly apologize.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize in such a dark tone. I¡¯m sorry as well, for trying to test you¡­. Well, I do realize that my appearance has changed a lot.¡±


    After saying that, the girl stepped forwards and took hold of Yasuo¡¯s hand with her own.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you came chasing after me, even though you didn¡¯t know who I was.¡±


    Now that she mentioned it, he realized she was right.


    ¡°About that¡­ I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Yasuo had no choice but to surrender completely. Rather than try to defend himself with some weak excuse, he decided it would be better to give up and find out who she was. Judging by her behaviour, she didn¡¯t look particularly angry that Yasuo had forgotten about her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t feel a little disappointed.¡±


    However, the girl spoke as though she could read Yasuo¡¯s mind.


    And then, contrary to her words, the girl revealed an expression that indicated she was having fun looking at Yasuo, who was trying his best to recall who she was.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you again at the prep school either, so I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re friends with a lot of girls, right, Yasu-kun? It can¡¯t be helped if you don¡¯t remember someone like me.¡±


    The girl said that in a clearly sarcastic tone, and didn¡¯t allow Yasuo to object.


    ¡°Eh? No, I¡¯m not really¡­¡±


    Since she was talking like this, she must have been a classmate from elementary or middle school. He gave up on trying to remember and looked straight at her, and found that she had an unexpectedly gentle and cute expression on her face.


    Although she was a completely different type from Diana, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call her a beauty. Not only was such a lively and cute girl speaking to him in a friendly manner, she also called him by a nickname, so there was nothing to feel sad about.


    Yasuo started to feel conscious of the fact that they were of different genders, but he still couldn¡¯t think of any girls from middle school who called him by a nickname, except for that one¡­


    ¡°Wait¡­¡±


    A miraculous image began to rise up in Yasuo¡¯s head.


    ¡°Yasu-kun.¡±


    However, it was very different from the girl in front of him.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, you don¡¯t think it¡¯s strange?¡±


    There were no points in common at all¡­.


    ¡°Grown-up¡­ I¡¯m not really sure what that means, but I won¡¯t say something like that anymore.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Yasu-kun.¡±


    Yasuo felt like he had pulled on a slender vine, and a whole bunch of potatoes were attached to it.


    ¡°Ta-Ta-Ta-Ta-Ta-Ta-Ta-¡±


    Each time he made that sound, it felt like the cobwebs in his memories were gradually being wiped away, and the corners of the girl¡¯s mouth rose bit by bit.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me!?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    Although she retorted with a wide smile on her face, Yasuo was not trying to make a joke, he was completely serious. That¡¯s why, he asked again:


    ¡°No, you¡¯ve got to be lying!?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not! Don¡¯t tell me, have you not really remembered who I am!?¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­!¡±


    Yasuo broke out in a cold sweat for an entirely different reason from earlier, compared the girl in front of him to his memories several times, and finally shouted out her name.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san, were you always like this!?¡±


    ¡°You need to add the word ¡®Delicacy¡¯ to your dictionary!¡±


    ¡°I mean, you said it yourself before, that your appearance had changed. But isn¡¯t this a little too much!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, really!? Yasu-kun, you used to be a shy boy who would fidget a lot because you weren¡¯t used to talking to girls, and now you suddenly accuse me of being a liar, who do you think you are!?¡±


    ¡°Stop that. You weren¡¯t the kind of person who would talk like this either!¡±


    ¡°Yasu-kun, back then, you would have asked me not to talk like that more politely.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? Seriously!? Huh!?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t strange for Yasuo to act so hysterical. His classmate from the second-year of middle school, Tatewaki Shouko, was definitely not someone who would talk in such a manner.


    In a generation when even middle-schoolers naturally carried Slimphones, she was a girl with braided hair and silver-rimmed spectacles, and made you wonder if she was from the Showa Era.


    He remembered that her appearance while wearing the sailor-style uniform of their middle school would make people think that she was perfect for a leading part in a drama about the wartime.


    Her voice was quiet enough to be compared to the sound of a mosquito, and it was almost impossible to have a conversation with her if the surroundings were a little noisy.


    He found it impossible to relate that image of her to this short-haired, big-eyed, sporty-looking girl in front of him.


    ¡°I could say the same about you! After I went to the trouble of worrying about you, first you don¡¯t remember who I am, and then you ask if I was always like this! You¡¯re tearing my identity as a woman to shreds!¡±


    ¡°Umm, but that¡¯s because¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, and any girl who talks about her identity as a woman doesn¡¯t really have any such thing.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean!? And seriously, are you really Tatewaki-san?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still asking that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re completely different, after all¡­ did something happen to you in high school?¡±


    The phrase ¡®High school debut¡¯ flew through his mind. Since they were in different classes in their final year at middle school, Yasuo didn¡¯t know what high school she had enrolled in, but maybe she was inspired to change by a change in her environment.


    ¡°You sound like you¡¯re asking me if I made friends with the wrong sort of people in high school.¡±


    Shouko spoke to him while pouting and pointed a finger at him.


    ¡°There¡¯s a proverb that says ¡®Take a good look at a man if you haven¡¯t seen him for three days¡¯! People will change over time, you know!¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re a girl.¡±


    ¡°That because that proverb is from a long time ago! Stop nitpicking and just accept the idea behind it! Besides, what do you want anyway? Yasu-kun, what did you want to do after chasing down a girl you didn¡¯t even consider worthy of remembering?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, I was¡­¡±


    He thought an unfamiliar person was related to Ante Lande and chased after her, only to unexpectedly find that she was an old acquaintance.


    Basically, he had no business with her to begin with.


    ¡°Umm, there was some stuff I was mistaken about, and stuff I remembered wrongly, so¡­ umm¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do you have amnesia?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay?¡±


    Yasuo genuinely apologized, and said the words that he should have said to begin with.


    ¡°Long time no see. You¡¯ve changed so much, I was really surprised.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it has really been a while. Yasu-kun, I can¡¯t really tell whether you¡¯ve changed or not, but I guess you¡¯re not the same as before.¡±


    Shouko finally gave him a genuine smile, which then changed into a look of concern.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have to go to prep school? Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah, it¡¯ll be okay. Anyways, it was nice talking to you.¡±


    Yasuo hated himself for trying to end the conversation with such vague words, but he wasn¡¯t experienced enough to say anything meaningful in such a situation.


    ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯m glad you remembered me after all.¡±


    It seemed like Shouko had gotten over her anger.


    ¡°I have to go home for today, so let¡¯s save the long chat for tomorrow onwards, okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±


    That¡¯s right, this was the way it should be.


    Although the way in which it had happened was pretty shameful, changes to your daily life should be things like this, such as meeting someone you haven¡¯t seen for a long time. Definitely not things like messengers arriving from another world, or monsters kicking down your front door.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, do you have an account on ROPE? If not, can you give me your email address¡­¡±


    What¡¯s more, it came with the bonus of exchanging contact information.


    Just when Yasuo started to be relieved after three days of mysterious changes¡­


    ¡°Get away from Yasuo!¡±


    That voice sounded like the messenger of death, come to take him to hell.


    The situation going to get complicated.


    No matter what he did, it would get complicated.


    It was definitely going to get complicated.


    Yasuo confirmed that the everyday life he wanted was going far away.

 Volume 1, 2 ? My Mother is Strong Part 2

    Volume 1, Chapter 2 ? My Mother is Strong Part 2


    It would have been okay if it was his mother, his father, or even Nodoka. It would have even been okay if it was a policeman, who had suspected Yasuo of harassing Shouko. Basically, Yasuo would have preferred anyone other than the person who had just appeared.


    But, appear she did. The person who was the main reason his life was thrown into chaos, Dianaze Krone.


    ¡°Yasuo! I¡¯ll save you right away. Please just wait over there! I won¡¯t forgive anyone who intends to harm Hideo¡¯s family!¡±


    ¡°W-Who are you?¡±


    Shouko looked at Diana and said that while looking genuinely bewildered, but Yasuo felt like even he didn¡¯t know the answer to that question.


    ¡°Yasuo! Are you okay?¡±


    He was, until she came along.


    While thinking that, Yasuo understood that Diana had judged Shouko to be a suspicious person (even though it was actually the opposite). His brain began to process information at a speed uncomparable to when he was taking exams, and he quickly shouted:


    ¡°This person is not the enemy! The shadow that just attacked us went over there!¡±


    Yasuo thought that he must have looked like a fool for shouting something like that in a loud voice. However, the next instant:


    ¡°The black¡­ shadow!¡±


    Diana ran off towards the direction Yasuo was pointing more faithfully than a Shiba Inu runs after a toy or a thrown rubber ball.


    Diana¡¯s behaviour and speed were definitely not normal, so Shouko gazed after Diana who had run off into the darkness.


    ¡°¡­What was that about?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Was she someone you know, Yasu-kun?¡±


    Well, of course. She had shouted his name at the top of her lungs, after all.


    ¡°That girl¡¯s staying over at my house right now, she¡¯s an acquaintance of my Dad¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Shouko once again turned in the direction that Diana had run off in.


    ¡°An acquaintance of your Dad¡¯s? Not yours?¡±


    ¡°¡­For better or for worse.¡±


    Judging by Diana¡¯s appearance and age, it would have been more believable if Yasuo had said that she was his acquaintance.


    Shouko refused to let the matter drop, and ruthlessly continued speaking about her.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she say something about protecting you, Yasu-kun? Or am I mistaken?¡±


    Unexpectedly, it seemed Shouko had paid attention to what Diana was saying.


    Diana could speak Japanese like a native, and without an accent. Yasuo also knew that she was a soldier. Shouko had been the target of her killing intent for a brief second, and it seemed that she had picked up on that.


    Looking at Shouko¡¯s face, it was clear that the experience had left a negative effect upon her.


    ¡°She¡¯s from a country where things aren¡¯t as peaceful as they are here, so she must have misunderstood something.¡±


    ¡°¡­It looks like you¡¯re going through a much rougher time than I had imagined.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess so, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Is she connected to that explosion incident in any way? Yasu-kun, you said something like ¡®enemy¡¯ as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­No, probably not.¡±


    In contrast to the friendly atmosphere from earlier, Shouko¡¯s words now carried a hint of sharpness, and Yasuo¡¯s lie came a beat too late.


    He didn¡¯t know how Shouko had perceived his words, but she eventually gave a small sigh, lowered her shoulders, and replied in a hard tone.


    ¡°Well, it would be a hassle if that girl comes back and misunderstands something, so I¡¯m leaving now. Goodbye.¡±


    Shouko said that curtly and walked away quickly, without waiting to hear Yasuo¡¯s response.


    Yasuo was left holding his Slimphone that he had taken out while being happy about getting to exchange contact information with a girl.


    After the few minutes of happiness, the return of his helpless feelings made him angry enough to want to smash his Slimphone against the ground, but:


    ¡°It looks like the shadow got away. Yasuo, are you okay¡­ Huh? Where did that other person go?¡±


    Yasuo managed to control his anger because Diana chose that moment to come back, and then:


    ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaah¡­.¡±


    Yasuo let out a sigh that sounded like his anguish, desire, and all other emotions from the past few minutes were being let out in a concentrated form through his breath.


    ¡ù


    She was sitting on her knees, on top of the chair.


    It¡¯s not that rare these days to see people from western countries who can use chopsticks, but there shouldn¡¯t be many such people who can comfortably sit on their knees for a long time.


    It was debatable whether Diana, who came from a different world, Ante Lande, could be considered a person from a western country, but in any case she looked thoroughly uneasy sitting on her knees.


    ¡°Even I can¡¯t find a way to pull you out of that mess.¡±


    After hearing the whole story, Madoka put on an amazed expression and lowered her shoulders.


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect someone to believe that Diana-chan, who speaks such fluent Japanese, has just come over from a country that is not peaceful.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say in that instant, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really¡­ so sorry¡­ I did something horrible to Yasuo¡¯s friend¡­ Auuu¡±.


    It looked like her feet were going numb already.


    The chair Diana was sitting on started to make small noises in concert with the trembling of Diana¡¯s body.


    While Yasuo may not have thought it through properly, his quick actions kept Diana from injuring Shouko, or doing something worse. However, it looked like Shouko had picked up on Diana¡¯s strangeness, and perhaps she had also picked up on Diana¡¯s hostility.


    After Yasuo had grabbed Diana by the collar and ran back home, he exhaustively explained the details behind his meeting with an old friend, and the result was Diana¡¯s self-imposed kneeling.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t immediately notice that you had left the building earlier than I expected¡­ so, I feared you had been kidnapped by someone, and then I heard loud voices that sounded like they were arguing¡­ so I lost control.¡±


    Although it was technically night, it was far too early for people to go to sleep, and there were plenty of people on their way back home. What kind of kidnapper would argue with his captive in the middle of the street at such a time? He wished she could have stayed calm and thought about it for a minute.


    By the way, Yasuo was no longer concerned about the fact that he had ended up skipping prep school again.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad it wasn¡¯t me¡­¡±


    Nodoka had come downstairs after hearing the noise caused by Yasuo¡¯s return, and after hearing the reason behind it, she openly scowled.


    It seemed that Nodoka had not stepped out of the house at all today.


    ¡°Well, after the incident yesterday, I can understand why Diana-chan was being so wary. So how about it? Were you able to smooth things over your friend?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nope. I¡¯m pretty sure I failed.¡±


    If nothing else, she must have plenty of doubts regarding Yasuo¡¯s clearly strange shout regarding a shadow going somewhere else, and Diana¡¯s attitude and behaviour.


    He was already feeling sorry for having forgotten about her, and now this.


    ¡°Well, we can only pray that the enemy doesn¡¯t cause any more trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really, really very sorry- Auuu.¡±


    ¡°You need to understand how Diana-chan feels, though. Something like that happened right after she had decided to go back home, so her feelings of wanting to protect our family no matter what must have caused her to get ahead of herself. I didn¡¯t expect something like that to happen either.¡±


    Yasuo felt that those words, ¡®I didn¡¯t expect something like that to happen¡¯, perfectly summed up the past three days.


    ¡°But for you to forget about one of the precious few girls around you, can you really afford to be like that?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget about her, I just didn¡¯t recognize her because she had changed so much.¡±


    ¡°No, even that is pretty NG for a girl, you know? Hmm, her name was Tatewaki-san? Tatewaki-san¡­ I feel like I¡¯ve heard that surname before¡­ ¡±


    It was a pretty unusual surname, so it wouldn¡¯t be weird if his mother remembered her name as she was once one of his classmates.


    However, the incident with Shouko was already something of the past, it could not be fixed no matter how much they discussed it here. Rather than that, there was something far more important that he wanted to clarify.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Y-Y-Y-Yes¡­.¡±


    ¡°So what was that strange black thing from yesterday? Was that some kind of monster sent here by that Demon King Kaul that you were talking about?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yes¡­¡­. Eh?¡±


    Diana was attempting to answer while enduring the tingling in her feet, so it looked like she took a while to process Yasuo¡¯s question, but once she was done processing it, she realized what that meant.


    She even forgot about the discomfort and stared dazedly at Yasuo.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ willing to believe me? The things I said about myself¡­ and Ante Lande¡­¡±


    ¡°After seeing that thing yesterday, and the state of our front door, and Mom as well¡­ after seeing all these things and more, I have no choice but to believe you. And besides¡­¡±


    Yasuo lowered his head like he had remembered something unpleasant.


    Earlier, Yasuo had shouted about ¡®The black shadow¡¯, in order to get Diana away from Shouko. At that moment, Yasuo thought about the appearance of the mysterious humanoid monster that had destroyed their front door yesterday. This was an indication that he had already started to believe Diana without realizing it.


    ¡°I thought it¡¯s okay to believe that you¡¯re serious about protecting me and my family from some strange threat.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo¡­ Thank you so much! For believing in me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Hearing her say that with such a happy look on her face, Yasuo¡¯s feelings of guilt intensified.


    ¡°You could just say you believe her now instead of trying to sound cool, what are you getting all embarrassed about?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how Nodoka had read his action of turning away from Diana, as she said some half-hearted things. For now, Yasuo pretended that he hadn¡¯t heard her and continued to speak.


    ¡°Well, please don¡¯t go out of control again in the future like you did today.¡±


    ¡°Of course! T-Thank you very much! Thank you- wah!?¡±


    Diana was moved by emotion and attempted to stand up, forgetting about her numb legs.


    ¡°Ouuuuuch!!¡±


    She fell off the chair, and hit her numb feet hard against the ground in the process, letting out a wailing cry


    This was supposed to be the Magitech Knight from another world with superhuman strength who had fought off the shadow monster last night? What a joke.


    In any case, Yasuo realized that as long as he kept denying the existence of the world known as Ante Lande, he would not be able to deal with the restless atmosphere that was creeping up around his family. He had to face it properly.


    Scary monsters aside, he didn¡¯t know when Diana or some other Ante Lande-related incident would throw his life into chaos again, so he had to be ready.


    ¡°N-Numb¡­ I¡¯m sorry, please wait for a bit¡­ Aaaah!¡±


    ¡°Ok, ok. Mind if I go put my bag away in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°P-Please go ahead¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, the washing machine is already full of blankets I¡¯m going to be washing tomorrow morning, so don¡¯t put anything else in there, okay?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    After replying to his mother, Yasuo returned to his own room. Listening to the sounds made by Diana downstairs,


    ¡°Kuku.¡±


    He laughed because he found it funny, and then:


    ¡°¡­¡­.Haaaaaaaaaa.¡±


    He let out a sigh after imagining what would happen from tomorrow on.


    Diana had showed hostility towards Tatewaki Shouko, and was about to attack her. Even after Yasuo had managed to turn her away, she ran off with superhuman speed.


    Saying that Diana was on edge because of the attack by the shadow last night might have been enough for the Kenzaki Family, but Shouko would definitely not be satisfied with that.


    Would she still be willing to talk to him when they met at prep school again?


    In any case, Yasuo could see nothing but dark clouds in his future with the beautiful girl who had treated him with affection and was about to exchange contact information with him, and his mood took a bigger drop than before.


    ¡°Yasuo¡­¡±


    Yasuo left his bag and the contents of his pockets in his room and came back to the living room, only to find that Diana had recovered from her numb feet and was waiting for him there with a depressed expression on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. On top of my earlier actions, I showed you such a pathetic side¡­¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Haah¡­ If my colleagues saw me acting like this, I wonder what they would say¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, considering that you came here to escort the Hero back, but ended up having to kneel because of your mistakes¡­¡±


    ¡°Uuu¡­ I have no excuses¡­¡±


    Diana began to turn red, but¡­


    ¡°Onii-chan, are you really in a position to say that so arrogantly? During the last memorial service, your legs got so numb from sitting on your knees that you fell over once the ceremony was complete.¡±


    ¡°S-Shut up.¡±


    Nodoka¡¯s comment wasn¡¯t malicious, but it was now Yasuo¡¯s turn to turn red.


    ¡°Fufufu¡­ In any case, I will do my best to explain what the shadow from yesterday night was, and what exactly is the nature of the evil that is descending upon Ante Lande. If there is anything you don¡¯t understand, or any terms you don¡¯t recognize, please feel free to ask questions.¡±


    Due to Nodoka¡¯s comment dissipating the tense atmosphere, Diana relaxed and gave a small smile, and then immediately corrected her posture and put on a serious expression.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear a detailed explanation as well. At first, I was sceptical when I had heard about the threat of Kaul¡¯s return, but then something like that attacked our house. It looks like my husband and I will need to have a more serious discussion.¡±


    Madoka also faced Diana with a serious expression on her face. Yasuo sat down in his usual chair, took a deep breath, and prepared himself.


    He was the one who would decide if he should believe it or not. However, considering the things he had seen, and the fear he had felt, he could not discredit everything she said.


    After looking at Yasuo¡¯s expression, Nodoka understood the situation and sat down next to him. She looked slightly worried, but from prior experience, he knew that if he tried to cheer her up or touch her in this kind of situation, she would not only assault him with verbal abuse, but also order him not to come near her for a month, so he ignored her and waited for Diana to start speaking.


    ¡°¡­It begins with the story of the Grand Duchy of Torjesso, which was the first to be conquered by Demon King Kaul.¡±


    ¡ù


    The Demon King Kaul, who had once thrown Ante Lande into fear and chaos, was said to have appeared ¡®from beneath the ground¡¯.


    The stronghold of the demons led by Kaul was in the mountains of the coldest region of the Grand Duchy of Torjesso, which lies to the north and most of the land has a cold climate. Once it appeared, the stronghold grew in size at an accelerated rate, like a bamboo shoot.


    From that stronghold, demons began to appear one after the other, as though there was a pipe that connected the demon realm below to the surface of Ante Lande. The Grand Duchy of Torjesso was utterly destroyed, the Archduke and his household were slaughtered, and the citizens scattered to different parts of the world.


    The various countries of Ante Lande were being routinely defeated by the demons of unknown nature when the saviour appeared. He was Kenzaki Hideo, who was eighteen years old at the time.


    The youth, Hideo, wielded one of the five legendary sacred treasures, the Holy Sword of the Wind, Liutberga, and saved Diana¡¯s mother, Erijina, who was the Captain of the Mage Unit of the Kingdom¡¯s Knights at the time.


    ¡°One question. What¡¯s the difference between ¡®Knight¡¯ and ¡®Magitech Knight¡¯?¡±7


    ¡°¡®Knight¡¯ was once the basic title given to feudal lords who governed a piece of land, but the word is now used to refer to soldiers of the Kingdom. ¡®Magitech Knight¡¯ is a concept that came into being after the advent of Hideo, before that the army on the battlefield had many different types of soldiers, such as swordsmen, pikemen, and archers who fought on the frontlines, and magicians who fought from the rear¡­¡±


    After saying that, Diana took out the mysterious grips that had produced the shining blades of light.


    ¡°There was a revolution in the creation of arms and armour due to the widespread use of a weapon based on the one one Hideo brought into our world. The use of swords, spears, and the bow are still taught as part of the basic curriculum, and all soldiers need to be proficient in their use, but soldiers of the Magitech Battalion of the Kingdom¡¯s Knights mainly use ¡®Techno Weapons¡¯ based on their compatibility.¡±


    Diana stood up, moved a little distance away from the other three people, and produced a blade of light from one of the grips.


    The blade of light was about the same length as the distance from Diana¡¯s elbow to her fingertips, and looking at it closely, the grip had an elaborately designed emblem carved into it, perhaps it was the emblem of the Resteria Kingdom.


    However, what drew his attention was the fact that the grip had a muzzle like that of a gun, and something that looked like a trigger attached to it.


    After seeing that, he recalled that Diana had shot out ¡®something¡¯ last night when she was fighting the shadow, and that ¡®something¡¯ had pulverized the coat rack.


    ¡°The ¡®Techno Weapons¡¯ used by the Magitech Knights have a mechanism that makes it easy to shoot magic. Before the fight with Demon King Kaul, magic was something that was wielded by a few people who had special talent, and it was used mainly as a large scale, high powered weapon that took a lot of time to prepare. However¡­¡±


    ¡°It took far too many resources to protect those precious few people with special talent, namely magicians, and keep them from coming to harm.¡±


    Their mother continued from where Diana had left off.


    ¡°For quite some time during our adventure, I too was unable to fight unless I was protected by a large number of people¡­. There were even people who died to buy me the time I needed to fire my magic.¡±


    The words she spoke were far heavier than expected, and both Yasuo and Nodoka became dejected.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Madoka¡¯s words had a strong influence on the development of Techno Weapons. Umm, regarding those people who passed away¡­¡±


    ¡°Baskin Grindhelm. He was a veteran spearman from Resteria¡¯s Mage Unit. He had been telling everyone that his third child had just been born. He talked to me about all kinds of things before we went into battle, like how he wanted to earn more recognition and glory through combat. Although it has been thirty years, I can¡¯t forget about the man who died with a smile on his face while protecting me.¡±


    Their mother¡¯s words were full of remorse and nostalgia that she was unable to hide.


    ¡°With Madoka¡¯s proposal, and the weapon Hideo brought added to it, the very nature of magical attacks was changed. The Techno Weapons that I use are of a type that is a direct upgrade from the ones created by the engineers of the past, and are among the most commonly used. The one in my right hand is called ¡®Castor¡¯, and the one in my left hand is called ¡®Pollux¡¯.¡±


    ¡°They look identical, but they have different names?¡±


    ¡°The only difference is that one is meant to be used by the right hand and the other by the left, but they are classified as different weapons nevertheless.¡±


    Diana replied to Nodoka¡¯s question, and put away the blade of light. As Yasuo watched that, he felt it slightly strange to hear about ¡®classification of weaponry¡¯ in the context of another world.


    ¡°Lifting the cover will produce a blade of magic. The grip has a trigger and a muzzle to shoot magic from, but technically speaking, there is no need to load ammunition, and even the trigger is pretty much just a decoration. However, apart from knowledge, imagination also plays a big part in activating magic, so by having a muzzle to fire the magic, reinforcing the thought that the magic will be fired in the direction the muzzle is pointing in, and that magic can be activated by pulling the trigger, the process of firing magic can be simplified to a great extent. ¡®Magitech¡¯ is a word that signifies the use of specialized tools that trick the mind into simplifying the process of activating magic, but the magic that is fired from here is not capable of wiping out armies with one strike like the magic in olden times. Instead, it can have many effects, such as constraining the movements of an enemy, or directly injuring them to reduce the speed of their movements.¡±


    Basically, it appeared that the paradigm had shifted from using heavy battleships that hit hard to using small, highly mobile forces.


    ¡°The strategy of using powerful magic that has a long range and causes widespread destruction has not completely been abandoned, but currently, using a large number of soldiers armed with Techno Weapons that have limited firepower but a high rate of fire to suppress an enemy through sheer numbers is the preferred tactic.¡±


    Moreover, by increasing the rate of fire, and prioritizing stopping power over the ability to kill, it would be possible to plan more efficient attacks.


    ¡°Of course, back in those days when the war with Demon King Kaul was still ongoing, people with overwhelming power and talent such as Hideo, Madoka, my mother, and many of their comrades used their swords and magic to defeat the Demon King and his demonic generals¡­¡±


    Since she had to move on to explaining the current threat, Diana closed the topic of discussing the fighting from thirty years ago.


    ¡°As Yasuo and Madoka saw, the enemy is a shadow with substance. There have been many sighting of such creatures all over Ante Lande, and they are causing heavy damage. While inspecting the reports of the damage, it appeared that the attacks were related to Demon King Kaul after all, and this incident is being treated as the second coming of Demon King Kaul. The general term for those shadows in our language is ¡®Shii¡¯, which means ¡®Revealer of evil spirits¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Evil spirits? What, is this like some kind of horror story?¡±


    Although Nodoka usually seemed to be calm, she actually hated scary things like horror stories, and she looked a little pale. Nodoka then tried to laugh it off as if she was making a joke, but Diana nodded seriously.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly as it sounds. Without exception, the shadows all the take the shape of ¡®creatures that died in the battle between Demon King Kaul and humans¡¯.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    The person who was shocked by Diana¡¯s words was their mother, Madoka.


    ¡°At the beginning, we received reports that ghosts of the family of the Archduke of Torjesso had been spotted. They were among the first people to be sacrificed to Demon King Kaul. Not just the Archduke himself, but the members of his household, and the citizens who were killed during Kaul¡¯s initial assault. They appeared from below the ground like the Castle of the Demon King did all those years ago, and began to attack the people in their surroundings.¡±


    ¡°Has that been confirmed?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, there can be no doubt. We¡¯ve been receiving similar reports within the Resteria Kingdom as well. The ¡®Shii¡¯ have the appearance from when they were alive, except that their bodies are covered by something that looks like a black flame, and they attack all creatures, humans included, with power that is not at all inferior to what they had when they were still alive. Without exception, the victims of their attacks have had their hearts taken.¡±


    ¡°What!? They¡¯re totally zombies! I¡¯ve heard enough!¡±


    Yasuo and their mother took a deep breath, and Nodoka let out a wail.


    ¡°Among the Shii that have appeared, many of them are phantoms of civilians that are not good at fighting. Magitech Knights armed with Techno Weapons can put them down for good by taking some special measures after immobilizing them, but in the meantime the number of casualties continues to grow. However, the real problem is that¡­ the Shii are not all human-types.¡±


    Earlier, Diana had said that they took the shape of all creatures that had been killed in the battle with Demon King Kaul. Which meant¡­


    ¡°Not just humans, Shii with the appearance of animals, and even demons that were under the command of Demon King Kaul have been sighted. The entire world is in a state of panic due to these incidents. Compared to the time when they fought the army of the Demon King, the armies of all the nations have been reorganized and are much stronger than before. However, even though they are Shii, the fact that demons are popping up again means¡­¡±


    After hearing that, even Yasuo could guess what came next.


    ¡°Even Demon King Kaul might be reincarnated as a Shii, right?¡±


    ¡°That possibility cannot be denied. There have not yet been any sightings of powerful demons like the Demonic Generals or the Demon King Kaul himself, but the number of victims continues to rise steadily. There has also been an increase in the sightings of demon-type Shii. That¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Yasuo and Nodoka looked at each other without intending to. If what Diana said was true, then it was only natural for the people to reach out to the Hero who won the war and brought peace to their lives thirty years ago. Even if he could no longer fight like he did back then, there might be people who wanted to install the old Hero as a leader.


    Although Yasuo was a lot more willing to believe Diana¡¯s words compared to the day before yesterday, there were a number of points that he could not ignore.


    Firstly, Hideo and Madoka might not be able to deal with the large changes in technology and strategies that must have taken place in the military since the time when they were active.


    Secondly, from Diana¡¯s words, it felt like the people of Ante Lande only had a makeshift solution in place and no other concrete plans.


    Another point that had Yasuo concerned, was that ¡®The weapon that was brought by Hideo¡¯ served as a blueprint for the construction of Techno Weapons, instead of regular swords and spears.


    Looking at Diana¡¯s Techno Weapons, which could release a blast of energy through a muzzle by pulling a trigger, the weapon that Hideo must have taken over there must have been a gun. However, his father had only been eighteen years old at the time, so why did he have a gun with him?


    And finally, there was the thing that bothered him the most:


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Setting aside the Shii, and other mysterious phenomenon that have been occurring,¡±


    Yasuo asked his question, while looking at his mother¡¯s face,


    ¡°Since the day before yesterday, you have been implying that the Hero, Hideo, appeared one day in Ante Lande during the battle with Demon King Kaul¡¯s forces. How exactly were Dad and Mom summoned to Ante Lande? Did someone use that Gate Tower or whatever it¡¯s called to summon them?¡±


    From what Diana had told them last night, traveling between from Japan to Ante Lande, or vice versa, would require an immense amount of energy and funds. However, judging by what Diana has said so far, it didn¡¯t seem like his father and mother had been intentionally summoned over by the other side.


    Although they were currently important people who had saved the world in the past, and therefore it made sense to send someone to escort them back to the other world, both his father and mother were still teenagers thirty years ago, the same age as he was now.


    At the very least, neither of them came from a bloodline or family that was involved with things like magic and different worlds. To say it in more detail, his father¡¯s house followed the Soto school of Buddhism, whereas his mother¡¯s house was from the Jodo Sect.


    Also, Diana¡¯s words implied that his father had possessed that Holy Sword of the Wind right from the start.


    ¡°Actually¡­ we still don¡¯t know why the two of them were summoned to Ante Lande.¡±


    ¡°¡°Huh!?¡±¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Brother and sister shouted in unison, and their mother nodded with a fed-up expression on her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about your father, but until I went to Ante Lande, I hadn¡¯t so much touched anything related to a fantasy world. Games weren¡¯t as realistic back then as they are now, so only hardcore fans played them, and unless you were in the habit of reading books written by foreign authors, you wouldn¡¯t be able to read any fantasy stories. Also, my family didn¡¯t have any history of training Onmyouji or the like either, so I¡¯ve never really understood why it happened.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Gate Tower¡¯ used to travel between worlds had been developed at the same time that Demon King Kaul appeared, and existed in Ante Lande before Hideo and Madoka appeared. However, it was initially just a device created to find out exactly where the stronghold of the Demon King had come from. Since it had come from underground, people thought that there might be a different world populated by demons beneath the ground, and this was a gigantic measurement device built to confirm that theory. Although it eventually helped us find the other world known as ¡®Japan¡¯, the Gate Tower only succeeded in finding Japan half a year after Hideo had appeared in Ante Lande. So it¡¯s not possible that someone used the Gate Tower to summon Hideo and Madoka to our world.¡±


    ¡°Both your father and I have no memories of the time time just after we appeared in Ante Lande. We also can¡¯t remember what we were doing just before we were summoned there. The most accurate description would be to say that, it felt like we fell asleep, and when we woke up, we were in that world.¡±


    After hearing her mother¡¯s unsure words, Nodoka asked in a tense voice,


    ¡°Are things going to be okay? Is it possible that we could wake up to find that you and Dad have vanished again, unrelated to Diana-san coming here to escort you?¡±


    Although Nodoka hadn¡¯t shown that much interest in matters related to Ante Lande since the beginning, she asked this question without even bothering to conceal the worry on her face.


    ¡°About that¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that it will definitely not happen, but in the thirty years since we¡¯ve returned here, nothing like that has happened even once¡­ The Shii didn¡¯t appear just recently, right?¡±


    ¡°The first Shii was sighted more than three years ago. The plan for summoning Hideo was put forward so that we could do something about this threat before things got to the point where we had to resort to drastic measures, like we did thirty years ago. However, things just seem to be getting worse with each passing day, and most of the people agree that we have no more time to waste.¡±


    ¡°By the way, who is the current King of the Resteria Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°His Majesty, Borad IX, is still the King, and he is in good health.¡±


    Perhaps because she knew that name, his mother¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°How old is he now? Even back then, I got the impression that he had been on the throne for quite some time.¡±


    ¡°There was a short ceremony a few days ago, to celebrate his having reached the long life of 93 years. I¡¯ve heard that he still thinks about you and Hideo from time to time.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ He was already a respectable old man back then¡­. But since he has first-hand knowledge of the battle with Kaul, he gave you the mission of summoning Hideo, correct?¡±


    ¡°H-Hey, Mom.¡±


    Since his mother had started to immerse herself in nostalgia, Yasuo felt a sudden sense of impending danger.


    He wondered if the memories from her past would cause her to give her consent for sending Hideo over to the other world.


    However, his mother shook her head decisively.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t agree to send your father to Ante Lande because of my history. Considering the fact that our house was attacked, there might be someone behind the Shii who knows about us from back then. Neither I nor your father will leave the both of you behind and go off somewhere in a situation like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, I see.¡±


    Diana nodded with a slightly downcast expression, but her expression seemed more like she was thinking of something painful, rather than having had her hopes dashed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mom! Were you able to contact Dad? After hearing about what happened yesterday, shouldn¡¯t he be coming back home in a hurry? Or rather, shouldn¡¯t Dad have contacted us after watching the news!?¡±


    At that moment, Nodoka realized something important and began to speak. However, her mother made a stern expression and pulled something out of her apron pocket that they had not expected.


    It was their father¡¯s Slimphone.


    ¡°Hey Mom, is that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes it is. He forgot to take it with him. Can you believe that man?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Dad, what the hell are you doing!?¡±


    At this turn of events, both Yasuo and Nodoka were flabbergasted.


    ¡°Does he have an official mobile phone with him or something? Or maybe we could contact his office, or the hotel where he¡¯s staying?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know his official phone number. I usually call him on his personal phone, after all.¡±


    Although Yasuo was angry with his father for forgetting his phone at a time like this, no one had expected that the situation would change so suddenly after he took a business trip. Besides, his father was a seasoned businessman who was used to taking trips, the fact that he had forgotten his mobile phone showed just how much he had been affected by this incident.


    ¡°I finally called his office because I had no other choice, but they wouldn¡¯t tell me where he went, even though I¡¯m his wife. They just said, ¡°We will will inform your husband that you called¡±, and hung up.¡±


    It¡¯s true that companies have become overprotective of their employees¡¯ private information lately, but that kind of response was completely unwarranted considering it was a family member who called.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that he would forget his mobile phone now of all times, so I didn¡¯t ask what hotel he would be staying at, and I¡¯m sure he was drinking late into the night with his colleagues, so he probably didn¡¯t see the news. I¡¯ll try calling his office again tomorrow morning, but we should probably consider that he¡¯ll come back late tomorrow night, as per his original schedule. That person has always been like this, he can¡¯t be reached at important times, or he lets his guard down at the crucial time.¡±


    ¡°Eeh!? What the heck, what are we going to do if something like last night happens again?¡±


    Although Nodoka¡¯s worry was perfectly reasonable, Yasuo was more worried about something else.


    ¡°Rather than us, isn¡¯t Dad in bigger danger?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°From what we¡¯ve heard so far, these ¡®Shii¡¯ creatures were killed during the battle with that Demon King Kaul, so wouldn¡¯t they be more attracted to ¡®Hideo, the Hero¡¯ instead of us? In that case, it¡¯s possible that Dad could be attacked by those shadows as well.¡±


    ¡°Since the Shii have appeared in this world, I cannot deny that possibility. There are still many things we don¡¯t know about their nature, so¡­¡±


    Diana seriously nodded in answer to Yasuo¡¯s question, and for some reason, she stopped talking for a moment.


    ¡°Even several Magitech Knights who have earned great fame in the Resteria Kingdom have fallen victim to the Shii. While it is true that there is no one in Ante Lande who has skills equal to that of the Hero, Hideo, in the worst case, he might be defeated. The sooner we are able to contact Hideo, the better¡­¡±


    While sympathizing with Diana¡¯s fears, Yasuo felt a tremor deep in his heart when he heard that his father was still considered a peerless soldier in the other world.


    He believed that his father and mother experienced some incredible adventures in a different world.


    He believed that Diana and her home were in dire straits.


    In that case, since his father wished to help solve the problem, should he stand aside and let him go?

 Volume 1, 2 ? My Mother is Strong Part 3

    Volume 1, Chapter 2 ? My Mother is Strong Part 3


    Diana raised her head and smiled at Yasuo, as though she had sensed his distress.


    ¡°I will respect whatever decision Hideo makes¡­ Just as I have family that I want to protect, Hideo also has all of you that he must protect. Please don¡¯t worry, believing my words and agreeing to send Hideo to our world are two separate matters. ¡±


    Diana kneeled in front of Yasuo and said that.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    There was not a hint of guile in Diana¡¯s upturned face, and Yasuo found himself unable to look away from her.


    ¡°Resteria wishes for Hideo to return. However, both my mother and the King have strictly instructed me to not be forceful. In short, Yasuo and Nodoka, they were telling me to not ignore your opinions under any circumstances, and after coming here, I understand.¡±


    Diana talked while looking at Yasuo and Nodoka in turn.


    ¡°I wish we had the opportunity to talk more. Even if that leads to Hideo deciding not to return to Ante Lande, Resteria will definitely protect all of you, and will not do something like taking Hideo away by force. By the name of my father, Alexei, I give you my most solemn vow.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Ah.¡±


    ¡°Onii-chan, you¡¯re being seriously disgusting.¡±


    Having Diana hold his hand and look him in the eye sincerely, Yasuo, who didn¡¯t have much opportunity for close contact with girls, began to get flustered, and this caused Nodoka to deliver some acidic comments.


    ¡°Fufufu. Actually, Madoka, I have a message from my mother to you.¡±


    Maybe because she noticed that it was placing strain on the relationship between the siblings, Diana finally let go off Yasuo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°From Erize?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Assuming Hideo had children, she made me promise to reveal the message only once I was able to convince them that what I said was true.¡±


    ¡°You only had to convince the children? Did she say what you were supposed to do if I hadn¡¯t married that person?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My mother insisted that, ¡°There¡¯s no way Hideo would marry anyone other than Madoka.¡±¡±


    ¡°Oh, Erize, saying things like that¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Onii-chan. Compared to Mom, you¡¯re still better.¡±


    ¡°Stop that. They can hear you.¡±


    Yasuo and Nodoka had no option but to wait with a stony look on their faces while their mother giggled at Diana¡¯s words.


    ¡°Ahem. So what¡¯s the message from Erize?¡±


    After noticing the cold looks from her son and daughter, Madoka stopped giggling and returned to the topic.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a video letter. Just like that mechanism called a TV, it will allow you to see my mother¡¯s appearance and hear her voice.¡±


    ¡°Video letter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably something like taking a video on your Slimphone and burning it onto a disc.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Have the two of you not heard of a video letter before? You¡¯ve never sent or received one?¡±


    While Madoka was flustered over the generation gap with her children, Diana brought out something that looked like a heavy cylindrical can from the room where she had been staying.


    Yasuo and Nodoka looked at the can, assuming it had some sort of removable media inside, but for some reason, Madoka looked at the can and made a sharp expression.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that this is based on new technology that Hideo had brought over as well. Their making is a national secret, and only Resteria¡¯s Techno Weapon engineers are capable of making these.¡±


    ¡°Just a minute, Diana-chan, is that the message from Erize¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My mother especially had the video recorded onto this to ensure that the video could be played back in Japan. With this, it would not arouse any suspicion, even if I were to lose it.¡±


    Diana opened the can by twisting the lid off, not paying attention to Madoka who looked worried.


    Looking inside, Yasuo and Nodoka saw something that looked like a black tape that was rolled around two circular disks.


    Nodoka tilted her head after seeing the unfamiliar object, Yasuo furrowed his brow trying to remember where he had seen something like it before, and Madoka put her hand on her forehead and sighed while looking down.


    ¡°Just how are we supposed to playback a 8mm tape in this day and age?¡±


    It was a nostalgic-looking 8mm video cassette that had long since disappeared from the homes of ordinary people. Looking at the newly made, yet ancient media storage device that apparently held a video of her old friend, Madoka silently cursed the high rate of development of video playback technology.


    Diana had a perfect look of shock upon her face once she was told that regular people didn¡¯t have a device capable of playing 8mm tapes anymore.


    After a quick internet search on his Slimphone, Yasuo found that there were several services that transferred the contents of 8mm tapes onto a DVD or a BD, and they would be able to see the video letter from the other world after a few days.


    Although that would mean that the person doing the data transfer would end up seeing the video, since the source was an 8mm tape, they would probably conclude that it was just some weird person wearing strange clothes and talking something unintelligible, so that was not a problem.


    ¡°Umm, my mother seemed to want to talk about some important matters from the past that only she, Hideo, and Madoka know about, and, well, she wanted you to see this video whether Hideo decided to come back to our world or not¡­ She made it clear that the contents of the video were vital to your safety, and we didn¡¯t expect that the technology used to record the video would be on the verge of disappearing from this world, so, umm¡­¡±


    After seeing Diana who was flustered, Nodoka picked up the media storage device that was based on outdated technology and looked over it curiously.


    ¡°Can you record sound onto this as well? It¡¯s black and white, and looks clunky, don¡¯t tell me the quality is like watching those old videos from during the war time?¡±


    ¡°Nodoka, you¡¯re going to be taking exams soon, so use your brain a little. Just how old do you think I am? Although they were just coming into the market when I was in school, these tapes record video in full-color, along with sound.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then can¡¯t we just use the VCR at Grandpa¡¯s house to play it? That one is a tape player, right?¡±


    ¡°VHS and 8mm are fundamentally different. You sound so arrogant when you point out the differences between DVD and Blu-Ray to me, but you don¡¯t even know that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about such ancient things. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll appear in my exams either.¡±


    ¡°Ancient¡­ Nodoka, that expression is going to come back to hit you in about thirty years. Things like Slimphones and HDD¡¯s will be relics of the past by then. Your kids are going to say stuff like, ¡°Eh, a Slimphone? What¡¯s that, pottery from the Jomon Period?¡± okay?¡±


    ¡°Ehh? That¡¯s impossible! And Mom, you¡¯re poking fun at me too much!¡±


    ¡°Umm, both of you, please don¡¯t fight!¡±


    Diana was panicking while seeing the mother and daughter who were arguing over incredibly stupid things, but Yasuo had something he had to confirm because they couldn¡¯t watch the 8mm tape right away.


    ¡°So what happened to the Shii that attacked our house earlier? Did you destroy it?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, no. Unfortunately, it managed to get away. To tell you the truth, there is a very good chance that all of you might be attacked again.¡±


    ¡°So, the target of the Shii is Hideo, the Hero, right? In other words, it¡¯s after my Dad.¡±


    Diana replied in a tone lacking confidence,


    ¡°That seems likely, but we¡¯re still not sure exactly how intelligent the Shii are. People have postulated that the behaviour of the Shii is greatly influenced by their actions during the time when they were still alive, so the Shii might¡­¡±


    After hesitating, Diana continued to speak.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the Shii was after Hideo, or if it waited for Hideo to be away so that it could attack his family. That¡¯s why I would like to act as a guard for you and Nodoka as much as possible.¡±


    There was very little Yasuo and Nodoka could do against the enemy, as it was a fearsome monster that was out to rip their hearts out of their bodies.


    ¡°That said, neither of you can take a long break from school because of the circumstances of Ante Lande, right? I¡¯d feel bad about forcing a change in your life because of the circumstances on my side as well.¡±


    Basically, Diana was saying that Yasuo and Nodoka should keep living as they had been until now, and she would accompany them as an escort.


    In fact, if Hideo had agreed to go to the other world, the plan was that Diana and a number of other Magitech Knights would be detailed to protect Hideo¡¯s family until the issue was resolved.


    ¡°You probably feel that it would be annoying, and I agree that it may cause you trouble. However, I would like the two of you to let me watch over you from as close as possible. It is the responsibility of myself, Resteria, and Ante Lande for getting you involved in this matter.¡±


    ¡°Uhh, ok, sure.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s heart started to race after Diana spoke those words so close to him that it looked like she was going to cling to him that instant, so he tried to put some distance between them.


    He didn¡¯t know what she meant by ¡®from as close as possible¡¯, but judging by what had happened at the prep school today, one part of Yasuo suspected that she might demand to sit in the seat next to his at school, and another part of him was happy about getting to spend time in close proximity to a beautiful girl, even though he had been been distrustful of her until half a day ago.


    ¡°B-but, speaking of guarding¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, umm, I won¡¯t do anything like what I did today. I will do my best to not interfere in your private lives, and will maintain a discreet distance so that I can rush to your side right away in case you are attacked.¡±


    It sounded like she was willing to risk her life to save theirs, but that would allow them to be at peace.


    ¡°But there¡¯s just one of you, and two of us¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course, I will be protecting you as well.¡±


    At some point, his mother had stopped arguing and joined the conversation.


    ¡°No matter how strong Diana-chan is compared to the people of this world, she can¡¯t protect both of you at once. Diana-chan will protect one of you, and I¡¯ll do my best to stay close to the other. At least until your father comes home tomorrow night, we should try to maintain that formation as that will allow us to not be worried.¡±


    ¡°I wish we could do something about the door before Dad comes back as well.¡±


    The incident that caused the door to be destroyed, namely the fight between Diana, his mother, and the Shii, was still being treated as an ¡®explosion of unknown cause¡¯ by the police, so it appeared that they would be investigating the scene of the incident for some time yet.


    Since the possibility of another incident was low, the police weren¡¯t keeping a constant watch on their house. However, since a gas explosion was considered to be one of the possible causes, they had been asked to keep from clearing up the scene of the incident until the gas company could perform an inspection.


    ¡°The police are going to be regularly patrolling this area, so we¡¯ll just have to deal with having no door until the matter is resolved. I called the insurance company, but they said they couldn¡¯t make any decision until they inspected the damage. It seems there is a possibility of settling it using fire damage insurance.¡±


    Even the Shii, a fearsome monster from another world, would not imagine that the damage it dealt to the Hero¡¯s house would be dealt with using fire damage insurance.


    ¡°In any case, Diana-chan and I will be accompanying you to your schools tomorrow morning. I just hope nothing else happens in the meantime. We can decide what to do after that once your father gets back.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I will do my best to protect all of you!¡±


    ¡°Somehow, this still feels unreal.¡±


    ¡°Same here. But with things as they are, we have no choice.¡±


    Diana strongly agreed, Nodoka unexpectedly agreed without causing a fuss, and Yasuo took a pose of agreeing while being a little irritated.


    Although it was for the sake of being a guard, it would mean that Diana would get to watch his life both in private and in public in great detail.


    Although she only came along with him to prep school today, he would not be able to take a long leave from school, so he had to resign himself to being guarded at school as well.


    He definitely didn¡¯t intend to enjoy the experience, but once he decided to believe her words about Ante Lande, it would be nerve wracking for a teenage boy like Yasuo to be constantly watched by a high-class beautiful girl like Diana.


    Maybe something he usually did as part of his daily life would cause girls to dislike him?


    To someone like Diana who was already an independent young lady, and a Magitech Knight to boot, maybe something he did would cause him to appear childish and immature?


    While he was talking to his friends, he might let something slip that girls would find inappropriate. In the first place, where did Diana intend to watch over him from while he was at school?


    Yasuo spent the night worrying about things like that, but¡­


    ¡°Come on, hurry up.¡±


    The next morning, Yasuo looked at his mother who was calling him while sitting in the driver¡¯s seat of the car, and gave a large sigh.


    ¡°Haaah¡­ Yeah, I should have guessed this would happen.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    While regretting his foolish worries and the odd feeling of expectation, Yasuo dejectedly sat in the seat beside his mother, who was driving.


    Diana hadn¡¯t said that she would be guarding Yasuo. Since his mother said that she would be guarding either him or his sister, he should have expected that his mother might end up guarding him. His mother was a legendary magician that Diana looked up to, after all.


    ¡°Take care¡­. *yawn*¡±


    ¡°Take care! See you soon!¡±


    Yasuo could see Nodoka and Diana waving to them from the destroyed doorway, reflected in the side mirror. While he looked at them with a complicated expression on his face,


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, were you actually hoping that Diana-chan would stay close to you while guarding you?¡±


    ¡°Ugh! No, about that¡­¡±


    Since his mother unerringly hit the bullseye, Yasuo panicked and was not even able to deny it properly.


    Maybe because she was satisfied with his reaction, a mischievous smile appeared on his mother¡¯s face.


    ¡°Diana-chan still doesn¡¯t know much about our world. You take the train to school, and have to go to prep school in the evenings, so there¡¯s a lot of things about your life that she wouldn¡¯t be able to understand. You don¡¯t want her to end up doing something like yesterday near your school, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve just asked her to take care of Nodoka at home and school today. Once your dad gets back, I¡¯ll get her to learn more about this world properly, and we¡¯ll think of a new formation.¡±


    His mother¡¯s logic made sense, but something like that had happened yesterday just going to prep school.


    Wouldn¡¯t something similar happen at Nodoka¡¯s middle school as well? Yasuo was worried about that, but his mother seemed to have misunderstood his expression, and furrowed her eyebrows while driving.


    ¡°You really wanted Diana-chan to go with you so badly? You were such a cute and innocent baby until recently, and now you¡¯ve turned into a beast who gets all excited because a girl held your hand. I guess I¡¯m getting too old for you.¡±


    ¡°Stop that! Seriously, stop saying stuff like that. I¡¯m eighteen years old, you know.¡±


    ¡°You may be eighteen, but you¡¯re still a child. Give up and settle for Mommy today, okay?¡±


    ¡°Argh! Stop messing around with me!¡±


    Yasuo directed all his resentment towards his mother, while looking at her from the side.

 Volume 1, 3 - The World of Children Part 1

    Volume 1, Chapter 3 ¨C The World of Children Part 1


    Diana waved at the car that began to move away from the house, and after it was no longer visible, she turned to Nodoka who was standing by her side.


    ¡°Nodoka, at what time do you usually leave?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, after about twenty minutes, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I am ready to leave at any time, so I¡¯ll keep watch near the front door.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I can¡¯t relax with you standing around out here, so please come and wait in the living room instead. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m ready to leave.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, unlike my brother, I don¡¯t really hate you or anything. Also, I have pretty much believed you from the start, so I won¡¯t do anything like sneaking out without telling you. Come inside, and have a cup of coffee while you¡¯re waiting.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What, did I say something weird?¡±


    Nodoka thought she was just saying what was natural, but it looked like Diana was shocked, as her eyes were wide open.


    ¡°Umm, does Ya-, no, Onii-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call him that, Diana-san. ¡®Onii-sama¡¯? That¡¯s hilarious. So, what were you saying about him?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, does Yasuo¡­¡±


    Diana appeared flustered, and asked as if she was preparing herself for the worst.


    ¡°Does he hate me?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Now it was Nodoka¡¯s turn to be shocked.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not exactly fond of you, to say the least.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    It looked like Diana was shocked for real this time, and looking at her, Nodoka was worried.


    ¡°Eh? I had a slight suspicion about it from the beginning, but don¡¯t tell me, are you actually interested in my brother, Diana-san? Seriously? Pfft.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Nodoka actually laughed after being worried, but Diana just kept staring with a blank face, so Nodoka¡¯s smile gradually turned into a grimace.


    ¡°You know¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s set aside the fact that my brother is not what a typical young man should be like.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°During these past three days, has my brother shown even the slightest inclination towards liking you?¡±


    At Nodoka¡¯s cold question, Diana had only one reply.


    ¡°¡­¡­No, he hasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay as long as you understand that.¡±


    Nodoka nodded, looked at the clock, and climbed the stairs to the second floor.


    ¡°Huh, you actually stood here waiting?¡±


    Nodoka came back downstairs after about fifteen minutes after confirming that she hadn¡¯t forgotten anything, only to find Diana still standing in the same spot with a crestfallen expression on her face.


    ¡°Was it that big a shock?¡±


    ¡°No, after thinking about it, it¡¯s only natural. I¡¯m like¡­ an unwanted pest who is trying to take away Hideo, who is like the supporting pillar for all of you. On top of that¡­ despite my assurances that I would protect you, I failed to notice the approach of the enemy, which led to your house being damaged¡­ And what¡¯s more, I also acted very rudely towards Yasuo¡¯s friend, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Crap. This looks like it¡¯s too serious for me to handle.¡±


    Looking at it that way, Diana¡¯s actions since coming to the Kenzaki house weren¡¯t exactly praiseworthy.


    ¡°No wonder people say that I¡¯m just riding on my parents¡¯ coat-tails¡­.Haaaah.¡±


    Diana let out a large sigh and sat down on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that I¡¯m wrong, but for you to be depressed to such an extent¡­ Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you perhaps¡­ seriously in love with my brother?¡±


    No matter how much she tried to raise her brother up on a pedestal as his younger sister, Nodoka couldn¡¯t see any manly charms in Yasuo at all.


    He¡¯s not particularly tall or handsome. He¡¯s not good at sports, and his personality is vague. He¡¯s not fat, but he doesn¡¯t have a stunning physique or anything. He¡¯s already eighteen years old, but forget about having a girlfriend, he doesn¡¯t appear to even talk much with people of the opposite sex.


    Besides, Diana had only met him three days ago. In spite of that, this beautiful young lady with stunning proportions and superpowers was seriously being depressed because a guy like that hated her.


    Rather than the thing with the other world and such, Nodoka found this much harder to believe. Just what did Diana see in that brother of hers, a type of guy who seemed like you could easily find around a hundred of them in the same school?


    ¡°Umm, rather than love, this might be something closer to pure admiration.¡±


    ¡°Pure admiration?¡±


    Even though she was a student on the verge of taking exams, Nodoka was unable to immediately process the meaning of those words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, it¡¯s not just my father, is my brother a legendary existence in Ante Lande as well? What kind of disgusting and embarrassing legend could that be!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s¡­ haaah. At this rate, I won¡¯t be able to face Hideo when he gets back.¡±


    Diana hugged her knees and continued to be depressed.


    ¡°All the Magitech Knights from my generation grew up listening to bedtime stories of Hideo and Madoka¡¯s travels. All the boys wanted to be like the hero who saved the world, and played around with wooden sticks that were a substitute for the holy sword.¡±


    Although Diana talked about the travels of Hideo and Madoka, Nodoka could only think of the time when her parents had gone to the hot springs at Hakone, or the time when they had gone skiing at Niigata, or when they had gone to the zoo at Hokkaido. In any case, Nodoka was sure that Diana was not talking about things like that.


    ¡°And all the girls wanted to be like Madoka. They wanted to meet a wonderful hero like Hideo, and go on travels with him.¡±


    ¡°No, they should really reconsider that last bit. When my dad goes to an inn, his yukata is always completely open in the front when he wakes up, you know? Also, he snores like a freight train.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yukata? Snoring?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry, never mind.¡±


    Nodoka unconsciously passed a comment, but of course, Diana wouldn¡¯t know about that side of her father.


    ¡°Of course, Hideo¡¯s travels ended thirty years ago. I had heard from my mother that Hideo and Madoka had returned to the world that they had come from, but elsewhere in our world, people were saying that the two of them had gone to a different world to fight against another Demon King, or that they were still somewhere in Ante Lande, continuing their adventures. That¡¯s just how much the two of them are respected and envied in our world.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ I see.¡±


    Apparently, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that her father was almost seen as a god in that world. In that case, now that her father had become a regular old man, was it okay to send him back there? Nodoka began to think about such things in her heart.


    ¡°Because of his fame, our world is filled with paintings and sculptures of the Hero, Hideo. Among them, there is a famous painting that everyone knows about, called ¡®The Hero, Hideo, gazes upon the sunrise at the Sacred Mountain¡¯. It was painted by a travelling painter whom Hideo met during the course of his travels.¡±


    There was a time when Nodoka was in elementary school, when her whole family had climbed a hill to see the first sunrise of the year, but this was probably something different. While she was thinking about this, Diana said something shocking that made her doubt her hearing, as the daughter of Hideo and the younger sister of Yasuo.


    ¡°Hideo looks so gallant and inspiring in that painting¡­ and Yasuo looks exactly like him.¡±


    ¡°What? No way, that¡¯s creepy!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Why is that? The word ¡®creepy¡¯ means something bad, right?¡±


    ¡°Sorry! My bad, I said that without thinking.¡±


    Her relatives often said that Yasuo resembled Hideo when he was young, and she had also seen pictures of her father in an album at her grandmother¡¯s house. However, after hearing that Yasuo resembled Hideo who was being seen almost as a god, she felt it was creepy and blurted it out without thinking.


    ¡°When I saw Yasuo for the first time, I was really shocked. He looked like a living incarnation of Hideo whom I had seen in my dreams. Any young girl in Resteria would have fantasized about him at some point, and here he was, in front of me. Truly, my heart was fluttering with excitement.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see¡­¡±


    Even though Nodoka understood the logic behind it, having a girl talk to her regarding ¡®fantasizing¡¯ about her father and brother made Nodoka unsure how to react.


    ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ I might have been too excited. I thought that Yasuo had inherited Hideo¡¯s spirit, and so he would definitely understand our plight. In a way, I was looking down on Yasuo in some corner of my heart. I wasn¡¯t looking at Yasuo as himself, but as a replacement for Hideo¡­ the Hero that I had dreamed about.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah, that¡¯s probably not good.¡±


    Although Nodoka could understand where Diana was coming from, it was probably not good to think that way.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re right. Even though I said it myself, I feel like cursing myself for being so shallow.¡±


    At that moment, Diana suddenly lifted her head.


    ¡°N-Nodoka, do you hate me too!? Do you dislike having someone like me for a guard!?¡±


    ¡°Seeing as you can ask me that right to my face in this kind of circumstance, you¡¯re pretty tough, Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry!! I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°In any case, you¡¯ll continue to guard me if I don¡¯t mind having you around, right? Come on, it¡¯s time. I¡¯d rather not be late, so let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes! Umm, but the front door¡­¡±


    Diana stood up and made to follow Nodoka, but suddenly remembered that the Kenzaki house¡¯s doorway was in a state where the door could not be closed.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about that. Mom said it¡¯s fine to leave it be. Apparently, policemen will be patrolling near here once every hour during the day.¡±


    ¡°Really? Well, if Madoka said so¡­ umm, we¡¯re leaving now.¡±


    After being urged by Nodoka, Diana said that towards the house even though there was no one there to see them off, and hurried to catch up to the Hero¡¯s daughter who was walking ahead.


    ¡°Umm, Nodoka, is your school far away from here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a fifteen minute walk. My brother has to take the train to school, and it is several stations away, but my middle school is a municipal institution that I can walk to.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s pretty close by.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s in the middle of the residential area though, so there aren¡¯t any places where you can pass the time. Diana-san, there aren¡¯t many beauties like you around there so if you just wander around, you¡¯re going to stand out. You should probably just return to the house once you¡¯ve learned the way to my school.¡±


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that! I¡¯m not a b-beauty or anything, and besides, my job is to protect you¡­¡±


    ¡°You know, even if one of those Shii creatures you told us about yesterday comes to attack me, with your speed, you can reach me in time even from the house. There are no tall buildings around here, and if you don¡¯t want to be seen by anyone, you can just fly over their heads or something.¡±


    Saying so, Nodoka pointed backwards at the sky over their house. Diana looked a little taken aback as she looked at Nodoka, who was a head shorter than she was.


    ¡°There are JSDF and American military bases around here, so there¡¯s all sorts of stuff flying through the sky, but as long as you don¡¯t fly too high, you probably won¡¯t be discovered.¡±


    As soon as Nodoka said that, they heard the sound of the engines of a large aeroplane in the distance.


    Diana didn¡¯t have any knowledge of the things known as ¡®aeroplanes¡¯, but looking up, she could see a large object that was making the noise as it flew through the sky. However, it appeared that everyone was used to the noise, as no one paid any attention to it.


    ¡°Nodoka, you said that¡­ you believed me from the start, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t the slightest bit of hesitation in Nodoka¡¯s answer, which prompted Diana to enquire further.


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Even if you ask me the reason¡­ I don¡¯t really know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you weren¡¯t lying, right, Diana-san?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I swear that everything I told you is the truth!¡±


    Diana looked like she was going to say something else while being heated up, but Nodoka stopped her.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? Of course, at first I was surprised, and didn¡¯t know what to do, you know? Dad said that he was going to quit his job and go off somewhere, after all. It would be weird to not be scared.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°But it seems that Mom, Dad, and you can really use magic, and I can tell when my parents are being serious. So I believe that Ante Lande exists. I also understand that you want to take our father there, Diana-san. Of course, I was really scared at first and I didn¡¯t know what to do, but it makes no sense for me to doubt your words when my parents are saying that it¡¯s true, and doubt won¡¯t resolve the issue. Saying that there is nothing which does not exist may sound like the Devil¡¯s Proof, but I saw for myself that what you said is true.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s behaviour towards her was so stiff, that Diana actually felt a little let down.


    The only Japanese people that Diana knew were the members of the Kenzaki family. The person whom she had seen yesterday, who appeared to be Yasuo¡¯s friend, could not really be called an acquaintance.


    However, after these past three days experiencing life with the Kenzaki family in this country called ¡®Japan¡¯, Diana felt that she understood just how much of an absurd existence she was in this world, and just how absurd her request must seem to the people that lived here.


    It was because she understood that that Nodoka¡¯s easy acceptance of her made her feel worried.


    ¡°Do you want me explain why I feel that way?¡±


    Nodoka foresaw Diana¡¯s question and said that before Diana could ask.


    ¡°Yes, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t have any club practice this morning so I¡¯m not in a hurry. It would be awkward to explain who you are if I happened to meet any of my friends on the way, though, so let¡¯s walk slowly.¡±


    After saying that, Nodoka reduced her walking speed.


    ¡°In the past, Dad had to leave home for a couple of years because of work. Of course, he went to Sapporo in Hokkaido, not some other world or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Sapporo. I¡¯ve heard that Madoka is from a place called Sapporo.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My grandparents¡¯ house is pretty far away from the center of the city, though, and the apartment my dad was living in was right in the middle of the city, but in any case, do you remember? The day when we first met you, my brother was making a fuss about it being an important time because we both had exams coming up soon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember that very well.¡±


    Diana had not at all expected that Yasuo, who was the son of the legendary Hero and a Great Mage, would have been raised without hearing about Ante Lande. Hideo and Madoka immediately recognized her as a messenger from Ante Lande when she showed up, and when they realized that she was Erijina¡¯s daughter, they happily welcomed her with broad smiles.


    That¡¯s why she had not expected Yasuo¡¯s fierce denial, and she couldn¡¯t forget it even if she wanted to.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure if I should be saying this, or rather, please don¡¯t tell him that I told you. Anyways, in the two years when my father was away from home, my brother became pretty wayward.¡±


    ¡°Wayward? You mean he was disobedient?¡±


    Judging by his current behaviour, Diana couldn¡¯t tell that he had a past like that at all.


    ¡°Yeah. it was just a case of him becoming nervous because of the upcoming exams. When my brother was in the third-year of middle school, he apparently had grades that placed him somewhere between average and the top of his class, but he also had some subjects in which he could drop below average if he let his guard down. Ah, now that I think about it, he¡¯s still the same. In any case, a student taking exams for high school needs to have a good foundation in English, Math, Social Studies, Japanese, and Science, are you with me so far?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They have to pass exams in a number of difficult subjects, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If I remember correctly, my brother was pretty bad at English and Math. And then, in some kind of mock exam or a regular test, he got a really bad score, and Mom told Dad about it over the phone while they were having a conversation.¡±


    ¡°I have had a similar experience. I felt like wasn¡¯t going to make it out alive when I had to tell my parents about my grades in Officer Training.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not even a matter of grades, Diana-san, you seem pretty careless after all.¡±


    ¡°Uuu¡­¡±


    Nodoka lightheartedly poked fun at Diana while grinning, and Diana turned a little red. The two of them turned right at the crossing near Tokorozawa Station and gradually came closer to Nodoka¡¯s school, which was called Kitahira Middle School.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure, but at that time, Dad said something to my brother over the phone or through a message, something like he wasn¡¯t working hard enough, while my brother was already feeling depressed. And that started a big fight between them. My brother said stuff like, ¡°You¡¯re living in Hokkaido, what would you know about me?¡± and ¡°How dare you say that so arrogantly even though you haven¡¯t seen me working for yourself,¡± while he was in tears. I was still in elementary school at that time, so I was a little scared, looking at my him while he even vented his spleen at my mother.¡±


    ¡°It seems everyone has a past like that.¡±


    ¡°What? Diana-san, you¡¯ve done something like that as well?¡±


    Nodoka looked at Diana who said that seriously, and Diana smiled while having an expression that looked a little uncomfortable, yet nostalgic.


    ¡°I think my brother still hasn¡¯t forgotten about that time. He must be worried that Dad might say something similar to me, or that his absence might make me unstable.¡±


    Nodoka said that, and lowered her shoulders.


    ¡°Basically, what my brother and I were actually worried about, was the fact that our father who we thought was a normal person was being taken away by someone we didn¡¯t know. The thing about him being a hero, and the thing about another world was surprising, but that was of secondary importance. Once I understood that Dad was planning to go to some place I had never heard about, whether I was going to agree or disagree, I realized that I had to listen to the circumstances while staying calm. Well, that¡¯s how it was for me. My brother wasn¡¯t able to stay calm, though.¡±


    ¡°¡­Such a wonderful brother and sister.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking how wonderful the two of you are, since Yasuo is always thinking about you, and you are trying to cheer him up.¡±


    Nodoka looked at Diana who said that with a serious look on her face, and shook her head frantically.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m different from my brother. I¡¯m not trying to put up a brave front or anything, but I don¡¯t have a problem with Dad deciding to go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Even though they were finally having a proper conversation, Nodoka suddenly said something like that while looking indifferent, so Diana didn¡¯t know how to react.


    ¡°I mean, he¡¯s pretty annoying. He keeps asking me about my studies, or about the exams, and tries to give me advice which is out of date. That just builds up my stress.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. When my Dad was transferred for work before, my brother was probably thinking things like, ¡°I¡¯m a boy, so I have to protect the house and support Mom!¡± or something like that. But I don¡¯t feel that way. Despite all his talk, my brother didn¡¯t really protect the house or help out with the chores that much anyways.¡±


    Nodoka delivered some more sharp comments, and so Diana really didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not strange for Dad to be away from home a lot because of work, just like he is now. When he¡¯s busy with work, there are times when he works from dawn until late into the night, and I don¡¯t get see him at all. So whether he¡¯s around or not, it doesn¡¯t really make a big difference to me. If anything, having one less person around means that I have more leeway while using the bath, so that¡¯s actually better.¡±


    Even Diana began to furrow her eyebrows after listening to Nodoka talk about the supporting pillar of their family in such a manner. Nodoka ignored that and continued to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure everyone feels the same way. When they¡¯re around our age, at least.¡±


    At the very least, all people of her age group acted that way. Of course, it might differ from family to family, and Nodoka didn¡¯t know exactly how the others behaved at home. However, Nodoka had never come across any girl her age who would still say stuff like ¡®I love my daddy¡¯ during a conversation with friends.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s my school over there. That window on the left on the third floor is my classroom. By the way, my brother also graduated from here.¡±


    Standing beside Diana who was still shocked, Nodoka pointed a finger at her school.


    It was the type of school that you could find anywhere, with a cream-coloured school building and a large playground, right in the middle of the residential district.


    ¡°Diana-san, this place is close enough for you to protect me even if you¡¯re at home when something happens, right? I¡¯ll give you a call on our landline at home once school is over, so please stay there. Bye, then.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Nodoka!¡±


    Nodoka waved so nonchalantly and began to walk away that Diana unconsciously attempted to grab her hand. However, Nodoka abruptly turned around to look at her and spoke with such a sad expression that it was hard to believe that this was the same girl who had been cheerfully talking until now.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m not as hard-headed as my brother, so I truly believe everything you say, and in these past three days, I¡¯ve honestly felt that you¡¯re earnest and cute, and I¡¯d much rather have you for an older sibling. However¡­¡±


    Nodoka continued to speak.


    ¡°That¡¯s also the reason why I don¡¯t want you to take my father away from us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    Diana was about to take a step forward, but faltered after hearing Nodoka¡¯s sudden declaration.


    ¡°If my father goes to Ante Lande and fights against the Shii, then there¡¯s a chance that he might die, right? And then he¡¯d have his heart ripped out. And in the worst case, he might become one of them. After hearing something like that, do you honestly think I can just say, ¡°Okay, have a nice trip!¡± or something like that?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°If my dad had to leave because of his work, I wouldn¡¯t care even if he was sent to the North pole or the South pole. But it¡¯s a different story if you¡¯re asking him to go to the Resteria Kingdom and fight while putting his life on the line.¡±


    ¡°N-Nodoka, I¡­¡±


    Diana could not say anything back to Nodoka who presented a logical argument unlike Yasuo, and in a manner that was easy to understand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not blaming you or anything, Diana-san. But you know, if it¡¯s okay with you, please go back to Ante Lande and tell the King and all the important people there that the Hero, Hideo, will never return to that place. If they¡¯re worried about the Shii appearing in Japan, then¡­¡±


    Nodoka turned around on her heel once more, as though indicating that the conversation was finished.


    ¡°Dad and Mom will protect us. So please don¡¯t worry. Well, I¡¯ll be going now. I¡¯ll give you a call once school is over. You know how to answer the phone, right? ¡±


    Diana was not able to go after Nodoka, who slowly disappeared from her sight. She understood that Nodoka spoke that way exactly because she had believed what Diana had said.


    In a way different from Yasuo, Nodoka had also rejected Diana¡¯s request, but in a way that she could clearly understand.


    More than anything else, she was also a ¡®daughter¡¯, so Diana didn¡¯t have the means to counter Nodoka¡¯s words.


    ¡°A chance that her father could die¡­¡±


    Even after Nodoka had gone into the school and disappeared from her sight, Diana continued to stand there while looking dazed. Once more students started to arrive, as though she was fighting against that wave of people, Diana slowly started to walk back to the Kenzaki house.


    ¡°Saying that everyone should have the same kind of resolve¡­ would be selfish, right?¡±


    Japan was different from Resteria.


    There was a definite difference between herself, who had first-hand experience, and Yasuo and Nodoka, who had just found out about this a few days ago.


    Is it okay for a person who has experienced the horrors of a battlefield, to blame a civilian who glorifies peace in spite of never having fought?


    Even if those peace-loving people were dragged into the conflict, what would happen to the country once the fighting ended? There would be no immediate peace. Instead, the number of people who experience misfortune would simply increase.


    Besides, she was a Magitech Knight, and she was sworn to protect the innocent.


    In that case, should she be ashamed of Ante Lande for being so weak as to continue clinging to a Hero who had retired thirty years ago, instead of trying to do something with the strength that they had on hand?


    ¡°¡­But¡­¡±


    Diana listened equally to both the voices that were arguing in her heart. It was also a fact that lives could not be saved by relying on pride alone.


    Even now, there were people in Resteria, and the other kingdoms of Ante Lande, who were losing their lives because of the rampage of the Shii. If the Hero, Hideo, was to appear before the people once again, he would definitely be a big help to the people, both physically and mentally.


    Unlike his adventure thirty years ago, when he fought against the enemy with almost no support, this time, the entire world was prepared to assemble under Hideo, the Hero, and fight in an organized manner. Compared to the time when he fought against the Demon King Kaul, he would be far safer now. Erijina, the King of Resteria, and the other Kingdoms did not think that Hideo was immortal. They understood that he must have aged significantly, and were making plans to ask for his help while accounting for that.


    So, Hideo¡¯s life was definitely¡­


    ¡°¡­Not in any danger, or so I¡¯d like to say.¡±


    He would probably be safe.


    But there are no certainties on a battlefield. Even Diana, who had only spent two years as a Magitech Knight, learned that simple truth.


    She was forced to learn it.


    She saw it for herself.


    She acknowledged it.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably impossible.¡±


    Words of defeat came tumbling out of Diana¡¯s mouth. Nodoka¡¯s resolve was harder than she had expected. No matter how much Yasuo and Nodoka came to like her, she understood in these past three days that becoming friendly with them and having them give their consent to send Hideo to the other world were entirely different matters.


    Even Hideo would not come to Ante Lande if that meant breaking his ties with his family, and Diana was not firm enough in her conviction to forcefully take Hideo back using any means necessary.


    While dragging her feet, Diana had already walked far enough that she couldn¡¯t see Nodoka¡¯s school anymore, and finally raised her head.


    ¡°¡­Ah? Which way was I supposed to go to get back home?¡±


    Diana finally realized that she was standing in unfamiliar surroundings.


    ¡ù


    ¡°Mom, what are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    Yasuo asked his mother while she was waiting at a red light.


    ¡°I mean, the stuff about Diana, Ante Lande, and Dad.¡±


    While waiting for the traffic light to become green, his mother had a habit of moving the index finger of each hand up and down while gripping the steering wheel with both hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Whatever should we do?¡±


    But, the answer he received once the light had turned green sounded like his mother didn¡¯t even care.


    ¡°¡®Whatever should we do?¡¯ Come on, you¡¯ve got to do better than that.¡±


    ¡°What about you? Were you convinced after hearing her talk yesterday?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. Well, I won¡¯t deny that a world called Ante Lande exists anymore.¡±


    When his mother turned the conversation to him, Yasuo turned to look out of the window.


    ¡°But believing that and agreeing to send Dad to the other world are different things, right?¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t want him to go.¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. I mean, he¡¯ll have to quit his job to do that, right? Even if everything goes well and he manages to defeat those Shii or whatever they¡¯re called, can Dad really find another job at his age?¡±


    ¡°Do you just want your dad to keep working like he is now?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were so attached to your father¡¯s job.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call it an ¡®attachment¡¯, but¡­¡±


    ¡°In that case, would you say the same thing if your father decided to quit his job and open a soba restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Eh? A soba restaurant?¡±


    Since he was asked something completely unexpected, Yasuo took a moment to imagine that, and then replied.


    ¡°I¡¯d be surprised, and would worry if he could make any money that way¡­ but I¡¯d probably let him do it if he really wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯d definitely object, though.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Back when he was young, one of his managers took him to some kind of cooking class, and he brought back some of the soba that he had made. It tasted incredibly bad, and even the shape of the noodles was irregular. Besides, that person doesn¡¯t even have the social skills required to open a restaurant. Since he was a hero in the past, and is in an important position in his company now, he¡¯s probably not humble enough to deal with unruly customers in a proper manner.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not talking about that sort of thing, though.¡±


    Yasuo thought that his mother was just messing with him, but her face looked more serious than he expected.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re talking about. You can imagine what a person working in a company does, and what a person does if they¡¯re running a soba restaurant. But if you¡¯re against sending your father to Ante Lande just because you don¡¯t understand what it means to be a Hero, or a Magitech Knight, then you¡¯ll have a hard time convincing your father not to go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ I don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t confidently declare that his mother¡¯s words were not true.


    That¡¯s because Yasuo actually didn¡¯t have any idea what kind of work his father did now. It was on the level where he only found out what his father¡¯s company did after being asked by the girls in his class.


    He understood that his father was ¡°working hard¡±, and ¡°earning money¡±, and ¡°supporting his family with that money¡±. However, he had never given thought to ¡°what kind of work his father did¡±, or ¡°how he earned his salary¡±, or ¡°how much money he earned¡± in order to support his family.


    ¡°By the way, Nodoka is definitely against it.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Why are you acting so surprised?¡±


    ¡°I mean, Nodoka was okay with having Diana around, and believed her words before I did¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that from her?¡±


    ¡°No, but that¡¯s what it looked like.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to have trouble with women at this rate.¡±


    ¡°Where did that come from!?¡±


    ¡°Well, from my perspective, both you and Nodoka are against him going to the other world, so I can either take the side of Ante Lande, or take the side of you both. If I pick one of the options, the other might break beyond repair. Saving one of them, means choosing to not save the other. If both I and the woman you love were about to fall off a cliff, which one of us would you save? If you were really faced with such a decision in real life, you wouldn¡¯t be able to arrive at an answer so easily.¡±


    ¡°T-That is¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying that you should give it some more thought. You should properly think about the reason why you don¡¯t want him to go. This is especially important if you believe what Diana-chan has to say.¡±


    After hearing his mother talk so seriously, Yasuo had nothing to say in return.


    The interior of the car was completely silent after that, and eventually, the front gates of Yasuo¡¯s school came into sight.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll park the car somewhere close by and have tea in one of the shops around here. You have prep school today as well, right? Give me a call once school is over. Bye, then. Go and concentrate on your studies.¡±


    Saying that, his mother dropped him off at the gates, and drove away.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±


    He believed that what Diana said was true, but it was probably not wrong to think of that as being different from agreeing to let his father go.


    Thinking about it normally, it would be best to reject Diana and Ante Lande¡¯s request, and continue to live their life peacefully as they had been doing until now.


    However, why did he feel that that was the best option?


    ¡°Thank you so much, for believing me!¡±


    After remembering Diana¡¯s expression that was a mixture of relaxation, relief, and joy, Yasuo shook his head. Her expression at that time told her just how tense she had been until then, and he couldn¡¯t deny that he felt some sympathy for her.


    If he had a friend who had fought beside him while putting their life on the line, and if that friend¡¯s child came to him looking for help¡­ If he was in his father¡¯s position, he would definitely want to help if there was something he could do.


    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t really arrive at a proper answer.¡±


    Yasuo was in this state after having spent just a few days with Diana. His parents, who had a far deeper connection to Ante Lande, must be much more confused than he was.


    ¡°Just what should we do from now on?¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s father would be back soon, but how would Hideo react after knowing that Yasuo and Nodoka had accepted Diana¡¯s existence, and believed her words?


    ¡°Haaah¡­.¡±


    Even if the five of them assembled in the living room and talked again about whether his father should go to Ante Lande, Yasuo had absolutely no confidence that he would be able to offer any constructive comments, so he just felt more depressed.


    ¡°Oh, Yasu? Did you just get out of a car?¡±


    At that moment, Aoto walked up from behind him, and Yasuo turned around while still being in low spirits.


    ¡°Ah, good morning, Aoto.¡±


    ¡°How lucky, you get to come to school by car. Were you absent the other day because you hurt your leg or something?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that. My mom had some work around here so she gave me a ride.¡±


    ¡°You really are lucky. At my place, only my dad has a driving license, and even in a situation like this, he would tell me not to waste the money I put into my train pass, and refuse to give me a ride.¡±


    While he was speaking, Aoto was dragging a large suitcase behind him, looking as though he was about to head off on a journey to a foreign country.


    ¡°You¡¯re carrying some pretty heavy looking stuff today as well, I see. More props?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s that too. I¡¯m also carrying makeup equipment for the new members of the club. They¡¯re surprising heavy if you carry a number of them at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Makeup equipment? Oh, you actually go to all that effort just for a high school-level play?¡±


    ¡°Of course we do. We can¡¯t put on a performance otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°If you stand under a bright spotlight without any makeup, only your eyebrows would pop out. It would make it impossible to show any facial expression.¡±


    He probably meant that the harsh light would make it harder to see the face, but Yasuo imagined the eyebrows popping right off the face and found it funny.


    ¡°The Cine Club uses a camera, so they do a lot more. Even if they enact the same scene, depending on the time when they do the filming, the amount of sunlight will differ and mess with the recording, so they have to measure the intensity of light before each cut and adjust the makeup of the actors accordingly.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? They do stuff like that?¡±


    ¡°Even for acting on stage, we redo the makeup of the actors between each of their parts.¡±


    Yasuo had often seen the performance of the Theatre Club and the Cine Club during the cultural festivals, but he never imagined that so much effort was going into each production behind the scenes. However, it was easy enough to imagine if one just put a little thought into it, and so Yasuo felt depressed after being shown yet again just how shallow his thinking was.


    ¡°Hey, mind if I ask you something weird? Aoto, what kind of work does your father do?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden enquiry into my father¡¯s occupation? He¡¯s nothing special, just an ordinary salaryman¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I wonder what it means to be an ordinary salaryman.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Like I said, he just puts on a suit in the morning and goes to his office, just like other salarymen do.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what salarymen do once they reach their office.¡±


    ¡°They work, right?¡±


    ¡°I mean, what kind of work do they do? What does a salaryman do once he reaches his workplace?¡±


    ¡°Ah, they probably¡­¡±


    Aoto, who had been casually answering Yasuo¡¯s questions until now, stopped speaking, and:


    ¡°I wonder what he does. Stuff like management and accounting¡­? Back when I was in elementary school, we were given an assignment to find out what our parents did for a living, and I remember talking to my dad about stuff like the price of iron, and something about the stock of other materials, so he¡¯s probably walking around, selling iron and steel to manufacturing corporations.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game, there¡¯s no way he¡¯s walking around while carrying a lump of metal that he can sell in a shop.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah¡­ but I really have no idea what he does. Maybe I¡¯ll ask him when I get back home today. Actually, I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll probably get a lecture if I do.¡±


    Yasuo smiled bitterly at Aoto who took back his words after barely a second, but he realized that he was feeling reassured somewhere in his heart.


    Even Aoto, who had a much more stable school life, and was enjoying his student life a lot more than Yasuo, had not given much thought to what his father did for a living. Yasuo felt like he was able to confirm that this was normal for a high school student.


    ¡°Ah, but you know, considering my father¡¯s annual income, I sometimes feel worried if I can earn the same amount as my dad when I¡¯m his age. You know, the tuition fee for a private school is higher than a public school, right?. It probably costs something like a million yen per year. It¡¯s pretty incredible that he¡¯s able to pay that much money every year.¡±


    ¡°A million yen, huh¡­¡±


    After hearing that phrase that he had only heard in television programmes so far, the amount of money didn¡¯t seem real to Yasuo, just like Ante Lande felt unreal to him. However, considering how he wasn¡¯t able to imagine the scope of that much money at once, he had to agree that Aoto was right.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s probably impossible, if I keep on being an actor.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    However, Yasuo was surprised at the next words that Aoto said.


    ¡°Aoto, you¡¯re planning to keep doing plays in the future? You want to become an actor?¡±


    Yasuo was surprised because he had assumed that Aoto wasn¡¯t the type of person to do that, but Aoto returned an unexpectedly serious expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Yasuo, did you join the Choral Club in your first year because you wanted to become a professional singer? You didn¡¯t, right? Not everyone who enters a college focused on the Arts goes on to become a professional in that field, and not everyone who takes science in college becomes a scientist or a researcher.¡±


    ¡°W-Well, yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Life would be fun if you could earn money while doing something you like. Thinking that way is a waste of time, though. If that was possible, wouldn¡¯t everyone do that? Of course, if I could keep acting, I would like to do that, and if that lets me earn a decent amount of money, I¡¯d be very happy. Things probably won¡¯t go so smoothly, but it¡¯s human nature to feel that it would be nice to keep doing the things you like. It¡¯s something like that.¡±


    ¡°Something like that, huh¡­¡±


    Right now, Yasuo didn¡¯t have anything he was passionate about, so he didn¡¯t really understand what Aoto meant by saying that it was something like that. However, there was something that he understood.


    Were his parents really living their lives by doing stuff that they liked?


    ¡°Your father works at Yamahata, right, Yasu? Does he actually work with the making of recipe books and stuff?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not really sure. He¡¯s off on a business trip to Osaka right now, but he usually doesn¡¯t talk about his work at home.¡±


    When Yasuo was in elementary school, he had the same assignment of ¡°researching about the job of a relative.¡± At that time, since his father¡¯s older brother, that is, his uncle, had the more interesting job of being a policeman, he didn¡¯t understand much about his father¡¯s job until recently.


    ¡°You know, my dad has recently started saying stuff like it is the responsibility of the child to become more successful than their parents. Even if I wash my hands of acting and put all my efforts into getting a regular job, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to win, considering the times we live in.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, yeah.¡±


    In Yasuo¡¯s current situation, the criteria for deciding the winner and loser were completely different, but there was no point in talking about that.


    ¡°Besides, I can¡¯t really imagine what it would be like to be married, and have kids.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I understand. More like, I can¡¯t even imagine getting a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Aoto, you¡¯re better off than me. The Theatre Club has a lot of girls right?¡±


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s no relation between knowing a lot of girls and getting a girlfriend. If you¡¯re going to say that, half of our classmates are girls, so why don¡¯t either of us have a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°And what about prep school? Yasu, you go to that Senshuu Academy, right? That place doesn¡¯t hold regular classroom sessions, right? My place is completely self-study as well, so I can¡¯t even talk to any of the girls there unless I happen to meet someone from the same school.¡±


    This must be what it meant to be struck dumbfounded.


    Yasuo was just letting Aoto do all the talking, but thanks to that, he remembered something important. Even before considering stuff like marriage and kids, wasn¡¯t there an important event that he had to complete, right before his eyes?


    After completely embarrassing himself in front of Tatewaki Shouko, and then causing trouble for her, would she be willing to treat the incident involving him and Diana as an issue of no importance when they met at prep school again?


    The Head Teacher and teacher in charge of each student at the prep school would counsel a student not only on matters related to academics, but also offered advice regarding life issues.


    To him, the incident with Tatewaki Shouko didn¡¯t really feel like an issue compared to the problems his family was facing related to Ante Lande, but now that he was considering how he should deal with it, he realized that it was actually a pretty big deal.


    A student was threatened by an unknown foreigner on the street, at night.


    The only relief was that Yasuo was not directly responsible, but it was still a fact that this incident could mess up his peaceful life and act as an obstacle in the future.


    ¡°I wanted to at least have a peaceful life during the time when I was at prep school¡­¡±


    Thinking about prep school that he had to attend this evening, Yasuo¡¯s already burdened heart felt even heavier.

 Volume 1, 3 - The World of Children Part 2

    Volume 1, Chapter 3 ¨C The World of Children Part 2


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ not here.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just thought she might be lying in wait for me here. The girl I told you about yesterday.¡±


    Yasuo was surveying the surroundings of his prep school from a nearby parking lot, but he couldn¡¯t see Tatewaki Shouko anywhere as of now.


    ¡°Really, do you think anyone would go out of their way to talk to a cold-hearted ex-classmate who didn¡¯t even remember their name, the day after that person¡¯s friend attempted to attack them in the street?¡±


    This must be what it meant to rub salt onto a wound.


    ¡°Well, the only thing you can do is to apologise profusely the next time you see her, and request her not to make an issue out of it at the prep school. I do feel sorry that this incident was caused due the troubles belonging to me and your father, though.¡±


    After saying that, his mother continued to speak.


    ¡°If it has already become a problem at the prep school, give me a call. I¡¯ll take the responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I thought you came with me to protect me from the Shii?¡±


    ¡°As a mother, I think it¡¯s more appropriate for me to protect you from a scandal, instead of otherworld monsters.¡±


    That was certainly true, but she still had the nerve to say something like that after all that had happened?


    ¡°Neither I nor your father want your future, or Nodoka¡¯s, to be affected due to the stuff we did all those years ago. I will protect your good name, even if I have to summon Diana-chan¡¯s guardians, Erize and Alex, to apologize to the teachers at the prep school and that person called Tatewaki-san.¡±


    Could there ever be a more prosaic summoning than that?


    Yasuo couldn¡¯t imagine a magician and knight who had helped to save a world, bowing their heads and apologizing to the teachers and parents.


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to rely on your father after all this time, so asking them to do at least that much should be okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it works that way.¡±


    ¡°To a certain extent, parents are responsible for the blunders of their children, after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Just to make things clear, I just couldn¡¯t recall who Tatewaki-san was at that time. I didn¡¯t do anything else, okay?¡±


    Yasuo wasn¡¯t sure if his mother was saying that to lighten his burden or make him anxious, so he shot a sharp glance at her, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°You should understand by now that the people who fought beside the undefeatable hero and saved a world in the past are now prepared to protect you with all their might, so hurry up and go.¡±


    After saying that, his mother got back in the driver¡¯s seat of the car, and spoke to him with a serious expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any right to tell you this, but still¡­¡±


    His mother spoke while looking in the direction of the prep school.


    ¡°I want to keep the number of casualties as low as possible. The fewer the people who know about your father and Ante Lande, the better. I already told Diana-chan about this last night, so I¡¯m counting on you as well. Do your best to explain away Dina-chan¡¯s presence and the ¡®Gas Explosion¡¯ incident, and if anything strange happens, run away at once and give me a call, okay?¡±


    After remaining silent for a while, Yasuo gave a small nod.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell anyone about all of this, and no one would believe me if I did. Besides, I¡¯m scared of that shadow as well, if it appears again, I¡¯ll be sure to run away immediately.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    After being sent off by his mother who had a slightly sad expression on her face, Yasuo headed straight for the prep school. He hesitantly entered, but the teacher in charge of him didn¡¯t appear to confront him, and he also didn¡¯t see Tatewaki Shouko in the lounge space.


    After finishing one of the lessons, he again came to take a look in the lounge space, but he still didn¡¯t see her anywhere.


    ¡°Maybe she didn¡¯t come to school today? Well, maybe she just didn¡¯t have any lessons today.¡±


    While musing about that, he looked outside the school, and saw the car with his mother waiting in the darkness.


    After being somewhat reassured by that sight, Yasuo berated himself.


    ¡°Feeling safe after seeing my mother, what am I, a kid?¡±


    Apparently, Yasuo was the type of child who could not go alone to the toilet at night until the second year of elementary school. Although he didn¡¯t remember such an embarrassing experience, he did remember that he was afraid of darkness.


    Just what had he been afraid of in those days? He got the impression that it was not something concrete like the demons and evil spirits that appeared in horror stories.


    The fear of the unknown.


    You could see things during the day, but it was different at night.


    When he was little, he rarely felt the sensation of ¡°night¡± when he was at home. The Kenzaki family did not have any strict rules, but he would hardly ever stay awake beyond 10:00 PM.


    When was it that he stopped feeling an unexplainable fear of the darkness?


    When was it that he began to fear that something was lurking in the shadows?


    ¡°You¡¯re spacing off again in such a place.¡±


    That girl spoke as if she was waiting for this moment, and Yasuo heard a familiar voice, but he still couldn¡¯t link that to her appearance.


    He was a little startled, but indeed, the voice belonged to the girl called Tatewaki Shouko.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. What, were you trying to hide from me?¡±


    She said that in a slightly teasing manner, but then smiled and pointed in a particular direction.


    ¡°I was talking to Kobayashi-sensei until now. I wanted to change my curriculum.¡±


    ¡°Is that related to your plans for your future studies?¡±


    What Shouko was pointing to was a booth used for interviews. There are cases when a student, for whatever reason, is unable to progress satisfactorily in their lessons. In such cases, forcing them to continue with the curriculum is a waste of time. In order to prevent that, the student counselling room was often used to talk to the student alone, or along with their parents, about their plans for the future.


    Although it was called ¡°private¡±, the interview was not carried out in a private room. Instead, the space was divided into several partitions like you¡¯d see with the tellers at a bank, and it¡¯s not an environment where the students and teachers are alone together.


    In any case, there was no wonder he didn¡¯t see her around the booths used for studying.


    Looking towards that room, Yasuo saw that Kobayashi was looking out of the door and waving at Yasuo as well, but maybe he had another appointment, so he beckoned to another student who was waiting and went back inside.


    ¡°So, were you looking for me?¡±


    At Shouko¡¯s question, Yasuo nodded while looking a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I wanted to apologize for yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Regarding that girl?¡±


    ¡°About that, and also the fact that I wasn¡¯t able to remember who you were, Tatewaki-san.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t really mind about that. Like I said yesterday, I¡¯m aware that I have changed a lot compared to when I was in middle school.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­ speaking of which, you were in casual clothes yesterday as well. Tatewaki-san, do you go to Sayamazawa High School, by any chance? ¡±


    Sayamazawa High School was a school with a general education curriculum, but unlike the other public high schools in the neighborhood, it did not have a uniform. Most of the students attended prep school right after school was over, so a person who was in their casual clothes either went home to change before coming to prep school, or was from Sayamazawa High School.


    ¡°Yeah, I am. What about it?¡±


    He didn¡¯t have any particular answer to her question, as he assumed that she had waved away his apology and he was just trying to continue the conversation.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking, Sayamazawa doesn¡¯t have a uniform, right? I thought girls attached a lot of importance to their school uniforms.¡±


    When he said that, Shouko immediately pointed a finger at him, and exclaimed:


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly it!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She nodded with a serious expression on her face.


    ¡°I picked that school because it doesn¡¯t have a uniform. Also, it¡¯s pretty close to my house.¡±


    The thing about uniforms being important to girls was just Yasuo¡¯s impression, and after hearing her say that so empathetically, he realized that it must be nice to wear whatever clothes you liked to school.


    ¡°I-I am¡­¡±


    ¡°You go to Takeoka, right? I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°From whom?¡±


    If she had just said ¡°I know¡±, he would have understood, but he felt compelled to ask since she had said she had heard about it from someone.


    Although it made him recall his aloof personality, he didn¡¯t have any contact with Tatewaki Shouko except for the time in middle school when they were in the same class, and even then, he didn¡¯t think that they weren¡¯t particularly close.


    It was not possible that they had been close friends with shared interests, and in fact, Yasuo could not remember sharing any interests with her.


    His experiences during his second year of middle school had been comparatively good, so there was the possibility that she had heard about him from one of their old classmates, or maybe even their class teacher, but even so, Yasuo could not think of any situation where Shouko would find out about Yasuo¡¯s choice of school.


    However, Shouko replied while also being slightly surprised,


    ¡°Even if you ask me that¡­¡±


    She reacted as if wondering why she wouldn¡¯t know about it. However, maybe she remembered something, so she said to Yasuo as if trying to confirm something,


    ¡°Yasu-kun, are you the type of person who doesn¡¯t really talk to their parents at home?¡±


    A few days ago, he might have denied it. However, judging by the fact that he had only found out about his parents¡¯ important past three days ago, he could not deny that there was a lack of communication among members of the Kenzaki family.


    Even if he had found out when he was younger that his father was hailed as a Hero in another world, that might have caused it¡¯s own set of problems.


    Taking his silence as affirmation, Shouko nodded as if understanding something.


    ¡°Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. There are even guys in my class who call their mother ¡®old hag¡¯. We¡¯re at that age in life when we don¡¯t see eye-to-eye with our parents at all.¡±


    There was a big difference between Yasuo and other people when it came to not seeing eye-to-eye with their parents, but he couldn¡¯t deny that her statement was true.


    ¡°Maybe so.¡±


    So he gave a vague answer.


    ¡°I mean, even if I didn¡¯t know, I would realize as soon as I saw this. Yasu-kun, are you possibly an airhead?¡±


    ¡°Eh? ¡­Ah.¡±


    Shoko was pointing all over Yasuo¡¯s body with her finger, and at that point, Yasuo finally realized that he had come here directly from school.


    He had left his bag in his booth, but his school¡¯s name was sewn into the school¡¯s crest on his blazer. Besides, a lot of students from Takeoka High School pass through Tokorozawa, so it wasn¡¯t strange if people could identify the school just looking at the design of the uniform.


    ¡°¡­I feel like I keep embarrassing myself lately.¡±


    Was he so unused to talking to girls, that he¡¯d get flustered and even forget what he was wearing when he actually did talk to one? His embarrassment over a mistake that he would have never made under normal circumstances caused him to break out into an unpleasant sweat.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to be that depressed. It¡¯s fine, you¡¯re just being how you always were.¡±


    A number of retorts flew through Yasuo¡¯s mind, and maybe because Shouko sensed that, she returned to the original topic of the conversation.


    ¡°I first found out about your choice of school quite a long time ago. Maybe it was around the time when we graduated from middle school?¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    That made sense. If it was around that time, maybe because of the tenuous connection they still had through the other students in school, she could have found out about what school he had selected.


    ¡°From my mother.¡±


    Oh, come on. There¡¯s no way that could happen. If it was from someone in the same grade, he could have still believed it, but why would Shouko¡¯s mother know what school Yasuo had picked?


    It was not even a case of their parents being friends. Even after the incident yesterday, when Diana was enduring her kneeling punishment, his mother only seemed to vaguely remember the last name ¡®Tatewaki¡¯, and didn¡¯t act like she actually knew anyone by that name.


    ¡°You look like you have no idea what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    It appeared that Shouko had the bad habit of enjoying his discomfort.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. I guess the easiest way to make you understand would be by bringing you over to my house.¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    A girl¡¯s house. That was a dimension that felt even farther away than Ante Lande.


    Besides, since he had forgotten about her until yesterday, Yasuo felt like he was basically meeting Shouko for the first time. Going over to her house didn¡¯t seem like a good idea, in more ways than one, and considering the situation with Diana and the Shii, it was not a good idea to move about randomly.


    ¡°But you know what, I feel like we¡¯re meeting for the first time, so I don¡¯t feel comfortable doing that either. Well, maybe we can save the rest of the ¡®clearing the mystery episode¡¯ for next week?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡±


    So basically, he didn¡¯t have to visit her house right now. However, Yasuo realized that there was a small part of him that had wanted to go, and he felt like holding his head in his hands at how shallow that part of him was. Was he actually an idiot?


    ¡°Judging by how you seem to be doing at Takeoka, you can pretty much pick whatever course you want in your future, right? I¡¯ve heard that the deviation value has been rising lately.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t really know. My grades at school aren¡¯t all that great, so it depends on my efforts from now, I guess.¡±


    It was true that in recent years, Takeoka High School had been gradually increasing their grade deviation and number of students who got accepted into college. However, that didn¡¯t mean that all the students who enrolled there became exemplary.


    In Yasuo¡¯s case, he was still at the same position that he was during middle school. There was no fear of him failing, but there was probably no chance of him coming out on top either. In that way, he felt like his answer matched his current circumstances, but maybe Shouko took it as him being modest, so she just said, ¡°I see¡±, and moved on to the next topic.


    ¡°So, Yasu-kun, is there anything you want to do after getting into college?¡±


    ¡°Something I want to do in college?¡±


    He had just answered that he had yet to decide on his future course, so why was she asking about the same thing again?


    ¡°Like I said, I haven¡¯t decided what college I want to join, and what course I should get into¡­¡±


    While he was trying to repeat his earlier answer in a more clear way, Shouko shook her head for some reason.


    ¡°College and course? That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking about. I¡¯m asking what you want to do after getting into college.¡±


    Weren¡¯t they the same thing?


    ¡°Ahh, well, maybe you¡¯re thinking about something like getting into law school and working towards becoming a lawyer, or getting into medical school and becoming a doctor. So, haven¡¯t you considered anything else?¡±


    ¡°Something else?¡±


    ¡°Like, drinking too much at a party and getting sent to the hospital for alcohol poisoning.¡±


    ¡°What kind of place do you think college is?¡±


    Shouko¡¯s example came so far out of left field that Yasuo unintentionally retorted to her statement.


    However, he understood that she was asking about something that he couldn¡¯t do while he was still a high school student who was preparing to take exams.


    However, he didn¡¯t even know what college he would be joining, so he had no idea what kind of things he would do once he enrolled there. That¡¯s why. Yasuo said,


    ¡°As of now, I¡­¡±


    He wanted to say ¡°I have nothing I want to do¡±, but¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡±


    He wasn¡¯t able to say it. Shouko kept staring at his face without changing her expression. For some reason, Yasuo felt like he saw a hint of concern in her gaze.


    Why was he not able to say that there was nothing he wanted to do right now? He became a third-year student, joined prep school, and began to prepare for his college entrance exams only recently. Although he had undergone guidance counselling at school before, he only recently came to see it as something that would affect his life in the future.


    And so, he was already in the spring of his third-year at high school. Before he realized it, he was already at the time when he couldn¡¯t pick whatever college he wanted, but had to decide based on his results in the mock examinations. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the best college that I can get into¡± was a phrase that was often repeated in his class. Yasuo had said it several times as well, and he had also heard it several times from his friends. However, at this moment, Yasuo didn¡¯t know what the criteria to select that ¡°best college¡± was.


    Some college close to home? A college with a high standard of education? A college that had a high rate of its students getting employed? A college that was known for preparing students for any kind of difficult exams? A college where special research was carried out? A college that would let him live by himself?


    He could select any option and give whatever reason he wanted, but if he did that, he felt like it would not be something he really wanted. It would just be something he heard about from someone else, and would just be an empty reason devoid of anything that he actually wanted to do.


    It¡¯s not that saying ¡°I¡¯ll go to the best college that I can get into¡± made you a bad person, or one devoid of dreams.


    However, Yasuo realized that saying those words now would mean that he could no longer convince himself otherwise about the things he wanted to hold dear.


    He did not want to say that there was nothing he wanted to do right now.


    However, even if he managed to hide his feelings and impress Shouko with a lie, it would not change the underlying issue.


    Even though he had thought that college examinations were one of the biggest events of his life, he was shocked to realize that he had fallen into the pattern of thinking, ¡°As long as I study, some college or another will accept me by next March.¡±


    As long as he studied, he would pass the exam. In that case, why did he select a reason as flimsy as ¡®exams¡¯ to oppose his father going to Ante Lande?


    His father and mother were currently faced with a decision where they had to weigh their family against Ante Lande, and that decision would affect the rest of their lives. Just how inconsequential were his feelings when he was giving his opinion to those people who were risking their very lives?


    The way he was right now, he couldn¡¯t even give a concrete opinion about his own future. Maybe his father had sensed that, and that¡¯s why he refused to reconsider going to Ante Lande no matter how much Yasuo was against it?


    Diana had experienced battles against the Shii where she had risked her life. Asking for Yasuo to hold the same level of resolve as her is frankly impossible, and also unfair. However, on one hand there¡¯s Yasuo, who lives in a peaceful country, and can get into college as long as he studies. On the other hand there¡¯s Diana, who might lose her home country if the Hero doesn¡¯t lend his strength to her cause. If you asked a hundred people to pick between those two choices, all hundred of them would definitely pick Diana.


    What¡¯s more, their father was also saying proudly that he would pay for Yasuo and Nodoka¡¯s education until they graduated from college, and even pay for their marriage ceremonies. Yasuo had no idea how a white collar worker could have that much money in savings.


    If that was the case, though, even if his father quit his job and went to Ante Lande, there would be no danger of his family starving due to lack of money. If required, his mother had the option of finding work as well.


    What¡¯s more, since Yasuo would be graduating from high school soon, he also had the option of not going to college. He could find a job instead, and become independent financially.


    The sole reason why Hideo and Madoka were hesitating to choose Ante Lande, was because they didn¡¯t want to hurt Yasuo and Nodoka.


    ¡°¡­.Thank you so much! For believing in me!¡±


    Could he ever match the level of resolve Diana had demonstrated with her small voice?


    Thinking in that way, Yasuo felt depressed.


    ¡°¡­.Ah.¡±


    As he imagined Diana¡¯s face, a small light appeared in the depths of the darkness within Yasuo¡¯s heart. That light was like the leftover heat at the tip of lamp¡¯s wick after the flame had gone out, and was a small, unreliable energy.


    ¡°Thank you very much. That was the first time anyone other than my parents complimented my singing, so¡­ well¡­¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, do you know a lot about singing?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! I never had any formal training in singing, so I¡¯m a bit jealous.¡±


    He remembered how his heart had trembled when he heard that beautiful requiem, sung by the beautiful Magitech Knight from another world.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, are you still into singing?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t strange for Shouko, who was once his classmate in middle school, to know that he used to be in the Choral Club. However, her impeccable timing in asking this question now caused Yasuo to be unable to hide his surprise.


    ¡°¡­Yeah. Actually, I joined the Choral Club in high school because I wanted to continue singing, but¡­¡±


    ¡°I see. But you didn¡¯t keep singing?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to. Due to a lack of members, and our advisor transferring to another school, our club was disbanded. On paper, I¡¯m the last president of the club.¡±


    ¡°When did that happen?¡±


    ¡°During the summer of my second year. Basically, once the upperclassmen retired, our fate was sealed. It wasn¡¯t a popular club that had a lot of achievements, so not many people cared that we had to disband.¡±


    ¡°I see. What about it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, Right now, I¡­ I¡­ want to keep singing.¡±


    As this was an answer he arrived at while thinking about it, at some point, his gaze had moved downwards and he was now looking at his own shoes.


    Due to that, he missed the fact that his heartfelt answer had caused Shouko¡¯s blank expression to change into a small smile that seemed like she was about to cry, and yet was happy in some way.


    The song from another world that he had heard from the living room the other day still resonated within Yasuo¡¯s ears.


    Now that he thought about it, the first song that he had learned at the Choral Club in middle school was a prayer as well, although it differed in purpose.


    The Doxology, ¡°Gloria in excelsis Deo¡±8, composed by C.Stein.


    In his middle school music textbook, it was abbreviated as ¡°Gloria¡±, and was a four-part harmony that was sung in a foreign language.


    Since it was used as a prayer at Mass, there was a version with simplified lyrics and melody, so that young children could sing it as well. To Yasuo, this song only held the significance of being the first song that he had learned to sing in a mixed choir. Although he had known the word ¡®Hymn¡¯, he didn¡¯t know that the song ¡°Gloria in excelsis Deo¡± was written in a language called Latin, and also didn¡¯t understand the significance of what that meant.


    For Yasuo, the first song where he had experienced the elation of being perfectly in sync with the other people singing beside him, having their sound, ears, mouths and even the deepest parts of their brains working in unison, was a song called ¡°Glory¡±. It was something only a person who was standing there could understand, the feeling of being perfectly in sync with the person standing beside you, and Yasuo desperately wanted to pursue that feeling once again.


    Even Yasuo did not think that having such a feeling meant that he had matched his father¡¯s and Diana¡¯s resolve. However, he understood in this moment that this was the bare minimum level of resolve that he needed, that would allow him to stand on the same level as them.


    Just like how his father wanted to save Ante Lande, and how Diana wanted to take his father back to Ante Lande, he firmly established what it was that he truly wanted in his mind.


    In Yasuo¡¯s case, that was singing.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a college dedicated to studying music, as long as they have a regular club or a association where they practice singing¡­ Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Haah, so it was like that¡­ I feel like the mystery has been cleared, somewhat.¡±


    Shouko gave him the most gentle smile he had seen from her to date.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a rough time, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s slightly different from having a ¡®rough time¡¯¡±.


    Of course, he had not wanted the Choral Club to be shut down, and had struggled quite a bit to prevent that. However, had he truly done everything in his power to prevent it, even putting the rest of his life in high school at risk? Definitely not. Although he had felt a sense of loss when it had happened, it was not at the level where his personality had changed due to feeling despair.


    Besides, he wasn¡¯t the kind of person who dedicated their life to their club activities, like you¡¯d see in some teenage dramas. That¡¯s what he had thought at the time, and even now, he still felt the same.


    ¡°You know, the first time I saw you at prep school, Yasu-kun, I barely recognized you.¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem like Shouko was saying that she had forgotten what he looked like.


    ¡°You were a very energetic person in middle school, but now you look as though you wish that everyone who is happy with their life would stub their little toe on the corner of a chest of drawers or something.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember ever cursing someone with that level of detail, but maybe you¡¯re right to some extent.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t at the level where it would be remarked upon, but ever since his club had been shut down, he had certainly lost some of his ¡°drive¡± in daily life. And before he noticed it, he began to resent those people who still had that ¡°drive¡±, and got into the habit of comparing himself to them and getting an inferiority complex.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I really stood out that much in middle school, though.¡±


    ¡°Sure, you were never as popular as the kids who were good at sports. But that¡¯s not what I was talking about.¡±


    After saying that, Shouko continued,


    ¡°Singing. That¡¯s nice. Very nice, actually.¡±


    ¡°Well, to only realize after being told by someone else, there should be a limit to being dense, I guess.¡±


    When Yasuo said that with a wry smile because he felt embarrassed at being praised all of a sudden, Shouko suddenly made a stern expression.


    ¡°Saying things like ¡®dense¡¯ only serves to deny your own efforts and the efforts of everyone else. People who do their best at what they like would never compare themselves to others in such a worthless fashion.¡±


    ¡°Tatewaki-san¡­?¡±


    Shouko¡¯s statement was so empathetic that Yasuo suddenly felt ashamed of himself. Maybe because Shouko herself realized that her tone which had been gentle until now suddenly changed into one of anger, she looked embarrassed and let out a large sigh.


    ¡°It just means that people have different methods of doing their best at something. Having someone you want to catch up to, or someone you want to win against is one thing; however, if you compare yourself on a minute scale against vague standards like the society¡¯s standards and average levels, you won¡¯t understand anything, nothing will change, and nothing will be resolved. All it will achieve is to make you feel bad, so it actually acts against you.¡±


    Maybe the reason why Shouko had changed so much compared to when she was in middle school was hidden behind those words that she blurted out so quickly. However, they hadn¡¯t shared enough time together for Yasuo to ask about that.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, you were like that in middle school, right? You would have never done something like ridiculing yourself while comparing yourself to others.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that right? I don¡¯t really remember.¡±


    Certainly, he wasn¡¯t the type of person to stand at the top of the class even in middle school. His didn¡¯t have exceptionally good grades, and while he wasn¡¯t bad at sports, he wasn¡¯t anything special either. Just like in high school, the Choral Club that he was a part of in middle school was not particularly famous, and he didn¡¯t stand in a position where he caught attention, like the members of the student council.


    ¡°Do you really not remember?¡±


    Was his life in middle school really just a waste of effort?


    ¡°Even the fact that you were the person who told me this, Yasu-kun?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    ¡°You asked me, ¡®Ridiculing yourself, putting yourself down, is that really what you want to do? Aren¡¯t you just forcing yourself to go along with the situation while being sad?¡¯ ¡­¡­.You don¡¯t remember? Did you even forget about that? Yasu-kun, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s strange?¡±


    ¡°¡­Could that be¡­¡±


    ¡°Grown-up¡­ I¡¯m not really sure what that means, but I won¡¯t say something like that anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­During that exercise when we had to do research about our relatives¡¯ professions?¡±


    Yasuo said that after having another repressed memory dug out by her words, and Shouko looked like she was about to cry, but still gave him a small smile.


    ¡°My dad runs a pub, and I didn¡¯t have anyone else I could interview¡­ Well, I thought that running the shop seemed interesting, and when I gave my presentation about that¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah, I remember. There was some guy in class who made fun of you, saying stupid stuff about serving alcohol, and running a shady business at night.¡±


    That incident took place during the second year of middle school, when Yasuo gave a presentation about his uncle¡¯s work as a policeman. At that time, Shouko had given an extremely brief explanation of her family¡¯s pub, putting down their daily tasks in an itemized list.


    However, after that lesson, some of the mean kids in class latched onto some fragments of her presentation like how they served alcohol to customers, and they did business at night, and made her family¡¯s business out to be some some kind of indecent enterprise and began to make fun of her. Although there were plenty of shops in the current generation that served alcohol and were still family-friendly, and it was common knowledge that those shops also opened in the evening, those kids had just wanted to have fun while teasing Shouko because she would not fight back.


    ¡°Well, that is just a part of my dark past that is hard to believe. Right now, I feel like going back in time to punch my younger self for being so scared and timid all the time.¡±


    However, in those days, Shouko had just accepted all of the teasing. She would just give a vague smile each time the teasing began, agree with the comments, and try to ride it out.


    ¡°I-I know, right? Shops are supposed to open in the morning, right¡­?¡±


    ¡°W-Well, since it¡¯s pretty late when people come to the shop, some of them might be s-scary people like you said¡­¡±


    ¡°W-We¡¯re not part of a big restaurant chain or anything, so, umm, I guess the shop can sometimes get a little dirty¡­¡±


    Of course, not considering Yasuo, even Shouko didn¡¯t remember all the bad things that were said, but it was not hard to imagine that they were all things that lowered the estimate of her family¡¯s business.


    Yasuo, who had always been hearing such comments while sitting behind her, spoke out against it one day. Perhaps the fact that he was always being teased by the same people, who said stuff like ¡°Only sissies join the Choral Club¡±, ¡°Only boys who are terrible at sports join that club¡±, and ¡°He¡¯s always singing the songs from some boring textbook¡± had something to do with it.


    ¡°If it¡¯s indecent to work at night, my uncle sometimes works at night too, is that weird?¡±


    When he said that, the kids who had been making fun of Shouko looked threateningly at Yasuo, who had disturbed their fun.


    Yasuo was scared for a moment, but he remembered that he held the advantageous card of having a policeman for an uncle, so he continued to speak at a fast pace.


    ¡°Policemen often walk about the streets at night. Well, I guess the scary people would think that policemen are scary too.¡±


    ¡°Police boxes and police stations run on tax money and are rarely rebuilt, so they look pretty beat up and dirty. Does that mean that the policemen who work inside are dirty as well?¡±


    After saying this much, he was pretty much in the state of the fox that had borrowed the tiger¡¯s image9, but the kids who had been making fun of Shouko unexpectedly withdrew without making a fuss, and didn¡¯t bother her her anymore in the future as well.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, you don¡¯t think that it¡¯s strange?¡±


    Shouko, who had been completely dispirited by all the teasing, asked him that question, and Yasuo had shook his head.


    ¡°I think that running a shop is pretty awesome. It means your father is earning money while relying on his own strength, right? I think it¡¯s a lot more amazing than being a regular salaryman.¡±


    If a regular salaryman heard that, he might get angry, but Yasuo at that time truly felt that way. That¡¯s because, most of the men that a middle-school boy like Yasuo saw were people who put on a suit and went to work at a company, the so-called ¡®salarymen¡¯. The middle school boy, who had no idea of how the world worked, believed that anyone could put on a suit, work for a company, and therefore become a salaryman in the course of their life. That¡¯s why he felt a lot of respect for someone who did something different for a living.


    ¡°You know, my dad can¡¯t cook anything besides instant ramen. He only puts in some effort when we have a barbecue, but anyways, I think it¡¯s pretty awesome that your dad can cook all kinds of food. It¡¯s like, being a chef really gives off the impression that he¡¯s a professional!¡±


    ¡°¡­Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s why¡­¡±


    As a middle schooler, Yasuo, had definitely said that.


    ¡°Stop doing stuff like putting yourself down, making fun of yourself and trying to ride it out. You might have been smiling, but I bet you didn¡¯t feel good at all. I understand how that feels. There are people who make fun of me for joining the Choral Club, they even go so far as to post demeaning comments on online forums. At the beginning, I too laughed while thinking they were right, but ever since the prefectural contest last year when I won a silver medal, I decided that I wouldn¡¯t stand for it anymore. Most of those guys who made fun of me weren¡¯t regulars on a sports team or anything, they just like to poke their nose in other people¡¯s business.¡±


    He must have been nervous, because he spoke so rarely with girls.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, let¡¯s make sure to become fine grown-ups who don¡¯t enjoy themselves by making fun of others, okay?¡±


    Even thinking back now, he wasn¡¯t sure what exactly he was trying to say at that time.


    However,


    ¡°Grown-up¡­ I¡¯m not really sure what that means, but I won¡¯t say something like that anymore.¡±


    Shouko had said that while smiling, and looked so cute that Yasuo wondered why he had forgotten about it until now.


    ¡°Thank you, Yasu-kun.¡±


    ¡°We were in different classes during our third year, but a few days after our graduation, there was a party for the parents at our store. At that time, my mother heard that you had joined Takeoka High School from your mother, Yasu-kun.¡±


    That¡¯s right, when he was in his third year, his mother had been one of the members of the PTSA council. She must have had a reaction to the name ¡®Tatewaki¡¯ because of her memories from that time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about you right now, Yasu-kun, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re still giving it your all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    The version of him in Shouko¡¯s memories was frighteningly idealized. At the very least, Yasuo did not remember saving Shouko after giving it such deep thought, and he had not lived such a life where he could boast about having given all his effort either.


    The way he had lived his life until now was the proof of that.


    When he tried to say that to her, she interrupted him.


    ¡°Doing your best is different from giving all your effort.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s words accurately targeted Yasuo¡¯s misgivings.


    ¡°You¡¯re making a face as though you wish that everyone who is living a happy life would slam the main door of their house on their fingers.¡±


    ¡°Why are all my curses such petty things in your imagination?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure a lot of stuff happened, but I can tell that you¡¯re trying your best to overcome something difficult right now, Yasu-kun. You¡¯re making that kind of face.¡±


    Since Shouko was looking right at him, Yasuo felt a little embarrassed, but,


    ¡°How would you know something like that?¡±


    He still said that. He had actually wanted to ask why she understood so much about him, but he wasn¡¯t able to. And then, Shouko went back to having her previous gentle expression, and gave a small smile.


    ¡°You forgot about me, Yasu-kun, but I didn¡¯t forget about you. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­?¡±


    Yasuo didn¡¯t think that answered his question at all, and tilted his head to one side, but for some reason that made Shouko wrinkle her brows in frustration again, and she let out a small sigh.


    ¡°¡­Is this a good thing, or a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. By the way, I have to complete another lesson now. What about you, Yasu-kun?¡±


    ¡°Ah, me too.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s meet again some other time, when we¡¯re both free.¡±


    Saying that, Shouko turned on her heel and started walking towards the studying booths without waiting for Yasuo¡¯s answer, just like she did yesterday.


    Today, he didn¡¯t go after her.


    There was no need to do that.


    She had said that they could meet again when they both had free time, after all.


    ¡°¡­Haaaah.¡±


    For now, at least she had agreed not to make the incident from yesterday into a larger issue. Even that was more than he had hoped for, but Shouko had unexpectedly even helped him resolve the large problem that he was currently facing.


    No, maybe it was too soon to say that the problem was resolved, but at least he was now able to understand why his words at that time failed to move his father.


    Until now, Yasuo had not even tried to understand his father¡¯s position.


    Even though Shouko had said such great things about how he was in his second year of middle school, now, as a third year student in high school, he could not even carry out a proper conversation with his friends about his father¡¯s work.


    He was just using exams and his life after that as an excuse to escape from his current stifling life. He was not doing his best at anything.


    ¡°¡­Doing my best, that¡¯s something I don¡¯t like to think about.¡±


    To him, it was a phrase that was wrapped in bitter memories. He had avoided it so much that it could be said that he was unconsciously rejecting it, and perhaps that was what had lead to this situation.


    Back when he was taking exams to get into high school, he had gotten into a rage after speaking to his father over the phone.


    However, looking from the perspective of his father who had literally fought with his life on the line, Yasuo¡¯s efforts at that time, and even now, probably didn¡¯t look like he was doing his best.


    Of course, Yasuo was not the same as his father, and because he didn¡¯t know about his father¡¯s past, he couldn¡¯t be expected to hold the same level of resolve.


    However, things were different now.


    He had found out the truth.


    Right now, he had a problem in front of him that would take his best efforts and then some, to solve. What was required for that, was¡­


    ¡°Right now, I need to study.¡±


    He got his spirits up and walked towards the hall with the studying booths.

 Volume 1, 3 - The World of Children Part 3

    Volume 1, Chapter 3 ¨C The World of Children Part 3


    It had been a while since Yasuo had properly concentrated while studying.


    Ever since Diana had come to his house, he had not been able to focus at all on his studies at school. Of course, the same was true for the prep school too. Today, however, even though thoughts related to Ante lande would occasionally flit through his head, he was able to immediately move his concentration back to his studies.


    Even after getting a hint from Shouko, it wasn¡¯t like Yasuo¡¯s goals for his future became clear and concrete enough to make his father reconsider going to Ante Lande. Even if he was able to attain a clear goal, that would only be something along the lines of ¡®studying harder than before¡¯. Telling his father not to go to Ante Lande because he would study harder was completely illogical.


    However, if he said something like ¡°I will do my best to get into a university where I can pursue singing seriously, so please don¡¯t go to Ante Lande¡±, from his father¡¯s perspective, it would look like Yasuo was talking nonsense because neither his words not the context would make any sense. So he couldn¡¯t tell his father about his feelings or his resolve at this stage.


    What he needed now was not words. Instead, he needed to look at the various circumstances related to Ante Lande, and do his best to understand how they fit into his own life. Until now, Yasuo had used exams as an excuse to to convince himself that the problems of Ante Lande did not have any direct relation to his life.


    He hadn¡¯t looked at the problem directly. He hadn¡¯t believed that it was true. To be honest, he still had some doubts regarding it somewhere in his heart.


    However, his father, mother, and Diana were serious about it, and an incident had occurred in front of his eyes that made him understand why they were so serious. The three of them were facing the other world called Ante Lande seriously, and Yasuo decided that he would also join them in facing it seriously. Right now, that was what Yasuo had to do.


    ¡°Looks like Tatewaki-san isn¡¯t around.¡±


    Yasuo returned to the lounge space after completing his lesson, but he didn¡¯t see Shouko anywhere.


    He had wanted to express his thanks to her once again, but it looked like she still hadn¡¯t come out of her booth. In any case, his mother was waiting for him today. As though the vague doubts in Yasuo¡¯s mind had been banished during his lesson, Yasuo¡¯s mind was now clear and he didn¡¯t mistake what he needed to give higher priority to.


    For now, he had to return home as quickly as possible so that he could prepare himself for his father¡¯s return and the continuation of the discussion from the other day. Although they hadn¡¯t exchanged contact information, they would meet again soon enough since they both went to the same prep school. Even if he waited for her here, she would probably have other plans and would not be able to spare much time to talk to him anyways.


    For now, he could not afford to mistake whom he should be paying attention to.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re back in the groove today, that¡¯s good. Take care on your way home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine now. Thank you.¡±


    After paying a visit to Kobayashi, who was in charge of teaching him, he left the prep school. He looked around his surroundings once, but there was no sight of any strange shadows like the one that had blown away the front door of his house. After walking quickly to the parking lot near the prep school, he saw that the only car there was the one belonging to his family.


    After he knocked on the window, his mother realized that he had arrived and unlocked the doors, and he got into the passenger seat.


    ¡°Welcome back. How was it?¡±


    ¡°Well, not bad.¡±


    It was an exchange of words where both the question and the answer were not clear as to what they were talking about, but his mother nodded after looking like she had sensed something in him.


    ¡°Well, I hope that you¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    ¡°I just managed to find my resolve, so don¡¯t say stuff that will make me lose confidence. Otherwise I won¡¯t feel like doing this anymore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say something that makes you sound like a kid in elementary school. Well then, let¡¯s go back home. Can you call home and tell them that we¡¯ll be back soon? Also, I send Nodoka a message earlier to order pizza or something for dinner, but if there¡¯s none left, we¡¯ll have to buy something on the way back, so can you ask about that too?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Yasuo took his Slimphone out of his pocket and put it to his ear after tapping on the phone number of his residence phone.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s answering the phone.¡±


    He let the phone ring for a little while longer, but after a few seconds, the answering machine picked up and the automated message began to play. In the current day, the only people who called on the landline apart from relatives or his parents¡¯ friends were people who were selling or soliciting something, so they always kept the answering machine on.


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s in the bath?¡±


    Yasuo said that to suppress his bad premonition, and called the landline once more. Even if Nodoka wasn¡¯t able to answer the phone because she was in the bath, she should be able to hear the phone ringing. In that case, she could ask Diana to bring the phone to her.


    ¡°Mom, she¡¯s not picking up the phone.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Madoka¡¯s face stiffened and she went pale. It was no longer the time to be thinking about what to do for dinner.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving now! Fasten your seat belt properly!¡±


    Without even waiting for Yasuo¡¯s reply, Madoka started the engine and stepped on the gas. The frame of the car shook violently as it jumped forward, but Madoka ignored it and flew out of the parking lot at high speed.


    After completing her lesson, Shouko returned to the lounge space and looked at the students who were leaving, but she couldn¡¯t see Yasuo among them.


    ¡°Did he leave already?¡±


    Even after waiting for a little longer after the students had left, Shouko still couldn¡¯t find Yasuo, so she let out a small sigh and sat on a bench in the lounge, and then,


    ¡°¡­As I thought, I must have said too much~~~!!¡±


    She leaned forward on the table while holding her head in her hands.


    She had said too much. No matter how you looked at it, she had said too much.


    ¡°He must have been creeped out¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have gone that far, aaaah!¡±


    When she found out that Yasuo had forgotten about her, her feelings had been half-angry and the other half was feeling that it couldn¡¯t be helped. When she had been his classmate in middle school, she had been entirely different after all.


    Her hair had been waist-length, and she had worn glasses. She would never talk in a loud voice when other people were around, and she always avoided eye contact while walking. Her casual clothes had all been girly designs, and that ¡®girly¡¯ design looked like it was from twenty years ago.


    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t help it¡­ anyone would want to say that¡­ he had forgotten about everything¡­ that¡¯s just not right.¡±


    That Shouko now had short hair, wore sporty clothes that made her look like she was about to go jogging, and said all kinds of things to her ex-classmate after not meeting him for almost three whole years, so he would definitely¡­


    ¡°¡­Besides, what¡¯s with him not getting the hint after I said so much¡­!¡±


    Shouko was resting her head on her arms on the desk, and nursing her injured feelings, when a loud sound came from outside the prep school, and Shouko jumped up in fright.


    ¡°W-What was that!?¡±


    She rushed outside the prep school, just in time to see a car leave from the nearby parking lot at a reckless speed.


    ¡°Yasu-kun!?¡±


    She only managed to get a quick look at the people inside, but for a second, she thought that she saw someone who looked like Yasuo sitting in the passenger seat.


    She couldn¡¯t tell who was driving it, but since the car looked like a regular family car, it might have been his mother or father.


    As Shouko watched on in dumbfounded amazement, the car drove off while making a high-pitched squealing sound with its tires.


    So someone from his house had come to pick him up. However, why did they have to go off at such a high speed?


    ¡°¡­¡­Besides¡­¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s house shouldn¡¯t be too far from here, he should be able to walk there easily. Would his parents really go so far as to pay for a parking spot to come pick him up?


    ¡°Well, each family has it¡¯s own issues¡­ Hmm?¡±


    While looking at the tail lights of the car that she thought belonged to Yasuo¡¯s family, she saw that they had stopped at a red light a little further away, and she saw something strange.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s that? Exhaust gas?¡±


    There was an strange black substance hanging on to the back of the car. It then began to grow larger, and soon became large enough to even obstruct the tail lamps.


    She thought that the car had some engine trouble which was why something strange was coming out of the exhaust pipe, but,


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    The minute the signal turned green, she saw that the substance definitely had a mind of its own, as it seemed to leap upon the roof of the car that Yasuo was sitting in.


    After that, the car sped off again while carrying that strange substance, but Shouko stood there for a while unable to believe what she had seen, blinked several times, and even used her eye drops.


    ¡°Was it¡­ just my imagination?¡±


    She felt like she had seen something strange because she got too excited after seeing Yasuo after a long time, and her brain was exhausted. After forcibly convincing herself that that¡¯s what happened, Shouko thought that she should also be heading home, when she heard it.


    From the direction in which the car had sped off, there was a sound that could only be called an explosion.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    From the fact that several pedestrians stopped to look in that direction, it can be understood just how unexpected that sound was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    Shouko began to run in that direction without thinking. That dangerous way of driving. That strange black substance. That was all she had seen, but then there was an explosion in the direction in which both of them had gone. That was more than enough reason to feel an unpleasant premonition.


    ¡°¡­¡­Uh¡±


    Time seemed to have skipped ahead like when you doze off in bed after already having woken up once.


    After realizing that he had fainted for the first time in his life, Yasuo looked around, and,


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    For some reason, he was in the sky.


    ¡°Wha¡­ Eeeeeeeeeeh!?¡±


    ¡°Ah, stop, don¡¯t do that!¡±


    The moment he heard his mother¡¯s voice from above his head, Yasuo¡¯s body was suddenly seized by gravity and he began to fall towards the ground.


    However, almost instantly, he was again pulled up by some force that opposed gravity.


    ¡°W-W-What is this? It¡¯s cold! Mom, don¡¯t tell me¡­!!¡±


    After being confused at this situation that he was experiencing for the first time, he craned his neck to look above, and saw his mother whose clothes looked strangely burnt. He understood that his mother was flying in the sky, and that she was carrying him along.


    ¡°Don¡¯t struggle. If you fall, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    He already knew that.


    The view he could see was smaller than when he had climbed up to the observation deck of the Tokyo Tower once in the past. However, it was pretty surprising that his mother, who was more than ten centimeters shorter than him, was flying in the sky while holding him in one arm.


    Besides, they had been riding in a car until just a little while ago, so he didn¡¯t understand at all why he had seemed to lose consciousness for a few seconds only to wake up in the sky where his ears were full of the sound of the wind.


    ¡°Maybe we were followed? We were attacked on the way, and the car exploded.¡±


    ¡°We were attacked on the way¡­ Eh!?¡±


    He found it hard to understand what his mother was saying because of the sound of the wind, but he didn¡¯t need to clarify what had attacked them.


    ¡°It appeared on top of the bonnet all of a sudden, pierced through the engine and caused an explosion. I don¡¯t think I hit any people, but the car ran into a utility pole and exploded, so I¡¯m afraid of what will happen later on¡­¡±


    Crashing your car into a utility pole and getting caught up in an explosion were also rare and scary experiences, but it looked like his mother was more worried about how to settle the issue with the authorities later on.


    ¡°D-Did you defeat the one that came after us? Was it the one from the other day¡­¡±


    If they were attacked by a Shii, there was a good chance that it was the one that had destroyed the door of the Kenzaki house. However, his mother shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It all happened so suddenly, and it was more important for me to avoid hitting someone else on the road.¡±


    His mother shot an annoyed glance at her burned hair, and then turned around.


    ¡°I think I killed it, but I didn¡¯t have the time to confirm its identity.¡±


    Yasuo also looked back to see what his mother was looking at, but all he could see was the scenery of Tokorozawa. Yasuo shuddered at hearing the word ¡®killed¡¯ coming from his mother who was supposed to just be a housewife, but he understood that the situation was just that grave.


    What¡¯s more, he once again realized that his mother had a fighting ability high enough to repulse a surprise attack by an unknown monster.


    ¡°Yasuo, look at that.¡±


    ¡°W-What now?¡±


    After looking forward again, he saw that they were headed in the direction of their home. Along the path which was lit by the meager light of street lights, there was one place that was obviously strange.


    Just that place was completely dark, as though it was surrounded by a massive, black box.


    Even though he had never looked upon the city from above, Yasuo instinctively realized that it was the area in which the Kenzaki house was located.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a fix now. It¡¯s just as I¡¯d feared.¡±


    His mother¡¯s voice had more intensity and worry than he had ever heard before.


    ¡°The theory that wild monsters followed your father¡¯s scent here is no longer valid.¡±


    The perfectly-shaped box that looked like it was precisely built was not a natural phenomenon, no matter how you look at it.


    ¡°What¡­ happened to the city?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. So, I¡¯m going to speed up a little. You were okay with rollercoasters, if I remember correctly.¡±


    ¡°Even if I wasn¡¯t, I¡¯d endure it in this kind of situation.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, this will be a little hard on your insides. Try not to throw up!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!?¡±


    As soon as she said that, the mother and son sped towards the ground from an impossible height, at an impossible speed and angle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what might happen, so shield your eyes and head with your bag!¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    Even before asking for the reason, Yasuo brought his bag up to shield his face, and tensed his body.


    ¡°Seeeeeeeeeeeh!!¡±


    On the other side of the bag, a light as bright as the sun shone in his mother¡¯s fist, and he heard the sound of something breaking into pieces.


    ¡°What¡­ is this¡­¡±


    Shouko dazedly stared at the car that was burning with a rumbling sound on the street.


    ¡°Stand back! Please stand back!¡±


    The fire department was already on the scene and were trying to put out the fire, but the car was still giving off small bursts of flame. The police had also rushed to the scene, and were yelling for curious onlookers to keep back. One of the policemen appeared in front of Shouko as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close! It¡¯s still dangerous!¡±


    ¡°B-But, one of my friends was in there¡­!¡±


    She hadn¡¯t seen the license plate number, nor was she knowledgeable about cars. However, she could still tell that it was the same type of car that she had seen just a few minutes ago in front of the prep school, the one that she thought Yasuo had been riding in.


    There was no doubt about it, it was the same car that she had seen earlier. Shouko was sure of that.


    However, the policeman¡¯s answer was unexpected.


    ¡°There¡¯s nobody in the car! Now, please move away quickly!¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    That was pretty strange in its own way. She looked around, but there was no sight of the passengers being tended to by medical personnel, and the paramedics who had rushed to the scene were standing around, staring at the flames from a distance while having nothing to do.


    However, the front portion of the car had pierced deeply into the utility pole, and the frame of the car was also greatly distorted.


    What¡¯s more, the doors were still closed. Even though they had been in such a serious accident, and the car had even exploded and caught on fire, just how had the people inside managed to get out?


    Shouko dazedly stood around while breathing in the offensive smell given off by the burning car, but¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    She muttered in a weak voice and unsteadily walked away from that place.


    All she had to go on was an unpleasant premonition.


    Maybe Yasuo didn¡¯t really have anything to do with the car that had crashed. It could be a car that was coincidentally of the same type, just happened to have an accident nearby. There was only one way to tell for sure.


    She just had to visit Yasuo¡¯s house.


    It was pretty late to be visiting a friend, but she could just make up some random excuse.


    She had known where Yasuo¡¯s house was since the time when she was in middle school. He had probably forgotten all about it, but Yasuo was the one who had told her where it was.


    Shouko had never been inside the house, but even so, she had never forgotten about that teenage boy who lived in that house.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried, just a little worried, that¡¯s all¡­¡±


    An unexpected reunion, and the multiple strange things about Yasuo which were not present in the past.


    Shouko began to run off into the night while her breathing grew ragged.

 Volume 1, 4 - The Children’s Resolve Will Sometimes Exceed the Adults’ Expectations Part 1

    Volume 1, Chapter 4 ¨C The Children¡¯s Resolve Will Sometimes Exceed the Adults¡¯ Expectations Part 1


    Nodoka was trembling under her blanket, while gripping her Slimphone and sitting on top of her bed that was in a corner of her room.


    She could hear the intermittent sounds of clashing coming from outside, but she was so scared that she was not even able to get out of her bed, let alone go outside to check.


    ¡°Mom, hurry up¡­!!¡±


    Nodoka whispered in a teary voice while gripping her inoperative Slimphone.


    However, the only reply she got was a powerful impact that rocked the whole house.


    ¡°Kyaa!?¡±


    A person was slammed into the veranda outside Nodoka¡¯s room, and the railings were greatly deformed.


    The person slammed into the veranda was Diana, who bore wounds all over her body, and the impact was so powerful that it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if it had torn off the veranda completely and punched a hole in the wall.


    ¡°Uuh¡­ I w-wont let you lay a finger of Nodoka¡­!¡±


    An impact like that would normally shatter all the bones in a person¡¯s body and definitely kill them, but Diana still stood up.


    ¡°D-Diana-san¡­!¡±


    Nodoka timidly called out in the direction of the window that was already broken.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It¡¯s quite tough, looks like it will take awhile to deal with it¡­¡±


    Even so, Diana smiled at Nodoka to reassure her, while her face was covered in blood.


    ¡°I definitely won¡¯t let them lay a finger on you, Nodoka! Haaaaah!¡±


    After psyching herself up, Diana once again jumped out of the broken window that she had come flying through.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    At the thunderous sound caused by Diana¡¯s superhuman leap, Nodoka once again crouched down.


    ¡°Just¡­ Just what is going on!¡±


    Nodoka had not directly seen the battle between Diana and the Shii the day before yesterday, but according to what she had heard from her brother, Diana didn¡¯t seem to have too much trouble against the Shii. However, this time, Diana was being overwhelmed by numbers.


    She had been a little on edge while she was at school, but in the end, nothing had happened and the school day ended as usual. She had occasionally wondered if Diana had come to check up on her, but she didn¡¯t see her anywhere, and when she called her house phone, Diana picked up while sounding a little tired and she could hear the sound of the television in the background.


    Later, she had sent a message to her mother informing her that there were no problems, and ordered pizza after getting her mother¡¯s permission. She then spent a slightly awkward evening with Diana who definitely looked listless compared to how she was in the morning.


    She watched shows on TV that she would not usually watch, and explained what was going on to Diana even though she had not really asked for an explanation, and somehow managed to pass the time until nine o¡¯clock.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go up to my room now. You know how to use the bath, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madoka showed me how to use it last night. Good night.¡±


    Nodoka went upstairs to her room as she had to prepare for tomorrow and take care of some other personal things. Just as she closed her room door and let out a sigh, Diana came running up the stairs at a tremendous speed.


    ¡°Contact Madoka!¡±


    Diana rushed into her room with almost enough force to destroy the door, yelled that at Nodoka, and pushed her onto the bed.


    Nodoka was surprised by Diana¡¯s sudden violent behaviour, but the next instant¡­


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    Her window glass shattered violently, and at the same time, the spot where Nodoka had just been standing blew up forcefully with a roar.


    ¡°Guh!¡±


    Diana protected her head from the flying glass and wood splinters, but her arms were mercilessly injured by the shrapnel.


    ¡°Diana-san!?¡±


    Nodoka let out a scream, but in the next second, Diana was holding Castor and Pollux in her hands, and a blade of light appeared from each.


    ¡°Stay away from the window! Put your blanket over your head for protection! Contact Madoka!¡±


    After shouting that, Diana took a huge leap and flew out of the window.


    After that, Diana fought for a long time against enemies that Nodoka couldn¡¯t even see, for what felt like one or two hours. However, Diana just got more injured as time went on, and it didn¡¯t look like the fight was going to end anytime soon.


    ¡°Oh come on, why won¡¯t it work¡­!¡±


    Nodoka¡¯s Slimphone was heartlessly showing a ¡®No Signal¡¯ message, and even ROPE, which was supposed to work over the internet, just kept trying to connect and it didn¡¯t look like it was going to work. Nodoka was curled up in fear, and she didn¡¯t think of trying to use her house phone.


    Even if she had thought of it, she would have to go past the window in her room to go downstairs, and the thought of another explosion kept her from moving. At that moment¡­


    ¡°Wha-!¡±


    Amidst the encompassing darkness, light brighter than anything she had ever seen flashed outside, and seared Nodoka¡¯s vision.


    ¡°L-Lightning¡­?¡±


    It looked like a flash of lightning that occurs just before a peal of thunder.


    She wasn¡¯t particularly afraid of lightning as a weather phenomenon, but the light outside was was so intense that it threw everything in her room into stark relief, and it was certainly not natural.


    ¡°W-What was that¡­ !!¡±


    She saw the flash of light another three times through her window, and suddenly, the sounds of Diana fighting outside abruptly stopped.


    ¡°¡­¡­No way.¡±


    Nodoka didn¡¯t even have the time to regain her wits.


    A black, humanoid figure that looked like an incarnation of darkness descended upon the veranda.


    In its ¡®hands¡¯, it held Diana, who was not moving, still holding her weapons with limp fingers.


    Diana had lost.


    However, before Nodoka could register this fact, her eyes were drawn to the face of the otherworld monster, the Shii. It¡¯s head looked like an even blacker darkness was etched into an already dark surface, but it certainly had human features. It was a man who was about the same age as her father. He did not look like a Japanese person.


    So this is what a Shii, a human who turned into a monster, looked like.


    The places where the eyes should be, and the place where the mouth should be, were ominous, and different from the surrounding darkness. Was this light? Or was it flame?


    The figure looked at Nodoka with anger and scorn, as flames flickered within its eyes and mouth. A voice issued from its mouth. Or was even that a hallucination caused by fear?


    ¡°N-Nodoka¡­ run away¡­¡±


    Nodoka was frozen in place, unable to move so much as a finger, just like a prey animal that is being glared at by a predator.


    So this is what true fear was.


    A primal fear that is built into all organisms.


    A fear that threatens to wipe out all thought.


    The aspect of death.


    That instant in which you know you¡¯re going to die for certain.


    The interior of the house that was bound by darkness¡­ no, from Nodoka¡¯s perspective, she could only think that all the lights had been extinguished, was suddenly illuminated by a different light, and a red light completely different from the light emanating from the Shii¡¯s eyes appeared behind it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lay a finger on my daughteeeeeer!!¡±


    Tears flowed out from Nodoka¡¯s eyes after hearing that familiar voice.


    The flames disappeared from the Shii¡¯s face as though it was surprised, and the instant it turned around, it was enveloped in flames as bright as the sun that looked like it would reduce anything to char.


    ¡°Nodoka! Are you okay!?¡±


    ¡°Mom!!¡±


    Her mother¡¯s form slowly came into view from behind the pillar of flame that was encompassing the Shii. In her hand, she held Diana who was still lying limp after her ordeal with the Shii.


    ¡°Diana-san! Is she okay!?¡±


    ¡°Her wounds aren¡¯t as bad as they appear¡­ if anything, I¡¯m worried about the state of her mind. Yasuo!¡±


    Nodoka finally noticed the presence of her brother, who had entered her room normally through the door.


    ¡°Take care of Diana-chan.¡±


    ¡°Woah! Understood¡­ but you really shouldn¡¯t be throwing people. Ouch.¡±


    Her brother looked just like he always did after coming back from school, except for the dust that covered him from head to toe.


    Yasuo managed to catch Diana while making complaints to his mother, but because he was not in the right position to catch her, the unexpected weight of a person threatened to make him fall over.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t drop her.¡±


    While Madoka was rebuking Yasuo, the pillar of flame that surrounded the Shii was blown away in an instant. Madoka put herself between the Shii and the others, and glared bitterly at the Shii that had blasted away her flames.


    ¡°I guess he¡¯s made of stronger stuff than the one that attacked earlier. A flame of just this level isn¡¯t enough to even put a scratch on him.¡±


    The Shii that looked like a human male stood there, looking like it had not taken any damage from the flames at all.


    ¡°¡­Hideo¡­ Hideo¡­¡±


    ¡°This is¡­ the voice of the Shii.¡±


    The voice that seemed like it originated from the depths of Hell felt like it ran through their very bones and scraped against their nerves. Along with fear, Nodoka felt like she was about to throw up, but after hearing that voice, Diana, who was being supported by Yasuo, opened her eyes a little.


    ¡°¡­Madoka¡­ That Shii is¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. You did well to protect Nodoka and hold out for so long.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡±


    Diana was crying. Was this because she felt powerless at being unable to protect Nodoka?


    No, that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You weren¡¯t able to tell us because you were worried about how Hideo and I would react, right? There¡¯s no way I could ever mistake this person for someone else, though, no matter how much time passes. Seeing him again like this was a shock, it¡¯s bad for my heart.¡±


    Madoka glared at the Shii that was once again surrounded by dark flames, while grinding her teeth.


    ¡°Seriously, what do you think you¡¯re doing? Hideo and I¡­ and even Erize would never forgive you for making your cute daughter cry like this.¡±


    However, the words that were uttered by Madoka were tinged with an undeniable sense of grief.


    ¡°Alex¡­ To think that someone as powerful as you would end up in such a state¡­¡±


    Madoka Sugiura, the woman who was hailed as the ¡°Rainbow Sage¡± after the end of their journey fighting against Demon King Kaul, said that while looking at the Shii who had once been a man known as the ¡°Swordmaster¡±, Alexei Krone, and the husband of her dear friend Erijina.


    ¡ù


    There were no two people within the Resteria Kingdom¡¯s Knights who were on as bad terms as Alexei Krone and Erijina Radagast.


    Alexei led the sword and spear units within the Knights, while Erijina led the magicians. The two of them were always at odds, using various strategies to improve the position of their own units even by a little.


    Such politics were common in all countries at the time, but having to face the armies of Demon King Kaul without resolving their internal disputes caused Resteria to face repeated failure. Even then, the chasm between the soldiers and the magicians was so deep that neither side showed any intention of burying the hatchet.


    It was the arrival of the hero, Hideo, and the magician, Madoka, that caused a change in the situation.


    The two of them always fought to protect the most number of people that they could, instead of trying to win glory in battle. That was obvious, since neither of them had any sort of political standing in the country called Resteria, but after watching them fight, both Alexei and Erijina were forced to acknowledge just how foolishly they had been fighting until then.


    In the end, both Erijina and Alexei joined Hideo¡¯s party as guides and guards, but their bickering never ceased. However, even then, Madoka could tell that the two of them were irresistibly drawn to each other in spite of their constant fighting.


    The two of them never stopped their bickering, even during their travels, but their relationship was one of friendly rivalry; Alexei combined magic with his swordsmanship and created the military art of magical swordsmanship, and Erijina gained the knowledge of weapons that would later become the basis for the creation of Techno Weapons.


    After the final battle had ended, in front of Hideo and Madoka who were preparing to return to Japan, Alexei, squirming self-consciously with his burly body and blushing to the tips of his fingers, finally asked Erijina to marry him. Hideo, who was a thick-headed youth, had been greatly surprised.


    Madoka was convinced that the two of them would definitely make a great couple, and in fact, when their daughter came looking for Hideo after thirty years, Madoka had to restrain herself from flying back to that strange land immediately and giving her congratulations to her dear friends.


    ¡ù


    ¡°And yet, why did you turn into something like that, leaving Erize and Diana-chan behind!?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hideo¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that someone as strong as you would lose to a mere monster. Just what happened!?¡±


    However, the Shii that bore Alexei¡¯s features did not answer her questions.


    ¡°¡­Hideo¡­¡±


    ¡°Hideo is not here! The only people here are my children, and your daughter!¡±


    ¡°¡­Hideo.¡±


    ¡°Alexei Krone!¡±


    Madoka¡¯s fierce, yet sad shout caused the air to tremble.


    ¡°I cannot allow an existence that bears your features to sin any further¡­ If you refuse to leave, then I, Sugiura Madoka, will be your opponent!¡±


    ¡°¡­Mado¡­ka?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve been called by all kinds of embarrassing names since back in the day, but I¡¯m still the ¡®Rainbow Sage¡¯! Do you still remember, even after turning into a Shii!? In that case¡­¡±


    Madoka formed seals with her hands in front of her chest at a high speed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you remember the power of my fire magic!¡±


    The Rainbow Sage, Madoka, raised her hands that were surrounded by flames above her head while anger and sadness were reflected in her eyes. In that instant, particles of light began to gather around her body.


    ¡°¡­My name is Madoka! The person who will shine light down on the darkness of the land!¡±


    The structure of the chant that Madoka shouted was the same as that of the chant that their father had uttered on that fateful day in the living room, when he summoned the Holy Sword Liutberga.


    ¡°Inferno, rush forth! Dawnlight, illuminate! Gather the scorching fire that breaks apart the icy souls! Holy staff of fire, Marlowe!! Answer my call and take form!!¡±


    Along with her dignified chant, Madoka¡¯s appearance made the dark atmosphere waver. And in the next moment¡­


    ¡°¡°¡­¡­¡±¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ this is the true appearance of the Rainbow Sage¡­¡±


    The siblings, Yasuo and Nodoka could only stand there agape at this unexpected situation, and Diana, who was still being held by Yasuo, let out some words while sounding like she was ecstatic.


    That couldn¡¯t be helped.


    Along with a flash of light, their mother had transformed into a Magical Lady.


    It would be unreasonable to ask the siblings to say something in this situation.


    After their father had shown them his Holy Sword that he had used in his youth, and their mother had told them that she had once fought beside him, they should have expected this.


    However, even after all the knowledge they had gained about the other world, and steeling their resolve, the visual impact of the scene before them far exceeded the level of their father¡¯s Holy Sword and Diana¡¯s Magitech weaponry.


    Their mother held a staff that gave off a mysterious light¡­ they could still accept this because they knew that she had been a powerful magician in the other world.


    However, she was one year younger than Hideo. A forty seven year old woman, no matter how much of a living legend she was, it was unforgivable for her to wear a dress that exposed her shoulders and part of her bare legs under a miniskirt.


    Specifically, her upper arms and the area around her collarbone were quite difficult to look at. Also, her bare legs.


    ¡°¡°¡­¡­¡±¡±


    The son who was in high school, and the daughter who was in middle school, somehow restrained themselves, but even so, the Magical Lady looked at them and,


    ¡°The two of you are not getting your allowance this month!¡±


    She made such a ruthless statement.


    ¡°¡°But we didn¡¯t even say anything!¡±¡±


    It was a parent-child discussion that was odd on several levels, but basically, it showed that Madoka didn¡¯t care much for her own appearance, and she was also perfectly aware of how she must appear to her son and daughter.


    ¡°In any case! Alex! You¡¯re going to to take responsibility for matters having come to such a state!¡±


    Their mother desperately waved her staff, and a small flame issued from the tip.


    It was a tiny flame that looked almost like a snowflake, and it gave off such a delicate, beautiful light that Yasuo, Nodoka, and the Shii didn¡¯t even feel threatened by it. However¡­


    ¡°Please close your eyes!!¡±


    Yasuo and Nodoka instinctively shielded their eyes at Diana¡¯s shout.


    ¡°Woah!?¡±


    ¡°Kyaa!?¡±


    Yasuo and Nodoka let out an unintentional shout as their bodies were assaulted by a shock wave and heat from a rapidly expanding explosion, and even Diana had to struggle to withstand the explosion while hanging on to Yasuo.


    After the flash of the explosion, they confirmed that the surroundings had once again returned to darkness and raised their heads, only to find that that the Shii was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Alex! Prepare yourself!¡±


    Instead, they saw their mother, who looked like a flaming comet, fly off into the sky that had lost all color.


    ¡°I-Incredible.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah.¡±


    In the middle of this indescribable situation, the brother and sister were truly on the same wavelength.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right! Diana-san, are you okay!?¡±


    Nodoka regained her wits and rushed to Diana who was being held by her brother. Yasuo set Diana down on the floor while still looking at the figure of his mother who was flying in the sky like a strange comet.


    Diana¡¯s Magitech equipment was broken in places, and parts of her body that were visible were burned so badly that it was hard to look at. Yasuo couldn¡¯t tell the difference between Castor and Pollux, but even he could tell that one of them was obviously broken and could no longer be used as a weapon.


    These were the signs of a frighteningly fierce battle.


    ¡°Diana, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­Please forgive me. My strength¡­was not enough¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Nodoka looks like she doesn¡¯t have a single scratch on her. Thank you for protecting her so desperately.¡±


    ¡°¡­Was I¡­really desperate?¡±


    A single teardrop fell from Diana¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°My blade became dull. I was not able to fire my magic. That¡¯s because¡­ I mean¡­¡±


    Yasuo, who was no longer in the confused state that he was in until yesterday, immediately understood what she was trying to say.


    ¡°Your dad is really strong, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Alexei Krone. The name that his mother had shouted out was the name of Diana¡¯s father, and also the name of his mother and father¡¯s dear friend.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to fight¡­. My father¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to seriously attack the Shii that has my father¡¯s appearance. Due to that¡­ Hideo¡¯s house is¡­ and I put Nodoka in danger¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Your father¡¯s appearance? Diana-san, do you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Nodoka. The Shii that Madoka is currently fighting against in order to protect us is¡­¡±


    Diana¡¯s voice dissolved into weeping.


    It happened a year after the first sighting of a Shii was reported.


    Resteria, who viewed this escalating issue as a serious threat, reached out to the neighboring small kingdoms and put together a large force for the purpose of investigating the former Grand Duchy of Torjesso. The force was led by Diana¡¯s father, General Alexei Krone. This was also Diana¡¯s first field assignment.


    Magitech Knights from noble families were usually assigned officer posts near the headquarters where they were in relatively little danger, so that they could work with veterans and slowly build up their experience. As General Alexei¡¯s only daughter, Diana too was given a role as a surveying officer assigned to the base camp, and was not included in the combat division.


    However, Resteria¡¯s Magitech Knights didn¡¯t know anything about what kind of creatures the Shii were, so they structured their forces in the same way that they had during the fight with Demon King Kaul. They used the same strategies, such as sending out scouts to discover the locations of groups of monsters, and protected their camp against a surprise attack from the monsters.


    If they were fighting demons, or even other humans, that would have been more than enough.


    However, just like the Demon King¡¯s stronghold in the previous war, the Shii just appeared from beneath the ground one day. They popped up in various locations inside the base camp itself, like the shoots of some demonic plant breaking through the soil.


    Faced with the darkness that rose up from the very ground and took human form, even the world¡¯s strongest Magitech Knights from Resteria who had displayed unrivalled strength during the fight against Demon King Kaul¡¯s forces, collapsed.


    Against the investigation force that numbered three thousand people, it was said that there were only three hundred Shii. In spite of having overwhelming odds in terms of numbers, the investigation force from Resteria lost nearly one-third of their numbers.


    However, the biggest blow to Resteria, the world, and especially Diana and Erijina, was the news that the person who was once the Hero¡¯s companion, the ¡®Swordmaster¡¯ Alexei Krone, was killed in battle. Despite the fact that he was fighting against unknown opponents, nobody expected that General Alexei, who had survived the fierce battle against Demon King Kaul along with the Hero, would come to a humiliating end like having his heart ripped out of his body.


    Amidst the confusion of having their base camp assaulted from within, Diana followed the orders of her captain and did her best to perform her role in battle, but it was taking everything they had just to carry out an orderly retreat and so Diana didn¡¯t feel like she contributed anything at all. Even worse, while she stood amidst confusion in the bloodstained battlefield, the last thing she had expected was that the person she respected more than anyone in the world, her father, would be taken in battle.


    ¡°We took my father¡¯s body back to our country where we had a grand state funeral and he was praised as one of the saviors of the world. A special exception was made for him and he was interred in the burial vault that only royalty is allowed to enter. In spite of that¡­. In spite of that, that Shii is-!!¡±


    It was a tragedy, but Alexei was still put to rest by following the formal procedures of interring the dead. In spite of that, the Shii that appeared before Yasuo and the others had the appearance of Alexei Krone.


    At that moment, Yasuo realized something that caused him to widen his eyes in surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m a full-fledged Magitech Knight! So there¡¯s¡­ nothing to be worried about!¡±


    At that time when the front door of the Kenzaki house had been demolished, Yasuo still held a great deal of mistrust towards Diana. In spite of that, why had she said that there was nothing to worry about because she was full-fledged? Perhaps those words had not been directed at Yasuo, but at her father instead?


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    At that time, outside the window, a large fireball flashed in the sky.


    Now was not the time to be thinking of old memories. Their mother was still fighting against that Shii.


    Yasuo looked at Diana¡¯s side and left shoulder that had been burned by the Shii.


    ¡°Was it your father¡¯s weapon that did it?¡±


    ¡°It was the ¡®Regulus¡¯ of lightning. Unlike Castor and Pollux that are mass-produced models, it¡¯s a special model that was made by my mother. When he received the Techno Weapon that my mother had hand-crafted for him, he was as excited as a child and studied desperately to master the lightning and wind magic¡­ no, sorcery, that Hideo specialized in¡­ That¡¯s right, Madoka probably doesn¡¯t know that my father is using a Techno Weapon!¡±


    The instant Diana said that, a large number of lightning flashes and explosions went off in the sky outside the window, and the sky was full of light, as if they were at a fireworks show.


    ¡°It looks like she¡¯s working hard.¡±


    In spite of the situation, Yasuo gave a bitter smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this when you¡¯re injured both mentally and physically, but we don¡¯t have time to sit here chatting. Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yasuo, you¡¯re not a kind person, are you?¡±


    Diana pouted a little.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The only things I can do are running to a certain Magitech Knight when I¡¯m in danger, and when the situation calls for it, I carry the luggage.¡±


    ¡°If the situation calls for it, I will decline. It appears that I was too heavy for you to carry, Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry for being so weak.¡±


    ¡°Fufu¡­¡±


    Diana smiled and wiped away the tears that were at the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡±


    Diana nodded slightly to Yasuo¡¯s question and stood up more steadily than expected.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here. It looks like Diana¡¯s father is not the only enemy.¡±


    ¡°Eh!? What do you mean!?¡±


    As Nodoka once again wailed in fear, Yasuo explained that a large area around the house had been enclosed in a black, cubic barrier.


    ¡°A black, cubic barrier?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Is there any magic in Ante Lande that can cause such an effect?¡±


    ¡°The most likely cause would be some kind of barrier technique, but the only thing I sensed was the approach of my father¡­ the signal emitted by my father¡¯s Techno Weapon. I didn¡¯t sense any magic or sorcery of such a large scale¡­¡±


    If even Diana didn¡¯t know what caused it, then it was pointless for Yasuo to think about it, but,


    ¡°After breaking through it forcefully, Mom said that it felt different from a usual barrier as well.¡±


    Yasuo didn¡¯t know how to react when his mother described this situation that was the latest in a chain of such bizarre occurrences, in a tone that one would normally use to say that they didn¡¯t like the stock used to prepare the miso soup. However, the fact was that even his mother had never experienced anything like this before.


    ¡°The interior of the barrier is¡­ how can I put this? It looks like it¡¯s dead. It¡¯s like a monotone, or as if the color has vanished. What¡¯s more, there are no people around and no sounds to be heard. In spite of that, only the area immediately around our house is this lively, so we can conclude that it was definitely done by someone aiming for us¡­ or rather, aiming for the Hero, Hideo.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never heard of a technique like that.¡±


    After hearing Yasuo¡¯s explanation, Diana shook her head and said that in a fearful tone.


    ¡°A barrier is just a physical wall that is created using magic. A barrier can prevent people from moving from one side of it to the other, but a technique that can alter the space or twist the existence of objects inside it is¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why my mother was on guard. Was it the Shii that held this kind of power, or perhaps¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone else?¡±


    Yasuo nodded at Diana¡¯s answer.


    ¡°However, that person is not trying to get to me or any of us as of now. Depending on how you look at it, they¡¯re also not causing any trouble for the neighbors. So right now, we should just think about how to escape from this person¡¯s field.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. I understand.¡±


    Diana nodded at Yasuo¡¯s concise explanation.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go. I entered through the main entrance when I came here, and it looks like there¡¯s nothing dangerous on the ground floor. Well, if a Shii does show up, the two of us can¡¯t do anything about it, so Diana, I¡¯m sorry, but please lead the way.¡±


    ¡°H-Hey, Onii-chan, what are you saying? Diana-san is injured, you know!?¡±


    Nodoka was against the idea of sending an injured person into battle, but,


    ¡°Well, what other choice do we have? Even if both her arms and legs were broken, Diana would probably still be stronger than me.¡±


    Yasuo rejected Nodoka¡¯s complaint.


    ¡°Besides, frankly speaking, this incident occurred because the Resteria Kingdom or whatever failed to appreciate the scope of the situation properly. If the situation is resolved safely, I¡¯m going to have Diana go back and give her report, along with a formal complaint from us.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yasuo?¡±


    ¡°You can go back and tell them that, if they¡¯re expecting my father to save your world, they need to assign an appropriate budget towards protecting the peace in Japan as well. For the time being, they need to increase the number of Magitech Knights sent here for our protection. It¡¯s a matter of life and death for the entire human race, so you should at least be able to do this much, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    It looked like Diana was being pushed back by Yasuo¡¯s irrational argument, but she immediately recovered and blurted out,


    ¡°Yasuo, you¡¯re really not a kind person, are you?¡±


    ¡°After all the trouble you¡¯ve caused for us, asking for this much is normal.¡±


    Yasuo broadly grinned while saying that.


    ¡°However, you don¡¯t need to worry. Once this situation is safely resolved and Dad comes back, I¡¯ll present a solution to our problem that Diana, Nodoka, Mom, Dad, I, and everyone else will be able to accept, and make you regret your previous statement.¡±


    ¡°¡­Onii-chan, what happened to you?¡±


    Nodoka was not able to hide her surprise at how much her brother had changed since yesterday, no, in just half a day.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m more aware of it than anyone else.¡±


    He had refused to believe. He avoided eye contact. He had run away.


    Just what was he running away from?


    ¡°Yasuo.¡±


    Diana, the wounded Magitech Knight, smiled as if she was overjoyed.


    ¡°You called me by my name for the first time. That alone is enough to make me very happy.¡±


    When it was time to do something, he would do it to his best ability.


    Doing one¡¯s best was just a matter of being in the correct state of mind. Even if you didn¡¯t have the strength to fight, or magical abilities, it was one of the several things that you could still do.


    ¡°It¡¯s also the first time I¡¯ve called a girl by her first name.¡±


    Even so, he was unable to look at Diana directly because of her beauty, and he couldn¡¯t do anything about the fact that he was too bashful to look her in the eye.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    However, he immediately noticed Nodoka¡¯s glare that seemed to say ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to be flirting, think about what kind of situation we¡¯re in¡±, so he hurriedly cleared his throat.


    ¡°Ah, actually, Mom and I were attacked by a Shii on the way here. Mom said that she killed it, but I didn¡¯t actually see her do it. Just how do you defeat a Shii?¡±


    The very instant Yasuo said that, a pillar of black flame suddenly rose up behind Nodoka.


    At a speed that even Yasuo, who saw it first, couldn¡¯t hope to match, the wounded Diana aimed her remaining Techno Weapon and pulled the trigger.


    ¡°Gogaaaaaa!¡±


    Along with the scream of the Shii, a large hole appeared in the wall of Nodoka¡¯s room, and they could also hear the sounds of all sorts of things breaking in Yasuo¡¯s room on the other side.


    After once again witnessing the power of Techno Weapons, Yasuo and Nodoka stood dumbfounded, while Diana¡¯s face had an expression like she was thinking, ¡°Now, I¡¯ve done it.¡±


    ¡°¡­In this way, Shii can be defeated using Techno Weapons or the power of sorcery.¡±


    From the way in which she was immediately able to say that in the next moment, perhaps she just had a stubborn personality.


    From Yasuo¡¯s point of view, he expected that a shockwave of that magnitude coming from that direction would cause several things in his room to be destroyed beyond repair, and was nearly overcome by an urge to go check the condition of his room.


    ¡°However, the real trouble starts now. This is still just a theory, but if you leave an incapacitated Shii alone, it will eventually disappear as if it is being sucked into the ground. However, there have been a few reports in the past that Shii that were thought to have been defeated, had been seen again.¡±


    ¡°S-So they were resurrected?¡±


    ¡°We were unable to discount the possibility. And then, when the number of such accounts started to increase, we decided to take appropriate measures against Shii that were defeated¡­ Ahem.¡±


    After explaining the horrifying nature of the monsters, Diana gave a small cough, took a small breath, and,


    ¡°Oh, wide sky, please welcome him.¡±


    She began to sing in a thin voice.


    ¡°A song¡­?¡±


    ¡°This song¡­ is it the one from that time?¡±


    ¡°Oh, wide ocean, please welcome him. Oh, wide land, please welcome him.¡±


    Even though he had only heard the melody once before, Yasuo still remembered it perfectly.


    ¡°Oh, loved people, please welcome him. May the one who has gone return again someday. May he return, so he may start his journey anew.¡±


    A song he had never heard before, sung in a language he didn¡¯t understand.


    As the words fell from Diana¡¯s lips, there was a change in the body of the Shii that was lying prone on the ground.


    The black flames that surrounded its body even after it had fallen seemed to vanish all at once, and the body slowly began to crumble.


    ¡°Oh, wide universe, please welcome him. Oh, wide universe, please welcome him.¡±


    Each time the simple melody and phrase were repeated, the black shadow lost some of its structure, and then,


    ¡°Oh, loved one, may you never lose your way on your journey into the universe.¡±


    As soon as the song ended, the black monster from another world turned into particles that couldn¡¯t be described as ash or soot, and disappeared into thin air without a sound.


    ¡°You said that this song was a requiem, right?¡±


    When Yasuo asked her that, Diana gave a small nod.


    ¡°So if the Shii are dead creatures, you just need to give them a proper send-off? It seems like a simple idea, but it kind of makes sense.¡±


    Diana had said that most of the Magitech Knights sang this requiem as a prayer.


    Perhaps they had several reasons for doing that, such as increasing the power of the prayer, using it as a ward against misfortune, or grieving for those poor souls who had turned into Shii.


    ¡°Right now, this sad prayer is being sung throughout Resteria. Just how many times do we have to repeat something so sad¡­¡±


    While grieving for the Shii whose name she didn¡¯t even know, Diana was surely thinking about her father who turned into a Shii and was fighting outside, and must have been fighting down an urge to scream. However, neither Yasuo nor Nodoka had the courage to try guess how she felt, and they were unable to even touch her trembling fist.


    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±


    However, the sounds of fierce impacts and the bursts of fire magic were still continuing outside.


    ¡°For starters, let¡¯s get out of here. We need to at least get out of this strange space.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Diana and Nodoka both gave small nods.


    The three of them glanced at the spot where the Shii had lain until just a few moments ago, and then made their way across the room that had been turned into a horrible state.

 Volume 1, 4 - The Children’s Resolve Will Sometimes Exceed the Adults’ Expectations Part 2

    Volume 1, Chapter 4 ¨C The Children¡¯s Resolve Will Sometimes Exceed the Adults¡¯ Expectations Part 2


    They could still hear the sounds of Madoka fighting against Alexei=Shii high in the sky above them, but Yasuo was in a hurry to get as far away from the house as possible.


    In spite of the loud noise, not a single person was on the street to check the cause, no vehicles went by, and the false night sky above them was dyed in a uniform black colour. It would take a mere fifteen minutes to walk to the boundary of the ¡°barrier-like¡± space that his mother had broken into, but they were assaulted three times on the way by the Shii.


    Each time a Shii appeared, it was subdued by Diana and then put to rest with her requiem, but Yasuo and Nodoka were already feeling a sense of mental fatigue from the large changes that had occurred to the neighborhood that they were familiar with.


    ¡°O-Onii-chan, are we really going the right way?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it should be this way.¡±


    Yasuo replied to Nodoka who was almost in tears, but he couldn¡¯t believe that the scenery he was so familiar with could change so much with just a change in color. He was also worried that he might have taken a wrong turn somewhere, and lost his way.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure this is the correct direction.¡±


    However, Diana said that confidently.


    ¡°So many Shii are appearing from the direction in which we are heading. I¡¯ve rarely had to deal with so many Shii in a row, and I¡¯m not sure what the principle behind this strange space is, but¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to stop us from escaping?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so. I don¡¯t have any proof, but¡­ in some way, it puts me at ease.¡±


    The attacks by the Shii notwithstanding, they hadn¡¯t seen a single person apart from themselves. That meant that there was no need to worry about the people in Tokorozawa getting assaulted by the Shii that were appearing within this black barrier.


    ¡°B-But what if we leave the barrier?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what will happen. However, staying here in the middle of the enemy¡¯s technique is not a good idea either. I don¡¯t think that the fight between Madoka and my father will end anytime soon, and in my injured state I cannot hold out for long if the enemy attacks in large numbers. Leaving this barrier now is the most practical solution available to us at the moment.¡±


    After saying that, Diana looked back in the direction of the sound of battle that had become slightly distant.


    ¡°Besides, it is possible that the person behind this incident is my father, who is the strongest Shii here. If there was someone else who was controlling the Shii from behind the scenes, I don¡¯t think they¡¯d let us escape so easily now that we¡¯ve come this far away from Madoka, who is our strongest fighting strength. So if we move farther away from my father¡­¡±


    ¡°So this place is safe, at least for now?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    It was all just conjecture, an optimistic guess.


    However, the only person that Yasuo and Nodoka could depend on was the professional soldier Diana, even if she had a somewhat unreliable side. Yasuo looked at the injured back of Diana, who was walking quickly in front of him while carefully monitoring the surroundings.


    The broken Castor that was meant to be used in the right hand was hanging from her belt, and in her left hand, she held the blood-stained Pollux.


    If they managed to leave this barrier, should he ignore the consequences and take her straight to a doctor?


    While Yasuo was thinking of such things, they arrived at a place that he definitely recognized.


    ¡°Over there! That intersection! That¡¯s where the ¡°border¡± was!¡±


    It was a small intersection within the residential area, and it had a signal with a single lamp. Around this time, it would usually be a blinking yellow light with hardly any people around, but the surroundings were still dyed in a monotone colour.


    ¡°There is definitely some kind of barrier here.¡±


    When Diana stretched out her hand while standing at the center of the intersection, she could feel something invisible pressing against her fingertips.


    ¡°I guess it was too much to hope for that the broken portion would remain open. If that was the case, there would be no point in constructing this barrier, as it would allow a large number of outsiders to enter the space inside. Considering the fact that we¡¯ve seen only Shii inside, we can say that this barrier is a sort of ¡®cloak of invisibility¡¯, created expressly to get at Hideo or the rest of¡­.¡±


    The voice that they heard sounded like the voice of a demon king, come from the pits of Hell.


    ¡°That analysis is correct. As expected from a child of Radagast and Krone.¡±


    They were unable to identify the direction from which the sound came. It was a voice dripping with malice, and it seemed to come from every direction as though they were trapped in a soundproof room, and it seemed to make the dark space around them even blacker.


    ¡°W-Who¡¯s there!?¡±


    It was a markedly different presence from all the Shii they had faced before. It did not have a strange darkness surrounding it, and the voice was that of a male. What¡¯s more, it was speaking in Japanese.


    However, even Diana, the sole combatant in that location, trembled at the irrepressible malice that leaked out from that otherwise flat voice.


    An incredible enemy was approaching.


    The enemy was intelligent, and was giving off a clear sense of hostility.


    It was the first enemy that Diana faced who was intelligent, as she had not experienced battles against Demon King Kaul¡¯s forces, nor had she participated in battles against other kingdoms. She had only completed her training as a Magitech Knight, and fought against the Shii which were apparently mindless.


    ¡°Leave now, young Magitech Knight of Resteria. An excellent resource such as yourself should stay in your country and gather merit in an ordinary fashion, and work diligently for the sake of your country. There is no need for your to risk your life here.¡±


    A black substance, that looked like the soot from a fireplace, began to consolidate in front of them.


    Diana, Yasuo, and Nodoka had their voices frozen due to fear, and were unable to make a sound.


    The black and red flames that flickered within the soot-like substance was definitely the same as that of a Shii.


    The menace of Demon King Kaul, who had once caused the distant world of Ante Lande to descend into chaos, had reappeared. That¡¯s what Diana had told the Hero who had once saved that world.


    However, Diana did not truly know Demon King Kaul.


    Diana had only experienced the battle with Demon King Kaul through her history textbooks, and she had no first hand experience.


    ¡°Demon King¡­ Kaul?¡±


    The figure that stood before here while spreading an overwhelming sense of pressure, fear and darkness was so different from the ¡®Demon King Kaul¡¯ that she had imagined, that she just had to ask and make sure.


    It looked just like a human.


    Very few people had seen Demon King Kaul with their own eyes. Hideo, Madoka, Erijina, and Alexei had encountered him directly, but unlike the portraits of Hideo, all the paintings of Kaul had been done based on hearsay augmented by the artist¡¯s imagination. In any case, the figure that stood before Diana did not match the appearance of any representation of Kaul that she had seen before.


    He was about one and a half heads taller than Yasuo. He wore a soot-stained shirt that must have originally been white in colour. His khaki-coloured trousers were held up by suspenders, and he wore leather boots. Overall, he looked like a man with a well-built physique.


    In one hand, he held what appeared to be a lantern, but the light emitted by it was not the ominous red colour that they had seen so far, it looked like the light from a regular flame. The other hand was on the edge of the newsboy cap that he wore on his head. Rather than a demon king or a monster, he looked like a twentieth century chimney sweep from England.


    Was this the man who had used some means unknown to Diana to purposefully separate Yasuo and his family from the other people, and trap them in this space?


    Was this person the true enemy behind the attacks on the Kenzaki family house, and the person who had even managed to enslave the Shii of Alexei Krone, who was once a comrade of the Hero who had saved the world?


    Was this person the root cause behind the new disaster that had befallen Ante Lande?


    ¡°Demon King Kaul. Demon King. Demon King, eh? He certainly called himself by an arrogant title.¡±


    The moment his face came into view, the unspeakable terror they had had felt until just earlier vanished, and was replaced by a sense of strangeness that was hard to describe. When he spoke, the voice of a man reached their ears.


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m not Kaul. I¡¯m not a weakling like Kaul was, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m as foolish as Kaul was either.¡±


    ¡°W-Weakling!?¡±


    They were talking about a demon who had nearly destroyed an entire planet. What did he mean by calling such a monster a ¡®weakling¡¯?


    The man chuckled as if enjoying Diana¡¯s reaction. He then took off his newsboy cap and gave an elegant bow.


    ¡°Children of the Hero, Hideo. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. My name is William Bareig.¡±


    ¡°Hii¡­¡±


    After seeing his face, Nodoka let out a small scream. The man who called himself William appeared to just be a foreigner, but his left eye was definitely not that of a human.


    The evil light of the Shii burned within that eye. It made one think that he wore the newsboy cap low over his eyes to hide that, and it burned strongly with a dark red light that was incomparably brighter compared to the light given off by Alexei or the other Shii that they had encountered. His right eye was a clear blue in colour, and it only emphasized the ominous impression given off by his left eye.


    ¡°Sorry for scaring you. No matter how much I disguise my outward appearance, I can¡¯t do anything about this eye.¡±


    Even a smile, if tinged with evil, will cause people to feel fear


    Nodoka¡¯s knees grew weak the instant she saw William¡¯s smile, and she sank to the ground as if she no longer had the strength to remain standing. Yasuo barely managed to remain standing, but it could be seen that he was at his limit, and any small impetus would cause him to break down.


    This person was on a far different level from a Shii.


    The sense of abnormality, creepiness, and fear that he inspired were fundamentally different from a Shii.


    ¡°Ku-!!¡±


    Only the soldier, Diana, was able to summon the energy required and pull the trigger of Pollux to initiate an attack. At this point, the identity of the stranger no longer mattered.


    She had no proof, but she could only think of this person called William as a living, human enemy.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    However, William¡¯s easy smile didn¡¯t falter for a second, and he took the magic bullet from Pollux head-on.


    A hole big enough to see through was opened up in William¡¯s body at the point where the magic bullet passed through him. However, there was no blood, and William did not stagger. Instead, as though a ball had been thrown through smoke, the hole soon sealed up and vanished, and he returned to his previous appearance.


    ¡°Too bad.¡±


    William looked like he really meant that. He said that in a tone as if he was trying to console Diana, who was standing while looking dumbfounded, and he calmly took a step forward towards the three of them.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    At that moment, Yasuo also collapsed. He had tried to take a step backwards, but his legs weren¡¯t working properly. While sitting pathetically on the ground, he was still not able to take his eyes off William.


    ¡°Y-Yasuo, take Nodoka and go somewhere else. I-I¡¯ll take care of things here¡­!¡±


    Diana got between William and the other two as if to intercept that gaze, but her voice was also trembling with fear. William stopped walking and gave Diana a pitying look.


    ¡°Stop this. You cannot defeat me with your twin swords. I do not wish to injure a beautiful young lady. Please step away.¡±


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that!¡±


    Diana shouted that, but it looked like it was directed at herself, rather than William.


    ¡°I am a Magitech Knight of Resteria! By the name of my father and mother, I cannot abandon the Kenzaki family, no matter what!¡±


    ¡°You say you cannot abandon them, but what you are attempting is impossible. I would serve as your opponent if you had even the faintest chance of victory, but what you are attempting is similar to a baby challenging a warrior to a brawl. You cannot win, even by a miracle.¡±


    ¡°S-Shut up! Haaaaaah!!¡±


    Diana seriously lost her calm at William who was approaching her without even trying to protect himself. Even Yasuo, who was in the place closest to Diana, could not tell when she had moved.


    The flashing blade definitely landed upon William¡¯s shoulder.


    However,


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you, it is impossible.¡±


    Just like the magic bullet earlier, Pollux¡¯s blade just passed through William¡¯s body with no lasting effect. Let alone his body, even his clothes were completely unharmed, and of course, WIlliam was still standing there as though nothing had happened.


    ¡°I-Impossible¡­¡±


    Diana was taken aback by the lack of resistance to her attack, and stopped moving even though she was right in front of her enemy.


    It was like when she swung her sword in practice, or attempted to cut the air, there was no resistance at all. Was William¡¯s ghostly body even here, in the first place?


    ¡°Be at ease. For a human, you are definitely strong. Had you not been crippled by emotion, you might have even defeated your father¡¯s shadow. However, you will sometimes run into opponents that you can do nothing against, and incidentally, I am such a one. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    William placed a hand on Diana¡¯s shoulder, and spoke in the tone of a teacher speaking to a student.


    For some reason, the sword had passed cleanly through his body as though he was insubstantial, but he was able to push Diana.


    He did not hit her, nor did he blast her out of his path. However, Diana was unable to resist William¡¯s small action that was meant to move her out of his path. Her body moved several steps to one side, and William easily walked past her.


    By the time she realized what had happened and turned around, William was already standing in front of Yasuo and Nodoka, while exposing his back unguardedly to Diana.


    ¡°I have prepared a fitting opponent for you to battle. Please play over there for a while. Three of them at once should prove to be good training for you.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Three new Shii appeared from the ground behind Diana, who had been looking at William. They had an appearance that even Yasuo was familiar with now. The three Shii raised their shadowy weapons and approached Diana from behind.


    While he was frozen in place with fear, Yasuo for some reason thought that one of the Shii held weapons that resembled the Castor and Pollux that Diana wielded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch Yasuo and Nodokaaaaaaaa!!!!¡±


    ¡°Diana!!¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s cry did not reach Diana, and Diana¡¯s attack did not reach William. However¡­


    ¡°Aaaaaah!!¡±


    The attacks of the three Shii reached Diana¡¯s back. After missing her strike at William, Diana¡¯s back was pierced by a black bullet, a black spear and a black arrow. Diana was sent flying by the impact and passed right through William¡¯s body, falling to the ground.


    There was no doubt about it. One of the Shii was wielding Castor and Pollux.


    One of the attacks that had hit Diana was a magic bullet that had been fired from a grip.


    Diana had said that it was a mass-produced model. The other two were a spear and a bow. There was no way to tell if those were regular weapons or Techno Weapons, but Diana had said that soldiers of Resteria¡¯s army were also able to use swords, spears, and bows.


    And now, the man who had once led Resteria¡¯s Knights was fighting in the sky.


    The three creatures, no, the three people were once Magitech Knights of Resteria, just like Diana.


    ¡°Diana-san!!¡±


    Diana still tried to rise after hearing Nodoka¡¯s scream, but her body had already been injured in her battle with Alexei¡¯s Shii. After taking an assassin¡¯s blade and bullet to her back, she was no longer able to summon the necessary energy in her hands and legs.


    William looked at the form of the young Magitech Knight who was pathetically sprawled on the ground, and lowered his shoulders.


    ¡°You should have just stayed back and accepted the training. You could have won against them easily, you know?¡±


    ¡°H-How dare you¡­¡±


    If Yasuo had the strength, he might have struck out at the man for this insensitive and unworthy comment. However, Yasuo had no power at all.


    As far as he could remember, he had never physically fought anyone. Faced with a killing intent and a true monster for the first time in his life, Yasuo¡¯s words were laughably weak.


    ¡°I told her that she was no match for me, and that she would be able to have a good fight against the Shii, you know? I¡¯m incomparably stronger than her, so it¡¯s not like I put her off guard and struck her from behind while was distracted. Why do you still accuse me, I wonder?¡±


    William was calmly analyzing Diana¡¯s actions, as though criticizing the performance of players in yesterday¡¯s soccer game.


    It was merely an analysis, and his words didn¡¯t carry even a hint of scorn.


    ¡°Besides, she said ¡°Don¡¯t touch them¡±. She attacked me while assuming that I intended to do you harm. Gross defamation, I tell you. I haven¡¯t said a word about why I¡¯m here, or what I want to do.¡±


    After saying that, William took a step towards Yasuo and Nodoka without sparing another glance at Diana, or the Shii that had stopped moving after defeating her.


    ¡°No! Noooo!!¡±


    Nodoka was overcome by fear and screamed. Seeing his little sister in a panic, the flames of self-abandonment rose up within Yasuo, and,


    ¡°Nodoka! Run!! Run awaaaaay!!¡±


    Yasuo turned on William who had only taken one step towards them, and threw a desperate punch at him.


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    Yasuo had forgotten to breathe due to his fright, his center of gravity was raised, and he had not even formed a proper fist. William looked truly irritated, and avoided Yasuo¡¯s strike by just moving a little to the side.


    ¡°You should do things like that when you¡¯re at least on the level of that Magitech Knight.¡±


    William extended his leg and lightly kicked at the leg of Yasuo who was off balance. Yasuo was completely unable to resist it, and his vision suddenly spun around, and he landed pathetically upon the ground.


    ¡°There are a lot of comments I want to make, like you shouldn¡¯t be attacking people older than you, or that this is not time to try to act cool. But really, you¡¯re pathetic. You would have been better served by dragging your sister by the hand and running away.¡±


    Those humiliating words were directed at Yasuo¡¯s back, who was still lying on the ground.


    ¡°I understand that humans are afraid of this eye of mine, and that can¡¯t be helped. However, I intend to treat you, who are the children of the hero, Hideo, in a courteous and hospitable manner. Well, I suppose your living conditions would change drastically, but I would like the two of you to lend your strength to protect humanity from the tragedy that will befall not just Ante Lande, but this world as well, in the near future.¡±


    What the hell was this man talking about?


    ¡°Besides, I have taken my previous mistake into account, and even cut away this space so that your neighbors are not disturbed. If anything, you should be thanking me for my consideration.¡±


    ¡°S-Stop joking! You sent a Shii to attack our car! If not for my mother¡¯s quick thinking, it could have caused a major accident!¡±


    Yasuo couldn¡¯t understand what William was talking about, but the incident this time had already caused a disturbance to other people.


    When Yasuo shouted that in a trembling voice, William looked truly surprised and widened his eyes.


    ¡°Eh? Car? Accident?¡±


    His red eye that was widened in surprise caused Yasuo to start trembling while still lying on the ground.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what happened. This is troubling. Well, there¡¯s no point making excuses here. I¡¯ll let that accusation stand for now.¡±


    William muttered to himself and nodded as if he understood something. And then, as if trying to approach the conversation from a different angle, he looked at Nodoka who was still collapsed on the ground and unable to even run away.


    ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have to hurry a bit. Now, come with me. I have just the task for the two of you who are children of the Hero.¡±


    Nodoka, and Yasuo who was still on the ground, saw it.


    Like the tongue of a serpent extending towards its prey, the ominous red light from William¡¯s left eye was slowly stretching out towards Nodoka.


    Yasuo suddenly realized it.


    This was the secret behind how the Shii extracted the hearts from people. This was the mechanism by which the Shii stole the hearts of people, which the Magitech Knights had been unable to discover, despite their experience in battle. William, and the Shii led by him, were attempting to steal their hearts in this black space where they would not be seen by anyone, using that strange light.


    ¡°Stop! Nodoka! Run away!!¡±


    ¡°Ah, no¡­ No! Diana-san! Save me!!¡±


    Nodoka crawled on all fours towards Diana, but her fear was so great that she wasn¡¯t even able to stand.


    ¡°The fear will only last a moment, so please don¡¯t struggle. If you¡¯re afraid, would you like me to bring that Magitech Knight with us as well? Would you be at ease if you had more people around that you know? That young lady is the daughter of Alexei Krone and Erijina Radagast. She is led by her honor as a soldier, and she has a strong will to cover for her inexperience through training. You won¡¯t be worried anymore if that girl is by your side, right? Come, now.¡±


    ¡°Stop¡­ Stop!!¡±


    Yasuo grabbed the leg of William that was right next to him, but that wasn¡¯t enough to stop him.


    ¡°N-Nodoka, Yasuo!!¡±


    ¡°Nooooooo!!¡±


    The pitiful screams of the two girls echoed in Yasuo¡¯s ears.


    Diana and Nodoka were about to be killed without ever knowing what was going on, and without knowing who their enemy really was. He was not even able to feel anger at himself for not being able to do anything, and not having any power.


    In spite of the situation, he suddenly recalled the conversation that he had with his mother in the car that morning.


    ¡°If both I and the woman you love were about to fall off a cliff, which one of us would you save?¡±


    How meaningless that question was.


    That thought exercise only made sense if he had the strength to save at least one person.


    Right now, he could offer no resistance as people important to him were about to be taken away.


    He had not believed Diana. He had not believed his father¡¯s words. He had not listened to his mother¡¯s words.


    In the end, he had not found his resolve. Why had he chosen the path that required the most power, when he had no power at all?


    If only he had been able to decide earlier, this would not have happened. If this was the result of the three days that he had wasted, he would never be able to forgive himself.


    ¡°Still¡­ I gave all my effort to understand what was going on, in my own way¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Doing your best is different from giving all your effort.¡±


    ¡°It was only three days¡­ It¡¯s impossible to overturn eighteen years of common sense in just three days!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re still giving all your effort right now.¡±


    ¡°All these people, they think that because they understand it themselves, they can expect me to understand too? Screw that!¡±


    ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re trying your best to overcome something difficult right now.¡±


    So what if his father was a hero?


    He was just an ordinary person.


    He was a powerless child, underage, a student, and a civilian.


    That is why, as he still lay on the ground, he grabbed the thing that had fallen within his reach.


    ¡°Stoooooop!!¡±


    The only thing he could do was to throw it at William.


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    However,


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    It hit William¡¯s head. It definitely made contact.


    Diana¡¯s magic bullet and Pollux¡¯s blade had no effect on William¡¯s body, but Yasuo had snatched up the broken Castor that Diana had dropped and thrown it at William, and it had hit him.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    William turned around and looked suspiciously at Yasuo.


    Yasuo didn¡¯t know what just happened. However, that was enough for him.


    ¡°Diana! I¡¯m borrowing this!!¡±


    While standing up unsteadily, Yasuo almost snatched Pollux from the fallen Diana¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°You bastard! Don¡¯t mess around with us!!¡±


    Without even bothering to take careful aim, Yasuo squeezed the trigger of the Techno Weapon that he held for the first time.


    ¡°Mu!?¡±


    They were bullets of light that were far smaller than the ones fired by Diana.


    However, William avoided them. He actually dodged them.


    ¡°Get away from Nodoka!!¡±


    The next bullet he fired grazed William¡¯s waist and ripped his clothes.


    ¡°Hey! Onii-chan, you¡¯re going to hit me!¡±


    That bullet broke apart after hitting the ground near Nodoka¡¯s feet, and his sister raised her voice reminding him to be careful.


    However, Yasuo didn¡¯t even hear that.


    The attacks were landing. For some reason, the bullets he fired were capable of hitting William.


    ¡°Diana! Please get Nodoka out of here! I¡¯ll hold him off¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­Seriously¡­ Yasuo, you¡¯re really not kind at all¡­!¡±


    Diana ran towards Nodoka at a superhuman speed, while leaving a trail of blood behind her. She carried Nodoka and moved away from William, although she looked unsteady.


    ¡°¡­A word of warning. You¡¯d better not be thinking that you can defeat me. Just because a child can fire a gun, that doesn¡¯t mean he can defeat a trained soldier.¡±


    William spoke in a threatening manner, but Yasuo shouted back at him, partly from anger and partly from excitement.


    ¡°S-Shut the hell up! I already know that. But what other choice do I have? Stop your yammering and come at me! Could it be that you¡¯re scared of me? You¡¯re scared of a child with a gun!? You¡¯re confident against a scared little girl, but you can¡¯t do anything against a boy with a weapon?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a really cheap provocation.¡±


    There was no need to even say it, it was definitely a cheap provocation. There was no way that a voice that shrill could be intimidating. He just looked like a sheltered boy who was panicking because he was pushed beyond tolerance. However,


    ¡°I will protect Nodoka and Diana. If I¡¯m the only one who can hit you, I have no choice but to do just that!!¡±


    There was no need to say so much to an ¡°enemy¡±. However, if he didn¡¯t force himself to shout like that, he felt like he would collapse again due to fear.


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!!¡±


    Yasuo, whose tension had reached the maximum level, pulled the trigger once again.


    ¡°Aah, so troublesome¡­ It hurts to get hit by that, you know?¡±


    A child fighting against a soldier. Just like that example, the magic bullets weren¡¯t hitting William anymore.


    Still, William was still dodging Yasuo¡¯s attacks. If he got hit, he would receive damage. Diana thought that she should take this opportunity to get Nodoka out of this black space, or failing that, return to where Madoka was. However,


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s just like I said.¡±


    The situation did not allow Diana to make either choice. Yasuo, who was continuously firing Pollux recklessly, suddenly collapsed.


    That outcome was predictable.


    The mechanism of the Techno Weapons worked by using the wielder¡¯s magical energy to fire the magical bullets. Yasuo had been able to fire it until now because some of Diana¡¯s energy had still remained within the weapon. However, once that was exhausted, it would begin drawing the energy from Yasuo, who had not undergone any training as a Magitech Knight. As a result, Yasuo¡¯s body immediately ran out of energy.


    William also gave an irritated look at Yasuo, who had collapsed to the ground.


    ¡°Stalling for time is a lot harder than it looks. Especially when your ally is wounded, you need to buy a lot more time for them to get away. That means you¡¯re not allowed to exhaust yourself in the meantime. You should have at least paid more attention to your aim.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Ahh¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I should commend you for standing up to me so much in spite of your inexperience. Even most Magitech Knights are incapable of doing that.¡±


    William kicked Pollux and sent it flying far away from Yasuo.


    ¡°In that case, taking your reckless bravery into account, I¡¯ll start with you. It¡¯s okay, just like I said earlier, I won¡¯t treat you poorly. It¡¯ll only hurt for a moment.¡±


    Yasuo sensed William¡¯s hand approaching him from above, and his Shii eye looking at him, but he was unable to even raise his head. All the strength had left his body, and as if he was paralyzed, even moving a single finger was difficult.


    He had not even fired ten shots.


    Was this all he was capable of? Diana had continued to fight even after being injured. His mother had shown how strong she was. In spite of that, was he going to die here, without taking a single wound, and without understanding what was going on?


    ¡°The Hero¡­ Hideo.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Yasuo muttered those words while still lying on the ground, and William furrowed his eyebrows suspiciously.


    ¡°The Hero, Hideo¡­ is the person who will obtain victory for new frontiers.¡±


    If only he had that power as well.


    ¡°Wings, go forth¡­ Flower petals, take flight.¡±


    Diana had said it as well. That Yasuo was the son of Hideo.


    ¡°¡­Gather the shining azure sunlight.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that obvious?


    That was how it went in all the stories. The protagonist¡¯s son would always have the talent and power to continue where his father left off. However, why didn¡¯t he have that?


    ¡°Avatar of the wind, Holy Sword Liutberga¡­ Answer my call and take form.¡±


    No matter what he muttered, it was of no use. He didn¡¯t have anything.


    A weak person who had never achieved anything could not do anything except looking to a Hero for salvation.


    If there is really such a thing as a Hero¡­ Please save me¡­


    ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t tell me-!¡±


    For the first time, William lost his relaxed expression. A single pillar of light appeared in that area enclosed by darkness. Was that holy light rising from the body of the collapsed Yasuo? No, the light had appeared just next to Yasuo.


    The light continued to rise up from beside Yasuo, and it was illuminating William, who looked like he was unable to move.


    ¡°¡­T-That is¡­!¡±


    Nodoka had been released from her fear of William, and she was no longer looking at him. Diana didn¡¯t know what had happened to Yasuo, and she waited with bated breath to see what would happen next.


    Was it a new enemy? Or was something happening to Yasuo that Diana didn¡¯t know about?


    Faced with an enemy she could not hope to beat, Diana had lost her ability to think calmly and was unable to pay attention to Yasuo who was still collapsed on the ground.


    That¡¯s why, she didn¡¯t hear it. The son of the Hero, Yasuo, had remembered the incantation to summon the Holy Sword Liutberga, even though he had only heard it once before, and he had recited it in a low voice.


    ¡°Your memory is exceptional, Yasuo.¡±


    The voice appeared from within the light.


    ¡°I had just crossed Shin-Yokohama station, and I was worried because it would still take me a lot of time to get to Tokorozawa¡­ I never imagined that I would be able to come back in such a manner.¡±


    That was the same voice that had once sown the seeds of courage within the hearts of Diana¡¯s father, mother, and the other people in her country.


    ¡°¡­I thought you were supposed to be in Osaka¡­¡­¡±


    Hideo haughtily replied to William, who was frowning.


    ¡°Ah. I hurried back because I heard that something blasted my front door to pieces while I was away. Even so, my wife will probably say I was still too late in returning. But if I knew that we could do something like this, I needn¡¯t have wasted my money by hurriedly buying a return ticket on the bullet train. Only Green Car10 tickets were available, so all my allowance is gone.¡±


    He had neatly barbered hair. A well-used down jacket. A gray suit. A pink, paisley-patterned necktie. Black leather shoes that had become soft with age.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but it looks like my family and children have been under your care.¡±


    And lastly, he was holding the Holy Sword Liutberga, which was enveloped in a wind that threatened to disperse the darkness.


    ¡°The Hero¡­ Hideo Kenzaki.¡±


    William said that name in a voice that was a mixture of hatred and awe.


    The central pillar of the Kenzaki Family who would be turning forty-eight this year. It was Kenzaki Hideo, the father of Yasuo and Nodoka.


    ¡ù

 Volume 1, 4 - The Children’s Resolve Will Sometimes Exceed the Adults’ Expectations Part 3

    Volume 1, Chapter 4 ¨C The Children¡¯s Resolve Will Sometimes Exceed the Adults¡¯ Expectations Part 3


    ¡°That light is-!!¡±


    Madoka, who had been clashing against Alexei in mid-air, stopped moving when she noticed the pillar of light that cut through the darkness. Even Alexei¡¯s Shii had a similar reaction, and its attention was directed towards that light which was like a sun inside this closed world.


    ¡°¡­Hideo¡±


    ¡°Hideo¡­ Hideo¡­!¡±


    Madoka recalled the times when she used to see that light often, and unintentionally murmured the name of her husband. Now that Alexei had turned into a Shii, what kind of feelings did he have as he called out the name of his old comrade-in-arms?


    ¡°¡°Liutberga.¡±¡±


    The voices of the human and the Shii overlapped with each other.


    That was the light of hope which had saved a world that was in a place very far away from Japan.


    ¡°I need to get a move on as well. It will be very difficult to tell Erize about this encounter with you. I initially thought that your current appearance might have been something created by Kaul or some other evil creature, but that sword technique and that power¡­ It¡¯s really you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Madoka muttered that sadly, and then let out large sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how Hideo got here, but now¡¯s not the time to worry about that.¡±


    Madoka looked at her own house, which was a long way below her.


    She didn¡¯t sense the presence of Diana and the others there, so she assumed they had got away safely. However, she didn¡¯t notice the other strange presence that had popped up in the vicinity because she was so focused on the battle with Alexei. That showed just how strong Alexei¡¯s Shii was, and how much Madoka¡¯s own powers had declined.


    ¡°If Hideo is here, then Yasuo and the others will be safe no matter what happens. In that case, I must take the responsibility and make sure to stop you once and for all. Alex¡­¡±


    Madoka turned a sinister gaze upon Alexei, and the flames on her fists that had blocked Alexei¡¯s sword strikes until now grew even stronger.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you trouble the children any longer! I must make sure to¡­¡±


    However, her eyes were filled with tears that were caused by an undeniable sense of sadness.


    ¡°I have to kill you. Please forgive me.¡±


    She held up the Holy Staff Marlowe, and began to chant.


    ¡°They were unexpectedly weak.¡±


    Even considering that they were taken off guard, the three Shii that appeared to be former Magitech Knights and which had wounded Diana fell to the ground with a mere three strokes of the Holy Sword.


    The person who did that was Hideo, Yasuo¡¯s and Nodoka¡¯s father. What¡¯s more, it looked like he hadn¡¯t even moved from his initial location, and his shoes were still as spotless as they had been before.


    ¡°I knew they would be no match for you, but to think you¡¯d be this strong¡­¡±


    William was taken aback by Hideo¡¯s strength, but he suddenly looked up at the sky as if he noticed something. The next instant, the colourless sky wavered greatly, and a black mass fell to the ground.


    The black mass struck the road with enough force to make a small crater, but the black space was unaffected by it. However, the remnants of the magical flame, the air, and the dust particles were violently agitated.


    ¡°¡­What is going on? Alex¡­ Just what exactly are the Shii?¡±


    It appeared that Hideo understood the situation immediately after seeing the face of the humanoid monster that had come crashing down. To Hideo, Alexei was a dear friend, as well as being the only person who surpassed him in skill with a sword.


    Hideo¡¯s expression was tense as he looked upon this ominous phenomenon that even Alexei could not escape from.


    ¡°Diana-chan¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m really sorry. I wasn¡¯t able to bring myself to tell you.¡±


    Diana hung her head in shame at Hideo¡¯s unasked question.


    On the day Diana had appeared in Japan, she had given a brief summary of the state of affairs to Hideo, Madoka, and Nodoka before Yasuo came home. However, she had not been able to tell them about this.


    ¡°Such a mess. I specifically chose this time to act because your absence was a stroke of fortune for me, but I didn¡¯t expect that you would be able to return from such a distance using an unexpected trick like that. My name is William Bareig. Hideo, the Hero, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. You unexpectedly look less like a Hero than I expected. You just look like an ordinary middle-aged man.¡±


    At that one word in William¡¯s introduction, Hideo made an unhappy face.


    ¡°I was just an ordinary high schooler when I became a Hero, so what¡¯s wrong with me turning into an ordinary middle-aged man after so many years have passed?¡±


    ¡°I see, that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°A Hero just has to save people by defeating the bad guys, but no one taught me how to make a living while leading a normal life. This is actually far more difficult, you know?¡±


    William smiled happily at this statement.


    ¡°Even so, you are still the Hero of the Holy Sword, and your wife is a great magician. Judging from how she attacked her close friend with no hesitation, she still hasn¡¯t lost her spirit as a warrior.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alex is already dead.¡±


    At that moment, Madoka, who had blasted Alexei out of the sky and was also known as the Rainbow Sage, Madoka Sugiura, landed lightly next to the Hero, Hideo. In her hand, she held the Holy Staff that was wrapped in flames, and which was almost as long as she was tall.


    ¡°Ah, if I remember correctly, the clothes are actually the main component of the Holy Staff?¡±


    ¡°If you say anything more, you¡¯re not getting any birthday presents for the next ten years¡­. So that guy is the leader behind the current incident?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    Madoka and Hideo glared at William while tensing their bodies.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that we would team up again at this age and do something like this, but it feels a little nostalgic.¡±


    ¡°There are limits to everything.¡±


    At that instant, Kenzaki Hideo and Kenzaki Madoka were once again transformed into the Hero, Kenzaki Hideo, and the Magician, Sugiura Madoka.


    Yasuo and Nodoka lost their words and were even filled with awe when they looked at the gaze and appearance of these real warriors who had gone through real battles with their lives on the line.


    ¡°I thought I could somehow manage against Madoka Sugiura alone, but the odds are definitely against me if I have to fight both of you at once.¡±


    On the other hand, WIlliam raised both hands and spoke as if he was ready to surrender.


    ¡°I¡¯m not as proficient at fighting directly as the two of you. I¡¯ll retreat for-¡±


    However, William was not able to complete his sentence. At a speed faster than Yasuo and the others could perceive, the Holy Sword Liutberga slashed William diagonally into two pieces.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see any advantage in letting you get away.¡±


    Hideo and Madoka didn¡¯t even let their enemy finish talking. No matter how much Diana had attacked him, it had been like trying to hammer a nail into fog. However, a gruesome red light that looked like blood flowed out of his body now, and his body split into two pieces.


    Before William could even make a sound after this attack that exceeded his expectations, a pillar of fire that looked like the exhaust of a rocket engine surrounded his body.


    ¡°Hearing what you have to say doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea either.¡±


    Madoka, who had stuck the Holy Staff Marlowe vertically into the ground, spoke coldly.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Ahhhh¡­¡±


    A low male voice could be heard within the roaring flames, perhaps it was William¡¯s death throes.


    ¡°A-Amazing¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to do anything against him, but he was defeated in a second¡­¡±


    Diana alone had been able to follow the movements of those two warriors, but even though she had been able to see them, she didn¡¯t believe for a second that she would be able to do the same thing. Despite their appearance, they showed off their battle techniques which made one wonder if the two of them were actually close to fifty years old. Diana once again confirmed to herself that the power of these two people would be required to save Ante Lande during this crisis.


    However¡­


    ¡°¡­So it¡¯s here¡­ this¡­ is the entrance¡­¡±


    Hideo and Madoka raised their eyebrows as if they were surprised.


    William had been split in two by the Holy Sword Liutberga and thoroughly roasted by the flames from the Holy Staff Marlowe, but his voice could still be heard from within the flames that were giving off great heat and light.


    The sound was just like what Yasuo and the others had heard earlier, it seemed to come from all directions at once.


    ¡°As expected¡­ The Hero¡­ Hideo¡­ Demon King Kaul¡­ Comparing them was a waste of time¡­¡±


    ¡°What? You bastard, what are you saying- ¡±


    ¡°¡­The Hero, Hideo. The Magician, Madoka¡­. Your power is indeed the real thing. Your blood must have some incredible power hidden within¡­¡±


    At that moment, the ones who saw ¡°that¡± inside the flame were not Hideo, Madoka, or Diana.


    ¡°Ugh¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Noooooooo!!¡±


    Yasuo suddenly felt nauseous, and Nodoka let out a frightened scream. Inside the blinding glare of the fire, only Yasuo and Nodoka had seen it.


    A small, black mass the size of a fist.


    And the giant eye that appeared to be devouring it.


    ¡°Yasuo!?¡±


    ¡°Nodoka!?¡±


    The father and mother realized the change in their son and daughter, and hurried to block William¡¯s flames from their sight. However, even with the world¡¯s strongest father and mother protecting them, the eye continued to stare at Yasuo and Nodoka.


    ¡°Return, and tell Ante Lande¡¯s Magitech Knights¡­ Tell Erijina Radagast that we have set our sights upon the Hero, Hideo¡¯s power, and the power that rests in his blood.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Diana didn¡¯t even have the time to react to this sudden declaration.


    ¡°There¡¯s something there!!¡±


    Along with Madoka¡¯s cry, something unidentifiable rapidly swelled up inside the flames and exploded.


    ¡°Yasuo! Get down!¡±


    ¡°Nodoka! Diana-chan! Over here!¡±


    Hideo protected Yasuo, and Madoka protected Nodoka and Diana, The two of them stood in stood in front of the children while turning their backs to the explosion.


    After giving off a scorching heat and explosion, the substance broke out of Madoka¡¯s flames and immediately dissolved into the darkness and became invisible.


    ¡°¡­Soot?¡±


    Diana used her finger to rub off a bit of the dirt that was giving off a burnt smell from her cheek, and murmured that.


    This phenomenon looked similar to throwing water into a burning fireplace, soot and ash would fly out and dirty the surroundings. Just as the three warriors judged that the large explosion had ended¡­


    ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s the sound of a car¡­¡±


    Yasuo, who was being hugged by Hideo, noticed the familiar sound that was resounding from far away. At some point, the surroundings had changed from that claustrophobic darkness to the usual scenery of the street at night.


    Apart from the bodies of the Shii that were lying on the ground near the five people.


    ¡°¡­Father¡­¡±


    ¡°Alex¡­¡±


    Diana and Hideo stood beside Alexei¡¯s Shii, which had not moved after it had fallen out of the sky.


    ¡°Is it¡­ over¡­?¡±


    Yasuo slowly stood up as if unwilling to believe that it was true.


    ¡°Nodoka¡­¡±


    ¡°Uuu¡­ *sob*¡­ Mom¡­¡±


    Madoka hugged Nodoka who was unable to calm down.


    ¡°It looks like something unimaginable is happening.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hide¡­o¡­. The Hero¡­ Hide¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything we can do for him?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    He felt like he could hear Diana grinding her teeth.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time. Will you finish it?¡±


    The Hero of Salvation asked the young Magitech Knight.


    ¡°Will you curse me, or instead take up the burden of this sin that you will never be able to forget?¡±


    ¡°I will take this sin upon myself.¡±


    Diana replied without hesitating.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to protect Yasuo and Nodoka. I wasn¡¯t able to carry out my duty. Even so¡­. I still said it. That I was full-fledged.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t understand it yet because I¡¯m still young. But Hideo, Madoka¡­¡±


    Diana spoke while activating her Techno Weapon.


    ¡°My relation with Alexei Krone is far deeper and stronger than yours. That¡¯s why¡­ I need to do this.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Hero, Hideo, and The Magician, Madoka, simply nodded.


    ¡°Diana¡­¡±


    Yasuo realized what Diana intended to do and called out to her before he could stop himself. Diana turned around slightly, and smiled while her eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m Alexei Krone¡¯s daughter. I¡¯m a Magitech Knight of Resteria, after all.¡±


    Compared to her resolve, what could Yasuo, who had been unable to hold his resolve to the end, say in return?


    ¡°¡­Goodbye¡­ Father¡­!¡±


    Diana¡¯s buried the blade of Pollux into the chest of the Shii.


    The flaming red eyes that were the signature of the Shii were now mere flickers, and as they watched, they faded away into the shadow.


    Diana stood in front of her father¡¯s Shii that had lost its ominous air, took a deep breath, and tried to sing the requiem. However¡­


    ¡°Oh¡­ wide sky¡­ please¨C¡±


    She was not able to sing it.


    Diana¡¯s heart was not strong enough to sing the requiem for her father, who had just died for a second time.


    Her lips trembled, tears flowed from her eyes without stopping, and her sobbing made her unable to keep singing.


    At this rate, the Shii would get sucked into the ground, and might appear again someday as a champion of the dead to torment the living.


    However, Hideo and Madoka only looked on, and didn¡¯t try to do anything else.


    ¡°Oh, wide sky, please welcome him.¡±


    That¡¯s why; Yasuo began to sing that song in a low voice.


    Diana suddenly raised her head, Hideo glanced at Yasuo, Madoka looked surprised at hearing the words of the song, and Nodoka remembered where she had heard that song before and looked at the Shii.


    ¡°Yasuo¡­¡±


    ¡°That song¡­ it¡¯s in the language of Resteria¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, wide ocean, please welcome him. Oh, wide land, please welcome him.¡±


    It was a repetition of simple lyrics and a simple melody.


    ¡°Oh, loved people, please welcome him. May the one who has gone return again someday. May he return, so he may start his journey anew.¡±


    He had heard that song several times.


    After hearing it so many times, he could not call himself the President of the Choral Club if he could not at least replicate the melody and imitate the sound of the lyrics.


    ¡°Oh, wide universe, please welcome him. Oh, wide universe, please welcome him.¡±


    As he was singing this song for the first time, it really couldn¡¯t be said that he had sung it well.


    However, he sang it in a trembling voice which still showed traces of fear, while relying desperately on his memory and putting his feelings into the song. Perhaps that¡¯s what caused the song to have an effect.


    The black bodies of Alexei and the Magitech Knights who had become Shii began to crumble rapidly, turned into fine soot, and vanished as if evaporating into thin air.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡±


    Diana looked up as if saying farewell to the soot that had disappeared, while having a expression that was filled with mourning, peace, sadness, and happiness. And then she noticed¡­


    ¡°¡­The sky.¡±


    At some point, the black space that had robbed the surroundings of color had completely vanished, and the usual night sky was once again visible with a few stars showing brightly.


    ¡ù


    ¡°W-What was that?¡±


    Shouko had stood motionless for some time, staring at the sky.


    A bright pillar of light had shot up into the sky in the direction of Yasuo¡¯s home that she was trying to get to, and Shouko wondered for a second if there was a pachinko shop in that area. The route to the Kenzaki family house had seemed simple in her head, but it was actually more complicated, and there was a complex network of streets and intersections that all looked the same.


    In spite of her efforts, she felt like she had entered a forest that confused her sense of direction, and she was soon completely lost even though she hadn¡¯t walked all that far. It took her twenty minutes after the appearance of the mysterious ¡°spotlight¡± until she found the house with the ¡°Kenzaki¡± nameplate outside.


    ¡°¡­Is this the place?¡±


    Shouko had walked so much that she was sweating lightly in spite of the cold weather. As shown on the news, the front door of the house appeared to have been mercilessly destroyed, and a blue vinyl tarp had been hung over the entrance in an attempt to keep some privacy.


    There was no car in the parking space, but the lights were switched on on both the ground and first floors, showing that the residents were at home.


    All of a sudden, Shouko began to worry if she was being too nosy on top of having crossed a line earlier.


    She thought that she had seen Yasuo sitting in the car that had raced out of the parking garage, but she might have been mistaken. After seeing the location of the accident, she had thought it would be easy to make up an excuse for visiting so late, but if Yasuo had really not been involved in the accident, what kind of excuse could she give?


    It would be good if Yasuo came outside the house, but what should she do if some other members of his family or that foreigner girl came out and saw her?


    Shouko felt like she was doing something incredibly stupid, and she was unable to move her hand to push the intercom button that she had been intending to push just a few seconds ago.


    Shouko looked at her mobile phone, and saw that the time was already 10:45 PM. It was quite a problem for a student to be visiting someone else¡¯s house at this time.


    ¡°W-What should I do¡­ Really, what should I do¡­¡±


    It happened at that moment, when Shouko was about to about to lose her calm entirely.


    ¡°I wonder what this means. Is it back to normal?¡±


    Along with the sound of a window opening, she heard Yasuo¡¯s voice coming from the veranda on the second floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me that I imagined it, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡­ but it looks perfectly fine now, so isn¡¯t that good enough? Come on, Onii-chan, get out of my room already! Mom is downstairs with Diana-san, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, I understand. You¡¯re right. For now, I should¡­¡±


    She heard the sound of a window closing, and the sound of Yasuo¡¯s voice and the voice of the girl who seemed to be his little sister were cut off.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Shouko had unintentionally held her breath when she heard Yasuo¡¯s voice, and now she felt like all the energy was leaving her body through her legs.


    ¡°¡­What the heck.¡±


    Yasuo had returned to his house.


    The girl who seemed to be his sister had said something about ¡®Mom¡¯ and ¡®Diana-san¡¯, so obviously his mother was at home as well. ¡®Diana¡¯ might be the name of the mysterious foreigner girl she had seen the other day.


    ¡°¡­What the heck.¡±


    All the energy and willpower left her body.


    Thinking of just how stupidly she had been behaving over the past one hour, she began to cry.


    Now that she had calmed down, her body temperature began to fall rapidly, and she started to feel cold because of the sweat.


    ¡°¡­Getting all worked up by myself, I feel like such an idiot.¡±


    It had just been a case of her jumping to conclusions based on mistaken information. For some reason, Yasuo had hurried home after finishing his lessons. There was no car in the house, but that might have been because his father was using it, or they might have sent it out for repairs.


    In the first place, if the car she had seen coming out of the parking garage did not belong to the Kenzaki family, then Yasuo was completely unrelated to that accident. True, there was someone out there who had caused that accident, but Shouko had absolutely no reason to track them down.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m such an idiot.¡±


    Shouko slowly began to walk down the street, leaving the Kenzaki family house behind her.


    ¡°I said all those things so arrogantly, but in the end I was just spinning my wheels in the same place¡­ It feels like I haven¡¯t changed at all since middle-school.¡±


    Suddenly feeling even colder, Shouko gathered the material of her jumper closer around herself, and increased her pace of walking. She hurried away as if she was trying to escape from something that was in between the Kenzaki house and her. She turned at an intersection where a yellow traffic light was blinking, and continued to walk without looking back.


    A while after Shouko had passed, some black particles that looked like soot could be seen, blown about by the wind and landing at that intersection.


    The soot left black, shadow-like marks carved into the center of the intersection.


    After a while, the soot started to move in the same direction that Shouko had gone, and disappeared as if it was following her.


    ¡ù


    The window glass, the floor of the room, and even the wall in between the rooms had mysteriously reverted back to the state before the fight with the Shii. After confirming this fact, Yasuo and Nodoka came back downstairs to see¡­


    ¡°What should we do¡­ The car¡­ What should we do¡­¡±


    They had no idea what to say to their mother who was sitting on the sofa while holding her head.


    She had dispelled her Magical Lady uniform, but she had forgotten to change out of her burnt clothes, so it appeared that she was pretty agitated.


    At her side, their father¡¯s hand was emitting a faint light and he was holding it above Diana¡¯s injuries. It was probably some spell of healing or some similar sorcery, but it felt extremely strange to see a middle-aged man in a suit cast a spell of healing on the female Magitech Knight.


    ¡°Would it be useless to file a report with the police that the car was stolen earlier?¡±


    ¡°The parking garage opposite Yasuo¡¯s prep school has surveillance cameras. I didn¡¯t come out even once after I parked the car there, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve also recorded Yasuo coming back inside after his lessons were done.¡±


    The wife instantly destroyed her husband¡¯s naive question.


    ¡°On top of that, now that I think about it about it, I sped out of there without paying the parking fee¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Yasuo remembered that the rear wheels of the car had made an incredibly loud noise and jumped upwards when they left the garage. That had probably been caused by the car hitting and destroying the barrier meant to stop the car from moving.


    ¡°Ah, but I made sure to vaporize the number plates of the car right after I defeated the Shii.¡±


    ¡°¡°¡­¡­¡±¡±


    Yasuo and Nodoka didn¡¯t know how to respond to this statement that would even surprise a band of thieves.


    True, it would probably be a simple matter for their mother to vaporize the number plates of a car using the power of her magical flames, but to think she would actually use that otherworldly power to conceal the evidence of her crime¡­


    After that, their father began to speak.


    ¡°Just getting rid of the license plates isn¡¯t good enough. The body of the car and the other components each have their own serial numbers, and they can easily be used to identify the owner. Really, we seem to be in a fix.¡±


    He made a grave face.


    Both Yasuo and Nodoka felt like their parents were going about it the wrong way, but it was not like they had any better ideas, so they refrained from commenting on this issue.


    ¡°¡­The top floor looks fine, nothing seems to be broken.¡±


    The two of them just reported in this way, and upon hearing that,


    ¡°¡­Thank goodness.¡±


    Yasuo heard Diana whisper that to herself.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s good, but I wish that weird man had done the same during the incident with the front door too.¡±


    Perhaps because their father still felt guilty at not being reachable during the first attack by the Shii, he immediately added his own comment after Yasuo.


    ¡°At any rate, if the police get involved again, it might become a problem for me at work. Diana-chan, do you mind if my wife takes over the healing? I¡¯m going out for a bit, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ahh, sure.¡±


    Diana had received some serious wounds, but the bleeding had stopped now. After confirming that, their father put his down jacket back on and prepared to go out again.


    ¡°Ah, Dad, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just going over there for a bit.¡±


    ¡°¡­Dad.¡±


    Even Nodoka didn¡¯t know what to say to her father in such a situation.


    Their father probably intended to use his Hero¡¯s power to completely destroy all evidence of the accident that their mother had left behind.


    Are there two really saviours of Ante Lande? Yasuo felt like he could not understand the thought process of his parents at all.


    After his father left the house, his mother gave a small sigh, stood up, and continued healing Diana. Diana bowed her head slightly to Yasuo and spoke.


    ¡°Yasuo¡­ Thank you so much. You sent my father off in my stead.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah, that.¡±


    Yasuo looked away uneasily, and sat down on the sofa.


    ¡°But was that really because of my power? It was just rote memorization. I didn¡¯t really pay attention to the pronunciation, and my voice was trembling like mad¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Diana gently shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you have any power of sorcery, Yasuo. But¡­ you grieved for my father¡­. a monster from a different world, even after he caused so much trouble for you. That alone makes me very happy.¡±


    Grieving for the Shii. Did he really have such a lofty emotion in mind when he had done that?


    Yasuo had still not completely shaken off his fear of that man called William, and he honestly didn¡¯t think that he had sung while having such a pure emotion.


    He had just not been able to stand there and watch without doing anything.


    Diana had suffered so much, and yet she had tried her hardest to use her own blade to send her father off, who was facing death for a second time. When Yasuo saw that, he wanted to do the only thing he was capable of doing, and that was singing the requiem song of their world.


    He had not sung for Alexei. He had sung it for Diana¡¯s sake.


    He had sung it for his own sake, as he could do nothing else.


    However, explaining this to Diana now would be pointless. He had no reason to refuse Diana¡¯s gratitude either.


    Perhaps Diana had sensed something of Yasuo¡¯s thoughts, she was hanging her head and had stopped talking.


    ¡°In any case, Dad might actually have to quit his job in order to protect our neighborhood, even without considering the situation on Ante Lande. We¡¯ve found out that Mom and Diana-san can¡¯t handle the situation by themselves, after all.¡±


    Nodoka said that in an intentionally dry tone, maybe because she couldn¡¯t handle the uneasy atmosphere anymore.


    ¡°Diana-san¡¯s Techno Weapon didn¡¯t work against that William at all, so even if other Magitech Knights are sent here, we won¡¯t be able to feel at ease.¡±


    ¡°Uu¡­ T-That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Neither Diana nor her mother rejected Nodoka¡¯s words. Although Diana was able to fight against the Shii, she had been completely helpless against William. If some powerful Shii on Alexei¡¯s level appeared again, or William came back, there was no way to assure Yasuo and Nodoka¡¯s safety if Hideo wasn¡¯t present and their mother was fighting.


    This time, they had been able to use Yasuo¡¯s ¡°space-time-transcending complaint to the parents¡± chant to call Hideo here as reinforcements, but they didn¡¯t know if Nodoka would be able to call for help in the same way. In the worst case, their mother might be forced to make a decision to protect one child while giving up on the other.


    As a result of that decision, Yasuo might be the one to die. Or it could be Nodoka. Or it could be Diana.


    Most importantly, people who had nothing to do with this situation might also die.


    ¡°That would be bad.¡±


    Why did this have to happen right after he decided to live his life earnestly as Kenzaki Yasuo, a student who was preparing for exams?


    ¡°No matter what the circumstances are, I probably won¡¯t be able to make that choice. In order to do my best, there is no other choice.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Onii-chan?¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ I¡¯m back. It was easier than I expected it to be¡­. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    His mother, Nodoka, and his father, who came back looking like he had accomplished something, all looked at Yasuo who was talking to himself.


    ¡°Dad, Mom¡­ and Diana as well.¡±


    Yasuo held his breath for a second and went over his idea once again.


    There was nothing that he could do. This was such a pain. The future that he had envisioned for himself would be destroyed beyond repair. Don¡¯t do it. Nothing good will happen even if a social outcast like himself takes action.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Know your place. Doing something so troublesome will only result in getting hurt, physically as well as mentally. Such things should be left to the professionals. You don¡¯t even have any experience, what can you do? You couldn¡¯t even protect the place where you live, all you did was to complain about others while letting your opportunities slip out of your fingers.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    If you try to act cool, you¡¯ll regret it later on. Have you even achieved a single thing worthy of note until now? Hard work means nothing, only people with talent who have lived in a blessed environment can do something like this. Do you think you¡¯re special in some way? Are you actually an idiot?


    ¡°I know it¡¯s too late¡­ and nothing can be done¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, for believing me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about you right now, Yasu-kun, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re still giving it your all.¡±


    He was just someone who would complain about things while looking at the setting sun. Compared to the girl from another world who held such strong conviction, he was worth nothing. That¡¯s why¡­


    ¡°I¡­ want to protect Diana.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo!?¡±


    At his sudden proclamation, Diana shouted out in surprise while blushing furiously.


    ¡°I want to protect Nodoka, and if possible, I want to protect this place that I was born in as well¡­ But as I am now, I can¡¯t do anything. That¡¯s why, I feel sorry for Diana, but I don¡¯t want you to go to Ante Lande yet, Dad. Right now, I still need to be protected by you, Mom, and Diana. That¡¯s why¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-Yasuo, you don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Onii-chan, what are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±


    Unlike his mother and sister who spoke up because they sensed something strange about Yasuo, his father stayed silent.


    ¡°Can you, Diana, and Ante Lande¡­ Can you all just wait for another year? I know I¡¯ll probably cause a lot of trouble for everyone, but in that time, I will grow stronger. I¡¯ll grow strong enough to protect everyone, like Dad did in the past.¡±


    Yasuo looked straight at his father, the Hero who had once saved a world.


    The Hero looked back at him with regret, and just a hint of happiness mixed into his expression.


    Just how did his father live and fight in the past, and how did he manage to come back?


    How was he working now, how was he earning money, and how was he able to provide for his family?


    Right now, Yasuo was not able to find the answers to these questions.


    However, if he intended to listen to his father¡¯s true feelings some day, he must now take a step forward.


    Encouraged by the look in his father¡¯s eyes, Kenzaki Yasuo felt that the old version of him who had turned his back on the brass band and the invitation from his friend to join the Theatre Club and walked into the sunset had faded, and he could once again look forward to his school which was supposed to be filled with hopes and dreams.


    ¡°Once I get into college, I¡¯m thinking about becoming a hero in another world.¡±


    Born as the son of a Hero, but raised without knowing anything. For the first time in his life, this young man picked the path that he would follow in life, of his own volition.

 Volume 1, Final ? The Manner of Departure

    Volume 1, Final Chapter ? The Manner of Departure


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Madoka, Hideo. I would have preferred to meet you again under different circumstances, but I feel that I have no option but to rely on your fame even after thirty years have passed¡­. By the way¡­ Alex was killed in battle. You must have already heard about it from Diana, about the monsters called Shii. I¡¯ve gotten a lot older, and I¡¯m sure the same is true for both of you. However¡­ We¡¯ve tried everything, and you¡¯re our only remaining option¡­¡±


    ¡°I wish I could have seen this earlier.¡±


    Madoka absent-mindedly muttered that while watching the low quality image that was playing on the television.


    The face of her old friend had indeed aged considerably, but the way she looked while trying to conceal that she had lost someone important, and the way she tried to deal with that loss by immersing herself in the pressure of her work was just like the Erijina Radagast she remembered from the past.


    ¡°Wow, Erize¡¯s gotten old¡­ Ouch!¡±


    She wordlessly silenced her husband who said something unnecessary while sitting beside her.


    The day after Hideo returned, he had taken Diana¡¯s 8mm tape to a friend who was was a collector of old cameras and recording equipment, and had it converted to a DVD format right away.


    It had been ten days since the attack by Alexei¡¯s Shii and William, but the Kenzaki family¡¯s surroundings had still not returned to normal. As for the car, Hideo had conducted an air raid and used a flash fire magic against the remains of the car that were already burned to a crisp at the site of the accident, and melted it beyond all recognition. In this way, the issue was brought to a conclusion, at least as far as the Kenzaki family was concerned.


    As for what to do about the paperwork for decommissioning the vehicle and the vehicle insurance, they were still thinking about it. They had told the neighbors that a relative had borrowed the car, and planned to make up some other excuse once things had calmed down a bit.


    Regarding the front door, they had contacted the real estate agency who had helped them when they bought this house, and got an estimation for the repairs. However, it looked like the repairs would still take some time to start because the investigations by the police, fire department, and the gas company were still dragging on.


    Diana was still living at the Kenzaki house, acting as a guard for Yasuo and Nodoka.


    After that incident, Hideo took three days of paid leave from work and stayed at home, but nothing related to Ante Lande or the Shii happened during that time. Instead, he was backed into a corner dealing with the real estate agency, the insurance company, the police, and the fire department.


    If Yasuo chanted the incantation to summon Liutberga, Hideo would be forcefully summoned along with it. This phenomenon was confirmed after conducting several experiments and they determined that he could do it again if the need arose.


    However, Nodoka was not able to summon Hideo by chanting the same incantation, and she wasn¡¯t able to summon her mother by chanting the incantation for the Holy Staff Marlowe either.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfair!¡±


    Nodoka had become very angry when they realized that, but for now, they established a routine where Hideo would protect Yasuo, and Diana and Madoka would take turns protecting Nodoka depending on the situation.


    Even so, there were many gaps in this plan. Especially for Yasuo¡¯s protection, even though Hideo was in charge of protecting him. For example, if Hideo was to give off light and vanish during a meeting at work, he was sure to get asked questions like, ¡°Kenzaki-kun, just what happened to you the other day?¡±


    All of them, including Diana, keenly realized the importance of contacting Resteria for help in maintaining the peace of the Kenzaki family and the surrounding area.


    ¡°Right now, I think I understand how Yasuo felt.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°When you first said that you wanted to go to Ante Lande, remember how much that boy resisted?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Hideo recalled that time while smiling bitterly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been bad at dealing with situations like that. Thinking back now, there must have been a better way to put it, but I just panicked.¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped. This happened all of a sudden. It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Madoka sighed while listening to Erijina¡¯s explanation, which was basically the same things that Diana had already told them.


    ¡°If that child comes out and says, ¡°I want to be a Hero¡±, then I really won¡¯t be able to stay calm.¡±


    ¡°Even though the two of us did all sorts of insane stuff.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why. I don¡¯t want my children to ever do anything that dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Ah. The two of them probably said all that stuff because they didn¡¯t want their parents to do anything dangerous either.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, I now understand why Yasuo was so stubborn about it. Haah.¡±


    Erize was still in the middle of her explanation, but Madoka turned the DVD player off and put her head down on the table.


    ¡°The parents¡¯ karma will fall upon their children¡­ I don¡¯t even want to think about such a thing.¡±


    ¡°We even gave gave them those names while praying for that not to happen.11¡±


    Hideo said that bitterly.


    Erize¡¯s explanation contained a lot of information regarding Alexei and the Shii, but there was no information at all regarding the man who called himself William. Probably, even Erijina was not aware of that man¡¯s existence.


    Both Hideo and Madoka were aware that the darkness that enveloped Ante Lande was threatening to get their son and daughter and even their friends involved, and were incredibly uneasy about it.


    The ex-Hero and ex-great magician both gave a deep sigh inside that dark room, which seemed to come from the depth of their experiences over their lifetime.


    ¡°So, is Yasuo still working hard?¡±


    ¡ù


    The sun was shining brightly in the sky, but the winds of the winter stubbornly refused to retreat, mercilessly assaulting the pedestrians on the street and making them think spring was still far away.


    In the sunny residential area where people were coming and going, the Kenzaki house was still showing its broken doorway.


    Nodoka took a sports drink from the refrigerator in the kitchen, went through the main door, and walked around to the backyard.


    Over there, she saw Diana who was for some reason wearing a tracksuit that had been purchased at a discount from a neighborhood clothing store, and Yasuo, who was covered in sweat and reading a reference book.


    ¡°Huh? I thought you were doing physical training?¡±


    ¡°Yasuo¡¯s strength was at it¡¯s limit, so we¡¯re studying theory now.¡±


    ¡°Ehh, already?¡±


    Not even an hour had passed since breakfast, when Yasuo had said that he would be learning basic Magitech Soldier Training under Diana¡¯s guidance.


    Nodoka had uncharacteristically decided to bring him a sports drink because he had looked like he was sweating a lot, only to find him in such a condition.


    ¡°This illustration is very easy to understand, so we¡¯ll start with this one, okay? It¡¯s the most fundamental concept in aiming sorcery. Imagine that there is a right-angled triangle on a plane in front of you. The sum of the squares of the sides that make up the right angle is equal to the square of the hypotenuse. Are you with me so far?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Please wait for a bit.¡±


    Diana was wearing a cheap tracksuit and waving Pollux like a bamboo sword while conducting a lesson, and her brother was hurriedly taking notes while looking harried. This was a sight worthy of a comedy skit.


    ¡°Right-angled triangles? Math? Onii-chan, are you getting Diana-san to help you with your exam preparation as well?¡±


    Nodoka was surprised at hearing words that she was used to, so she peeked at the reference book that her brother was reading, only to find¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­Pythagoras¡¯s Theorem? Come on, this is middle-school level stuff. You¡¯re studying this again in high school?¡±


    She tilted her head while looking at the reference book that did not look like it was university exam-level at all.


    ¡°No, this appears to be required knowledge in order to use magic, but I was bad at math even in middle school. I won¡¯t get it unless I really start from scratch¡­¡±


    ¡°Pythagoras¡¯s Theorem is required in order to use magic?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is the most fundamental knowledge required to make sure your magic hits what you¡¯re aiming at.¡±


    Diana proudly puffed up her chest and continued her explanation.


    ¡°For example, if you want to make a pillar of fire appear at your enemy¡¯s feet, you need to correctly determine the spot where your magic will take effect and the enemy¡¯s current position.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Magic doesn¡¯t just hit whatever you¡¯re looking at?¡±


    Nodoka stuck out her hand as if to show what she meant, but Diana shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, per se, but that¡¯s something you can only do once you properly understand the knowledge behind it and practice it over and over again. Some Techno Weapons come with inbuilt rangefinder and pelorus capabilities, but those are mostly add-ons used by old people or children who lack the strength to fight. Packing more components into a weapon make it that much more fragile, heavy, and difficult to use, so ideally people should aim to be able to use sorcery without relying on additional add-on components.¡±


    ¡°That really seems so down to earth. I guess it¡¯s not as easy as eating fruit from some legendary tree, obtaining a beginner-level magic staff, and firing off magic.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing this because Yasuo lacks strength. He needs to properly understand the knowledge and his own limits in order to control the consumption of magic energy, or he¡¯ll run out of it right away and collapse.¡±


    Diana explained it without a shred of ridicule or malice, but it felt like she was saying Yasuo was a good-for-nothing who didn¡¯t even have the basic requirements, so Nodoka gave a bitter smile.


    ¡°Onii-chan, you¡¯ve been skipping out on training ever since your club was shut down, right? Also, were you taking math lightly because you want to go into liberal arts?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have no excuse.¡±


    Yasuo couldn¡¯t say anything against Nodoka¡¯s ability to accurately spot the truth, and he hung his head in shame.


    For the next year, Yasuo planned to study for his university exams while concurrently undergoing basic Magitech Knight training under Diana. Once he managed to get into college, he would take a temporary break from studies and go to Ante Lande as the Hero to try and resolve the situation, while still keeping his seat at the college.


    He planned to keep his seat at the university because he was thinking of his life after finishing his work as the Hero, and he judged that taking a break from studies right after getting into college was the option with the least risk.


    That¡¯s why, even with his desire to begin singing again, Yasuo was still unable to decide on what college he wanted to go to. If that unknown assailant called William reappeared, and on top of that, if Hideo left for Ante Lande, the defence of the Kenzaki family in Japan would become overwhelmingly weak.


    Even Hideo¡¯s desire to return to Ante Lande had been dampened by his fear that his family might come to harm in his absence, and he was uncertain of what he should do.


    Hence, Yasuo declared that it was all the more important that Hideo should stay in Japan, and Yasuo, who was one of William¡¯s targets, should go to Ante Lande. Over there, he would receive the best protection that could be offered, while he could do more research to uncover William¡¯s true nature. Meanwhile, Hideo and Madoka would protect Nodoka in Japan.


    Diana was completely powerless against William, but Hideo was able to destroy his artificial space, and Madoka¡¯s power also appeared to work against him to some degree. If Hideo went to Ante Lande under these circumstances, his family would not have the same level of protection, no matter how many Magitech Knights were sent to Japan in his stead.


    It was still unknown if Yasuo would be able to gain the same level of power as Hideo, but his father was also supposedly an ordinary high school student when he first arrived at Ante Lande, although there might be some difference in their levels of strength.


    In that case, with repeated training and practice, there were high odds that Yasuo would also be able to gain a certain level of strength.


    Yasuo had volunteered to go to Ante Lande as a new Hero because he wanted to help Diana, save Japan and his family from danger, and maybe even gain fantasy-like powers of his own. He was basically counting his chickens before they hatched, but he had never expected that he would run into such a roadblock right at the start.


    ¡°Incidentally, what I¡¯m explaining to you is still ¡®Magic¡¯ that existed during Madoka¡¯s generation. After you learn this, you¡¯ll move on to learning ¡®Sorcery¡¯. You will have to study a lot more later on depending on what Techno Weapon you¡¯ll be using, and what element of magic you have an affinity for.¡±


    ¡°With regards to math, you¡¯ll be learning basic functions, high-school level trigonometry, vectors, and trigonometric functions. Depending on your magical affinity, you might also need to study physics and chemistry¡­¡±


    True, he had aimed to become a Hero in another world because of his feelings of wanting to protect Diana and his family, and for that purpose he was ready to train his body, study hard, and he had also hoped that he would get some strong power because of it.


    However, who could have guessed that he would need to revise his sines, cosines, and tangents in order to do that?


    ¡°Ah¡­ is that for stuff like discerning what the material you¡¯re burning is comprised of, plotting the trajectory of your attacks, grasping the arrangement of molecules in ice, and understanding how lightning is transmitted through air?¡±


    Nodoka looked at Yasuo who was visibly losing his resolve to continue and just said some random things that she had learned during her studies for her exams, but¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Nodoka, you¡¯re brilliant!¡±


    Diana nodded while looking pleased.


    ¡°Do Dad and Mom use magic while following this process as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Madoka had an innate talent for magic, and was able to use it while skipping the fundamental theories entirely. As for Hideo, I¡¯ve heard that the Holy Sword Liutberga has a high-level computing function built into it.¡±


    ¡°What the hell, that¡¯s unfair!!¡±


    ¡°Well, this is Onii-chan we¡¯re talking about. His grades are only good for humanities-related studies, his strength is below average, and as for the powers he appears to have right now¡­ ¡±


    Nodoka gave an exasperated look at her older brother who was shouting, stopped talking for a bit, and then gave an uncharacteristically evil smile.


    ¡°He¡¯s a little better at singing compared to regular people, and Dad will come to save him if he calls, no matter where he is. It doesn¡¯t feel like he¡¯ll be able to become strong at all.¡±


    Although it depends on how you put it, the fact remains that these are despairingly low-level stats for a young person who wants to become a Hero.


    Even if he had not planned on becoming a Hero, no man would want to be in a position where the only thing he could do when faced with danger was calling his father for help.


    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ll be able to make this work while also studying for your university exams? If you need to be good at studies for this, maybe things would move a lot faster if I volunteered instead?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Nodoka, you¡­¡±


    Even while rejecting Nodoka¡¯s abuse, Yasuo looked like he was on the verge of agreeing with her somewhere in his heart, but¡­


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. Yasuo already has the basic quality required to become a Hero.¡±


    ¡°¡°Eh?¡±¡±


    At Diana¡¯s unexpectedly serious tone, the siblings made a surprised expression.


    The basic quality required to become a Hero.


    Even Yasuo didn¡¯t know what that was. However, Diana continued to speak with conviction.


    ¡°It¡¯s something that I and the other Magitech Knights of Resteria cannot possess, due to our responsibilities. It¡¯s something that Nodoka has almost certainly not realized yet. Yasuo already has it, and it shows in his every action.¡±


    ¡°Something Diana-san lacks, and I haven¡¯t realized? The only difference I can see between us and Onii-chan is that he is male and the two of us are female.¡±


    Nodoka tilted her head while trying to understand Diana¡¯s statement which was similar to a riddle. Yasuo, too, didn¡¯t understand what Diana meant, and he looked at her as if waiting for an answer.


    However, Diana shook her head while giving a smile that was as bright as the sun.


    Right now, Yasuo did not have the strength to fight. If she put it into words and revealed it to him, there was a risk that he might interpret it wrongly and go on a rampage. Besides, it was not something that he absolutely needed to know.


    It would be fine as long as Diana, who looked up to the ideal of a Hero, or someone else who crossed paths with Yasuo in the future recognized that quality in him, and kept it from disappearing.


    It was something that everyone was supposed to possess in their hearts, but it would get shackled down over time by the chains known as ¡®responsibilities¡¯, and eventually it would become so rusted that it no longer works.


    It is an unwavering courage to stand up and protect the one you love.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! I¡¯m sure you will become a Hero who surpasses Hideo someday, Yasuo. Until that day comes, I will pledge my life to support and protect you!¡±


    ¡°I think you should give up¡­ I don¡¯t think Onii-chan has that much value¡­¡±


    ¡°Expecting too much from me would be a problem, but having such a low estimation of me really hurts. Please, just leave me alone to study the basics in peace!¡±


    The son of the Hero appeared to be faltering at the initial step, but he still did his best to keep going forward. To start with, he took up the middle-school level reference book that was within his reach, and began to prepare his brain to defeat the subjects that he was bad at.


    ©¤¡¡The End¡¡©¤

 Volume 1, Afterword

    Volume 1, Afterword


    Mobile phones started to become popular among students right around the time when I was in high school.


    At that time, the things a student could do with a mobile phone were limited to phone calls, text messages with a limited number of characters per message, and creation of ringtone melodies. Depending on your phone model, you might not have even been able to send messages to someone on a different carrier, and it was a time when most of the displays were monochromatic, so things like ¡°You can choose from one of green, white, red, or blue colors!¡± were still valid selling points.


    There was no such thing as a wallpaper or background image, and only a few high-end models had a camera function that you needed to attach extra equipment to use.


    People who wanted to stand out from the crowd could decorate the handset and replace the standard antenna with one that blinked on receiving a signal. However, doing that didn¡¯t improve the functionality of the handset in any way.


    It was just an additional feature meant to improve the appearance of the mobile phone. Even without considering that, it was a time when strict schools had rules about wearing the school uniform even when meeting up with friends outside, and even carrying a mobile phone was against the rules.


    The logic behind that rule was to not bring things to school that were not related to studies, but even elementary school students nowadays carry one for the sake of safety, and at the middle and high school level, talking to classmates is being replaced by conversations using a messaging application on a smartphone. It¡¯s interesting to see how the conditions have changed.


    It¡¯s nice to meet you, or maybe it¡¯s just been a long time. My name is Wagahara Satoshi.


    My first mobile phone was a bar-shaped model which had no internet connection capabilities. All it could handle were voice calls and short messages. Even so, at that time, I was excited about owning such a futuristic device, and along with my Famicon, it is one of the few things I begged my parents to buy for me.


    I¡¯d exchange useless messages with friends even though we had nothing in particular to talk about, carefully hide it deep inside my bag at school to keep the teachers from finding it, and do my best at creating ringtone melodies using triad notes. On the way to school in the train, I would use my Walkman (which would also be confiscated by a teacher if found) to listen to ¡®My Best¡¯ MiniDisc that I created by dubbing titles from CDs and MDs, and inputting the titles on the keypad.


    However, now is the age when high school students play social games on their smartphones while listening to downloaded music on their way to school.


    When I first came up with the idea for this book, ¡°The Hero¡¯s Son¡±, I was worried if an old man like me from the Triassic period of digital devices would be able to write about a modern high-school student using my imagination alone.


    The educational environment, digital environment, and manner of examinations that surround a student, never mind a decade, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say they become obsolete in a mere three years. That¡¯s why, for writing this book, I used the current methods of examinations and the current style of prep schools as a reference.


    Not only exams, I was also able to obtain a lot of important information regarding the current practices of education, and the daily life of students in school. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Nakagawa-sensei, Takeda-sensei, and Hayashi-sensei from a certain prep school for readily agreeing to help me collect data.


    This book, ¡°The Hero¡¯s Son¡±, is about a young man who thinks doing your best is not required to live, and he faces a sudden situation that causes him to want to overcome his definition of doing his best.


    I would like to create a new story about a ¡°Hero living in Modern Japan¡± along with 029-san who created ¡°Hataraku Maou-sama!¡± along with me, and knows me inside out.


    I hope we can once again meet in the chaotic land of the Hero¡¯s Trial (exams)!


    Goodbye!

 Volume 2, 1 - A New Emissary Part 1

    Volume 2, Chapter 1 ¨C A New Emissary Part 1


    The doorway of the Kenzaki house was dyed in the deep color of sunset. A girl was bowing deeply to everyone present, while holding a slightly threadbare bag.


    ¡°Thank you so much for all that you¡¯ve done for me.¡±


    The tears in her eyes caught the light of the setting sun and gave off a radiance that looked like real gold. The girl who possessed such a level of beauty held a well-used bag in her hands, bit her lip, and once again faced all the members of the Kenzaki family who had gathered near the front door of their house.


    ¡°I¡¯ve caused you nothing but trouble, and yet you¡¯ve done so much for me that I can never hope to pay you back¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve hardly done anything for you, Diana-chan.¡±


    Diana¡¯s hair was shining with a golden color. The person who called out to her was the central pillar of the Kenzaki family, Kenzaki Hideo.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. This was all caused by my lack of judgement.¡±


    Diana closed her eyes with long eyelashes and shook her head in response to what Hideo said.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t your fault¡­!¡±


    The eldest son of the Kenzaki family, Yasuo, couldn¡¯t hold himself back and blurted that out.


    However, his mother, Madoka, spoke up to restrain him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that which will weaken Diana-chan¡¯s resolve.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mom¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°Onii-chan.¡±


    Yasuo still looked unwilling to give up, and the person who stepped in to firmly scold him was his sister, Nodoka.


    ¡°If you detain Diana-san here any longer, she¡¯s the one who will get hurt. Can¡¯t you understand that? Diana-san has already made her decision.¡±


    ¡°God¡­ dammit¡­¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s feelings of shame were condensed into the sound that leaked from his mouth as he ground his teeth.


    After giving Yasuo a look filled with sadness, Diana spoke decisively.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for me to leave.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    Hideo accepted her words, then Diana raised her head slightly and spoke with lips the color of cherry blossoms.


    ¡°Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Diana¡­¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, I believe that you are a splendid man who will not lose, no matter what kind of trouble comes your way. Please, harden your heart and face your trials.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s voice lacked energy as he replied to Diana¡¯s encouragement.


    ¡°Diana¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡±


    Yasuo was unable to lift his head.


    However, Diana smiled and turned away, as if she had seen the anguish and determination that lay in the depths of Yasuo¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Well then, I will take my leave.¡±


    Diana didn¡¯t look back as she passed through the door that had been resurrected using the money from fire insurance. She took a step into the streets of Japan, which to her, was an alternate world.


    Although it looked like she was reluctant to leave, her posture also showed her iron determination to part ways with the Kenzaki family. It was a complicated feeling.


    And then.


    Dianaze Krone, Magitech Knight of Ante Lande and ex-occupant of the house belonging to The Hero of Salvation, Hideo Kenzaki, walked over to the Marigold Hills Tokorozawa Apartment Building that was located diagonally to the right on the opposite side of the street, opened the door of Room Number 101, and disappeared inside.


    ¡°¡­Seriously.¡±


    After Diana had left, Nodoka¡¯s voice attacked Yasuo¡¯s eardrums like spiked cudgels.


    ¡°Really, Onii-chan. What the hell are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I have no excuse¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, Nodoka. We¡¯ve already talked about this a lot so why don¡¯t you go easy on him.¡±


    His father tried to block the spiked cudgels out of pity, but,


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re the one who should actually be scolding him proactively. You¡¯re the parent, after all.¡±


    ¡°Well, about that¡­¡±


    He retreated surprisingly quickly.


    ¡°Calm down, Nodoka. This was going to happen eventually in any case. We just had to do it a little sooner, that¡¯s all. But it¡¯s true, there¡¯s no excuse for the mess Yasuo has created.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    His mother¡¯s words struck Yasuo like an assassin¡¯s dagger, and he let out a moan.


    ¡°I know, right? It should have been Onii-chan leaving the house, not Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°No, that would be pretty strange as well. And if that had happened, Diana-chan would have felt even worse.¡±


    ¡°Ah, dammit!¡±


    Even though his sister¡¯s verbal abuse had crossed the line a long time ago, Yasuo was unable to retaliate at all.


    And then, Nodoka said those decisive words.


    ¡°Not being able to concentrate on your studies because of the Hero training and living with Diana-san and failing three subjects in your midterm exams, seriously, what the hell!? This is beyond the level of not having enough resolve as both a Hero and a student facing exams.¡±


    ¡°Aaaaargh!!¡±


    Yasuo felt like someone was relentlessly pounding on his glass heart with a hammer, and he crumpled to the floor near the doorway.


    ¡ù


    Kenzaki Yasuo, who lived a ¡ºvery ordinary life¡» with his ¡ºtypical Japanese family¡», had just begun the spring of his third year as a high school student, when his life and the lives of his family members underwent a dramatic change due to the appearance of a visitor from another world.


    A girl suddenly appeared in the middle of his peaceful family, and declared that she was Dianaze Krone, a Magitech Knight from a different world known as Ante Lande.


    She revealed that Yasuo¡¯s father, Hideo, and his mother, Madoka, were respectively the Hero and Great Magician who had saved Ante Lande during its crisis in the past, and explained that she had come to request their help once more in saving their world from a danger that had befallen it.


    However, the children of that Hero and Great Magician, Yasuo and Nodoka, had not been told anything of their parents¡¯ past until Dianaze Krone had appeared.


    Their father was a salaryman, and their mother was a housewife.


    The siblings thought that it was enough for their parents to just retain those identities.


    There was no way they would not be confused after hearing ¡ºWe used to fight with swords and magic in the past¡» from their parents who were about to enter their 50s.


    When his father said that he would quit his job in response to the summons for aid, Yasuo used the fact that he and his sister were at an important stage in life as an excuse, and tried to reject the existence of the ¡ºdifferent world, Ante Lande¡» itself.


    However, Yasuo was forced to reconsider his feelings after seeing the existence of Diana, who was a messenger from that world, the legendary sword that resided within his father¡¯s body, the magic used by his mother, and more than anything else, the appearance of dark monsters from the other world, which took the appearance of people who had already died.


    His sister, Nodoka, began to accept their parents¡¯ strange past sooner than him, and even after understanding everything, she was still reluctant to send her father to his death, and so she gently rejected Diana and the other world as well.


    Diana herself had reservations about the fact that her homeworld needed to cling to a hero who had saved them thirty years ago, and so she assumed that the negotiations would end in failure. However, they were attacked by a Shii that bore the appearance of Diana¡¯s dead father, Alexei Krone, and a mysterious man named ¡ºWilliam Bareig¡», who had the ability to control the Shii.


    William appeared to be targeting Yasuo and Nodoka, and so Diana attempted to fight against him. However, neither her sorcery nor her Techno Weapons had any effect on him, and she was about to suffer a complete defeat.


    Luckily, Hideo arrived in the nick of time and drove William away, but neither the Kenzaki family nor Ante Lande could deny the new threat posed by the Shii any longer.


    And so, Yasuo, who had realized his desire to ¡ºprotect the people important to me¡» after the battles with Alexei=Shii and William, declared his intent to become the new Hero to replace his father who had become old.


    ¡ù


    Three days before Diana left the Kanzaki family house.


    Yasuo was unable to rise from his seat in his classroom after receiving a ruthless verdict of three red cards.


    In the first midterm exams of his third year, Yasuo received scores of 33 in English Reading, 34 in Classical Literature, and 34 in Social Studies. He received a failing score in English, Classical Literature, and Social Studies, which were the three main pillars of the humanities course to which he belonged.


    Moreover, they were not just regular failing scores, all three were just on the border of failing, which made it all the more difficult to bear. The students of Takeoka High School were given grades out of ten, and anything less than or equal to three would be recorded as a failing grade.


    Based on this system, a score of 34 would get grade 3, and 35 would get grade 4.


    So basically, if Yasuo had answered even one more question correctly on these three exams, he could have avoided the worst case scenario.


    If his rating for the whole year was less than ¡º4¡», it would be considered a failing grade and he would have to repeat the year.


    Of course, this was just the result of his first semester, and he had more than enough time to recover over the course of the year. However, failing three subjects was no small matter for a third year high school student who was aiming to go to college.


    This unexpected situation even prompted a summons from his homeroom teacher, and Yasuo headed towards the staff room after school, feeling like a condemned criminal who was heading towards the gallows.


    ¡°Ah, Yasu. Are you okay?¡±


    Upon returning to his classroom 30 minutes later with a haggard expression, Yasuo¡¯s classmate, Aioi Aoto, greeted him with a serious expression on his face.


    ¡°Probably¡­ not.¡±


    ¡°Well, you did get three failing grades at this point in time, so¡­¡±


    Both the homeroom teacher and the teacher who was in charge of the curriculum could not ignore the fact that Yasuo, a third year student at a high-level private school, failed English, Classical Literature, and Social Studies, which were the main subjects that would determine his results in the final exams.


    Thankfully, they didn¡¯t summon him to reprimand him, but instead to decide on how to deal with his grades. However, that didn¡¯t change how pathetic he felt about himself.


    ¡°Did they give you some kind of assignment?¡±


    ¡°I have to write a report for Social Studies. For English and Classical Literature, I need to take a make-up test sometime next week.¡±


    To deal with his failing grades, Yasuo had to take make-up tests for English and Classical Literature, and write a report for Social Studies.


    He was actually supposed to take a make-up test for Social Studies as well. However, Social Studies was relatively less important as an examination topic compared to the other subjects, and when the teacher in charge of the curriculum heard that he had to take make-up tests for English and Classical Literature as well, he said, ¡ºAdding another test will be too much of a burden, so just think of it as practice for essay-writing and do your best¡», and changed it to a report submission instead.


    The theme of the report was, ¡°Should the age of majority be reduced in accordance with the reduction in voting age? 1¡±


    ¡°¡­Taking a make-up test sounds easier.¡±


    ¡°You think so too?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t pressed for time, but writing a properly organized essay is no easy task. Moreover, he also had to do something about the English and Classical Literature make-up tests as well.


    Aoto shot a concerned look at Yasuo, who had collapsed in his seat while hanging his head.


    ¡°So make-up tests for routine exams are actually a thing?¡±


    ¡°This is a first for me as well, so it feels weird on top of making me nervous.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t strange for Aoto to say that.


    If Yasuo kept on the other side of the 35-mark failing line for the remaining routine exams and managed to get a rating of 5 even once, that would be more than enough to cover for this one failure and he would be able to graduate.


    Even if a student only studied hard on the night before for the remaining exams, it was definitely possible to achieve that. For that reason, students would not usually get called to the staff room and be forced to take make-up tests for just failing a routine exam. At the most, they would just feel bad when getting the results of the exam back and during the parent-teacher conference.


    However, things were different this time.


    Although Yasuo was never one of the top students in the school, he had never scored below average until now.


    Neither his homeroom teacher nor the teacher in charge of the curriculum scolded him for not studying. Instead, they were worried if there was some major problem at home or at school which was the root cause.


    To be fair, the teachers were not wrong.


    Except that his problems lay in a different direction to what they were thinking of.


    ¡°Well, I understand why they¡¯re anxious. Yasu, you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight in the last half-month.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Yasuo was surprised at this unexpected comment from Aoto.


    ¡°Maybe you haven¡¯t realized it yourself, but you have a terrible complexion as well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡±


    Yasuo hurriedly put his hands on his face, but of course he would not be able to tell how he looked by doing that.


    ¡°There were many days when you had dark circles underneath your eyes, and even during the exams, I thought you looked like you were going to faint on the first day.¡±


    At this point, his classmates Igarashi and Hino also came over and started talking, perhaps because they had overheard the previous conversation.


    ¡°I understand what Aoto means. Kenzaki, you weren¡¯t the kind of guy who¡¯d sleep during class before.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Igarashi said that while grinning.


    ¡°Yeah. I was wondering if you were ill or something. You were losing weight and your complexion was terrible, but you were still still scarfing down your lunch.¡±


    ¡°Eeeh¡­¡±


    Hino made a face and nodded along with Igarashi.


    ¡°It was pretty obvious that something was different. Although I don¡¯t know if the teachers were watching you that closely.¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry, I seem to have made you guys worry about me. I didn¡¯t mean for that to happen at all.¡±


    It was quite rare for boys in high school to notice so much about the health of one of their peers. It just showed how much he had changed in recent times.


    ¡°Besides, you¡¯ve started acting strangely recently. You asked me about my Dad¡¯s work and stuff. That¡¯s around when you started acting strangely, so I wondered if you had some issues like your father losing his job, or your parents getting divorced¡­. Ah¡­ it¡¯s nothing like that, right?¡±


    Aoto meant to say that as a joke, but maybe he felt that it was not impossible halfway through, so he ended his sentence with a question while looking like he had brought up a touchy subject.


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing like that. I was just, you know, a little depressed before exams started. I had the opportunity to hear about my Dad¡¯s past from someone else, and I began to seriously feel anxious about my own path in life, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Aoto looked relieved at having avoided touching upon a delicate topic, and Yasuo felt relieved as well.


    ¡°I-I see. Still, if you have something on your mind, you can talk to me, you know? I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to help, though. I¡¯ve heard that just speaking your worries out loud to someone else can make you feel a lot better.¡±


    Aoto¡¯s selfless display of friendship was far too dazzling.


    No, it wasn¡¯t just Aoto. Igarashi and Hino were the same, as were the teachers who noticed the change in him and were worried about him.


    Yasuo realized that he was blessed with wonderful people around him and felt his eyes get hotter, but that was precisely the reason why he couldn¡¯t tell any of them about his issues.


    He was so enthusiastic about Hero training that he wasn¡¯t able to concentrate on his studies.


    Who on earth would accept that statement at face value?


    The friendship and dedication he saw around him now might turn into twisted, forced smiles. Yasuo was well aware of that, so he had no choice but to insist that he had just become careless.


    However, he was not able to hide the truth from the instructor of the Hero training herself.


    The Hero training that Yasuo was undertaking under Diana¡¯s guidance was actually an emulation of the Magitech Knight training that Diana had undergone herself.


    Theoretical classes, physical training, and sorcery training were the three main pillars of the course, and right now they were in the middle of a lesson on the most basic level of sorcery training, ¡ºFoundations of Sorcery¡».


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    That magical energy that had been passing between his hands snapped back violently, causing his hands to turn red and throb as though they were frostbitten.


    Foundations of Sorcery was a basic course that increased the amount of magical energy that a person could call upon. This was achieved by emitting the magical energy in the body from the hands and continuously passing it between both hands. It was similar to jogging.


    In the ten minutes since the lesson started, Yasuo had allowed the magic to slip through his fingers three times, causing it to break apart.


    This was like falling down thrice after just jogging for ten minutes.


    ¡°Yasuo, is there something you¡¯re worried about?¡±


    Dianaze Krone, the visitor from another world and a person similar to Yasuo in the sense that she too had parents who were counted as heroes in her country, quickly realized that Yasuo¡¯s movements during training were even more lackluster than usual.


    Even though Yasuo was a beginner at using sorcery, he hadn¡¯t been this bad even on the day when he had first managed to release magical energy from his hands. Seeing this, Diana immediately interrupted Yasuo¡¯s practice.


    ¡°Eh!? No! It¡¯s nothing!¡±


    Yasuo replied immediately while nursing his aching hands, but¡­


    ¡°¡­Yasuo?¡±


    From Diana¡¯s glowering expression and pursed lips, it was easy to understand that rather than blaming him, she was feeling sad as if she was thinking ¡°Why are you telling such a transparent lie?¡±


    After being glared at, Yasuo yielded to the beautiful Magitech Knight¡¯s sullen expression and confessed the truth.


    After seeing Diana¡¯s gorgeous and delicate features, anyone who didn¡¯t know her would assume that she was a sheltered, high-class young lady who would wear dresses and drink tea.


    In fact, the high-class young lady part was undeniably true, but that was only because of the family she was born into. Both of her parents were full-time soldiers, and Diana herself was also a soldier.


    What¡¯s more, with Diana¡¯s physical abilities and the mental strength that she had acquired during her training as a Magitech Knight in the other world, she would not lose even if she was up against a thousand opponents who were at Yasuo¡¯s current level.


    In her eyes, Yasuo¡¯s hastily made-up lie probably appeared to to be more shallow than the lies told by a child.


    ¡°I received a failing grade on my midterm tests, so I have to take make-up tests.¡±


    Yasuo gave up on trying to hide it and confessed the shameful truth.


    ¡°Tests? Failing grade¡­. Make-up tests!?¡±


    As she processed the unfamiliar Japanese words in her head, Diana¡¯s complexion went from bad to worse.


    If anything, she looked even more worried than Yasuo himself, and leaned forward while sitting on her knees, putting her face close to Yasuo¡¯s own; he had been sitting cross-legged while attempting to meditate.


    ¡°Could that perhaps be something really, really bad!?¡±


    Yasuo felt that the current distance between their faces was actually quite bad instead, but he managed to reply,


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just midterms, so I can resolve it with make-up tests and homework¡­¡±


    He was trying to make light of the situation.


    True, he had been quite shocked when he first found out about the failing grades, but he later started to feel that there was no point agonizing about it now, and it would be fine so long as he completed the homework and make-up tests properly.


    ¡°That¡¯s wrong!¡±


    However, Diana said that while almost screaming.


    ¡°Yasuo, you volunteered to become the new hero, but before that you¡¯re still a student of Takeoka! That should be your highest priority right now!¡±


    ¡°Eeh!? Now, I mean¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been staying awake late at night everyday to work on your sorcery training so that you can improve as fast as possible, Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t really¡­¡±


    Yasuo had indeed been practicing the Foundations of Sorcery training in his room after the rest of his family had gone to bed. Part of the reason was that he wanted to become strong and improve quickly to become someone who was worthy of receiving training from Diana, but the main reason was that he simply found it to be very enjoyable.


    It was magic, after all. Real magic. According to Diana, what he was currently learning was called ¡°Sorcery,¡± but to be honest he really didn¡¯t understand the difference between the two, and such trivial things really didn¡¯t matter at this point.


    In the current day, there were probably no boys of his age who had never imitated the techniques of characters from manga, anime, or games at least once in their lives. Everyone probably went through the age where they swung their wet umbrellas on their way back from school on rainy days, and pretended that the flying droplets of water were energy blasts from some deadly technique.


    Of course, as they got older, the boys would be forced to accept that humans cannot fly through the air or fire explosive blasts from their hands. However the fact that there were things like ¡ºMagic Shows¡» and talk of¡ºSupernatural Abilities¡» showed that people never really got over their yearning for the ¡ºParanormal¡» even after becoming adults.


    And then, Yasuo managed to find ¡ºReal Magic¡».


    The series of events that led to him finding that magic were serious and very grave, but in spite of that, there was no way that he wouldn¡¯t be elated at the prospect of causing paranormal phenomena with his own powers.


    And so it was that he ended up putting more effort into his Sorcery training that was not going well, and although he had not entirely neglected his test preparation, it could not be said that he had correctly prepared for them either.


    As Yasuo was not in good shape, the Sorcery training drained his physical and mental strength to a great degree, and ended up reducing the amount of time he could put aside to prepare for his tests.


    In short, Yasuo was entirely at fault because he had focused more on having fun, but apparently Diana didn¡¯t feel the same way.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I was taking advantage of your strong spirit! The Hero Training should have been something you undertook in addition to correctly living your daily life, but I ended up forcing you into a state where you compromised your own position for the sake of Ante Lande¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh!? Ehh!? Ehhh!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision. I¡¯ve been thinking for some time now that I cannot keep living like this while taking advantage of the Kenzaki family¡¯s generosity. This is a good opportunity, so let me speak to Hideo about what we should do from now on once he comes back from work tonight! In any case, we¡¯re done with training for today! Please work hard at your studies to recover from your current situation! Go on. Right now!!¡±


    ¡°Ehhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    And so, Diana convened a meeting of the Hero¡¯s family that evening, and Yasuo felt like he was made to sit on a bed of nails.


    Diana told everyone that Yasuo was unable to concentrate on the tests that should have originally been his main priority because of herself and Ante Lande.


    However, unlike Diana, who saw every action of Yasuo¡¯s in a positive light, his family immediately understood what had caused the issue and looked at him with cold gazes.


    ¡°So basically, you were on cloud nine about becoming capable of using magic, put all your energy into that, and ended up not studying for your tests, is that it?¡±


    There is probably no younger sister on the planet who would hold back at a time like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s not Diana-san¡¯s fault at all, is it?¡±


    Yasuo was perfectly aware of that. And his family should have been aware of the fact that Yasuo was aware of it.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    So the only thing he could do was meekly admit to the fact, but,


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault for forcing him to do something of such a high level. If not for that, I don¡¯t think Yasuo would have faced so much difficulty with his tests.¡±


    ¡°Stop spoiling him, Diana-san! Don¡¯t take all that responsibility on yourself. Onii-chan is the one who acted all cool and declared that he would become a Hero! In that case, whether he fails his tests or has to repeat a grade, it¡¯s all his fault!¡±


    ¡°Still, the root cause of the matter is the fact that we came here asking for help, so it¡¯s our responsibility¡­!¡±


    ¡°Since he said that he would do it, it¡¯s his own responsibility!¡±


    Even though Yasuo fully understood that he was in the wrong, Diana and Nodoka continued to assault him from their completely opposite viewpoints, so Yasuo was gradually growing more and more depressed.


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s enough, both of you.¡±


    Unable to bear watching that anymore, Hideo interrupted their conversation.


    ¡°True, getting a failing grade is nothing to be proud about, but I understand why Yasuo felt the way he did. Besides, it¡¯s not like those grades will make him repeat a year for sure, right?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Then it should be fine. Yasuo just has to properly repent for this actions this time and work hard for his next test.¡±


    Yasuo also felt the same way, so it would have been good if the conversation ended there, but the situation took a turn for the worse because of the unnecessary things his father said after that.


    ¡°Even I did all sorts of crazy stuff right after I was sent to Ande Lande because I was suddenly given such incredible powers. So, I kind of understand how Yasuo feels. Dear, do you remember that time when I caused an avalanche by blasting off too much wind magic¡­¡­¡±


    He was probably just trying to lighten the atmosphere.


    However, his wife didn¡¯t feel the same way about what he thought of as fond memories from the past.


    ¡°Dear, how is that related to the current situation?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about Yasuo¡¯s lack of discipline right now, so why are you bringing up old stories?¡±


    ¡°Eh, umm¡­ That is¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, do you have any idea how many problems you caused for Erize and me with your wild stunts?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I mean¡­ That is¡­¡±


    Not to mention, the attack vector had changed to him at some point, so even Hideo was flustered.


    After confirming that Hideo had fallen silent after understanding that he was unnecessarily bringing trouble upon himself, Madoka turned to face Diana.


    ¡°In any case, that¡¯s how it is. Diana-chan, you haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! If anything, Onii-chan is a failure because he¡¯s still stuck that the preparatory phase even after failing his tests, in spite of you staying in the same house and giving him constant attention.¡±


    The attacks increased in intensity because of his father¡¯s unnecessary words, but Diana once again spoke up.


    ¡°Actually, about that ¡ºStaying in the same house and giving him constant attention¡» part¡­¡±


    Nodoka even aimed her hostility at Diana, but even she was forced to take a sharp breath at Diana¡¯s next words.


    ¡°I would like to take this opportunity to temporarily leave the Kenzaki house.¡±


    Saying that, she looked at Yasuo with a slightly sorry gaze.


    This is what Diana said.


    Not only had she brought her own problems to the family, it was a fact that she was also completely relying on the Kenzaki family for the things she needed to live in Japan.


    What¡¯s more, Madoka had lost access to her room because Diana was staying there, and Hideo and Yasuo gave her higher priority for things like using the shower and eating.


    It was clear that she was causing many difficulties for the Kenzaki family, and relying too much on their goodwill.


    Due to that, she would continue to do her job as a guard and Yasuo¡¯s Magitech Knight trainer, but she wanted to move of of the Kenzaki house.


    ¡°Saying that is one thing, but what are you going to do about money?¡±


    ¡°I am carrying several items that can be sold for a high value even in Japan. My mother also strictly told me that I must not become a burden to the Kenzaki family in case my stay in Japan is extended for a longer period of time. I might end up causing you trouble again with the process of obtaining a proof of identity, buying and selling the necessary items, and the rental contract, but please¡­¡±


    ¡°No, but that is¡­¡±


    ¡°Really, I don¡¯t think that will work¡­¡±


    They understood why Diana felt that way, but Hideo and Madoka felt that Diana was just as important to them as their own children, so they thought she didn¡¯t have to worry about it so much. In addition, they knew that there were unavoidable reasons why Diana was in this situation.


    At that point, Nodoka spoke up.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there that small apartment nearby?¡±


    ¡°Eh? The one next to Tayama-san¡¯s place?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the place. It¡¯s very close to our house, it¡¯s in pretty decent condition, and the sign saying that it¡¯s up for rent has been there for so long that it is rusting, so the rent has probably come down quite a bit too.¡±


    ¡°No, but even so, Diana-chan is also a girl. It might be close by and cheap to rent, but it¡¯s been empty for so long that you don¡¯t know what kind of unpleasant things you might find there¡­¡±


    Hideo stated his disapproval after remembering the apartment in question. However, Nodoka shook her head.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I was saying Onii-chan should move there, not Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°¡°Huh!?¡±¡±


    At that statement, both Yasuo and Diana raised their voices at the same time.


    ¡°I understand why Diana-san feels bad for staying in our house for so long, but she has done nothing wrong, so if she leaves it¡¯s like we¡¯re kicking her out for no reason. On the other hand, Onii-chan caused this mess, so isn¡¯t it only right that he should be the one to leave the house?¡±


    Why are the existences called little sisters so bitter towards their older brothers in this world?


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re completely useless, Onii-chan.¡±


    Nodoka glared at Yasuo and said that as if reading his mind.


    ¡°Umm, Nodoka, I think that would be defeating the purpose¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty serious about this, you know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, she¡¯s still a young lady of marriageable age who has spent her precious youth training this dunce from our family, kicking her out now would be too much.¡±


    ¡°Umm, I definitely didn¡¯t mean to say anything of that sort!¡±


    Although she had intended to be the one to leave, the topic of the conversation had turned towards Yasuo being kicked out of his own house, so Diana started to panic.


    Even if Diana took back her words now, Nodoka would probably not agree.


    Yasuo realized that since the current situation came about due to his own lack of effort, anything he said would just make matters worse, so he elected to sit quietly.


    ¡°Everyone, calm down. We¡¯re getting off topic.¡±


    Hideo once again spoke up because it looked like neither side would be willing to back down at this rate.


    ¡°Dear, the conversation is getting needlessly complicated because both you and Nodoka are talking about who should be kicked out and who should remain. Let¡¯s look at the problems we face with the five of us living together and prioritize them.¡±


    After confirming that he had the attention of all the people in the room, Hideo continued to speak.


    ¡°The highest priority is ensuring that Yasuo and Nodoka are safe until we get a response from Resteria regarding the case with William and Alex¡¯s Shii. After that comes the matter of Diana-chan¡¯s living space. Regarding the matter of Yasuo¡¯s behavior, it will be fine as long as he reflects on his actions and takes the necessary steps. Remember what you you said to us the other day, and don¡¯t make the people around you worry any more. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    As it had been some time since Yasuo spoke, his reply stuck in his throat.


    ¡°Next, it¡¯s true that our house is a bit cramped, and we haven¡¯t been able to properly accommodate Diana-chan.¡±


    It is a fact that accommodating another adult in the house of a regular salaryman whose children are already grown up is very difficult.


    ¡°Even though she only uses it to sleep, staying in your mother¡¯s room must be quite cramped. Both from the perspective of wanting to care for the daughter of my best friend, and from the perspective of allowing Diana-chan to carry out her mission properly, there is a need to improve her current living arrangements. For personal reasons, as well as for the sake of her mission, there will be times when she needs her space. So¡­¡±


    Hideo looked at Diana and spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go look at the apartment Nodoka mentioned. If it¡¯s not in too bad a condition, Diana-chan, you will be moving your base of operations over there.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, it would be very helpful if you let me do that.¡±


    ¡°Ehhhh?¡±


    Diana looked relieved, and Nodoka looked like she was displeased, but the next sentence decided the issue.


    ¡°In any case, you will need a guarantor for getting a rental lease, so you won¡¯t be able to enter into a contract alone, Diana-chan. So I¡¯ll pay for the initial costs of moving into the apartment, furnishing it with the minimum required appliances and furniture, and half of the monthly rent, and you will pay for your food, items you need for your daily life, and the other half of the rent. This should allow us to keep the balance.¡±


    ¡ù

 Volume 2, 1 - A New Emissary Part 2

    Volume 2, Chapter 1 ¨C A New Emissary Part 2


    And so, Diana moved out of the Kenzaki house today, three days after Yasuo received his failing grades.


    Diana¡¯s new base of operations was Room Number 101 of the Marigold Hills Tokorozawa Apartment Building, which was located very close by and could be seen from the window of Yasuo¡¯s room.


    Although it was surprising that she was able to move in just three days after they had thought of the idea, according to his father, the apartment was available immediately after they completed inspecting the premises. It was probably a stroke of good luck.


    It was an ordinary apartment building, and you would probably find hundreds of similar-looking buildings even within Tokorozawa City. It had two floors, with a total of four western-style one-room apartments. This building with the exaggerated name of ¡ºMarigold Hills¡» was where Diana would be staying from now on.


    On paper, the person who was renting the apartment was Kenzaki Hideo, and the rent, including administrative charges, was 50,000 Yen. The building was being managed by a nearby real estate agency and the floor plan of the building wasn¡¯t available on the internet, so Yasuo couldn¡¯t tell if this was cheap or expensive.


    In any case, after going to purchase the minimum necessities that Diana would need for living alone, the four members of the Kenzaki family and Diana were planning to go out for dinner today to celebrate Diana¡¯s moving into a new apartment.


    ¡°My highest priority, huh?¡±


    Yasuo looked at the three exam answer sheets marked with a failing grade that were on top of his desk and sighed.


    He hadn¡¯t intended to take his studies lightly.


    However, he couldn¡¯t deny that the Hero training had come to occupy a position of importance in his heart once he had decided to become a Hero, making the time when he had been fiercely opposed to Diana and his father¡¯s decision seem like a lie.


    His feelings about the matter definitely did not come from just wanting to experience a fantasy world.


    ¡ºJust because a child can fire a gun, that doesn¡¯t mean he can defeat a trained soldier.¡»


    In his mind, he could still hear those humiliating words.


    William Bareig.


    Yasuo could only remember a few scattered details about his fight with that man, even though it had been an important event that changed his views about his life and the world he lived in.


    The battle had just been that desperate and pushed him to his limits.


    In spite of the the fact that William had been about to harm Nodoka and Diana, all Yasuo had been able to do against him was a clumsy response that was similar to a child tattling to his parents after throwing a temper tantrum.


    He had apparently fired Diana¡¯s Techno Weapon, Pollux, several times. However, he could not remember how he had ended up holding Pollux, and there were large gaps in his memory in the time between when he fired Pollux and the time his father appeared to save him.


    However, he could clearly remember the confrontation with that creature called William, the terror his voice inspired, which almost made him pee his pants, and the humiliation that came along with it.


    Even though Diana had done a great job at keeping the otherworld monsters, the Shii, away from them, she had been unable to land a single blow on William.


    Yasuo had been the only person there who was able to hit William, although the damage was negligible. And then, William had told him that it could not even be considered a fight unless Yasuo could become at least as strong as Diana.


    It was obvious that the differences between Diana, who had been raised by parents who were hailed as saviors in a world where Magitech Knights were considered common, and Yasuo, who didn¡¯t know anything about his parents¡¯ past until a few days ago, were more than just a difference in the time spent training.


    Even Yasuo didn¡¯t think for a second that he¡¯d be able to catch up to Diana by training for one year in addition to studying for university exams.


    In the first place, Yasuo¡¯s proposed plan of taking a temporary break from studies and going to Resteria after passing university exams in a year¡¯s time was lacking feasibility and was overly optimistic.


    However, because he had already stated his resolution, he had thought that he should become stronger even if only by a tiny amount.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in making excuses to myself.¡±


    In the end, the fact remained that Yasuo had thought that the Hero training was more important than his school studies.


    And so, he had ended up not studying hard for his tests.


    That was inexcusable.


    ¡°I need to get full marks on the make-up tests¡­ and maintain a high score until I finish the final exams, or I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve completely recovered from this.¡±


    Yasuo thought that this was in some ways more difficult for his current self than even the Hero training, but,


    ¡°I should do my best¡­. At least at getting my emotions in order.¡±


    He never wanted to sit on such a bed of nails ever again.


    Yasuo picked up the three answer sheets and took a roll of tape out of the drawer of his desk.


    ¡°Over here should be good.¡±


    Instead of putting the sheets where he could see them when at his desk, he attached the sheets to the wall at a level where they would be clearly visible when he was sitting on his bed and practicing his beginner-level magic.


    ¡°I won¡¯t mistake the order of importance again. This is to remind me of that.¡±


    Yasuo let out a large sigh and tried to turn his thoughts to positive things, but,


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Yasuo noticed that there was a mark on the wall where he had attached the sheet; it looked like something had been pinned there with a thumb tack at some point.


    Looking at the three answer sheets attached to the wall, he also had a feeling that he had seen something similar before.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    He finally remembered something that was better off forgotten.


    It had happened during his first year of middle school.


    Contrary to elementary school where it was easy to score full marks without even studying, Yasuo had been exposed to a baptism of fire in the form of ¡ºRegular Tests¡».


    Yasuo scored in the 60s and 50s in many subjects, a disgraceful result that had never happened before. And so, Yasuo had taken the three worst scores, Home Economics, Social Studies, and Science, and pinned them to the wall so that he would see them before going to sleep, to remind him to do whatever it took to avoid repeating that experience.


    He also remembered being scolded by his mother for damaging the wall by pinning the answer sheets to it with thick thumbtacks, and besides, the answer sheets had barely stayed up for a month before they fell off the wall and into the space between the wall and his bed, and had gotten all dusty.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t improved at all!!¡±


    He had intended to inspire himself to work harder, but ended up receiving an unexpected attack from his past. Yasuo held his head in his hands and seriously doubted if he would be able to become a hero in just a year¡¯s time.


    Even so, Yasuo had to deal with the reality of make-up tests being just around the corner, so he peeled two of the three answer sheets off the wall and started reviewing their contents.


    The teachers didn¡¯t have that much free time, after all. He had been informed in advance that the questions for Classical Literature and English Reading would be variations of the questions that appeared on the original tests.


    Especially for reading comprehension, the exact same passage would appear on the test again. So long as he reviewed the contents properly, there was no reason why he should not be able to score good marks.


    Incidentally, he would need a score of 80 or above out of 100 to pass. If he managed to pass, his grade would be increased from 3 (failing) to 4 (passing).


    ¡°Dammit¡­ I need to read such a long sentence from end to end¡­.¡±


    One of the questions for English Reading was to decipher a long paragraph of text using an English-Japanese dictionary. The text in question was a speech called ¡ºThe Various Experiences of a Japanese High School Student on His First Trip Abroad¡».


    It would have made sense for a high school student to go some place like New Zealand for language studies, but for some reason, the subject of the text, ¡°Hiroshi,¡± had gone to Hawaii.


    He had apparently discovered many wonders of Hawaii that he previously only saw as a major tourist destination.


    Apparently, what he found especially surprising was that there was an increase in the number of Japanese tourists; Japanese companies had advanced further into the Hawaiian market, which meant that there were many places where people understood Japanese, and that the tour guides were available for Japanese.


    ¡°Why the heck are you talking about this stuff in English even after returning to Japan, Hiroshi!?¡±


    Ignoring his own shortcomings, Yasuo slandered Hiroshi instead.


    However, there could be no comparison between Hiroshi, who was capable of giving a speech in English, and Yasuo, who had failed his test. For this reason, the only thing he achieved by slandering Hiroshi was making him feel worse about himself.


    After getting an overall idea of what Hiroshi¡¯s speech was about, Yasuo wondered.


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to Ante Lande, do I need to learn the language used there?¡±


    Diana spoke perfect Japanese. Thinking back, William had been speaking Japanese as well, and even Alex¡¯s Shii had spoken Japanese, even if the only thing he said was ¡°Hideo the Hero.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Japanese is used quite a bit there because of the influence of Dad and Mom? No, maybe it¡¯s just Diana¡¯s family who are fluent¡­ but William doesn¡¯t have anything to do with them, right? What¡¯s that about?¡±


    Even foreign talent stars who had lived in Japan for over a decade and who could make jokes with Japanese celebrities on TV would have a manner of speech influenced by their mother tongue, and many of them still had the so-called ¡ºForeigner¡¯s Accent¡». Considering this, it was quite miraculous that Diana, who was from a different world, spoke Japanese that was indistinguishable from that of a native.


    ¡°Speaking of which, it seems like Dad and Mom were immediately able to communicate with the people there after being sent to Ante Lande, was there some convenient magical phenomenon where they could just speak in Japanese and the people there would understand¡­ or is it that the people of Ante Lande also spoke Japanese¡­?¡±


    ¡°What are you muttering to yourself over there? It¡¯s time to go.¡±


    ¡°Uwaaah!?¡±


    ¡°I could hear you from even outside your room. Weren¡¯t you supposed to be studying?¡±


    At some point, his Mother had opened the door of his room and was standing there with a dumbfounded expression.


    ¡°I was!! Also, at least knock before opening the door!¡±


    ¡°I did. Maybe you just didn¡¯t hear it. Didn¡¯t we already talk this morning about going out for dinner after buying Diana-chan¡¯s daily necessities? It¡¯s time to go. The restaurant will be crowded if we go any later.¡±


    ¡°Eeh? Ah, it¡¯s already this late. Got it, I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡±


    Looking at the clock on his Slimphone, Yasuo saw that it was already a little past five in the evening.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve been working hard, Yasuo.¡±


    Yasuo was not at all surprised to see Diana waiting in the living room after heading downstairs with his mother. He had already become used to seeing Diana there as a part of his daily life.


    He thought that there was no reason for her to leave their house, but he was not insensitive enough to say that out loud.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡±


    After he just said that, Hideo and Nodoka started preparing to leave as well.


    ¡ù


    The area around the western exit of Tokorozawa Station was a compact and yet typical shopping district.


    The bus terminal in front of the station was surrounded by banks and department stores, and the SEIYU store adjacent to the station was an indispensable part of the shopping infrastructure for the people who commuted to and from Tokorozawa Station.


    Prope Street, which would be on your right hand side after exiting the station, had a variety of shops that served food and drink, ranging from chain cafes that even students would feel comfortable entering, to shops that served Japanese cuisine that catered to more specific tastes. In addition, there were game centers, pachinko shops, and karaoke centers, making the street a place where people of all genders and ages could have fun.


    After exiting Prope Street, you would find the Ozone Tokorozawa Shopping Center.


    The Magitech Knight from another world, Diana, stood in a daze before that magnificent edifice.


    ¡°S-So this is one of the legendary department stores that I have heard about!¡±


    ¡°Diana-san, calm down. I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Diana was overwhelmed by the giant commercial establishment that they arrived at after exiting Prope Street, which was still lively and crowded at night.


    It had been a while since Diana had come to Japan, but her activities so far had been restricted to the area immediately around the Kenzaki residence, and the places near Nodoka and Yasuo¡¯s schools.


    Yasuo¡¯s prep school was also near the western exit of Tokorozawa Station, but as it was on the other side of the station from Prope Street, Diana had never come this way before even though she had been curious.


    Diana drank in the sights that both Yasuo and Nodoka had gotten used to as they had lived here since their early childhood.


    And apparently, this Ozone Tokorozawa Shopping Center was the best sight of them all.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about this from my mother. She told me that Japan has three-dimensional markets that are ensconced in buildings the size of castles. This is one of those, isn¡¯t it!? A department store!¡±


    ¡°Three-dimensional markets¡­ If you¡¯re talking about size, that high-rise apartment building over there is much taller, and besides, Ozone is not a department store, is it? Come to think of it, what¡¯s the difference between a shopping center and a department store?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the price range of the products sold and the targeted customer demographic. The difference between shopping centers and department stores has blurred in recent times, but speaking frankly, department stores sell high-class products, and the other stores sell products for the masses. Ante Lande doesn¡¯t have any multi-level commercial establishments like this, so it¡¯s only natural that Diana-chan finds it so interesting.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Why doesn¡¯t Ante Lande have any?¡±


    After hearing her father¡¯s explanation, Nodoka, who was keeping a firm grip on Diana¡¯s clothes to keep her from running off, turned back and asked another question.


    ¡°Why? Let¡¯s see, this is just a guess, but I think it¡¯s because of problems with taxes, and they have a distance limit when attracting customers. It¡¯s not that they can¡¯t build them, I just think no one would want to.¡±


    ¡°Distance limit in attracting customers?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. For example, do you think we would have come here today if our car hadn¡¯t been destroyed in the fighting that happened back then?¡±


    ¡°Ah. We might have gone to the Ozone near the suburbs. We would have probably gone to a different store further away for buying the electrical appliances as well.¡±


    ¡°In a world without trains and cars, such places would actually be too far away. For example, there¡¯s an outlet park in Iruma, right?¡±


    Their father took the example of an outlet park in the outskirts of the neighboring Iruma City, alongside Route 16 of the national highway.


    The outlet park was adjacent to an American-funded, membership-only supermarket2 , and it was a well known shopping spot close to Tokorozawa City. Yasuo and Nodoka had gone there several times.


    ¡°How many people do you think live within walking distance of that outlet park?¡±


    ¡°Within walking distance? I don¡¯t think there would be many people living that close.¡±


    ¡°No, considering that location, it¡¯s safe to say the number is close to nil.¡±


    Yasuo joined the conversation as well.


    ¡°Right? Even for this place, we don¡¯t have a problem coming here because we live in Tokorozawa, but if we lived in, say, Kotesashi, you wouldn¡¯t think of just walking over here on a whim.¡±


    Kotesashi is one of the terminus stations on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line that lies in the direction of Hannou City, two stops down from Tokorozawa Station.


    There might be a few people willing to walk the distance between two stations, but it is certainly not common.


    ¡°Well, Kotesashi has a SEIYU as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    Their father gave a bitter smile, but both Yasuo and Nodoka understood what their father was trying to say. Ante Lande did not have any readily available means of long-distance transport like trains, automobiles, and bicycles.


    A natural result of that was that shops could only attract customers from a fairly confined area, and if the total number of customers was small, building a large commercial center would be pointless as it would soon go out of business.


    The very idea of taking a quick hop by train or car to go shopping did not exist in Ante Lande.


    ¡°Hang on, Diana can fly, right? Does the distance really matter if you are capable of flying?¡±


    ¡°I can fly, but my baggage can¡¯t fly with me.¡±


    Diana, who had started listening to the conversation halfway through, nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°We do have magic that is used to transport large cargo by air, but the amount of money and magical energy needed for that is so high that it is far more cost effective to transport the cargo by land in a cart, and even that is not so cheap that you would consider using it for a long distance shopping trip. Even Magitech Knights can¡¯t fly for very long distances, and besides, you need to pay a toll when entering another city. All the important cities in the world have soldiers stationed on the city walls who are tasked with surveillance of the skies, so you can¡¯t really fly around on a whim to go on a sightseeing trip.¡±


    ¡°You need to pay a toll even though you¡¯re flying?¡±


    Although it sounded like a joke, it was only natural that there would be such measures put in place to maintain social order in a society where the ability of flight was commonplace.


    ¡°But flying in the sky is not like following a road or a waterway, right? Shouldn¡¯t it be relatively simple to escape by flying?¡±


    Diana made a stern expression at Nodoka¡¯s question and shook her head.


    ¡°Crossing over into the territory of a city by air without permission is a serious crime. In any part of the world, the soldiers who are given the task of guarding the skies are all elites, and their Sorcery Divisions receive a large budget. A couple of Magitech Knights attempting to sneak in would be detected right away, and the large countries have large scale Techo Weapon turrets mounted on the walls that automatically shoot down any flying object infringing on their territorial airspace.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, I remember those things that looked like anti-aircraft guns.¡±


    Their father spoke some dangerous-sounding words while walking onto the first floor of the shopping center where the fancy shops were located.


    ¡°They have anti-aircraft guns, but no department stores?¡±


    Yasuo felt that the other world was quite strange.


    ¡°Leave that for another time, Diana-chan¡¯s shopping is more important now.¡±


    At Madoka¡¯s urging, the group of people went up to the upper levels of the Ozone shopping center.


    As they went from shop to shop, they used the escalators to get around. It was then that Yasuo remembered that Diana had used escalators before, but hadn¡¯t been fazed by them one bit.


    They had gone through the Tokorozawa Station building on the way back home from prep school, and he seemed to remember Diana smoothly getting on and off the escalator as if she was used to it.


    ¡°Hey, Diana. Do you have escalators in Resteria?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do.¡±


    He received a very unexpected response.


    ¡°They are not as prevalent as in Japan, but they are present in the royal palace, cathedrals, and the mansions of aristocrats. There are also similar mechanisms called magic stairs in cities that have a large social welfare budget.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Of course, it was improbable that even this was caused by the influence of his father and mother, but Yasuo realized that he knew barely anything about Resteria.


    He was able to understand why Diana was so fascinated by department stores.


    Once his make-up tests were done, he would have to study more about the lifestyle of people in Resteria, their cultures and customs, and most importantly, he had to do something about the language barrier.


    ¡°Say, Dad. When you went to Ante Lande¡­¡±


    He started to talk to his father when they stepped off the escalator, but,


    ¡°Alright, Nodoka, I¡¯ll leave that area to you. The two of us will go and look at the household appliances.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I will leave that to you.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, you can at least carry their bags, right? Anyways, I¡¯ll contact you about an hour.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Eh? Eh?¡±


    His mother and father went up on the escalator to the floor where household appliances were sold, and Nodoka and Diana went down towards the general merchandise section.


    ¡°Ah, hey, wait for me!¡±


    His instinct as a third year male high school student caused him to chase after the two girls instead of his parents¡­ but looking at the end result, it could only be said that it was a mistake in more ways than one.


    Diana looked like she was having a lot of fun as she went around shopping with Nodoka, and they seemed to be enjoying their conversation as well.


    Yasuo couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying as he was sitting on a bench near the escalator, which was a little distance away from the shop.


    On one side of him, there was a pile of things Diana had bought per Nodoka¡¯s advice.


    There were no items that were so large that they would need to use the home delivery service, but the cups and dishware had to be carried carefully, on top of being heavy. Towelkets and sheets weren¡¯t heavy, but they were bulky, and he hadn¡¯t thought that cosmetics would be this heavy either.


    Diana had originally refused point blank to relegate Yasuo to the role of carrying her bags, but Yasuo had been the one who convinced her to let him do it.


    It wasn¡¯t because he felt responsible for Diana starting to live alone. He was just blown away by how long it took for girls to finish their shopping, and he realized that he would be better off working as a push cart with hands and legs.


    To go into detail of what exactly blew him away, first they took ages to select the items to consider, then took even longer to eliminate the ones they didn¡¯t want to buy. They would ask for his opinion but showed no signs of taking it into consideration, and finally, they would leave the shop without buying anything. This sort of thing happened several times.


    Looking at Nodoka and Diana, Yasuo thought that this trait was shared by all girls, irrespective of the world and dimension they came from.


    After seeing Nodoka and Diana spend over ten minutes scrutinizing indoor slippers and finally not buying any of them, Yasuo, who typically had no such problems shopping for himself, inadvertently blurted out ¡°They¡¯re just slippers, won¡¯t anything do?¡± This earned him a glare from Nodoka and an apologetic look from Diana, and since then, he had decided to maintain silence.


    There were many times when he thought, ¡°I¡¯d just pick any random one,¡± but then he realized that comparing his shopping method to that of the girls was as pointless as comparing the hunting methods of a lion and an anglerfish and trying to decide which one was better.


    Their mother had said that they should meet up after an hour, but it had taken them nearly that much time to just buy the tableware, sheets, and cosmetics.


    The three of them were currently on the floor that sold clothing, but Yasuo had no idea on how to judge girls¡¯ clothing, and since they had to buy underwear as well, he was ordered to wait here on the bench.


    Yasuo could see the cashiers from where he was sitting, but couldn¡¯t see Nodoka or Diana anywhere near them, so he assumed they were still somewhere inside the shop.


    Yasuo opened up the free messaging application, ROPE, on his smartphone and was about to send the message ¡¸It looks like we¡¯ll need some more time¡¹ in his family¡¯s group chat, when a shadow fell across him.


    Yasuo lifted his head to see who was there, and received a shock.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san!?¡±


    ¡°Hey there, Yasu-kun. Why are you acting so surprised?¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s classmate in middle school and current fellow student at prep school, Tatewaki Shouko, was standing there with a shopping bag hanging from her arm.


    ¡°Are you here for shopping?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, yeah. I¡¯m not the one shopping, though.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. I can see tableware from a fancy shop, and those look like cosmetics.¡±


    Yasuo tried to make an excuse, but Shouko just looked at the mountain of shopping bags on the bench next to Yasuo and gave a bitter smile.


    ¡°So you¡¯re in charge of carrying the bags?¡±


    ¡°Well, something like that. What about you, Tatewaki-san?¡±


    ¡°I have to go to prep school, but there was some stuff I wanted to buy before going there.¡±


    Looking at Shouko¡¯s bag, Yasuo saw that it was from a bookstore that was located inside the Ozone Shopping Center.


    Maybe because she noticed Yasuo¡¯s gaze, Shouko held out the bag for him to see.


    ¡°A new volume of a manga I am reading was released, so I bought it for myself as a gift for working hard all this week.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty open about this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift for my hard work, after all. Ah¡ªby the way, Yasu-kun.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Shouko had been talking to him normally until now, but she suddenly started fidgeting and once again looked at the shopping bags next to Yasuo.


    ¡°Umm, are you¡­ with family?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What about my family?¡±


    ¡°I mean, the shopping¡­ Are you here with your family?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah¡­ Yeah, I am. What about it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, you just looked very surprised when I called out to you, so I was wondering if you didn¡¯t want to be seen here. This place is a clothing store for women, and the things you¡¯ve bought look they¡¯re meant for girls too.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­.¡±


    Looking around, it was true that there were many things around him that had no relation to his daily life.


    Another thing that he realized was that he was in a precarious position right now.


    Yasuo had assumed so far that Shouko had already gotten over that issue, but back when Diana was still new to Japan, she had threatened Shouko in a back alley at night.


    That had happened to due to certain unavoidable circumstances, and Shouko had not pressed Yasuo for more details after that. However, Diana had not apologized to Shouko directly.


    Yasuo didn¡¯t think that Shouko would make an issue out of it at prep school after all this time, but since it was ¡°his side¡± that had behaved inappropriately, he wanted to avoid having Shouko and Diana meet again accidently. This was both for the purpose of avoiding problems with interpersonal relationships in the future, as well as avoiding the spread of information related to Ante Lande any further.


    However, the myriad deities residing in the land of Japan did not fulfill Yasuo¡¯s wish.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Yasuo. We¡¯ve finished buying everything we need for now, so let¡¯s meet up¡­ oh?¡±


    She had probably felt sorry for keeping him waiting.


    Diana had walked over to him quickly while holding a large bag in her hands. It would have been better if she had taken the time to observe the situation before coming over.


    However, it was already too late to be thinking about things like that.


    If only Nodoka had also come back along with her. What was that sister of his doing? She¡¯s not at the cashiers either, where on earth did she disappear to?


    Diana had a blank expression upon seeing Shouko who was talking to Yasuo, and Shouko in turn was looking at Diana with a shocked expression.


    Yasuo decided to stop thinking of unnecessary things.


    There was no choice but to get out of this situation using his extremely low ability to ad-lib while talking to the opposite sex.


    ¡°Umm, is she a friend of yours, Yasuo?¡±


    Diana¡¯s question seemed to timidly pass through the space in between Yasuo and Shouko.


    This was a very Japanese way of calling out to someone. Yasuo thought that it would have been better if she was less talented at the nuances of using Japanese, as he now had no choice but to answer.


    ¡°Ah, yes. This is Tatewaki Shouko-san. She¡¯s a friend from prep school. Tatewaki-san, as I mentioned to you before, this is Dianaze Krone. She¡¯s an acquaintance of my Dad¡¯s.¡±


    This was undoubtedly the first time in Yasuo¡¯s life that he had found himself caught between two women and forced to make introductions.


    Since he had already been nervous to begin with, it couldn¡¯t be denied that he was speaking very quickly.


    After Yasuo finished speaking, neither Diana nor Shouko replied for a few seconds and instead observed each other¡¯s faces. And then,


    ¡°¡°Ah.¡±¡±


    They both let out a small shout at the same time.


    ¡°You¡¯re that person who was saying stuff about Yasu-kun¡¯s enemies or whatever the other day!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really so sorry for what happened back then!¡±


    Shouko slightly changed her posture, and Diana bowed down with so much force that it was surprising her upper body was still attached.


    ¡°Umm, I was really lacking knowledge about many things related to Japan back then. I had no idea that you were a friend of Yasuo¡¯s from school. I have been thinking for a long time that I should apologize for being rude to you. I¡¯m really very sorry.¡±


    The fight went out of Shouko and she scratched her head as she watched Diana bob her head up and down several times while apologizing.


    ¡°Ah, well¡­ I was surprised, but I¡¯ve already heard about your circumstances, so it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to apologize so much, please raise your head.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡±


    Diana straightened her posture with a bright red face, but still bowed down one last time to Shouko.


    ¡°H-Hey, Diana, you¡¯re spilling stuff out of your bag.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, Yasuo! I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    Looking at the relieved expression on Diana¡¯s face, it could be seen that the matter had been weighing heavily on her heart.


    Because of her non-stop bowing, the seal on her bag that was stuffed with clothes came loose, and Diana once again apologized to Yasuo as he picked up the various items that had fallen out.


    Seeing this, Shouko let out a sigh.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about this.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Did the atmosphere around Shouko change slightly, or was that just Yasuo¡¯s imagination?


    Shouko turned towards Diana and introduced herself again in a soft tone.


    ¡°My name is Tatewaki Shouko. I graduated from the same middle school as Kenzaki-kun. As he said earlier, we are currently attending the same prep school, although we only found out about that recently. I just happened to run into him here earlier, so I called out to him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Umm, Krone-san? Are you here shopping with Kenzaki-kun?¡±


    ¡°With Yasuo? I don¡¯t know if I can call it that, as he has regrettably just been carrying the bags.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Shouko smiled, but it was a smile that was strangely devoid of emotion.


    ¡°Well, I have a lesson now, so I should be going. I don¡¯t want to get in your way.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Ah¡­ Hmm?¡±


    Didn¡¯t Shouko say something strange just now?


    ¡°Hey, Kenzaki-kun. I understand how you feel, but you should at least walk around with her and help her pick out the clothes. Make sure you do that next time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Hmm?¡±


    As he thought, something was strange.


    ¡°Umm, Tatewaki-san¡ª¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Kenzaki-kun. Let¡¯s talk again if we meet in prep school.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ okay. See you later.¡±


    Shouko left right away without letting Yasuo say anything meaningful.


    Diana saw her off while bowing her head once again, but Yasuo, assailed by an indescribable sense of unease, could do nothing but awkwardly wave his hand.


    ¡°Looks like she¡¯s got the completely wrong idea.¡±


    ¡°Uwaaah!?¡±


    ¡°Nodoka!?¡±


    Nodoka had appeared beside Diana at some point without either of them noticing, and had her arms crossed with a smug expression on her face.


    ¡°Onii-chan, that person was calling you ¡ºYasu-kun¡» in the beginning but suddenly switched to calling you ¡ºKenzaki-kun¡». Didn¡¯t you notice that?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it¡­ More importantly, how long have you been listening!? Where were you!?¡±


    ¡°I did say ¡®In the beginning,¡¯ didn¡¯t I? I went to the restroom after we finished shopping.¡±


    ¡°So you were just eavesdropping like it was the natural thing to do¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that aside, that person definitely has the wrong idea.¡±


    ¡°Huh? About what?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Onii-chan, are you seriously asking me that?¡±


    Nodoka looked between her brother¡¯s and Diana¡¯s faces, but both of them had a blank expression.


    ¡°Haaaaaa¡­¡­ What¡¯s wrong with these two people, they¡¯re supposed to be older than me¡­ ¡±


    Nodoka, the younger sister, let her shoulders droop forcefully.


    ¡ù

 Volume 2, 1 - A New Emissary Part 3

    Volume 2, Chapter 1 ¨C A New Emissary Part 3


    Part 6


    ¡°N-N-N-N-No way, she thought I and Yasuo were g-g-g-g-going out!?¡±


    They were on their way back home after finishing dinner in celebration of Diana moving into a new house. Diana had once again asked Nodoka what her exchange with Shouko earlier meant.


    ¡°Eh? You really don¡¯t know? That person called Tatewaki-san, she thinks you and Onii-chan are going out.¡±


    Diana got back such an unbelievable answer.


    ¡°Eh!? Seriously!?¡±


    Seeing her brother looking honestly shocked as well, Nodoka made an expression like she was giving up and shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s why she suddenly changed the way she called you and became all polite. Moreover, she¡¯s the person that Diana-san called an enemy once before, right?¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it in that way¡­¡±


    ¡°No, but still, would it make her think like that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Even I would try and put my guard up if I saw something like that without knowing the circumstances.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®something like that?¡¯ And ¡®putting your guard up?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Diana-san is partially to blame for saying stuff that could easily be misconstrued. Onii-chan, make sure you don¡¯t get any strange ideas as well, okay?¡±


    ¡°W-What do you mean, strange ideas¡­!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Don¡¯t you think the taste of that curry place has changed from before?¡±


    ¡°It looks like they got a new cook. The naans were larger than before, though.¡±


    Looking at the children talking from behind, their mother and father pretended not to hear as they discussed the food from the Indian restaurant that they had eaten at earlier.


    ¡°W-What do you think I should do? Assuming she really does have the wrong idea?¡±


    ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything you can do about it.¡±


    ¡°N-No way¡­¡±


    ¡°I mean, if Tatewaki-san doesn¡¯t really care who you go out with, bringing up the topic again and saying that Diana-san is not your girlfriend will just make you look overly self-conscious. Although it¡¯s different if you¡¯re interested in Tatewaki-san, Onii-chan.¡±


    ¡°You really haven¡¯t been holding anything back since earlier¡­!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling you the truth. Also, in the one in a million chance that Tatewaki-san likes you, it might be a good idea clear up the misunderstanding, but you only met her recently after not seeing her for a long time, right? So that idea is pretty much impossible, so the only thing you can do is to let it be.¡±


    ¡°L-Let it be¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°I mean, what other choice do you have? I mean, even elementary school kids are talking about dating these days, how can you be so flustered even though you¡¯re in the third year of high school?¡±


    The eighteen-year-old boy had no response to this far too casual opinion of the fourteen-year-old girl.


    Nodoka glanced back at Diana, who was looking downwards and blushing to the tips of her ears.


    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s really bothering you, why not just tell her that she has the wrong idea the next time you meet, or send her a message on ROPE? I don¡¯t know what sort of impression Tatewaki-san has about you, Onii-chan, but I¡¯m pretty sure doing that will make the atmosphere really uncomfortable, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not helpful at all¡­¡±


    Yasuo regretted his own lack of experience as he could do nothing to refute his little sister¡¯s words.


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m sorry. Because of my thoughtlessness, people are seeing you in such a light with someone like me¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo felt his blood pressure fall again after hearing Diana apologize in a depressed voice.


    Depending on the viewpoint, Yasuo realized that his words so far could be construed as Diana getting in the way of his interpersonal relationships.


    ¡°N-No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. How do I put it, I just want people to properly understand my circumstances, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t think you¡¯re attractive or that I don¡¯t see you as a girl¡­ Ah, but I don¡¯t mean this in a weird way either, umm¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it¡­¡±


    ¡°Digging. Yourself. Deeper.¡±


    Nodoka said as she watched her brother try and come up with excuses, while looking like she was enjoying it.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Yasuo suddenly realized that his parents had stopped walking and were standing still.


    Before they could reply,


    ¡°Yasuo, Nodoka, please bend down a little.¡±


    Diana had been blushing a deep red until just earlier, but she suddenly looked like a different person as she looked at his parents with a strong gaze.


    They were already close to their house. It was a dark residential district where the only things they could see were the streetlights and the lights from the houses.


    The Kenzaki house was within sight, just on the other side of the road.


    ¡°Madoka, take care of the kids. Diana-chan, I¡¯ll leave the rear to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°There are three of them. Please leave this area to me.¡±


    Diana dropped her shopping bags at her feet and formed a sword of light in her left hand from the otherworld Techno Weapon, Pollux, that she had pulled out from somewhere.


    It was originally a weapon that was supposed to be used along with Castor that was wielded in the right hand, but that particular weapon had been broken in the fight during the incident with William and was left at home.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    Nodoka went pale and looked around at the surroundings. Yasuo realized that his heart rate had increased due to nervousness, but somehow managed to withstand it and tried to get a handle on the situation.


    There were three in the direction his father was facing. Similarly, there were three more in the direction Diana was facing.


    They were the monsters from the other world, Shii.


    They were wrapped in dark flames that looked like the darkness of the night itself had been condensed, and from within glowed ominous red eyes.


    ¡°There are still people on the streets at this time. Let¡¯s finish it quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, Nodoka, don¡¯t move from that spot.¡±


    An orange-colored light was released from Madoka¡¯s hand, and it formed a dome around Yasuo, Nodoka, and the shopping bags that Madoka and Diana had dropped.


    There was no need to confirm it. It was definitely a magical defence that their mother had erected, a barrier of sorts.


    Nodoka slightly relaxed under the slightly warm light of the barrier, but Yasuo had his sight fixed on Diana¡¯s and his father¡¯s fights.


    His father was up against three Shii that stood across the road as if to block their way.


    They appeared to be fairly large, but his father, who was dressed like an ordinary salaryman on his day off, did not hesitate at all as he faced them.


    Something appeared to have been emitted from his fist as he stuck it out, as the pressure of his punch instantly decapitated the Shii. One of the Shii had lightning run throughout its body, and another Shii was blasted into the sky by a whirlwind, black flames and all.


    All of this happened in a mere ten seconds.


    His father had not even used his Holy Sword, and he looked like it was no big deal.


    Looking over at Diana.


    This time, there were three Shii that had appeared separately, one each on a different rooftop.


    All three of them jumped towards Diana at the same time, but Diana shot one of them down with a magic bullet from Pollux.


    The attacks of the other two faltered as they landed and Diana calmly avoided them. As they turned around, Diana stabbed one of them right in the middle of its chest with the blade of light.


    Seeing her empty handed, the remaining Shii pulled out something that looked like a sword wrapped in dark flames and jumped at her from behind, but Diana didn¡¯t even bother looking back.


    ¡°Wheel of flame that sleeps beneath the earth, open the door to wisdom with the furrows of your passing!¡±


    Along with that short incantation, she stamped upon the ground strongly with her right foot.


    In the next instant, the Shii that had been closing in on Diana from behind was trapped in a number of flame pillars that rose from the asphalt surface of the street, and after the flames disappeared, they could see that the Shii had lost its strength and was crumbling from the feet upwards.


    ¡°Haa¡­ I-Is it over¡­?¡±


    ¡°Probably. Are you okay, Nodoka?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah I am.¡±


    In terms of time, it hadn¡¯t taken even 30 seconds overall. Thankfully, no one had seen them.


    Nodoka was sitting down on the ground and patting herself on the chest, but Yasuo had a complicated expression on his face after seeing his father¡¯s overpowering strength and Diana¡¯s superhuman actions.


    This was the first time that Shii had appeared around them since the incident with William.


    Maybe because of that, Yasuo was not able to relax even though all the enemies had been put down.


    The appearance of the Shii was definitely not a coincidence.


    At the very least, two of the previous attacks had been caused by William¡¯s influence, and targeted Hideo the Hero and his family.


    That is why, Yasuo was convinced: the Shii that appeared in Japan were not like random mobs that were encountered in a game field, instead they were sent here by someone with malicious intent.


    Also, there was no ¡ºLeader-type¡» Shii among these six, similar to Alexei¡¯s Shii.


    ¡°Diana! On the roof!¡±


    Everyone looked up in shock after hearing Yasuo shout, and saw that a new Shii was just about to jump on top of Diana.


    It was a small-sized Shii.


    Compared to the Shii from earlier, it was definitely one size smaller.


    However, it moved so fast that Diana had no choice but to evade.


    The small Shii landed on all fours, stretched its twisted joints, and leaped straight at Diana.


    ¡°Wha¡ª!¡±


    Diana was taken by surprise and managed to block the attack with Pollux, but her stance was broken by the Shii¡¯s full-body tackle.


    Diana¡¯s physical strength was superhuman, partly due to her magical abilities.


    No matter how heavy that last attack was physically, was it really enough to destroy to her stance to that extent with just a tackle?


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Hideo rushed in to support Diana, and the small Shii stopped attacking after noticing that.


    ¡°So this guy is the leader this time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s probably the case. Its attack was strangely heavy. Please be careful.¡±


    As Diana urged Hideo to be careful, Yasuo suddenly looked backwards.


    The three Shii that his father had defeated were lying on the ground. However the black flames were still smoldering and giving off soot.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we need to send them off or they¡¯ll just come back. Hmm¡­.¡±


    This was the only thing that he knew that even he was capable of, having already done it once before.


    The requiem from Ante Lande.


    Yasuo had already memorized the song that soothed the flames of the Shii and send them to Heaven.


    ¡ºOh, wide sky, please welcome him. Oh, wide ocean, please welcome him.¡»


    Yasuo¡¯s song reached them even through the barrier that his mother had set up, and the flames of the three Shii that his father had defeated came undone. The remnants of the Shii were swept into the air like the ashes of a wood fire, and they disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Good thing last time wasn¡¯t a fluke.¡±


    Nodoka teased Yasuo after seeing the Shii vanish.


    ¡°Shut up. Alright, now for the ones over¡­¡±


    He still had to deal with the three Shii that Diana had defeated.


    Looking around, Yasuo saw something strange.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    The small Shii was standing on its hind legs.


    It had been dashing around at high speed and overpowered Diana with a powerful attack earlier, but now it was standing still, and even Yasuo could tell that it was full of openings to attack.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong? Both of you, hurry up and kill it¡ª¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­¡±


    Both Hideo and Diana looked like they had lost interest in taking it down for some reason, but Yasuo couldn¡¯t tell why they were waiting.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll send off the three over there as well for now. So hurry up and take it down, okay?¡±


    It may have been making some strange movements, but that was no reason to not take down a Shii.


    He was sure that it would be okay to leave it to his father and Diana, and tried to sing the requiem again to send off the remaining three Shii, but,


    ¡ºAa¡­¡­.Aa¡­¡­.Aa¡­¡­¡»


    For some reason, even the small Shii seemed to be affected by the requiem and its flames started to disappear.


    The effect was not as strong as it was against the three that had already been defeated.


    However, the phenomenon was similar to when the Shii were sent off, the flames of the small Shii were slowly being wiped away.


    ¡°This is¡­?¡±


    Diana¡¯s eyes were wide in surprise as she looked at that situation. The three defeated Shii disappeared into the sky, and the small Shii was backing away as if overwhelmed by the song.


    Was it possible that the Shii could be purified just with this?


    Yasuo had almost reached the end of the requiem and prepared to start it from the beginning again. In the next instant,


    ¡ºGaaar!?¡»


    The Shii suddenly gave a ferocious roar and jumped up high.


    A loud sound was released from the area where the Shii had been until an instant ago, and both Diana and Hideo suddenly tensed their bodies.


    As if someone was sniping at it from afar, a strong sound reverberated from the street and chased the Shii that was attempting to escape.


    ¡°This attack is¡­!¡±


    As Diana looked around, attempting to identify the position of the sniper, the source of the attack suddenly descended in between Diana and the Shii.


    ¡°What are you waiting for!? Major Krone!¡±


    A strict, female voice chased after the small Shii.


    ¡°What kind of fool hesitates to attack when faced with a Shii!?¡±


    The hair that was illuminated by the street lights was silver in color.


    The figure landed without a sound and immediately closed the distance with the small Shii in a single, fluid jump. Looking at her from behind, her clothing appeared to be the uniform of Resteria¡¯s Magitech Knights.


    ¡°Seeeeeaaah!¡±


    Brandishing the long, staff-like weapon in her hands, she attempted to deliver the final strike on the small Shii, but,


    ¡°Kuh!¡±


    The attack missed by a hair.


    That was because the Shii¡¯s body rapidly withered, turned into a pillar of dark flame, and disappeared into the ground.


    So that¡¯s how Shii escaped if they were not sent off properly.


    Even if you thought a Shii was defeated, if it was not sent off properly with the requiem, it would escape into the ground like that and appear again elsewhere.


    ¡°It escaped.¡±


    The new Magitech Knight clicked her tongue at not being able to deliver the final strike to the Shii, but immediately recovered her poise and rested the staff-shaped weapon against the ground.


    After separating the staff into two segments at the middle, the Magitech Knight put them into holsters at her waist like a pair of pistols and finally turned around to face Yasuo and the others.


    Silver hair and blue eyes.


    She gave off a cold impression, but her clothing was the same as what Diana was wearing when Yasuo saw her for the first time, light armor worn by the Magitech Knights of Resteria.


    The cross-shaped decoration on her chest was gold-colored unlike Diana¡¯s, which was deep blue, and there were bangles shaped like snakes around both of her wrists. On her forehead was a circlet with a deep-orange colored stone embedded in it.


    Seeing the face of the person who had appeared under the streetlights, Diana corrected her posture and raised her right hand.


    After seeing the new Magitech Knight do the same, Yasuo understood that it was a salute.


    ¡°Good work on your mission, Major Krone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Colonel Welleger.¡±


    As he had thought, it was a Magitech Knight from Resteria. What¡¯s more, she was Diana¡¯s superior.


    Perhaps it was to be expected, but she was speaking fluent Japanese as well.


    Both his father and mother had not yet let down their guard and were watching the new person, but the person whom Diana had called Colonel Welleger unhesitatingly turned towards Hideo.


    ¡°I assume you are the Hero, Hideo Kenzaki.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a very long time since I was known by that title.¡±


    ¡°It is an honor to meet you.¡±


    After confirming the identity of his father, she saluted once again and introduced herself.


    ¡°I am Colonel Khalija Welleger of Resteria Kingdom¡¯s Magitech Knights. I have been deployed here by the orders of His Majesty, Borad IX. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±

 Volume 2, 2 - What People Look For in a Hero Part 1

    Volume 2, Chapter 2 ¨C What People Look For in a Hero Part 1


    ¡°Damn you¡­ Hiroshi¡­¡±


    Yasuo was in the middle of taking his English Reading make-up test in the reception area in a corner of the staff room at school, and silently cursed Hiroshi, the high schooler in the speech who he was not sure really existed.


    Thanks to the fact that he had learned the contents of Hiroshi¡¯s speech perfectly, Yasuo was able to easily answer even the new questions that showed up on the test.


    The time limit for the exam was fifty minutes, the same as the original test, but Yasuo still had some time left even after answering all the questions and reviewing them, so he leaned back into the slightly threadbare sofa and let out a large breath.


    At this rate, it looked like there would be no major problems with the Classical Literature make-up test either.


    That just left the essay for Social Studies, but he had no choice but to fumble his way through this one while looking at reference books and other data.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been to the club room, maybe I¡¯ll stop by on the way back.¡±


    His Classical Literature test would be held three days from now, depending on his teacher¡¯s availability.


    Yasuo, who should have originally cleared this test back during the midterm exams, looked down at his right hand.


    Yesterday, Yasuo found out about an important truth related to Diana which he should have found out about much earlier, and he was now standing at a crossroads.


    ¡ù


    ¡°Allow me to speak frankly. The governing body of Resteria understands all the details about the man called William and the circumstances of the Kenzaki family, which were contained in Major Krone¡¯s report. However.¡±


    The new Magitech Knight from Resteria, Colonel Khalija Welleger, looked directly at Yasuo through the gentle steam rising from her tea cup.


    ¡°The idea of sending your esteemed son, Yasuo, is not welcome.¡±


    ¡°Colonel!?¡±


    Diana raised her voice in surprise, but Khalija, a person who had earned the rank of Colonel in the military, had a look in her eyes that did not allow Diana to say another word.


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s obvious.¡±


    On the other hand, Hideo didn¡¯t look surprised at all as he nodded.


    ¡°This may sound harsh, but if the situation was at the level where it could be settled by the ¡ºSecond Generation¡», Diana-chan probably wouldn¡¯t have come here in the first place.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±


    After hearing that, Diana let out a groan as though she understood her own position for the first time.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as you said. What Resteria wants is Hideo the Hero, himself. To clarify, Resteria is looking for ¡ºThe Second Coming of a Legendary Being¡», not a successor to inherit the legend.¡±


    Khalija didn¡¯t even glance at Diana, who was standing at attention next to her.


    Khalija¡¯s words may have sounded harsh, but Diana was also the daughter of heroes who had saved the world.


    Also, unlike Yasuo, she had undergone several years of training as a Magitech Knight, so her skills were unquestionable. It would have been far easier to present her as a Hero compared to Yasuo.


    However, the mission she was given was not to find a successor to the legend, but to act as an envoy to bring back the legend himself.


    ¡°Major Krone is an excellent Magitech Knight, but as she has lived her entire life in Resteria, she does not evoke any feelings of awe from the populace. While she¡¯s a highly skilled warrior, she cannot become something more than that, a symbolic existence.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    She has the strength, but not the charisma.


    That was Khalija¡¯s current assessment of Diana, and the people of Resteria probably felt the same way as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s more, she had been assigned as a surveying officer to the campaign during which General Alexei was killed in action. Even though that was a time when the countermeasures against the Shii were not yet known, it is a fact that she could do nothing to prevent the death of her father who was a comrade of the Legendary Hero. While that may evoke feelings of pity and compassion, it is of no use to raise the fighting spirit of the people.¡±


    ¡°Umm, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s going a bit too far¡­¡±


    Basically, Khalija was saying that Diana was completely useless in the battle where her father died, and what¡¯s more, the whole world also saw her that way.


    Yasuo tried to protest against those words that were far too cruel to Diana, but Khalija easily rejected his shallow protest.


    ¡°Yasuo Kenzaki. As a person who volunteered to become a Hero and replace your father, you must also face this reality. To the commoners and the young knights, the existence of ¡ºHideo the Hero¡» is close to that of ¡ºGod¡».¡±


    ¡°God? You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how legends work. Just how much embellishment do you think was added on to his name and his legend in thirty years? You don¡¯t need to live up to all the embellishments, but if you don¡¯t at least possess the level of ability he had according to the country¡¯s official records, there will be people who become disillusioned and they will easily become your enemies.¡±


    Khalija¡¯s explanation was now more similar to a lecture on Social Science rather than a critique of the details pertaining to Hideo the Hero.


    ¡°Just out of curiosity, just how far have these embellishments gone?¡±


    Seeing that Yasuo and Diana had gone silent with pale faces, Hideo asked that question.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. For example, the Legend of the Holy Sword Liutberga is particularly remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Legend of the Holy Sword, huh? I see.¡±


    ¡°If we were to collect and unify all the ¡ºFragments of the Holy Sword¡» that are in the possession of rulers and churches around the world, it is estimated that the length of the resulting blade would be somewhere in the range of twenty meters.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.That¡¯s more ordinary than I thought. Although any parts of Liutberga that are chipped off or broken will just disappear.¡±


    Hideo smiled bitterly upon hearing that, but even he could not avoid widening his eyes in astonishment at the next example.


    ¡°Also, there¡¯s a river called ¡ºThe Hideo Holy Sword River¡» in the current Gaz Commonwealth.¡±


    ¡°Wait, hang on, what kind of name is that?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone object to giving it such a stupid name?¡±


    Even Nodoka, who had stayed silent up to this point, was amazed.


    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor in the Gaz Commonwealth that during the defensive battle to protect the refugees, a single swing of Liutberga created the river and protected the people from the attacking hordes of the Demon King Army¡­¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s from back then!? It was the demons¡¯ magic that triggered a flash flood of the valley, I wasn¡¯t the one who changed the terrain!!¡±


    ¡°Regardless of what really happened, a river was created there after a battle in which Hideo the Hero participated. A church was constructed on the riverbank, and the water of that river is considered holy and is highly prized. Another famous anecdote is regarding the battle to capture the Ancient Clock Tower in the Baskelgarde Federation.¡±


    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this, but are you referring to that ancient clock tower? The one which was supposed to have a sealed magic that would allow a person to see the future, but just ended up having a calendar created by people who lived there in ancient times based on the movement of the stars¡­¡±


    ¡°It has become a story of how Hideo used the the magic of the clock tower and created a new star in the heavens.¡±


    ¡°How does one get from ¡ºUsing Magic¡» to ¡ºCreating a Star¡»?¡±


    At this rate, it would not be surprising if all the supernatural occurrences in the world were attributed to Hideo the Hero.


    ¡°However, the most talked about story is about the time when you slew an entire troupe of demons under the command of a demon general, right after you first appeared in Resteria. The one where you repulsed an army of a hundred thousand demons all by yourself.¡±


    ¡°No, there were only about thirty thousand. Besides, I ones I defeated didn¡¯t amount to even ten percent of that number.¡±


    Hideo had a faraway look, but Khalija was serious.


    ¡°However, the problem is that such tales are believed to be the truth. Even if you return to our world and your achievements now match the actual results from the past, it would be more than enough of an achievement. You may plainly state that you didn¡¯t even defeat ten percent of an army numbering thirty thousand, but everyone who had experienced that battle in the past says that if a person who was capable of such a thing had not appeared, Resteria would have been inevitably destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Ten percent¡­ Three thousand demons¡­¡±


    Yasuo had only heard about the battle with the demons from Diana and his parents, and he hadn¡¯t even seen one of those creatures called demons so far.


    However, he could understand just how ridiculously high a number three thousand was.


    Most likely, that battle was the one his father was involved in right after being summoned to Ante Lande, and the one where he had first met Diana¡¯s parents.


    Putting it in terms related to his own surroundings, the entire student body of Takeoka High School numbered fewer than seven hundred.


    If four times that number were to attack him at once with murderous intent, there was no way that he could repulse them.


    The same would be true even if he was armed.


    Non-fantasy weapons have limits such as ammunition, durability, and the amount of times they can be used at maximum effect.


    It is common knowledge that the number of people who can be killed with a single swing of a Japanese sword is by no means large. Similarly, the more ammunition you carry, the heavier you get and your ability to move is restricted.


    The imitation sword that Aoto had bought for his juniors in the Drama Club to use was so heavy that Yasuo couldn¡¯t imagine carrying it into battle with his current level of strength.


    On the other hand, the Holy Sword Liutberga was light as a feather, so the strain on the body from swinging it was far lesser when compared to swinging a regular sword made of iron, and his father also had the power to use magic. However, even without considering those advantages, Yasuo wondered if he would have the stamina to defeat three thousand demons in the first place.


    The enemy would also be attacking, so it would be necessary to run, dodge, and jump around.


    Even if you consider the extreme case where the weapon weighed nothing and every successful hit would definitely kill an enemy, you would still need to swing the sword a minimum of three thousand times while shuttle running.


    It is possible for a boxer to shadow box while jogging, but that is only possible because they have trained their bodies to the limit.


    Throwing three thousand full-power punches while shuttle running.


    This was not something normal people could do, and people would not normally try to do something like that either.


    Yasuo unconsciously clenched his own fist.


    ¡°¡­¡­.Of course, the Shii are different from Demon King Kaul. Based on the things I¡¯ve said so far, it might sound like I¡¯m being arrogant, but I was also born after the war ended. Like I said, it¡¯s not necessary to replicate the feats described in the stories that the people believe in. However, you are still young. And so is she.¡±


    Khalija looked at Yasuo and Diana.


    ¡°Both General Alexei and Hideo the Hero have aged considerably since the war, so the people will accept that they are unable to wield the same level of power that they did back then. However, if you take the place of your father, you must understand that the people will expect you to be just as strong, if not stronger than your father. Do you understand that?¡±


    After Khalija asked that,


    ¡°No, I was not aware.¡±


    That was the only response Yasuo could give.


    In the first place, Yasuo had not even been able to satisfactorily perform his duties as a student. There was no way that he was prepared to become strong enough to carry the hopes of an entire nation after just a year of training.


    ¡°It is good that you are honest. Besides, there are still some strong voices in Resteria that are opposed to soliciting the services of Hideo the Hero. If I had to make my position clear, even I am against it.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? What¡¯s with that attitude!?¡±


    Nodoka raised her anger at this seemingly thoughtless statement, but Hideo restrained her.


    ¡°That¡¯s only natural, seeing as the situation right now is still nowhere near as tragic as it was during the war against Kaul. There will be some people who want to rely on others to resolve the issue before things pass the point of no return, but there will also be people who want to resolve the issue by themselves while it¡¯s still not too late. Looking at it from the viewpoint of the Knights, it¡¯s like they are being told that the people have no faith in them, after all.¡±


    Hideo said that to calm Nodoka down as much as to show that he understood what Khalija was getting at.


    ¡°Well, I understand that¡­ but hearing her say that after all the trouble they¡¯ve caused¡­¡±


    Nodoka backed down, but it was clear to see that she was not happy about it.


    ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±


    ¡°Also, if you intend to push forward, you should be prepared to face such strong opposition.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo understood that those words were directed at him.


    He would be compared against the Hero of Salvation, Hideo. And also the combined might of Resteria¡¯s Knights.


    After using a ridiculous amount of money from the national budget to operate the Gate Tower, if the person who arrived was a kid who failed his tests and could not even complete the Foundations of Sorcery training properly, it might very well spark off a coup d¡¯¨¦tat.


    Yasuo felt his heart grow heavy at the thought that not only had his thinking been shallow; he had barely even scratched the surface.


    Ante Lande was not some ideal world where the people would be willing to accept everything about him. It was a world that was home to a large number of people with different thoughts, a place with established human societies.


    As long as there were different human societies, there was not even a one in a million chance that everyone would be willing to help him.


    After seeing Yasuo¡¯s expression darken from the corner of her eyes, Khalija spoke as if she remembered something.


    ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t explained why I came to Japan.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°My mission is to act as an assistant to Major Krone and help protect the people of the Kenzaki family.¡±


    ¡°Eeeh!?¡±


    The person who was most surprised by this statement was Diana.


    ¡°W-What do you mean, you¡¯ll be acting as my assistant, Colonel? Besides, you just said that you were against soliciting Hideo¡¯s services¡­¡±


    ¡°My private feelings and my orders from the King are different.¡±


    However, Khalija lightly sidestepped Diana¡¯s question and looked at Yasuo.


    ¡°The reason for the appearance of the man called William Bareig and the Shii in Japan is currently under investigation by the Magitech Knights in charge of the Gate Tower, under the directions of Her Excellency, Erijina. However, ensuring the safety of the Kenzaki family is of the highest priority. I apologize for the delay in coming here even after receiving Major Krone¡¯s report, but even without being aware of the circumstances, I have seen that there are incidents like the one earlier, caused due to the appearance of the Shii. I will be joining the mission to protect the Kenzaki family from today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this sounds skeptical, but how strong are you at fighting? Back when I was in Resteria, I saw that the higher-ranking officers of the Knights were more like bureaucrats than warriors. Not to be rude, but you look fairly young as well.¡±


    Yasuo broke into a sweat seeing his father stating his doubts about Khalija¡¯s abilities to her face, but she nodded as if it was only natural.


    ¡°Your suspicion is warranted. There¡¯s no point in stating my ability through words, but I can¡¯t very well cross swords with you either. Were my actions during the fight with the Shii earlier not a sufficient display of my ability?¡±


    It was true that Khalija had demonstrated a superhuman level of combat ability, different from Diana¡¯s, during the fight with the small Shii earlier.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Sorry to intrude on your conversation, but¡­¡±


    Diana spoke up hesitantly.


    ¡°Colonel Welleger is the very embodiment of the Knights¡¯ ¡ºElite¡». She enlisted at the age of fifteen and showed a level of ability that made her stand out right away, and was designated a Technical Lieutenant at the age of sixteen after submitting a treatise on combat techniques and Techno Weapons. She has performed many great deeds in the battle against the Shii after my father passed away, and¡­¡±


    Diana said that in a very timid manner.


    ¡°As a Magitech Knight, she stands one or two levels over the rest of us who are of the same age group, and is also an object of our aspirations.¡±


    Khalija, who had looked stern until that point, averted her eyes as if she was feeling awkward after hearing that.


    ¡°¡­Major Krone. From the viewpoint of the Kenzaki family, the two of us are members of the same organization. It¡¯s hardly convincing even if a colleague says such grandiose things about me. Saying things like that is, umm, troubling for me.¡±


    Her cheeks were slightly red, was she perhaps feeling bashful?


    ¡°Well, I guess it should be fine if Diana-chan says that much. Now, about you joining the guard mission¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. Ahem.¡±


    Khalija gave a small cough and recovered her poise.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the plan is to protect Yasuo and Nodoka from any attacks by the Shii during their daily lives. With me joining the guard detail, we will be able to reduce the burden on Madoka and Major Krone, and if possible, I also plan to look into the details about the man called William and the appearance of the Shii.¡±


    ¡°I see. Where do you plan to stay during this time?¡±


    ¡°I heard earlier that Major Krone has acquired lodgings in a housing complex nearby. If the Major finds it agreeable, I would like to stay there with her and share a part of the burden as well.¡±


    ¡°I have no problem with that at all¡­ but if I remember correctly, the rental agreement was only for a single occupant, will that cause any problems?¡±


    That last question was aimed at Hideo, and he nodded after thinking about it a little.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll make sure to check with the agency just in case, but I don¡¯t think it should be a problem as both of you are girls. There weren¡¯t any other people interested in renting the apartment anyways, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be so strict.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Sorry about this, Major Krone. It feels like I¡¯m causing trouble for you on top of arriving late.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it looks like things have worked out, timing-wise. I¡¯m simply thankful that the number of guards has increased. We will be counting on you for some time to come.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    There was no reason for Diana or the other members of the Kenzaki family to object once she obtained Hideo¡¯s approval.


    Khalija stood up and gave a Resteria-style salute to the legendary Hero.


    ¡°Sorry to ask this at such a late hour, but Yasuo, can I have some of your time right now?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Major Krone has been giving you Magitech Knight training. I would like to take a look at your aptitude.¡±


    ¡°¡°Eh.¡±¡±


    Diana and Yasuo both froze at that instant.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Right now?¡±


    It was already past ten pm. However, Khalija was not hesitant in the slightest.


    ¡°Of course. I will need to adjust the guard plan based on your aptitude and ability. I might be guarding you, but it would be pointless if I got in the way of your daily life. If there are areas that you are able to handle by yourself, there is nothing wrong with using that.¡±


    Yasuo understood what she was trying to say, but he was too scared to turn around and face his family.


    That was because his actions were what caused Diana to ¡°acquire lodgings in a housing complex nearby¡± in the first place.


    Yasuo couldn¡¯t tell if she had noticed his frozen expression, but she gave him a large smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you only recently found out about your parents¡¯ past, but you are still the son of Hideo the Hero, and The Rainbow Sage, Madoka. I have great expectations for your talent.¡±


    It was obvious that she didn¡¯t really think that, but she still said that slowly as if trying to imply something.


    Yasuo found out the reason behind it about ten minutes later.


    ¡°¡­¡­.This is terrible.¡±


    Astounded. If he had to describe it in one word, that was the word he would use.


    Yasuo was collapsed in front of Khalija, in a state of complete exhaustion.


    Beside him was Diana, with her shoulders slumped as though she was the one who was being reprimanded.


    They were in the backyard of the Kenzaki house, and Khalija had given him some tasks to check his aptitude for basic-level sorcery, but Yasuo hadn¡¯t been able to complete even a single one. He had not even completed the foundation level of sorcery yet, so that was only natural.


    Perhaps Khalija hadn¡¯t thought that Yasuo would be incapable of doing even this much, her expression gradually hardened.


    ¡°Major Krone. Just what have you been doing for the past month?¡±


    ¡°T-That is¡­¡±


    ¡°I never imagined for an instant that he would still be stuck at the foundation-level. Where does the root of the problem lie?¡±


    Basically, she was asking if it was a problem with the teacher, or a problem with the student.


    ¡°Haah¡­ Haah¡­ Me¡­¡±


    Yasuo raised his hand while struggling to catch his breath. He could not allow Diana to take the blame for this.


    ¡°Obviously.¡±


    Khalija crossed her arms and nodded as if she understood.


    ¡°Do you remember what I said earlier?¡±


    ¡°Haah¡­ Haah¡­ Eh?¡±


    ¡°You are the son of The Hero, Hideo and The Rainbow Sage, Madoka. I said that I had great expectations for you talent, didn¡¯t I? It appears that you have no idea about how big the shoes you were trying to fill are.¡±


    Saying that, Khalija looked at Diana who was cowering next to Yasuo.


    ¡°Major Krone has been compared to her parents, the Swordmaster Alexei Krone, and the Great Magician Erijina Radagast all her life. No matter how hard she works to achieve results, people say that it is only natural given her parentage, and if she fails, people will scold her saying she brings shame to her parents. Nobody tries to acknowledge her own power. It is a fact that her current position is due to her parentage, no matter how small the influence may be, and hence it is actually quite unfair to ask strangers to treat her fairly. And since you volunteered to become the new Hero, you would not be compared against General Alexei or Her Excellency, Erijina.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°The stories of battle are always distorted while they are told, and the achievements of people are gradually exaggerated over time. There are cities, streets, mountains, and rivers named after Hideo all over our world. If the son of such a legendary existence was to appear in such a world, what do you think would happen? If it¡¯s just at the level of disappointing the people, that¡¯s still fine. The way you are now, I don¡¯t think you will be able to do much, even if you focus entirely on training for a year. If someone like that shows up and calls himself the Son of The Hero, the most likely outcome is that you will be treated as an impostor, and might even be charged with trying to mislead the people and summarily executed.¡±


    ¡°E-Executed¡­¡±


    ¡°We already have no shortage of fools who claim to be relatives of Hideo the Hero and carry out scams and acts of violence. If the country brings forward a person whose identity is suspicious at such a time, that could very well lead to an increase in such crimes.¡±


    Yasuo felt so pathetic that he couldn¡¯t even say anything in return.


    He had volunteered to be a Hero who would save the world, why was he being talked about as if he was nothing but a source of inspiration to con-artists?


    However, Yasuo understood that this was his current reality, and he had nothing in his arsenal to fight back against her.


    Yasuo gritted his teeth in frustration, but what Khalija said next was completely unexpected.


    ¡°Still, isn¡¯t it fine for you to be the way you are?¡±


    ¡°¡°Eh?¡±¡±


    ¡°As I said earlier, I am personally against the idea of requesting help from the Hero. Major Krone, you weren¡¯t seriously thinking of bringing a man like this to our world either, correct? At this rate, the plan to summon the Hero will be judged to be impractical, and before long, people will reconsider the idea.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, the fact that you can do nothing makes it more convenient to guard you. I don¡¯t need to worry about the person I¡¯m guarding making any unexpected moves, after all. Making any half-baked moves during combat will just increase the risk, so I would like you to stay the way you are right now, Yasuo.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t holding back at all.


    ¡°Do you feel frustrated?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, I do.¡±


    There¡¯s no way anyone would not feel frustrated after having such things said about them.


    ¡°However, this is your reality. If you come to Resteria, you will not even be able to remain standing on your feet with your power. A person who cannot remain standing will only die on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Colonel!?¡±


    Diana shouted out before she could stop herself, and in the next instant, Khalija¡¯s staff-shaped weapon took the shape of a thin dagger and rushed towards Yasuo¡¯s throat.


    ¡°If I just lower my arm a little, you will easily die.¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    The killing intent he felt was definitely real.


    He understood it precisely because he had already felt the killing intent of William and the Shii. A metaphorical cold hand that was ready to take his life.


    Yasuo¡¯s eyes that were opened wide in fear met the gaze of Khalija¡¯s blue eyes that were like the uncharted depths of the ocean. For a moment, he felt like he saw a strange flicker in those eyes.


    ¡°Fufufu.¡±


    The next instant, the killing intent and pressure vanished, and Khalija¡¯s face took on a teasing expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty cute expression on your face.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? Ouch!¡±


    When he raised his voice, he felt the tip of the dagger prick the skin of his throat.


    ¡°It¡¯s the expression of a child who tries their best to act brave when being scolded by an adult.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not¡ª!¡±


    ¡°You are not suited to being a Hero.¡±


    Khalija brought her lips closer to him and delivered that ruthless verdict.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you should be doing, right? Are you unable to back down because of the declaration to made to Major Krone? If that is the case, then be at ease. Saying that you can do something you cannot is the greater sin compared to admitting that you cannot do something that you know you are incapable of. If you abandon the idea of making rash moves during combat and focus on doing things apart from fighting, you might still be useful as a supporter. The requiem you sang earlier to send off the Shii was fine piece of work.¡±


    ¡°But I cannot protect anyone with just that.¡±


    ¡°If you insist on acting tough like a child, forget about other people, you will be unable to protect even yourself and die. Just do the things that you are capable of doing. Hnn.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Hii!?¡±


    ¡°C-Colonel!?¡±


    Before Yasuo could fully comprehend that Khalija¡¯s face was getting closer, he felt a warm and moist sensation on his neck and let out a scream.


    He felt something moist caress the area on his neck where Khalija¡¯s Techno Weapon had grazed him earlier, and felt a slight tingle of pain.


    ¡°You were bleeding.¡±


    Seeing Khalija¡¯s charming smile, Yasuo finally understood what had happened, and he felt dizzy as if he had been exposed to a brilliant flash of light.


    ¡°W-W-W-W-W-Wha¡ª!?¡±


    ¡°What are you getting so excited about over something like this? You¡¯re eighteen-years-old, don¡¯t let out such a silly scream.¡±


    ¡°C-C-C-Colonel, you just l-l-licked Yasuo¡¯s neck¡­¡±


    ¡°What, you too?¡±


    Seeing Diana¡¯s bright red face, Khalija¡¯s expression changed to one of boredom and she moved her face and Techno Weapon away from Yasuo. After that, she extended a finger towards Yasuo¡¯s neck.


    The next moment, a pale light shone from beneath Yasuo¡¯s chin, and after the light went out, he realized that the pain on his neck had also stopped.


    ¡°It was still bleeding, so I closed the wound.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hey.¡±


    This must be what was known as healing magic.


    After touching his neck, he saw a little blood on his fingers but there was no sensation of a wound.


    ¡°I will also be protecting you from tomorrow onwards. Let¡¯s get along, Children of Heroes.¡±


    Khalija raised her hand in farewell and left the backyard, and Yasuo, still lying on the ground, and Diana, with her face still red, blankly watched her leave.


    ¡°Major Krone. I can¡¯t get into the room without the keys!¡±


    Diana stood up like she had been electrified upon hearing the voice that came from the other side of the fence.


    ¡°Y-Yes! Well then, I will be taking my leave now, Yasuo. Umm, I¡¯ll see you again tomorrow¡­¡±


    Diana briefly bowed to Yasuo, who was still sitting on the ground, and ran off after Khalija and he watched her leave.


    ¡°Once again¡­ A troublesome person has arrived¡­¡±


    Yasuo sat there with his hands over his eyes, looking like he was releasing all his resentment into the night sky. He was unable to stand up for quite a while after that.


    ¡ù

 Volume 2, 2 - What People Look For in a Hero Part 2

    Volume 2, Chapter 2 ¨C What People Look For in a Hero Part 2


    Yasuo received a score of 95 on his make-up test for English Reading, and successfully managed to clear the first hurdle. He was currently in the First Music Room of the old school building of Takeoka High School, which was illuminated by the light from the setting sun.


    This room was supposed to be off-limits to him since the Choral Club had been shut down, but strangely enough, there was a key to this room that the school did not know about, which had been passed down from seniors to their juniors in the club for many generations.


    Yasuo had also received the key from a senior one year older than him. He had copies of the key made at a locksmith¡¯s shop and carried one of them on his keyring.


    It was still a music room belonging to the school, and he was supposed to get permission from the teachers before using it. However, there was nothing of value in this room, so that rule was in name only.


    On the other hand, Yasuo could not use the room when the Chamber Music Group or Light Music Group had their practice sessions here, but since their practice schedule had basically stayed the same since the times the Choral Club was active, Yasuo¡¯s forays into the club room were hardly ever interrupted.


    And so, Yasuo stood alone in the middle of the room as he had done several times before and took a deep breath. He put his palms together, focused on his breathing and the power that flowed through his body, and then passed the magical energy between his palms without moving his body.


    A small point of light, the size of the tip of his little finger, illuminated his palms as it passed between his hands that were held apart at a distance the size of a rugby ball. Even doing only this much gradually caused Yasuo¡¯s breathing to become ragged.


    And soon, before even ten minutes had passed,


    ¡°Buuaaah!¡±


    Yasuo was not able to endure it anymore and broke his stance. The light dispersed and Yasuo¡¯s forehead was beaded with sweat.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good. I only went without doing this for three or four days and I¡¯ve already lost the knack.¡±


    It may have just looked like he was moving a firefly-sized amount of light between his palms, but in reality, the stress on his body was equivalent to holding up a ten kilogram weight in each hand.


    ¡°Aah, my wrists.¡±


    Even the fatigue he felt afterwards was exactly the same as working out with dumbbells.


    It had been four days since Diana had heard about his make-up tests and put his sorcery training on hold. Today¡¯s foundation-level practice was his first in four days, the first since the day Diana had moved into the Marigold Tokorozawa Apartment, and this was the result.


    At this rate¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to focus on doing what you can do. Do not attempt things that you are incapable of.¡±


    ¡°Uwaaaaaah!?¡±


    Yasuo jumped at hearing the voice of someone apart from himself in the room all of a sudden.


    He quickly looked around to see where the voice came from, and saw that Khalija was looking into the room from outside the window, of all places. The problem was that this room was on the fourth floor, the uppermost floor of the old school building, and there was no balcony or any sort of place to stand outside the window.


    ¡°W-What do you think you¡¯re doing? What if someone outside the building sees you!?¡±


    ¡°I could ask you the same question. Practising foundation-level sorcery in an enclosed space like this, what if you lose control? I sensed that you suddenly started raising the level of magical energy in your body and rushed over thinking that there was some sort of emergency. I¡¯d appreciate it if you stopped doing things like that¡­ there we go.¡±


    What¡¯s more, Khalija entered the room through the window and Yasuo was stunned upon seeing what she was wearing.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    Khalija was wearing a tracksuit that belonged to Takeoka High School.


    Diana also often wore a tracksuit during their Magitech Knight training, was there something about tracksuits that caught their fancy?


    At any rate, the school-provided tracksuit definitely looked odd on the silver-haired Khalija, and it wasn¡¯t much of a disguise either.


    At the very least, she should remove the circlet that she was wearing on her head. The tracksuits used by the students of Takeoka High School were a subdued blue, and it was the same color for students of all years. Khalija¡¯s looks were already very striking, wearing a glittering, black circlet with an orange jewel embedded in it made Yasuo seriously question if she had any intention of disguising herself in the first place.


    ¡°¡­By the way, where did you get that tracksuit? Did you steal it from someone?¡±


    Hearing that, Khalija replied without any trace of guilt on her face.


    ¡°I thought that the Magitech Knight uniform would stand out too much, so when I asked Nodoka, she let me borrow this saying that it was used by students of this school. I slept in Major Krone¡¯s room last night, but I failed to consider the matter of clothing.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so that¡¯s mine? That idiot Nodoka, doing whatever she wants! Why didn¡¯t you just borrow some clothing from Diana!?¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped. I can¡¯t very well steal something from strangers who know nothing about our situation, and I can just wash these clothes and return them to you later. Also, Major Krone¡¯s sizes are different from mine in many ways and I can¡¯t use her clothing. My apologies.¡±


    In spite of her apology, Yasuo could see from her expression that she didn¡¯t particularly feel bad about it.


    Even last night, she sounded like she was talking about serious things but ended up just teasing him. She acted like a perfect soldier in front of his father, so he had no idea what to make of her current attitude.


    Was she putting on an act for Hideo the Hero? Or was she just taking Yasuo lightly because he was unskilled and younger than her? Judging from what Diana said about Khalija¡¯s military experience yesterday, Yasuo couldn¡¯t help but think that it was the latter.


    After thinking about that, Yasuo suddenly remembered what she had done to his neck the previous night and he felt his cheeks grow warm. He hurriedly put some distance between them to get away from Khalija¡¯s teasing face.


    ¡°E-Even so, please don¡¯t use my school clothes! I might need them as well.¡±


    ¡°I will acquire some inconspicuous clothing when I have some free time. Please put up with it for the time being. I¡¯ll make sure to wash them properly before returning them¡­ Or maybe you¡¯d prefer it if I didn¡¯t wash them?¡±


    Even Yasuo was capable of calmly dealing with someone who spoke so frankly.


    ¡°Please wash, dry, and iron them before returning them. Also, there¡¯s no getting around the fact that you¡¯re fairly conspicuous, Khalija-san, so please think over the guard plan a little more carefully.¡±


    Seeing that Yasuo had calmed down, Khalija just said ¡°Boring,¡± and finally dropped her teasing expression.


    ¡°If you¡¯re saying that I should stop guarding you from a close distance, then that is rejected. There¡¯s no assurance that the Shii that escaped yesterday won¡¯t attack you again today. Major Krone should also be staying close to Nodoka today. You will be going to some place called a prep school after this without returning home, correct? According to the schedule that I received in advance, you are already thirty minutes late in leaving here. Please keep unexpected activities to a minimum.¡±


    ¡°U-Unexpected activities¡­¡±


    Although her words were exaggerated, Khalija¡¯s expression was serious.


    ¡°In the military, deviating from the schedule for no good reason is grounds for severe punishment. If you come to Resteria as the Hero, you will undoubtedly be assigned to the Knights Division. If that happens, you won¡¯t get away with such a light rebuke.¡±


    Saying that, Khalija looked at the clock that was mounted on a wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to move. Madoka has asked me to use something called a taxi on the way back. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine¡­ Say, Khalija-san, I have a question for you. Also, please don¡¯t walk inside the school looking like that. At the very least, leave the way you came and try not to let anyone see you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Yasuo stopped Khalija who was about to calmly head into the school corridors while dressed in a tracksuit that made her stand out, and then asked her a question.


    ¡°The military rank of ¡ºMajor¡»¡­ How hard is it to reach that?¡±


    Khalija thought about the meaning of that question for a little while, and then suddenly gave him one of her inscrutable smiles and came closer to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not interested in knowing about ¡ºColonel¡»? If you¡¯d like, we can go to some quiet place where nobody will disturb us and I can give you a detailed explanation.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not interested, thank you.¡±


    Khalija looked a little unhappy upon seeing Yasuo reject her idea while sighing deeply, as if he found her truly annoying.


    ¡°Despite being a naive kid, you¡¯re no fun at all. I¡¯ve heard that your father was also quite straight-laced in his youth despite looking frivolous, maybe that¡¯s the only thing you¡¯ve inherited from him?¡±


    ¡°That sounds very interesting, but for now, I would appreciate it if you answered my question.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. But you should know, I¡¯m not saying things like that just to tease you. If you want to become a Hero, you should get used to things like that quickly.¡±


    Yasuo felt astounded as Khalija had pretty much said that she liked to tease him, however Khalija obediently stopped trying to leave the room through the door and went towards the window instead.


    ¡°The title of ¡ºHero¡» is unimaginably heavy, in more ways than one. I¡¯ll tell you what that means, as well as many other things which Dianaze Krone, that pure girl who is even more naive than you, has probably not talked about. Let¡¯s meet in front of the main gate in ten minutes. Don¡¯t be late.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡±


    Khalija¡¯s mood now was a complete change from her teasing attitude earlier, and Yasuo agreed right away.


    Yasuo carefully hurried out of the school while making sure that he didn¡¯t catch the attention of his friends or classmates. By the time he reached the main gates, he saw that a taxi was already waiting outside the gate and Khalija was waiting next to it in an imposing pose.


    ¡°You¡¯re late. It¡¯s one minute over the agreed time.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. It took some time to make sure that I wasn¡¯t seen leaving¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s well and good, but pointless because someone already saw you.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Yasuo looked back to see what Khalija was looking at.


    ¡°Ah, Yasu. Are you done with your make-up test? Leaving already? Want to go to the station together?¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Aoto!¡±


    By some freak coincidence, Aioi Aoto was walking towards him while dragging a trunk packed full of Theatre Club props.


    ¡°Hmm? A taxi? ¡­Who¡¯s that?¡±


    Of course, he saw the taxi, and Khalija wearing the tracksuit with the name ¡°Kenzaki¡± stitched on it.


    ¡°Uh, this is¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you one of his classmates? I¡¯m sorry, but he has a prior engagement with me today. Please ask him again from tomorrow onwards, if you have the time.¡±


    Saying that, Khalija wrapped her arms around Yasuo¡¯s arm, fully aware of the fact that Aoto was looking at them.


    ¡°Uwaaaah!?¡±


    Yasuo panicked when he felt a sensation on his arm that must not be felt, and tried to pull away. However, he could not break Khalija¡¯s grip even though she didn¡¯t look like she was putting any strength into it.


    Yasuo could not go against Khalija as the difference in his strength from a Magitech Knight was made apparent at even a time like this.


    ¡°Time to go, Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Prior engagement? What? Eh?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry, Aoto. Today is¡­¡±


    Even Yasuo didn¡¯t know how to complete that sentence, but in any case, Yasuo was dragged into the taxi after only being able to say something vague to Aoto.


    ¡°Well then, we should be going¡­. Take us to the Western Exit of the Tokorozawa Station, please.¡±


    After saying some unnecessary parting words to Aoto, Khalija spoke to the taxi driver as if she was used to it.


    ¡°¡­Please let go. I need to fasten my seatbelt.¡±


    ¡°What, are you embarrassed?¡±


    Freed from Khalija¡¯s grip, Yasuo turned around inside the moving taxi and saw the figure of Aoto getting smaller as they left him behind, looking towards them with a dumbfounded expression.


    Yasuo hung his head while feeling a sense of despair, but he heard Khalija say something unexpected beside him.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably blaming me for doing something so conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I did that on purpose. Right now, I need to be vigilant when you are approached by people, no matter who they may be. No, it¡¯s not just you. The same holds true for Nodoka as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What do you mean?¡±


    Yasuo guardedly asked her that, and Khalija looked at the view outside her window after glancing at Yasuo once.


    ¡°This is also related to how difficult it was for Dianaze Krone to achieve the rank of Major.¡±


    ¡ù


    ¡°Putting it this way might sound rude, but neither your parents nor the rest of your family live in a particularly special environment in this world, correct? ¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. To be frank, there must be a ton of similar families living all over Japan.¡±


    The husband is a salaryman, and his wife is a housewife. Their son is in high school, and their daughter is in middle school.


    Looking at their life in the past, they were a completely unremarkable family.


    ¡°But General Alexei and Her Excellency, Erijina, couldn¡¯t live that kind of life. They were both from distinguished families, and were leaders of the country. What¡¯s more, they were Heroes on par with Hideo, and their names were known throughout the world. Also, they had a single child, the beautiful Major Krone, no, Dianaze. What do you think? Can you imagine what kind of things she had to put up with, just because of this?¡±


    Yasuo used his meager imagination to the fullest, and stated the answer that he arrived at.


    ¡°Jealousy, resentment¡­ And maybe receiving marriage proposals for political reasons?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I heard that it was quite terrible.¡±


    Anyone who married the one and only daughter of the Heroes would become the center of gossip in the public eye.


    ¡°This is just a rumor, but I heard that she had nearly a hundred suitors as soon as she reached the age of twelve.¡±


    ¡°A hundred suitors at the age of twelve!?¡±


    This statement caused Yasuo to doubt his hearing.


    What kind of people would propose marriage to a girl who is only twelve years old?


    ¡°Of course, most of them were men she had never met before. As a woman, even thinking about that makes me feel disgusted.¡±


    Khalija spat out those words while looking seriously disgusted.


    ¡°Of course, her parents threw such proposals straight into the fireplace, keeping only the name of the sender so that they could send a letter of rejection. From the perspective of their national interests, there would be major international problems if their only daughter ended up being married to nobility or royalty from a different country, so the applicants were selected very carefully. Even with that, there were still a hundred people. I feel like telling those people to at least try and hide their intentions a little.¡±


    Receiving marriage proposals from people she had never seen, even as a child, Diana had been aware from the beginning that people had been only interested in her background and not herself.


    ¡°Unlike Japan, Resteria does not have an official age of majority that is determined by the law. However, by custom, the age is set to fifteen years.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Fifteen years of age is still very early.


    Yasuo had heard that the age of attaining manhood was around the same back when the Samurai were in control of the government. He remembered that the essay he had to write for Social Studies in place of taking a make-up test was on the topic of ¡ºReduction of the Age of Majority¡», and he decided to pay close attention as he might be able to use this as a reference.


    ¡°By the time Dianaze reached the age of majority, it became nearly impossible to repel the pressure from the people surrounding them. There were many people within the country who came to General Alexei with proposals for a political marriage. And so, she enlisted into the Knights Division almost as if she was desperately running away. ¡±


    ¡°Running away?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If she joined the Knights, she would be a soldier. As soldiers pledge allegiance to their country, for obvious reasons they cannot easily enter into marriage with nobles of foreign countries, at least on paper. By doing that, she made sure that the people who were after her were limited to only those within her own country. Once that was done, as long as her parents were vigilant, she could avoid receiving any more annoying marriage proposals, barring any from people who fell in love with her at first sight.¡±


    ¡°So when you said that Diana received preferential treatment to get promoted, was it to protect her from people like that?¡±


    ¡°No. This is an administrative matter, but in our country a person needs to be a field grade officer or higher in order to use the Gate Tower. Her special promotion was due to the decision to simplify matters by forcefully promoting her, even if it meant twisting the law. She was only a First Lieutenant until three months ago, after all. Her promotions up to that point were due to her own talent and hard work. The combat and magical abilities she inherited from her parents were on a different level compared to the others in her age group. Although she lacks experience, should you only look at her fighting ability she is even comparable to me.¡±


    Khalija had explicitly declared that she was stronger than Diana, but that was not important right now.


    ¡°However, if she just wanted to avoid getting married, couldn¡¯t she have just become a nun or something similar?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the Church of the Divine King?¡±


    Even though she asked him that, Yasuo had never heard of the religion before. From the way she said it, he assumed it was one of the major religions on their world.


    Khalija grimaced and shook her head.


    ¡°The Church is a den of wicked people that even makes the Knight Division looks attractive in comparison. The church¡¯s borders are not as strong as that of the country, and if a child from a noble family joined them, it would be obvious to everyone that it¡¯s only temporary measure. It would be like hiding in a cage full of flaws while trying to escape from wolves. There¡¯s no point in doing that at all.¡±


    After hearing that, Yasuo was forced to agree that it made sense.


    Yasuo remembered that there were questions on his Classical Literature test about tales written by writers in the Heian Period, about women who had become nuns and yet sang songs of love about how they wanted to return to their lives someday. He remembered wondering if people really took holy vows so irresponsibly.


    ¡°The same thing applies to you, as well.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    However, Yasuo was surprised because she suddenly shifted the topic of conversation to him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set aside your actual ability for now. Let¡¯s assume you were taken to Resteria by Major Krone, and were accepted as a Hero by the people. What do you think would happen then?¡±


    ¡°What would¡­.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a healthy, eighteen-year-old young man. The son of a Hero who wielded overwhelming strength and saved the world in the past.¡±


    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°The number of people who would like to get closer to you are probably more numerous than the Shii. Depending on which faction you join, the country might be thrown into chaos. There will be people who will offer you their daughters¡¯ hands in marriage. There might even be good-for-nothing daughters of nobility trying to woo you among that number. There will be rulers who bring you large tributes and petition you to give priority to saving their own populace. Do you think that you will be able to deal with people like that?¡±


    ¡°N-No, but still¡­ Won¡¯t Diana¡¯s mother and the King do something about that?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they will protect you in the beginning. However, His Majesty, Borad IX is very old, and after the death of General Alexei, the workload of Her Excellency, Erijina, has increased greatly. Resteria is currently full of people who are looking askance at the influence of the Krone Family and the life of the King, and it is being wracked by power struggles between people who will resort to any means necessary. It¡¯s basically a warzone. In such a situation, the country still needs to come up with countermeasures against the Shii. Of course, there will be a fair number of people who will be there to help you, but most likely it will be different from your father¡¯s time when they went on a tour of several foreign countries and managed to save the world in the end. With things as they are right now, even if you manage to become as strong as your father, you will just be seen as a ¡ºWeapon¡» with the convenient label of ¡ºHero ¡».¡±


    In other words, he would be a tool, used at will and whim by those in power.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not all I wanted to say. What I¡¯m going to say now concerns the Shii that appeared the other day, and the reason why I went out of my way to show myself to your classmate.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I just explained what would happen to you in Resteria if you went there as you are now. However, this is not restricted to only Resteria.¡±


    ¡°Not restricted to only Resteria¡­?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? It¡¯s not just Resteria that wants the power of ¡ºThe Hero¡».¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    At that moment, Yasuo suddenly understood what she was trying to say.


    Resteria was not the only country in the world of Ante Lande. There were places like the Grand Duchy of Torjesso, which was the first place to be destroyed by the Demon King Kaul, and even yesterday Khalija had mentioned some place called the Gaz Commonwealth.


    ¡°During the war with Demon King Kaul, the situation was so dire that Hideo the Hero was welcomed all over the world, and every country supported him during his travels. However, the situation right now is different. Nobody has come up with any permanent solution to the Shii problem yet, but the situation hasn¡¯t deteriorated to the point that it affects the stability of countries. There are also other major world powers with access to their own Gate Towers.¡±


    Yasuo finally understood why Khalija had purposely called attention to herself today.


    ¡°So there might be other countries who are targeting Dad, Nodoka, and me?¡±


    ¡°Almost certainly, if they have managed to catch wind of the fact that you intend to become a Hero. No, you should assume that they already know about that.¡±


    Khalija moved her eyes alone and glanced at Yasuo.


    ¡°Hideo will certainly side with Resteria, and there are few people idiotic enough to try anything unlawful against such a legendary existence. However, you and Nodoka are different. If they manage to acquire the two of you, they might be able to win an advantageous position among all the nations in Ante Lande. You might be used as leverage against Resteria during negotiations on completely unrelated matters. As the two of you currently have no backing, you have such immense value that any country that manages to gain control of you will be able to completely overturn the current status of the world.¡±


    ¡°S-So you¡¯re saying that other countries might make a move with the intention of kidnapping Nodoka and me?¡±


    ¡°It might not necessarily be kidnapping. There are many ways to bait you. Money, prestige, women, and especially the safety of your city and family, which is of value to you right now, might be used as material for negotiation. Even we are doing the same thing, after all.¡±


    True, there were many areas in which the daily life of the Kenzaki Family was being greatly supported by the Resteria Kingdom.


    Also, because of the attack by the Shii the other night, the Kenzaki family could not afford to reject the assistance of Diana and Khalija.


    ¡°I think that the man mentioned in Major Krone¡¯s report, William Bareig, is one such person. That might also be the reason why he was after you and Nodoka.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You really think so?¡±


    Sure, people might think that way if they found out about William¡¯s words and the outcome of the battle from a second hand report.


    However, because of his experience, Yasuo could not bring himself to believe that William was human.


    It would be difficult to put into words if he was asked to explain why he felt that way. It might have just been the dormant wild genes present in humans since ancient times that made him feel that way, but Khalija would probably not understand it even if he explained that to her now.


    It was something similar to the Shii; you would not understand it unless you actually encountered it yourself.


    Besides, Yasuo had no basis to say that just because William was not human, he was not related to any nation or organization from Ante Lande.


    Khalija continued to speak.


    ¡°Because of that, both Major Krone and I have to stand out. We, Resteria, have called dibs on Hideo the Hero and his family. We will not forgive anyone who ignores that and attempts to get close to you. Well, it¡¯s something like that.¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­ Hey, what are¡ª!¡±


    Before he realized it, Khalija had once again nestled close to Yasuo, causing his blood pressure to rise rapidly, and he tried his best to escape to the corner of the seat.


    However, as if to tease Yasuo for his lack of experience, Khalija put her lips close to Yasuo¡¯s ear and breathed out on purpose.


    ¡°Even the driver of this taxi might be a person from Ante Lande, you know? Wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if he¡¯s a spy sent here to investigate the lives of you, Nodoka, and Major Krone? That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to protect you like this.¡±


    ¡°Ah, fine! I understand! I understand, so please move away! Aaaah!¡±


    At this rate, he would fail to protect something else. If it was possible, he wanted to escape through the window.


    He could feel an unfamiliar sensation against his arm, through the cloth of his own tracksuit.


    Perhaps she was satisfied after seeing Yasuo who looked ready to burst into tears, Khalija let out a small laugh and moved away from him as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    Yasuo took a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart and glanced at the driver¡¯s reflection in the rear-view mirror.


    The elderly driver showed no signs of having heard any of their conversation, as if he was wearing earplugs, and was driving the car safely. Yasuo actually found it troubling that he did not appear to be paying attention to them at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I though of a good idea. There¡¯s a way to minimize the stress caused by all the various problems I just explained to you. Do you want to know how?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re going to tell me anyways, right? What is it?¡±


    After silently rebuking her in his heart, Yasuo asked her that, and Khalija raised her finger, looking like she had completely reverted to her teasing mood.


    ¡°Things will become so much simpler if you and Major Krone get married. I mean, you¡¯re both the children of Heroes, after all. The eyes of the entire world will be on you, and you will have the overwhelming support of the kingdom and the Krone family, so you won¡¯t have to worry about being taken for a ride by any strange people¡­¡±


    Yasuo truly wished that he hadn¡¯t heard that.


    It looked like even Khalija didn¡¯t expect such a reaction from him, so she wrinkled her eyebrows as if she was dissatisfied.


    ¡°Major Krone is a beautiful girl even by the standards of this world, isn¡¯t she? What are you so unhappy about?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m seriously starting to wonder if you¡¯re really in the same age group as Diana. You completely sound like someone¡¯s aunt! More importantly, please stop saying things like that!¡±


    ¡°How rude. It was a serious idea, you know? Also, what do you mean by ¡®things like that?¡¯ What exactly do you want me to stop doing? Hmm?¡±


    Even though you know exactly what I mean!


    Yasuo gritted his teeth out of anger and held back that scream.


    ¡°What part of that sounds like a serious idea? Why is everyone trying to pair up me and Diana?¡±


    ¡°Everyone?¡±


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s nothing, just something on my side¡­ More importantly, what are you trying to do!? You¡¯ve just been saying all these things that make me not want to go to Ante Lande. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be Diana¡¯s assistant, Khalija-san!?¡±


    ¡°As I said earlier, I am against the idea of summoning the Hero to Ante Lande.¡±


    Khalija was enjoying herself seeing Yasuo argue with her with a red face, but she once again glanced out of the window and gave a somewhat lonely laugh.


    ¡°You have a point. I don¡¯t want you to become disillusioned with how Ante Lande is right now. The same goes for Hideo the Hero as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Become disillusioned?¡±


    ¡°The Ante Lande that your father travelled through and the current Ante Lande are completely different. I don¡¯t see any reason why you should leave this bountiful and peaceful country behind and risk your life to come to our world, but if you do end up going there, I just want to do my best to make sure you don¡¯t have any bad memories. Lately I¡¯ve felt that¡­¡±


    The view outside the window indicated that Tokorozawa Station was near, and Khalija for some reason whispered only the next words in a quiet voice.


    ¡°¡­the Shii are a punishment from the Gods for forgetting about the calamity caused by the Demon King Kaul and being consumed by fighting amongst ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Right then, it looks like we¡¯ve arrived. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t try to enter such a small building to keep an eye on you.¡±


    ¡°Please spare me.¡±


    After getting down from the taxi, Yasuo looked back at Khalija, who was still sitting inside, and frowned.


    ¡°Hoever, like I said earlier, I plan to stay somewhere close. I might end up switching with Major Krone at some point, but you should just assume that one of us is nearby even if you can¡¯t see us. I would also be thankful if you carefully think about those other matters as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°Replying once is enough. Aah, one more thing. Wa¡­ you.¡±


    Khalija made a serious expression and lowered her voice.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    However, he wasn¡¯t able to properly hear her over the noises outside and the sound of the engine.


    ¡°I said, watch¡­ behind¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it? I can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Yasuo furrowed his eyebrows and leaned closer her to her through the open door. Khalija gave a smug smile as if she had achieved something, and Yasuo had a bad premonition, but it was already too late.


    Khalija once again brought her face close to his ear.


    ¡°Watch out behind you. There¡¯s a girl glaring at you with an incredibly angry expression.¡±


    And said that with a hint of sarcasm.


    ¡°!!! Ouch!¡±


    Yasuo tried to turn around suddenly and banged his head hard against the roof of the taxi, and while he crouched down in pain, the taxi carrying Khalija sped away.


    Yasuo didn¡¯t even have the time to glare at the tail lamps before he timidly turned around, and¡­


    ¡°Hello, Kenzaki-kun.¡±


    Shouko was glaring down at him with such intensity that he felt like she would shoot ice magic from her eyes.


    She was obviously extremely angry with him, and Yasuo could only act flustered, as he didn¡¯t know the reason.


    ¡°H-Hey there, Tatewaki-san.¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s something I should apologize to you about.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Remember the joke I made back then? It was back when you didn¡¯t recognize me right away, Yasu-kun¡­ no, Kenzaki-kun.¡±


    From the way she changed the way she called him, he could guess the degree of Shouko¡¯s inexplicable anger.


    ¡°I said that you were probably friends with a lot of girls, so it couldn¡¯t be helped if you didn¡¯t remember someone like me, right? I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry for what¡­?¡±


    ¡°I just thought that you were actually quite popular. You¡¯re with two different girls in a matter of a single day, and what¡¯s more, both of them are foreigners. You even kissed her after getting out of the taxi, it¡¯s so incredible that I can¡¯t keep up at all. I guess people who go to a private school in the city are made of different stuff after all. Is this what they call making progress?¡±


    ¡°Ki¡­!? No, it wasn¡¯t like that!!¡±


    Yasuo wanted to deny it, but he was flustered upon hearing the word ¡°kiss¡± and turned red after remembering what had happened the previous night in the backyard.


    He knew that it would completely support what Shouko was thinking, but he couldn¡¯t stop his emotions.


    He had been on his guard, but he still got conned by Khalija in the end.


    She had indeed planned things out so that people who saw him from afar would think of something like that.


    Khalija had probably noticed Shouko the moment he stepped out of the taxi. She had purposely taken the kind of action that would ensure that Shouko would remember her.


    However, no matter how important it was to be conspicuous, there were other ways to do it!! Though, even if he wanted to say that, Khalija was nowhere in sight, and it didn¡¯t look like Shouko would believe him either.


    Besides, what kind of place did she think private schools in a city were like?


    If they were talking about cities, then the neighboring Higashimurayama Station that was in no way different from Tokorozawa was already part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.


    Besides, the only places that students could go to that were near the train station closest to Takeoka High School were convenience stores, a MgRonalds, and unmanned stalls selling vegetables.


    It was a student life completely devoid of any sort of city-like charm, so it was troubling when people just used the term ¡°private school in the city¡± to draw their own conclusions!


    ¡°Something like this is on an entirely different level from going to buy manga, so you should consider the TPO, okay? Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, wait a minute, Tatewaki-san! It¡¯s not what you think!¡±


    ¡°What? What exactly is different? I don¡¯t particularly care about who you go out with, Kenzaki-kun.¡±


    The expression on Shouko¡¯s face when she turned around was not the expression that someone who didn¡¯t care would have.


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m not going out with her or anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you were just playing around by kissing someone you¡¯re not even going out with?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding!¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry, I have a test during my lesson today. Goodbye.¡±


    Shouko spoke quickly to shut out what Yasuo was trying to say, and quickly walked into a lecture booth. This must be what was meant by being unapproachable.


    Not only was he unable to resolve the misunderstanding, he actually made it worse. Yasuo fell down on his knees while thinking about that, and,


    ¡°H-Hey, what¡¯s wrong? You look really pale, are you okay?¡±


    He felt like he was about to faint, but after hearing the voice of Kobayashi, the teacher in charge of him, he managed to regain his senses.


    ¡ù

 Volume 2, 2 - What People Look For in a Hero Part 3

    Volume 2, Chapter 2 ¨C What People Look For in a Hero Part 3


    ¡°Hahaha!! That¡¯s what happened after I left!?¡±


    Khalija¡¯s amused laughter echoed in the living room of the Kenzaki house, and Yasuo glared at her resentfully.


    She was still wearing Yasuo¡¯s tracksuit, and paid no attention to Yasuo¡¯s glare as she continued to work on something with several metallic parts spread out on the table before her. Nodoka, who had given the tracksuit to her without permission, was sitting beside her and watching her work with an interested expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something to laugh about¡­¡±


    Yasuo said that as he sat down in front of Khalija.


    ¡°Colonel! What are you doing!? Why are you causing problems for Yasuo?¡±


    Diana, who was standing next to Yasuo with a red face, began to chew out Khalija fiercely.


    ¡°Uwaaah¡­ Onii-chan, that¡¯s really something.¡±


    Nodoka was provoking him her brother by giving him a disgusted smile, so his only ally was Diana.


    ¡°Look, even Nodoka¡¯s doing that! Why do I have to be seen by other people in such a way? I didn¡¯t even do anything!!¡±


    It was past nine pm when Yasuo left prep school.


    He didn¡¯t see Shouko anywhere on his way out, and when he instead saw Diana waiting by the roadside a little distance away, he felt like crying for more than one reason.


    ¡°Yasuo! What¡¯s wrong!?¡±


    Diana panicked upon seeing Yasuo with a pale face and tears in his eyes, but Yasuo had been unable to say anything until they got back home.


    After he finally spoke about what happened, this was the result.


    ¡°The girl called Shouko Tatewaki was looking very hard at us, so I assumed she was a spy from a different country. I see, so she¡¯s someone from this world.¡±


    Stop lying, you obviously knew that wasn¡¯t true!


    Almost as if she had read Yasuo¡¯s mind,


    ¡°I was half-serious, you know?¡±


    Khalija shamelessly said that.


    ¡°Then what was the other half for!?¡±


    Khalija was being so relaxed that Yasuo felt stupid for taking any of the things she said in the taxi seriously.


    ¡°In the first place, no one from our world would try and make contact in such a way because it would make Hideo angry! We are already in a position where we are causing problems for everyone from the Kenzaki family, so please try to restrain yourself! H-How could you do something like k-kissing Yasuo!?¡±


    ¡°Diana-san, calm down. She definitely didn¡¯t kiss him. If she did, Onii-chan wouldn¡¯t be this calm.¡±


    Even though Nodoka hadn¡¯t been present at the time, she spoke as if she had seen what happened and attempted to pacify Diana, whose face was red with indignation.


    Nodoka was right, but no matter how Yasuo looked at it, she was just making fun of her brother for his lack of experience, so he had a complicated feeling about it.


    True, they hadn¡¯t kissed, but thinking back, he thought that having his neck licked by a woman he had just met was also pretty abnormal.


    ¡°Well, calm down, Major Krone.¡±


    ¡°How can I stay calm at a time like this!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit the table. You¡¯re going to knock the parts off.¡±


    ¡°Here, Khalija-san. One of the screws fell down.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you, Nodoka. Please put it near that one of the same size which goes on the right.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°¡­What have you being doing since earlier?¡±


    Yasuo felt like he¡¯d seen the mechanism that Khalija was working on somewhere before¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s Major Krone¡¯s Castor. I thought I should at least make some temporary repairs.¡±


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s fixing it for me!¡±


    Diana¡¯s embarrassment and anger had not yet faded entirely, so she said that still fuming slightly.


    ¡°Castor¡­ Is that the one that broke back then¡­?¡±


    It was a Techno Weapon which was meant to be used right-handed, and was broken in the battle against Alexei¡¯s Shii when she had been defending Nodoka.


    ¡°It gave out to high voltage and the Sorcery Circuits inside were fried. Thankfully, the circuit board itself seems to be fine, so while I can¡¯t repair it completely, I should at least be able to make it usable. Want to take a look?¡±


    Yasuo was scared to approach Khalija once again, but he was still interested to see what the insides of a Techno Weapon looked like, so he kept his guard up and looked at it from over her shoulder.


    ¡°What, what¡¯s this?¡±


    His gaze was immediately captured by its internal structure.


    The insides of Castor, which looked like a pistol grip, appeared to a mysterious mechanism with what looked like gears from a mechanical watch laid over something which looked like a computer¡¯s motherboard.


    There were jewels of beautiful colors embedded at the shaft of each of the gears, and the gears were connected to each other by thin wires. However, even Yasuo could tell that they had been badly damaged in several areas.


    ¡°The basic operation of a Techo Weapon depends on a combination of this structure that is laid over the circuit board, and the technique formula that resides in the circuit board itself.¡±


    ¡°So these parts that look like they are burnt are where it has been damaged?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They are called Sorcery Circuits. They are circuits meant to efficiently transmit the magical energy of the user. It looks like they were damaged because they weren¡¯t able to handle the pure electricity released by the Regulus of ¡ºLightning¡». ¡±


    ¡°Pure electricity?¡±


    ¡°Come on, these are the basics of Sorcery. Didn¡¯t Major Krone already teach you about this?¡±


    Yasuo looked towards Diana after Khalija said that, and suddenly remembered.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. The phenomena caused by Magic and Sorcery are partially comprised of magical energy itself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The use of Techno Weapons, Sorcery, and Magic are greatly dependent on using as little magical energy as possible to bring out the greatest possible effect.¡±


    Diana smiled, as if praising a student who got the right answer.


    ¡°My father¡¯s Regulus is a specially made weapon in which every single component was selected carefully by my mother to have the greatest possible affinity with my father. My father never really had a large capacity for magical energy, but the efficiency with which his weapon generated the phenomena was far greater than that of regular Techno Weapons. The ratio of magical energy to generated phenomena was probably somewhere around 1:8.¡±


    ¡°A frightening Techno Weapon, indeed. The fact that he hadn¡¯t forgotten how to use that weapon even after becoming a Shii is equally frightening.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that amazing?¡±


    ¡°For Magic that doesn¡¯t use Techno Weapons, the ratio of magical energy to the generated phenomenon is pretty much always 1:1. A Techno Weapon that can increase that to 1:3 is already considered to be of exceptional quality. However, speaking of that¡­¡±


    Khalija suddenly looked at Yasuo.


    ¡°You¡¯re something of a mystery. Using the requiem to send off the Shii is dependant on the amount of magical energy you possess. Your level of magical energy is hardly worth talking about, but you managed to send off three of them at the same time back then, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about that?¡±


    Khalija was probably talking about the fight with the Shii during which they met her.


    ¡°Doing something so excessive, doesn¡¯t it put strain on your body?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t particularly feel any strain¡­ I¡¯m just singing, after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty incredible in its own way, you know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    Diana nodded as if she just realized it.


    ¡°An ordinary Magitech Knight can only send off one at a time, maybe two if they try really hard. Sending off three or more of them at the same time, I think only high-ranking clerics from the Church of the Divine King would be able do something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    Yasuo didn¡¯t really understand what that meant, but since nothing good had happened to him recently, being praised was not a bad feeling.


    ¡°Well, having an aptitude for magic is pretty straightforward, after all. Not to boast about my own abilities, but my affinity with different kinds of Techno Weapons is pretty high. However, my overall aptitude for Magic is quite low. The flames and lightning that I can create are like child¡¯s play. Even when it comes to healing, doing something like closing a scratch on your neck is my limit. When it comes to sending off the Shii with the requiem, sending one at a time is the best I can do. Thinking that way, I guess it¡¯s something you can be proud about.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better not to praise him too much. Onii-chan easily gets overconfident.¡±


    At this point, even his sister¡¯s abuse failed to anger Yasuo.


    However, Khalija smiled and said that she would be careful, and ended the conversation. After that, she went back to repairing Castor, and pulled out something completely unexpected.


    What Khalija pulled out of a plastic bag was a completely ordinary spool of iron wire. There was the seal of a nearby home-improvement center near the barcode on the label.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to use that as a replacement?¡±


    ¡°I asked Madoka to buy it this afternoon. It¡¯s the closest substitute for Sorcery Circuits that can be found in this world. I should be able to make it work somehow.¡±


    ¡°Is it okay if it¡¯s not a copper wire? Won¡¯t passing electricity through an iron wire just cause it to burn up?¡±


    ¡°Iron is the best metallic conductor of magical energy. Besides, iron that has been processed for the manufacturing industry has the optimal amount of carbon in it, so it¡¯s easy to use as a substitute. To tell you the truth, it would have been better if I could have brought another Castor along with me, but annoyingly enough, we are only allowed to carry a limited number of weapons when traveling here. Since I was already carrying my own weapons, I wasn¡¯t able to carry another Castor with me.¡±


    Saying that, Khalija lightly tapped the staff-shaped Techno Weapon in the holster on her waist.


    ¡°However, what you said is correct. The iron used to make Sorcery Circuits in our world is made strong enough to handle most magic, but you can just say it was a bad match against Regulus. If the opponent is a regular Shii, then even this wire should be good enough. You should probably step away for a bit. If this releases any shrapnel by some chance, it might be dangerous.¡±


    After making sure that Yasuo and Nodoka moved away, she stretched out the iron wire and placed it on Castor¡¯s circuit board. She then released the light of magical energy from the tip of her bare finger, and used it like a soldering iron to attach the wire in place on top of the circuit board. Although it looked like she cut the wire using heat, there was no smell of burning metal at all, and the iron on the circuit board glowed and spread across the circuit board as if it had a will of its own.


    Once the iron stopped spreading and settled down, to their inexperienced eyes it looked like it had been built that way to begin with, and didn¡¯t look like a temporary repair at all.


    ¡°Wow, so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about me?¡±


    Her ability to tease Yasuo even when she was focusing on work was almost praiseworthy. However, maybe because she was focusing, the joke was not very good and it was easily avoided.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the circuit board.¡±


    ¡°How boring.¡±


    Khalija spoke without looking up from the circuit board, but her tone suddenly turned serious.


    ¡°¡ºBeauty is power.¡»¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something my father, who taught me how to handle Techno Weapons, used to say. Not just Techno Weapons, there are various kinds of beauty possessed by all objects. Beauty in the external appearance, beauty on the inside, beauty in the design, beauty in utilization, beauty in the manufacturing process, and even beauty in the maintenance process. I think he meant that striving to make something as beautiful as the circumstances allowed during the manufacturing process would make a better product for a larger number of people. In that respect, Castor and Pollux are truly well made. I can see why they are the most commonly used Techno Weapons.¡±


    ¡°Do Magitech Knights build and maintain their own Techno Weapons?¡±


    Even the Regulus that had come up in the conversation earlier had been handmade by Diana¡¯s mother.


    It made sense to periodically maintain your own weapons, but Yasuo was surprised that they could even create the weapons by themselves.


    ¡°It is usually at the level of lubricating the moving parts, and making a safety inspection before using them. The Colonel is a special case.¡±


    Diana shook her head and made a comment.


    ¡°I already told you earlier about how she was promoted to a Technical Lieutenant, but at the time she enlisted in the army, her skill and knowledge regarding Techno Weapons was already equivalent to that of a professional Techno Weapons craftsman. It was enough to make the Head of the Techno Weapons Research Division groan in despair. She¡¯s a professional who understands the characteristics of many different types of Techno Weapons and develops an optimal fighting style that matches those characteristics perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Hot!!¡±


    While Diana was carrying out her explanation, Khalija suddenly let out a loud shout and the smell of burning metal spread through the living room.


    ¡°Major Krone¡­ Please stop saying things like that. It makes me lose my focus.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Khalija¡¯s cheeks were slightly red as she spoke brusquely to Diana, but Diana continued to speak after apologizing.


    ¡°The Colonel¡¯s Techno Weapon, Marfik the ¡ºSnakebone¡», is particularly impressive as its form can be changed freely. It can take any shape depending on the user¡¯s magical energy, but that apparently makes it extremely difficult to use. It¡¯s said that there are only a handful of people in the whole world who can use it, and I¡¯ve heard that the Colonel¡¯s maintenance skills make her an expert who is the most proficient at using it¡­¡±


    ¡°Hot!!¡±


    Once again, they smelled burning metal and heard Khalija¡¯s shout.


    ¡°¡­¡­Major Krone!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t focus with you talking here, so please leave the room for a bit. Yasuo and Nodoka as well!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, Y-Yes!¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it.¡±


    Forced by the pressure Khalija emitted while red in the face, the three of them ended up leaving the living room.


    ¡°I wonder what happened to her all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­ But we should probably leave her alone until she¡¯s done with her work.¡±


    Yasuo tilted his head in confusion, and Diana also looked flustered.


    ¡°Hmm. This is just an assumption, but¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it, Nodoka?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but maybe Khalija-san doesn¡¯t deal well with praise?¡±


    ¡°Eeh?¡±


    ¡°Remember when she first came to or house, she looked pretty embarrassed when Diana-san was praising her. Skilled people like her who are capable of doing anything often receive little praise because people think that¡¯s only natural, so singing her praises like Diana-san does in front of other people probably makes her embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I wonder if her character is actually that admirable.¡±


    Yasuo thought that, if anything, she would be type of person who asks for more praise when people praise her.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s like I said. She doesn¡¯t like feeling embarrassed when she¡¯s praised, so she puts on a strong front like that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re reading too much into it?¡±


    ¡°Then we just have to test that idea again sometime.¡±


    Nodoka looked very confident.


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, though. Although being praised is not a bad feeling, it is also strangely embarrassing in a way.¡±


    It looks like Diana also found Nodoka¡¯s proposal valid, so she was nodding while looking like she understood.


    ¡°Yasuo? Are you home? The bathroom is free right now, so go take your bath.¡±


    At that moment, Yasuo heard his mother¡¯s voice coming from the direction of the bathroom.


    ¡°Ah, okay. Well then Diana, I¡¯ll see you around.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Umm, I¡¯m sorry¡­ for all the things¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Not just me, but the Colonel¡­ caused all those strange misunderstandings¡­ Had I known that she would do that, I would have stopped her in advance.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Yasuo felt shaken upon seeing Diana¡¯s blushing, downturned face.


    Right now, Yasuo wasn¡¯t facing much trouble by outsiders misunderstanding his relationship with Diana. However, he hadn¡¯t given any thought as to how Diana felt about the whole thing.


    He wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to believe that Diana had interest in him as a member of the opposite sex, but as a man, he couldn¡¯t reject that possibility entirely.


    Moreover, as it would also affect Diana¡¯s dignity, he could not afford to answer her casually, as that would be the very definition of digging his own grave. In such situations, staying silent is the worst thing one can do, but Yasuo¡¯s thought process had completely locked up and he wasn¡¯t able to say a single word.


    ¡°Well then, I should be going¡­ I¡¯ll see you again¡­ tomorrow¡­¡±


    Diana headed towards the main door with a sad smile, and Yasuo could only see her off with some vague words.


    Diana left the house, and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of his mother¡¯s hair dryer coming from the direction of the bathroom.


    ¡°Useless.¡±


    His sister¡¯s wholehearted attack scored a perfect hit on his mind from the flank, and Yasuo could only hang his head while being depressed.


    ¡°You can say that, but what was I supposed to do¡­¡±


    ¡°Diana-san is cute, you should just go out with her already.¡±


    ¡°You say that like it¡¯s so simple!! Deciding whether to go out with someone or not isn¡¯t such a simple matter!¡±


    Taking Diana¡¯s history that he had heard from Khalija into account, he could not rashly hit on her, and besides, Yasuo could not use such a skill at his current level of experience. That¡¯s why he had strongly rejected what Nodoka said, but she just laughed at him.


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about? If you really didn¡¯t see her that way, then you could have just said that you didn¡¯t mind it, or said something like ¡®Isn¡¯t it annoying how people misunderstand this?¡¯ and left it at that. The fact that you couldn¡¯t say it means that, at the very least, you are conscious of Diana-san in a special way.¡±


    ¡°Eeh¡­ No, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°And then there¡¯s Tatewaki-san, and maybe even Khalija-san? Feeling self-conscious about all the girls who you get even a little close to, just how bad were your relations with girls until now?¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not that I¡¯ve never spoken to girls before. I have spoken to them during club practice and in class, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never spent any time with them in a more casual setting¡­¡±


    Yasuo felt truly pathetic for trying to explain this kind of thing to his younger sister who would not stop kicking him when he was down.


    ¡°You know¡­ Diana-san has faced a lot of bad experiences with people for a while now.¡±


    ¡°Nodoka?¡±


    What did she mean by bad experiences?


    Had Nodoka perhaps heard about Diana¡¯s past from the person herself?


    ¡°In all that time, the only emotional support she had was ¡ºThe Hero from thirty years ago, Hideo¡». She was talking about that sort of thing on our way back from school today.¡±


    So it was as he had thought. He wasn¡¯t sure what steered their conversation in that direction, but it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that the root cause was almost certainly Shouko¡¯s misunderstanding from when they met at the Ozone Shopping Center.


    ¡°Try and be aware of that, okay? Even though you¡¯re the kind of person who takes his life for granted and fails his tests, you are still an important existence to her right now.¡±


    ¡°Haa!? What!?¡±


    Seeing her brother act so openly shocked, Nodoka frowned and decided not to give him any more hints.


    ¡°Hey, go take your bath already. The gas for heating doesn¡¯t come cheap.¡±


    ¡°Eh, yeah. Nodoka, what do you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just go away, already!¡±


    ¡°Hey, what are you two fighting about? Did Diana-chan leave already? ¡±


    Their mother appeared at that point, and Yasuo wasn¡¯t able to question Nodoka any further because he didn¡¯t want to talk about going out with girls in front of his mother.


    ¡°Hmm, I was just talking about how utterly hopeless Onii-chan is.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but he¡¯s been this way for ages.¡±


    ¡°Hey!!¡±


    His protests against his sister and mother¡¯s abuse were completely ignored.


    ¡°By the way, Khalija-san is working on fixing Diana-san¡¯s Techno Weapon in the living room.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, she mentioned that to me earlier. Maybe I should make some tea? ¡­Yasuo, your father will be home soon, so go take your bath quickly.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­!¡±


    Nodoka listened to her brother take out his resentment on the bathroom door by slamming it shut, and let her shoulders droop.


    It was back when Diana was still new to Japan, and her brother was still fiercely against her and everything pertaining to Ante Lande.


    She had heard Diana talk about ¡ºHideo the Hero, who looked exactly like the current Yasuo¡».


    Nodoka didn¡¯t know how those feelings of Diana¡¯s were affecting her current relationship with her brother, but no matter how you looked at it, Diana was too soft on Yasuo in many ways.


    It wasn¡¯t that she was clinging to him, but she definitely saw his every action in a favorable light.


    And then, considering Diana¡¯s past as a ¡ºDaughter of Nobility¡» that she had heard about on their way back from school, and the tales about the various marriage proposals she had received, her brother, who was like a life size replica of ¡ºHideo the Hero¡», must have been a special existence to Diana.


    And then, that brother of hers had gone on to say that he wanted to protect Diana and the world that she wanted to protect too.


    The problem was that Diana¡¯s feelings caused her to accept everything about Yasuo even though they were not romantically involved.


    As a member of his family, Nodoka knew that her brother was not such a special existence by any means, and looking at him from the perspective of a modern Japanese person, he had more bad points than good.


    ¡°I guess this is what it means to love a good for nothing man?¡±


    ¡°Did you say something, Nodoka?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Madoka. I¡¯m sorry, I made a slight mistake while working and there¡¯s a smell in the room¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s not that bad. Nodoka, can you turn on the exhaust fan?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    While turning on the exhaust fan in the kitchen, Nodoka worried if her brother was going to be alright, in more ways than one.


    ¡°Seriously, what the hell! Gaaah!¡±


    Yasuo entered the bathroom and turned the faucet, but shouted after receiving a cold water shower at full blast because he didn¡¯t notice that the valve was turned towards the shower side.


    ¡°Aaaaaargh!¡±


    Yasuo sat down on the seat and poured some hot water from the bathtub over himself. While waiting for the water from the faucet to warm up, Yasuo started thinking about the things his sister had said, and accompanying those thoughts, several scenes started to play out in his head.


    Shouko, Diana, and Khalija.


    He had gotten close to a number of women within a short period of time, it was completely unprecedented in his life so far. When he thought back to the times he had spent with them, he remembered the feeling of Shouko¡¯s hand as she pulled him to his feet when he was sitting on the ground, the softness of Diana¡¯s body when he had carried her during the fight with Alexei¡¯s Shii, and the feeling of Khalija¡¯s breath on his ear in the taxi.


    ¡°Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡±


    He kept thinking of unnecessary things because of what Nodoka said.


    Yasuo stuck his head into the wash basin filled with water and shouted, and he heard his mother¡¯s fed-up voice coming from the other side of the door.


    ¡°Why are you shouting like that in the bathroom? The window is open, you know.¡±


    ¡°Blub blub blub blub!¡±


    Shut up!! Yasuo, the eighteen-year-old high school male student shouted that with his face still under water, but he still had enough presence of mind to realize that people in the neighboring houses might hear his voice, so he stood up and went to close the window while he was still dripping wet.


    Thankfully, there were no lights switched on in the neighboring houses, so it didn¡¯t look like anyone had heard him shout.


    Actually, it was pitch dark outside. Even considering that it was night, there was no light outside the window at all.


    No, it wasn¡¯t a matter of there being no light, there was something black in the place where the window pane should have been¡­


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s mind froze when he saw the two points of red light that suddenly appeared outside the window frame.


    His hand was still on the window, without understanding what exactly it was that he was seeing.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡ºGrrr¡­¡»


    When he heard it growling, his mind that had locked up finally began to work again.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaargh!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, I¡¯ve had it up to here with you!¡±


    ¡°Onii-chan is making a racket again¡­ Hey!! What the hell are you doing!?¡±


    Right after they heard his scream, Yasuo came running into the living room, still dripping wet and covering his front with just a towel. Seeing that, the three ladies in the room, Khalija, Madoka, and Nodoka, were obviously shocked.


    However, Yasuo didn¡¯t have time to waste on explanations.


    ¡°Sh-Sh-Sh¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you shushing us for? We should be shushing you! What are doing, running out of the bathroom naked!?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a Shii in the bathroom!!¡±


    In that instant, Madoka and Khalija reacted instantly.


    Khalija jumped over the table and ran out of the room, with Madoka following closely behind.


    However, the few moments Yasuo had wasted were apparently the deciding factor.


    ¡°W-What!?¡±


    He heard the sound of something heavy breaking, and by the time he followed the two of them into the hallway, things had already turned into a horrible state.


    ¡°This time it¡¯s the bathroom¡­¡±


    Madoka couldn¡¯t be blamed for blanking out.


    The door that separated the dressing room from the bathroom was broken, revealing the broken wall of the bathroom that was letting in cold air from outside, while water gushed out of the broken faucet with a pathetic sound.


    And then, there was the Shii that stood in the middle of such a background.


    ¡°Peeking at Yasuo while he¡¯s in the bath, such poor taste!¡±


    A flame appeared above Madoka¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I completely agree.¡±


    Khalija also made a stance with the strange Techno Weapon, Marfik, that she unlimbered from her waist.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite small. It¡¯s probably the one I allowed to escape last night. We should put it down right away.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But out of consideration for the neighbors, I don¡¯t want to cause any more disturbance.¡±


    ¡°That depends on the opponent, but you¡¯re right.¡±


    At the very least, it had enough power to tear down a wood-frame wall with its bare hands, so they couldn¡¯t their guard down.


    ¡°¡­¡­o¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°¡­o¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it trying to say something¡­?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s another one moaning about Hideo the Hero? Seriously, why are they so attracted to an old man like him?¡±


    The small Shii that destroyed the bathroom ignored Madoka and Khalija, and instead appeared to be searching for something.


    At that moment, Diana, who was supposed to have gone home already, came rushing in through the front door again, probably because she heard the noise.


    ¡°What was that incredibly loud sound just now!?¡±


    ¡°Diana!? Sorry, but please look after Nodoka¡­!¡±


    Upon seeing her, Yasuo stuck his head out of the living room and said that. In retrospect, it was a mistake.


    ¡°Yasuo!? Why aren¡¯t you dressed!?¡±


    Diana, who turned red and looked like she was about to blow steam like a kettle, was looking at Yasuo whose only equipment was a single towel.


    ¡°N-Now¡¯s not the time to be talking about that¡­¡±


    ¡ºGrrrr¡­¡­?¡»


    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s a Shii!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re late! Don¡¯t lose your cool over something as trivial as a naked man! If there was more than one enemy, you would have been killed!¡±


    Diana finally came back to her senses after hearing the Shii growling and Khalija¡¯s scolding. She pulled Pollux out of the pocket of her sweatshirt and took a stance while stealing glances at Yasuo.


    Khalija¡¯s reprimand actually sounded more like a joke, but Diana was aware that she could lose her life if she underestimated a Shii.


    However, something strange happened in the next instant.


    ¡ºGrrrrrrr¡­!¡»


    The Shii spun around and ran away through the hole in the wall.


    ¡°Wha¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    So it chose to run away again?


    Khalija immediately dashed off in pursuit, and Madoka decided to stay and protect the house. Diana was hesitating because of the anti-climactic outcome, and as for Nodoka,


    ¡°Put something on, for heaven¡¯s sake!¡±


    She pulled out a bath towel from the pile of folded laundry in the living room, and threw it at her brother.


    ¡ù


    ¡°Just what was it trying to do¡­¡±


    Khalija clucked her tongue as if annoyed and pursued the Shii that was running away.


    There were a few cases of Shii running away when they realized that the odds were against them, but this was the first time she saw one that ran away before the fighting even started.


    Moreover, there was only a single Shii, and it had appeared in this other world in a country called Japan. It was strange in many ways.


    There was currently no way to pursue a Shii that disappeared into the ground because of a mistake or a delay in sending it off, but even in that respect, this Shii was strange.


    It was running a little ahead of Khalija, leaping from one rooftop to the next.


    ¡°Where is it going¡­¡­¡±


    In any case, she had to find out as much information as possible about the actions of the Shii.


    Khalija decided to keep following the Shii for as long as possible and observe its actions. She took care to not be noticed by the Shii as she continued pursuit.


    ¡°Nnn!¡±


    After some time, the Shii visibly slowed down and stopped moving on top of one of the houses.


    Looking closely, Khalija saw that it was a building that was used both as a house and a restaurant.


    Light was spilling out of the front of the building from behind the short curtain, and she could hear the lively sound of drunk people talking.


    Did it change its target to a place that had a lot of people?


    It had jumped over a large number of buildings on its way here, so that sounded fairly strange, but she couldn¡¯t think of any other explanation.


    If the Shii was going to do something dangerous, she had to eliminate it right away.


    Just when Khalija decided to make a move, the Shii started doing something even more strange.


    Instead of heading towards the restaurant, it jumped in through a window on the second floor where the lights were out.


    ¡°Oh no! It¡¯s going to attack the residents!¡±


    Khalija hurried towards the same window, but once there she saw something unbelievable.


    The Shii from earlier was standing quietly in the middle of the Japanese-style room with six tatami mats spread on the floor.


    There was no one else in the room, and the Shii did not pay attention to the faint sounds of the drunks that could be heard from below. It even failed to pay attention to Khalija, who was sitting in the window frame, and just closed its glowing red eyes as if it was going to sleep.


    In the next instant,


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±


    Khalija was shocked speechless. The black flames that covered the Shii from head to toe slowly receded, and the body of a human could be seen coming out from within.


    The flames vanished in a matter of moments as if they were being sucked into the person¡¯s eyes, and the person, now fully visible, crumpled to the tatami floor.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    For an instant, Khalija thought that the person had died, but then she heard them breathing loudly enough to hear even from where she was sitting, and they even tossed over in their sleep.


    ¡°Fuaah¡­ Aaah¡­¡±


    Perhaps they were talking in their sleep? Khalija couldn¡¯t sense any trace of maliciousness or ferocity from the voice that leaked out along with the breathing.


    However, there was no mistaking the fact that a human came out of a Shii¡¯s body right in front of her eyes.


    What surprised Khalija the most was the identity of the person.


    ¡°If I remember correctly¡­ Her name is Shouko Tatewaki¡­¡±


    It was certainly that girl who was supposed to be Yasuo¡¯s friend from prep school.


    The girl was someone she had been looking into herself, after she found out that she was an acquaintance of Yasuo¡¯s.


    ¡°A Shii possessing a living human¡­¡­?¡±


    Khalija hadn¡¯t felt any strange magical energy or suspicious behavior from her when she saw her outside the prep school.


    From Diana¡¯s report and the way Nodoka spoke about her, it was clear that she was a person from Japan with no connection to Ante Lande whatsoever.


    Her clothes were the same that Khalija had seen her wearing earlier that evening. A plain jacket and trousers.


    What had happened to this girl who looked like she had nothing to do with the Shii?


    ¡°Is this really happening¡­? Can Shii really possess humans¡­¡­?¡±


    Khalija unconsciously touched the circlet on her her forehead.


    The jewel that she touched with her fingertips was as cold as ice.


    ¡°¡­¡­Goddamnit!¡±


    Khalija ground her teeth out of frustration, but she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Shouko for a while.


    ¡ù


    Yasuo, who had finally managed to put on some clothes after being yelled at by Nodoka, and Diana, who was trying her best not to look at Yasuo even though he was finally dressed, welcomed Khalija back to the house.


    Khalija heard Hideo¡¯s groans coming from near the bathroom inside the house, but he was probably just holding his head after seeing the state of the bathroom right after coming home.


    ¡°Colonel. I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re alright.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the Shii from earlier?¡±


    Khalija shook her head while standing in front of Diana and Yasuo who had rushed towards her.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it managed to escape again.¡±


    Seeing the disappointed looks on their faces, Khalija once again shook her head at how badly she had handled the situation.

 Volume 2, 3 - The Grass looks Greener Part 1

    Volume 2, Chapter 3 ¨C The Grass looks Greener Part 1


    A group of people assembled around Yasuo¡¯s seat as soon as lunch break started.


    He could tell who had come even without having to raise his head and look.


    ¡°Alright, time for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll be borrowing this chair.¡±


    ¡°Yasu, you brought lunch from home today, right?¡±


    It was Igarashi, Hino, and Aoto.


    Yasuo had already predicted that this would happen when Aoto saw him getting into the taxi with Khalija yesterday. If anything, he wanted to praise them for being able to wait until lunch break.


    ¡°If you want to ask about what happened yesterday when I was heading back from school, I¡¯m sorry but it¡¯s not that interesting a story.¡±


    Yasuo started off by saying that, but the curiosity-filled expressions of the three partners-in-crime didn¡¯t change at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay. Just the fact that you got into a taxi with a beauty who was clinging to your arm is pretty funny, Kenzaki. It¡¯s a good joke.¡±


    ¡°No, you just find pretty much everything funny.¡±


    Although it hurt to hear that, he had to admit that it was a fair observation.


    Actually, if a conversation came up about one of these three getting a girlfriend, he would want to find out more details about it as well.


    ¡°So? Who was the girl from yesterday, and what happened after that?¡±


    However, it was rare for Aoto look so obviously curious and ask for information so straightforwardly.


    When Yasuo mentioned that to him,


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you say that you¡¯ve forgotten about how the two of us discussed how hard it is to get a girlfriend. It hasn¡¯t been all that long since we talked about that.¡±


    Now that he mentioned it, Yasuo remembered talking to Aoto about something like that back when Diana had newly come to Japan.


    ¡°Just to be clear, she¡¯s not my girlfriend or anything.¡±


    ¡°Then what is she to you? Having her cling to your arm like you were trying to show off.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t my doing. She was just teasing me.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hang on, Aoto. First, tell us what kind of girl she was.¡±


    It looked like Igarashi was also just as curious as Aoto.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting too excited.¡±


    On the other hand, it looked like Hino was trying to maintain a polite distance.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. Rasshi, Hinocchi, listen to this. She was probably older than us. Also, a foreigner. A real beauty.¡±


    ¡°A beautiful, older foreigner!?¡±


    ¡°I think whether she¡¯s beautiful or not is a matter of subjectivity.¡±


    ¡°If she can¡¯t be considered to be beautiful, then no one can. I¡¯ve never seen hair that color.¡±


    ¡°You were in an enclosed space with a beauty like that!?¡±


    ¡°Enclosed space¡­ It was just a taxi, you know.¡±


    ¡°I bet she smelled great!¡±


    ¡°The only smell in there was from the taxi¡¯s seats.¡±


    ¡°Igarashi, that¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    Hino said to Igarashi who was half-screaming.


    ¡°If she¡¯s not your girlfriend, then who is she? Someone from a different school?¡±


    ¡°No. Out of your speculations, Aoto, only the part about her being older was correct. She¡¯s a friend of my Dad¡¯s.¡±


    This was a lie that Yasuo had prepared in advance, and was exactly the same thing he had told Shouko about Diana.


    Unlike Diana, Khalija had no connection with his father until she came to Japan. However, Yasuo had already decided beforehand that he would use the same explanation for anyone who came from Ante Lande. It was partly the truth, anyways, and Yasuo was not skilled enough to make up different lies for each individual.


    ¡°A friend of your Dad¡¯s? I know it¡¯s hard to estimate the age of a foreigner, but she didn¡¯t look that old.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that¡¯s she from the same generation as him. To put it more clearly, she¡¯s currently working in a place where my father used to work in the past. I¡¯m not sure, but it looks like she feels really indebted to him.¡±


    ¡°A foreign office lady¡­ sounds nice.¡±


    ¡°Igarashi, that¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°So why did she come all the way to school to meet you? Thinking about it, her appearance was really strange for an office lady. She was wearing a tracksuit that looked a lot like the one issued by our school, and was wearing some flashy accessory on her forehead.¡±


    As he thought, that circlet was too conspicuous. However, Yasuo had a response ready for that as well.


    ¡°Apparently, she met me once when I was very young. So she kinda treats me like relative or a cousin. Besides, she doesn¡¯t think that linking arms is anything special. As for the thing on her forehead, I asked her what it was, but it seems to be something personal to her. That thing really is quite weird, right?¡±


    This was the first outright lie that he told.


    The number of lies was slowly increasing, but this was still within the tolerable limit. Besides, he had also mixed some of his truthful opinions in there, so he was able to say it without sounding awkward.


    Khalija was respectful towards his father and mother, but was a lot more candid with Yasuo and Nodoka. It was also somewhat weird that she never took that circlet off.


    As for the part about linking arms¡­ that was actually the most important part, but as long as he kept his will strong it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°Uwaah, Kenzaki, you¡¯re kind of¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it?


    ¡°I¡¯m so envious of that sort of situation.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Hino, what¡¯s wrong with you? It¡¯s kinda disgusting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides, Igarashi, you already have a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of this before!?¡±


    Yasuo and Aoto were surprised by the words that Hino spoke casually.


    ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t I already tell you?¡±


    Seeing that, Igarashi also said that while looking like it was no big deal, which angered Yasuo and Aoto.


    ¡°I-In spite of already having a girlfriend, you said all those disgusting things just because I was with a woman?¡±


    ¡°Rasshi has a girlfriend¡­ No, that can¡¯t be, something is definitely wrong here¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, Aoto. Is it really that weird that I have a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°It¡¯s definitely weird.¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°You guys!¡±


    Yasuo, Hino, and Aoto¡¯s replies coincided perfectly.


    ¡°Actually, how long have you known about that, Hino?¡±


    ¡°Since middle school. You know that Igarashi and I went to the same middle school, right?¡±


    ¡°¡°Since middle school!?¡±¡±


    Yasuo and Aoto were shocked once again.


    ¡°Their houses are pretty close, so he and his girlfriend have known each other since kindergarten. I guess you could call them childhood friends?¡±


    ¡°¡°Haaaaa!?¡±¡±


    ¡°What, is it really that surprising?¡±


    ¡°¡°Not at all!¡±¡±


    In spite of the situation, Yasuo couldn¡¯t help that his friendship with Aoto was getting stronger.


    ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t tell me, she¡¯s in the same high school as well? Do we know her?¡±


    ¡°No, she goes to a different high school.¡±


    ¡°By the way, she goes to a school with a better track record.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell them stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°Y-Y-You bastard, you were betraying us right from the start¡­¡±


    ¡°Aoto, are you really the kind of guy who¡¯s so desperate to meet a woman?¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t forgive your betrayal, that¡¯s all!¡±


    They didn¡¯t know how serious the relationship was, but just the fact that Igarashi had a girlfriend was enough to give Aoto and Yasuo a big shock.


    ¡°Besides, whether I have a girlfriend or not isn¡¯t what¡¯s important right now. The important question is if Kenzaki is about to enter the springtime of his youth!¡±


    ¡°Hang on, there¡¯s no chance of me ever getting into that kind of relationship with that person. No matter how many times you ask, I can only tell you that she¡¯s an acquaintance of my Dad¡¯s. Besides, I want to hear about your situation, Igarashi.¡±


    ¡°Eeeeh, that¡¯s so boring. I want to hear about other couples, why can¡¯t you just tell me about things like that?¡±


    ¡°This is the laid-back attitude of someone who has already won! Did you hear that, Kenzaki-san!?¡±


    ¡°Aoto, now you¡¯re the one being kind of disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Wait, don¡¯t tell me you have a girl that you get along with as well, Hinocchi!?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t particularly get along well with that person or anything¡ª¡±


    ¡°Be quiet, Yasu. Well, Hinocchi? Am I the only odd man out here?¡±


    Hino thought for a while after hearing Aoto¡¯s desperate question.


    ¡°There probably isn¡¯t anyone. I think.¡±


    ¡°Why did you just think about that for a while!? What do you mean, you think!?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that a number of girls from the lower classes that I¡¯m friendly with gave me chocolates this year, so I was wondering if I should count them.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a winner too!!¡±


    Aoto was knocked out completely.


    Hino was a member of the track and field club, and was one of the regulars on the team for short distance running.


    ¡°Aoto, you have a lot of younger girls in your club as well, right?¡±


    ¡°Getting into relationships with people in the club will affect our acting! Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought!¡±


    It appeared the enthusiastic Drama Club members had complicated situations.


    ¡°Rasshi, let me see.¡±


    ¡°Eh? See what?¡±


    ¡°A photo! Of your girlfriend! You must have at least one, right?¡±


    ¡°Eeh? I don¡¯t wanna, why do I have to show you something like that?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Igarashi, you should have seen this coming.¡±


    ¡°Hino, you¡¯ve already seen her, so isn¡¯t that good enough?¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s okay for me, I don¡¯t think Yasuo and Aoto will have any closure until they see it.¡±


    Yasuo and Aoto nodded strongly.


    ¡°Wait a minute. She gets really angry if I casually show her pictures to other people. Let me find one that looks okay¡­¡±


    Even though he looked unhappy, Igarashi still pulled his slimphone out and started going through his photo albums.


    ¡°If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn¡¯t have thought about teasing Yasu¡­!¡±


    ¡°This is why they say that when you curse someone, you should dig two graves.¡±


    Hearing Aoto¡¯s strangled complaint, Yasuo felt like he was able to get back at him just a little.


    ¡°Ah, here we go. It¡¯s from a little while ago, though.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Staring at the phone screen, Aoto looked like he was steadily getting more depressed.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Saying that, Yasuo also peeked at the screen, and immediately found out the reason why Aoto reacted that way.


    ¡°A girl this cute is your childhood friend and girlfriend? You¡¯ve probably used up your luck for all eternity.¡±


    ¡°I agree wholeheartedly with Kenzaki.¡±


    Hino also nodded as if he understood.


    Igarashi¡¯s girlfriend was just that beautiful, a perfect example of a Japanese beauty. Igarashi was standing beside her in the picture with his usual careless grin. It was the very definition of a face that you would want to punch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge people based on context like that. To me, the term ¡®childhood friend¡¯ doesn¡¯t hold any special meaning at all.¡±


    ¡°Aoto¡¯s getting mad. Aoto¡¯s getting mad.¡±


    Aoto¡¯s eyes were overflowing with so much resentment and killing intent that Yasuo was worried for a moment if he would turn into a Shii.


    ¡°What year of middle school did you start going out with her?¡±


    ¡°We officially started dating towards the end of our second year. So, it¡¯s been like four years in total, I guess? Well, I already knew her for more than ten years before that, though.¡±


    ¡°Gaah!!¡±


    Aoto¡¯s struggled to stay rational while making an expression like that of a Buddhist priest who was exorcising a demon from someone¡¯s body.


    ¡°But we ended up in different high schools because of an oversight, and she¡¯s constantly nagging me asking if I¡¯m cheating on her with another girl. She gets really scary if she¡¯s even a little upset.¡±


    ¡°Gaaaaaah!!¡±


    ¡°So if that foreigner was really Kenzaki¡¯s girlfriend, I wanted some tips on what other couples do when they get into a fight.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, we are not a couple or anything. Besides, if she¡¯s getting upset about whether you¡¯re cheating on her, I guess it just proves that she loves you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ But I have to agree with Igarashi here. She¡¯s really very scary. It¡¯s easy to tell when Seina-chan is in a bad mood. She usually calls him ¡®Iga-chan,¡¯ but when she¡¯s mad she calls him ¡®Igarashi-kun¡¯ in this incredibly cold voice.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh?¡±


    ¡°Even her cuteness is at a level of being a sin, and she also has a beautiful name like ¡ºSeina¡»? I can¡¯t tell you how angry I feel right now, but hearing that she calls you ¡®Iga-chan¡¯ makes me feel a little better.¡±


    Aoto got even more depressed after hearing what Hino said, but Yasuo was taken off guard.


    ¡°So if girls change from calling you by a nickname to your last name, it means they are angry?¡±


    Yasuo remembered that Nodoka had told him the exact same thing the other day as well.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s one of the comparatively easier signs to spot. There are other things you¡¯ll notice as well, if you¡¯re watching from the sidelines. Like how she definitely won¡¯t make eye contact, and not listen to what Igarashi is saying even if she appears to be paying attention.¡±


    ¡°I need to be especially careful when talking about school. Talking about girls Seina doesn¡¯t know is definitely taboo. Seina is attending a municipal school near her house, so she has this weird image in her head that private schools are more classy than municipal school.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, she really loves you, huh!!?¡±


    ¡°Aioi, calm down. Your personality is changing. Besides, at her level it can also be taken as getting easily jealous or being restrictive, so it¡¯s not something to be so jealous about.¡±


    Hino saw that Aoto was on the verge of flipping the table holding his unfinished lunch, so he put his hand on Aoto¡¯s shoulder to calm him down. However, Yasuo was in no state to observe that.


    ¡°¡­¡­Calling me by a nickname¡­ Talking about other girls¡­ her image of a private school¡­¡±


    These were all things that had happened to him as well, so he felt like his blood pressure was dropping.


    ¡°Kenzaki? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Igarashi put his slimphone away and noticed that Yasuo had gone pale, but Yasuo was in no condition to listen to him.


    Was he just overthinking it?


    ¡°No, I mean, surely not.¡±


    ¡ºOnii-chan, make sure you don¡¯t get any strange ideas as well, okay?¡»


    His sister¡¯s warning flashed through his mind.


    But still.


    The circumstances were far too similar.


    But still.


    Isn¡¯t it being rash to assume that?


    But still.


    If he¡¯s wrong, the damage would be incalculable.


    But still.


    There was no way for him to know for sure.


    Even so, he couldn¡¯t stop his imagination. About how Shouko felt.


    ¡ºAlso, in the one in a million chance that Tatewaki-san likes you, it might be a good idea clear up the misunderstanding.¡»


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    His cheeks were getting red in spite of himself. Thinking like that was the height of stupidity.


    He had thought about something outrageous because of what Igarashi had said. If he carelessly asked Shouko something like this, Nodoka wouldn¡¯t let him forget about it for the rest of his life.


    Firstly, he had nothing that would make him attractive to a girl.


    He couldn¡¯t even properly complete his duty as a student, couldn¡¯t keep his promise, and his physical ability, intelligence, and looks were all only average.


    The premise itself is flawed.


    So there¡¯s no way it was possible.


    But since the idea was already in his head¡­


    ¡°How should I interact with her from now on¡­ things are already complicated enough right now.¡±


    He had no confidence that he would manage to stay calm the next time he saw Shouko.


    ¡°Ah, geez, both Aioi and Kenzaki are in a strange mood because you had to go and brag, Igarashi.¡±


    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s my fault!? When did I brag about anything? By the way, wasn¡¯t teasing Kenzaki the original plan?¡±


    Igarashi, who was incapable of reading the mood, looked confused as looked in turn at Yasuo and Aoto who were deep in thought for different reasons.


    At that moment, the slimphone in Yasuo¡¯s pocket vibrated.


    Taking it out, he saw that he had a notification from an unknown number in the standard messaging application provided by his carrier, a service that was hardly ever used these days.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    Yasuo had antivirus software installed on his slimphone, so he opened the message without thinking too deeply about it. What he saw written there was something completely unexpected.


    ¡°Greetings it feels strange to send you such a message after all this time. This is Dianaz. Madoka bought a slimphone for me so please save the number if you would like. i will be coming to pick you up after school today, so please do not worry.¡±


    Seeing the missing ¡ºe¡» in her name and the use of the lowercase ¡ºi¡» to refer to herself, Yasuo smiled wryly as he imagined Diana¡¯s face scrunched up in concentration as she struggled to input the unfamiliar text into a digital device.


    The reason why she used so few kanji characters in her text was probably either because she was not familiar with the device yet, or she hadn¡¯t learned to read that many kanji in spite of being able to speak the language.


    In any case, it was a good idea to be able to connect with Diana via slimphone for safety purposes.


    Not to mention, increasing the number of girls in his phone address book who are not family members was more than enough reason to be happy.


    ¡°¡­? She¡¯s going to come to pick me up?¡±


    However, Yasuo immediately thought of something that made him go pale.


    He immediately replied,


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You can keep guarding me from far away as usual.¡±


    However, no matter how long he waited, he didn¡¯t receive a reply. And then,


    ¡°Ah, Yasuo! Did you have a good day? I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    In plain view of Aoto, Igarashi, and Hino, Diana was standing at the main gate next to a taxi.


    Yasuo felt dizzy and was too scared to turn around to look at his friends.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I saw your message, but since I only just started using the phone, I didn¡¯t know how to reply.¡±


    Aoto was probably turning into a true demon at this point.


    ¡°W-Well then, I¡¯ll see you guys tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Please excuse us.¡±


    ¡°Y-You don¡¯t need to talk to these guys!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, my apologies¡ª!¡±


    Yasuo pushed Diana, who kept talking to Aoto and the others, into the taxi, and closed the automatic door by hand.


    ¡°Excuse me, please take us to the Western Exit of Tokorozawa Station!¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s voice rose to a near scream as he told the driver his destination and asked him to start moving.


    Aoto and the others watched the reality unfolding in front of them as if it was a waking dream, but eventually, Hino asked Aoto,


    ¡°Is that the girl?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s a different girl. Completely different. It¡¯s a different girl from yesterday!!¡±


    ¡°Oh? But going home two days in a row by taxi, I¡¯m more curious as to the reason behind that.¡±


    ¡°Damn, she was totally cute! Woah!¡±


    ¡°I now understand exactly why he failed his tests. Yasu, you¡¯re no longer my friend! I hope you fail all your make-up tests!¡±


    ¡°Remember what we spoke about earlier regarding curses and graves, Aioi. You shouldn¡¯t think about it so hard, just go make a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°I hate the phrase ¡®make a girlfriend¡¯ more than anything! Are they sold as a model kit somewhere!? Goddammit!¡±


    ¡°Having a girl like that asking about how his day went, and saying she waited for him¡­¡±


    ¡°If you say that again, Seina-chan is going to get mad, Igarashi.¡±


    Of course, none of the complaints from his friends reached Yasuo.


    ¡ù

 Volume 2, 3 - The Grass looks Greener Part 2

    Volume 2, Chapter 3 ¨C The Grass looks Greener Part 2


    ¡°I think I can hear something that I shouldn¡¯t be hearing¡­¡±


    ¡°D-Did I do something wrong!?¡±


    ¡°N-No, there¡¯s no point worrying about it now. It¡¯s just that going home by taxi is unusual for high school students, so if you want to come and pick me up, I¡¯d appreciate it if you waited somewhere less conspicuous.¡±


    ¡°I-I see. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Diana looked depressed, but Yasuo was so worried about going to school tomorrow that he didn¡¯t have the energy to cheer her up.


    ¡°B-But, we didn¡¯t manage to find that Shii yesterday, and judging by what happened, it is clear that the Shii is after you, Yasuo. This is currently the best way to reduce the danger to you, even if only a little¡­¡±


    He knew what she was trying to say.


    The Kenzaki family currently did not have a car.


    The front door was fixed faster than expected, but they were having a lot more trouble with the matter of the car.


    Yasuo hadn¡¯t heard the details, but apparently, the owner of the car that Madoka had caused an accident in during the incident with William had been identified by the police despite his parents¡¯ best efforts to hide the evidence.


    Fortunately, Madoka had barely managed to avoid being charged with negligent driving because of the fact that his parents had filed a report in advance that the car had been stolen, and because all the members of the Kenzaki family were uninjured in spite of the severity of the accident. However, there were still many complicated procedures to complete that Yasuo did not understand, so it looked like getting a new car would still take some time.


    ¡°B-But, you know¡­¡±


    After remembering that, Yasuo lowered his voice a little.


    ¡°What are you going to do if a Shii attacks us while we¡¯re in a taxi? We will definitely end up getting other people involved. Remember what happened when Mom crashed our car?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but there is a greater chance of getting people involved if we¡¯re attacked while walking. The only Shii we currently need to worry about is the one that managed to run away, and if you¡¯re worried about others, then just you going to school and prep school increases the chances of danger, you know?¡±


    ¡°W-Well yeah¡­ But you know, the Shii so far have only appeared during nighttime. Shouldn¡¯t we be fine during the day?¡±


    As far as Yasuo could remember, the Shii only ever appeared during the night.


    They were apparently formed from corpses, and the black flames that surrounded them made it easy for them to blend into the darkness. He thought that they were incapable of moving around while the sun was still up, but,


    ¡°That¡¯s just a coincidence. In Ante Lande, there have been Shii that appeared during the day as well. Judging from the records, it¡¯s true that they appear far more frequently at night, however, there are records of people fighting Shii during the day under a clear, cloudless sky.¡±


    ¡°¡­Seriously?¡±


    Yasuo felt a sense of despair.


    It was true that Yasuo felt that he had gotten mixed up in many things he did not understand back during the incident with William and Alexei¡¯s Shii, but even then, William had been a clearly identifiable cause behind the incident.


    However, this time, the Shii seemed to appear suddenly and disappear just as quickly, and they had no idea where they were lurking.


    If the Shii were completely wild creatures like mob monsters that you could find in games, then there was a possibility that they were even right now causing a mess somewhere else, completely unrelated to the Kenzaki family.


    Originally, there would have been no reason for Yasuo to feel responsible for such a thing. However, as the son of a Hero, and as a person who had volunteered to be a Hero, the thought of people outside his reach falling prey to some unidentifiable power was definitely not something he was comfortable with.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to jinx it, but I feel like it would be a lot easier if easily identifiable bosses like that William show up and the matter ends once they are defeated. Not knowing what you¡¯re up against is definitely a lot worse.¡±


    This feeling of being stuck in a maze was somewhat similar to being stuck at a particular point in the middle of studying.


    Unlike his recent failed exams where Yasuo had gotten stuck on every single question, in the current situation he didn¡¯t even know what knowledge he was lacking, so he had no way to shore up his weak points or understand what he should be doing. It was that kind of feeling.


    In such a situation, the only option was to return to square one and carefully go over all the available information once again.


    ¡°But even if I want to go back to square one¡­¡±


    In the first place he didn¡¯t even know where that Shii had come from. During the battle with Alexei¡¯s Shii, only a total of eight Shii had appeared during the entire course of the incident, including Alexei whom Yasuo sent off with the requiem.


    Even though his father and Diana had defeated them easily and they had already been sent off, Yasuo realized once again that the incident where six of them had appeared simultaneously was actually quite dangerous.


    ¡°Sent them off¡­ Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Is something the matter, Yasuo?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I just thought that it was a little strange.¡±


    A slight feeling of discomfort that tugged at his memories.


    The car. The Shii. The requiem. Sending off the Shii. Resurrection.


    ¡°Ah!!¡±


    ¡°W-What is it?¡±


    Yasuo suddenly yelled out loud, causing the driver to be surprised and ask that question.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo?¡±


    Diana was looking at him with a questioning expression, so Yasuo once again faced her and told her the terrifying truth that he had realized.


    ¡°Diana. Even if you defeat the Shii, they¡¯ll just reappear somewhere else if you don¡¯t send them off with the requiem, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ That should be the case.¡±


    ¡°That small-sized Shii¡­ I think it was already in Japan by the time William came here.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°The only Shii we didn¡¯t send off back then was the one that caused the car accident. Both my mother and I didn¡¯t know about that back then¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    It looked like Diana also understood what Yasuo was attempting to say.


    ¡°E-Even so, the fact that it must be defeated does not change, and I don¡¯t see how it can help out in our current situation¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done. There¡¯s something else that I remembered. I just realized it, but the car accident was something William didn¡¯t expect either.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember how he said something about not having any intention of putting the people around us in danger? At that time, I told him to stop messing around because a Shii that he had sent had already caused a car crash. After hearing that, he looked really surprised.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Just for that second, I saw the power in that scary red eye of his waver. That¡¯s right, after hearing that, he said that he had to hurry¡­ So I think that William had someone working against him, someone apart from us. And so, if we assume that William knew nothing about that Shii, and it was after me all along when it attacked the car¡­¡±


    ¡°It probably hasn¡¯t run too far away?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Also,¡±


    Yasuo had a stern expression on his face.


    ¡°Even if that small Shii was William¡¯s enemy, the person who sent it here is probably no friend of ours. So at the end of it¡­¡±


    It was a deduction that was not particularly welcome.


    ¡°The six Shii that attacked us back then were also probably the same. There is someone who is controlling the Shii that have appeared even after Khalija-san arrived here. And that person is probably somewhere close by.¡±


    ¡ù


    ¡°I see. So you think there¡¯s someone who behind the appearance of those six Shii, and the one that escaped?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is only Yasuo¡¯s conjecture, but if we take what William said into consideration, it might just be possible.¡±


    ¡°If that is true, then that raises other issues as well. If the attacks by the Shii are deliberately being instigated by some agency, then the strategies being used to combat the Shii back in Ante Lande will need to be rebuilt from scratch as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°However, at the very least, you did not see any Shii between the time after that William was defeated and through the time I arrived here, correct?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°The true nature of the Shii is still unclear. They seem to be ignoring the law of conservation of mass, both when they appear and when they vanish. Saying this might worsen the impression of Ante Lande and us, but there is a possibility that General Alexei and William came to this world along with you when the Gate Tower was activated, and the seven Shii from earlier entered this world in a similar fashion along with me. Mass is an important consideration when using the Gate Tower, but we don¡¯t know if the concept of ¡®mass¡¯ applies to the Shii. Although it sounds impossible, if the Shii really have no mass, it is possible that they could have hitched a ride along with us without anyone being the wiser.¡±


    ¡°However, this is all still just conjecture. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that we are pinned down by the enemy and unable to take action¡±


    ¡°At the end of it, our countermeasures against the Shii can only go so far. By the way, why is Yasuo lying around looking like a wet log?¡±


    Diana and Khalija were talking in the living room of the Kenzaki family house as usual, in a manner that made him wonder if there was any point in them moving their base of operations to a different house. Beside them, Yasuo was lying on the floor as if he was completely out of energy.


    ¡°Ah¡­ About that¡­¡±


    Diana¡¯s face became red.


    ¡°He tried to fix the misunderstanding with that person called Shouko-san at his prep school, but not only was he unable to meet with her, she¡¯s also ignoring his messages on that communication medium called rope¡­¡±


    ¡°And so he wore himself thin and ended up in this state, huh?¡±


    ¡°Also, he¡¯s apparently receiving a lot of messages from his friends at school about the identity of the person who came to pick him up from school today¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°So after telling me arrogantly that I shouldn¡¯t cause issues for Yasuo, you went and titillated his friends as well, Major?¡±


    ¡°T-Titillated? No, it¡¯s not like that! I just didn¡¯t want anyone to think that I was a suspicious person, so I properly greeted them, that¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°No, I think that just made it worse.¡±


    It was hardly something Khalija should be saying, but she was right.


    ¡°Still, isn¡¯t this nice and peaceful?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t share the same concept of peace¡­¡±


    The wet log seemed to be emitting some resentful curses, but Khalija ignored it.


    ¡°Even if they misunderstand something, it¡¯s not the end of the world. Maybe if you tell your friends at school outright that Major Krone is your girlfriend, they might find it anticlimactic and back off.¡±


    ¡°C-C-Colonel!! What are you saying!? That kind of lie is not good! It¡¯s indecent!¡±


    ¡°If saying that could fix my issues, I would, but it won¡¯t make any difference¡­¡±


    ¡°You too, Yasuo!? You don¡¯t need to say something like that!!¡±


    ¡°Indecent¡­ No, you¡¯ve always been this way, Major, it¡¯s part of what makes you so frightening.¡±


    Seeing Diana protest so strongly, even Khalija seemed a little taken aback.


    ¡°Well, you might find it to be a serious issue, but to me it looks like nothing more than an amusing problem. Worry about it all you like. Once you grow up, you will realize that being able to have worries like this means that you are leading a blessed life.¡±


    After saying that, she got up from the sofa.


    ¡°Colonel?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a little early, but I¡¯m going back to the apartment. I spent the whole day today with Nodoka, and I¡¯m tired because she¡¯s a lot more mature than Yasuo and therefore more difficult to tease. I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡±


    Saying that she was tired out from trying to tease Nodoka was a little exaggerated, but it could also be interpreted to mean that Yasuo was a good target for teasing.


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I think Madoka is probably using the bath right now, so please check with her before you go in.¡±


    As the bath in the Kenzaki house had been destroyed by a Shii, the temporary plan was for everyone to use the unit bath in Diana¡¯s room, and so Yasuo¡¯s mother was over there right now.


    His father was watching TV in his own room, and Nodoka was probably studying in her room. Yasuo tended to forget because he was so busy dealing with his own issues, but his sister would also be taking exams soon.


    ¡°Understood. See you around.¡±


    After saying that, Khalija left right away without even looking at the wet log.


    ¡°When I grow up¡­ I mean, isn¡¯t the Colonel just one year older than me¡­¡­¡±


    In a rare occurrence, Diana actually looked a little sullen.


    ¡°Eh, seriously?¡±


    Seeing the wet log act surprised, Diana seemed to become even more unhappy for some reason.


    ¡°Do I really appear that childish? I¡¯m already nineteen-years-old, you know.¡±


    ¡°Eh!? You¡¯re older than me!?¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Yasuo stood up out of shock, and Diana was surprised seeing Yasuo look so shocked.


    ¡°¡­¡­You definitely don¡¯t look it.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, you¡¯re so mean!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Onii-chan, are you making Diana-san cry again?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, again? And why do you always show up with such horrible timing!?¡±


    Nodoka had just come down from the second floor, probably to get something to drink. She was now looking at Yasuo with a scary expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought that we were about the same age¡­ Ahaha.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. Yasuo, you¡¯re terrible at lying. Even though I¡¯m older, you¡¯ve been viewing me as someone younger than you all this time, haven¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°This kind of childish reaction makes her look like a younger kid, right? I kinda understand.¡±


    ¡°Nodoka, you too!?¡±


    ¡°You should try and act more like a younger kid.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe if my older brother wasn¡¯t so unreliable, I would act my age.¡±


    Yasuo could not win against his sister who always had a ready comeback for anything.


    ¡°So anyways, Khalija-san is only twenty? She seems very mature for someone her age¡­ No, I mean, as a soldier. Ahahaha.¡±


    His teacher at prep school, Kobayashi, was also around the age of twenty.


    Of course, since he went to a good college and was working as a teacher, he looked a lot more mature compared to the current Yasuo, but he also had the look of a college student, and the impression he gave was definitely different from that of a newly graduated student working as a salaryman.


    However, in Khalija¡¯s case, even if you put aside the fact that she is a high-ranking military officer, there are many things about her that make her seem older than her years.


    Diana sometimes acted very childish, and maybe that just served to heighten the difference between the two¡­


    ¡°Were you just thinking that I am childish again?¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±


    While Yasuo had been thinking about things like that, Diana had been looking in the direction of her apartment.


    ¡°The Colonel has followed a slightly special career path compared to the other Magitech Knights in Resteria, so maybe that has something to do with it.¡±


    ¡°A special career path?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I already told you that the Colonel is very knowledgeable about Techno Weapons, right? She managed to repair my Castor to such an extent, using only materials found in Japan, after all.¡±


    Saying that, Diana pulled Castor out of the pocket of her sweatshirt.


    Yasuo had been thinking recently that even though she was carrying around such dangerous and heavy things in the pockets of the sweatshirt that she wore at home, it was strange that there were no unnatural bulges when looking at her at all.


    It looked like she hadn¡¯t been able to repair the external appearance, as Castor did not have the gold colored cover that Pollux had, and the grip also appeared to have been secured with something that looked like duct tape.


    Even so, when Diana channeled a little power into it, the light of magic appeared near the mouth of the weapon.


    ¡°The Colonel¡¯s father was a famous Techno Weapon craftsman. She was the youngest daughter, and apparently she was the most gifted amongst her sisters.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Khalija-san is the youngest daughter?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like it at all¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, putting that aside.¡±


    Diana, who had been told that she seemed like the youngest child in spite of being an only child, pretended that she didn¡¯t hear that and continued to speak.


    ¡°If you¡¯re wondering why I know about this, it¡¯s because, during the construction of my father¡¯s Regulus that I told you about the other day, my mother took advice from the Colonel¡¯s father. Meister Claudius Welleger. I¡¯ve heard that he was originally from the Grand Duchy of Torjesso, and he immigrated to Resteria during the war against Demon King Kaul. The Colonel¡¯s silver hair is a common feature among people who have their roots in the region around Torjesso.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Meister is a title given to master craftsmen, right? If she¡¯s the daughter of a person like that, it¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s good at handling Techno Weapons.¡±


    ¡°But what do you mean by he ¡®was¡¯ a Techo Weapon craftsman?¡±


    ¡°He passed away a little while after my mother finished making Regulus. He was apparently quite old by the time the Colonel was born¡­ I¡¯ve heard that she enlisted in the army right after his death.¡±


    The name of Meister Welleger was so famous that everyone involved in the Techno Weapons industry had heard of it. Khalija, who was said to have inherited her father¡¯s talent, was sought out by the Techno Weapon Research Division, where she displayed a great level of ability.


    ¡°Hmm? But she¡¯s now a Magitech Knight who fights on the front lines, right? Using that weapon you spoke of.¡±


    ¡°The ¡ºSnakebone¡», Marfik. It is a variable Techno Weapon with more than ten forms. Most Techno Weapons can only take two or maybe three forms at the most, but the Colonel is also a first-class soldier who is capable of using more than twice that number under combat conditions. Of course, that makes it an extremely complicated Techno Weapon, and maintenance would be impossible unless you had skills on par with Meister Welleger. She is truly the kind of person who looks like they have become one with their Techno Weapon.¡±


    Diana had forgotten that she had been treated like a child, and boasted about Khalija¡¯s achievements like they were her own.


    From what Diana said just now, it could be seen that Khalija was loved by Magitech Knights of her own age group.


    ¡°Still, it feels strange. If she¡¯s that skilled, wouldn¡¯t that Research Division be unwilling to let go of her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there was a lot of argument regarding her reassignment. However, she displayed a level of battle strength and tactical understanding that led to her being promoted to Colonel soon after being reassigned, and she has also shown great results in the fight against the Shii. It was right around that time when my father was killed in battle, and the Knights Division was wavering. It was said that having someone like her on the front lines who was experienced with both Techno Weapons and battle was a great source of support, and even I thought the same when I heard about her, although I had not yet met her in person back then.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So she¡¯s not just an annoying person. I guess that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Besides, she¡¯s my ideal, in more ways than one. Unlike me, she hasn¡¯t been overshadowed by her family¡¯s achievements, and has continued to show a level of ability that doesn¡¯t lose out to her predecessors.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡±


    Diana, who didn¡¯t stand out much in the Knights Division in spite of having parents who were known as Heroes who saved their country, and Yasuo, who was depressed because of failing his tests in school, in spite of having parents who were a legendary Hero and a Great Magician.


    Compared to Khalija, both of them were depressed about how they could not match their parents¡¯ achievements at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s quiz time, Diana-san!¡±


    Nodoka, who had been silent until then, suddenly shouted.


    ¡°A frog¡¯s offspring is ___! What are the words that go in the blank space?¡±


    ¡°Eeh? Eh? Umm¡­ A frog¡¯s offspring¡­ what was it again? A frog¡¯s offspring is also a frog, that¡¯s one of the idioms that is commonly used, right?¡±


    ¡°Bzzzt! Unfortunately, that¡¯s the wrong answer. The correct answer is, a frog¡¯s offspring is a tadpole!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with you all of a sudden? Also, isn¡¯t that cheating? You should say if it¡¯s a question about the Japanese Language or a question about biology before asking the question.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter either way. I strongly feel that this idiom should go out of use.¡±


    ¡°Eeh? Why the sudden declaration?¡±


    A frog¡¯s offspring is also a frog.


    It means that children will resemble their parents, and also implies that the children of mediocre parents will also be mediocre.


    ¡°Tadpoles do their best with their lives on the line, and become frogs only after going through a lot of danger and competition. By the time they reach that stage, they are already different from their parents. Any adult who doesn¡¯t realize that has probably not worked a single hard day in their lives. Besides, if ¡ºA frog¡¯s offspring is also a frog¡», then were our grandparents Heroes? Great Magicians? No, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Well, yeah.¡±


    ¡°We are still children, and have not achieved anything at all. We are still in the middle of working hard to get there. Khalija-san is like a tadpole that just happened to grow hands and legs a little faster. At the very least, if you don¡¯t think like that, you won¡¯t be able to carry on working.¡±


    This was pretty condescending talk for a fourteen-year-old who was in the third year of middle school, but neither Diana nor Yasuo were able to dispute it.


    ¡°If you ask me, I think your environment is far too easy, Onii-chan. The year when I¡¯m old enough to take college admission exams is the first year when they¡¯ve done away with the National Center Test for University Admissions. I won¡¯t have any information in advance about what the test will be like, and I can only rely on my own hard work, but I can¡¯t just say that a frog¡¯s offspring will also be a frog and give up. If I¡¯m not careful, I might end up getting eaten by a dragonfly nymph or a water beetle while I¡¯m still a tadpole.¡±


    ¡°Dragonfly nymph? Water beetle?¡±


    Although she knew about halibut, it looked like Diana didn¡¯t know about the commonly found aquatic insects from Japan, so she appeared to be confused.


    ¡°Of course, it is important to know where to concentrate your efforts, but I feel that if you get into the habit of working hard, it won¡¯t be a waste no matter how old you get. So that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Saying that, Nodoka flashed a smile and held out her hands towards both of them with her palms facing upwards.


    When they stared at her hands wondering what she was trying to say, a flash of light ran across her palms, and although it was only the size of a fire from a matchstick, a small flame floated in the air over her hands.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Yasuo was so startled that he couldn¡¯t even make a sound.


    ¡°Nodoka¡­ Why?¡±


    Diana also had her breath taken away as she looked alternately at the small flame and Nodoka¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s like the proverb about the young monk.¡±


    ¡°¡­Umm, what was that again?¡±


    ¡°The one about learning from your surroundings, like a young monk reading sutras he¡¯s never been taught. I can¡¯t summon Dad like you can, Onii-chan, so I need to do whatever I can. I don¡¯t think that I will be able to fight, but you never know when something like this can come in handy¡­ man, this is really tiring. I just used the bath earlier and now I¡¯m all sweaty again.¡±


    Her magical energy capacity was probably still quite low.


    Nodoka was sweating heavily after creating a flame the size of a matchstick for just a few seconds, but compared to Yasuo, who was still struggling with the foundations of sorcery, Nodoka was still a great deal ahead.


    ¡°Ah, if you¡¯d like, you can use the bath again after the Colonel is done.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay, I¡¯ll do that. Well then, I just came down here to get something to drink in the first place.¡±


    Saying that, Nodoka took a bottle of tea or something else from the refrigerator and went back upstairs.


    ¡°¡­Is that talent as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ but it probably is.¡±


    Nodoka was in the same circumstances as Yasuo, and she would sometimes listen to Diana¡¯s lessons along with Yasuo. However, the fact that she surpassed Yasuo in such a short amount of time and managed to produce a flame on her own was honestly astonishing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep losing to her like this. Seriously.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ However, please leave the matter of the Shii to us and work hard on your school studies. Don¡¯t try and practice sorcery again in secret, okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Yasuo, who had been practicing it at school, uneasily looked away.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve been doing it.¡±


    And Diana saw right through it.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine. But it¡¯s not good to get impatient. As the Colonel said, Yasuo, your requiem is already at the level of a high level cleric, so just focus on clearing each task before you, one at a time.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Keeping up a steady effort is important, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. What was that idiom again, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single sweep.¡±


    ¡°A single step. Humans don¡¯t have tails to sweep.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that. I just mixed up the pronunciation, like a girl from the Tokyo area might mix up ¡ºShi¡» and ¡ºHi¡».¡±


    ¡°Seriously, why do you always talk about weird stuff like that which makes it hard for me to know how to reply¡­ Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Aaah, aah, how am I supposed to use this again!?¡±


    Yasuo heard the sound of something vibrating, and when he looked around, he saw an unfamiliar slimphone vibrating on top of the table.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the latest model.¡±


    It was the latest model YOIPHONE, in pink and silver colors.


    While thinking that his mother had been really enthusiastic about buying it, Yasuo looked at the screen and saw that the name of the caller was ¡ºMadoka¡».


    ¡°Slide this green part over to the side.¡±


    ¡°Ah, y-yes¡­ Hewwo!¡±


    Yasuo wanted to comment about Diana still messing up her pronunciation, but that comment died on his lips when he saw Diana, who had gone red because of her mispronunciation, suddenly put on a serious expression.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes. Eh? It¡¯s already been more than ten minutes¡­ Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll come back there right away. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s anything serious, but the Colonel doesn¡¯t have a slimphone, so I¡¯ll try searching for her. Goodbye¡­ Umm, how do I disconnect the call?¡±


    ¡°Touch that red part over there.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it disconnected.¡±


    ¡°Mom must have disconnected it on her end. What¡¯s up? Did something happen to Mom?¡±


    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s finished her shower and wanted to come back, but she didn¡¯t have a key to lock the door so she asked me what she should do.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But Khalija-san already went there¡­ oh, so that¡¯s what you meant when you said it¡¯s already been more than ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go back there for bit. There are only two keys, and the Colonel has one of them.¡±


    ¡°Ok, sure.¡±


    ¡°If you want to use the shower, please give me a call. Also, I¡¯ll have a duplicate key to my apartment made for you to use in case something happens in the future.¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine¡ª Eh? A duplicate key!?¡±


    ¡°Now then, I should get going.¡±


    Yasuo was surprised because he had almost gotten caught up in the flow, but Diana left quickly, probably because she didn¡¯t want to keep Madoka waiting.


    Yasuo stared at the closed door with all sorts of thoughts running through his head, and then,


    ¡°Calm down. She probably meant that she¡¯ll have a key made for all of us in the family.¡±


    Nodoka, who was supposed to have gone upstairs, was looking at him from the staircase with a grin on her face.


    ¡°T-T-T-T-That¡¯s right, that¡¯s probably what she meant, right? I knew it!! Hahahahaha.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, what kind of things were you imagining, Onii-chan?¡±


    ¡°Shut up!! Don¡¯t keep eavesdropping on my conversations!! Just go up to the second floor already!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Yasuo, Nodoka. What are you two yelling about? There¡¯s a hole in the wall of the bathroom so don¡¯t make so much noise at night.¡±


    Their main door had exploded, their car had exploded, the bathroom wall had a large hole in it, and he had discovered that Igarashi had a beautiful, childhood friend as a girlfriend. This cultural exchange with another world was so depressing.


    Would he be cursed by the gods for hoping for a slightly more romantic development, even if it only happens through a misunderstanding?


    However, the only certain thing in Yasuo¡¯s life right now was the incredibly prosaic future of being made to sit on a bed of nails at school tomorrow and questioned about Diana¡¯s identity.


    ¡ù

 Volume 2, 3 - The Grass looks Greener Part 3

    Volume 2, Chapter 3 ¨C The Grass looks Greener Part 3


    ¡°What was that? I felt really irritated just now for some reason.¡±


    Shouko, who had been revising what she learned in school that day, stood up from her chair after suddenly losing her concentration.


    ¡°Aaaah, I¡¯m so stiff¡­ Ugh. It¡¯s already eleven pm¡­¡­ Haa.¡±


    Looking at her slimphone that was charging beside the study desk that she had been using since she was in elementary school, Shouko saw that the time was already a little past eleven pm.


    Unlocking the phone for no particular reason, she saw that one of applications on the screen had a small ¢Ù symbol on the icon.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    She knew who it was from, and what that notification meant.


    It was from Yasuo, a ROPE message with his excuses.


    ¡°¡­¡­Hmmph. I don¡¯t care. He¡¯s being too self-conscious.¡±


    She made to tap the ROPE icon with her thumb, but for some reason, she lost the will to do it.


    Even if she didn¡¯t read the message, she knew what would be written inside. It would be about those beautiful foreign women.


    Even Shouko didn¡¯t seriously believe that Yasuo was in a relationship with those mysterious women.


    She had just been surprised at seeing him get out of the taxi, and panicked upon seeing what looked like a standard kiss scene from a drama or movie, but considering Yasuo¡¯s personality, he would never do something like that. Even so, she had not been able to keep her emotions under control.


    She had realized that she couldn¡¯t keep her emotions in check, and while trying too hard to hold them back, she had gone and said something like that.


    Even though she didn¡¯t really feel that way. No, maybe she actually did.


    She knew that she was being unreasonable. After all, no matter how you looked at it, Shouko was just one of Yasuo¡¯s acquaintances.


    Their relationship was not even developed enough to call them friends.


    Even back in middle school, when the distance between them had been at its least, she had not talked with him unless there was a pressing need to do so. The longest she had probably talked to him was during that assignment to ¡°Research the Occupation of a Person Close to You.¡±


    After the change in classes after second year, she ended up in a different class from him. After that, their third year had gone by, and until he met her by accident in front of the prep school the other day, Yasuo had forgotten about her.


    In other words, Shouko knew barely anything about Yasuo.


    She knew where his house was, but Yasuo himself wasn¡¯t aware of the fact that she knew.


    ¡°Worrying about this by myself, so stupid. I mean, I¡¯m basically like a stalker at this point.¡±


    Suspecting the relations that a boy had with people of the opposite sex, when she wasn¡¯t even that close to him.


    ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand why she felt that way about Yasuo.


    If she considered this calmly, it was love. She admitted that to herself because she didn¡¯t want to feel like a child who refused to accept it.


    She had probably been in love with Kenzaki Yasuo since the second year of middle school, ever since that incident.


    However, the reason for that was far too shallow.


    Even considering the aftermath of that workplace research assignment, when she tried to remember if there was anything that drew her towards Yasuo so strongly, she couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped, I wasn¡¯t used to dealing with people, so I fell for the first guy who showed me the slightest bit of kindness.¡±


    She didn¡¯t think he did it because he had any special feelings for her.


    He probably hadn¡¯t really thought it through, either. Actually, if he was the kind of person who thought things through before doing something like that, she probably wouldn¡¯t have such strong feelings about him.


    ¡°Diana, huh¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t really remember what happened back then because her mind had gone completely blank, but she understood right away that it was a pet name, and seeing them calling each other by their first names and talking in a lively manner, she thought that they looked like they were really close.


    ¡°That seems nice.¡±


    Shouko sat back down at her desk while spacing out and wrote ¡ºShouko¡» in a corner of the notebook that lay open on her desk with a pencil.


    ¡°!!¡±


    She went red in the face, and erased it right away.


    ¡°Time to sleep. I should go to sleep and forget about all of this. My thoughts get all muddled up at night. Ah, come to think of it, my eyes are always tired lately too. Ugh.¡±


    Shouko turned towards her closet and pulled out her futon while berating herself for being taken over by her girly side for even a moment, and spoke in a loud voice as if trying to erase her embarrassment.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­. ¡­. ¡­¡­ !!¡±


    Once she was done laying out the futon, she buried her face in the pillow and held her head in embarrassment once again.


    ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot.¡±


    Leaving her messed up bangs as they were,


    ¡°I should take a bath, brush my teeth, and go to sleep.¡±


    She walked to the corner of her room with unsteady steps and took some underwear out of the closet, and then went downstairs. Once in the dressing room, she took off her clothes and tossed them in the laundry basket.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Shouko suddenly felt that something was off when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She was still wearing the same underwear that she had put on yesterday.


    She wondered if she had forgotten to take a bath yesterday, and suddenly remembered.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, I fell asleep without even changing into my pyjamas yesterday. Ah, I must be really out of it. I even forgot that I didn¡¯t take a bath.¡±


    For the past few days, she had been feeling sick when she woke up.


    She would have a splitting headache and her body felt heavy, there were bruises in strange places on her body even though she didn¡¯t remember getting hurt, and felt a dull pain akin to muscle fatigue, the whole package.


    She probably didn¡¯t realize it in the morning because of that.


    ¡°Hmm? I did take a bath yesterday though, didn¡¯t I!?¡±


    She had. Or at least, that¡¯s how she felt.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but the sensation of ¡ºhaving gone into the bathroom¡» was strongly etched into her consciousness.


    However, her actions from the morning and the sensation from her body were in opposition to that memory.


    She had a vague sense that her body and hair were more greasy than they should have been.


    ¡°Seriously. Have I been thinking about stupid stuff for so long that I can¡¯t even remember if I took a bath or not?¡±


    She didn¡¯t think that she had been taken over by her girly side to that extent, but,


    ¡°Oh well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I just need to wash myself thoroughly today.¡±


    After that, she took her underwear off as well and put them in the laundry basket, and entered the bathroom.


    ¡°¡­It should be okay. I didn¡¯t get close to Yasu-kun today so he shouldn¡¯t have noticed¡­ wait.¡±


    Shouko barely managed to keep herself from slamming the showerhead that she was holding against the floor.


    ¡°My head is seriously not okaaaay!! Ugayaaa!?¡±


    Shouko accidentally opened the overhead shower tap all the way in wanting to finish her bath as quickly as possible, and yelled after getting doused with cold water.


    ¡°¡­¡­Good thing it wasn¡¯t hot water.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s house was quite old, and the pipes for hot water and cold water in the bathroom were separate.


    The water heater was also quite old and it wasn¡¯t possible to make any delicate temperature adjustments. If she had opened the hot water tap instead, she would have received a shower of blisteringly hot water.


    Feeling depressed with herself for losing her calm and showering herself with cold water, Shouko quickly scrubbed her hair and body clean and immersed her body into the bathtub.


    ¡°Haaaah¡­¡­¡±


    Lots of things had gone wrong today. If things stayed this way, then the situation would completely go out of her control.


    Her emotions were running wild because she was trying to run away. She had to face them properly and put her feelings in order.


    Shouko drifted off into thought about the time when she had run across Yasuo at the Ozone Tokorozawa Shopping Center.


    She finally remembered it. Her name was Dianaze Krone.


    She had beautiful golden hair, and perfect, unblemished skin. Her speech was polite, backed by her perfect Japanese.


    Her expression had stayed stiff throughout their conversation, probably because she was apologizing for her actions on the day when she had met with Yasuo again, but her beautiful face suggested that she could make most men go slack jawed if she smiled.


    Although the combination of golden hair and green eyes was quite eye-catching, she had a refined and quiet sense of beauty without a hint of gaudiness.


    In the few seconds before she had noticed Shouko, she had been worried about keeping Yasuo waiting.


    She remembered her exaggerated seriousness when she was apologizing.


    However, the impression Shouko got when she had seen her for the first time was that of a strong and stern woman.


    She was probably a truly strong woman, the kind who was usually soft but could be strong when it was required.


    Her movements back then were also almost superhuman, so she must be physically fit as well.


    ¡°Aaah.¡±


    At that moment, Shouko realized something.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I see, so that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    Thinking about it calmly, she understood why she was so irritated when she saw Yasuo getting along with that girl called Diana.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡±


    However, whether she could accept that or not was a different matter. Shouko took a deep breath, and dunked her head under the water.


    She is exactly the kind of girl I wanted to be back then.


    Obedient, cute, able to speak her mind even in front of the person she likes, and has a strong sense of self.


    But being clumsy, I ended up as a gloomy, shy girl who never looked at people or smiled happily because I was afraid of how people saw me. Because of that I couldn¡¯t even say what was on my mind, and I just kept smiling even while people were making fun of me, I was such a good for nothing girl.


    While still in middle school, I realized that I would never be able to become the girl I dreamt about, so I stopped trying.


    That¡¯s why I became who I am today. But even then¡­


    I¡¯m still the kind of girl who is suspicious about Yasu-kun¡¯s relationships even though I barely know him, still so shy that I can¡¯t even look at him properly, hiding my true self behind coarse words and acting like I don¡¯t care because I can¡¯t tell him what I really want to say, and am sitting here laughing by myself.


    I haven¡¯t changed one bit.


    When I entered high school and all my relationships with people were reset, I thought it was a chance to change myself.


    I have more friends now, can talk to guys, and even get along with people from my middle school who don¡¯t know how I used to be back then.


    But at the end of the day, it¡¯s like my heart has just changed a set of clothes. Once those clothes come off, I¡¯m still the same second year middle school student I was back then, trapped in my own shell.


    Even though I want to be a girl like that, a girl who can stand beside the one she loves and laugh without hiding anything.


    Feeling unreasonably jealous, I can¡¯t even bring myself to read a ROPE message from Yasuo. I feel so stupid.


    I have to apologize. But what should I say?


    I was rude because I was too conscious about my own shortcomings. What good is saying something like that?


    Besides, Yasuo and I aren¡¯t that close. I¡¯ll just come off as self-conscious and make him wonder what¡¯s wrong with me.


    Even so.


    ¡°Uu.¡±


    She was feeling short of breath.


    Her thoughts had rapidly risen to the surface with the worst possible timing, and because of that, Shouko became more aware of her own reality and felt depressed.


    She took a deep breath, but maybe because she had immersed her head in hot water for too long, she felt strangely dizzy.


    She thought that thinking of stupid things made her do something even more stupid, but her body refused to obey her will.


    She wondered if she had stayed in the bath for too long, and in the next instant her vision turned completely red, and,


    ¡°Ah, this is bad¡­¡±


    As soon as she whispered that, her consciousness fell into darkness.


    ¡ù


    Yasuo was sitting at his desk, working on his Social Studies report, when he heard the sound of a notification from his phone and saw that there was a mark on the application icon for ROPE indicating that he had received a new message.


    Looking at who had sent the message, he saw that it was from Diana, and the message said that she had been unable to find Khalija.


    ¡ºHas the Colonel come back there yet¡»


    Seeing that, he replied to the ¡ºDiana¡» inside the phone screen.


    ¡ºShe hasn¡¯t come back here. Are you still searching outside?¡»


    ¡ºYes. I don¡¯t want to keep Madoka waiting for too long, so I plan on returning soon. It¡¯s been about£±£±£±¡î?¡ü11¡î11¡ü¡ü¡»


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    He suddenly saw a bunch of characters and numbers jumbled up and he furrowed his eyebrows in doubt, but he soon received an animated sticker of a creepy-looking rabbit character crying, so he vaguely understood what had happened.


    ¡ºDo you see a key that says ¡®kana¡¯ or ¡®AEU¡¯ anywhere?¡»


    After he sent that,


    ¡ºIt¡¯s fixed!¡»


    He received a happy-sounding message. He also received another sticker of the same creepy-looking bunny making a peace sign.


    ¡°She can send stickers, but doesn¡¯t know how to switch the keyboard back to alphabet mode?¡±


    Yasuo smiled wryly.


    ¡ºIt¡¯s been about one hour, so I plan on coming back there once for now.¡»


    Ah, so she had been trying to type ¡º1 hour¡».


    And this time, she wasn¡¯t sure if she would be able to revert to the alphabetical mode, so she typed it out as ¡ºone¡».


    ¡°She should just type the message in kanji.¡±


    There had been a popular book which made fun of messages sent by mothers who weren¡¯t used to digital devices, and the messages Diana sent were pretty close to that.


    ¡°That reminds me, I didn¡¯t get around to asking about what language they speak in Ante Lande.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have any time to relax since Khalija came over, and as Khalija also spoke perfect Japanese that was in no way inferior to Diana, he had completely forgotten until now.


    ¡ºMaybe she went drinking for a change of pace?¡»


    ¡ºDrinking tea?¡»


    ¡°No, I¡¯m talking about alcohol.¡±


    He inadvertently spoke that aloud instead of typing it.


    Looking at the clock, he saw that it was already past eleven pm, and even high school students would know that adults wouldn¡¯t go out of the house to drink tea at such a late hour.


    However, if a person wasn¡¯t aware that ¡ºgoing out to drink¡» was an idiomatic way of saying ¡ºgoing to eat at a restaurant that serves alcoholic drinks¡», they might take the statement at face value.


    ¡°Hmm? But doesn¡¯t ¡®drink¡¯ in English also have the nuance of drinking alcohol?¡±


    Maybe it was just that Diana was not in the habit of consuming alcohol.


    He had never seen Diana drinking alcohol, and he didn¡¯t even know what the legal age for drinking in Resteria was, and whether Diana was allowed to do so.


    It would take another two years until he was old enough to drink, but would he be able to go drinking with Diana by that time? Or maybe he would go with his father first?


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s entirely possible that I won¡¯t have the time to go drinking as well.¡±


    The possibility of him ending up as an unemployed twenty-year-old who had failed at both getting into college and becoming a Hero was definitely not zero.


    He tried to get rid of those terrifying thoughts, and remembered that as he was born in April, he was already old enough to vote.


    There were no elections planned at either the national level or the regional level right now, but when a voting card with his name on it was finally delivered to their house, would he experience some sort of mental change?


    He had absolutely no understanding of politics, but would he feel the need to study about various things to make his vote count?


    ¡°Behaving like an adult is actually quite difficult if you do it seriously.¡±


    Considering how Khalija said that people were considered to be adults at the age of fifteen in Resteria, if he went to went to Ante Lande and became a Hero, would he end up having to carry a heavy burden instead of just being respected as an individual person?


    Had his parents carried such a burden as well?


    ¡ºIn any case, I¡¯ll be coming back now. I left Madoka at my apartment and came outside, so you haven¡¯t taken a bath yet, right, Yasuo? Would you like to take a shower once I¡¯m back?¡»


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Seriously.¡±


    He felt that it would be far better for his mental health if he borrowed the shower while it was still just his mother who was staying there.


    Even though he was in his own room, he felt worried for a second if Nodoka was watching him from somewhere and hurriedly looked around.


    It was bad for his heart in many ways, so he wished she would stop saying things in such a manner already.


    If he had received such a message from a regular girl like Shouko, he could imagine what sort of things Nodoka would say to him and was unable to keep a calm face.


    ¡ºNo sorry to do this when you¡¯re away, but I think I¡¯ll go take a bath right now.¡»


    ¡ºI see. Understood. Please take as much time as you need.¡»


    Well, that was easy enough.


    ¡°Even though she said that, it would be better to get out of the bath by the time Diana gets back.¡±


    Diana¡¯s apartment only had the minimum necessary furniture and appliances, and there were still some things that had not been delivered yet, so according to Nodoka, it was a ¡ºpretty dreary-looking place¡».


    It was the first time that he would be entering a girl¡¯s room, but seeing as Diana had been staying at the Kenzaki family house until a few days ago, he didn¡¯t feel all that nervous.


    If anything, the bathroom at his house had been destroyed before Diana¡¯s room had a chance to become more like that of a typical girl¡¯s room, so that was the only silver lining in this situation.


    He prepared his underwear and a towel, and was about to go downstairs.


    ¡°Still unread, huh? As I thought, I should speak to her directly instead of sending a message by ROPE.¡±


    Looking at the screen of his conversation with Shouko, he saw that the message he sent earlier that evening with his explanation was still not marked as read by the recipient.


    However, he could not erase the message that he had already sent. So all he could do was hope for a reply and wait.


    Just when he thought that.


    He saw a mark appear next to the message indicating that it had been read.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Yasuo was surprised by this sudden turn of events, but he was even more surprised by the reply that came soon after.


    ¡ºI¡¯m coming to see you.¡»


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    It was a short message, written entirely in Hiragana.


    ¡ºEh? Do you mean you¡¯re coming over to my house?¡»


    He inadvertently replied, but that message didn¡¯t get marked as read.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Not only was the conversation going nowhere, the contents felt like something out of a horror story.


    There were plenty of cases where people sent a message knowing that they had made a typing error or used the wrong kanji because they were busy, such as when they were riding a bicycle.


    Maybe Shouko had actually been too busy to look at her slimphone until now, and after she finally saw his message she sent a hurried reply¡­


    ¡°No, but still, would she actually come over at such a late hour?¡±


    It was already past eleven-thirty pm.


    Yasuo had thought that it might have been better to talk to her in person earlier, but it was also not so important that they had to urgently meet in person so late in the night to discuss it.


    ¡ºIt¡¯s pretty late today, how about sometime tomorrow?¡»


    He was pretty worried about the situation so he sent that message, but this one stayed unread as well.


    As he thought, something was strange.


    He decided to just go ahead and call her, but before ringing for very long, he was routed to voicemail.


    ¡°T-This is weird.¡±


    He continued calling her, but she didn¡¯t pick up at all.


    No wait, he heard something.


    It was the sound of a phone vibrating.


    There was the sound of a phone vibrating in concert with the phone call.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    The sound of a vibrating phone?


    Why was he hearing something like that?


    When the call went to voicemail and Yasuo disconnected, the vibration stopped as well.


    And then, when he placed the call again,


    ¡°!?¡±


    Yasuo jumped away from his desk, and knocked his chair backwards. The chair which was on wheels moved backwards into the corner of the room until it hit his bookshelf, knocking various things to the floor, but Yasuo was in no state of mind to worry about that.


    Eventually, the call went to voicemail again, and the vibration stopped at exactly the same time.


    However, Yasuo was staring at a certain spot with his slimphone still held to his ear.


    There was a slight gap in the curtains of his window.


    He could see a sliver of the outside through that gap.


    The sound of the vibration came from out there.


    However, he didn¡¯t care about that anymore. He could see it. It was definitely there.


    It was that red light.


    ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ got to be kidding¡­¡±


    The face of the Shii that was looking in through the windowpane with one eye looked to be the same as that of the Shii that had destroyed their bathroom.


    The depths of that black flame that burned without a sound were slightly illuminated by the light from the room that leaked out through the gap in the curtains.


    His father was at home. He mother was also close by. Diana was also on her way back.


    There was only one enemy. They had to defeat it for certain this time.


    But¡­ But this Shii was¡­


    ¡°Ta¡­Tatewaki-san, is that you?¡±


    ¡ºGrrrrrrrr¡»


    It had destroyed the wall of the bathroom to get inside, but this time it seemed content to just watch from outside the window.


    ¡ºo¡­¡­¡»


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡º¡­st¡­ ve¡­¡»


    The voice was similar to that of Alexei¡¯s Shii, it seemed to come from the depths of hell and inspired terror in those who heard it.


    Even so, he could tell that the underlying voice was that of a girl.


    Yasuo realized that just as each Shii was different depending on who they were when they were alive, which could also be called their ¡ºidentity¡», they could also have different voices.


    ¡º¡­st ¡­ve¡­ Yasu¡­o¡­¡»


    ¡°Ah¡­ Aaah, no way.¡±


    Alexei¡¯s Shii came in search of Hideo the Hero.


    In that case, this Shii that came to the Kenzaki house twice in search of him while muttering his name¡­


    ¡°What¡­ Just what happened¡­ Tatewaki-san is a Shii? B-But why¡­¡±


    If Shouko was actually a Shii, did that mean she had died a long time ago?


    No, the assumption that Shouko had already died before they met again was too far-fetched.


    In the first place, Shouko wasn¡¯t supposed to have had any connection to Ante Lande at all.


    Just what sort of thing had happened to turn Shouko into a Shii?


    However, considering the power it had displayed in breaking down the wall of the bathroom, and its ability to put up a fight against Khalija, no matter what was on the inside, it was certain that Yasuo was no match for it.


    As he thought, he had no option but to call for his father. However, raising his voice might provoke it.


    He was hesitant to use the Holy Sword summons inside the house to bring his father here, so he tried to slowly move out of the room, but,


    ¡ºGrrokah.¡»


    Along with a strange growl, the Shii disappeared from his window. At the same time, he heard something hard fall onto the balcony.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    As soon as the ominous presence disappeared from the window, Yasuo opened the curtains without thinking.


    For some reason, he didn¡¯t consider the possibility that he could be attacked from outside.


    He just saw the same old view of the night that was usually visible.


    However he noticed something strange on the roof of the house on the opposite side of the road, opened the window, and jumped out onto the balcony.


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    It was a snake made of light.


    There was a snake of light on the roof of opposite house, and it was restraining the Shii, and the person holding the tail of that snake was¡­


    ¡°Khalija-san!¡±


    There was no mistake. She was wearing the tracksuit that she had still not returned to him, and the circlet with an embedded gemstone.


    Maybe he was just seeing things, or it was reflecting the light from the snake of light, but it looked like the gemstone was glowing faintly.


    So that was the appearance of the weapon known as the Snakebone, Marfik. If so, it had a grand and imposing appearance that certainly lived up to the name Snakebone.


    In any case, it was good that Khalija had chosen to capture it instead of slaying it. If she happened to destroy it for some reason, he had no idea what the consequences would be.


    Yasuo patted his chest in relief and waved his hand at Khalija.


    ¡°!!¡±


    At that moment, it looked like Khalija had realized that Yasuo was looking at her.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    However, she stood up and turned her back to Yasuo.


    ¡°Khalija-san?¡±


    Just before she turned around, even though it was dark, he could tell that she had a sad expression on her face.


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    She then spun around and leaped high into the air, and disappeared somewhere Yasuo¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t follow. Of course, she took the snake of light and Shouko who had turned into a Shii along with her.


    ¡°What was that¡­ just now¡­ What is she¡­ Khalija-san, where did she go¡­ That¡¯s right, I need to let Diana know¡­!¡±


    He had to let everyone know about what happened just now.


    He turned around with the intention of going back inside the house and calling everyone, when his foot struck something.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    It was a slimphone.


    It was a slightly outdated model YOIPHONE, enclosed in a plain, transparent case.


    When he pressed a key, a lock screen image that looked like it was a default image that had not been changed was displayed on the screen.


    Also displayed on the screen was a notification message displaying information about recently received calls. It read, ¡ºIncoming call: Yasu-kun¡».


    ¡°What¡­ What the hell is going on!?¡±


    Yasuo gripped the slimphone and ran out of his room to tell his father and Nodoka what had happened.


    ¡°That small-sized Shii is Shouko-san!?¡±


    ¡°And Khalija-san carried it off!?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that, Yasuo?¡±


    Diana, who had returned to the house, Nodoka, and his father looked like they didn¡¯t know whether to believe what Yasuo was saying.


    Even when Yasuo showed them Shouko¡¯s slimphone, they were still not immediately convinced.


    However, a flash of light suddenly appeared outside the window in the small garden of the Kenzaki house, and when everyone looked in that direction to see what happened,


    ¡°Open up! Hurry!¡±


    They saw Madoka who was supposed to be waiting in Diana¡¯s room for Khalija to return.


    She had a stern expression on her face, jumped into the house the moment Hideo unlocked the window, and made a staff appear in her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Shii.¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    The four of them reacted in different ways, and simultaneously looked at the slimphone that Yasuo was still holding.


    ¡°There were two of them in the garden. There was also one on the road. I really doubt that¡¯s all of them! We need to get rid of them quickly, or somebody could get hurt!!¡±


    An unknown number of Shii. The small-sized Shii. And Khalija.


    ¡°This was unexpected.¡±


    Hideo shook his head like he was exasperated.


    ¡°It looks like we were dancing in the palm of someone¡¯s hand right from the start.¡±

 Volume 2, 4 ? Song of the Starry Sky Part 1

    Volume 2, Chapter 4 ? Song of the Starry Sky Part 1


    There was a small spiral of light, coiled in the sky.


    It was very hard to see, but once you realized it was there, you would see that it appeared to be pulsating in a blue color, looking like the Pleiades cluster.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time yet¡­ How much longer is this going to take¡­¡±


    Khalija was looking up at it with a flustered expression.


    It had already been more than ten minutes.


    She knew that it would take time, but did not expect that an unscheduled ¡ºActivation¡» would take such a long time.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to buy much time if I¡¯m up against Hideo. Every second counts. Hurry up¡­¡­!¡±


    The spiral of light that Khalija was looking at as if she was praying eventually coalesced into a pillar of light that dominated the heavens, and a small point of darkness opened up in the center.


    ¡°Alright! It¡¯s open!¡±


    If anyone saw it from far away, it probably looked like an illuminated christmas tree rising into the sky.


    That was the appearance of the Polar Body Advanced Sorcery, the ¡ºReturn Path¡» of the ¡ºGate Tower¡».


    ¡ºGrrrrrr! Grrrrrrrrah!¡»


    ¡°¡­¡­No matter how much you cry out in that low voice, no one will be able to hear you from here. Seriously, having a place like this close by was really convenient¡±


    After being able to calm down a little, Khalija looked around.


    She was in a huge park.


    Although she had captured the Shii that Shouko Tatewaki had transformed into, she had not thought about what to do after that.


    However, Khalija had no other options when she saw that Shouko¡¯s Shii had once again approached the Kenzaki house.


    If a single Shii that was only slightly stronger than average was discovered in a place where Hideo, Madoka, and Diana were gathered, they would no doubt destroy it without a second thought.


    Besides, this Shii was no ordinary Shii.


    Only Khalija knew that Tatewaki Shouko had turned into a Shii while still alive.


    If Dianaze or the members of the Kenzaki family destroyed it without realizing that, there was no telling what the consequences might be.


    ¡°That said, there¡¯s no guarantee that you can be saved even if I take you back to Ante Lande with me¡­¡±


    A snake of light was coiled around Shouko¡¯s Shii a little distance above the ground, raising its neck like a poisonous serpent.


    ¡°¡­Looks like it was true after all. As long as they¡¯re not touching the ground¡­¡±


    If a defeated Shii was left unattended for too long without sending it off, it would be engulfed in a swirl of black flame similar to when it appeared and would get sucked into the the ground.


    In that case, to keep a Shii from escaping, you just had to prevent it from touching the ground.


    ¡°Should I laugh at the fact that you are so inflexible, or moan at the fact that doing something like this is difficult precisely because it sounds simple?¡±


    After giving a lonely smile, Khalija looked down at her hand.


    In her hand was Marfik, which had shrunk down to a size that could fit in her palm.


    The ¡ºSnakebone¡» Marfik looked like nothing more than a rod at first glance.


    However, in reality it was a collection of small, individual units of cylindrical shape, and by controlling each of those units with the power of sorcery, the weapon could be made to take various shapes.


    By detaching the individual units and re-attaching them with sorcery, it could be quickly turned into a sorcerous rope like its current form.


    Although manipulating it was very easy for her to do, it was extremely difficult for anyone who was not used to handling it. Khalija had first realized this soon after she was assigned to the Research Division.


    Marfik was one of the variations of a Techno Weapon created by her father.


    After enlisting in the Knights Division and being welcomed into the Research Division with a lot of fanfare, Khalija had held the ambition of wanting to spread the name of this weapon that was notorious for being difficult to use, as well as the name of her deceased father.


    However, no matter how much she tried to forcefully make it popular, there was no point if there was no one who could actually use it.


    It was then that she had found those blueprints.


    The blueprints were drawn up in her father¡¯s style and in his handwriting, but it had been abandoned before being completed. Apparently, it was a design for a new Techno Weapon that was a stripped down version of Marfik, with reduced features and lower production cost.


    Its name was Sinistra, the ¡ºGosetsu¡»[3].


    Apparently, it was capable of taking on different shapes depending on the situation.


    She didn¡¯t know at the time why her father had abandoned the design before completing it.


    Looking at the date on the blueprints, she saw that he had been working on it just before he passed away, so maybe he had just passed away before he managed to complete it.


    At that moment, Khalija had become convinced that completing this Sinistra would be a shortcut to reviving the Marfik.


    At that time, there had been a competition by the Research Division to develop the next generation of Techno Weapons. Khalija took over her father¡¯s design, put all her ability into completing it, and turned it in as an entry for the competition.


    It cleared many document selection rounds and product tests, and when it was finally selected for combat testing by the military, Khalija had felt proud from the bottom of her heart.


    To train a person in using a Techno Weapon like the Marfik which had a high degree of variability, you would first have to train them to be capable of selecting the correct weapon based on the situation, and they would also need to train in using that particular weapon.


    In addition, the Magitech Frameworks required by the weapon would increase, which meant that the weapon would not only cost more to produce, but also become more difficult to use. Only a limited number of people would be able to use it.


    However, the Sinistra was a weapon with five, fixed forms that the wielder could choose from, so she had thought that it would counteract the complexities associated with a variable-form weapon, and could be wielded by more users.


    It would be possible to develop Magitech Knights and Techno Weapons that could adapt to the ever-changing situations on a battlefield.


    To Khalija, it looked like an extremely beautiful form of a soldier who had reached their peak.


    ¡°¡­I thought it was for the best. But it was bad luck. For both of us.¡±


    Khalija looked upwards, toward the sky.


    The hole in the sky had opened sufficiently.


    With this, it should be able to somehow manage both herself and Shouko¡¯s Shii.


    ¡°Wait for me, Father.¡±


    ¡ºGugu¡­. Grrrrrrr~¡»


    After ensuring that Shouko¡¯s Shii was still firmly restrained by the snake of light, Khalija flew up towards the hole that led to another world, the Gate Tower, guided by a pillar of stardust.


    The inside of the Tower was also a space filled with stardust.


    ¡°Ugh, so heavy.¡±


    As she thought, the Shii was also being counted as a heavy mass.


    No, was it because the original body of the Shii was still alive?


    ¡°But it¡¯s okay¡­ Just a little¡­ Just a little more!¡±


    Her speed was less than half of what it had been when she came to Japan.


    However, it was fine now. Since she had managed to enter the Gate Tower, she didn¡¯t have to worry about being caught by Hideo and the others anymore.


    If anything, the true battle would start once she made it to the other side.


    Although she had been charged with the mission of working with Dianaze as her assistant, she was coming back after only a few days. What¡¯s more, instead of Hideo the Hero, she was bringing back a Shii. Of course people would wonder what was going on.


    If she was not careful, she could end up imprisoned and stripped of her military rank.


    She was ready to face the consequences even if that came to pass, but it most likely would not.


    There were plans to capture a Shii to learn more about them from when they had first started to appear, but all attempts to do so had ended in failure.


    If she and Marfik were to succeed where so many others had failed, it would surely bring her closer to her dream.


    ¡ºGrrrrr.¡»


    The growls of the Shii brought Khalija back to reality from her dark desire.


    What was I thinking just now?


    Get closer to my dream? How idiotic.


    Just for the sake of one wish, I was prepared to throw everything away.


    I knew that every sacrifice made along the way was necessary.


    That is why, if this wish is fulfilled, I cannot hope for anything else.


    Once I return to Resteria, I will most probably be arrested, despite the circumstances.


    However, I¡¯m sure that ¡ºshe¡» will make arrangements to get me released from prison in due time.


    That was our initial agreement, and it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for ¡ºher¡» to have that kind of influence in the first place.


    This gift is also meant to ensure that she keeps up her end of the bargain.


    Once everything is over and ¡ºshe¡» grants my ¡ºwish¡», I will wipe away all traces of myself.


    I will live in poverty in some place nobody knows about and wait for my life to come to an end.


    That is what I have decided.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    After unconsciously touching her circlet once again, Khalija apologized to the girl from a different world, and was about to laugh at herself for her own incompetence, when,


    ¡°!?¡±


    All of a sudden, the stardust around her wavered.


    Her flight speed dropped.


    The mass being transported increased.


    Impossible. She had released such a large number of Shii into middle of the city.


    There was no way they could have caught up to her so quickly.


    Besides, it had already been several minutes since she had entered the Tower. The entrance should have closed long ago.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Looking back, she saw a portion of the view of Japan that she was supposed to have left behind, surrounded by the stars of the Pleiades.


    The entrance was not closed. It had been anchored in place.


    The entrance of the Gate Tower should have closed automatically, but someone had forced it open.


    Something was heading towards her at high speed from the open entrance.


    There was no need to consider who that was, it was obvious.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ A little more. Just a little more, and¡­¡±


    However, no matter how hard she tried, she could not increase her own speed.


    The propulsion force of the entire tower had dropped because of the person who was closing in on her from behind.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Khalija gritted her teeth and looked backwards once again, and in that instant, she changed her strategy after seeing that person.


    ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t turn back from this path anyways!¡±


    Khalija gave up on trying to run away and descended to stand on the wall of the tower of stars.


    Perhaps because gravity was warped, she was able to stand on the wall of the cylindrical tower instead of falling back towards Japan that she had left behind her.


    Seeing that, her pursuers also landed on the wall a little distance away from her.


    ¡°You came faster than I expected.¡±


    Did her voice tremble when she said that?


    While worrying about that, Khalija looked towards Dianaze Krone and Kenzaki Yasuo, who had followed her into the Gate Tower.


    ¡°Colonel¡­ Colonel, what is the meaning of this!?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®this?¡¯ The fact that I¡¯m using the Gate Tower to go back? Or the fact that I¡¯m taking this Shii along with me? Or maybe¡­ the fact that Shii appeared in city right after I started behaving suspiciously?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Diana looked shocked at the manner in which Khalija spoke.


    Each of those were questions that Diana had wanted to ask, and she had hoped that Khalija was not involved in any of them.


    ¡°Let me make this clear, I wasn¡¯t lying when I said that I was sent to Japan to assist you. I have written orders from Her Excellency Erijna and His Majesty himself. It¡¯s just that I had another, personal, objective in addition to that.¡±


    ¡°A different objective? Colonel, what happened to you all of a sudden!? Going against royal orders and releasing Shii in the middle of a peaceful city, what is so important to you that you would go so far to achieve it!?¡±


    Diana¡¯s shout echoed through the emptiness of the tower of stars.


    ¡°I don¡¯t plan of doing anything in particular. I have no intention of rebelling against my country. It¡¯s just that I was weak. I was incompetent. Because of that, a bad person took advantage of me. I didn¡¯t want people to scold me for falling into the clutches of a bad person, so I desperately hid the fact. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand! I don¡¯t understand, Colonel! What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand. Major Krone. You, who have worked hard and overcome many trials without losing to the pressure from your family¡¯s name, managed to free your father from the terrifying flames of the Shii, and are strong enough to fight alone in a different world will probably never understand. That¡¯s why, if you want to stop me, you¡¯ll have to fight me here.¡±


    ¡°Colonel! That wasn¡¯t because I was strong! People who have died cannot come back to life, that is a law of nature! I had no choice but to submit to that!¡±


    ¡°¡­Just the fact that you can admit that is proof that you are strong, and I am weak. My aim is to twist that law, after all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what your objective is that requires twisting the laws of nature, but what does Tatewaki-san have to do with any of it?¡±


    It was clear that Khalija had no intention of listening to Diana. Yasuo summoned his resolve and asked Khalija that question.


    ¡°So you had already realized, Yasuo? That this Shii is Shouko Tatewaki.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I only realized it quite recently. Tatewaki-san is a person from Japan. I don¡¯t know why she turned into a Shii, but I can¡¯t let you take her away. Please give her back.¡±


    ¡°What do you plan on doing if I give her back? I don¡¯t think you have the ability to do something about this inexplicable phenomenon that caused a living person to turn into a Shii.¡±


    ¡º¡­¡­¡»


    Shouko¡¯s Shii, which was still bound by Marfik and had been growling and struggling until earlier, now just stared at Yasuo with its red eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way, back in Japan.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying that Japan has any institutions that are capable of researching a phenomenon like this?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. But I know that it¡¯s still a better idea than letting you take her away. The fact that you hid from us and tried to do things in secret proves that whatever you have planned for Tatewaki-san, it¡¯s nothing good.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. No doubt.¡±


    Khalija¡¯s eyes were completely serious.


    ¡°In that case, why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Is it because this girl is your friend? It should have been Hideo the Hero who came after me, or if not, Major Krone should have come alone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡­ Guh!¡±


    That sensation and impact were something he had never experienced until now.


    ¡°Y-Yasuo!!!!¡±


    Diana¡¯s scream echoed throughout the Tower.


    Yasuo¡¯s body shook violently, and he fell to his knees on the wall of stardust.


    Blood flowed out from his body from the side of his body that had been pierced, and spread into the world beyond the wall in the form of a haze.


    At some point, Khalija had held up the cylindrical Marfik and was pointing it towards Yasuo like a handgun.


    There was a hole on the end of the cylinder. She had fired a magical bullet from there.


    She had fired it at Yasuo. A human.


    A young man who had intended to risk his life for Resteria.


    ¡°Remember what I told you in the beginning? A person who can¡¯t even stand by themselves will only die on the battlefield.¡±


    From his position of kneeling, Yasuo fell over like a rag doll.


    ¡°I avoided his vitals. But if you don¡¯t get him to a hospital soon, he¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°Guaaaaaah.¡±


    It was not a scream.


    However, Yasuo, still lying on the ground, cried out once the pain finally hit him.


    His brain could not handle that level of pain.


    However, the signals that his life was in danger spread to every cell in his body, and filled his heart with fear.


    ¡°You intended to become a Hero with this level of ability?¡±


    Khalija spat out those words as if she was disgusted, and suddenly, a shadow fell across her face.


    Diana had closed the distance with Khalija in an instant, after deploying her twin swords at full power.


    ¡°Coloneeeeeel!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good face. That¡¯s what a soldier should look like.¡±


    Khalija manipulated Marfik and blocked both the swords without batting an eyelash.


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°It was unfortunate.¡±


    Diana¡¯s body wavered for a second after encountering this unexpected defence, and Khalija didn¡¯t let that chance escape as she pointed the finger of her left hand at Diana¡¯s body that was completely open to attack.


    As Diana attempted to jump back to avoid getting attacked, something terrifyingly powerful grazed her flank and the shockwave was transmitted throughout her body.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Gah!?¡±


    Something small slammed into Diana from outside her field of view without making a sound as she tried to gain some distance.


    ¡°Gah!!!¡±


    Without being able to avoid that hit or even discern its nature, she took the brunt of Khalija¡¯s melee attack and was slammed into the wall of stars.


    ¡°Guuhaa!!¡±


    She didn¡¯t take any damage from that as it was not truly a solid wall, but she definitely received a fracture from that last attack.


    She had managed to pull off a surprise attack, but could not do anything against Marfik at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re a hundred years too early to try and beat Marfik and me with such an ordinary attack and such an ordinary Techno Weapon.¡±


    Khalija grabbed Diana by the hair as she lay on the ground and pulled her upright.


    ¡°Can you see it? This is the true essence of my Marfik.¡±


    After being pulled up, what Diana saw were over thirty small cylinders.


    Each one of them glowed when receiving the light of sorcery from Khalija¡¯s hand, connected with each other, and moved about freely.


    This is what had hit Diana from a place outside her field of view earlier.


    Khalija had controlled one of the units with a magical tether and slammed it into Diana.


    If she wanted to, she could probably use each one of those units as bullets that could even break through rock and shred an opponent to pieces.


    ¡°You can still stand, right? Take Yasuo and go back right now. Even though I avoided his vitals, he¡¯s an untrained civilian. If he loses even a little blood, he will die. If you¡¯re too late, then none of your wishes will come true.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°You want to hear my reasons right now? Is hearing the cause of my madness more important to you than Yasuo¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°Colonel¡­!¡±


    ¡°Making an expression like that won¡¯t stop me, and won¡¯t save Yasuo either. Disappear from my sight. I will also disappear, and will never meet either of you again.¡±


    Khalija released Diana¡¯s hair and started to walk back towards the snake of light that was still restraining Shouko¡¯s Shii.


    ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    However, she was stopped by a voice that was distorted in pain, and turned around with a annoyed expression.


    ¡°Why are you doing something like this?¡±


    Yasuo, while drenched in sweat, had still raised his head and was looking at her.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yasuo. Do you realize what kind of situation you¡¯re in right now? You¡¯ll die. A magical bullet blew right through you, and there¡¯s a hole in your body where holes should not exist. Or has the fear made you go insane?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I already know. But Khali¡­ you¡¯re not the sort of person who would do something like this.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I just did.¡±


    ¡°You must have a reason. Let me know what it is. Don¡¯t make me ask you so many times.¡±


    Khalija smiled charmingly in a manner that was no different from the smile she had shown Yasuo during the past three days when she had been teasing him, and lowered her shoulders.


    ¡°Is it one of those ¡®My last request before I enter the abyss¡¯ things? Well, fine. The abyss is the realm of the dead, right? My story is related to that, in a way. If things end like this, Major Krone won¡¯t have much to put in her report either.¡±


    ¡°Gu¡­ ahh.¡±


    Diana lifted herself up and prepared to leap at Khalija, but,


    ¡°I won¡¯t let my guard down. Listen to me quietly.¡±


    With a slight motion of her finger, she transformed one of the units of Marfik into handcuffs and pinned Diana against the wall of the Tower.


    ¡°Have you heard about the fact that my father was a Techno Weapons craftsman? He passed away before I grew up, but among my sisters I was the one who inherited his talent to the greatest degree. My father also imparted all the knowledge and skills that he could to me. He was an incorrigible drunkard and, with his age being what it was, he probably knew his time was near. In any case, because of the knowledge of Techno Weapons and the skills I inherited from my father, I was able to have a successful career in the Knights Division after his death. Her Excellency Erijina also kept an eye on me because she got to know my father through their work on the Regulus of ¡ºLightning¡». I used to stand in front of my father¡¯s grave and say that I was proud. I was such an idiot.¡±


    Khalija crouched in front of Yasuo and her shoulders shook as she laughed quietly.


    ¡°But you know what? No matter how much skill you have, and how many things you learn, you will never be able to make a good Techno Weapon if you still have the heart of a child. If the craftsman does not understand ¡ºthe beauty of the weapon¡», then it will never be transmitted to the person who wields it. By the time I realized that fact, many things had already passed the point of no return. Hey, Dianaze Krone.¡±


    At first, Diana¡¯s ears could only register that as a sound.


    ¡°What would you do if I told you that the underlying cause of General Alexei Krone¡¯s death lies with me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ha?¡±


    Diana¡¯s motions of trying to desperately break out of Marfik¡¯s restraints suddenly stopped.


    ¡°If not for my thoughtless actions, your father might not have died.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­What¡­ are you¡­¡±


    ¡°There were many things going on at the national level when General Alexei was sent on that mission during which he died. Along with the General, that expedition had many veteran Magitech Knights as well. It had been thirty years since the world entered an era of peace. As nobody expected to find monsters like the Shii, that expedition force was tasked with carrying out many ¡ºexperiments¡». Now that I think of it, that expedition was also your first battle, right?¡±


    Images of that incident which she had never forgotten flashed through Diana¡¯s mind.


    She had been in the tent with the other surveying officers, the people who were tasked with surveying the land, comparing what they saw to the topographical maps that had been prepared in advance, and determining what direction the expedition force would travel in.


    Diana had been struggling with her paperwork inside that tent.


    Neither her senior Magitech Knights, nor the veteran surveying officers expected to have to fight.


    The Techno Weapons on her waist were pretty much just a decoration. There were even people who had no Techno Weapons within reach because they got in the way when drawing maps.


    The Swordmaster, Alexei Krone, was present, and he was in command of veteran officers and the companies under them. In ordinary conditions, the surveying officers should have never found themselves in combat.


    However, the result was that the expeditionary force fell apart after the raid by the Shii.


    Unable to properly carry out even half of the retreat plan that had been set up in advance, the expeditionary force fell into a rout and Alexei had been killed.


    Diana couldn¡¯t really remember what she had been doing back then.


    All she could remember was obeying the orders of her superior, and running desperately to the designated point without breaking formation.


    She hadn¡¯t been worried about her father¡¯s safety.


    The series of events that happened that day were a source of never-ending repentance for Diana.


    ¡°That expedition was also tasked with the official combat testing of a new generation of Techno Weapons. A few of the Magitech Knights were ordered to submit reports on the new model Techno Weapons after the mission was completed. Based on their results, the plan was to deploy the new Techno Weapons in a few selected divisions of the army. There were three new types of Techno Weapons to be tested, with fifty people testing each type. A total of one hundred and fifty people in that expedition had been assigned new Techno Weapons. Of the three, one of them was the the ¡ºGosetsu¡», Sinistra, that I had developed. It was a variable Techno Weapon that could take five forms, namely a polearm, a longsword, a bow, twin swords, and twin pistols. I wanted to take this Techno Weapon that my father left unfinished and make it popular around the world, and someday increase the number of Knights who would be able to use Marfik.¡±


    Her smile turned dark.


    She was using that Marfik to kidnap a girl from another world.


    ¡ºGrrrrrrr.¡»


    Khalija continued to speak while turning around to look at Shouko¡¯s ferociously growling Shii.


    ¡°All fifty people to whom my Techno Weapon was assigned, died. Not a single one of them made it back.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Seriously?¡±


    ¡°When testing new weapons, you need to be prepared to face unexpected situations. General Alexei was also aware of this, so he stationed the hundred and fifty people who had volunteered to test the new weapons close to himself. Apparently, he said that even should some of the new weapons fail against the mysterious new enemy, he would be able to protect them. However, you know the result. Instead of protecting their wielders and the General, my weapons presented their hearts to the Shii on a silver platter. Of course, there were other companies that fell into rout as well. However, all fifty people who used my weapon died, and the reason for that was simple. Sinistra was completely unready to handle the reality of the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What happened?¡±


    ¡°A deficit in durability due to the complicated shape-changing mechanism built into the weapon. Magitech Frameworks that demanded delicate control of sorcery for shifting the forms even in emergency situations. There were several other flaws that we don¡¯t have the time to go into. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s funny? Of the new generation weapons that were recovered on a later date, more than half of the ¡ºGosetsu¡» were not in any one of the five standard forms.¡±


    The weapons had failed in the initial steps of transformation, or the wielders had been killed while the weapons were in the middle of changing forms, or they had completely failed to change form in the first place.


    However, the recovered weapons all had the same story to tell; their wielders had been killed before they could put up any sort of resistance at all.


    ¡°I ended up in a sorry state, like a snake that doesn¡¯t know where to go and ends up tying its own body into knots.¡±


    For a craftsman who had been told that beauty is strength, this was a very difficult sight to withstand.


    ¡°Since ancient times, weapon craftsmen have known that their creations were meant for the purpose of hurting other people. Even so, they took pride in the fact that that the weapons would protect their wielders, and the country that stood behind them. But what about me? I was conceited because of my skills and my father¡¯s fame, and ended up causing the deaths of the people who wielded my weapons and the Hero who protected the nation. I was immature, and the weapon that I created for the sake of winning a stupid competition ended up taking the lives of fifty people!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ugh!¡±


    As if responding to Khalija¡¯s rage, Marfik bound Shouko¡¯s Shii and Diana even tighter.


    ¡°I finally realized the reason why my father had left Sinistra unfinished. Even five forms is still too much. In battle, there is such a thing as an optimal disposition of troops. There is no point putting your troops armed with longswords in the same place as your archers. What use is a bow to a soldier who fights on the front lines? My father realized that half-baked versatility does not give more options, but instead reduces the level of each available option. That is why he abandoned Sinistra before it was completed, even though he came up with the idea. If you want to wield Marfik, then you have to wield it from the start.¡±


    Khalija¡¯s words came from her mouth without any hesitation.


    She had probably had the same conversation with herself many times, many dozens of times, maybe hundreds of times.


    Neither Yasuo nor Diana could say anything to interrupt her regret that had been refined to this extent.


    ¡°Nobody blamed me. It was the responsibility of the Research Division that had approved the design for combat testing, and moreover, there hadn¡¯t been any problems in the earlier tests. That¡¯s why my superior at the Research Division just told me to keep working hard. However, I wasn¡¯t mentally strong enough to go back to my research just like that. Fifty Magitech Knights. The Swordmaster, Alexei Krone. Even though the Research Division knew just how huge the loss caused by me was, they just told me that. Remember what I said, Yasuo? The current Resteria is completely different from the land that Hideo traveled through thirty years ago.¡±


    Just who was the scorn in her voice aimed at?


    Was it the whole world, or perhaps at herself?


    ¡°It was only later that I found out that the Research Division had a hostile relationship with Her Excellency Erijina, who was carrying out Techno Weapon research on her own. In that peaceful world, the Division was just carrying out erratic research while being kept afloat with tax money, after all. Apparently, they didn¡¯t see eye to eye with the country¡¯s Heroes, the Krone couple, who expected constant innovation and integrity. There are records saying that when Her Excellency Erijina created the Regulus for General Alexei, the Research Division protested. They said that they would lose face in front of the citizens and other Magitech Knights, and that more consideration should be given when selecting the General¡¯s weapon. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s hilarious?¡±


    ¡°Something¡­ Something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°From my perspective as a journeyman craftsman of Torjesso working on getting my Meister title, I could only see Resteria¡¯s Techno Weapon Research Division as a rotten organization filled with bureaucracy. More than half of the contents written in the research process documentation were flimsy excuses to get a larger budget. Even the process of handing down skills to the next generation was perfunctory. All they did was to gauge the mood of the top brass and carry out trivial upgrades to trivial Techno Weapons, and they were using Magitech Frameworks that were several generations behind what other countries in the world were using. A country like that told me that I shouldn¡¯t worry about getting fifty Magitech Knights and one of the country¡¯s Heroes killed. It was insane.¡±


    Khalija¡¯s anger was burning as dark as that of the Shii¡¯s, but the tone of her voice suddenly dropped.


    ¡°But the most insane person there was me. Fifty people¡ªno it was far more than that if you count the number of people who were involved with them¡ªdied because of my arrogance, and here I was still living on like nothing had happened. I misappropriated a design that my father had already discarded and stained the name of Welleger as well. That was why I left the Research Division and moved to being a front line fighter. So that I could make up for the large hole in our defences that I had created, even if just a little. So that I could run away from my sins¡­ but I would still see it every night, in my dreams.¡±


    Khalija¡¯s blue eyes wavered and she looked down at her own hand.


    ¡°In my dreams, the ghosts of the dead would torment me for continuing to live in spite of creating Techno Weapons that killed their wielders instead of their enemies. Behind the eyes of every Shii I faced, I saw the appearance of the Magitech Knights whose faces I had never seen. That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t even know what the Knights who died using my weapons looked like. After some time passed, I had a thought. What would my father, a Meister, do at a time like this?¡±


    Khalija¡¯s father, Claudius, who was a citizen of the Grand Duchy of Torjesso, had escaped from the invading hordes of Demon King Kaul¡¯s armies and sought refuge in Resteria. Back then, when Techno Weapons still did not exist, he was a weaponsmith who delivered a fixed number of arms and armour to Torjesso¡¯s Knights Division from his own workshop.


    ¡°I only inherited my father¡¯s knowledge and his techniques, I did not inherit his heart. I did not learn what beauty means. I had reached a certain level in knowledge and technique, but my father passed away before he could teach me to train my heart.¡±


    Her fellow craftsmen, and rival researchers at the Research Division. Or even the weapon craftsmen who worked on the streets.


    There were many people from whom Khalija could have learned the proper mindset required to craft weapons.


    However, the Techno Weapon craftsman named Khalija Welleger had been replicating her father¡¯s work for so long that she was incapable of adjusting her feelings based on the opinions of strangers.


    ¡°Would my father have scolded me for using designs that he had discarded to further my own ambitions? Or would he have talked to me about his own experiences of weapons he made failing to protect their wielders? Or would he have pushed me away without saying anything, and told me find the answer myself? I had no way to find out. Even so, I didn¡¯t even know how to carry the sin of indirectly causing the deaths of fifty Magitech Knights and the country¡¯s Hero without my father¡¯s advice that was impossible to obtain. Major Krone. You praised someone like me for inheriting the title of Meister, didn¡¯t you? Can you still say the same thing about me after hearing this? A failure like me who stole the name of her father, dirtied it, and yet could not help but cling to it!?¡±


    Khalija looked at Diana who was pinned to the wall of stars.


    ¡°¡­¡­You were given the mission to summon Hideo the Hero, Major Krone, and when your first report made its way back to Resteria, that woman appeared before me. She gave me this circlet and said something to me.¡±


    ¡°Woman?¡±


    In spite of having an agonized expression due to the pain, Yasuo furrowed his eyebrows.


    ¡°She told me that the Shii are just the dead people who are coming back to life. She said that they are still just incomplete expressions formed from the dregs of the spirits left over in this world, but that it would someday be possible to bring the dead back to this world¡­ She said that she would be able to bring my father back to this world.¡±


    ¡°Did you actually believe something like that!? A person like you, Colonel, believing that the dead can come back to life!?¡±


    When it was discovered that the Shii had the same appearance as the people who died during the war with Demon King Kaul, there were quite a few similar theories that said the same thing.


    However, because of the Shii¡¯s bizarre appearance, and their cruel tendency to steal the hearts of the living, such theories quickly lost traction.


    There were whispers of a heretical cult that worshipped the Shii and claimed that they were lost souls who were coming back to life, but those rumors were not even at the level of becoming an urban legend; they were just on the level of being scary stories that kids told to scare each other.


    That was why Diana couldn¡¯t believe that Khalija took such idle gossip at face value.


    ¡°I believed her.¡±


    ¡°Why!!?¡±


    Khalija¡¯s reply was brief.


    ¡°She came to me, accompanied by fifty Shii who were equipped with Sinistra. What more reason would I need?¡±


    ¡°¡°¡­!!¡±¡±


    Both Yasuo and Diana were lost for words.


    Just imagining the sight of fifty Shii was enough to make a chill run down their spines, and on top of that they were all equipped with the ¡ºfailed experiment¡» that Khalija regretted more than anything.


    Perhaps that was the sight that Khalija had kept seeing in her dreams.


    Moreover, that ¡ºwoman¡» had chosen those fifty Shii equipped with Sinistra, knowing that it would pave the way for darkness in Khalija¡¯s heart. At the very least, she certainly seemed to have the ability to ¡ºselectively choose from amongst the dead¡».


    However, in spite of that.


    ¡°I thought that they had appeared to kill me. Part of me hoped that was true, and it was even something I had seen in my dreams. However, she said it wasn¡¯t like that. She said that it was would be possible for me to apologize to them directly, and even receive judgement from them directly. However, there was still something that was lacking to reach that stage. She told me that a ¡ºlatch¡» was required.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­A latch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She said that right now it was only possible to summon a shadow of their previous existence like the Shii, but if she could open the door fully, then it would be possible to summon a more complete existence. And she needed a ¡ºlatch¡» for that purpose. I was still in a daze from seeing the fifty Shii before me, and I asked her what she meant by a latch. If she wanted to open a door, shouldn¡¯t she be searching for a key instead? But she insisted that it was a ¡ºlatch¡». Ever since the Shii appeared, she had been releasing them all over the world to try and find this latch. However, she had reached the limit of what she could do by herself, so she gave me this circlet. Apparently, it is possible to seal a certain number of Shii into the crimson stone embedded in this circlet and carry them around. She told me to use them to search for the latch¡­. But I never expected to find it in a different world, while on a mission that I just happened to recieve.¡±


    Khalija slowly turned around.


    Yasuo and Diana followed her sight and froze.


    A latch to summon the dead back into the world of the living.


    ¡°It is a living person who harbors one of the dead.¡±


    ¡°Colonel! Please, stop this! Dead people cannot come back to life! People have no choice but to accept the pain and suffering that even the gods cannot do anything about¡­!¡±


    The heartfelt cries of Diana, who had lost her father twice, failed to reach Khalija.


    ¡°What power do the gods have? If what I am doing is heretical, then it is their fault for making a world where people can lose their way.¡±


    After declaring her scorn for the entire world, Khalija stood up, as if signalling that the conversation was at an end.


    ¡°Killing the two of you here would be simple, but I don¡¯t want to do that. After all, I am the kind of person who would believe a story that ordinary people would laugh at, and betrayed all of you and my country because of that. The two of you don¡¯t need to forget about my betrayal, it¡¯s better if you hate me for it. I stayed here for this long talking about my past, because I don¡¯t want you to struggle to come up with excuses for my behavior. I will never appear before you again. I might be dead in the near future. Once word of my pathetic death reaches you, I would be happy if you feel relieved.¡±


    Saying that, she turned around and walked towards Shouko¡¯s Shii.


    ¡°Colonel¡­ Colonel, please wait.¡±


    ¡°I will leave that unit to you. You can use it as evidence during my trial. Goodbye.¡±


    Khalija ignored Diana¡¯s cries, waved her hand casually, and made to leave, when,


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Someone grabbed her wrist and forced her to stop.


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t given you permission to leave yet.¡±


    What Khalija saw when she turned around in shock was,


    ¡°For starters, return my tracksuit.¡±


    It was the face of Kenzaki Yasuo.


    The match was decided in an instant.


    ¡°Gah!!¡±


    An intense pain ran through her wrist, and Khalija lost her balance.


    Not only that, more than half of Marfik¡¯s units that had been floating suddenly lost their support and scattered across the surface of the tower of stars.


    ¡°Kuh!!¡±


    Diana¡¯s restraints were fully undone, and the restraints binding Shouko¡¯s Shii almost came undone.


    Diana, who had recovered some stamina after being forced to kneel for so long, hurriedly jumped towards Yasuo and Khalija, but Khalija had already shaken off Yasuo¡¯s hand, moved away from him, and prioritized maintaining the bonds restraining Shouko¡¯s Shii.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in doing all this if you get away!¡±


    ¡ºGrr¡­. Grrrrrrrr.¡»


    ¡°Yasuo!? Yasuo, are you okay!? What just happened¡­¡±


    ¡°W-Why!? Why can you still stand!?¡±


    For both Diana and Khalija, just the fact that Yasuo was able to stand was enough of a shock, but they were unable to suppress their astonishment at the fact that he had also used some unknown magic to nullify more than half of Khalija¡¯s Marfik.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m probably not cut out for it after all. The kind of magic used to attack other people, I mean. I¡¯ve never even been in a serious fight.¡±


    He seemed to lose his strength at the same moment Diana moved to support him, and almost fell over. However, there was still strength in his gaze as he looked at Khalija.


    Diana unconsciously looked at the part where the magical bullet from Marfik had pierced Yasuo.


    It was his left flank.


    Even though Khalija had avoided damaging his internal organs, Yasuo¡¯s body was far weaker than that of any Magitech Knight. There was no way that he could be alright after having his body pierced through.


    But what was happening here?


    The blood had stopped flowing and was clotted, and the wound was in the process of closing.


    ¡°Everyone wants to become like the person they admire, and if there is someone close by who is brilliant, they want to become like that person, but they can¡¯t. They cannot win against people with talent. If that talented person is also hard working, then it feels like there¡¯s nothing that can be done.¡±


    What was running through Yasuo¡¯s mind was the sight of his little sister, who was also a student facing exams like himself, born from the same parents, managing to use flame sorcery after just listening to explanations from the sidelines despite the fact that Yasuo was unable to do it, no matter how carefully he was instructed.


    Born with talent, knowledgeable about worldly affairs, and has good grades.


    That was his talented little sister, who unhesitatingly called him useless to his face.


    ¡°But just because I don¡¯t have talent, I can¡¯t just keel over and die. In that case¡­ I have no option but to do something that I am at least reasonably good at, and somehow stay alive¡­ In the first place, I might feel that the grass is greener on her side, but I have no idea how she herself feels about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No way, Yasuo, that wound¡­¡±


    ¡°If my Dad could do it, I just thought that I would be able to do it too¡­ I might not be as good as a cleric, but Khalija-san also showed it to me, didn¡¯t she? She showed me that Magitech Knights could use it as well.¡±


    Healing magic.


    It was a type of magic used for things like treating external wounds, alleviating disease to a certain extent, and removing poison from the body.


    It was one of the few miracles left that could not be replicated by the Magitech Frameworks in Techno Weapons, and could only be performed by humans using ¡ºMagic¡».


    After the fight against William, Hideo¡¯s healing magic had even fixed Diana¡¯s broken bones.


    Khalija had also used the same power to heal the cut on Yasuo¡¯s throat.


    ¡°I, too, want to look cool while fighting. I want to be like Diana and Khalija-san, like my Dad and Mom, taking down enemies without breaking a sweat and protecting my family. But I¡¯m probably useless at things like that. I¡¯m not cut out for that. Moreover, I¡¯m so frightened that I can¡¯t even keep myself standing firmly. In spite of that, it was you who told me that there was something I could do better than anyone else, Khalija-san¡­ When I tried it, I was surprisingly able to do it. Although it still hurts quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m regretting ever telling you that. Although I don¡¯t remember telling you the location of the main unit.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I heard that from you as well. Don¡¯t you remember, Khalija-san? You told me that Sorcery Circuits are weak against electricity. Such a small ¡ºmain unit¡» probably has no durability to speak of. Sorry for breaking it.¡±


    The bangles on Khalija¡¯s wrists. One of them had been fried by Yasuo¡¯s lightning magic.


    Those bangles were the main units of the Snakebone, the control towers, so to speak.


    ¡°How did you know about them?¡±


    ¡°It was because you weren¡¯t touching any of the other units. The reason why Castor and Pollux are specially made to be used by the right and left hands respectively is because they absorb magical energy from the portion of the grip that is in contact with the palm, right? In that case, I assumed that you wouldn¡¯t be able to control the units without some mechanism to supply the magical energy, and kept watching while healing myself. And then I saw that the threads of magical energy that extended from the units closest to you were concentrated not at your palms, but at your wrists instead.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You got me there.¡±


    Perhaps it was painful, as Khalija fingered her wrist while smiling.


    ¡°I had completely let my guard down. I didn¡¯t expect that you were such a quick-witted person who was capable of looking at things so calmly.¡±


    ¡°Despite my appearance, I¡¯ve come close to dying once. You know about that, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me. If it¡¯s about numbers then I¡¯ve experienced it far more times than you.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re losing to beginner¡¯s luck¡­ being exprienced must be scary as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­Damn brat.¡±


    Khalija¡¯s expression lost all traces of being laid back.


    Seeing that, Diana once again raised Castor and stood in front of Yasuo.


    ¡°Sorry, Diana. The healing worked pretty well, but the lightning was bad. I feel like I¡¯m about to throw up.¡±


    Despite the fact that he couldn¡¯t even make a proper flame, he had generated an electric current strong enough to destroy a Techno Weapon.


    Yasuo was assailed by a sense of energy loss and dizziness like he hadn¡¯t eaten for three days, and collapsed to the ground, feeling like vomiting.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry¡­ I won¡¯t be defeated this time. We don¡¯t have much time either. I¡¯ll settle this quickly.¡±


    ¡°Major Krone. Do you think that you can defeat me now, just because half of Marfik is gone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I believe I can. No, I will defeat you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Very well. But I can¡¯t hold back this time either. You will die.¡±


    ¡°Prepare yourself.¡±


    While Yasuo was collapsed on the ground, the two beautiful Magitech Knights faced each other with their lives on the line.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    However, Yasuo was no longer looking at them.


    ¡º¡­¡­¡»


    He was only looking at Shouko¡¯s Shii, that kept staring at him.


    ¡ù

 Volume 2, 4 ? Song of the Starry Sky Part 2

    Volume 2, Chapter 4 ? Song of the Starry Sky Part 2


    It was a landmark of Tokorozawa City. It was a place of relaxation for the people who lived in the city, and a place with a high concentration of administrative offices belonging to the government: Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park[4].


    Inside the park, where entry during night time was restricted, Nodoka watched with widened eyes as her father carried a magical sphere that was giving off light like a lighthouse.


    ¡°¡­¡­Uwaah, Dad, what the heck is that?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, this is so annoying! I heard that even if they are defeated, the Shii will just escape if you leave them lying on the bare ground, so I¡¯m taking the effort to trap them in a barrier of light! I¡¯ve covered pretty much all the places around here and I think I¡¯ve defeated all of them, but it¡¯s just a matter of time until someone finds these and calls the police!¡±


    Up in the sky was the ¡ºGate Tower¡» that even Hideo had never seen before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me! I feel like I¡¯m about to throw up as well! Nodoka! Wipe off my sweat, please. Also, give me some juice!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! On my way!¡±


    Nodoka obeyed her mother¡¯s instructions and wiped the sweat from her mother¡¯s forehead with her handkerchief, and placed a plastic bottle of juice with a straw that she had purchased at some point near her mouth.


    ¡°What are you doing over there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m anchoring the entrance of the Gate Tower! By the time we got here, she had already jumped in. Diana-chan wasn¡¯t capable of doing this, so I had no choice!¡±


    Madoka was already in full-throttle style while holding the Holy Staff Marlowe. She had unsealed the so-called Magical Lady appearance.


    If she didn¡¯t do this, she wouldn¡¯t be able to fight against the energy trying to close the entrance of the ¡ºGate Tower¡» which had taken three percent of the national budget to activate.


    To tell the truth, she probably felt like jumping into the Gate Tower herself right about now.


    However, there was no telling where the gate was connected to, and even if they somehow managed to save Shouko, if the gate was closed they might be unable to return to Japan.


    If such a thing were to happen, she had absolutely no idea to to explain and apologize to the Tatewaki couple that their daughter had not only been possessed by a monster from another world, she had also been kidnapped by a Magitech Knight and taken away to another world.


    Diana didn¡¯t have the power to keep the entrance of the Gate Tower from closing.


    Because of that, Madoka had no choice but to stay here and keep the the entrance open, and begrudgingly allowed Yasuo to enter the Gate Tower along with Diana after making him promise that he would summon his father if things got dangerous.


    ¡°What!? So Yasuo is in there as well!? I need to go there as soon as possible!¡±


    Hideo panicked upon hearing what had happened and was about to jump into the entrance, but the Magical Lady stopped him.


    ¡°Wait! We need to wait until the last possible moment!¡±


    ¡°Why!?¡±


    ¡°When Diana-chan and Yasuo jumped in there, the pressure from the Gate Tower increased drastically. If you jump in there as well, I probably won¡¯t be able to hold it. Then there would be no point in doing all this! ¡±


    ¡°B-But still¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Yasuo and Diana-chana are still okay. They might be injured, but it doesn¡¯t appear to be anything life threatening.¡±


    ¡°How can you possibly know that!?¡±


    While Hideo looked frustrated, Nodoka held an unfamiliar Slimphone in front of his face.


    Displayed on the screen was the free phone call window of the ROPE application.


    The recipient of the call was ¡ºYasu-kun¡».


    Apparently, the call was being recorded as well.


    Smiling wryly at her father who looked ashamed, Nodoka pointed up towards the sky.


    ¡°It looks like he¡¯s still barely getting a signal. I¡¯ve also pretty much understood the details of why Khalija-san did something like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t tell him I said this.¡±


    Hideo gazed in amazement at the soaring tower of stardust in the sky.


    ¡°Onii-chan is doing quite a good job of fighting this time.¡±


    ¡ù


    Diana was calmly intercepting the units of Marfik that were attacking her like a meteor shower.


    She used magical bullets to change their trajectories, and used the twin swords of light to hit away the units that came too close at a speed that the eye couldn¡¯t follow.


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t enough to destroy Marfik¡¯s units.


    However, Diana only had to deal with slightly more than ten units right now.


    It looked like the units that were controlled using the bangle on Khalja¡¯s right hand that Yasuo had destroyed were mostly the ones used for attacking.


    As Shouko¡¯s Shii was still bound, it appeared that those units were all being controlled by the left bangle, but Khalija couldn¡¯t use those units for fighting either.


    Although it was called Snakebone, the current movements of the units were not snake-like at all, and although variability was its main feature, Khalija was only using them as projectiles.


    Occasionally, one of the units would fly towards Yasuo, but Diana made sure to knock them away with magical bullets.


    ¡°Did you think I would lose my composure if you attacked Yasuo?¡±


    ¡°I did. I¡¯m let down by your reaction, though!¡±


    ¡°I have also worked desperately to accumulate combat experience after that battle! I wasn¡¯t just sitting around crying!¡±


    ¡°I see! However, all that experience is going to go to waste today!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡±


    Diana swung both her swords of light at a unit that came close to her. That contact caused a dull sound that was heard for the first time in the battle, and two small explosions were caused in the distance behind Diana.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so weak as to lose to you who called Castor and Pollux ¡ºordinary¡» Techno Weapons, Colonel!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re acting a lot more tough just because the power of Marfik is halved! Fine, I accept your challenge!¡±


    Khalija concentrated the units around her left hand.


    ¡°I will just need a single swing with my blade of light.¡±


    The rod-shaped Marfik glowed and took the form of a short sword, and Khalija raised it high. Her right hand was empty.


    Khalija pulled back the left side of her body pretended as if she was about to jump.


    ¡°!¡±


    As soon as Diana braced herself to receive it, Khalija released a lightning magic from her right hand several times more powerful than what Yasuo had used, aimed perfectly at its target.


    ¡°Oh no¡­!¡±


    Diana was in a stance where she had no choice but to block them head-on with her Techno Weapons in order to avoid getting electrocuted.


    The weapon that bore the brunt of the attack was Castor, in Diana¡¯s right hand.


    Castor, that had been heavily damaged after receiving the lightning of Regulus.


    There was no way it could work at its best after being patched up using materials found in Japan.


    ¡°Die!!¡±


    Diana¡¯s guard on her right was broken through, and a large opening was formed in her defence. Aiming at that spot, Khalija swung Marfik that was in the shape of a short sword.


    Diana was also not one to go down from just that, and twisted her body to the right to barely avoid the slash from the short sword.


    However, it had been Khalija¡¯s intention all along to pull Diana into a fight where her own Techno Weapon had the advantage.


    ¡°Fool.¡±


    The short sword, made from the interlocking units of Marfik, was right next to Diana¡¯s body.


    Khalija had made the units take the form of a short sword to force this situation to occur.


    Marfik was a Techno Weapon made of several units, and Diana had already seen that the units could be separated and fired off like bullets.


    Even if Diana managed to dodge the blade by a scarce margin, Khalija just needed to explosively separate the units at a range close to Diana¡¯s body.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    In the next instant, Marfik exploded in Khalija¡¯s hands.


    ¡°¡­Why¡­¡±


    Khalija could barely think through the intense pain, and from the position of still holding the short sword, collapsed to the wall of the tower.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Close to her left hand, she saw that Marfik had lost the shape of a short sword, and the units had scattered across the floor.


    Khalija managed to turn her face in the direction of Diana, and saw that Castor¡¯s muzzle was pointed towards her.


    ¡°¡­¡­The Sorcery Circuits¡­ didn¡¯t break?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­They were made from iron wire found in Japan. They should have broken apart easily.¡±


    ¡°I believed that it definitely would not break.¡±


    Diana declared while keeping her weapon aimed at Khalija.


    ¡°Castor is a robust Techno Weapon that only my father¡¯s Regulus was able to break. It has a simple structure, and that¡¯s what makes it strong.¡±


    However, she had a very sad expression on her face.


    ¡°A craftsman who bore the name of Welleger repaired it for me. There was no way it would break from lightning magic of that level.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hahaha.¡±


    Khalija laughed and looked at her own left hand.


    ¡°So you trusted me. Even though I told you all about how the Techno Weapons I had worked on had betrayed their wielders.¡±


    The main unit used to control the other units was missing.


    Her arm was bent at a strange angle, and the bangle had been reduced to dust and spread out over the wall of stars.


    ¡°Kill me.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I still have some magical energy left. Even with just my right hand, I can still fight.¡±


    ¡°No. With your leg in that state, you can no longer kill me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Haha.¡±


    Khalija already knew that.


    After the death of General Alexei Krone, Dianaze Krone had risen to the rank of First Lieutenant based on her fighting ability alone.


    Of the magical bullets fired simultaneously from the twin Techno Weapons, the bullet from Castor had shattered the main unit of Marfik, and the bullet from Pollux had pierced through Khalija¡¯s right leg.


    ¡ºGrrrrr¡­¡»


    The growling of the Shii closed in on Khalija from behind.


    After being freed from the snake of light that had lost its function, Shouko¡¯s Shii accurately selected the weakened enemy.


    ¡°¡­What a mess. I released all the Shii that were sealed in the crimson stone in Tokorozawa¡­ You don¡¯t have to save me, Major Krone. I will¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I said that I would not let you die.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What?¡±


    Khalija made a dubious expression and raised her head. A song reached her ears.


    The voice was extremely hoarse and the breathing was ragged, but the intonation was steady.


    On hearing that, Shouko¡¯s Shii stopped in its tracks and turned its head to look at the source of the song.


    Those red eyes started moving slowly towards Kenzaki Yasuo, who was singing the requiem while sprawled on the ground, unable to so much as lift his head.


    ¡°Impossible¡­ Trying to send it off without defeating it first¡­¡±


    ¡°He is not trying to send it off. However, I¡¯m sure that Yasuo has already realized it.¡±


    It had happened on the night when Khalija had first appeared.


    They were on their way back home from dinner after celebrating Diana¡¯s moving into a new apartment.


    When Yasuo sang the requiem to send off the Shii that Hideo and Diana had defeated, the flames of Shouko¡¯s Shii had also waned.


    If Yasuo had kept singing the requiem like that, some sort of change would have definitely occurred.


    However, Khalija had barged into the fight before that could happen.


    Shouko¡¯s Shii sat down in front of Yasuo and start swaying its body happily. In concert with the swaying, the black flames turned into soot and started vanish just like what happened when the Shii were sent off, and soon, those ominous red narrowed as if it was smiling, and then closed.


    The black flames turned into soot and swirled away from the body, and were sucked into the human eyes that appeared from underneath.


    After all the flames had disappeared, what was left was Tatewaki Shouko, naked as the day she was born.


    From her posture of sitting down, Shouko¡¯s eyes remained closed as she fell over sideways.


    ¡°Yasuo! Don¡¯t lift your head! Turn around!¡±


    ¡°Eh? What¡­ Ueeeeh!?¡±


    Diana panicked and yelled at Yasuo, but she could not take her eyes of Khalija, nor could she stop pointing her weapon at her.


    Of course, Yasuo didn¡¯t immediately understand why Diana had suddenly yelled something like that, and when he raised to see if the requiem had worked, he was greeted by the sight of skin that he should not have seen, and hurriedly turned away.


    He had thought that the song had worked to dispel the Shii transformation, and found that Shouko was lying naked among a sea of stars.


    Just what had Shouko been doing when the Shii took over her body?


    ¡°Kukuku¡­ Hahaha¡­ Ugh!¡±


    Khalija started laughing seeing the situation, and then her face twisted from the intense pain.


    ¡°Aah, why did things end up like this.¡±


    ¡°Colonel?¡±


    ¡°¡­I accept my defeat, Major.¡±


    Khalija slightly extended her right hand and touched the wall of the tower.


    The next instant, the sea of stardust was suddenly warped.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is¡­ Colonel!¡±


    ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m just closing the Gate Tower.¡±


    Yasuo, Shouko, and Khalija were tossed up from the surface of the tower, and even Diana wasn¡¯t able to remain standing.


    ¡°The ¡ºReturn Path¡» is closing. We are going to be returned to the entrance.¡±


    ¡°Uwaaah¡­!¡±


    Khalija moved only her eyes to look upwards.


    Over there, she saw the sky of the other world, a place called the Aviation Park located in Tokorozawa, which was located in the Saitama Prefecture, in a country called Japan.


    The stars flowed in the opposite direction, and the space surged backwards.


    ¡°Aah¡­ No matter what I do, it always ends in failure.¡±


    Khalija said that as if mocking herself, and was the first person to be pushed out of the entrance.


    ¡°Yasuo! Yasuo!¡±


    Diana stretched her hand out towards Yasuo, but she was nowhere close enough to reach him, as she was mercilessly pushed out of the entrance.


    For some reason, Shouko wasn¡¯t being pulled towards the entrance and she continued to float in that space.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san!!¡±


    Yasuo unconsciously hugged her close because she was floating close to him. For some reason, he had a premonition that she would stay floating and be left all alone in the tower if he didn¡¯t do anything.


    The moment he grabbed Shouko, a powerful force caught hold of Yasuo and forcefully tried to throw him out of the tower.


    ¡°Guh¡­ Goddamnit!¡±


    Yasuo had used healing magic that he was unfamiliar with to heal the first serious wound he had received in his life, and on top of that he had also used the last reserves of his strength to use lightning magic, so he had absolutely no strength left to resist. He felt like he would be ripped away from Shouko if he let down his guard even a little.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to tell you, no matter what¡­! Gaaaaaaaah!¡±


    He refused to let her go.


    Yasuo¡¯s body had spun around so many times that he no longer knew what way was up, but he still refused to let Shouko go.


    If he let her go, Shouko would disappear somewhere along with the Shii.


    That was how he felt.


    That time seemed to stretch on infinitely, but in reality it wasn¡¯t even ten seconds.


    The savage power that had swept Yasuo around like lint in a washing machine suddenly released its hold upon him and Shouko.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    After the pressure was released, it took him some time to realize the fact.


    By the the time he realized it, he was in the sky of Tokorozawa along with Shouko; then gravity slowly began to reassert its hold and he started falling towards the ground.


    ¡°U-Uwaaaah¡­¡±


    Yasuo had never been skydiving, but even he knew that this situation was pretty bad.


    The ground was a lot closer than he had expected.


    He couldn¡¯t see Diana and Khalija anywhere.


    However, Shouko was within his arms.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to die along with her before getting to tell her any of the things he wanted to say.


    That¡¯s right. There was something that he definitely had to say to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dating anyooooooooone!!¡±


    This was the perfect time to use that.


    ¡°The Hero Hideo is the person who will obtain victory for new frontiers wings go forth flower petals take flight gather the shining azure sunlight avatar of the wind Holy Sword Liutberga answer my call and take form!! Phew!!¡±


    Yasuo somehow managed to say the whole chant in a single breath.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Oooooooh!?¡±


    A pillar of light rose into the night sky of Tokorozawa, and from within appeared a salaryman on his day off, carrying the Holy Sword of the Wind and bearing a shocked expression on his face.


    On the other side of the pillar that light that signalled the summoning of the legendary Hero, the ¡ºReturn Path¡» of the ¡ºGate Tower¡» that created a connection to a different world seemed melt into the night sky and vanish.


    ¡ù

 Volume 2, 4 ? Song of the Starry Sky Part 3

    Volume 2, Chapter 4 ? Song of the Starry Sky Part 3


    On the roof of the rented apartment, Marigold Hills Tokorozawa, Diana was standing with her arms spread apart and her eyes closed.


    A crystalline substance the size of a clenched fist was floating over her hand.


    The dust on the roof formed concentric circles with Diana at the center, and the powerful flow of magical energy caused it to whirl upwards. In the next instant, Diana shot that crystalline substance towards the sky.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    There was a slight disturbance in the sky of stars, and the crystalline substance vanished.


    ¡°Haaaah¡­¡±


    The weather was warm enough to cause her to sweat a little, and she fixed her bangs that were stuck to her forehead.


    After that, she heard a dull voice from near her feet.


    ¡°Did you send it already?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just now.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    After Diana landed in the courtyard of the apartment site and entered her room through the window, the source of that voice spoke in a somewhat sad manner.


    ¡°With this, I guess I¡¯m out of a job.¡±


    ¡°You brought this on yourself. I don¡¯t want to lose my job either, so I didn¡¯t hold back at all when I sent my report.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. That¡¯s fine, really. Aahhh.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think we¡¯re done already. We¡¯re going out again right away.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. Where were we supposed to go, again?¡±


    ¡°For now, we¡¯re going to the department store opposite Tokorozawa Station.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. What were you planning to buy? Sweets?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t very well buy liquor. Rather than the actual item, what¡¯s more important is the attitude of taking something to give when going to visit someone.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Ah, that¡¯s right, we¡¯re out of milk. Let¡¯s buy some on the way back.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, yes. Now, it¡¯s time to leave. We need to be on time. Are you ready, Colonel?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Colonel. I betrayed the Knights Division.¡±


    Khalija Welleger appeared from the shadows in the back of the room, wearing a tracksuit and with her left hand wrapped in a triangular bandage.


    After being ejected from the tower and returning to Japan, Khalija had received treatment for the injury to her right leg, but refused to allow her left arm to be healed.


    After hearing the conversation that had been sent through Yasuo¡¯s slimphone and recorded on Shouko¡¯s slimphone, Hideo and Madoka hadn¡¯t pressed Khalija to explain her actions.


    The fact of the matter was that Khalija could not be judged by the laws of Japan.


    Khalija herself thought that she should have been killed on the spot.


    However.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It barely took me thirty minutes to get rid of that number of Shii.¡±


    ¡°Although you looked like you were out of breath.¡±


    She was overwhelmed by the words of the couple who were also Heroes of Salvation, who talked about the incident like it was no big deal.


    Khalija had released twenty Shii.


    Not only had they been defeated so easily, they had also been captured using some magic she had never seen to prevent them from escaping, this was no ordinary thing.


    The magic was apparently not as flexible as the snake of light created from Marfik, and would not be able to hold the Shii for very long, so as soon as Yasuo returned, he sent off all twenty Shii using the requiem.


    Khalija, having lost all her weapons, admitted her defeat and decided to leave her fate up to the Kenzaki family.


    As a result, Diana ended up getting custody of Khalija, and she officially became a freeloader at Diana¡¯s apartment.


    ¡°I¡¯m just used to calling you Colonel.¡±


    Even though their relationship from both official and private standpoints had been reversed, Diana still didn¡¯t change her basic attitude towards Khalija, and once in a while she let Khalija catch a glimpse of her strong will that she had never shown in Resteria, which often surprised Khalija.


    ¡°It just sounds like you¡¯re making fun of me.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s stay this way for a while. I am the master of this house, so please listen to what I say.¡±


    ¡°Have you always been such a straightforward person?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Diana, wearing skintight jeans and a tunic, picked up her handbag that contained her wallet and slimphone, and gave Khalija a fearless smile.


    ¡°My surroundings have always been difficult in many ways, so I had no choice but to be this way.¡±


    ¡®¡­¡­¡°


    Khalija looked confused because she didn¡¯t understand what Diana was talking about, but Diana just laughed and refused to say anything else.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go. I need to switch with Madoka and stand guard over Yasuo later in the evening.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand.¡±


    Khalija, who nodded, was still dressed in a tracksuit.


    The tracksuit which had the name of Kenzaki stitched on it had ended up full of holes and covered in bloodstains after the battle with Diana, and they had no choice but to throw it away.


    The matter had been settled with Diana paying for a new tracksuit for Yasuo, but for some reason, Khalija had gotten really attached to tracksuits and even today she was covered from neck to ankle in a blue tracksuit.


    ¡°¡­Time to go.¡±


    After struggling to put on her brand-new sneakers with just one hand, Khalija lightly patted a small box that was placed on top of the shoe rack and followed Diana outside.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be good to have Hideo or Yasuo fix that, after all? It¡¯s inconvenient for your daily life as well.¡±


    Diana suggested that after seeing Khalija struggle to put her shoes on, but Khalija shook her head.


    ¡°At the very least, let me stay this way until you get a reply to your report from earlier. That way, they will also be able to stay at ease.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be naive, Major Krone. I am a cowardly rebel and a traitor. In the first place, it would not be surprising if I was forcefully confined inside the room. What would you have done if I was powerful enough to fix my fractured bone on my own? There is no need to feel pity for me. You need to be resolved enough to use me as a shield if the Shii suddenly appear.¡±


    ¡°Is that something a traitor would say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you are all too soft.¡±


    ¡°Japan is a peaceful country, after all.¡±


    ¡°It is sinful for soldiers to get accustomed to peace.¡±


    Diana looked visibly annoyed with the topic, and suddenly remembering what Nodoka had said, she decided to try it out.


    ¡°But you already heard what Hideo had to say, and besides, I know that deep down you¡¯re very kind and not at all the kind of weak-willed person that you say you are, Colonel.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hey.¡±


    ¡°You are still someone I look up to and trust, Colonel, and now that we have overcome that difficult battle, I believe that you will once again use that power for our sake.¡±


    ¡°M-Major Krone¡­ Listen to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell him that I told you, but Yasuo also said this. He said, ¡®The reason why we were able to stop Khalija-san is because she had paid attention to me all along and occasionally gave me advice.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Umm, I never¡­ I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°He also said that he had to work harder because even a strong person like you had things you were worried about. Yasuo had also realized that you spoke gentle words to him every now and then to keep him from breaking down¡­.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand! I understand, so please have mercy¡­¡±


    Khalija blushed a bright red and crouched down on the spot.


    Khalija, ¡ºwho doesn¡¯t like feeling embarrassed when she¡¯s praised¡», was unable to withstand Diana¡¯s straightforward words and was moaning after covering her face with one hand because she could not raise her broken arm.


    ¡°Seriously, what do you say we get your arm fixed on our way back today?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re doing this on purpose to tease me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Khalija looked up at Diana with a bright red face and teary, resentful eyes.


    ¡°It was half serious.¡±


    Diana said that to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re no friend of mine!¡±


    ¡°How many times are you going to say that?¡±


    He had heard Aoto say that at least ten times today alone.


    Aoto used that phrase like it was a suffix and randomly mixed it into conversations, so even Yasuo was starting to get seriously annoyed.


    As expected, it seemed that Aoto had taken issue with the fact that Diana had come to pick him up the previous day, and Yasuo also realized that he wouldn¡¯t be able to convince anyone using the same story that he had used with Khalija, so he ended up telling the truth by saying that Diana was the daughter of mutual friends of his parents to settle the issue.


    Of course, just because he had told the truth, that didn¡¯t mean that Aoto would be okay with it.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that there¡¯s a very good chance of your relationship progressing to something more serious¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want to talk about probability, there¡¯s a fifty percent chance. Isn¡¯t that the same with every girl in the world?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that sophistry! Tell me more about your blissful school life and make me jealous, Yasu!¡±


    ¡°Aoto, you¡¯ve been seriously disgusting since the past few days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never told anyone this before, but there was a time when I refused Valentine¡¯s Day chocolates from one of my juniors to look cool, I regret doing something stupid like that that so much!¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Just go to your club already. Do what you originally planned to accomplish and show us all a great play.¡±


    ¡°Shut uuuuuupp!¡±


    It was after school but the sky was still shining blue, and it didn¡¯t feel like evening at all.


    Actually, Yasuo, who didn¡¯t belong to any clubs, had some work at the faculty office.


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s that?¡±


    Aoto asked after seeing the A4 size report that Yasuo pulled out of his bag.


    ¡°My make-up test for Social Studies. I told you that I had to submit an essay, right? I finished it earlier than expected, so I¡¯m going to turn it in.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What was the topic again?¡±


    ¡°I had to write an essay on whether eighteen-year-olds should be treated as adults now that the voting age has been reduced.¡±


    Seeing Yasuo state a difficult topic so casually, Aoto had a complicated expression on his face.


    ¡°I see. Actually, the mayor of our city retired due to illness, so we had a sudden mayoral election. I was so excited back then.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? But you¡¯re not eighteen yet, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I got depressed when I realized that. Sure, I don¡¯t know if the mayoral election would have any sort of effect on my life, and I wondered what was so fun about seeing all those posters of old people smiling, but, how do I put this, it really drove it home, you know?¡±


    ¡°Drove what home?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know, when we entered middle school and stopped carrying the school bags made for kids, didn¡¯t you feel like you were all grown up?¡±


    ¡°Aaaah¡­ I probably did.¡±


    ¡°Even for stuff like manga, middle-schoolers read sports manga where high schoolers are the main characters, so they equate entering middle school to gaining powers they never had before, stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I understand that. The seniors from third year looked so grown up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re like this now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that. Although I understand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡±


    Thinking that middle schoolers and high schoolers were grown ups, it was just a fantasy.


    When they reached that age that they had respected and longed for so much when they were younger, and considered whether they had become existences worth of that respect, it didn¡¯t feel like it at all.


    Even though they had become third year high school students, it didn¡¯t feel like they had become capable of smiling fearlessly at ace players from all over Japan, or using their strong will to break free from the persecution by adults, or using keen powers of observation and an intelligence greater than adults to calmly decipher everything they saw, and becoming the head of the students that everyone looked up to.


    Not only did they not feel like it, in reality, they had not become such people.


    The more people tried to act in that manner, the more they were forced to accept the difference between imagination and reality, and the speed with which they learned to recognize failure and give up was far greater than when they had still been carrying those school bags made for kids.


    There were times when he was sitting with his friends, talking with them about vulgar things and chuckling, playing around, and studying because he had no choice, when he wondered if he was really all that different from the twelve-year-old elementary school kids.


    ¡°Even if you had been able to vote in that mayoral election, you would have probably been disappointed by how ordinary it was.¡±


    ¡°Probably, yeah. But, you know, eighteen is the age when you¡¯re allowed to drive a car, and if you¡¯re a guy, you can get married. It¡¯s also the age when people go on to either become college students or members of society. On top of that you¡¯re allowed to vote as well, so I remembered that feeling of excitement from my younger days and though it was really cool. Well, these are all things that adults do all over the world, so it can¡¯t be helped if they feel a little ordinary.¡±


    ¡°¡­I wonder how it is in my case.¡±


    There are many people who think that becoming an ¡ºadult¡» means that they will be freed from many restrictions that were placed on them before, and obtain the freedom to do many different things.


    However, that freedom comes with many responsibilities and obligations, and ¡ºadults¡» spend every day worrying and working hard in return for that freedom.


    There have also been cases of people who had been recognized as ¡ºadults¡» by society due to the law or customs, and those people couldn¡¯t handle the responsibility that came with it and thus lost their way.


    He had always thought that he would naturally ¡ºturn into¡» an adult someday, but the closer he got to being an adult the more indistinct it became, until he was not sure what it even meant to be an adult anymore.


    In some ways, it was similar to the existence known as a ¡ºHero¡» that Yasuo was aiming to become.


    It was something everyone knew about, but no one had a concrete definition for it. In spite of that it was an object of longing for many, and was seen as being something special.


    ¡°I wonder how one becomes an adult.¡±


    ¡°If I become an adult, will I manage to find a girlfriend as well¡­¡±


    ¡°So you come back to that after all.¡±


    Was Aoto really that shocked by the fact that Igarashi had a girlfriend?


    Girlfriends don¡¯t just naturally come crawling out of the woodwork just because you reach the age where it is appropriate to have one.


    However, if Yasuo said that right now, it would just come back to bite him.


    Yasuo sensed that Aoto was about to fall into a troublesome loop and decided to end the topic and quickly picked up his bag.


    ¡°Well then, I have to get going.¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯re going already? Stick around for a bit, I still have some time until my club starts today.¡±


    ¡°No, sorry. I have plans for later today.¡±


    Yasuo really wanted to stay back for a little longer, but tardiness on today of all days would not be forgiven.


    He still had some time, but if possible he wanted to get some stuff done earlier, and when he said as much, Aoto wrinkled his forehead as if unhappy about something.


    ¡°Plans¡­ Which one is it!? Which girl!?¡±


    ¡°Uwaaah, so annoying.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no friend of mine!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. See you later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just go. Bah.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t actually need to say ¡®Bah¡¯ aloud.¡±


    After leaving the classroom while laughing, he hurried to the faculty office.


    ¡°Oh, it looks pretty well put together.¡±


    The teacher for Social Studies, Takayama, skimmed through the report and nodded as if satisfied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll return it to you later after grading it, but thinking of topics is annoying for me as well, so study properly next time, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Now all he had to do was get through the make-up test for Classical Literature tomorrow, and he would be done with with this pilgrimage that started with him failing his tests. However, Yasuo had another difficult task to clear before that.


    After leaving the main gate of the school by himself, he walked to the nearest corner in the road where Diana and Khalija waited beside a taxi.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mom?¡±


    ¡°She had some preparations to make regarding the plans for later, so we switched guard duty with her one hour earlier and she already went back home.¡±


    Diana, who answered his question, was carrying a paper bag with the symbol of a famous Japanese sweets store.


    ¡°Got it. Well then, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Saying that, Yasuo climbed into the taxi.


    The two women climbed into the back seat, and Yasuo climbed into the seat beside the driver, and stated their destination.


    ¡°Please take us to the Aviation Memorial Park.¡±


    The three didn¡¯t talk much while sitting in the car, and there was not much conversation about anything apart from the souvenirs that Diana had purchased.


    It took the three of them nearly double the time it would have taken by train, but they eventually arrived at the entrance to the Aviation Memorial Park that faced the national highway.


    They mingled with the large groups of children, and there were unexpectedly a lot of families present considering that it was evening on a weekday.


    In one corner of the park, they saw someone who had spread a sheet on the ground, set aside a large wrapped package, and was staring at the trees, even though the season for viewing flowers had passed by a long time ago.


    Yasuo gathered his courage, and,


    ¡°Tatewaki-san!¡±


    Hearing that, Tatewaki Shouko, who was sitting on the sheet, turned around slowly and slightly raised a hand in greeting.


    Her expression did not show any strong emotions, and she looked the same as always.


    I see black, gold, and silver heads bowing towards me, does that make me the platinum card?


    While thinking of something pointless like that, she looked at the top of the heads of the people assembled before her.


    Of course, those heads belonged to Yasuo and the two girls who had appeared around him recently.


    It was a brilliant real-life demonstration of the art of prostrating oneself.


    Diana, who was in the middle, was holding out a bag of Japanese sweets made using sweet potatoes from an auspicious shop in Kawagoe[5], like Echigoya offering a bribe to the Governor[6].


    ¡°We¡¯re really¡­ very sorry for the trouble we caused you¡­¡±


    ¡°Haaa.¡±


    ¡°You must be understandably angry about what happened, but I assure you, we will take responsibility and and we are doing everything we can to resolve the aforementioned issue, so if you can find it in your heart to forgive us¡­¡±


    ¡°Pfft.¡±


    Shouko barely kept herself from laughing at the sight of this golden-haired beauty, who looked like a Hollywood actress, apologizing in such a formal manner using perfect Japanese. She waved her hand lightly, although she knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to see it.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s okay, I already heard about the circumstances the other day, and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it now, right? So there¡¯s no point in me getting angry about it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of forgiving you or not, and it¡¯s hard to talk to you this way, so please raise your heads. It is a communication between people of different worlds, after all. Let¡¯s talk about more constructive and fun things.¡±


    After the three of them finally raised their heads, Shouko held out the wrapped package that she had prepared beforehand towards them.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s obvious. It¡¯s a packed lunch.¡±


    Saying that, Shouko pulled away the string that kept the wrapping in place, and a fairly old three-layer lunch box was revealed.


    ¡°Here, have some wet towels. Ah, you probably can¡¯t use chopsticks with your arm like that right? Don¡¯t worry, I have forks as well.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you.¡±


    Shouko efficiently distributed wet tissues, paper plates, and disposable chopsticks to everyone, and even prepared a plastic fork for Khalija who had an injured arm. After that, Shouko opened the lunch box to display a picnic lunch that looked like it had been made by a professional.


    ¡°Huaaaaaaa¡­!!¡±


    Diana¡¯s eyes sparkled and she made a sound of appreciation.


    The first layer was filled with cylindrical-shaped onigiri that were a brilliant fusion of nori-wrapped and rolled onigiri.


    The second layer had several varieties of side dishes such as fried chicken, stewed vegetables, sausages cut in the shape of an octopus, and salad. Although there were a lot of different ingredients used, there was no sign of the food falling apart or leaking at all.


    The third layer had a selection of cut fruits. There were oranges, apples, bananas, and strawberries. They were all cut into bite-sized pieces, and it looked like the sort of arrangement you would see at the buffet table of a restaurant.


    Yasuo felt strangely nostalgic at seeing this arrangement of food that not only roused the appetite, but also roused feelings of exhilaration in those who saw it.


    Now that he thought about it, it had been a very long time since he had seen a picnic lunch like this.


    He had probably not eaten something like this since the last sports festival from his elementary school days.


    ¡°Alright, before we dig in, let¡¯s take a picture together to remember this moment! Yay!¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    While the three of them were still hesitating at this sudden proclamation, Shouko expertly used the front camera of her slimphone to capture a perfect photo that included all who were present as well as the lunch spread.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send the photo over ROPE later on. Right then, let¡¯s eat. Ah, Khalija-san¡­ did I get your name right? If you have trouble serving yourself, let me know. I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, well¡­¡±


    Khalija was actually taken off guard for once by Shouko¡¯s attitude.


    Seeing that from the sidelines, Yasuo, who had not forgotten that they had come here to apologize, decided to ask Shouko about something.


    ¡°D-Did you make all of this yourself, Tatewaki-san?¡®


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, the only things I made from scratch are the stewed vegetables. I appropriated most of the other ingredients from the kitchen of my family¡¯s shop. Ah, did the two of you already know that my family runs a bar?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, we¡¯ve heard about it.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Well that aside, eat up. It may not be as professional as the food made by my parents, but it shouldn¡¯t taste bad either.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. I will gratefully accept¡­!!¡±


    They couldn¡¯t very well refuse after Shouko asked her so many times, and when Yasuo felt that something was off and looked towards Diana, he saw that her eyes had widened in surprise after she took some stewed radish from the box and put it in her mouth.


    ¡°D-Diana¡­¡±


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong, Major?¡®


    ¡°¡­Yasuo¡­ Colonel¡­¡±


    Diana trembled as she looked at the two people sitting beside her.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious¡­ This is incredibly delicious!!¡±


    ¡°¡°Aaah.¡±¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Radish¡­ This is radish, isn¡¯t it? Ah, what is this inexplicable feeling, there are no root crops with such depth of flavor in Resteria. It is different from the flavor of soy sauce¡­ just what is this flavor¡­¡±


    ¡°I let it simmer for quite a while in the soup stock, so that¡¯s probably it. It¡¯s probably better than the Oden sold in convenience stores, but it¡¯s not that great.¡±


    ¡°No! I feel sorry for saying this in front of Yasuo, but even Madoka¡¯s cooking has not reached this level!¡±


    ¡°R-Really¡­¡±


    ¡°Please go ahead and eat it! You won¡¯t understand until you do! This delicate, sponge-like texture!¡±


    ¡°Sponge-like?¡±


    Sitting beside Diana, who was eating freeze-dried tofu with a serious expression on her face, Yasuo also reached out with his chopsticks to take some chicken that had been stewed with vegetables and put it in his mouth.


    He failed to notice that Shouko¡¯s expression was tinged with nervousness.


    ¡°Ah, it really is delicious!¡±


    He didn¡¯t have an over-the-top reaction like Diana, but even Yasuo was able to understand that it was a flavor that was difficult to achieve in home-cooked meals.


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡±


    Shouko, who appeared visibly more relieved than when she reacted to Diana¡¯s praise, also reached out and took an onigiri.


    ¡°Starting from here, the fillings are plum, salmon, and kombu, in that order. Ah, you don¡¯t have to finish everything, okay? I know we don¡¯t have that much time.¡±


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t possibly let this go to waste!!¡®


    ¡°Major, calm down a bit. You¡¯re losing sight of our original goal.¡±


    Khalija admonished Diana who had a frantic expression, but Diana was serious.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t come here to have a picnic. We came here to apologize to her once again, and decide on our plans for the future, correct?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Diana froze with an onigiri in each hand, looking like she had just remembered. Seeing that, Shouko chuckled.


    ¡°This feels kinda weird.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we relaxed too much.¡±


    While Yasuo apologized, Diana sat beside him with a red face, but as expected, she did not let go of the onigiri.


    ¡°Yeah. To be frank, I find this easier. I was pretty nervous about this as well.¡±


    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t kidding when I said this was delicious.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m glad you liked it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    Khalija looked a little dissatisfied while observing the conversation between Shouko and Yasuo, but understanding her position, she decided not to say anything unnecessary at this time.


    They continued talking about inconsequential things for a while after that, and around the time when they had finished about half the food, Shouko suddenly asked,


    ¡°So, what should I do from now on?¡±


    Diana, who had managed to calm down by then, spoke up as a representative for the three of them.


    ¡°You will have to accept that we will keep you under guard.¡±


    ¡°Guard, huh? Ah, there¡¯s some rice stuck on your cheek.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you. Ahem.¡±


    It looked like the relaxed atmosphere was still going to continue.


    ¡°What you¡¯re going through, Shouko-san, has no precedent even in Ante Lande. I¡¯ve given you a gist of the current situation in our world, but the truth is that there are still many things that we do not know. Among them, your condition is particularly¡ª¡±


    ¡°Worthy of observation, huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­Exactly. The fact remains that we are unable to remove the Shii from inside your body. I think the time will eventually come¡­ when you will have to travel to Ante Lande.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Travel to another world, huh?¡±


    Shouko smiled.


    ¡°Is it far away?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­It takes about two hours for a one-way trip¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s closer than I thought.¡±


    Shouko smiled wryly.


    ¡°What about you, Yasu-kun? Have you already gone there? To that place called Ante lande.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No, I haven¡¯t. It apparently costs a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°I see. ¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, it sort of sounds like going on a trip to recover from an incurable disease, so I probably won¡¯t be able to come back for a while once I go there. Although I don¡¯t really feel ill at all. I¡¯m in great shape, you know?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right.¡±


    Even Diana didn¡¯t know how to reply to what Shouko said.


    ¡°Well, I understand, and I believe you. I¡¯ll cooperate with you guys. There are a lot of things that can¡¯t be explained if what you said isn¡¯t true, and besides¡­¡±


    Shouko glared at Yasuo through narrowed eyes on purpose.


    ¡°If the situation wasn¡¯t really that grave, then it would mean I exposed myself for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ No, that was¡­¡±


    Having that topic raised without warning, Yasuo suddenly became flustered and was unable to look at Shouko¡¯s face directly.


    ¡ù

 Volume 2, 4 ? Song of the Starry Sky Part 4

    Volume 2, Chapter 4 ? Song of the Starry Sky Part 4


    Shouko had woken up on the bed in Nodoka¡¯s room, in the Kenzaki family house.


    She noticed out of the corner of her eye that she had been covered with a blanket that she had never seen before.


    ¡°¡­Huh? Where am I¡­?¡±


    Turning her head to the side, she saw an unfamiliar younger girl and a beautiful girl with golden hair whom she had seen before.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Kenzaki Yasuo¡¯s little sister. My name is Nodoka.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Yasu-kun¡¯s little sister¡­ Why are you in my room?¡±


    ¡°Actually, you¡¯re in my room.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot. I¡¯ll go and inform the others that you¡¯ve woken up, Tatewaki-san.¡±


    After seeing the girl who called herself Nodoka quickly walk out of the room, Shouko realized that the room indeed smelled different from her own, and then suddenly noticed something strange about her own body and sat up straight in the bed.


    ¡°Why am I not wearing anything!?¡±


    She had felt that the blanket was strangely close to her skin, and no wonder, seeing as she was naked.


    Shouko was extremely confused at the current situation where she found herself sleeping naked in someone else¡¯s house.


    ¡°U-Umm¡­ you were like that before you got here.¡±


    The golden-haired beauty spoke to her.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re Yasu-kun¡¯s¡­!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s a misunderstanding¡­!¡±


    That golden-haired beauty who called herself Dianaze Krone started talking about things that she could not understand at all, which only served to deepen her confusion.


    However, in in her confused state, Shouko realized that there were a few points that explained some of the strange things that had happened to her for the past few days.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I was wandering around the city after turning into a monster?¡±


    ¡°I understand that it must be hard to believe. However, it is the truth. Here¡­¡±


    Dianaze held Shouko¡¯s slimphone out towards her.


    Shouko didn¡¯t know why this girl had her phone, but she took it and unlocked the phone.


    She saw that there were a bunch of apps that were already opened, and after going through them,


    ¡°¡­Yeah, I don¡¯t remember this at all.¡±


    There was a message in her conversation with Yasuo on ROPE that she had no memory of sending.


    The time the message was sent was 23:30.


    The last thing she could remember before that time was taking a bath.


    However, she had no memory of leaving the bathroom, and the next thing she knew, she was lying naked in a room in the Kenzaki family house.


    The only explanation that made sense that someone from the Kenzaki family, or this person called Dianaze, had kidnapped her from her house.


    ¡°¡­¡­A song.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I seem to remember someone singing.¡±


    While she was trying to come up with an explanation on her own, a memory of hearing a song that put her heart at ease suddenly rose to the surface from within her mind, and she said it aloud without thinking.


    When she heard that, Dianaze suddenly gulped.


    ¡°Yasuo was the one who was singing. The song was a requiem from our world.¡±


    ¡°A requiem?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yasuo¡¯s singing undid your Shii transformation, Shouko-san.¡±


    ¡°Yasu-kun¡­ Requiem¡­ Ah.¡±


    ¡°Shouko-san!? Are you okay!? Does it hurt anywhere!?¡±


    A teardrop suddenly rolled down Shouko¡¯s cheek, causing Dianaze to panic.


    ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m okay. But it¡¯s strange, despite the situation, I felt relieved. When I heard that Yasu-kun saved me, I felt really glad.¡±


    Her teardrops continued to fall.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Yasu-kun angry?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he angry with me?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I got angry with him for selfish reasons and caused him a lot of trouble¡­ I wanted to become like you, but couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Become like me? Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry. It probably doesn¡¯t make any sense to you, does it? In any case, I need to apologize to Yasu-kun. Is he around?¡±


    ¡°Ah, y-yes. But you should rest for now. Not much time has passed since the battle. You have received treatment, but we still don¡¯t know what the after effects of transforming into a Shii might be¡­¡±


    At that moment, they heard the sound of someone hurriedly running up the stairs.


    ¡°I heard Tatewaki-san is awake!? Tatewaki-san are you-!! Ahhh!?¡±


    Yasuo, whose clothes were torn in many places and had injuries all over his body, barged into the room and froze after looking at Shouko who was still sitting upright.


    ¡°Y-Yasu-kun, I¡­¡±


    ¡°U-Umm¡­ sorry, I¡­¡±


    Seeing Yasuo go bright red and turn around, Shouko finally remembered the situation she was currently in.


    She was covered with a blanket, but she was still naked.


    For some reason, Dianaze had also gone red and was looking from one of them to the other, and Shouko¡¯s face also suddenly turned red.


    And then,


    ¡°Noooooooooooo!!!¡±


    She ended up throwing the slimphone in her hand with all her strength at the back of Yasuo¡¯s head.


    ¡ù


    Unconsciously touching the part of his head that the slimphone had connected with back then, Yasuo frantically tried to explain.


    ¡°I really had no intention of doing that!!¡±


    ¡°Nodoka-chan apologized to me later, saying that she tried to stop you but you didn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, but¡­ I really¡­¡±


    ¡°Yasuo.¡±


    Khalija, who had been quiet up to that point, spoke in a subdued manner.


    ¡°As a man, you should do the honorable thing and take responsibility.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the cause of this whole mess, what are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that most of the blame for the recent incident lies with me, but the fact that you ignored Nodoka and saw Shouko naked is entirely your fault.¡±


    Shouko also nodded as if agreeing with what Khalija said, and Yasuo felt that Diana was also indicating that he should put up with Shouko¡¯s mood.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­ I was rash¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo gave up and bowed his head to Shouko once again.


    ¡°Okay, I forgive you.¡±


    ¡°Are you really okay with that, Shouko?¡±


    ¡°Colonel, you have no right to ask that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was that kind of situation, after all, and it just goes to show how much he was worried about me, and besides¡­¡±


    Shouko glared at Yasuo once again and delivered the final blow.


    ¡°If what I heard was the truth, then he had already seen me naked inside that place called the Gate Tower.¡±


    Yasuo gulped hard and tried to settle his heartbeat.


    ¡°But it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t really understand what it means to be possessed by the dead and turning into a monster, but if you saved me from that, Yasu-kun, then it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Shouko-san¡­¡±


    ¡°There was a time in the past when even a rough girl like me looked up to and wanted to become a soft and fluffy princess like Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°Soft and fluffy¡­ No, I¡¯m really not so great¡­¡±


    ¡°Diana-san, your manner of speaking is like something out of a period drama. It¡¯s pretty funny. Do the people from the other world speak Japanese as well?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s just that, because of Yasuo¡¯s father, Hideo¡¯s achievements, our country especially encourages the citizens to learn Japanese. That¡¯s why, although imperfect, Japanese is widely understood by the commoners as well.¡±


    Ah, so that was the reason. Yasuo¡¯s question from a few days ago was finally answered unexpectedly.


    As usual, Yasuo could not gauge just how much of an impact his father and mother had left behind in Ante Lande, but from what he had heard just now, it looked like at least in Resteria, there were more people who understood Japanese than he thought.


    Yasuo felt like he had heard someone say something similar to him recently, but,


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Shouko gave a small sigh and asked another question.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yasu-kun, are you really going to finish your Hero Training and go to Ante Lande?¡±


    ¡°No, that hasn¡¯t been decided yet. It looks like I won¡¯t necessarily be welcomed with open arms, and as you heard earlier, I¡¯m even lagging behind Nodoka when it comes to magic training.¡±


    ¡°I see. But that means you haven¡¯t entirely abandoned the idea either, right?¡±


    ¡°Right now I¡¯m just waiting and see how it goes. There is sure to be some sort of reaction from their side because of the recent issue with Khalija-san, so I can¡¯t say anything about it right now.¡±


    ¡°If you ask for my personal opinion, I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t go.¡±


    Shouko said something unexpected, causing Yasuo and Diana to be surprised.


    ¡°Even without thinking about it too much, it¡¯s easy to imagine that you¡¯re sure to face a lot of trouble over there, and might also find your life in danger.¡±


    Nodoka had something similar to Diana once in the past, and appealed to Diana to give up on taking her father away.


    Diana also understood that feeling, so she couldn¡¯t say anything.


    However, Shouko¡¯s expression hinted at a completely different sense of resolve.


    ¡°Besides, if you go away to Ante Lande before my issue is fixed, things might get messy.¡±


    ¡°Messy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Shouko looked away from the three of them, and stared into the distance.


    ¡°If you leave, Yasu-kun, I¡¯ll turn into that thing called a Shii again.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Diana and Khalija were startled.


    Why was Shouko so sure about that?


    Even Khalija, who had exercised some control over the Shii using the power of the crimson stone, didn¡¯t really understand the logic behind the ¡ºlatch¡».


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that it is a possibility. I¡¯m not sure about it. But you know how being able to reproduce a phenomenon is important in science, right? After hearing about Ante Lande, I remembered a bunch of stuff that I think happened back when I had turned into a Shii. And then¡­¡±


    The sun was low in the sky, and the red light of sunset was slowly covering the park.


    ¡°No matter what the situation, I strongly think that I want to be able to see you, Yasu-kun.¡±


    ¡°¡°!!¡±¡±


    Diana and Khalija suddenly turned to look at Yasuo at an incredible speed, and as for Yasuo¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    He had a stupid expression on his face.


    ¡°When I saw you getting along with Diana-san and Khalija-san, I was really angry¡­ But then you, who are so indecisive, sent me that message on ROPE and I was really surprised¡­ But I still ignored your message without reading it and went to take a bath, but I couldn¡¯t get it out of my mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ That is¡­ ¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    A ray of sunlight fell across Shouko¡¯s face and illuminated her brilliant smile.


    ¡°¡­Realized that I still love you after all this time, Yasu-kun.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Wa wa wa.¡±


    ¡°Ooh?¡±


    Yasuo looked stunned and his face gradually turned red, Diana understood what had happened a second later and looked flustered, and Khalija looked from Shouko to Yasuo as if she was impressed.


    ¡°Thank you for the good show.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Shouko calmly parried Khalija¡¯s teasing.


    ¡°This is really important, okay? I¡¯ve loved you ever since we were in middle school, and even though we hadn¡¯t met for quite a while, when we met each other again, I realized that I still loved you with all my heart, and so I got really jealous of Diana-san and Khalija-san, and then I ended up turning into a Shii. This is very important, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°A-A-Ah¡­ I¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°T-T-T-T-T-That¡¯s right, this is really important, but this is a little difficult to accept all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°Major Krone, you¡¯re not the one who has to accept it. What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Colonel, how can you be so calm!?¡±


    ¡°Just think that I¡¯m not here. As someone who has sinned, I just have to sit quietly with my head lowered and await the ruling.¡±


    Shouko was smiling peacefully as she saw the three people who were reacting in completely different ways to her suddain proclamation of love.


    ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m not asking you to go out with me, Yasu-kun. However, this is something important to me, you, and Diana-san and Khalija-san as well, so I thought that I had to tell you. I thought it might be of some use to you when you go to fight against the Shii in the future.¡±


    Using the love of a young girl as a hint to uncover the nature of monsters that are harbingers of death.


    The very idea sounded sinful.


    ¡°Yasuo, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡±


    Khalija prodded Yasuo who was sitting in a daze with his mouth open at this completely unexpected situation.


    ¡°A-Ah, I mean¡­ that is¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know that it must be hard to respond after hearing something like this all of a sudden.¡±


    Even after being prodded, Yasuo looked like the unprecedented situation was going to make him overheat, and so Shouko stopped him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear an answer that you came up with on the spur of the moment.¡±


    ¡°T-Tatewaki-san, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, just one thing, Yasu-kun.¡±


    Shouko suddenly pointed her finger at Yasuo, who was still agitated.


    ¡°Y-Yes?¡±


    ¡°Shouko.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Shouko. That¡¯s my name.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know¡­¡±


    ¡°If you feel even the slightest bit sorry for getting me mixed up in a mess like this, then call me by my name.¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    ¡°What, you call Khalija-san by her first name as well, and you don¡¯t even use honorifics with Diana-san, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you know, that¡¯s not the same thing¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no difference. The two of us are already partners on this grand adventure involving a different world called Ante Lande. Is it so strange to not want to be so formal with one of your partners?¡±


    She actually called it a grand adventure.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s Sho-u-ko.¡±


    ¡°Uwaaaaa¡­¡­ S-S-Sho¡­u¡­¡­ko¡­san.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the ¡®-san¡¯ just make it more embarrassing?¡±


    Even though she said that, it looked like Shouko was also a little embarrassed.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡±


    Yasuo felt like his blood pressure was going to cross the safety limit.


    ¡°¡­Sho¡­.u¡­¡­no, I mean, this is¡­¡±


    This situation was obviously different from calling Diana by her pet name without honorifics.


    Calling a girl by her first name without using any honorifics all of a sudden, after she had just said that she loved him straight to his face, that was too difficult.


    He could not come up with any logical explanation as to why exactly it was so difficult, but in any case, it was just too difficult.


    It even felt like a taboo that he should not touch.


    However, that is what Shouko had requested of him.


    What kind of situation is this?


    What am I doing?


    I¡­ I¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­Looks like this mission was a little too hard for you, Yasu-kun.¡±


    While Yasuo was thinking that, it was Shouko who backed down first.


    ¡°Useless.¡±


    That merciless word from Khalija was the sound that signalled the end of the mission.


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never done anything like this before, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I understand, you can keep calling me like you have been. I¡¯ll just consider that you took my words that seriously. Haa¡­¡±


    Shouko¡¯s smile looked like she was sad, but also relieved in some way. She then looked at Diana who was sitting next to Yasuo and blushing even more than he was.


    She was empathizing with Yasuo as if she was the one who was confessed to and was completely lost for words. Just how much cuter could this girl from a different world become?


    Shouko thought that she would never be able to become like her, no matter how much time passed.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hard to have a princess as your opponent¡­¡±


    Shouko muttered that and lowered her shoulders, and then,


    ¡°Well, it looks like we¡¯re going to have a fairly difficult relationship from now on, Yasu-kun.¡±


    She said that to Yasuo.


    ¡°Yes it does, Tatewaki-san.¡±


    This was his current limit.


    ¡°Looking forward to working with you.¡±


    So, for now, the fact that she had a reason to boldly stay by his side was good enough.


    That¡¯s what Shouko told herself.


    ¡ù


    ¡°Onii-chan and Diana-san, what happened to the two of you?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, their faces are so red.¡±


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve experienced a lot of things that are difficult for young people to endure.¡±


    After returning home, Yasuo and Diana sat down dazedly in the living room, causing Nodoka to look confused and Madoka also wondered what had happened.


    ¡°Difficult things? Was Tatewaki-san unwilling to give her forgiveness?¡±


    ¡°No, that part progressed almost ideally, and she said she was willing to cooperate. However, the process of reaching that point was¡­ I think Nodoka might not believe me even if I tell you.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re trying to say.¡±


    Nodoka abandoned the matter of Khalija¡¯s explanation that she didn¡¯t understand, and changed the topic.


    ¡°So, did you find out anything? About that ¡ºlatch¡» thing.¡±


    ¡°We discovered one of the triggers that caused Shouko to turn into a Shii. This depends on Yasuo, but there is a way to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Hauu.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Hearing that, Yasuo turned even redder than before, and Nodoka grew even more confused.


    ¡°However, we still don¡¯t know the reason why Shouko became a ¡ºlatch¡», that is to say a human capable of transforming into a Shii. Judging by the timing, the only logical explanation is that she somehow came in contact with the Shii during the incident with William Bareig. Besides there¡¯s that person who gave me the circlet capable of controlling the Shii, and I don¡¯t know how she sent the Shii to Japan. It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s related to William in any way. In the worst case, you will have to consider that there were other people working for her who were sent here before me.¡±


    ¡°Even before Khalija-san, could that mean before Diana-san as well? If that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t that quite dangerous?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Considering that nothing happened between the time after Major Korne arrived here through when I arrived, I might just be thinking about this too much¡­ In any case, to remove the Shii from Shouko, she will have to go to Resteria at least once. However, the Shii are something that came from that world in the first place. I don¡¯t know much of an influence that woman who approached me has. We are in a situation where we cannot make any rash moves.¡±


    ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying that nothing has changed, and we can only continue wait for something to happen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just as you have said, Madoka. Although it shames me to admit it, I moved only for my personal reasons and personal profit, but there might be people out there who will move because they believe in the cause and their ideals. If such people exist, they will certainly make a move sometime soon, so I think that you will not have to wait very long until something happens.¡±


    Khalija agreed to Madoka¡¯s words with a serious expression.


    ¡°Maybe Shouko is the one who should be protected more actively than Yasuo and Nodoka.¡±


    ¡°To protect her from people who are after her because she can turn into a Shii?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Those people have connections all over the world. There is a chance that they can activate a Gate Tower in a different country based on information obtained in Resteria. You cannot let down your guard at all.¡±


    ¡°So what were they called again? The people who tempted you into doing what you did.¡±


    Khalija looked like she was remembering her painful past as she answered Madoka¡¯s question.


    ¡°There is an organization that gathers and supports the refugees who faced losses during the war with Demon King Kaul, who call themselves ¡ºCarnelian of the Coal Mine¡».¡±


    The Grand Duchy of Torjesso no longer existed, but the people who used to live there were not wiped out.


    There were many people from Torjesso who escaped to other large countries from the calamitous invasion by the Demon King¡¯s forces and became refugees, and moreover, there were refugees from places other than the Grand Duchy of Torjesso as well.


    During the war thirty years ago, in addition to dealing with the direct damage caused by the Demon King¡¯s army, the countries also had to worry about how to handle such refugees as well.


    The refugees were also desperate to live, and there were cases where the refugees turned to crime to survive in the countries that had given them shelter.


    To reduce those sorts of incidents as much as possible, a number of organizations were set up after war broke out to support the refugees. Carnelian of the Coal Mine was also one such organization.


    ¡°That woman¡­ she had silver hair and blue eyes, just like me. She¡¯s probably someone from Torjesso as well. However, the Carnelian of the Coal Mine didn¡¯t restrict themselves to helping only refugees from Torjesso. I cannot imagine just how wide their net extends.¡±


    Those people had suddenly appeared before Khalija, who was in despair due to the failure of the Sinistra, used sweet words to trick her, gave her a circlet with Shii sealed inside, and told her about the secret regarding the ¡ºlatch¡».


    ¡°The six Shii that attacked all of you when I first came to Japan were set free from my circlet without my approval. Now that I think about it, those people might have been using other people they won over like me to spread the Shii all over the world. There¡¯s also a chance that they had something to do with what happened to the mission during which General Alexei was killed¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Seeing Madoka¡¯s expression turn stern upon hearing Alexei¡¯s name, Khalija told her that woman¡¯s name.


    ¡°That woman has the title of ¡ºForeman¡» and is probably the leader of Carnelian of the Coal Mine. She introduced herself as Beatrice Heller.¡±

 Volume 2, Afterword

    Volume 2, Afterword


    Broadband internet connections started to become common around the time I finished high school and was moving on to college.


    Actually, I think the reduction in price and wide adaptation of broadband connections laid the foundations for the internet becoming so popular, but I¡¯m sure there must be some readers of this book who don¡¯t even know what the term ¡ºBroadband¡» means.


    Back when I was a highschool student, internet connections were divided into ¡ºNarrowband¡» and ¡ºBroadband¡» connections.


    As the terms ¡°narrow¡± and ¡°broad¡± imply, broadband connections were fast and had a large data capacity that used technology such as ADSL and CATV, and in the current day, these networks are being replaced by fiber optic connections.


    On the other hand, narrowband connections used technology based on analog telephone lines, such as ISDN, and while they had low capacity and low speed, they were also much cheaper.


    It was a time when the capabilities of digital devices and completeness of the online experience were completely incomparable to how it is today, so there were people who were able to get by just fine with narrowband connections, but back then, being able to ¡ºload the homepage in a few seconds¡» was a kind of status symbol, this is actually quite terrifying.


    The connection was based on top of the analog phone lines, with a pay-as-you-go system where the bill would increase the more you used it. Moreover, the logic was the same as making a phone call to the ISP through a modem, so when establishing the connection, you would hear sounds from the modem that would make you wonder if it was not possible to do something about this.


    After booting up the PC and initiating a network connection,


    ¡ºGa ga ga ga ga ga piiiiiiiiiiii hyo ro ro ro ro ro ro ro ro!!¡»


    If you wanted to send an email,


    ¡ºGa ga ga ga ga ga piiiiiiiiiiii hyo ro ro ro ro ro ro ro ro!!¡»


    Every time a customer at your part-time work place asked you to check the inventory,


    ¡ºGa ga ga ga ga ga piiiiiiiiiiii hyo ro ro ro ro ro ro ro ro!!¡»


    And then, depending on the time of the day and the performance of the computer,


    ¡ºZu¡­ Zu¡­ Zu¡­ Zu¡­¡»


    The home page would load so slowly that you could almost hear the sound.


    It was almost the same as waiting for a fax to come through.


    Something of that standard was quite common, so when broadband connections became more common and detailed home pages could be displayed just a second after clicking the mouse, it was something of a revolution.


    Despite that, if you go to an electronics store in the modern day,


    ¡°Would you like to purchase a new internet connection~ Would you like to purchase a mobile data plan~¡±


    You get people selling high-speed internet connections in a manner that makes you think even cucumbers or Pacific saury are sold more carefully. This is actually quite terrifying.


    It¡¯s been a while. I am Wagahara Satoshi, a fossil from the digital Triassic Period.


    The things I¡¯ve talked about so far are from about twenty years ago. You¡¯re pretty much an old man once you start reminiscing about the past, but I don¡¯t want to go back to those times or think that things were better back then, so I¡¯m probably still just barely safe.


    During the writing of the first book of this series, ¡ºYuusha no Segare¡», I talked about how I carried out research regarding the current atmosphere in which current high schoolers take their exams, but students do not just live for the sake of studying.


    Studies are certainly their first priority, but life-enriching methods of playing and having a private life are also important parts of living.


    However, these are quite difficult to research. More like, completely impossible.


    If an old man halfway through his thirties shows up at middle and high schools around the city during a weekday and asks to interview the students, it will definitely have the opposite effect.


    However, trying to look back on my own high school life for reference is no good as, apart from using digital devices, when I try to recall what kinds of things I did with my friends for fun, I can only think of 12-hour marathon runs of Daihinmin, which is of no use at all.


    Part of me wishes that I had led a more vibrant student life, but the answer would definitely be ¡°no¡± if you asked me whether I could live such a life if I had the ability to relive those years. So I don¡¯t think that I want to go back to those times or think that things were better back then at all.


    This book is about the ¡ºnow¡» of students who are worrying about what they should aim for and how to live their lives.


    In the end, most of the things they worry about will not make sense until the appropriate time comes, and while the problems are often easier to solve than they first appear, I would still like to believe that thinking hard about these issues will be helpful someday.


    I will continue to think hard for the purpose of making another interesting story for the next volume, and hope to reunite with all of you people who have read this book again someday.


    Goodbye!

 Volume 3, Prologue

    Volume 3, Prologue


    Seven o¡¯clock in the evening, on a weekday.


    The only sound that could be heard in the dining kitchen was the sound of the refrigerator.


    On the door of the refrigerator ¡ª which was already over ten years old ¡ª was a flyer for a pizza delivery store, held in place by a magnet that was yellowed with age and had been a handout from the water supply company.


    On the side of the sink was a dish rack with tableware that had just been washed.


    There were five sets of tableware, including five sets of chopsticks.


    It was easy to see that a family had just finished eating dinner, a perfectly ordinary dining kitchen that could be found anywhere in Japan. However, a grave voice suddenly echoed within that room.


    ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t take any more of this.¡±


    That sudden declaration startled everyone else present.


    Everyone there had been fearing the day those words would be said. No, maybe they had just been waiting for it instead.


    Everyone from the Kenzaki Family knew that those words would eventually be said by the central pillar of their family, Kenzaki Hideo.


    ¡°I just think¡­ it¡¯s impossible to continue like this.¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Dear¡­¡±


    Kenzaki Hideo¡¯s daughter, Kenzaki Nodoka, and his wife, Kenzaki Madoka, looked at him anxiously.


    ¡°Yasuo¡­ you understand why this is necessary as well, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    The eldest son of the family, Kenzaki Yasuo, could only groan when his father called out to him, and gave no other response.


    However, mixed in that groan was a feeling that Yasuo had resigned himself to the fact that there was no other choice.


    It was something that would have been impossible for him until just recently.


    However, Yasuo was no longer a child who could not see the reality before him or understand his father¡¯s feelings.


    Compared to the heavy atmosphere around the four members of the Kenzaki family, there was one more person there who was surrounded by an even heavier atmosphere.


    She had golden hair that set her apart from the Japanese look, and her green eyes showed a level of exhaustion that she could not hide. She looked like she might vanish at any instant.


    Originally, the current state of affairs that were plaguing the Kenzaki family should have been something that she should have welcomed.


    However, that girl was not insensitive enough to be able to accept it without any guilt.


    In fact, she was the most distressed among all the people here, to an extent that she looked like she wanted to disappear.


    Hideo glanced at that golden-haired girl, Dianaze Krone, before finally saying what he was thinking about.


    ¡°¡­¡­Dear, Nodoka, Yasuo¡­ I¡­. I¡­.!¡±


    Seeing that the moment was near, Yasuo sat up and tensed his body.


    ¡°I will go to the other world, Ante Lande!¡±


    Everyone in that place felt the impact from those words, spoken with a determination like steel.


    ¡°I want you to understand¡­ Please understand, I can¡¯t take any more of this¡­¡­¡±


    And after those words like steel came that weak-sounding excuse.


    Kenzaki Hideo raised his right hand that he had weakly opened, and folded his thumb.


    ¡°First the main door¡­ and then, the car.¡±


    At that instant, Diana gave a start and cowered down, and Madoka also slumped her shoulders.


    ¡°And then even the bathroom.¡±


    By the time Hideo had folded his middle finger, even Yasuo and Nodoka had no choice but to nod.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m so sorry! It was all because of my¡­ because of our carelessness!¡±


    Diana finally became unable to bear it, and started apologizing after bending her head down at the table.


    ¡°Yasuo, you understand, right? I am going to Ante Lande! If we leave things as they are, rather than our family, it is our house that will get blown away! Before that happens, I want to go to Ante Lande and get a proper hold of the situation! You understand, don¡¯t you!?¡±


    Just one month ago, Yasuo had rebelled against this statement from his father with all his strength.


    However, in the present situation¡­


    Yasuo looked at his father who was gritting his teeth, and at Diana who was bowing so low that she appeared to falling prostrate on the table.


    ¡°¡­¡­Take care, and come back soon.¡±


    He had no choice but to nod and respond like that.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you understand.¡±


    His father¡¯s tired words reached Yasuo¡¯s ears.


    ¡°One more thing, Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°About what should be done in the future, regarding Tatewaki-san¡­¡±


    After hearing the string of words that followed, Yasuo said, ¡°Huh¡­¡­¡­?¡±


    After staring blankly with his mouth open for a while, ¡°¡­..S-Seriously?¡±


    The only thing he could do was fall into a panic.

 Volume 3, 1 - What has to be seen through to the end Part 1

    Volume 3, Chapter 1 ¨C What has to be seen through to the end Part 1


    On her way back from school, Tatewaki Shouko unconsciously tensed her body when she saw the message that she had received on the ROPE messaging application; or more to the point, when she saw who had sent the message.


    The message that she had received from Kenzaki Yasuo was very concise.


    ¡ºCan we meet today?¡»


    ¡°¡­¡­Ha? Haah?¡±


    She stopped in her tracks, took a deep breath of air, let it out, and tried her best to calm her heartbeat.


    There was nothing to be worried about.


    Just when she was about to start walking again, she received another barrage in the form of one more message.


    ¡ºThere¡¯s something I want to talk to you about.¡»


    ¡°Stop sending such suggestive messages.¡±


    Shouko unconsciously said that aloud.


    From the way the messages were written, it looked like he wanted to meet her so that he could confess his feelings for her.


    She waited for a while longer, but she didn¡¯t receive any further messages or stickers.


    Since she was staring at the message screen, the sender should have already seen that the message was marked as read.


    It would be bad if she made him wait too long and caused him to send another strange follow-up message.


    The sender was that Yasuo, after all. That Kenzaki Yasuo.


    Trying to guess the intent behind the message was well and good, but in this case the meaning behind it was definitely going to be something that would exceed her imagination.


    ¡°Ugh¡­.. Ugh¡­¡­ Haa.¡±


    While gritting her teeth, Shouko gathered her resolve and sent a reply.


    ¡ºSure, if it is after my classes at prep school today.¡»


    Although Shouko and Yasuo went to different high schools, they lived close by and went to the same prep school.


    If they wanted to meet, there would be a number of chances for them to do so, but talking after her classes at prep school would be the most ¡ºnatural¡».


    She received a reply immediately, as if the sender had been waiting for her response.


    ¡ºI¡¯d rather not be overheard. Can we meet privately?¡»


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Shouko looked up from her phone for an instant and her her composure cracked.


    She then started operating her slimphone with so much force that the LCD screen was in danger of breaking, and pushed the button for the telephone call. After a few rings, Yasuo picked up.


    ¡ºAh, T-Tatewaki-san, sorry about the sudden¡ª¡»


    ¡°Choose your words more carefully!!!¡±


    ¡ºEh!? Did I write something weird? I¡¯m sorry!¡»


    Even ordinarily, Shouko was under a fair amount of stress on a daily basis.


    On that day. The day when her relationship with Yasuo had gone through a perceptible change.


    When Shouko had returned home, she dove into her bed, pressed her face into her pillow, and continued groaning and screaming into it for about an hour.


    Even later, whenever she remembered what had happened, she felt like hitting her head against the wall at home, or against her desk or locker at school. She had actually done that a few times.


    At that time, she had done it so casually.


    She had told Yasuo how she felt about him.


    Even though she had told him, what came after was the absolute worst.


    Despite the fact that she had been influenced by the atmosphere, why had she gone and done something so rash?


    She must have been delusional. There was no other explanation for it.


    Considering what had happened to her recently, becoming delusional might have been unavoidable.


    Another mistake she had made was to not ask for a response from him.


    However ¡ª no, exactly because of that, this was a little cruel.


    ¡°Everything about what you sent is weird! What is it!? Did you feel like responding to my confession or something!?¡±


    ¡ºUeeh!? Eh, t-that is¡­¡»


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to hear your answer anytime!¡±


    ¡ºUmm, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it like that, did I really write something that made you think that?¡»


    ¡°If anything, it felt like you were going to confess your feelings for me instead!¡±


    ¡ºEeeh!?¡»


    ¡°I know, okay!? It hasn¡¯t been that long since that incident, and seeing as you want to talk to me about something, it must be really important, right? It probably has something to do with Ante Lande, right!? That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t want anyone to overhear and asked to meet in private, right!? Well!?¡±


    ¡ºT-That¡¯s right, yes.¡»


    ¡°Then write that to begin with! Don¡¯t get my hopes up!¡±


    ¡ºEh? Hopes!?¡»


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Do you have any idea how I feel right now? I want to keep my hopes up but I feel like I don¡¯t have any hope, which leaves me just feeling regretful, and in spite of that I¡¯m still holding on to that hope!¡±


    Even Shouko didn¡¯t understand what she was saying anymore, but she didn¡¯t think what she was saying was wrong.


    ¡°Well!? Is that something we can¡¯t talk about now!? There¡¯s no one around here right now!¡±


    ¡ºW-Well, uh, It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t speak over the phone, but it¡¯s a really serious matter so I¡¯d like to talk about it in person and explain the circumstances.¡»


    Despite the fact that Yasuo¡¯s voice had become completely timid, Shouko did not show any mercy.


    ¡°What¡¯s the topic!?!?¡±


    ¡ºT-Topic? Umm, let¡¯s see¡­. How do I put this¡­ There¡¯s this place I want you to go¡ª¡»


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­I just told you to choose your words carefully, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡ºEh?¡»


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely not inviting me out on a date or anything, right? You¡¯re talking about Ante Lande, right?¡±


    ¡ºEh!? A date!? Eh!? How did you know I was talking about Ante Lande!?¡»


    ¡°Are you making fun of me!? Fine, be that way!¡±


    Despite the fact that she had confessed her feelings to him, she knew that Kenzaki Yasuo had neither a decisive personality, nor the experience of an adult.


    It was apparent at a glance that he was not used to dealing with women, and he was more a child than an adult.


    However, because of that, it could be said that he was more earnest and truthful than most other boys of his age.


    With his personality, Yasuo would never try and make plans to meet or give his reply to her confession over a messaging application like ROPE.


    He would definitely try to go about giving her his reply in a more formal way, and make a mistake somewhere.


    That being the case, the only other important matters that Yasuo would want to discuss with her would be college examinations or the other world, Ante Lande.


    ¡°Haa, forget it. I don¡¯t get what it¡¯s about, but I¡¯ll see you today after my classes are finished! We can meet up at the lounge at the prep school! Goodbye!! ¡­¡­Aaaargh!¡±


    After hanging up without even waiting to hear Yasuo¡¯s reply, Shouko let out a rough breath and unconsciously gripped her Slimphone tightly in her hand, but,


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Someone snatched her Slimphone out of her hand all of a sudden, and she quickly raised her head.


    At some point, a beautiful young woman with golden hair and emerald-green eyes had appeared beside her, and was looking at Shouko¡¯s face with a complicated expression.


    ¡°Be careful. Your eyes.¡±


    The girl just said that short sentence, and Shouko unconsciously put both her hands over her eyes.


    ¡°Aaah¡­ Ugh, my hands are so cold¡­.¡±


    While feeling the coldness from her hands over her eyes, she let out a large sigh.


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m sorry for doing that all of a sudden. At that rate, it looked like you were going to crush your Slimphone, so¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s okay. Thank you, Diana-san. I probably would have done that. Haa.¡±


    Shouko pressed down on her eyes for about ten seconds.


    By the time she moved her hands away, the ominous black flames that had been flickering around her eyes had vanished. Shouko, who looked a little tired, stared into the empty sky.


    Diana, who had been guarding Shouko, could not hide her surprise at seeing Shouko control the flames so easily, even if it was only in the region around her eyes.


    ¡°¡­¡­That was splendid. It looks like you have it under control now.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if something like this can be called having it under control.¡±


    Although Diana looked impressed, Shouko shook her head.


    ¡°It has happened a few times since then. However, since I know the reason why it happened, I was able to learn a trick to calm myself down.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ by a trick to calm down, you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, so I¡¯d rather not say it aloud. Although it¡¯s pointless to feel shy about it in front of you after all that has happened, Diana-san.¡±


    While saying that, Shouko looked at her Slimphone which Diana had rescued.


    The screen still showed the ROPE application with Yasuo¡¯s messages.


    Diana immediately realized what Shouko was thinking after following her gaze and looking at the screen.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Here you go.¡±


    Diana returned the Slimphone to Shouko with a complicated expression on her face.


    Shouko also understood that Diana had realized what she was thinking of, as she accepted the Slimphone and put it into sleep mode in an annoyed manner.


    ¡°Thank you. Actually, Yasu-kun was saying some stupid things earlier, so¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Stupid things¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Apparently he wants to talk to me about something important.¡±


    ¡°Something important¡­ Ah, so he put it like that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you know about it as well, Diana-san. That means it has something to do with Ante Lande, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ right. It is definitely¡­¡±


    ¡°Dammit. Why¡¯d I have to go and¡­¡±


    Seeing Shouko slump her shoulders in an exaggerated manner, Diana once again showed a complicated expression.


    ¡ù


    The other world, Ante Lande.


    Tatewaki Shouko had first found out about that ridiculous concept ¡ª or rather, that ridiculous world ¡ª only a week ago.


    Apparently, the parents of Kenzaki Yasuo, her classmate from middle school whom she had been reunited with at prep school after entering her third year of high school, were a Hero and Sage who had saved that other world from peril around thirty years ago.


    Even that sounded ridiculous enough that Shouko did not know how to react, but now that Ante Lande was apparently once again facing an unprecedented crisis, so they sent over an emissary to summon Yasuo¡¯s parents back to that world.


    That emissary was Dianaze Krone, a Magitech Knight.


    That young woman, who was called Diana, told them about the monsters called ¡ºShii¡» that were eating away at her world, and asked for the Hero to return to her world once more. However, after some dispute among the members of the Kenzaki family, for some reason Yasuo had apparently volunteered to become the new Hero.


    All of this had been properly explained to Shouko, but she had only seen a small part of it with her own eyes and hence there were still parts of the story that she did not completely understand.


    In fact, the part that was important to Shouko came after that.


    The monsters mentioned earlier, the ¡ºShii¡», had appeared in Japan, that is to say in this world. Due to that, Diana¡¯s superior officer, Khalija Welleger, had also been dispatched to help guard the Kenzaki family.


    However, while still in Ante Lande, Khalija had become involved with a group of people who could apparently control the Shii, and developed a deep-rooted conviction that it was possible to resurrect people who had died by using the Shii which imitated their appearance.


    After a fierce fight, Khalija¡¯s ambition was crushed and she was released from her delusion, but at some point between Khalija¡¯s appearance in Japan and her fight with the Kenzaki family, Shouko had been possessed by one of those ¡ºShii¡».


    That Shii had appeared in the form of a monster in front of Yasuo several times, and apparently used its inhuman strength to hurt Diana and Yasuo.


    Shouko did not have any memories of the time when the Shii took over her body.


    Annoyingly enough, when Shouko¡¯s feelings of love for Yasuo grew too strong to hold in check, the Shii would start to manifest in the form of cold, dark flames that came out of her eyes and would attempt to take over her body.


    That was a pretty girly reason for the Shii ¡ª which were said to be basically the same sort of existence as the living dead ¡ª to appear.


    Not only Diana, but even Khalija had no idea how to effectively deal with Shouko¡¯s situation, and they had never heard of a similar case occurring in Ante Lande either.


    After being placed in this situation, Shouko decided upon the path of ¡ºConfessing her feelings to Yasuo¡».


    After hearing all the details, Shouko surmised that the Shii would take over her body when her feelings for Yasuo got out of control.


    She thought that if she just told Yasuo how she felt, she would be able to prevent her feelings from bursting forth unexpectedly.


    Doing that had an effect greater than what Shouko, Diana, and Khalija had expected.


    Just like what had happened earlier, if her feelings for Yasuo ever crossed the breaking point, she would be able to repress the black flames by calming her heart.


    Looking at it another way, it could also be said that in the one week since Shouko had told Yasuo how she felt about him, the Shii had become that much more insistent on manifesting.


    One of the reasons for that was the fact that even though she had told Yasuo how she felt about him, she had not demanded a reply, which left her in a state of constant worry.


    The other reason, and perhaps this was unavoidable, was the fact that Yasuo had been acting evasive whenever they met at prep school.


    He would not look her in the eye.


    He would run away from her.


    Just this was enough to make Shouko indescribably anxious.


    It had taken her a considerable amount of courage to tell him how she felt about him.


    And what¡¯s more, it was under circumstances that could not be explained by common sense.


    Despite all she did, since the other person was behaving like that, Shouko¡¯s current feelings had bypassed anxiety and it didn¡¯t take her very long to think, Maybe my confession has caused Yasuo a lot of trouble.


    Perhaps Yasuo was feeling troubled by getting a confession of love from someone he didn¡¯t care about at all.


    Rather than the crisis in the other world or monsters that she had not seen with her own eyes, Shouko was constantly bothered by such uneasy thoughts that were far closer to her heart and were more concrete.


    And then, she had received that ROPE message under such circumstances.


    Shouko could hardly be blamed for letting the black flames leak out of her eyes.


    ¡ù

 Volume 3, 1 - What has to be seen through to the end Part 2

    Volume 3, Chapter 1 ¨C What has to be seen through to the end Part 2


    ¡°¡­¡­So, what is it?¡±


    Even before she called out to him, it was readily apparent that Yasuo was very tense.


    ¡°H-How about we leave this place first.¡±


    A slightly shrill voice, and a red face.


    Looking at him made even Shouko feel embarrassed. Yasuo was just that agitated when looking at Shouko¡¯s face¡­ or so it seemed.


    ¡°Take care on your way back.¡±


    Kobayashi, the tutor in charge of them, had stayed back until the last time slot of the lectures to make sure all the students had left, and he saw them off. The two of them headed out into the night air that gave off a slight, but discernible, presence of approaching summer.


    ¡°So, where do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Eh, ah, umm¡­.. It¡¯s pretty late, and I don¡¯t want to take up too much of your time, so how about that Weloce over there?¡±


    Cafe Weloce, located just off Prope Street, was an ordinary outlet of a cafe chain that was not particularly unusual in any way, but unlike the other cafes that closed at nine in the evening, Cafe Weloce was the only shop that stayed open until eleven at night.


    At the prep school that Shouko and Yasuo attended for their university exams, ¡ºSenshuu Academy¡» in Tokorozawa, students could not stay beyond nine-thirty at night.


    Even if they stopped at the shop on their way home at that time, about a quarter of the seats would usually be taken.


    During the five minutes it took them to walk to Weloce, Shouko looked at Yasuo¡¯s back as he walked slightly unsteadily, and once again started to imagine what he wanted to talk to her about.


    Considering how much Yasuo was wavering as he told her that he wanted to take her somewhere, it didn¡¯t take much imagination to deduce that their destination would be Ante Lande.


    However, if that was the case, she couldn¡¯t understand why they had to talk alone.


    Shouko, Yasuo, and Yasuo¡¯s younger sister, Kenzaki Nodoka, had guards accompanying them to protect them against threats from Ante Lande, including the Shii.


    The guards were Diana, Yasuo¡¯s mother, Kenzaki Madoka, and Khalija, who had sworn absolute obedience to the Kenzaki family and Diana after the recent battle.


    Diana had been guarding Shouko today, and judging by the way she had spoken, Shouko felt that Diana didn¡¯t plan on attending the meeting. However, even that was strange.


    As she was thinking about that, she realized that they had already arrived in front of Weloce.


    After they took up their positions in seats where the other customers would not be able to overhear them, Yasuo pulled out his wallet and turned to Shouko.


    ¡°What would you like, Tatewaki-san? Since I called you out here for my own reasons, I¡¯ll pay.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Shouko suddenly felt that her current expression was completely deadpan.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll have a medium ice tea. I don¡¯t need syrup.¡±


    ¡°Ah, o-ok, got it.¡±


    Yasuo showed a look of relief for just a second after Shouko told him her order, and walked towards the register in high spirits.


    On the other hand, Shouko sat down in the aisle seat and leaned back heavily after letting out a sigh.


    ¡°¡ºMy own reasons¡», huh?¡±


    From the way he put it, Shouko was certain that Yasuo¡¯s business with her today was not something that would make her jump with joy.


    No matter the circumstances, the place that he wanted her to go to was most likely the other world, Ante Lande. The destination would be the Resteria Kingdom, the country that Diana and Khalija were from.


    The reason was probably to look into the matter of the ¡ºShii¡» that was hiding inside her body.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    When she once again looked blankly towards Yasuo, she saw that he was walking slowly towards her while holding a tray with glasses of ice coffee and ice tea on it.


    Shouko, who occasionally helped out at the pub that her parents ran, ¡ºRestaurant Saburou¡», thought about something pointless like he wouldn¡¯t last a second waiting tables with that kind of skill at holding trays.


    Yasuo, who somehow managed to reach the table safely, let out his breath and put a glass down in front of Shouko.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With this, they were finally ready to start talking, but for some reason Yasuo had beads of sweat on his forehead.


    ¡°Just go ahead and drink up. We can talk after we relax a little.¡±


    ¡°Ah, o-okay.¡±


    Yasuo meekly nodded and drank half of the ice coffee in one gulp, without even adding milk or syrup.


    Was he just that nervous?


    Shouko already had a fair idea of what Yasuo wanted to say to her, and she knew that telling her would be quite stressful for him considering his position, so she did not tell him to hurry up.


    If she was in his place and had to tell a friend that got caught up in her own family¡¯s affairs that they had to now go to some incomprehensible place, she would definitely be tense and find it hard to say.


    ¡°Umm, sorry for calling you out all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°Forget about that. Let¡¯s just get it done with. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay. Well, you already guessed about half of it already, but basically, my father has decided to go to Ante Lande for a few days for reconnaissance, and he wants you to go with him.¡±


    ¡°A few days? Oji-san was Hero, right? Is he going to settle everything in just a few days?¡±


    ¡°That might be asking for a little too much, but he was saying that he wanted to get some firsthand information, as well as seriously negotiate with Diana¡¯s mother and the Resteria Kingdom. To put it frankly, he wants to tell them not to be stingy with the guard detail.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. If you think about it, Khalija-san is the person who tried to kidnap me, and yet she¡¯s now guarding me, you, and Nodoka-chan. I guess that¡¯s pretty strange.¡±


    ¡°Right. And then there¡¯s the matter of yourself, Tatewaki-san. Although we as a family feel very sorry about it, in a way you are the first victim caused by Ante Lande¡¯s actions in Japan. Dad said that another reason why he wanted to go was to make sure that they take responsibility for that. Of course, he wants you to accompany him for that as well.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll be going to Ante Lande so that they can research more about that ¡ºShii¡», right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Of course, Diana will go along as well, or maybe I should say that she will be returning home along with you.¡±


    Up to this point, the discussion made sense.


    Of course Shouko didn¡¯t want that ominous existence hanging around her, and if they could research it and remove it from her, that would be great.


    However, in the conversation so far, the name of the person who was important to Shouko didn¡¯t come up even once.


    ¡°What about you, Yasu-kun? Aren¡¯t you going too?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­For now, I am not included in the plan.¡±


    ¡°Why not!?¡±


    Yasuo, surprised by Shouko¡¯s unexpected outburst, spoke hurriedly.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to go as well, but it looks like it costs a lot of money to go to Ante Lande.¡±


    The pathway that connects the other world, Ante Lande, to Japan was called a ¡ºGate Tower¡».


    It appeared to be an extraordinarily large-scale sorcery system, as it would take three percent of the national budget to move a mass equivalent to that of an average adult male.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not like your family is going to pay for that, right Yasu-kun?¡±


    ¡°Even I¡¯m not sure how large a sum it is or who exactly will bear the burden on Resteria¡¯s side, but they will be paying for the entire expense of the trip this time. Diana¡¯s share is a given, but just the amount required for my Dad and you will apparently take a large chunk out of their budget.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the explanation from their side, that¡¯s pretty awful of them, don¡¯t you think? In the first place, they are the ones who allowed the Shii to come over here, and they are the ones looking to your father for help. Moreover, they even made you start training. They should at least pay the travel fee without grumbling.¡±


    Yasuo smiled wryly after hearing Shouko speak.


    ¡°Well, nobody came over to arrest Khalija-san, even though she ignored the king¡¯s orders and committed a crime here. Besides, between you and me, Tatewaki-san, it should be obvious who needs to go to Ante Lande more, right?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m an ultra-rare sample for experimentation who is more important than the Son of a Hero who is known in every corner of the world?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty harsh way to put it.¡±


    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s how the people on that side will see me, after all.¡±


    ¡°Well, that may be true¡­ Still, you seem pretty calm about this, Tatewaki-san.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t have any hard facts. Although I would be scared if I found out after going there that they were going to cut my body open without using anesthesia.¡±


    ¡°Dad and Diana are going to accompany you, so they¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t come to any harm.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose they won¡¯t do anything that might upset the Hero of Salvation.¡±


    Even Shouko was aware of something like that.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that once you get there, Diana¡¯s mother will be taking care of everything you need. It looks like the incident with Khalija-san has made them very sensitive, so they will be guarding you quite rigorously.¡±


    ¡°And what about Khalija-san?¡±


    ¡°Of course, she¡¯ll be staying behind to take care of things here. Like I said earlier, if she goes over to the other side, she¡¯ll be arrested. It might be fine if it was just that, but in the worst case there is also a danger of her being assasinated, so Diana¡¯s mother has decided that it would be better for her not to return.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Okay, now I¡¯m feeling a little scared.¡±


    To begin with, Khalija had come to guard the Kenzaki Family on the orders of the King of Resteria, just like Diana. However, she had also come to an understanding with a certain person who appeared to be capable of freely controlling the Shii, and betrayed the Kenzaki family once already in order to help further that person¡¯s goals.


    Beatrice Heller, the leader of an organization called ¡ºCarnelian of the Coal Mine¡» that took care of refugees.


    That was the name of the person who could control the Shii, according to Khalija.


    The Carnelian of the Coal Mine was an organization that mainly concerned itself with taking care of the citizens of the Grand Duchy of Torjesso, who were chased out of their homeland thirty years ago by the armies of the Demon King Kaul.


    The plan to move them back to their country that was destroyed by Demon King Kaul was still not complete, and that organization apparently used its influence not only in Resteria, but all over the world in order to help the refugees.


    No matter how one looked at it, it appeared to be a splendid charitable organization, so why were they controlling Shii which have the appearance of dead creatures? Moreover, just how much influence does that person called Beatrice Heller have over the organization? There was no way to answer these questions.


    However, judging by the fact that Khalija, who was one of Resteria¡¯s central military officers, fell under her evil influence, it was obvious that the power of the person who could control the Shii was far more widespread in their world than initially apparent.


    Khalija had said that Beatrice Heller was looking for a ¡ºLatch¡».


    Even Khalija did not know what kind of powers the ¡ºLatch¡» possessed, or perhaps would be given, but it appeared that requirement to become one was to be ¡ºA living person who harbors the undead within their body¡».


    And so, Shouko, who harbored a Shii ¡ª an undead creature ¡ª within her body was the only ¡ºLatch¡» candidate discovered so far.


    ¡°Everything about this is so incomprehensible. I suppose this means that in the end, we don¡¯t know anything about the matter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. Even though I was the one who explained it to you, I don¡¯t understand most of it myself. However, that makes it all the more important that we make a move while we are still able to, which brings us to this discussion today.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re right. With things as they are, I can¡¯t concentrate on my exams either.¡±


    ¡°B-By the way, Tatewaki-san.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Yasuo appeared to have finished his ice coffee in the middle of the conversation.


    He once again started sweating strangely.


    ¡°The discussion about you going to Ante Lande was of course important, but there¡¯s something more important that I need to tell you, Tatewaki-san.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ Eh?¡±


    Shouko, who was about to go along with the conversation as if it was normal, suddenly did a double take.


    ¡°Something¡­ that you have to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ This is something we need to discuss before you go to Ande Lande, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Eh, w-what is¡­¡±


    Looking at Yasuo¡¯s eyes that seemed to tell her that he had resolved himself, Shouko unconsciously corrected her lax posture.


    She straightened her back, put her knees together.


    ¡°Well, about what happened earlier, I thought that we should make it official.¡±


    ¡°O-Official¡­¡­? Uh, h-hang on a second¡­¡±


    Although they had been having a completely unromantic conversation about the other world until a moment ago, Yasuo¡¯s behaviour suddenly changed which caused Shouko¡¯s heartbeat to gradually speed up.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not too much of a bother¡­ Yeah, as I thought this is a protocol that has to be followed. Tatewaki-san.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±


    Even though she was supposed to be tired out from the classes at prep school, her blood ran quickly through her entire body, and even her eyes were widened as we waited to hear what Yasuo would say.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san¡­ Would it be okay if I went to greet your parents some time?¡±


    The moment those words fell upon her ears, Shouko¡¯s brain overheated.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Wha¡ª!?¡±


    What came her her mouth was not a word, but merely a sound.


    It could be said that Yasuo¡¯s request came so far out of left field that the language processing center of her brain refused to work properly.


    It was just a reflex action.


    ¡°I guess¡­ that it¡¯s not okay, after all?¡±


    Yasuo himself had a bright red face, as if he had been thinking too hard about this.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­It¡¯s¡­¡­¡­.. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s n-not okay, but¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    It was such a sudden attack.


    Shouko, who felt like she had received a bodily blow to her blindspot from ultra-long range, could only wait while her thought process began to spin around in circles uselessly.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..About what happened earlier¡­. You¡¯re talking about that, right?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right. What else is there?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right, but¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t imagine that something like this would happen, I mean, Yasu-kun, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little too early?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too early. If anything, this is the proper procedure to see things through.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so? Is that how it works!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it works. This is something that will affect the rest of your life, but we are both still students right now, so we can¡¯t really go ahead without your parents¡¯ permission¡­..¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, but¡­ Eh, the rest of my life? Y-Yasu-kun, what¡¯s up with you? This isn¡¯t like you at all.¡±


    ¡°Eh? What isn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I-I mean¡­¡­¡±


    Although he had seemed so hesitant in the beginning, once the words had left his mouth, his strong will and sincerity strongly shone through.


    Shouko¡¯s face had turned so red that there was no way to hide it.


    Was this a dream?


    Had she perhaps dozed off in the middle of her lecture, and started dreaming about Yasuo because she was frustrated about not getting an answer from him about ¡ºwhat happened earlier¡»?


    ¡°Yasu-kun, about that, where were you planning on meeting¡­?¡±


    ¡°If possible, I would like to visit them at your house¡­ but since it¡¯s an important conversation, it might be better to go on a day when your parents are not working.¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re¡­ That serious¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯ll take time to get them to understand. Still, I¡¯ll explain it to them properly.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand. Umm, t-thank you¡­¡±


    Hearing Shouko talk as if she was delirious from a high fever, Yasuo shook his head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you for agreeing.¡±


    ¡°O-Of course I would agree! I-I mean¡­ I didn¡¯t think that you would take this so seriously, Yasu-kun¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t know if your parents will believe me, but my Dad, my Mom, and Diana will come along as well and we will try our best to convince them.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡­¡­¡­ Huh?¡±


    Shouko felt like a crack had developed in her vision, and the north and south poles of the planet had suddenly been reversed.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Your Dad, your Mom, and Diana-san too? They¡¯re coming? To my house?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Well, that¡¯s obvious.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, why¡­ If they don¡¯t, there¡¯s no way your parents will believe me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­..Believe what?¡±


    ¡°T-Tatewaki-san, what¡¯s wrong? Are you okay? I mean, it¡¯s obvious¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo started to panic when he saw that Shouko was acting strangely, but Shouko just felt like the world was rapidly losing color and the temperature was dropping.


    ¡°If you go to Ante Lande, you won¡¯t be able to return on the same day. Due to limitations of the Gate Tower, I¡¯ve heard that it is better to keep about five full days open for the trip. However Golden Week is already over and there are no more consecutive holidays coming up soon, so if you have to go to Ante Lande there¡¯s no choice but to take time off from school. Moreover you have exams this year so we can¡¯t really take you away for one week without explaining the reason to your parents. So we all sat down and thought about it, but in the end we decided that we would need to tell your parents about the circumstances in Ante Lande as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..Oh, I see.¡±


    ¡°I know that the whole thing is pretty incomprehensible, and I don¡¯t know if your parents will believe me, but trust me when I say that I don¡¯t have any intention of deceiving your parents. I will sincerely explain everything to them.¡±


    Now it all made sense.


    In that case, they would have to come on a day when her parents were not working, Yasuo would also ¡ºseriously¡» talk about ¡ºwhat happened earlier¡», namely the incident that Shouko was involved in, and if the Kenzaki couple and Diana were not present, the discussion could not even start.


    Now it all made sense.


    Shouko felt like all the strength was leaving her body, and unable to recover, she felt like she might slide and fall out of her chair.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.It must be nice to be an adult!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I guess this is the kind of situation where they would drown their sorrows in alcohol!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    Yasuo panicked as Shouko¡¯s voice got progressively more hoarse, but of course Yasuo didn¡¯t stop to think for a second that he had something to do with it.


    ¡°Yasu-kun.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Come here for a bit.¡±


    While still looking like she was about to fall off her chair, she beckoned towards Yasuo with her hand.


    After Yasuo obediently stood up and came to stand next to her, Shouko looked at him with a feeble glare and then, ¡°Sei!¡± She drove her fist into his side with a fair amount of power.


    ¡°Guaaah!? What the heck!?¡±


    Yasuo groaned at Shouko¡¯s sudden violence, but Shouko just gazed blankly ahead.


    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s my line¡­ I feel like I¡¯m going to turn in a Shii any minute¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°E-Eh!? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!!¡±


    As Shouko moaned indistinctly, faint black flames started to rise up from her eyes and Yasuo started to panic for real.


    If Shouko were to turn into a Shii in the middle of the city like this, there was no way for Yasuo to handle it.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    However, Shouko seemed to realize something all of a sudden, as she straightened her body and started looking around restlessly.


    And then, when she found what she was looking for, her expression relaxed slightly, and then she glared at Yasuo once more.


    ¡°I suppose our discussion is done for now?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Y-Yeah.¡±


    ¡°For now, this is my answer.¡±


    ¡°Answer?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t say anything about agreeing to go to Ante Lande yet, after all.¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­ Eh? N-No, that won¡¯t do at all, deciding not to go will make things more difficult for you as well, Tatewaki-san¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. But deciding to agree to everything unilaterally doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can see where you¡¯re coming from¡­¡±


    Seeing Yasuo look confused, Shouko smiled at him cynically, as if she had regained some of her energy.


    The flames in her eyes had disappeared at some point, and her teasing gaze now looked straight at Yasuo.


    ¡°So let me just put one condition forward.¡±


    Shouko made a clear declaration.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, you have to come along as well. As long as that condition is accepted, I will go to Ante Lande.¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Yasuo was just a messenger, and he had no authority to decide anything regarding the trip to Ante Lande.


    However, Shouko spoke in a tone that precluded his answer and cut off his confusion.


    ¡°I told you the condition for my Shii¡¯s activation along with ¡ºthat other thing¡», right? If I¡¯m separated from you for a long time and placed in an unfamiliar environment, who knows what might happen~¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    When Shouko¡¯s feelings of love for Yasuo grew beyond her control, the Shii would show itself and take over her body.


    Yasuo had certainly heard about that already.


    When she brought that up, Yasuo, who could not even call Shouko by her first name, turned bright red and became unable to speak.


    ¡°Well then, convey my regards to your father and Diana-san. I¡¯m going home. Ah, you don¡¯t need to walk me back.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ok, I understand. Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you again later. See you. Ei.¡±


    ¡°Ouch! Eh? Ehh!?¡±


    Shouko, who quickly got ready to leave and stood up, hit the top of Yasuo¡¯s head with a karate chop as a parting gift and left the cafe right away.


    Yasuo, who was just blankly gazing as she left, suddenly noticed the presence of someone beside him and turned towards them.


    ¡°Oh, Diana?¡±


    Diana was sitting in the chair that Shouko had occupied until recently, with an expression that was equal parts embarrassment and exasperation.


    ¡°Wait, were you in the shop the whole time?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. I switched with the Colonel for Shouko¡¯s guard duty.¡±


    Since it was a public store, it was not that strange that she had decided to come inside to carry out her duty as a guard.


    ¡°So you heard what we talked about right¡­ tell me honestly, what do you think? She said she won¡¯t go to Ante Lande unless I go along, but I think that¡¯s pretty impossible¡­ Diana?¡±


    Yasuo had wanted to discuss the condition that Shouko had brought up, but he suddenly realized that Diana was actually giving him a reproachful glare for once and he stopped talking in the middle of his sentence.


    ¡°Yasuo. I am aware that it is not my place to interfere and say something like this, but what you did earlier was bad. It was horrible.¡±


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    ¡°I think that you should look for an opportunity and properly apologize to Shouko.¡±


    ¡°E-Ehh!?¡±


    ¡°I understand that you didn¡¯t do it out of malice, but there are cases when something is bad precisely because there was no malicious intent. Especially when you are dealing with Shouko. If Nodoka had been here, I¡¯m sure that she would have barged into your conversation at least three times.¡±


    This might be the first time that Diana had reproached him so frankly.


    Yasuo, who realized that, finally started to think that he might have done something unforgivable.


    ¡°D-Did I really say something that would upset Tatewaki-san to that extent!?¡±


    ¡°Yasuo. Sit down.¡±


    Diana, while frowning and appearing reluctant, made Yasuo sit down in his seat.


    Yasuo also felt some sort of disquieting pressure from Diana, and straightened his back unconsciously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t particularly think anything about it. But the Colonel probably found it amusing. Just so you know, she heard everything as well.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Seeing Diana¡¯s reluctant face and hearing Khalija¡¯s name come up, Yasuo started to realize that he might have made a fairly large mistake.


    ¡°As for the condition Shouko brought up, we will consider that from our side so you needn¡¯t worry about it, Yasuo. More importantly, let me explain to you how cruelly you acted towards Shouko so that you will be able to somewhat withstand the attacks from the Colonel after you go back home.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, acted cruelly¡­.¡±


    For Diana who usually saw everything he did in a positive light to say something like that, just how big a mistake had he made?


    For the next few minutes, Diana explained in detail just what Yasuo had done, and after that Yasuo put his head down on the table and was not able to get up for a while.


    ¡ù

 Volume 3, 1 - What has to be seen through to the end Part 3

    Volume 3, Chapter 1 ¨C What has to be seen through to the end Part 3


    ¡°Welcome home, Colonel. That took a while.¡±


    It was quite late at night by the time Khalija returned to Room 101 of Marigold Hills Tokorozawa, the apartment where Diana was staying and was a thirty second walk away from the Kenzaki house.


    ¡°Ah, there was just a bit of trouble with Shouko.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Because of what a certain idiot did, I wasn¡¯t able to come back home for quite a while. It took a lot of effort to bring her flames back under control.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    After showing a wry smile, Diana took Khalija¡¯s cup out of the kitchen cabinet.


    ¡°Would you like something to drink?¡±


    ¡°If we have any ice coffee, I¡¯d like some. I actually worked for once after a long time, so I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Putting it as ¡°work¡± was quite strange, and for Khalija to actually make a request for something was also quite rare.


    Ever since their battle that took place a few days ago, Khalija had not broken her stance of absolute obedience towards the Kenzaki family, and even towards Diana.


    On top of being injured, Khalija was aware that she was dependent on Diana for most of her living needs, so that last command she had given to Diana as a superior office was, ¡ºDon¡¯t take my needs into consideration. Feel free to kill me at any time if you think I¡¯m acting suspiciously.¡»


    Since she said that, Diana could understand just how much Khalija regretted her actions.


    Until now, whenever Diana had asked her what she wanted to eat or drink after she finished her shift at guarding Yasuo, Nodoka, or Shouko, Khalija would only ask for bread or water. That¡¯s why, hearing Khalija ask for something else actually made Diana happy.


    ¡°Would you like milk and sugar?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need any. I¡¯m just so thirsty¡­ Ahh, thank you.¡±


    Khalija drank the ice coffee which had no milk or sugar in one gulp and then sighed in contentment even while looking like it gave her a headache.


    ¡°¡­¡­Still, what did you think of that?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Yasuo?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s eighteen years old, right? If this was Resteria, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he was running a household of his own at that age.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s just a matter of the differences in culture.¡±


    ¡°You think so? While walking around the city, I¡¯ve seen students who looked younger than Yasuo getting along well with members of the opposite sex.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo has not yet reached that level of maturity when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex.¡±


    ¡°Shouko was saying something similar as well, but that¡¯s only if you look at it positively. If you consider it from a neutral standpoint, he just lacks consideration. There are too many problems with his ability to deal with others.¡±


    It was really quite rare for Khalija to be this talkative.


    However, Diana had already objected to Yasuo¡¯s behavior as a female who happened to be present when Shouko confessed her feelings to him, so she did not refute Khalija¡¯s viewpoint.


    ¡°I properly explained everything to him, so please don¡¯t tease him too much.¡±


    ¡°Major Krone, you¡¯re too soft on him. For a weakling like Yasuo, someone strict like Nodoka would be just about right. If not, he¡¯ll just start depending on you, in a bad way.¡±


    ¡°A bad way?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Can I have another cup?¡±


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    After getting a refill of iced coffee, Khalija made a grim expression.


    ¡°Major Krone, you see Yasuo¡¯s various actions too positively. It is still fine right now, but if he gets into the habit of thinking that you will affirm his worthless behavior every time he encounters trouble, at some point in the future he will just come to a standstill when he encounters an obstacle.¡±


    Diana understood what Khalija was saying.


    However, in Diana¡¯s eyes, Yasuo was definitely not that kind of person.


    He was just an ordinary person living in this country called Japan.


    Saying that he was ordinary meant that he was properly living his life.


    ¡°Yasuo isn¡¯t that weak. He may spend more time lost in doubt that most people, but he is still moving forward.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so sweet.¡±


    ¡°That coffee isn¡¯t supposed to have any sugar in it, though.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing that on purpose, right? Do you consider him to be nothing more than a troublesome younger brother?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Yasuo is not strong, but he¡¯s not weak either. I don¡¯t think that there are many high school students in this country who can heal themselves and make a plan to defeat you after having a hole opened up in their side.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Well, sure.¡±


    Once Diana brought that up, Khalija, who herself had lost to that, felt weak instead.


    ¡°From my perspective, Yasuo is¡­ that¡¯s right, he is hope.¡±


    ¡°Hope? That guy?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Khalija did not know about it.


    She did not know how fiercely Yasuo had fought to deny the existence of Diana and Ante Lande.


    The instant when his denial turned to acceptance.


    The effort he put in to change everything about himself that he had accumulated over the past eighteen years.


    ¡°Even Hideo did not start off as the strongest Hero. Moreover, there is no need for Yasuo to become the kind of Hero that Hideo was. That¡¯s why someone like me is only fit for¡­¡±


    Moreover, Khalija did not know how many obstacles he had overcome, both big and small.


    ¡°¡­supporting the Hero who just began his journey and affirming his every action, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Fine, do as you like.¡±


    Khalija¡¯s expression looked like she was both exasperated and impressed by what Diana had said. She took a sip of her coffee and mentally added a warning to Diana.


    Don¡¯t ever say something like that in front of Shouko.


    ¡°Although that might be amusing as well.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡ù


    Three days later, on a Saturday.


    There was a group of strangely nervous people standing in front of the pub for the masses, ¡ºRestaurant Saburou¡».


    ¡°¡­¡­I say, Dear.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I feel more nervous than I did before the fight with Kaul.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    The Kenzaki couple, Hideo and Madoka.


    The Hero of Salvation and the Great Sage were both pale faced and drenched in a cold sweat.


    The suit Hideo was wearing wasn¡¯t the one he usually wore to work; it was an expensive tailored-to-order suit that he only wore for very important job meetings.


    The suit his mother was wearing was not tailored-to-order, but it was brand new and she had purchased it particularly for this meeting.


    Yasuo was naturally wearing his school uniform.


    So far it was not particularly strange for a group of people who were visiting another person¡¯s house, but beside them was Diana, dressed in her full dress uniform as a Magitech Knight, which immediately caused their motive to become unclear.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s okay. In the worst case, I will take care of it¡­¡±


    In this situation, Yasuo, who was standing next to Diana while her thought process was stalled, had no idea what was counted as the worst case scenario or what Diana intended to do, but since the previous day he had been so tense that he had not even been able to eat anything.


    He had no idea that it would be this frightening to ¡°just¡± tell strangers who knew nothing about the situation about their absurd secret.


    Ever since he had entered middle school, Yasuo had wondered countless times why protagonists from manga, anime, and movies who possessed some special ability or came in contact with other worlds disliked telling other people about their secret.


    Considering the commonly used ¡ºFewer people that know my secret, the better¡»theory, it made no difference whether the people close to the protagonists knew their secret or not; there was no telling how the enemies would make use of them in either case.


    As for the ¡ºI don¡¯t want to get them involved¡» theory, it was often the enemies, and not the protagonists who got people involved.


    It was usually such protagonists who had a tendency to disappear without saying a word to the people close to them, so in most cases those people would appear at the critical moment purely because they were worried, or act strangely and get noticed by the enemy, and in either case they would get involved in a lot of trouble.


    That being the case, Yasuo had always thought that it would be better for the protagonists to take some effort to get those important people to understand their special natures, properly explain the difference in fighting ability and give them an idea about what might happen in the future, and then convince them with a logical argument as to why they should keep their distance.


    However, Yasuo finally understood their reluctance, now that he was placed in the same situation.


    He understood it precisely because he had felt that way earlier.


    What would happen if they revealed their special circumstances, far removed from common sense, to strangers?


    It might spell an end to their own ¡ºsocial life¡».


    In other words, people from their community in the surroundings they were raised in might say things like, ¡ºThat person is a little strange, it might be better to not get involved¡», and keep their distance.


    Given a choice, he would prefer to be able to go back to his original peaceful life after getting rid of the danger that threatened the world.


    What would happen if they put their lives on the line and defeated the powerful enemy to protect the peaceful world they lived in, only to come back to find people saying things like:


    ¡ºDid you hear about Kenzaki-san¡¯s husband? I heard he tried to take the daughter of the couple who run Saburou away by telling them some nonsense about other worlds and demon kings.¡»


    ¡ºOh my¡­ I wonder if he had some problem at his job or something.¡»


    ¡ºBoth their children have important exams this year, I wonder if the family had a falling-out of some kind.¡»


    ¡ºWhat should we do? By rotation, the next chairman of the regional committee will be Kenzaki-san¡¯s husband¡­¡»


    ¡ºHow about we say at the next regional event that kids are easily influenced, so someone who talks about ¡°demon kings¡± is not suitable?¡»


    ¡ºLately there have been a lot of things breaking at the Kenzaki family house¡­ I wonder if those are really accidents¡­ You know, we often hear of incidents caused by people who become unable to tell the difference between reality and fiction.¡»


    ¡ºI wonder if they¡¯re alright¡­ I wonder if we should consult with the head of the neighborhood association or the district welfare officer¡­ this is so scary.¡»


    If things turned out like that, their only options would be for the whole family to quietly run away to some other place in the dead of the night, or move to the other world and settle down in a place where nobody knew them.


    Even Yasuo had not been able to easily accept the reality, even after seeing his father¡¯s holy sword and his mother¡¯s magic.


    Even if Hideo, Madoka, or Diana floated in the air or used magic in front of other people, such things were already a part of the common sense of people living in Japan, and people would forcefully come up with their own explanations for it and things would stagnate there. Such an outcome was also definitely possible.


    In the end, he had only believed the story about his parents¡¯ past or about the existence of Ante Lande after experiencing the fights with Alexei¡¯s Shii and William Bareig.


    Even Shouko had only believed it because of the fact that she herself had transformed into a Shii, and also because she encountered the other members of the Kenzaki family, Diana, and Khalija under extraordinary circumstances.


    That¡¯s why, showing up during a peaceful time and talking to Shouko¡¯s parents about things like ¡ºThe other world, Ante Lande¡» or ¡ºThe Holy Sword, Liutberga¡» was a daunting task.


    Firstly, Shouko¡¯s parents were probably not that different in age from Yasuo¡¯s parents.


    In which case, they would not be less than forty years old. It was still considered within the prime of one¡¯s working life.


    Yasuo imagined the appearance of Shouko¡¯s father, whom he had not seen yet.


    The owner of Restaurant Saburou.


    He imagined a burly man who dealt with drunk people on a daily basis, and could resolve any problems that arose with just one hand.


    A person with a solidly built physique and a taciturn personality which showed on his face, with a headband tied around his forehead and wearing a black t-shirt and an apron with the restaurant¡¯s name printed on it.


    Judging by Shouko¡¯s skill at cooking and what he had heard from the neighborhood rumor mill, he could imagine that they were a family who communicated well with each other.


    And Yasuo¡¯s father was going to go into such a place and start the conversation with a sentence like, ¡ºActually, I was a Hero in another world thirty years ago.¡»


    ¡°¡°I want to go home.¡±¡±


    Just thinking about it made Yasuo¡¯s palpitations increase all of a sudden, and he felt the scant contents of his stomach start to rise. Behind him, the Hero of Salvation wholeheartedly agreed with his words.


    ¡°¡°¡­¡­¡±¡±


    Perhaps seeing how similar the father and son were served to actually strengthen Madoka¡¯s determination instead.


    Madoka stepped up to the door and pressed the intercom button.


    ¡°¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±¡±


    The two men let out a wordless scream, but Madoka no longer paid attention to them.


    The Tatewaki family house was integrated into the same building as the restaurant Saburou, and actually had a different entrance from the entrance to the restaurant.


    However they would have to walk quite some distance through the alley to reach it, and since the restaurant entrance was normally used as the main door by the Tatewaki family as well, Shouko had told them to use the restaurant entrance when they came over.


    After a short while, ¡ºI¡¯ll be right there!¡»


    He heard a male voice that was far lighter than what he imagined.


    ¡°Hello¡­ my name is Kenzaki. We are here to talk to you today about Shouko-san¡­¡±


    It appeared that Madoka¡¯s ability to speak clearly was affected by her stress, but, ¡ºAh, Kenzaki-san. Please wait a moment.¡»


    The reply was once again far lighter than imagined.


    After the call over the intercom ended, Yasuo felt that the following ten-odd seconds stretched on for a horribly long time.


    ¡°Hello, welcome. Sorry for having you come all this way.¡±


    The person who appeared from behind the sliding door was very different to the image of the owner of a pub that Yasuo had imagined.


    He had a slight build and a handsome face, and he was wearing silver-rimmed glasses. He had a smart air about him.


    He was wearing a fresh-looking polo shirt and chino pants, and looked more like a salaryman on his day off than anything else. Was this person really Shouko¡¯s father?


    ¡°My wife was supposed to join us, but she had some unavoidable personal business to take care of, so I will convey what we discuss to her.¡±


    He had a very gentle expression, and even when he saw the Kenzaki family dressed formally, or Diana who was dressed in an obviously strange fashion, he didn¡¯t change his expression at all.


    ¡°Thank you for taking the time to meet us on a holiday. I am Kenzaki Hideo.¡±


    Now that things had reached this stage, there was no way that Hideo could stay hidden behind his wife.


    He took one step forward and, prior to mentioning his business for the day, he gave a precise bow, and Madoka and Yasuo also bowed upon seeing that.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I am Shouko¡¯s father, Tatewaki Kousuke. Everyone, you don¡¯t need to stand on ceremony, please raise your heads.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    ¡°I believe that your daughter must have already told you about the situation to some extent, but since the matter is quite removed from what would be considered within the realm of common sense, I assume that you must be quite confused. Everything that happened is our responsibility¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Kenzaki-san. And the rest of you as well, please calm down. For starters, please come inside.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s father, Kousuke, invited the group into the shop without any hint of harshness in his attitude.


    ¡°Thank you for inviting us in.¡±


    Hideo finally raised his head, bowed once more, and proceeded to enter the store. Yasuo and the others followed him inside.


    ¡°Welcome. Please take a seat over here.¡±


    Kousuke welcomed them in and seated them as if they were regular customers, but the Kenzaki family could not rid themselves of their nervousness.


    They could not allow themselves to think that they were welcome here.


    It was likely that Kousuke didn¡¯t understand the situation at all.


    As if to prove that, there was only a slight amount of trepidation mixed into his gentle tone.


    Despite the fact that they had obviously come to apologize as a family for having caused a problem, the reason why Kousuke had invited them in with just that much amount of trepidation was probably because of his etiquette as a member of society.


    And then, the first person to crumble under the stress of the situation was Diana.


    ¡°I am so sorry for what happened!!¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Diana, unable to sit in the chair she had been offered, kneeled down right there on the floor of the restaurant and prostrated herself in front of Kousuke.


    ¡°H-Hey, what¡¯s wrong!?¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry for doing something so unforgivable to your daughter during a period of time that is very important to her!¡±


    ¡°U-Umm¡­¡±


    Kousuke looked bewildered by Diana¡¯s sudden prostration, while on the other hand Yasuo once again felt like running away, but for a different reason from before.


    Diana¡¯s apology was certainly not wrong, but seen in the light of Japan¡¯s typical social etiquette, the current situation and Diana¡¯s wording might be seen as an apology for Yasuo having committed some sort of immoral mistake with Shouko.


    ¡°You are Diana-san, right? I assumed that you were the one the instant I saw you.¡±


    Putting Yasuo¡¯s unscrupulous imaginations aside, Kousuke spoke to Diana is an unexpectedly gentle tone.


    ¡°It looks like your Japanese is quite fluent as well. I¡¯m sorry to say this in the middle of such a tense situation, but I seriously felt like laughing just now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.Haa.¡±


    Seeing that Diana was not even able to lift her face, Kousuke kneeled down and lifted her face up.


    ¡°I mean, from the way you put it and the current situation, it sounded like there some serious mistake that happened between Yasuo-kun and Shouko.¡±


    ¡°¡°Eh¡­¡­?¡±¡±


    Diana made a sound because she didn¡¯t understand what he meant, and as for Yasuo it was because he hadn¡¯t expected to hear that.


    ¡°¡­¡­Seriously, I feel like you¡¯re doing this on purpose just to embarrass me.¡±


    They heard a voice from the side.


    Looking over to that side, they saw Shouko wearing a triangular head covering and an apron, standing there with a red face.


    She was holding a silver-colored ladle in her hand, and Yasuo, whose senses had been dulled due to nervousness, suddenly smelled the aroma of broth that stimulated his appetite.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the general situation from my daughter already. Sure, I had trouble believing it in the beginning, but I¡¯m not so hard headed as to not believe something that I saw with my own eyes. Come now, everyone sit down. Ever since she heard that all of you would be coming over, Shouko has been unusually eager in many ways.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Haa¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo, Hideo, Madoka, and Diana were confused, but sat down at a table for four after hearing Kousuke speak.


    ¡°What were the appetizers again, stewed radish?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Diana, who was teary-eyed, suddenly shook when she heard the word ¡°radish.¡±


    ¡°Shouko said that she wanted to invite you all to sample her cooking. She said that Diana-san really enjoyed the lunch she made for the picnic last time, so I thought that I¡¯d let all of you judge whether she is ready to cook for our customers.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If even a person from another world found it delicious, there should be no problem with serving her food to our customers here.¡±


    Hearing Kousuke casually use the phrase ¡ºanother world¡», Hideo could not hold himself back from speaking.


    ¡°Umm, Tatewaki-san, this might be rude of me, but¡­¡±


    ¡°There are some things that I believe, and some things that I don¡¯t.¡±


    Kousuke answered Hideo¡¯s unspoken question without changing his gentle expression.


    ¡°After hearing Shouko¡¯s explanation, I came to believe that ¡ºMagic¡» exists, and that Shouko has been possessed by some strange being. However, I do not believe in the existence of this other world called ¡ºAnte Lande¡» ¡±


    ¡°W-Why not?¡±


    Yasuo spoke up for the first time since they had gotten here.


    Now that he thought about it, he had not even properly introduced himself, but Kousuke replied like he didn¡¯t particularly mind.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear a logical explanation for its existence. And also, because I haven¡¯t seen it.¡±


    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t see it¡­ Eh, hang on!¡±


    Yasuo was not the only one surprised by the implication behind what Kousuke had said.


    He would believe it when he saw it.


    In that case, just where had Kousuke seen the use of magic?


    ¡°Ah, about that, I requested Khalija-san to show it to him the other day.¡±


    ¡°Eh!? The Colonel!?¡±


    Hearing Shouko¡¯s explanation from the kitchen, Diana was surprised.


    Under what circumstances had Khalija come into contact with Shouko¡¯s parents?


    ¡°Khalija-san escorted me home after my lectures the other day, right? That¡¯s when I asked her.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    Speaking of which, Khalija had returned home unusually late that day.


    ¡°I mean, I had a really hard time holding back the Shii that day, so I decided that it might be a good time for Khalija-san and I to give my parents a brief explanation.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡±


    Shouko¡¯s verbal arrow struck Yasuo¡¯s heart directly.


    On that day, after Diana explained what he had said to Shouko, he had spent the night writhing in agony on his bed.


    ¡°In the beginning, I wondered why on earth you were wearing sunglasses like that.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s Shii would manifest from her eyes.


    If she managed to hold the flames back to just her eyes, then it was certainly possible to hide that by wearing sunglasses.


    ¡°What did the Colonel¡­ What did Khalija Welleger say to you?¡±


    ¡°I had her show pretty much all the magic she was capable of. Earth, water, fire, and wind were a given, and lightning as well. But the most amazing of all was probably that one, the portable stove.¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°Portable stove?¡±¡±¡±


    Since the topic had suddenly changed from the attributes of magic to a portable stove, all members of the Kenzaki family asked that in unison and tilted their heads.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I thought that the fire and lightning were a trick of some sort and I was still not sure if I should believe her, but there was no way I could explain the portable stove.¡±


    Saying that, Kousuke stood up and went to a shelf in the corner of the store, picked up two portable stoves, and brought them over to the table where the Kenzaki family were sitting.


    ¡°We use these to keep dishes like stew or boiled tofu warm at the table when we serve them, but these two were broken and Khalija-san fixed them.¡±


    Kousuke pumped the gas and twisted the knob on one of the stoves lightly, turning it on and off to show that it was working.


    ¡°She just used some copper and metal wire that we had at home. To be honest, that was more surprising than any other magic that she showed that day. The stoves came apart by themselves even though she didn¡¯t even touch them, and the components floated on a slab of light. And then she added in the copper wire and pieces of metal¡­ there¡¯s no way for me to explain it but to call it a mysterious power, the pieces were floating and melting and then she gathered them all together again and as you can see, it started working again. Really, it¡¯s such a convenient ability!¡±


    Khalija had been born in a family of Techno Weapon craftsmen, and her skills were so advanced that she was scouted by the Techno Weapons Research Division soon after she enlisted as a Knight.


    Yasuo, who was not good with mechanical things, had no idea if Khalija¡¯s knowledge of Techno Weapons would be useful in repairing a portable stove, but it appeared it was a piece of cake for her to fix them.


    ¡°Also, one of her arms is fractured, right? So I asked her if it wasn¡¯t hard for her to do it with one hand, and she replied that for something of that level, one finger was more than enough. So I took the opportunity to have her fix this other stove as well!¡±


    ¡°The Colonel¡­ did something like that¡­?¡±


    ¡°But, thanks to that I decided to believe in the existence of your magic. I don¡¯t think it will take much more to convince me that this so-called other world exists as well. Especially if Shouko will be going there.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay with that?¡±


    When Diana asked that, Kousuke nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of being okay with it or not. I don¡¯t think that whatever is inside Shouko is something doctors or a hospital can handle. Besides, if there is a world where magic exists and that thing came from over there, then I believe that we should let the people from that world remove it from her body.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­To be honest, I could not bring myself to hope that you would be so understanding. Seeing as this will end up causing problems for your daughter¡¯s studies as well.¡±


    Kousuke smiled bitterly after hearing Hideo¡¯s honest opinion.


    ¡°Well, if you think about it rationally, that might be true. It¡¯s just that I had a similar experience as well, although on a smaller scale.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Could it be that Shouko¡¯s father was also a person who had visited another world?


    ¡°This is not something I usually tell people, but I actually graduated from Tokyo University.¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    The person who was most shocked by this statement was Yasuo.


    ¡°Oh yeah, even I only found out about that recently.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s voice from the kitchen also sounded like she felt uneasy about it.


    It was true that he had an intellectual air about him, but Yasuo had not imagined that he had actually graduated from Tokyo University.


    ¡°So you opened this shop here right after you graduated?¡±


    Of course, Hideo did not show any surprise and asked that question calmly. In response, Kousuke shook his head.


    ¡°No, I worked at at an energy regulatory company for a few years after I graduated.¡±


    The name of the company that Kousuke told them was so famous that even Yasuo had heard of it.


    ¡°It was boring, so I left.¡±


    The job must have paid a pretty high salary, but he left it just because it was boring.


    It was something that Yasuo could not understand at all.


    Kousuke looked at Yasuo and smiled, as if he could read Yasuo¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Do you think that it¡¯s incomprehensible? Everyone around me told me the same thing, repeatedly. They asked me what the heck I was doing, in spite of graduating from Tokyo University and getting a job at a good company. However, don¡¯t you think they only spoke to me that way because I ¡ºgraduated from Tokyo University¡»? There¡¯s no law that says that a Tokyo University graduate isn¡¯t allowed to run a pub, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡±


    ¡°When I quit my job, people around me just had absurd expectations and asked me things like whether I was scouted by another company, or if I was starting up my own venture, or if I was moving overseas. Back then, I was already engaged to my wife and my parents were in good health. I intended on working in my hometown, so when I told my parents that, they were very shocked. I rebelled against them quite strongly, asking if it was really that strange.¡±


    Kousuke looked a little worn out as he recounted his experiences.


    ¡°Even school kids would often look at me like I was from a different planet when I told them that I was attending Tokyo University. Even now, you see ads on television with some strange criteria for measurement like ¡ºThe brand chosen by Tokyo University students¡», right? Even though I was just a normal person like everybody else, the moment I got into Tokyo University, I was treated like I was somehow different. I¡¯m sure there are some people who enjoy that feeling, but I couldn¡¯t endure that. I wonder if there is anyone who studied at Tokyo University who hasn¡¯t been called ¡ºStudent of Todai¡» or ¡ºTodai-kun¡» at least once in their lives. That¡¯s why I decided to join a large company where being a graduate of Tokyo University would not be particularly rare.¡±


    ¡°In a place like an energy regulatory company, I assume there were naturally cliques formed based on what college you studied at? Also, I assume when dealing with administration or the government regulatory offices, the matter of what college you graduated from would only become even more important?¡±


    Kousuke nodded strongly in reply to Hideo¡¯s question.


    ¡°It was exactly as you said. There were a lot of people who said that I was special even among the people who graduated from Tokyo University. Well, in short, I was not suited for the status that came with being a graduate of Tokyo University. When I thought that after all the hard work I put into my studies, the destination I arrived at was a place where people only saw me through the filter of my alma mater¡¯s name, I just got fed up with everything¡­ Don¡¯t you think that the title of ¡ºHero¡» is also something similar to that?¡±


    ¡°I suppose¡­ you¡¯re right.¡±


    The Hero, Hideo.


    Khalija had already explained to Yasuo very clearly about the irresponsible wishes and hopes that the people placed upon that name.


    Diana had also gone through hard times because of her family name.


    Both Hideo and Diana could not treat Kousuke¡¯s story as somebody else¡¯s problem, and perhaps the reverse of that was true as well.


    ¡°Because of that, I became the kind of person who does not expect anything special from the result brought about by a ¡ºschool¡». That is why I never did something like put on a frown and force Shouko to study. However¡­ the fact that I let my disinterest go so far as to not hold any interest at all in her student life was bad. I was not able to pay attention to Shouko¡¯s environment when she was in middle school. In that matter, I feel like I failed as a parent.¡±


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t care about that anymore so you can just forget about it.¡±


    ¡°As your father, that is not something that I can just forget about.¡±


    ¡°Geez¡­¡±


    Shouko probably wasn¡¯t lying about the fact that she didn¡¯t resent her father for not intervening.


    However, it was still something that any parent would regret.


    ¡°¡­We got a bit off topic, but in any case, it¡¯s like I said. Saying this may make me sound like a doting parent, but Shouko is not the kind of child who neglects her daily studies. Taking a break of one week from school is no big deal. If she herself wants to go, neither I nor my wife have any reason to stop her. As for the matter of what reason to give to her school, you can leave that up to us. Of course, as parents we will add the minimum condition that her safety will be thoroughly seen to at all times, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, the Resteria Kingdom¡¯s Knights will spare no effort in that regard!¡±


    Diana replied enthusiastically and got a little ahead of herself, but Kousuke just smiled and looked at Yasuo.


    ¡°Having the Knights¡¯ protection is well and good, but Shouko mentioned a different condition, right? I would appreciate it if you could accept that condition as well.¡±


    ¡°Dad!!!¡±


    Shouko, who had picked up on her father¡¯s intent, shouted from the other side of the kitchen counter with such force that it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if she jumped over it as well, but her father was not fazed in the least.


    ¡°Shouko. The frying pan has been on the fire for too long. The meat is going to get charred while you saut¨¦e it. Do it over.¡±


    ¡°Aaargh!! It¡¯s your fault, Dad!!¡±


    Shouko groaned after suddenly realizing it, but she still obediently went back to the frying pan on the stove with a bright red face.


    While looking at Shouko behaving in that manner, Diana spoke.


    ¡°I discussed this with the people on the other side. If anything, it seems like they would be glad to have him come as well.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The condition that Shouko had attached was of course to have Yasuo accompany her.


    However, Yasuo hadn¡¯t heard anything about it until today, but it looked like his father and mother were not surprised, so Yasuo looked at Diana in confusion.


    Seeing that, Diana gave a small nod while looking slightly apologetic.


    ¡°¡­¡­My daughter became more cheerful after entering high school, and after she reuniting with you, she became even more lively. I¡¯m sure this is a very important time for you as well, but I would like to leave her in your care. Yasuo-kun, Kenzaki-san, and Diana-san as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Even if it costs me my life!!¡±


    Yasuo, Hideo, and Diana made their promises to that father who was worried about his only daughter.


    ¡°Alright, now our discussion is at an end! It looks like the fried food will be a little delayed because of me, but please, stay for a while and eat! Diana-san, the food will be freshly made this time, so eat as much as you like!¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you very much!¡±


    At that point, Shouko appeared while carrying a tray with ceramic bowls on it, and placed a serving of stewed radish in front of the Kenzaki family members, Diana, and her father.


    ¡°Shouko. The bowls. None of them are facing in the correct direction.¡±


    And then, she received that ruthless reprimand from her father.


    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    Perhaps as a result of not being strict with her studies, it appeared that Kousuke was strict when it came to serving etiquette instead. On hearing his reprimand, Shouko hurriedly fixed the positioning of the bowls and set the table as per the rules.


    Diana¡¯s eyes sparked as she looked at the radish that had been boiled in miso soup and garnished with yuzu zest, and even Hideo and Madoka widened their eyes at the effect of the presentation.


    ¡°This is a good opportunity, so let¡¯s call this a sending-off party for the trip to Ante Lande. Everyone, I look forward to getting to know you better in the future. Now, come on, eat up!¡±


    Shouko looked satisfied at the reactions of everyone present.


    ¡°Shouko, aren¡¯t you supposed to say something?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Everyone, please enjoy your meal!¡±


    ¡°W-Well, then¡­¡±


    Yasuo was the first one to take a bite of the radish that had been boiled until it was soft enough for the chopsticks to sink into it.


    ¡°¡­¡­Delicious.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s delicious!¡±


    Yasuo and Madoka spoke up at the same time, and Hideo took another bite while nodding.


    As for Diana, her bowl was already empty.


    ¡°Shouko¡­ it was¡­ It was really good!!¡±


    ¡°Yay.¡±


    Seeing his daughter smile with a happy expression on her face, Kousuke suddenly looked up.


    ¡°Shouko, I need to get something from the back room. Kenzaki-san, please excuse me for a minute.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sure.¡±


    ¡°Ah, certainly.¡±


    Kousuke, who excused himself temporarily from the table, went towards the living quarters instead of the back room of the store.


    In the living room that could not be seen from the store, there was a woman sitting on the tatami mat.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to join us?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re not very convinced.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Thinking about it rationally, how could I accept something like that?¡±


    Shouko¡¯s mother, Tatewaki Youko, gave a large sigh and pursed her lips.


    Both Shouko and Kousuke knew that Youko was at home.


    However, since she stubbornly refused to appear in front of the Kenzaki family, they had to use the hastily contrived excuse of her having gone out on ¡ºpersonal business¡» despite the fact that an important conversation was about to take place.


    Her eyes, behind large spectacles, were looking towards a particularly large stuffed animal in the room.


    It was the magic-using version of the mascot of the most famous theme park in the world, located in the Chiba prefecture.


    ¡°So lucky, so lucky, Shouko is so lucky¡­ A world of dreams and magic¡­ that sounds so nice¡­¡±


    Looking at his wife who looked vexed as she wrung the neck of the stuffed animal mascot of the most famous theme park in the world that was located in the Chiba prefecture, Kousuke gave a smile with mixed feelings.


    Shouko¡¯s ¡ºObsession with Princesses¡»that stuck with her from kindergarten until middle school was quite obviously because of her mother.


    In the first place, the underlying reason why Shouko, who had an introverted personality, started to search within herself for ¡ºan ideal young woman¡» that did not exist was because of the influence of this mother of hers who was an enthusiast of that most famous theme park in the world that was located in the Chiba prefecture.


    Of course, he had no intention of blaming his wife for something like that, and Shouko didn¡¯t feel that way either.


    However, looking at his wife who would still lead the charge into the most famous theme park in the world that was located in the Chiba prefecture with the enthusiasm of a school girl despite the fact that she was more than forty years old, and who was even now was showing envy toward her own daughter who had come in contact with ¡ºreal magic¡», although he didn¡¯t know how serious she was about it, he started to worry whether she would once again have a bad influence of Shouko.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m still an adult, after all.¡±


    Youko let out a sigh, maybe because she sensed the suspicious gaze of her husband.


    ¡°I know that Shouko is going through a lot of trouble. It¡¯s just that, when that child entered highschool and her personality changed, and during the time when she transformed into that outrageous thing called a Shii or whatever, I wasn¡¯t able to deal with it at all, and I was forced to realize that I was far from being able to get close to her heart or to her life. That was a little damaging.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not much different in that regard.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­So, what did you think of Yasuo-kun? Does he look reliable?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t know. But¡­ we have no choice but to leave her to him. Since we can¡¯t go along with her, after all.¡±


    ¡°After grade school, middle school, and high school, she¡¯s now going to a different world¡­ why is it that parents can only stay with their children for such a short time?¡±


    Youko¡¯s sigh as she threw herself upon the low table in the living room along with the mascot character of the most famous theme park in the world that was located in the Chiba prefecture coincided perfectly with the sigh of her husband.


    ¡ù

 Volume 3, 1 - What has to be seen through to the end Part 4

    Volume 3, Chapter 1 ¨C What has to be seen through to the end Part 4


    ¡°Is it really okay for me to go along as well?¡±


    It was night, after the nerve-wracking visit to the Tatewaki family house.


    Diana, Khalija, Yasuo, and Nodoka were in Room 101 of the Marigold Hills apartment building.


    There were pastel colored cups placed on the casual kotatsu, and steam was rising from the cups filled with warm tea.


    The four of them were casually sitting on the simple-yet cute-cushions that Nodoka had picked out when Diana had first moved to this apartment.


    ¡°By the way, just how are you communicating with Ante Lande, Diana-san? It¡¯s not like you have a cell phone that connects to that world or anything, right?¡±


    ¡°There is a type of sorcery for relaying messages. It is something like sending a letter.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that cost money to use, like the Gate Tower?¡±


    ¡°It is not completely free of cost, but for example if you consider the Gate Tower to be an aeroplane that carries a single person, then the Messaging Sorcery is like a home delivery service carried on a bike. There is a limit to the amount of information that can be transmitted at once, but the expense is not high enough to make a member of the Knights Division hesitate.¡±


    The example using an aeroplane was easy for Yasuo and Nodoka to understand, but there was still something that felt off.


    ¡°But still, I wonder why Shouko-san wants to go along with someone like Onii-chan¡­ Sure, traveling with just my father and Diana-san might be awkward for her, but still¡­ It¡¯s sort of like chartering a new flight just for Onii-chan, right?¡±


    ¡°Since that was the condition put forward by Shouko, there was nothing else we could do. Also, to tell you the truth, both my mother and I wanted Yasuo to come, even if it stretched the budget a bit.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Why¡¯s that!?¡±


    From the way Nodoka said that, it could be seen that she was greatly dissatisfied.


    ¡°Before that, it might be a little late to ask this, but¡­ Are you willing to go, Yasuo?¡±


    Diana checked with Yasuo about how he felt before replying to Nodoka.


    ¡°Well¡­ if I take a week off from school, the guys from school will probably annoy me about it once I get back¡­ But despite that, I am still more worried about Tatewaki-san, and if I have the opportunity to go, I feel like I should take it.¡±


    ¡°Onii-chan, that¡¯s not like you at all.¡±


    ¡°However, I know that it costs an insane amount of money, and should I have wanted to go, it would have only put more strain on Diana and the others, so I wasn¡¯t able to bring it up myself.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s not too late to back out.¡±


    ¡°Nodoka, I think that you should leave it at that.¡±


    Nodoka, who was the exact opposite of Diana and couldn¡¯t sit still without rejecting her brother in some way or another, was gently pacified by Khalija.


    ¡°In the first place, I received a message from my mother at almost the same time when Hideo said that he wanted to go to Ante Lande. She asked me to try and bring Hideo over, at least for a short while.¡±


    This was something that both Yasuo and Nodoka had already heard, on the night when Hideo had declared that he would be going to Ante Lande.


    However, the circumstances surrounding Diana¡¯s mother, Erijina Krone and the people around her, were somewhat vague.


    ¡°The reason why Her Excellency Erijina is impatient about inviting Hideo this time is¡­¡­ because of me.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean that the organization that tempted you, Carnelian of the Coal Mine or whatever, have become a threat?¡±


    At that question from Nodoka, who had heard about the situation from Khalija herself, both the Magitech Knights nodded as one.


    ¡°In the thirty years since the military campaign against Demon King Kaul, the organization known as The Carnelian of the Coal Mine has not only helped the people from Torjesso, but also other war refugees as well. Their power is limited to not just Resteria, but is spread out among the surrounding smaller countries as well. It is obvious that an organization with such a large scope will have interactions with a great number of people, and that gives rise to certain interests that those people would like to protect. In that sort of situation¡­¡­ I, who hold the rank of Colonel in Resteria¡¯s core army and also have the blood of Torjesso flowing through my veins, yielded to a person who could control the Shii that were threatening the whole world. I¡¯m sure Her Excellency Erijina considers this to be a very heavy problem.¡±


    ¡°The governing body of Resteria is convinced that the Shii are not merely frightening monsters that randomly appeared. I¡¯m sure that the surrounding small countries will come to the same conclusion sooner or later. Once that happens, the world will¡­ become a place where everyone doubts whether their neighbor is someone who can communicate with the Shii.¡±


    ¡°With a clearly defined enemy, such as the armies of Demon King Kaul, the people needed to only look for trouble in one direction. However, constantly questioning whether the person next to you might suddenly kill you, that will easily distract people from the threat and cause friction. It¡¯s the same in this world as well, right?¡±


    Back during the World War, the countries that fought knew who their enemies were.


    However, in the modern age that Yasuo lived in, people were exposed to danger from ¡ºterrorists¡» whose identity was unclear, and the sources of that danger were extremely flexible and had no rigid form. Everybody was aware that they could easily blend into society and hide from sight.


    And the social problem that arose from that was¡­


    ¡°A tendency to expulse all sources of threats¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Once the persecution of the former citizens of Torjesso, other war refugees, and anyone connected to The Carnelian of the Coal Mine begins, it will be difficult to stop. However, if the people being persecuted don¡¯t have any way of proving that they are not allied with the Shii, they will never be free of suspicion. The hatred and sorrow of both the people being persecuted and the people doing the persecuting will just continue to grow. No matter how many pretty speeches are made, neither side will accept it. Before something like that happens¡­¡±


    ¡°Shouko, who holds the key to understanding more about the true nature of the Shii. The Saviour, Hideo. And then¡­ more than anything else, my mother wants to understand the extent of your current strength, Yasuo. That is what she said to me.¡±


    ¡°My strength? Do I have anything of that sort?¡±


    ¡°Does Onii-chan¡¯s power really have that much meaning? I mean, all he can do is send Shii off with the song¡­¡±


    ¡°That is extremely important.¡±


    Seeing that the siblings were confused, Diana and Khalija glanced at each other.


    ¡°Yasuo¡¯s fighting ability is no match for our own, let alone Hideo¡¯s. However, when it comes to Yasuo¡¯s ability to send off the Shii with the requiem or his healing powers, even if you search far and wide in Ante Lande, you won¡¯t find many who can equal him.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, there are likely none in Resteria.¡±


    Diana¡¯s proclamation only served to deepen Yasuo¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°Being able to stop a Shii that is still active with just the song, and sending off three of them at once and still not running out of mana, such things are usually impossible by our standards. That power¡­ there is a chance that it might become the impetus for saving Ante Lande, or at least that is what my mother thinks.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible at all~¡±


    ¡°Even Japan has a method of solving disputes using means other than armed conflict, right? Of course, just that will not be enough to end all the fighting, but not using it all will also lead to a lengthening of the conflict. However, Ante Lande and this world are similar in the fact that the problems are not so simple that they can be solved by the power or ideas of one person. A balance is needed in everything.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo¡¯s power has the potential to bring a new balance to the situation that Ante Lande has currently fallen into. That is why, as long as Yasuo is okay with it¡­¡­ we would be glad to have him come to our world.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    He was told that he had talent and power, and that people would rely on him.


    More importantly, he had already gathered experience to support that belief, even though it was only a little.


    This was something that had never happened since the time he had begun to think and make choices for himself.


    ¡°¡­¡­I wonder if it is okay for me to get cocky.¡±


    Hearing Yasuo mutter that, Nodoka frowned and Khalija gave a small smile and nodded.


    ¡°Just letting you know, I won¡¯t let you get carried away. For some reason, everyone around you has been too soft on you lately, Onii-chan. Geez.¡±


    After saying that, Nodoka stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back home. I have homework, and I need to take a bath as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then I will accompany you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. My house is right over there.¡±


    ¡°Do not show the slightest gap or carelessness. That is what is required of a soldier.¡±


    Even though Nodoka looked a little annoyed, Khalija just gave a wry smile and went along with her.


    After the two of them left, Yasuo asked once more, to make sure.


    ¡°It¡¯s really okay for me to go, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is something that both Shouko and my mother wished for, and more than anything, I wanted you to come along as well.¡±


    ¡°You too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I used to think that Japan, the ¡ºBirthplace of the Hero¡» was some sort of utopia or Shangri-La. After actually living here, I came to realize that it is just an ordinary world, with amazing things, strange things, and things that I cannot accept. I think you must have felt the same way about¡ºAnte Lande¡», as it only exists in your imagination so far. I think that letting you see it for yourself would be a very good thing¡­¡­ Also, this is just my personal opinion, but¡­¡±


    Diana smiled, looked straight at Yasuo, took a sip of her tea that had gone cold, and then once again showed a smile that was like a blooming flower.


    ¡°I want Yasuo to see the country where I was born.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Those unexpected words made Yasuo stiffen his body.


    ¡°The country and world that I come from, that you said you wanted to protect¡­ The Hero that Resteria and Ante Lande are looking for is still Hideo, but¡­ to me, you are the Hero now, Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Uh, no, that is¡­¡±


    Yasuo looked flustered, but Diana just tilted her head and carried on.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, you know? I¡¯m not just trying to flatter you.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ When you say something like that to my face, I¡­¡±


    Even admitting that it was embarrassing would be embarrassing.


    Diana was still smiling, as if she found the sight of Yasuo struggling for words to be amusing.


    ¡°When you sent off my father, when you said that you would become the Hero, and when you didn¡¯t back down a single step even when fighting against the Colonel¡­ to me, you looked just like the Hero that I had dreamed of in the past.¡±


    ¡°T-That is¡­¡±


    When she said that he looked like the Hero she had dreamed of, did that mean that she was confusing him with his father who apparently had used to look identical to him?


    Although Yasuo couldn¡¯t tell if she had guessed what he was thinking about or not, the amount of teasing in Diana¡¯s smile suddenly increased.


    ¡°Who knows? I wonder which one I am seeing.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t she just playing around with him?


    It was only recently that Yasuo had learned that Diana was actually older than him, but ever since she had started to live with Khalija, Diana had started to state things confidently on many occasions.


    It looked like she was holding a grudge against him for agreeing with Nodoka and saying that her personality was childish.


    ¡°W-Well, in any case, seeing as you said it¡¯s fine for me to go, I¡¯ll do just that. Right then, I should get going as well. Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll accompany you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. My house is just¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to say the same thing that the Colonel said, you know.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Okay, fine.¡±


    ¡°Right then, let¡¯s go.¡±


    After standing up and walking outside, Diana properly locked the front door before accompanying Yasuo to his house that was just on the other side of the road.


    For the few seconds it took to reach his house, Yasuo peeked at Diana¡¯s face as they walked in silence, and thought the following.


    Guarding him for the few seconds it would take to reach his house.


    At the very least, he wanted to grow strong enough so that she would not worry about him walking such a trivial distance on his own.


    ¡°Yasuo? Is something wrong?¡±


    Diana turned towards Yasuo after catching him staring at her.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Yasuo just said that and shook his head.


    ¡ù


    It was night, two days later.


    The Kenzaki Family, the Tatewaki family, and the two Magitech Knights were gathered at the Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park.


    They were gathered to send off Hideo, Diana, Yasuo, and Shouko, who were about to travel to the other world.


    In the sky was a spiralling tower within which the stars swirled, and the slightly dark entrance to the other world, the ¡ºGate Tower¡», opened up, just like it had when Khalija had summoned it one week earlier.


    Hideo carried Yasuo, and Diana carried Shouko. It didn¡¯t really look like they were about to travel to another world.


    However, Tatewaki Kousuke and Youko just stared up at mute amazement as the four of them rose up into the air.


    ¡°Dear, and Nodoka! Take care of things here!¡±


    ¡°Khalija-san, please take care of the rest!¡±


    ¡°Well then, see you later!¡±


    ¡°Mom, Dad, don¡¯t expect any souvenirs, okay~!¡±


    The four of them rose rapidly upwards as if they were being sucked into the Gate Tower, and as they watched, their forms became smaller and smaller.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s really unbelievable.¡±


    Youko only nodded after hearing what Kousuke said.


    ¡°Even Onii-chan and I are still constantly being surprised by all of this.¡±


    Nodoka said that as a representative of the normal people in the group, and moved closer to the Tatewaki couple.


    ¡°While your daughter is absent, I will put my life on the line to protect the Restaurant Saburou, so please be at ease.¡±


    Khalija, who had healed her right arm in preparation for the time when Hideo would leave, gave a respectful bow while dressed in her Magitech Knight uniform.


    ¡°Everyone, please be careful.¡±


    As if Madoka¡¯s whisper was the signal, the four of them disappeared into the night sky.


    At the same time, the spiral of stars whirled furiously, and broke apart after leaving behind a single flare of light. After that, the only thing left behind was a starless sky.


    The Hero of Salvation once again traveled between the worlds.

 Volume 3, Interlude - 1

    Volume 3, Interlude ¨C 1


    ¡°Khalija-san, do you think Onii-chan and the others would have reached Ante Lande by now?¡±


    ¡°I think it might take a little while longer.¡±


    ¡°What are they going to do once they get there?¡±


    ¡°Most likely, they will be welcomed as guests and enter the house of the Krone family, and receive an explanation about the current state of affairs. During their stay in Resteria, Major Krone and Her Excellency Erijina will be looking after them.¡±


    ¡°Haah. That sounds nice. Diana-san is from a family of important nobles, right? I bet they eat really tasty food, and the bedrooms are massive with the bed placed right in the center.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Did you want to go as well, Nodoka?¡±


    ¡°Me? Hmm, I dunno. If we were going there on vacation, then maybe?¡±


    ¡°If people found out that you were the daughter of The Hero, Hideo, you would be caught in a hailstorm of marriage proposals.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t particularly want to end up as a gold digger in another world. Ah, but would Onii-chan receive the same treatment? Uwaah, I can almost see him get carried away with lecherous thoughts and getting scolded by Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°No, rather than Major Krone, I think it would be Shouko¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No, it¡¯s nothing. In any case, this is an informal visit. Most likely, they will not interact much with people other than the Krone family.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it is still the house of the most important nobles in the kingdom, right? I bet there are people like butlers and maids. Aargh, it looks like Onii-chan is going to make some good memories, it really pisses me off.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

 Volume 3, 2 - Beginning of an Adventure Part 1

    Volume 3, Chapter 2 ¨C Beginning of an Adventure Part 1


    The first thing he noticed was the smell of damp soil.


    Also, the sound of running water.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s consciousness slowly returned along with a feeling of blurred vision and stiff limbs, as if he had taken a long afternoon nap.


    ¡°¡­¡­Wha?¡±


    The reason why he was smelling damp soil was because it was raining.


    A gentle rain fell incessantly, and it felt like the humid air was sticking to his body as it surrounded him.


    The moment he fully regained his senses, he realized that the thunderous sound he had been hearing was not merely his ears ringing, but instead was rising up from his surroundings.


    ¡°A r-river?¡±


    When he attempted to stand up suddenly, he slipped in the slimy mud under his feet and nearly fell down.


    ¡°What the heck is thiiiis!?¡±


    When he finally realized what kind of situation he was in, Yasuo unintentionally let out a loud shout.


    He appeared to be a on sandbar in a large river, surrounded by a thick forest.


    The river was fast-flowing, and wide.


    The reason why his body and clothes only felt slightly damp despite the rain and the location he was in was because he was underneath the branches of the only tree that grew on the sandbar.


    ¡°Where am I? Is this Resteria?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t stop himself from saying that aloud, despite knowing that it couldn¡¯t be true.


    Even though it was an informal visit, he had entered the Gate Tower along with Diana, his father, and Shouko after being invited by the Resteria Kingdom.


    However¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Tatewaki-san.¡±


    Yasuo hurriedly scanned his surroundings.


    ¡°Diana?¡±


    Although he finally managed to stand up by holding on to the tree, his feet were still unsteady.


    ¡°Dad!?¡±


    He was alone.


    He couldn¡¯t find any traces of the other three people who had supposedly entered the Gate Tower along with him.


    ¡°What¡­ is going on¡­¡±


    No matter how he thought about it, his current situation looked like the result of the Gate Tower malfunctioning.


    A strong gust of wind caused both Yasuo and the tree to shake violently.


    The rain also seemed to have gotten stronger at the same time, as the river seemed to be flowing faster and the volume of water also started to increase.


    ¡°This is bad¡­¡±


    Yasuo once again fruitlessly looked around, but even with the most optimistic estimation, the distance between the sandbar and the riverbank was over five meters.


    What¡¯s more, the riverbank was much higher than the muddy and surging water¡¯s surface, and with Yasuo¡¯s physical ability, it did not look like he would be able to make it in one leap.


    However, even as he watched, the area of land available to stand on the sandbank gradually reduced due to the increase in the volume of water.


    At this rate, he would be swept away.


    It happened just as he was thinking that.


    ¡°There you are!!¡±


    Hearing that faint voice, Yasuo turned in the direction it came from and shouted on impulse.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san!?¡±


    Shouko was standing on the riverbank.


    However, she did not look normal.


    The voice and attire certainly belonged to Shouko, but both of her eyes were emitting black flames, for one.


    If it was just that, it would still be within acceptable limits, but there appeared to be fire gushing out of both her wrists and ankles, and even from her waist.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming for you! Stay right there!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Without even giving him time to frame a question, Shouko jumped with the speed of a bullet from the riverbank to the sandbar where Yasuo was.


    ¡°Uwaah!!¡±


    In the next instant, she took Yasuo under one arm and jumped up again without caring about the muddy ground, and carried him over to the opposite side of the river.


    While Yasuo was staring agape at her astounding physical ability, Shouko put him down and grabbed his hand.


    ¡°Yasu-kun! It¡¯s really you, right? Are you hurt!? Are you okay!?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, yeah, how about you, Tatewaki-san?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine!¡±


    As Yasuo somehow managed an answer while still being in shock, the black flames gradually started to disappear from around Shouko¡¯s body.


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­! I thought I heard your voice, so I thought to check, just in case¡­! Thank goodness you¡¯re alright!¡±


    In just a few seconds, the black flames had retreated to just Shouko¡¯s left eye.


    ¡°Haah¡­ Now that I¡¯m relieved¡­ I feel kind of weak¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Shouko looked disconcerted.


    Just as Yasuo thought that Shouko¡¯s eyes were closing, she suddenly fell to her knees.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san!?¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I just feel really weak¡­ My head is spinning¡­ I need to lie down for a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, are you okay? Here, lean on my shoulder, there is a large tree over there, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Thanks¡­¡±


    Despite having just shown astounding movements that looked like those of a Magitech Knight, Shouko¡¯s face was now pale, as if suffering from the backlash of that.


    While supporting Shouko, Yasuo distanced himself from the riverbank that looked like it could crumble at any moment, and got closer to the outer edge of the forest. He moved towards a conspicuously large tree with wide branches and broad leaves, and leaned against the trunk.


    ¡°T-This place should be fine¡­¡±


    As he helped Shouko sit on a large and thick tree root, he saw that Shouko was breathing heavily as she leaned against the tree trunk.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯ll recover in a minute¡­ I just feel a little anaemic.¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s going to be fine. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just exhausted because of what happened earlier, thank you, everything¡¯s going to be alright.¡±


    Caught in the middle of a situation he didn¡¯t understand at all, Yasuo could not stop the flood of meaningless words that came out of his mouth, but even so, after meeting up with Shouko, he felt a little hope come back into his heart.


    Just what had happened for them to end up in such a situation?


    What had happened to Diana and his father?


    What was this place?


    Were they really on Ante Lande?


    ¡°Haaah¡­ Haah¡­¡±


    While listening to Shouko¡¯s rough breathing settle down just a little, Yasuo finally remembered what had happened just before he ended up in this place.


    ¡ù


    Yasuo once again entered the Gate Tower that he had previously entered to keep Shouko from being taken away, while riding on the back of his father again after more than ten years.


    Yasuo, who had heard that a one-way trip would take about two hours, feared that he would need to piggyback on his father¡¯s back for two hours despite being eighteen years old, but as soon as they entered the Gate Tower and the entrance closed, Hideo and Diana put down Yasuo and Shouko, whom they had been carrying.


    ¡°Uwaah.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Unable to see a floor to put their feet on, both Yasuo and Shouko stumbled.


    However, within the starry path where they could see a vast region that looked like outer space which extended far beneath their feet, the four of them were currently standing at exactly the same level, on what appeared to be an invisible platform.


    ¡°So this is¡­ the path to the other world¡­¡±


    ¡°Do we just have to keep walking in a straight line?¡±


    Diana shook her head at Yasuo¡¯s question.


    ¡°No. Once the entrance closes, we can just let it carry us along. It is not necessary to walk.¡±


    ¡°Eh? In that case¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. Even if you were to go to sleep here, you will eventually reach the Ante Lande, via the Gate Tower in Resteria.¡±


    ¡°It almost feels too easy. It¡¯s like we are being carried in an invisible car or something, right?¡±


    ¡°If you must forcefully compare it to something from Japan, wouldn¡¯t it be a traveletor instead? I only used one for the first time after coming to Japan, so I¡¯m not really sure, but I¡¯ve heard that if you walk in the direction of the travel here, you will actually be able to shorten the time required for the journey¡­ Hideo?¡±


    Diana, who had been caught up in answering Shouko¡¯s question, suddenly noticed that Hideo¡¯s face had gone pale and he was sitting down.


    ¡°Dad? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay? Do you feel ill¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I have some tea, would you like some?¡±


    ¡°Aah, no, thank you. Sorry, I just felt a little dizzy¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, come on, pull yourself together.¡±


    Yasuo was rubbing his father¡¯s back while speaking to him in a scolding tone, when he suddenly started to feel strangely anxious.


    ¡°Are you nervous or something?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    Yasuo tried to talk casually to make Hideo feel better, but Hideo¡¯s face was still grim.


    ¡°I¡­ Both your mother and I don¡¯t know how we first arrived at Ante Lande.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah, I heard about that earlier¡­¡±


    ¡°My head¡­ hurts, what is this¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, Dad?¡±


    ¡°Hideo!? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°O-Oji-san, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°O-Oi, Diana, that reminds me, didn¡¯t Khalija-san say something about mass being a limiting factor or something!? There are four of us in here, will that cause any problems¡­¡±


    ¡°T-That shouldn¡¯t be the case! This was originally just meant to be a path for my return and Hideo¡¯s summoning, but since Yasuo and Shouko will be traveling along with us, we made sure to take that into consideration from the other side and increase the output accordingly, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problems with the mass!¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Ahh!!¡±


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°Oji-san!¡±


    ¡°You three, get away from me¡­ Aahhhhhhh!?¡±


    Inside the Gate Tower with the swirling stars, Hideo screamed and began to shine with light.


    ¡°T-This light, don¡¯t tell me!¡±


    ¡°The Holy Sword, Liutberga!¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s too bright, I can¡¯t keep my eyes open¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Diana-chan! Take care of Yasuo and Shouko-chan¡ª!!¡±


    That was the last thing that Yasuo remembered hearing.


    Hideo started shining brighter than any star within the Gate Tower, and everyone closed their eyes against that light. Everything was dyed in a white color.

 Volume 3, 2 - Beginning of an Adventure Part 2

    Volume 3, Chapter 2 ¨C Beginning of an Adventure Part 2


    While they were inside the Gate tower, his father had suddenly complained about feeling unwell, and started to give off the same light as when he was summoned along with the Holy Sword.


    He didn¡¯t have any memories after they were engulfed within that light, and when he woke up, he found himself on a sandbar in the river.


    ¡°Was the problem caused due to some factor in Dad or his holy sword that didn¡¯t agree with the Gate Tower?¡±


    As a child of modern times who had a fair amount of interest in games and anime, Yasuo desperately searched his fantasy-related knowledge and came up with that hypothesis.


    For some reason, the sorcery used to construct the Gate Tower had bad affinity with Hideo¡¯s Holy Sword Liutberga, or perhaps with Hideo himself.


    Due to that, the Gate Tower malfunctioned and did not work as it was supposed to.


    ¡°Understanding that doesn¡¯t help us, though!!¡±


    Yasuo shouted that on impulse.


    Even if he understood that, there was no changing the fact that he and Shouko were isolated in a completely unfamiliar land.


    ¡°Dammit¡­ In any case, I should probably call Dad over¡­¡±


    There was no disputing the fact that they were in an unfavorable situation.


    Luckily, he had managed to reunite with Shouko, and Diana was not the kind of weak person who would get into trouble, no matter what her circumstances.


    In that case, he first needed to meet up with his father.


    Yasuo cleared his throat with a small cough, and started reciting the chant in a resonant voice.


    ¡ºThe Hero, Hideo, is the person who will obtain victory for new frontiers! Wings, go forth! Flower petals, take flight! Gather the shining azure sunlight! Avatar of the wind, Holy Sword Liutberga! Answer my call and take form!¡»


    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    For a while, the only sounds that reached Yasuo¡¯s ears were the sound of the raindrops hitting the leaves, the sound of the flowing river, and the sound of Shouko¡¯s breathing.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    Nothing happened.


    That chant was used to summon his father¡¯s holy sword, Liutberga.


    When Yasuo chanted it, his father would be transported instantaneously even between the distance from Shin-Yokohama and Tokorozawa, but he didn¡¯t appear this time.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..Eh?¡±


    His heart rate suddenly sped up.


    Did he make a mistake in the chant?


    Yasuo hurriedly pulled his Slimphone out of his pocket and opened the memo pad application.


    Yasuo had copied he chant to summon the Liutberga into his Slimphone and his pocket diary, just in case he ever forgot the wording.


    That is why he suddenly felt extremely anxious when he read out what he had written word for word, and neither his father nor his father¡¯s holy sword showed any signs of appearing.


    ¡°O-Oi, you¡¯ve got to be kidding¡­¡±


    Until now, he had managed to stay calm no matter how serious the situation looked because he had the safety net of being able to call his father over at any time.


    However, right now, the foundations of that safety net were instantly demolished.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s going on¡­ Just what the heck¡­¡±


    However, the situation did not even give Yasuo the time to panic.


    ¡°Yasu-kun¡­!¡±


    All of a sudden, Shouko grabbed onto him from the side and covered his mouth with her hand.


    ¡°Whahnngmff¡±


    He was about to say ¡°What are you doing?¡± but after hearing Shouko¡¯s tense whisper close to his ear, his body stiffened.


    ¡°Something big is coming this way. Stay quiet.¡±


    However, Yasuo couldn¡¯t hear anything of that sort.


    Moreover, since he was being hugged by Shouko almost directly from the side, the only thing he could hear was the loud sound of his own heartbeat.


    They stayed that way for about a minute.


    As far as Yasuo, who was experiencing a state of being stuck close to a girl he knew, was concerned, that time seemed to stretch on for eternity, but then he finally heard the sound Shouko had spoken about.


    It sounded like the trees in the forest were being pushed aside by something large.


    Along with that, he heard the sound of something stepping on the ground with thick feet.


    Just as Shouko had said, something massive was coming closer.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s coming from behind us. It shouldn¡¯t be able to see us because of the trees, but¡­¡±


    Even Shouko¡¯s whisper sounded extremely tense.


    Eventually, they heard something that sounded like the ¡ºgiant creature¡¯s¡»breathing.


    The only thing the two of them could do was to stick close to the tree and pray that the ¡ºgiant creature¡» would go away without noticing them.


    The breathing sound was coming from a fairly high place. At the very least, the sound was coming from one meter above Yasuo¡¯s height.


    Moreover, they could smell the beast¡¯s stink even through the rain.


    The distinctly offensive odor that was overpowering the smell of the rain and soil was coming from the mysterious giant beast¡¯s breath.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..!!¡±


    On the other side of the tree that Yasuo and Shouko were hiding behind, they could feel the presence of the creature as it turned toward the direction opposite them.


    The heavy footsteps moved away from them at a surprisingly fast speed, and after the two of them judged that it had gone far enough from them, they finally moved away from each other and peeked at ¡ºthat creature¡» from behind the tree trunk.


    It wasn¡¯t like Yasuo was knowledgeable about all the various animals that existed on Earth.


    However, he was sure that there were no animals in Japan that were larger than an elephant and covered in alligator-like scales.


    Even after the creature disappeared into the rain and its footsteps could no longer be heard, Yasuo continued to stare in that direction without moving.


    ¡°Yasu-kun¡­ As I thought, this place really is¡­¡±


    Hearing Shouko¡¯s whisper as she continued to stare in the direction in which the mysterious creature had disappeared, Yasuo replied in a dazed tone.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s Ante Lande. We are¡­¡±


    ¡°Stranded here, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    Shouko said that in a hoarse voice within the drizzling rain and with the forest¡¯s broad-leaved trees blocking her line of sight.


    ¡°Haaah¡­ I seem to have recovered somewhat, for now. Yasu-kun, how do you feel?¡±


    Once they could no longer see or hear the mysterious giant creature, Shouko finally stood up.


    Her face, which had been white as a sheet earlier, finally had a tinge of color again.


    ¡°I¡­ am fine, thanks to you, Tatewaki-san. Are you sure¡­ that¡¯s okay?¡±


    Yasuo nervously asked her.


    It was true that some color had returned to Shouko¡¯s face.


    However, the black flames of the Shii were still leaking out of her left eye.


    ¡°Ah, this thing? It feels like I can¡¯t get it to disappear, no matter how hard I try. It should be fine, though. It¡¯s been like this for the past hour, since I woke up here.¡±


    ¡°H-Hour!?¡±


    Those words had a greater impact on Yasuo than she had intended.


    At the very least, it would mean that Yasuo and Shouko had already been stranded in this unknown place for more than an hour.


    Also, neither his father not Diana were in any sort of condition to come and save them.


    Moreover, the fact that he woke up on the sandbar meant that Shouko had been all alone in a forest which had that kind of giant creature, even if it was only for an hour.


    ¡°I¡¯m really glad that nothing bad happened¡­ No, I suppose we ended up in this mess because something bad happened.¡±


    The state of Shouko¡¯s left eye was proof that something bad had indeed happened, but she understood what Yasuo was trying to say and gave a small smile.


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t really understand the difficult stuff, but¡­ I suppose for once I should be thankful for this thing.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but¡­ It was the same thing back then and just now, but when the flames get stronger, I start to hear and see things very well. My body also feels lighter. But¡­ The reason why I felt so weak earlier is because I think that sort of power up has a time limit¡­ Putting it like that, it feels like I¡¯m on some dangerous drugs or something. Hahaha.¡±


    Shouko explained that while talking quickly, but that conclusion was something that made sense to Yasuo as well.


    Earlier, Shouko had detected the approach of that creature far more quickly than Yasuo had.


    Back when she had rescued Yasuo from the sandbar, her physical ability had looked close to that which she had when she had been completely taken over by the Shii.


    ¡°Well, I was saved thanks to that power. Now, and earlier as well.¡±


    ¡°Really? But, it¡¯s hard to tell which one of us is the Hero candidate now.¡±


    Shouko nodded while still smiling, but there was a hint of relief in her expression as well.


    ¡°I suppose I should ask just to make sure, but do you have any idea where we are, Yasu-kun?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I thought so. I looked around for a bit before I found you, but this place looks pretty dangerous. Everything about this place is different from Japan, even down to the weeds. Moreover, the fact that neither Diana-san nor Oji-san have still not shown up even after this much time means¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡±


    ¡°By the way, what you chanted earlier was the incantation to summon your father, right? Did it work?¡±


    ¡°No, normally my father would have appeared instantly along with a massive amount of light. Since that didn¡¯t happen, that means¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the worst¡­ Is this my fault, after all?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Why would you think that?¡±


    Yasuo turned to look at Shouko after hearing something he didn¡¯t expect, but it looked like she was serious.


    ¡°I mean, just look at me. I¡¯m like this.¡±


    She pointed at her left eye with a serious expression.


    ¡°The Shii are enemies of the people who live in Ante Lande, right? Maybe I triggered some barrier or something that is meant to repel enemies or demons, which caused the magic to go haywire, or something like that.¡±


    It looked like Shouko was also a child of the modern times, as she had come up with her own explanation of the situation.


    Yasuo rejected Shouko¡¯s hypothesis and told her that his father¡¯s holy sword was probably the cause.


    ¡°I heard that my father and mother didn¡¯t use the Gate Tower when they first appeared in Ante Lande. If there was any factor that caused a problem, it was my father or his holy sword. Do you remember? My dad started shining right after we entered the Gate Tower, right? It was probably because of that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    However, Shouko¡¯s expression did not change to one of relief.


    ¡°So, what do we do next?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­In any case, the only thing to do now is to ¡ºsearch for civilization¡». And maybe probably look for water and food as well?¡±


    ¡°I brought along a bento, tea, and some snacks¡­ But the bento is only enough for one person. Ahh¡­ I moved around so much when I saved you earlier, Yasu-kun, I bet the contents of the bento are all mixed up.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring a bento¡­ but I did bring water and some snacks.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I have some instant miso soup as well.¡±


    ¡°Miso soup?¡±


    ¡°You know how you hear about people who go abroad getting desperate for a taste of Japanese food? I head that we would be staying for at least a week, so I only brought four packets.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    No matter what the reasoning was, anything that they could safely eat was a blessing in this situation.


    ¡°Aah, I wish it would at least stop raining.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯m glad that it¡¯s raining.¡±


    ¡°Eh, really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess¡­ well then, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s start moving.¡±


    The two of them stood up sluggishly.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, do you have any rain gear?¡±


    ¡°I did bring this, just in case.¡±


    Yasuo pulled out a small folding umbrella.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, as long as the path doesn¡¯t become too treacherous to walk on.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. The branches of the trees in this forest are quite wide, I think we won¡¯t get that wet if we walk under them.¡±


    ¡°Which way should we go?¡±


    ¡°We should follow the river¡­ or that¡¯s what I would like to say, but¡­¡±


    In a wooded area like this, walking along the bank of a river that wasn¡¯t reinforced would be suicidal.


    At the very least, getting close to that fast-flowing river while it was still raining was not a good idea.


    Not only was the rain hampering their vision, the swiftly flowing water would be eroding the river bank and there was a chance of them suddenly losing their footing.


    ¡°How about that way, then?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I wonder if it¡¯s safe.¡±


    Yasuo was pointing in the direction in which that mysterious creature from earlier had left.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since then, I think it should be fine. Besides, it¡¯s raining.¡±


    ¡°What about the rain?¡±


    ¡°The thing passed right by us, but didn¡¯t notice us. I think the water washed out our scent. If not for that, I think it would have probably found us. Also¡­ take a look at the trees around us. I only caught a glimpse of it from behind, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s carnivorous.¡±


    ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°Seeing how big it is compared to the trees here, I think it must be eating whatever is the most plentiful in the forest in order to maintain that size.¡±


    ¡°In other words, it eats things like tree leaves or grass?¡±


    ¡°Well, if the logic from Earth still applies here, then yes.¡±


    Judging by the situation, the two of them were definitely on Ante Lande.


    In that case, it was possible that they might run into something that could not be measured by the common sense of Japan or Earth.


    There was a very good chance of them running into some creature or monster that did not follow the rules of the food chain as seen on Earth.


    To use a commonly known example, there could be monsters like slimes that fed by dissolving the bodies of their prey.


    There could be demi-human races like goblins, or giant carnivorous plants with advanced abilities to catch their prey.


    There could even be things like grotesque demons that overturned the conventional concepts of a food chain. For examples, remnants of the demon hordes that Demon King Kaul had released into the land.


    ¡°So, Tatewaki-san, let¡¯s move slowly. Keep looking at your surroundings, and if something seems even slightly strange, let¡¯s stop moving immediately until both of us are convinced that it is safe. No matter what happens, we should always stay within sight of each other.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Wait, what about¡­¡±


    ¡°Going to the toilet?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­! W-Well, yeah!¡±


    Seeing Yasuo use the word ¡°toilet¡± so easily, Shouko¡¯s face once again turned red and the flame in her left eye got a little stronger.


    However, Yasuo still spoke in a serious tone while continually glancing at his surroundings.


    ¡°I guess that is unavoidable. But¡­ Ah, that¡¯s right.¡±


    Yasuo suddenly remembered that he had a dictionary of English words that he had packed in his luggage, intending to read it in Resteria if he had nothing else to do.


    ¡°We can use pages from the dictionary as toilet paper. Even regular paper should be usable if we wipe firmly.¡±


    ¡°I-I see.¡±


    ¡°As for the rest¡­ maybe this could work.¡±


    Yasuo timidly picked up some vines that had fallen to the ground when the giant creature had passed through.


    ¡°Good, it¡¯s pretty long. While we are separated, each of us can hold one end of this vine.¡±


    ¡°I-Isn¡¯t it too short?¡±


    The vine that Yasuo had picked up was no more than two meters long.


    ¡°Well we can find more along the way to add to the length. But when we can¡¯t see each other, we should always be holding this vine. In the forest, our voices will echo and we won¡¯t be able to tell where the sound is coming from. If we make it too long and it frays at knots, that would defeat the purpose, so¡­ I know it¡¯s embarrassing, but I¡¯d rather we don¡¯t move more than five meters away from each other at any time.¡±


    ¡°F-Fine, I¡¯ll try and endure it somehow.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me, Tatewaki-san, do you have anything that can be used to dig a hole?¡±


    ¡°Like a trowel or something? Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thought so. Oh well, the ground is soft because of the rain, so we should be fine for a while. Let me look for a broken tree branch or something.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah. But why do we need something like that?¡±


    ¡°To bury the poop, of course.¡±


    ¡°Ha!?¡±


    ¡°We definitely have to do that. Things are going to get horrible otherwise.¡±


    Yasuo stressed that dealing with excrement during camping or mountaineering was the most important of manners and rules to follow.


    ¡°That thing from earlier might not have been a carnivore, but if medium-sized meat-eaters find the poop of animals that are not predators, they will start stalking us.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    ¡°Some animals, like bears, are like that. Besides, leaving it out in the open will disturb the ecosystem. Some animals use poop as a way of marking their territory, so if we leave it out in the open, even herbivores that consider that area to be their territory might turn hostile.¡±


    ¡°F-Fine, fine, I get it, geez¡­ This is the worst. Why the heck do we have to talk about things like this when we¡¯re all alone¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! Is there anything else I should watch out for!?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s see, there¡¯s just one more thing. Neither of us have gloves, so we should try to avoid touching the trees and plants as much as possible. They might have poisonous bugs living in them, and sometimes the plants themselves have poisonous spines.¡±


    ¡°Got it¡­ Haah. Still, Yasu-kun, you seem to be awfully knowledgeable about living in the wild.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a video series on YouSubway about a middle-aged foreigner guy who is loves to live out in the wild. It¡¯s a lot more interesting than most documentaries. There¡¯s even a book based on his videos that has been published in Japanese, and I¡¯m actually a fan.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I think I heard about some guys in my class talking about that. It¡¯s the guy who eats things like bugs and snakes with a big grin, right¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ like bugs¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, I hope we won¡¯t have to resort to that as well¡­¡­ I¡¯d really prefer to not eat the bugs from Ante Lande.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat the ones from Earth either! I may be the daughter of a pub owner, but I swore that I wouldn¡¯t eat soy-preserved locusts[1] unless the world ran out of every other type of food!¡±


    ¡°I-I see. Well, let¡¯s just start moving for now. Quite some time has passed since that thing left. If we lose its trail, we might get lost for real. Let¡¯s keep walking.¡±


    After saying that, Yasuo pulled out the folding umbrella from inside his luggage.


    ¡°H-Hey¡­¡±


    The umbrella that Yasuo had brought along was a compact-sized version that was just barely enough to protect one person from the rain. The only redeeming feature was its portability.


    ¡°It really is just barely adequate, but this thing has its own uses. Right then, let¡¯s go. Be careful where you step.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ok, got it.¡±


    Kenzaki Yasuo, who was not yet a Hero or Magitech Knight, extended his hand toward Shouko in a completely natural manner.


    Tatewaki Shouko, whose left eye was giving off black flames that were a sign of humanity¡¯s enemy, also took his hand naturally.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yasu-kun.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    When they held hands, the flame in Shouko¡¯s left eye got smaller for just a moment.


    Shouko¡¯s eye behind the flame looked bright as she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just as anxious as I am, but¡­ I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    The fact that he could not bravely say ¡°Leave it to me!¡± in that situation showed the pitiful side of the Hero¡¯s son.


    However, when it came to adventures, the timid people had a better chance of making it out alive.


    If anyone was curious about when Kenzaki Yasuo¡¯s ¡ºadventure¡» began, the answer would be that it started here, in this moment.


    ¡ù

 Volume 3, 2 - Beginning of an Adventure Part 3

    Volume 3, Chapter 2 ¨C Beginning of an Adventure Part 3


    The giant creature that Yasuo had arbitrarily named ¡ºscelephant¡» had left a rough trail of sorts in its wake, and Yasuo was carefully following its tracks while pulling Shouko along by her hand.


    Against the heavy rains that fell in the woodlands, both Yasuo¡¯s compact folding umbrella and Shouko¡¯s emergency waterproof poncho were barely of any use.


    Both Yasuo and Shouko had decided to quickly change into clothes that would not stand out, so they were wearing regular sneakers, and shirts and sweatshirts made of thin cloth.


    It did not seem to be winter in this region, but their sodden clothes weighed them down and were unpleasantly cold.


    ¡°Ah, woah!¡±


    ¡°Yasu-kun!¡±


    Yasuo accidentally stepped into a puddle formed in one of the footsteps of the scelephant, and sank down to his ankle in the mud.


    ¡°Ah, geez, this is depressing.¡±


    ¡°Be more careful, okay?¡±


    The two of them smiled wryly at each other, but they still had plenty of stamina left.


    ¡°This was probably a good thing. After walking so much, I had started to let my guard down¡­ Oof.¡±


    Yasuo pulled his foot out of the mud with a dull sound.


    ¡°How long has it been since we started walking?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, probably an hour and a half, I think.¡±


    Luckily for them, the ground had been fairly even so far.


    At the very least, since they were not in a mountainous region with large differences in elevation, they did not need to watch out for avalanches or landslides, and walking up and down hills would be far more tiring than walking on even ground.


    Even when they had to relieve themselves, on even ground it was possible to avoid getting into a situation where they lost track of where the other person was, and since they were unable to find any more vines to lengthen the one they already had, they had to go behind a tree that was just barely out of sight from the other person.


    ¡°Really¡­ this is just the worst¡­¡±


    Shouko didn¡¯t really want to grumble, but as a person who lived in modern day Japan, she had absolutely no interest in having the experience of relieving herself in the open and moreover having to dispose of the waste herself, unless she was staying at a secured campsite or something.


    ¡°How much longer do you want to follow this game trail for?¡±


    ¡°I would like to keep following it until we discover a clue of some sort, or run into an obstacle.¡±


    ¡°Or unless we find a safe place to hide, right, I wonder if Scelephant-kun is really not dangerous.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a wild animal that is not dangerous. By the way, I remember hearing about this in biology class a long time ago, but do you know which mammal in the wild is known for causing the most harm to humans?¡±


    ¡°I remember hearing about that. Hippos, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    The hippopotamus was popular among the Japanese for it¡¯s comical and endearing appearance, but the personality of hippos in the wild could be summed up in a single word: ferocious.


    They would not forgive any intruder in their territory, even if it happened to be another hippo.


    On land, they could reach speeds of up to forty kilometers per hour. Not only could they also swim fast enough to catch up to mediocre motorboats, they were also capable of crushing intruders in their symbolic jaws or just squashing them using their enormous bodies. It was said that nearly three thousand people were killed each year in Africa by hippo attacks.


    Even elephants that were said to like humans and have a gentle personality were starting to become a problem in Southeast Asia, where the number of wild elephant attacks on vehicles and settlements had increased in recent years, and that alone served as a perfect example of why it was better to quickly abandon thoughts such as ¡ºherbivores are harmless¡».


    ¡°That being the case, I¡¯d rather not get too close, and I think it would be dangerous if there¡¯s a whole herd of those things out there.¡±


    ¡°What are you planning to do if that thing just goes back to its lair or something?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­We would have no choice but to turn back, I guess.¡±


    Yasuo looked back at the game trail that they had been following until now.


    ¡°As long as it keeps raining, I think we can run away and avoid being discovered even if we run into a herd of them.¡±


    ¡°I hope we can make it out of the forest before it stops raining.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ But I¡¯d rather find a place where we can sleep safely for a while.¡±


    Feline carnivores like lions and tigers were better at climbing trees than most people would think, and large herbivores like giraffes and wildebeest were very territorial and aggressive.


    Moreover, sleeping out in the open in another world where they didn¡¯t have any idea of what the ecosystem was like was tantamount to suicide.


    ¡°I get it now, though. I thought that if the weather was clear, we would be able to tell the direction from the sun, and be able to judge the distance once we get out of the forest, but it looks like rain has its uses as well.¡±


    ¡°Distance?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Even though Ante Lande is a different world, neither Diana-san nor Khalija-san said anything about finding it noticeably easier or harder to move after coming to Japan, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so¡­¡±


    ¡°So I thought that Ante Lande might be a planet with a mass similar to that of Earth.¡±


    ¡°Planet?¡±


    ¡°What, did you think it was a flat disk supported on the backs of elephants and a turtle?¡±


    ¡°Where did that idea originate from, again?¡±


    ¡°Indian mythology.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s sigh was visible as a white mist, and she wiped the water dripping down her bangs and looked up at the sky.


    ¡°I noticed the surroundings slowly getting darker after I met up with you, Yasu-kun. That means that there is a sun in the sky that is moving, right? Or rather, it is the planet that we are standing on that is moving. Moreover, the soil, trees, rain, and gravity feel basically the same as what you would find on Earth, and the differences, if any, are negligible. Which means that we can safely assume that the planet¡¯s diameter, mass, composition, distance from the sun, main components of the atmosphere, and speed of revolution are not very different from the Earth. Actually, it makes me think that this other world might be just one of several dimensions that overlap on top of the planet Earth. Ah, when I say ¡®dimension,¡¯ I don¡¯t mean like 3D or 4D, but in the context of parallel worlds, okay?¡±


    ¡°R-Right¡­¡±


    Although Yasuo said that he understood, in truth he was struggling to keep up and didn¡¯t really get what Shouko was talking about.


    ¡°I¡¯m 152 centimeters tall, and my eyesight is probably at around 142 centimeters above the ground. If we assume that the radius of Ante Lande is the same as that of the Earth, which is, umm, about 6370 kilometers¡­ Let¡¯s see, it¡¯s like this, and this, and that, so¡­ If we were standing at a spot that was close to sea level and could see the horizon, that means that whatever is on the other side of the horizon is hidden by the curvature of the planet, right? So we can conclude that everything around us which is visible must be within 4.5 kilometers from where we are standing.¡±


    ¡°U-Umm, why is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple application of the Pythagorean theorem. This is like middle school math, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    For Yasuo, who had decided a long time ago that he would be taking exams for the liberal arts course, this was a phrase that he had not heard for a while.


    Of course, even Yasuo remembered that it was a formula by which you could find the length of one of the sides of a right-angled triangle if you knew the lengths of the other two sides.


    However, his memories on how exactly to apply that formula had become fairly vague, and besides, there was too much difference in the units used to measure Shouko¡¯s height and the radius of the planet, and he had not memorized the value of the Earth¡¯s radius in the first place.


    ¡°Well, it would depend on the elevation of the area that we are in right now, but even after walking for so long I am not particularly out of breath and my head is clear, so I assume that this place is pretty close to sea level.¡±


    Shouko was probably talking about how neither of them were exhibiting signs of altitude sickness.


    If they were at a high altitude, then the amount of oxygen carried by the bloodstream to the body would be reduced, which would cause problems in various parts of the body.


    ¡°In my case, this thing might be be affecting me in some way, but that¡¯s not the same for you, right, Yasu-kun?¡±


    Shouko smiled while pointing to the flames of the Shii in her left eye.


    ¡°Besides, it would be nice to know what direction we are traveling in as well.¡±


    ¡°My wristwatch is analog, so can¡¯t we use that find out?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that thing about aligning the short hand with the sun?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that.¡±


    Yasuo remembered reading in a detective novel that there was a method to tell which way was north without using a magnetic compass, but Shouko shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll work. We don¡¯t know if we are in the northern hemisphere or the southern hemisphere. If we are in the southern hemisphere, the method to do that is different, you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    ¡°Also, there are very few places where that method will show the true north, because of differences in seasons or latitude. There¡¯s also the method of using the Big Dipper and the Pole Star, but even that depends upon your current location. In the first place, it is necessary for the sun to cross the meridian at noon to use that method, but even in Japan, the further you get from Akashi in the Hyogo Prefecture where the sun accurately crosses the meridian at noon, the more your results will be skewed.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you really know your stuff.¡±


    ¡°I heard about it in Earth Sciences class.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so Sayamazawa high school has Earth sciences courses? Our school doesn¡¯t. When it comes to sciences, at our school we basically have a choice between either Physics or Chemistry, and Biology isn¡¯t given much importance at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that a lot of people pick those subjects for their college entrance exams, after all.¡±


    At that point, Yasuo suddenly showed a strange expression.


    ¡°¡­¡­To think that we would be talking about exams even after coming to another world.¡±


    ¡°Well, we both have college entrance exams this year, after all. Strictly speaking, we shouldn¡¯t have the free time to be worrying about things like Heros or the Shii. Even if you call it a hiking date, I wasn¡¯t looking for this sort of thrill.¡±


    ¡°A hiking date? What the heck.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t keep going if I don¡¯t think of it in that way.¡±


    Certainly, the current situation was that they were in another world that they knew nothing about, with no one to rely upon and insufficient preparations, and moreover they were risking their lives to secretly stalk a mysterious giant creature while being stranded in that place.


    Despite having said that herself, Shouko suddenly looked embarrassed, and she strengthened her grip on Yasuo¡¯s hand while slightly pressing down on her left eye.


    ¡°B-By the way, there¡¯s that thing where people stuck in snowy mountains warm each other up with their body heat, right?¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°If you actually tried that, heat would escape from the portions of the bodies that were not in contact with each other and you would immediately get hypothermia, so don¡¯t get any strange ideas, okay?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course I won¡¯t! So you shouldn¡¯t be saying strange things like that as well!¡±


    ¡°You have no right to talk, do you have any idea how many strange things you said to me before bringing me to Ante Lande?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Umm, that is¡­ Sorry, actually after that¡­¡±


    ¡°Diana-san got mad at you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Looks like you¡¯ve seen through the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°If you ever give me a favourable answer, Yasu-kun, you should know that you will not be able to hide any cheating from me.¡±


    ¡°T-That is¡­¡±


    Despite the current situation, or perhaps it was exactly because of their current situation.


    Yasuo and Shouko were getting heated up while talking about the most commonplace topics.


    It was true that they weren¡¯t facing any trouble in tracking the scelephant, but more importantly, their own mental states were causing them to act that way.


    They were both so anxious that they were desperate to encourage each other and be encouraged in turn by talking about commonplace things.


    They had little food, and had no idea how large the forest was.


    They were following the trail left by the scelephant because it was easier to walk and there was less chance of encountering danger, but it was possible that they were just headed deeper and deeper into the forest.


    The fact that the surroundings were getting progressively darker only served to add to their anxiety.


    In a forest at night, where the rain incessantly fell.


    That darkness inspired an almost unimaginable level of fear in the two of them who had grown up in a world where every street corner had a lamp post like it was only natural.


    The Shii were a different species that originated from darkness existing long before the advent of human civilization.


    If light could be considered as a barrier that protected the human world, then this was someplace outside the human world.


    And in that sort of place, humans were far too powerless.


    When the two of them heard that sound, they stopped moving for the first time.


    ¡°Y-Yasu-kun, d-did you hear that?¡±


    Shouko, who had been speaking in a bright and courageous manner until a moment ago, now said that in a trembling voice.


    ¡°¡­¡­I-It should be fine. It s-s-sounded like it was still far away.¡±


    His reply had no reassurance at all, perhaps because his tongue wasn¡¯t working properly.


    The sound of howling had reached their ears, through the trees surrounding them and over the sound of the raindrops.


    For the people who lived in Japan, the word carnivore brought to mind the feline predators that ruled over the kingdom of the wild animals in jungles and savannas.


    Lions, tigers, cheetahs, and leopards were the main representatives of that family.


    Next in the list came bears, which had a recorded history of causing harm to humans.


    These were animals that could be seen at a safari park or a zoo, and putting it another way, they were just that familiar to most people.


    That is why the two of them had forgotten about sources of danger that they wouldn¡¯t normally come into contact with.


    Wolves.


    There was no way for an unarmed person to resist if they were targeted by wolves inside a forest.


    Wolves were highly social hunters with strong territorial instincts, and they hunted in packs with a high degree of coordination.


    Had they perhaps been walking into the territory of wolves or whatever their equivalent was in this world?


    ¡°¡­¡­Let¡¯s hurry up a bit.¡±


    It was not that they had a plan or any reason to hurry.


    However, Shouko wordlessly nodded when Yasuo proposed that, and they started walking faster through the forest in the rain.


    They heard the howls a few more times, and their surroundings also kept getting darker.


    There was no trace of the leeway that they had earlier on their faces.


    The only thing they could do was to desperately follow the trail left by the scelephant, as if they were being chased by something.


    By Yasuo¡¯s estimate, it was about one hour after they had heard the first howl when the situation changed suddenly.


    ¡°The trail is¡­¡±


    The trail left by the scelephant had suddenly vanished.


    They had reached a wide clearing in the forest, due to which the trail left by the scelephant had suddenly disappeared.


    However, the forest still continued on all sides of the clearing as far as they could see.


    ¡°W-What should we do?¡±


    As if to mock their fears, Shouko¡¯s words were immediately followed by more howling.


    ¡°The river. Let¡¯s get to the river.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s quickly made that decision.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any other paths we can take. The rain is not so bad that we need to worry about landslides or flooding. As long as we¡¯re careful, I think we¡¯ll be fine even if we follow the river.¡±


    Seeing as there were no other indications on where they should go, Shouko didn¡¯t resist his idea either.


    Had the scelephant¡¯s path angled away from the river more than they had thought?


    ¡°I think we should go this way. The sound of running water from the river was always on our left side, after all¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ but I think we should backtrack a little. The path to move in that direction from here looks a little complicated. Let¡¯s go back along the game trail for a bit and find a place that looks easy to move through.¡±


    ¡°But the wolves¡­ will it be okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little worried about that, but that doesn¡¯t make it any easier to get through this place¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do something about it with magic?¡±


    ¡°As pitiful as it sounds, the answer is no. I can¡¯t use any attack magic. I¡¯ll just keel over from mana depletion. Nodoka has more talent for that sort of thing. Although I seem to have talent when it comes to healing magic and the ability to send off the Shii.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty amazing too, but I¡¯d rather not fall into a situation where you have to use that power which requires someone to be injured.¡±


    ¡°But if things take a turn for the worse¡­¡±


    Even if they were hurt, he could heal them. Just that fact alone was a big advantage.


    Due to that, the two of them felt a momentary relief from the stress.


    ¡°¡°Ugh!!¡±¡±


    However, as if to mock the two of them, the sound of howling could be heard from a spot overwhelmingly closer than before.


    Shouko opened her eyes wide from fright, and Yasuo threw away the folding umbrella almost on reflex, grabbed her hand, and started backtracking along the game trail.


    However, it was clear that that would not be enough for them to get away safely.


    Close on the heels of that first howl, they could suddenly feel multiple presences popping up in their surroundings.


    ¡°S-So many!¡±


    Just towards his right hand side that he was currently looking in, he saw more than ten creatures running parallel to them.


    They looked similar to wolves, but Yasuo didn¡¯t have any leeway to observe the specifics.


    While moving back along the muddy game trail, Yasuo bitterly cursed his naive judgement.


    From the moment they had heard that first howl, they had already become the targets of the predators in this land.


    The moment he had lost the trail of the scelephant ¡ª which he assumed was a herbivore ¡ª he should have been on his guard.


    ¡°Yasu-kun!!¡±


    Yasuo was not able to react to Shouko¡¯s voice that was close to a scream.


    Two of the creatures that had been running parallel to them had run far ahead, turned around suddenly, and were now running straight towards them.


    On the heads of the creatures that came rushing in from both above and below like bullets, there were scales and and a horn that had a metallic sheen.


    ¡°Ugh!!¡±


    He tried to activate his magic, but he wouldn¡¯t make it in time.


    The situation was completely different from the time when he had destroyed Marfik¡¯s control bangle, and in the first place Yasuo was incapable of any magic that could hit a target at a distance.


    Yasuo steeled his resolve and decided to use an electric attack at close range, even if it meant risking his arm getting bitten off. He spread his arms wide to protect Shouko who was behind him, and prepared to confront the creatures that had horns and scales.


    ¡°Haaaaaa!!¡±


    In that instant, just as the creatures were about to sink their bared fangs into Yasuo¡¯s flesh, he heard a battle cry from behind him and at the same time, the two creatures were sent flying to the right and left.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh¡±


    Yasuo wasn¡¯t able to believe what he was seeing with his own eyes.


    ¡°Fuuuuuu¡­.!¡±


    Rough breathing.


    Gushing flames.


    It was Shouko, with flames gushing out of both eyes, just like when she had saved him from the sandbar in the river.


    However, as expected, it wasn¡¯t just her eyes.


    From both her wrists, both her ankes, and her waist, the flames of the Shii were gushing forth, looking like fashion accessories.


    ¡°T-Tatewa¡ª¡±


    ¡°Haaaaaaaaa!¡±


    However, the voice was still Shouko¡¯s.


    It was certainly not the kind of repulsive voice that had issued from her mouth when she had been completely taken over by the Shii back in Tokorozawa, the kind of voice that had chilled his blood and sent shudders down his spine.


    Shouko looked like she was wearing the Shii around her instead of being taken over by it, and boldy rushed towards the pack of creatures that had not stopped attempting to corner them despite being surprised by the unexpected resistance from their prey.


    The dirt on the game trail scattered greatly beneath her feet as she ran.


    That was a sign of just how much her leg strength had increased, and she used that strength to kick one of the creatures that happened to appear before her up to a terrifying height.


    The enemy was also formidable and it spun around once in mid-air, but it still failed the landing and fell heavily onto the soft mud; it didn¡¯t get up again.


    At that point, the pack of creatures stopped hiding their presences, surrounded Shouko and Yasuo, and started to observe them.


    It looked like they were hesitating, thinking about whether they would be able to kill the intruders who had entered their territory or not.


    As if to prove that, a number of the creatures bared their fangs and advanced menacingly towards them while growling.


    They had ash-gray fur tinged with green that would allow them to blend into the dark forest, and their heads were covered by a scale-like carapace.They also had a horn on their head.


    The scale-like carapace was probably meant to reduce the impact of a hit from the front or the rear, but seeing as how they had attacked with fangs bared, it was not apparent what purpose the horn served.


    The question that momentarily flashed through Yasuo¡¯s head was immediately answered in the form of a new threat.


    A small flame started to gather at the tips of the creatures¡¯ horns.


    ¡°N-No way¡­¡±


    That was magic.


    Were the wild animals of this world capable of using magic?


    Although the flame initially appeared to be small, it seemed to be slowly growing larger at the tip of the horn.


    The creatures were attempting to kill them from a distance, perhaps because they judged that they were safe from Shouko as long as they didn¡¯t get close to her.


    Yasuo had been told that there were methods of defending against attacks from magic and sorcery, but since he could not even produce a satisfactory flame with magic, he had no idea what those methods might be.


    A number of flames were turned towards Shouko and Yasuo, resembling nothing so much as will o¡¯ wisps which existed to kill living creatures that had lost their way inside the forest.


    Shouko¡¯s increased strength that could send one of those creatures flying with a single hit obviously came from the Shii¡¯s flames, or rather, the change in Shouko¡¯s body after she had merged with the Shii.


    However, since the flames only covered Shouko¡¯s eyes, wrists, and ankles, if the creatures¡¯ magical attacks scored a direct hit on her, she would probably not get away unscathed.


    It wasn¡¯t as simple as just healing her wounds afterwards.


    Yasuo still had a slight scar on his side where Khalija¡¯s attack had pierced him.


    Since they had promised Shouko¡¯s parents that her safety was guaranteed on this trip, Yasuo could not allow so much as a hair on her head to be hurt.


    Yasuo took a deep breath, steeled his resolve, and prepared to once again jump in front of Shouko to protect her.


    ¡°Yasu-kun. Cover your ears.¡±


    However, Shouko said that in a soft, yet determined voice.


    Yasuo reflexively obeyed her, and in the next instant, he felt like he was about to get blown away.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!¡±


    Shouko let out a shout.


    Yasuo felt like he had been struck by a wall of sound and fell on his backside, and the creatures that were surrounding them backed away while whining.


    The trees and plants were shaken violently by the force of that shout, the raindrops that had collected on the branches and leaves were shaken off and cascaded down like a waterfall on their surroundings, and the magical flames that the creatures had been preparing abruptly went out.


    ¡°Once more!¡±


    Hearing Shouko once again take a deep breath, Yasuo pressed his hands hard against his ears and prepared his body for the shockwave.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!!¡±


    The impact from the shockwave was too much, even considering that he was hearing it at close range, and Yasuo let out a groan.


    Along with reverberating heavily throughout Yasuo¡¯s body, the shockwave from Shouko¡¯s shout and the air pressure sent a ripple through the dirt at Shouko¡¯s feet.


    The creatures closest to her were unable to resist, and were blown away.


    Seeing that, the creatures that were surrounding them broke formation, turned around, and disappeared into the darkness of the surrounding forest one by one.


    Shouko, who had lowered her center of gravity and stood in a stance with her right hand in front of her and her left hand pulled back, stayed in that stance for a while even after the last creature had disappeared.


    Yasuo also continued to cover his ears with his hands, and stayed alert for signs of the creatures returning by looking around.


    They probably stayed that way for a full three minutes.


    Shouko finally relaxed her stance after she heard the howls, which seemed to be trembling slightly, from far away.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°H-How about you, Tatewaki-san?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ probably not okay.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Ah!!¡±


    In the next instant, Shouko fell to her knees and was about to fall face down in the dirt.


    Yasuo hurried to support her body, and in that instant, most of the black flames were extinguished.


    ¡°This is¡­..¡±


    He wondered if his power that was specialized in healing and sending off the Shii had unconsciously activated and dispelled the flames, but he immediately rejected that.


    The ¡ºmysteries¡» of Ante Lande could only be activated through force of will.


    There was no way that such a convenient reaction could occur spontaneously, and there had to be a proper explanation for that phenomenon.


    In the end, the black flames receded until they turned into a small flickering flame in Shouko¡¯s left eye.


    Once the flames had receded, Yasuo saw how pale and weak Shouko looked, and once again started to panic.


    ¡°My body really hurts. It feels like the toenails on the foot that I used to kick that creature are broken.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll heal you. Tell me where it hurts¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ No, it¡¯s okay¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m dying, but I feel like I¡¯ve used up all my strength¡­ I think I¡¯m falling asleep¡­ Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Tatewaki-san!!¡±


    Shouko¡¯s head suddenly dropped while she was still leaning against Yasuo.


    Yasuo felt his blood run cold for a second, but after he heard Shouko¡¯s breathing even over the sound of the rain, he felt relieved.


    Despite that, it couldn¡¯t really be said that their situation had improved.


    Night was getting closer, and the light had faded enough that he already couldn¡¯t see for more than a few meters ahead.


    He would not be able to walk very far while carrying the unconscious Shouko, and trying to find the river in the dark during bad weather would be the height of folly.


    Even the pack of creatures might attack once again if they realized that Shouko, who was the source of danger, was out of commision.


    ¡°Dammit¡­!¡±


    Not only had Yasuo been protected from the creatures by the unknown power of Shouko and the Shii, he didn¡¯t have a single technique to protect Shouko in return.


    He felt foolish for having confidently declared that he would become the Hero, with this kind of ability.


    It was only natural that Khalija had been astounded by his lack of ability.


    Although Yasuo had said that he understood the situation many times, the truth was that he didn¡¯t understand anything.


    He had gotten overconfident, just because he could use some half-baked healing ability and some ability to send off the Shii.


    After experiencing it for himself like this, he finally started to understand what it meant to be ¡ºpowerless¡».


    Whether it was weapons, armor, magic, or comrades, they only had meaning when they were obtained by a person who had become strong after diligently devoting themselves to the basics.


    The people who surrounded a powerless person were not comrades, but guardians, and weapons, armor, and magic were nothing more than pointless luggage when carried by a person who could not even defend themselves.


    ¡°Shit¡­ Shit¡­!!¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, Yasuo noticed the umbrella that he had thrown away at the place where the game trail ended.


    He had thought that they had run a fair distance from the pack of creatures that had attacked, but now he saw that they had not moved very far away at all.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The reason why Yasuo did not fruitlessly call out to his father or Diana for help in this situation might be because of the last bit of pride that he had left.


    Or perhaps it was because of the depth of his despair.


    ¡°No way.¡±


    He could see light from a fire slowly closing in on him from deep within the forest.


    ¡°Goddammit¡­!¡±


    Yasuo put Shouko down on the dirt and forced himself to stand on shaking legs as he prepared to face the will o¡¯ wisp.


    If there was just one of them¡­ If there was just one of them, he might be able to drive it away by hitting it with his electric attack, even if it meant that he would get taken out at the same time.


    The solitary light that continued to get closer glowed like the eye of a Shii, or like the eye of William Bareig, as it seemed to be inviting him into the depths of hell.


    And then.


    With a slight sound of splattering mud, the will o¡¯ wisp showed its true form in front of Yasuo.

 Volume 3, 2 - Beginning of an Adventure Part 4

    Volume 3, Chapter 2 ¨C Beginning of an Adventure Part 4


    When Shouko opened her eyes, the first things she noticed was that she had a dull headache, and that there was a ceiling made of wooden planks above her.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡±


    When she tried to sit up, she realized that there was a thick and slightly stiff bed sheet beneath the hand that she used to steady herself.


    There was a stiff but warm blanket covering her body.


    ¡°¡­¡­.Eh¡±


    It was dark, but it was indoors.


    It was a room, protected from the elements by walls and a roof.


    When she took a breath and looked around, she saw Yasuo, wrapped in a blanket, sleeping in a chair beside her bed.


    ¡°Where¡­ am I?¡±


    When she looked down at her body, she realized that she was wearing a simple one piece hempen dress that she had never seen before.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    ¡°¡­!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I seem to have surprised you.¡±


    When she turned to look, she realized that a woman holding a lamp that was giving off a yellow light had appeared there at some point.


    ¡°U-Umm¡­¡±


    She was a middle-aged woman, who appeared to be in her fifties.


    She was wearing a long robe that looked like something a witch would wear, and her short hair looked like it was silver colored instead of having gone grey with age.


    ¡°Be at ease. You are safe here. The beasts from the forest will not come close to this place.¡±


    ¡°D-Did you save me?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything special. I just found the two of you when you were lost in the forest, and brought you here.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you very much. You saved us. We are¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I only did what was natural. Actually, you were lucky that it was I who found you. If you had been found by ordinary people, I¡¯m sure the situation would have taken a turn or the worse.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡±


    Saying that, the woman pointed her finger at Shouko¡¯s eye.


    Taking her meaning, Shouko immediately let out a startled cry.


    The flames of the Shii were still gushing out of her left eye.


    In Ante Lande, the Shii were the enemy of mankind.


    If the people of this world found a person who carried the flames that were a symbol of the Shii within their own body, it would not be surprising if that person was lynched on the spot.


    However, this woman had not done that. What was the reason for that?


    ¡°My name is Catalina Yostern. Have you heard that name before?¡±


    ¡°N-No¡­¡±


    Seeing Shouko shake her head, the woman gave a wry smile.


    ¡°I see. The boy didn¡¯t know who I was either. It¡¯s a pity, I¡¯m actually pretty famous, you know?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, we are¡­ I mean¡­¡±


    Shouko was worried that she had hurt that woman¡¯s feelings and started to apologize, but the woman who called herself Catalina cut her off.


    ¡°The two of you are from ¡ºJapan¡», isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Shouko was so shocked that she forgot to speak.


    That¡¯s right. She had felt that something was strange.


    She had not met Catalina before. She was sure of that.


    And this place was obviously not on Earth.


    Despite that, she had been conversing with Catalina in ¡ºJapanese¡».


    ¡°Did¡­ he tell you that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did. However I knew it the moment I saw his face. Although, it seemed like he was intent on saving you and didn¡¯t find it strange that I was speaking to him in Japanese.¡±


    Catalina looked at Yasuo who was still fast asleep in the chair and smiled.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it. It was the face of a person whom I thought I would never meet again.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you stand? You must be thirsty. I¡¯m boiling some water right now. Come this way, and be careful not to wake the lad. There are sandals over there.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s headache had faded, so she obediently got out of bed as Catalina asked.


    She saw that there was a pair of simple sandals at the foot of the bed, and she put them on.


    The adjacent room was larger than the room that Shouko had been sleeping in, but there were a number of objects in the room that were covered with cloth.


    ¡°This place is my private workshop.¡±


    ¡°Are you a painter?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, I suppose I am. So I would be glad if you are surprised after seeing this.¡±


    Catalina hung the lantern from a hook on the wall, raised her palm towards the ceiling, and created a sphere that gave off a faint light.


    Even Shouko was able to understand that it was a magic meant to illuminate the room, but compared to the shock she experienced in the next moment, it was a trivial thing.


    There was a single painting hanging on the wall that was illuminated by Catalina¡¯s magic.


    It was a portrait of a young swordsman who was holding a beautiful sword.


    However, Shouko¡¯s eyes were riveted on the face of that man.


    ¡°Yasu-kun¡­ A painting¡­ of Yasu-kun?¡±


    The face of the young swordsman in that painting was definitely Yasuo¡¯s, there was no doubt about it.


    ¡°During the war with Demon King Kaul, I went on a journey to convey the situation in various parts of the world to the people through my paintings.¡±


    Catalina spoke while looking up at the painting of the young swordsman who looked like Yasuo.


    ¡°I met him at a range of mountains that runs through the Baskelgarde Federation. He was with his companions, in the middle of his journey to save the world that was being consumed by the forces of Demon King Kaul.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­T-That means¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Catalina nodded.


    ¡°I have met him before. The man whom that boy seems to be an identical replica of.¡±


    There was no need to ask who she was talking about.


    ¡°The Hero, Hideo Kenzaki. I think that Erijina Radagast and Alexei Krone might be the only people in the world who remember his features of that boy¡¯s father better than me. The painting of his father that I painted has now been designated as a national treasure of Resteria. Due to that, I became quite famous and I am now able to live a leisurely life like this while pursuing the art of painting that I love.¡±


    The traveling painter, Catalina Yostern.


    In the past, she had traveled all over the world, and her painting of the Hero, Hideo, called ¡ºThe Hero, Hideo, gazes upon the sunrise at the Sacred Mountain¡» that she had painted when she met him in the mountainous region of Baskelgarde was one of the most famous paintings in the world.

 Volume 3, Interlude - 2

    Volume 3, Interlude - 2


    ¡°By the way, Khalija-san, I heard this from Diana-san earlier, but there are paintings of Dad in Resteria, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, there are an uncountable number of paintings, from those that are good enough to be designated as national treasures, to those that look like scribblings.¡±


    ¡°Diana-san was saying that Onii-chan looks a lot like Dad when he was younger, but is it the same in the paintings as well? Won¡¯t people immediately realize who Onii-chan is if there are paintings like that spread around the country?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they are that common¡­ but you¡¯re right. Even I thought that Yasuo resembled him, and moreover, didn¡¯t Major Krone say anything about that to you?¡±


    ¡°No, she did. She said that Onii-chan looked a lot like my Dad from some painting that was a national treasure, it was called the sunrise or something. And besides, I¡¯ve seen photos of my dad when he was younger at my grandparents¡¯ house, and even I thought that he looked so much like Onii-chan that it was almost creepy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little harsh.¡±


    ¡°But when it comes to paintings, it depends on the skill of the painter, right? And besides, Diana- san is always so soft on Onii-chan and her view of


    him is distorted by her ¡®Respect for the Hero¡¯ filter, so I wondered if the paintings really resembled him that much.¡±


    ¡°I suppose ¡ºThe Hero, Hideo, gazes upon the sunrise at the Sacred Mountain¡» is loved so much by the people because it is painted very realistically, and the Krone couple also praised it for being the most faithful reproduction of Hideo and Madoka.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s it, that was the title.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, the image of Hideo that most people have built up in their minds and his resemblance that was carved into the numerous lithographs don¡¯t particularly look like him, so I don¡¯t think there is any need to worry about Yasuo¡¯s cover being blown due to the paintings commonly found throughout the city.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right¡­ but now I¡¯m curious to see what those poorly drawn paintings of Dad look like.¡±

 Volume 3, 3 - The Town of Beginnings Part 1

    Volume 3, Chapter 3 - The Town of Beginnings Part 1


    The young swordsman in Catalina¡¯s painting appeared to be the exact likeness of Yasuo, but after looking closely, there were a number of small differences.


    The young man in the painting appeared to be


    wearing something that resembled a gakuran2.


    At the Takeoka high school that Yasuo attended, the uniform for boys was the style that had a blazer.


    The youth in the painting had shorter hair than Yasuo, and the way the hair was parted was a little old-fashioned.


    ¡°Fufufu.¡±


    Catalina laughed upon seeing Shouko blankly staring at the painting.


    ¡°He is the Hero Hideo¡¯s son, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°......¡±


    Thinking about it rationally, saying that Yasuo was completely unrelated to the young man in the painting would be a little far-fetched.


    Also, Shouko was aware of just how dangerous it would be for people to discover that ¡ºThe son of the Hero Hideo is in Ante Lande¡».


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Shouko gulped and tried to evade the question,


    even though she realized herself that it was a poor attempt.


    Shouko had let down her guard because this woman had saved them and given her shelter and a bed to sleep in.


    Was this elderly woman an enemy, or an ally? Shouko wasn¡¯t worried about whether this lady


    was an enemy of Resteria, or an enemy of Diana¡¯s. She was worried whether this lady was an adult who was willing to help the two of them, just as


    they had wished for. ¡°Where... exactly are we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a strange question.¡±


    ¡°We only came over from Japan recently.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite amazing. How did you get


    here?¡±


    Shouko did not know of any means of making that trip other than using the Gate Tower.


    She couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s like I said earlier. We just found ourselves in this forest before we knew what was happening.¡±


    Hearing Yasuo¡¯s voice from behind, Shouko turned around, and what she saw made her break out in a cold sweat.


    Yasuo was standing there, with fatigue clearly showing on his face.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Sorry, I seem to have fallen asleep at some point.¡±


    ¡°It was inevitable, you were so tired, after all.¡± ¡°......I didn¡¯t realize it when I first came here,


    but this really looks a lot like me, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I thought the same thing as


    well.¡±


    Catalina nodded and continued to speak.


    ¡°I never imagined that I would get a chance to meet one of the Hero Hideo Kenzaki¡¯s family members. You said your name was Yasuo, correct? Would you be so kind as to tell me the name of your sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°......It¡¯s Shouko. Shouko Tatewaki.¡±


    Shouko was not so incapable of reading that situation that she would lose her composure upon being referred to as Yasuo¡¯s sweetheart in a tense situation like this.


    Most likely, Yasuo had run into Catalina in the forest, and asked her for help.


    However, thinking about it calmly, it was strange for a woman to be walking around alone in a forest filled with such dangerous beasts.


    Yasuo had agreed to stay in her house temporarily for Shouko¡¯s sake, but he had not let down his guard.


    ¡°The two of us had been living as usual in Japan. We had made plans to go out together. Right, Shouko?¡±


    ¡°Eh!? R-Right¡­¡±


    However, even Shouko lost her composure for a second when Yasuo easily called her by her first name, something he had been very hesitant to do before. Even so, she managed to nod.


    ¡°We planned to have lunch and opened up our bento, and the next thing I knew, we were inside this forest. There was a massive amount of light. We don''t know how we ended up here. Where exactly are we?¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    ¡°My father¡¯s name is certainly Hideo¡­ But have you met my father in the past?¡±


    Catalina put on a neutral expression and nodded.


    ¡°Please wait here for a little while.¡±


    Saying that, she turned around and left the workshop.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo walked forward, pulled Shouko by her hand, and made her stand half a step behind him.


    Shouko did not resist, and moved to a spot behind him that would not be unnatural, and continued to look up at the painting, when Catalina came back while carrying a large piece of paper.


    ¡°Can you read a map?¡± ¡°......No, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well then, look over here.¡±


    Yasuo couldn¡¯t tell if she had noticed his momentary hesitation or not, but Catalina spread out a stiff piece of parchment on one of the tables in the workshop.


    ¡°This is the forest that we are in. The cabin we are in is around here.¡±


    The points that Catalina pointed to were almost in the middle of the forest.


    There was no way to tell where exactly Yasuo and Shouko had first landed here, but looking at the map it was clear that they had just been heading deeper and deeper into the forest.


    ¡°The closest town from here would be this one, Galedeite. Have you heard about it?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never heard of such a place.¡±


    The place Catalina was pointing to was located east of the forest.


    ¡°Where is the river? When we were in the forest, we saw a fairly large river in the area.¡±


    In reply to Shouko¡¯s question, Catalina traced her finger along the southern part of the forest, where there was nothing written on the map.


    ¡°That river is not on this map. This map is quite old. That river was created by Yasuo¡¯s father, thirty years ago.¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    Yasuo managed to control his suddenly increased heartbeat, and somehow managed to


    keep a calm expression.


    ¡°Created by Dad¡­ Wait, what does that mean? Actually, it¡¯s been bugging me since we first got here, but is this place really not Japan?¡±


    ¡°.........¡±


    Catalina started Yasuo as if trying to gauge his real intentions, but she soon shook her head.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t your father tell you anything at all?¡± ¡°Tell me about what? My father is just an


    ordinary salaryman. He works for a company that deals with foodstuffs and makes measurement devices, and I didn¡¯t hear anything about him creating rivers. Nor did I hear anything about him doing something that deserves such a wonderful painting.¡±


    ¡°I see, you really don¡¯t know anything¡­ In that case, I suppose it¡¯s only natural that you are confused.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And speaking of things we don¡¯t understand, we don¡¯t know what is going on with her eye either.¡±


    Yasuo tried to take a light jab at her regarding the Shii, but Catalina did not show any overt reaction and continued to move things forward.


    ¡°In the beginning, I thought she was badly injured, but she insists that she is fine...¡±


    ¡°......I don¡¯t really know anything about that


    either, but do you mind if I ask a question?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Before the two of us met, which one of you let out that shout that reverberated throughout the forest?¡±


    Yasuo glanced at Shouko for just an instant, before frowning and replying.


    ¡°I think that was me.¡± ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I mean, there were these weird and scary wolf- like things and I screamed my head off for a while, so I¡¯m not sure exactly what point in time you were referring to, Catalina-san. However, I can tell you that I was the only one screaming.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little pitiful of you, don¡¯t you think? A man should keep his act together and allow his sweetheart to rely on him.¡±


    Hearing Yasuo¡¯s shameful confession, Catalina¡¯s expression finally relaxed.


    ¡°In Japan, the girls are quite strong.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that.¡±


    Catalina folded the map.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you must be confused after going through a lot of things, but if you¡¯d like, I will escort you to Galedeite tomorrow morning. It will be easier to obtain information in a large town compared to wandering around in the forest, and I think that there are a lot of things that you two will be able to gain from that as well.¡±


    ¡°That would be great. Thank you very much.¡± Yasuo bowed his head, and Shouko also


    imitated him.


    ¡°The two of you can use that guest room. Be a gentleman and let the lady have the bed, okay? Also, I¡¯m sure that it must be hard to have your date interrupted by such strange events, but save the adolescence for after the situation has calmed down, okay?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Haa¡­ Okay? Umm...¡± ¡°......!!¡±


    Yasuo looked puzzled because he didn¡¯t understand what that last bit meant, and Shouko turned bright red after vaguely understanding it. Seeing that, Catalina had a satisfied expression for some reason.


    After that, Catalina brought two cups of hot water, a pitcher, and a candle holder with a new candle to the guest room where Shouko had been sleeping earlier and left after leaving them in the room.


    ¡°Fuuu¡­ I was so tense.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡±


    Shouko still looked restless while sitting on the bed, but Yasuo pretended not to notice. He stretched his body and sat down in the chair after picking up the blanket that he had dropped on the floor.


    ¡°I wonder what she meant about that adolescence or whatever that she said in the end¡­ Did I hear her wrong?¡±


    ¡°Haa!? You didn¡¯t understand that!?¡± ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah, it¡¯s nothing...¡±


    Shouko, who had unintentionally raised her voice, struggled to hold her voice in check.


    They had introduced themselves as lovers, and had done their best to convince Catalina that they were just victims from another world who were stranded here and had no idea about anything related to Ante Lande.


    In that sort of situation, there was only one sort of gentle warning that elderly people would give to a vigorous young couple when they had to sleep at night in a room with only one bed.


    ¡°I mean, boys should be better at picking up that sort of thing¡­ oh, never mind. Knowing Yasu-kun, I guess that¡¯s only natural.¡±


    Due to Yasuo¡¯s reaction, it looked like she was the one who had some strange expectations, which only served to embarrass her even more.


    Father, Mother, I¡¯m sorry.


    ¡°S-So, what should we do from tomorrow onwards?¡±


    ¡°I suppose there¡¯s nothing for it but to stay under Catalina-san¡¯s care for a while. She seems to


    know about my father, after all.¡± ¡°Ah, right, that is...¡±


    ¡°Besides, she looks like a foreigner no matter how you look at her, but I¡¯m glad she can speak Japanese.¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­ Hmm?¡±


    ¡°In any case, I¡¯m glad we didn¡¯t end up as some wolf¡¯s dinner while being lost. Let¡¯s just go to sleep for today. I have no energy left at all.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡±


    Was it just her imagination, or did Yasuo say something strange just now?


    ¡°H-Hey, Shouko.¡± ¡°......Eh?¡±


    ¡°Mind if I get into the bed with you?¡± ¡°............................Eh?¡±


    Shouko blinked once, and the next second, she turned bright red all the way from her toes to the top of her head.


    ¡°Ya, Ya-Ya-Ya-Ya-Ya-Ya¡­...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little chilly, and I think we¡¯ll be warmer if we stack both blankets and sleep under them together.¡±


    ¡°T-T-T-That¡¯s¡­ T-That¡¯s true, b-but Catalina- san said¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine so long as we don¡¯t make too much noise.¡±


    ¡°W-W-W-W-W-W-What happened to you? Did you fall in the forest and hit your head or something!?¡±


    The way he was speaking was quite different from the Kenzaki Yasuo that she knew.


    He acted like he hadn¡¯t understood the meaning of Catalina¡¯s teasing earlier, but did he get carried away after introducing her as his girlfriend?


    Shouko had gone past blushing and was now at the state where she might start giving off red light at any moment, and she started to panic, but¨C


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? We do this all the time, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeh... Ummmmmm¡­ Yasu-kun wha- wha-what do you intend to do¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m not talking about intending to do something, this is what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-This? H-H-Hang on, I¡¯m not prepared to¡­¡±


    In that instant, in that room that was only illuminated by candle light, a new strong source of blue-tinged light appeared.


    ¡°......Eh?¡±


    It was Yasuo¡¯s Slimphone.


    There were some words typed on that familiar blue-tinged screen.


    ¡ºYour Slimphone battery isn¡¯t dead yet, right? Let¡¯s communicate through text.¡»


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious what I mean, right?¡± ¡°......Eh?¡±


    Beside Shouko who was sitting on the bed and continuously blinking in confusion, Yasuo was sitting so close that they were just barely not touching each other, and continued to input text using his Slimphone¡¯s flick input keyboard.


    ¡ºI know where we are. But I don¡¯t want Catalina-san to find out the extent of our knowledge. In the unlikely chance that she¡¯s spying on us, I¡¯d like to talk under the blankets so that it doesn¡¯t look strange. I understand that it might make you uncomfortable, but I promise that I won¡¯t do anything strange.¡»


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    ¡ºI¡¯m almost certain that she is eavesdropping on us right now. As far as she is concerned, we are just clueless people who came to Ante Lande from another world, like ¡°Hideo¡± and ¡°Madoka¡± did in the past. I want her to assume that we are not thinking too deeply about it.¡»


    ¡°...F-Fine, I d-don¡¯t mind, if that¡¯s what you mean¡­¡±


    It was true that Shouko was also wary of Catalina, and she understood the dangers that came with being ¡ºThe son of the Hero Hideo¡».


    Shouko was convinced that Yasuo¡¯s request was perfectly justified, and she pulled her


    Slimphone out of her bag with dull movements and slowly lay down on the bed.


    And then, when the bed let out a slight creak after taking Yasuo¡¯s weight as well¨C


    ¡°.....!!¡±


    At this point, Shouko realized that this was still incredibly embarrassing, but it was already too late to back out.


    The two of them lay facing each other on the bed that was fairly narrow, while blushing furiously and holding their Slimphones in front of them like shields.


    Despite speaking so calmly earlier, Yasuo was also completely red now that they were actually in the bed together, and seeing that, Shouko also got more and more embarrassed.


    ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°W-What¡­!¡±


    Yasuo could see that the flame in Shouko¡¯s eye had significantly reduced in size.


    Still, the flame didn¡¯t completely go out, so he could see see the red eye of the Shii in the center of the flame.


    ¡°......No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Since it didn¡¯t disappear, there was nothing particularly significant about the fact that it had reduced in size.


    Yasuo stopped himself from talking further, and let out a large sigh.


    ¡°Hiiii¡­ Hey, Yasu-kun, you¡¯re too close, so don¡¯t let out such a large sigh...¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, sorry¡­ that reminds me, I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth¡­¡±


    Speaking about such things in whispers, the two of them found it hard to get to the main topic.


    ¡°A-Anyways, good night, S-Shouko.¡± ¡°R-Right, good night.¡±


    After exchanging a bedtime greeting for the sake of Catalina who might have been eavesdropping, Yasuo pulled the blankets a little higher around them, and that caused Shouko, who was still nervous about each movement he made, to stiffen her body even further.


    ¡°......¡±


    Shouko glanced through upturned eyes at Yasuo, who was desperately avoiding looking at her while typing something on his Slimphone.


    ¡ºWe are currently in a place called the Gaz Commonwealth. The Knights Division of Resteria that Diana belongs to doesn¡¯t have any influence here.¡»


    That was the first thing Yasuo showed her on his screen by typing it out.


    Seeing Shouko frown, Yasuo flicked his finger on the screen keyboard a few times as if he had


    anticipated her question, and once again turned it towards her.


    ¡ºI¡¯ve heard about a river that my father was said to have created during the fight with the Demon King¡¯s army. Apparently, it¡¯s called the Hideo Holy Sword River.¡»


    ¡°Pfft.¡±


    Shouko couldn¡¯t help letting out a laugh at that ridiculous name which sounded like something any sane person would object to, and then immediately realized what she had done and went back to being alert after looking at the door of the room.


    Since everyone in the Kenzaki family, Hideo included, had the same reaction back when Khalija had first come to their house and told this story, Yasuo was not particularly annoyed by her reaction.


    ¡ºThe river is famous and the water is considered to be holy, and there is supposed to be a church near the riverbank. I think it might be in the town that Catalina-san mentioned earlier.¡»


    After Shouko nodded wordlessly, Yasuo once again started typing on his Slimphone.


    ¡°.........¡±


    Shouko suddenly realized that she had been intently staring at Yasuo¡¯s face from up close while he was busy typing, but turning her gaze


    away also felt unnatural, so she spent the time until Yasuo finished typing by staring at the back of his Slimphone that was slightly moving back and forth in accordance with the movement of his fingers over the screen.


    ¡ºI have no idea how far Resteria is from the Gaz Commonwealth, but I don¡¯t think it will be at a distance that the two of us can easily cover on our own. Even if it is a neighboring country.¡»


    Shouko nodded after reading that.


    Even if it was a neighboring country, for the two of them who had no means of transportation other than walking, it could not be considered close by any means.


    ¡ºI think it will be impossible for both Diana and my father to reach out to us without having any hint of our current location. There is no guarantee that the two of them made it to Resteria either. That¡¯s why I plan to reach out to this country¡¯s Knights¡¯ Division sometime soon and reveal myself as the son of the Hero Hideo.¡»


    ¡°!¡±


    Shouko¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°There is no other choice.¡±


    After quietly whispering that, Yasuo went back to typing on the phone keyboard.


    ¡ºRather than looking for a way to let my father or Diana know that we are here, I think it would be


    more efficient to let Resteria, and Diana¡¯s mother in particular, know where we are. The person that Catalina-san mentioned, Erijina Radagast, is Diana¡¯s mother.¡»


    At this point, Shouko started typing on her own Slimphone for the first time.


    ¡ºIn that case, how about asking Catalina-san to reach out to her? It sounded like she knew Diana- san¡¯s mother, after all.¡»


    ¡ºThat¡¯s still too dangerous right now. We need to wait at least until we reach the town and find a large organization to look after us.¡»


    ¡ºWhy is that?¡»


    ¡ºThere is no guarantee that Catalina-san is on Resteria¡¯s side.¡»


    ¡ºShe said her painting is a national treasure of Resteria, though.¡»


    ¡ºEven Khalija-san was a Knight sworn to serve the country. But she still betrayed her country and obeyed the orders from Carnelian. There is no proof that Catalina-san won¡¯t do the same.¡»


    Shouko looked like she still wasn¡¯t convinced, but Yasuo silently pointed at her left eye.


    ¡ºBack when I first saw her in the forest, Catalina-san showed some surprise upon seeing your left eye, but she didn¡¯t show any trace of fear. I find that to be odd.¡»


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡ºIn Ante Lande, the Shii are seen as terrifying monsters. It is strange for an ordinary artist to not be afraid of something that can even defeat a Magitech Knight.¡»


    ¡°......¡±


    ¡ºJust like Khalija-san, she might know about the Latch as well. Of course, there is a chance that she was not afraid simply because she is actually an incredibly strong magician despite her age, but I can¡¯t let down my guard around her until I know for sure.¡»


    ¡ºI see.¡»


    ¡ºThat is why, from tomorrow onwards, we must appear to be outworlders who know nothing. There are actually more things that we don¡¯t know, and half of the things we do know are still surprising even if we have heard about them before, so I don¡¯t think there is any reason to get worked up about it.¡»


    ¡ºWhat about your mother? She¡¯s famous as well, right?¡»


    ¡°Ah¡­...¡±


    Yasuo put on a complicated expression for a few moments, but immediately resumed typing.


    ¡ºSince I said that I didn¡¯t know anything about my father¡¯s life here, I suppose there is no choice but to say that I only know that my mother is a housewife as well. However, it would be


    suspicious to try too hard to hide the fact that her name is Madoka, so we need to tell her that if she asks.¡»


    If Catalina was someone who was interested in how the Hero Hideo¡¯s life turned out after the war with Demon King Kaul, she would no doubt ask him ¡ºWhat kind of person is Hideo¡¯s wife?¡»


    Yasuo was supposed to pretend that he didn¡¯t know that his mother was considered to be a Great Sage, so he would have to pretend that he thought she was just a regular person and a housewife.


    If Catalina brought up the name ¡ºMadoka¡» on her own, he would have to act surprised and say that his mother had the same name.


    If Catalina asked him what his mother¡¯s name was, he would have to reply with ¡ºMadoka¡» and then act surprised when she would inevitably tell all about Madoka also being a magician who fought alongside Hideo in Ante Lande.


    In any case, if they were going to keep playing dumb, they would need to prepare a large number of lies for when they started talking about Madoka Sugiura, so the sooner they got it over with, the better.


    After Yasuo explained that to Shouko, she nodded strongly.


    ¡°......Sounds like a lot of work.¡±


    She unintentionally whispered that aloud.


    Deep down, Yasuo also agreed with her.


    Would the two of them really be able to pull off such an act?


    How far could they go with their makeshift lies, against that artist who gave off a feeling of craftiness and intelligence even when she was silent?


    ¡°...In any case, let¡¯s get Catalina-san to take us to a large town, and discuss what to do after that once we get there. There¡¯s no point talking about that now. Also, let¡¯s ask her tomorrow if she can help to hide that eye of yours in some way.¡±


    Since there was no problem even if those words were overheard, he just said them aloud.


    The fact was that they had no options except to reach out to either Hideo or Resteria.


    Unlike Hideo and Diana, the two of them did not possess any means to safely escape from danger, so they had no choice but to rely on Catalina even though she seemed suspicious.


    ¡°......Okay.¡±


    Shouko nodded and gripped her own Slimphone with both hands.


    ¡ºOkay, we should probably go to sleep. I¡¯ll sleep on the floor, so¡­¡»


    He had finished talking about everything that he wanted to discuss.


    Yasuo tried to leave the blankets that had become warm from the heat of both their bodies, but he was stopped by Shouko¡¯s anxious voice and trembling hand.


    ¡°W-Wait, Yasu-kun...... It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s just


    sleep together like this.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Hearing Shouko say that all of a sudden, it was Yasuo¡¯s turn to go bright red.


    ¡°I-If you do anything strange, I¡¯ll give you the same treatment as those wolves from earlier¡­ B- But, you¡¯re tired as well, Yasu-kun, so if I was the only one who got to sleep in a bed, I¡¯d feel bad¡­ Umm¡­ I mean...¡±


    Shouko put her slimphone under the pillow and held his hand.


    ¡°I want you to hold my hand. Being alone is scary.¡±


    Being stared at directly with her anxiety-filled eyes, Yasuo unconsciously gulped.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m embarrassed by this as well, you know¡­ And now you¡¯re acting like this despite saying all those things earlier that made me want to die from embarrassment¡­ Ei!¡±


    Growing tired of seeing Yasuo just getting flustered, Shouko pulled him by his hand strongly and dragged him back into the bed.


    ¡°If you do anything strange, you¡¯ll end up like those wolves in the forest, okay? I¡¯ll bash you in the jaw with my knee, okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-You already said that¡­...!¡±


    ¡°Y-You just have to hold my hand, okay? I mean, we are supposed to be lovers, right? This way is more natural, right? So...¡±


    ¡°I get it. I get it¡­!¡±


    Despite Yasuo giving in to her demand, just by holding his hand, Shouko could tell that his whole body had become stiff.


    Lying side by side on that bed that was by no means large, Yasuo and Shouko maintained a distance from each other where their bodies were just barely not touching, and their hands grew warm as if they were communicating their presence to each other just through their hands.


    ¡°......Ta¡ª¡±


    ¡°......We¡¯re supposed to be lovers, right?¡±


    ¡°...Sh-Shouko¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You called me so naturally by my name earlier, so I was a little happy...¡±


    ¡°T-That was¡­¡±


    That was because it was necessary, In other words, it was just an act.


    However, if they know the weight of a real sword, they will be able to represent that in their acting and make it look more life-like.


    While thinking about acting, Yasuo unconsciously remembered the words said by his classmate, Aioi Aoto, regarding preparing for plays.


    If you know what the real thing feels like, it will seem more life-like.


    If your acting is accompanied by real-life experience, then it will cease to be acting and will become real.


    So what were the real feelings in his heart, seeing as he had been able to call Shouko by her name so easily¡­?


    ¡°I felt that¡­ I had to protect you, Sh-Shouko, so¡­ I was able to call you that.¡±


    Yasuo spoke so softly that his words were unclear even though their faces were so close to each other, but Shouko heard it perfectly.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. I¡¯d be even more glad if you could call my name without hesitating.¡±


    Shouko looked just a little embarrassed after saying that, and hid her face behind their interlocked hands.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, for things ending up this way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Yasu-kun. I don''t have any


    serious injuries, and I am still alive. I¡¯m a little scared, but there is a person who is willing to help us out. And moreover¡­ you¡¯re with me, Yasu- kun. So I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    As Shouko said that with a red face and smiled, the fire of the Shii in her left eye suddenly disappeared.


    ¡°Sh-Shouko¡­¡­ the flame in your eye


    just¡­...¡±


    ¡°Yeah. My vision didn¡¯t particularly change or anything, but I thought that might be the case.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure¡­¡­ Yasu-kun?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°If do anything strange, you get the wolf treatment, okay?¡±


    ¡°How many times are you going to say that...¡± Yasuo wasn¡¯t able to say anything more than


    that.


    Shouko pulled him even closer, put her forehead against his chest, and wrapped her arms around his body.


    ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°............!¡±


    Yasuo felt every muscle and joint in his body stiffen simultaneously, and he became incapable of moving.


    In front of his chest, Shouko¡¯s head moved slightly.


    Yasuo had absolutely no leeway to realize that she was laughing because she found his situation to be funny.


    Even though he had been hugged, he had no idea what to do with his own hands that were currently floating in the air.


    Yasuo thought about that until it felt like his brain was going to overheat.


    His brain was caught between the questions on whether it was okay to touch her, or whether it was a bad idea to touch her, and then it moved on to a never-ending argument in his own brain about what sort of posture he should take to keep from touching her, or in case it was okay to touch her, what parts were okay to touch.


    ¡°........Suuuuu¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°Wait, seriously?¡±


    And then, Yasuo realized that Shouko had fallen asleep without caring about his dilemma.


    Yasuo had thought she was just messing around with him, but he could clearly feel that her arms were leaden as they encircled him.


    Shouko, who had used the power of the Shii¡¯s flames to drive away the pack of beasts, must not have fully recovered from that ordeal.


    Her anxiety and mental stress from their exchanges with Catalina earlier must have also reached their peak.


    She didn¡¯t respond even when he twisted his body a little, so when he tried to push her shoulder a little, she easily rolled away from him and lay on her back.


    Even though it was only for a little while, Yasuo could tell that the posture of sleeping on one¡¯s side while embracing another person put a lot of strain on the body.


    If he left her in that position, there was a chance that she would not recover her strength by morning, and moreover, his mind would not last.


    Yasuo slowly moved Shouko¡¯s hand that was still on his waist back towards her, and put it in a position that would be comfortable for her to sleep in.


    After that, Yasuo tried to get up and sleep on the floor as per his original plan, but Shouko was gripping his hand tightly as if she had see through that plan of his.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    If he tried to forcefully free his hand from her grip, he might wake her up.


    After a few seconds, Yasuo gave up and once again lay down next to Shouko.


    The space available to Yasuo was fairly small since Shouko was sleeping on her back, but there was nothing he could do about that.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡­¡±


    As he gazed at Shouko¡¯s sleeping face from the side, his own eyelids started to get heavier.


    Yasuo himself had also accumulated a fair amount of fatigue.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    Yasuo, who found himself in the unprecedented situation of sharing a bed with a girl he knew, was unable to resist the will of his body that cried out for rest, and before long he had fallen into a deep sleep as well.


    After that, by the time the candle that the two of them had forgotten to blow out had burned down completely, the door creaked open and Catalina entered the room.


    Seeing the boy and girl sleeping on the same bed with barely any distance between them, the artist gave a small smile.


    ¡°Right then¡­ Is this a coincidence¡­ or perhaps¡­¡±


    She looked out of the window. ¡°Did someone arrange this?¡±


    Was it the wolves¡¯ will o¡¯ wisps that cut through the darkness far in the distance, in the noisy forest that blended into the darkness of the night?


    After glancing at the will o¡¯ wisps that cut across the view shown outside the window, Catalina gently stroked Yasuo¡¯s hair as he slept, and left the room.


    ¡°I suppose I should reach out to that person, just in case.¡±


    ¡ù

 Volume 3, 3 - The Town of Beginnings Part 2

    Volume 3, Chapter 3 - The Town of Beginnings Part 2


    The next morning, Yasuo and Shouko, who gratefully ate a breakfast consisting of some fairly sour bread and tea made from beans that grew in the forest, were unable to look each other in the eye other for some reason.


    They had experienced an embarrassing moment when they accidentally looked into each other¡¯s eyes after waking up¡­ It was not like that. In actuality, both of them had forgotten about falling asleep in close proximity to each other, and when they woke up they simultaneously pulled back from each other on top of the small bed, and as a result, both of them had ended up falling out of bed.


    The sound was loud enough to startle Catalina and cause her to come running to see what had happened, and the two of them found themselves in an indescribably awkward situation.


    Incidentally, the black flame had returned to Shouko¡¯s left eye at some point.


    ¡°It must be nice to be young.¡±


    Moreover, the situation was basically equivalent to admitting that they had slept in the same bed, so the fact that Catalina had some strange misunderstanding was reflected in her words.


    After the two of them underwent the baptism of using an outhouse in this other world, Catalina urged them to prepare for their departure.


    After giving both of them well-used greatcoats that had attached hoods, Shouko was given two things that closely resembled cushions used to correct seating posture.


    ¡°Here, carry these.¡±


    As for Yasuo, he was given a large sack that was packed full of something, although it wasn¡¯t all that heavy.


    Catalina herself was holding one of each in each hand.


    ¡°What are these?¡±


    ¡°The bags contain some things that we can exchange for money in the town. They are


    important merchandise so don¡¯t drop them, okay?¡± Yasuo understood what she was saying. Since they were going to be staying under her care, being given such tasks to do made him feel better as


    well.


    He had still not let down his guard, but as long as they were both behaving amicably towards each other, it would be better to follow the social niceties.


    ¡°As for what Shouko is carrying, we will be using them soon.¡±


    Catalina smiled mischievously and gestured for both of them to step outside.


    ¡°Uwaah, we were in this kind of place?¡± Shouko saw Catalina¡¯s workshop from the


    outside for the first time.


    Shouko had imagined that it was a log house with a gabled roof, but it actually looked like a solid fortress-like structure that had been built around a cave and reinforced with some material that looked a lot like concrete.


    There was a strangely large space cleared around the workshop, but it did not look like it was meant for a garden or fields, as the soil had been compacted until it was fairly flat and the area was almost devoid of even weeds.


    ¡°Even I thought it was a factory or fortress when we brought you here.¡±


    Yasuo guessed what Shouko was thinking and said that.


    ¡°I would have prefered a more charming exterior myself, but that¡¯s not possible in this forest.¡±


    Saying that, Catalina pulled out a silver-colored tube and put it in her mouth.


    A whistle that sounded more shrill than the one used for soccer games penetrated the trees of the forest and echoed around them.


    And then, they waited for about ten seconds. Suddenly, their surroundings were filled with a


    flurry of wind, and Shouko inadvertently looked up and saw something that caused her to widen her eyes.


    ¡°Yasu-kun! That is¡ª!¡± ¡°That thing is¡ª!!¡±


    An incredibly giant creature slowly descended from the sky while flapping what looked like wings, and settled down on the ground near the three of them.


    It was without a doubt the ¡ºscelephant¡» that Yasuo and Shouko had been following in the forest.


    The reason why the game trail had suddenly come to an end was because the scelephant was capable of flying.


    However, it was hard to believe that something so massive could fly through the air by flapping its wings.


    Seen from the front, the face of the scelephant looked more like that of a round rhinoceros than an elephant.


    The scaled elephant, or rather, the scaled rhinoceros that had calmly landed in front of the three of them lay down flat on top of the compacted soil.


    ¡°This is a scaled dragon. We will ride to the town on its back.¡±


    Despite the fact that it had such a rotund body, it was apparently neither an elephant nor a rhino, but a dragon instead.


    ¡°This forest is the habitat of scaled dragons, so they occasionally land on top of my workhouse.¡±


    If such large creatures were in the habit of landing on top of the house, then it certainly made sense to reinforce the house to that extent; if not, the people who lived inside would find it intolerable.


    Most likely, the strangely compacted soil around the house was also due to these things.


    ¡°I-Is it really okay to ride on top of this?¡± ¡°Despite their appearance, they are actually


    quite placid creatures. A scaled dragon of this size


    can carry six adults. I¡¯ll climb up first so throw the chairs to me, okay?¡±


    Catalina climbed up scaled dragon¡¯s back in a practiced manner, using its leg and shoulder as handholds, and then proceeded to attach those things that looked like tatami chairs used to correct seating posture on top of the scales on its back.


    So those things were basically saddles used to ride on top scaled dragons.


    ¡°It¡¯ll take around three hours to reach Galedeite, riding on this one¡¯s back.¡±


    ¡°Is it going to fly while carrying us?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. If we did something like that, we would get shot down by the Anti-flight Sorcery Division stationed on the town walls. We will be moving on the ground at a sedate pace.¡±


    ¡°Anti-flight Sorcery DIvision?¡±


    Shouko, who had truly not heard that term before, asked for an explanation of that term, and hearing that, Catalina¡¯s expression turned slightly pensive.


    ¡°......It looks like you¡¯ll need to learn a few


    things. We have plenty of time, so I¡¯ll explain on the way. Come now, hurry and climb up here.¡±


    After that,Yasuo and Shouko climbed up on the back of the scaled dragon, taking almost five times as long as Catalina did.


    When the scaled dragon stood up, their vision was suddenly elevated, and, both Yasuo and Shouko let out a shout of joy.


    ¡°Amazing!!¡±


    ¡°Uwaah! We¡¯re so high up!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would find it so entertaining. Yasuo, be careful to not drop the sack.¡±


    After giving a wry smile, Catalina once again blew on the small pipe and the scaled dragon started to move.


    The movement itself seemed relaxed, but because of its giant body the length of each stride was massive and the trees in the forest that they had taken so much effort to walk past yesterday started to go by in a blur.


    The weather was not clear today either, but the rain had stopped, and there were brief periods where the sunlight broke through the clouds.


    Their view was also clear, and they saw some massive ferns and trees with bright blue fruit, which served to further reinforce their thoughts that this place was very different from Japan.


    During their trip through the forest, Catalina gave Yasuo and Shouko a lecture on the basic facts about the world called Ante Lande.


    ¡°I suppose I should start with the war against Demon King Kaul, thirty years ago. That¡¯s when your father and his companions defeated the


    swarms of demons that appeared from the land beneath the Grand Duchy of Torjesso.¡±


    She didn¡¯t mention anything about what happened thirty years ago, save that the demons had been defeated by the hero from another world, Hideo. Yasuo did not get the chance to bring up the topic of his mother during this time.


    Regarding the Shii, what she said was basically a rehash of what they had already heard from Diana and Khalija.


    However there were a few pieces of information that they had not heard from Diana, who was a citizen of Resteria. Namely, the current position of the Gaz Commonwealth, and what kind of impression the people of the Gaz Commonwealth had about the Hero, Hideo.


    The Gaz Commonwealth was located between Resteria, which was one of the major world powers, and the Baskelgarde Federation, and was apparently under constant political pressure from both of them.


    The Commonwealth was a republic, but due to that there was no single authority within their borders who held absolute power, and the people who lived there were split among the pro-Resteria and pro-Baskelgarde camps.


    The Gaz Commonwealth was also the place where the most battles involving the Hero Hideo


    took place during the war against Demon King Kaul.


    Due to that, the tendency of the people from the Gaz Commonwealth to view Hideo as a Hero was just as high, if not more than the people of Resteria, but on the other hand, it was also a fact that the Gaz Commonwealth was the area with the largest number of war casualties.


    There were a lot of people who blamed that on the fact that both Resteria and Baskelgarde had used the Gaz Commonwealth as a breakwater, and while they still celebrated the actions of the Hero Hideo, they felt resentment towards Resteria and Baskelgarde for making use of them and forcing them to take unnecessary casualties.


    It had only been thirty years since the war against Demon King Kaul.


    There were still a lot of people around who remembered the wartime, and faced with the modern day Shii crisis, it was said that in the background, the political situation of the nation was slowly but surely starting to come apart at the seams.


    ¡°Thanks to the fact that this nation is sandwiched between two major powers that it is on friendly terms with, there is no overt loss of public order as of yet. The Knights Division, which has not forgotten the lessons learned during the


    wartime, is powerful. As are the Magitech Knights, who currently hold the most power as of now. However, if something were to happen that greatly shifted the balance, if the Magitech Knights were to to be divided for some reason, this country would be in dire straits. The war refugees who were unable to find protection in Resteria and Baskelgarde also aimed to settle in the Gaz Commonwealth for the time being.¡±


    ¡°That sounds¡­ quite troublesome. By the way, how large is this country, approximately?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not very big. It is wholly incomparable to the size of Baskelgarde, and even comparing it to Resteria, it is probably around half the size. However, thanks to the fact that it has been an important trading point since ancient times, this country¡¯s financial position is quite good. Due to that, this country has a long history of being a republic. Do you know what ¡®republic¡¯ means? Although, I seem to remember hearing that Japan is a republic as well.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s actually a little different, but I guess you could say there are some similarities.¡±


    While it was certainly true that the country of Japan had some things in common with a republic, such as being based upon democratic principles wherein the power rested with the people and the elected representatives of the people were


    responsible for the administration of the country, Japan was actually a constitutional monarchy due to the fact that they had an Emperor.


    Also, since a democracy and a republic were not the same thing, there were cases where a nation claimed to be a republic while belonging to a federation of states, and there were also cases where a republic had a crowned ruler.


    ¡°Is there a head of the state? I think that many things would depend on which faction that person belongs to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to put it in your terms. Let¡¯s see, umm¡­ pres¡­. President? The President


    claims to be neutral, but for all intents and purposes, he is on Resteria¡¯s side.¡±


    When it came to finding countermeasures against the Shii, even Resteria had a divided opinion on whether to invite the Hero Hideo to their country or not.


    No doubt, countries that did not possess a cheating technique like summoning a Hero would find themselves in even deeper chaos.


    ¡°Once we get close to the town, Shouko, pull the hood down low over your eyes, okay? Since you¡¯re accompanying me, I don¡¯t think they will pry too deeply into your identities as long as we play a slightly higher entry toll, but there¡¯s no disadvantage in being a little cautious.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Due to the current situation in which fear of the Shii was rampant, if a girl were to appear while bearing the flames of the Shii in her eyes, it would no doubt cause a panic.


    After resting for one night, Shouko¡¯s left eye was once again alight with a black, smoldering flame.


    The flame did not burn anything that was brought close to it, but they were not able to cover it up even by wrapping a bandage around her eye, so there was no choice but to hide it from others by wearing a hood low over her eyes.


    ¡°......That reminds me.¡±


    William had also said that his red eye was the one thing he could not conceal, did William perchance have the same nature as Shouko?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yasu-kun?¡± ¡°......No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the flame, I don¡¯t think anyone will notice as long as they don''t get right up in my face...¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Shouko said something different from what Yasuo had been thinking about, but then she took off her hood, and after hesitating for just a moment, with a small shout to pump herself up,


    Shouko grabbed Yasuo¡¯s hand while he sat beside her.


    ¡°......Ei.¡±


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    When she did that, the black flames that were flickering in the wind and were big enough to reach from her forehead to her bangs suddenly reduced to the size of a cigarette lighter flame.


    ¡°Oh, my¡­¡±


    Catalina looked at Shouko¡¯s eye and the sight of them holding hands, and, she looked at Yasuo with a gaze full of some hidden meaning.


    ¡°Oh my, oh my¡­¡± ¡°W-What is it!?¡±


    Yasuo shouted towards her with a red face, but on the other hand he didn¡¯t have the option of shaking off Shouko¡¯s hand either. Meanwhile Shouko was being herself and her face was certainly a little red, but she looked like she was actually enjoying herself, so Yasuo had no idea what he should do.


    ¡°.......Hehe.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know the logic behind it, but it appeared that the flames of Shii grew smaller the closer Shouko was to Yasuo.


    In order to erase them completely, they would have to do something like last night¡­¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s nice that the two of you get along so well.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make fun of us!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ but doesn''t this make it look like I¡¯m really important to you or something?¡±


    ¡°And you too, what the heck are you saying?¡± Yasuo found himself being steadily cornered


    into a situation that he could not endure, and both Shouko and Catalina gave contended smiles and turned to face forward once more.


    ¡°In any case, this should do the trick, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes, but you still shouldn¡¯t let down your


    guard. The damage in Galedeite has been relatively minor, but speaking of the Gaz area as a whole, the threat from the Shii is fairly serious, after all. Due to that, there are a lot of people saying that they don''t want to be used as pawns by the major powers once again, like during the war with Demon King Kaul. Because of that, there is a faction that wants to maintain a state of true independence, and they are gaining a lot of popularity.¡±


    It might not be at the level where it could be called nationalism, but precisely because this country was a republic, it was possible for such factions to suddenly gain power.


    In some ways, that was an extremely natural thing, and something that could normally be ignored as it was part of the politics of a country they were not affiliated with.


    More importantly, the warmth and softness of Shouko¡¯s hand that he was feeling with his own would normally pose a bigger problem for Yasuo.


    ¡°The faction that came up with the plan to obtain a stable form of independence were originally an organization that took care of displaced war refugees, called Carnelian of the Coal Mine¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡°.......!¡±¡±


    That is, if not for the fact that Catalina mentioned the name Carnelian of the Coal Mine.


    ¡°Ooh!¡±


    The field of view suddenly got larger, and Shouko let out a shout of joy.


    As soon as they left the forest, the three of them were greeted by the sight of a large, open plain, and although it was still quite far away, they saw something that looked like a citadel as well.


    ¡°Is that Galedeite?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s the greatest fortress town in the Gaz Commonwealth. There is a cathedral belonging to the Church of the Divine King here where people worship the Hideo Holy Sword River, so this place is an important town in the Gaz Commonwealth, speaking from a religious perspective as well.¡±


    The Church of the Diving King.


    Yasuo had heard a little about that organization from Khalija.


    He had heard that it was an organization that had a long history of both good and evil deeds, just like its counterpart on Earth, and it was hence a ¡°holy place where wicked men gathered.¡± However, in the eyes of the general public, it probably served perfectly as the foundation for their daily prayers.


    That aside, he couldn¡¯t seem to get used to the name ¡°Hideo Holy Sword River,¡± no matter how many times he heard it, but encountering the name of his father in this fashion after being separated from him gave him a very strange feeling.


    ¡°Yasuo, you should hide your face as well, just in case. I don¡¯t think there are many people who know what Hideo looked like, but there might be a few people who remember.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Since their view had improved after leaving the forest, they could see things here and there that resembled wagons, slowly moving towards the fortress town.


    Yasuo and Shouko decided that it would be better to stay alert from on onwards, and put on the hoods that were attached to their greatcoats.


    Certainly, both of them were tense.


    However, despite that, they weren¡¯t able to suppress their anticipation.


    To put it shortly, going to another world meant interacting with a new society.


    It was a society that was not constrained by their own set of values and common sense.


    Before long, they had stabled the scaled dragon outside the city walls in a stable meant for that purpose, passed through the gate without any issues in particular, and Yasuo and Shouko beheld the town of Galedeite in the other world for the first time.


    ¡°It kind of¡­ doesn¡¯t feel like a town at all.¡± It was a town with a lot of shadows.


    Catalina widened her eyes at Shouko¡¯s whispered statement.


    ¡°You can tell?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a vague feeling. The whole place seems really dark, as if there¡¯s not enough sunlight.¡±


    Compared to the sunny plain they had crossed after leaving the forest, it felt like they had entered a man-made forest this time.


    The buildings were tall, the alleyways looked complicated, and there weren¡¯t many people out walking on the streets.


    Unlike the back alleys of Japan, even the entrance and exits of alleys here appeared to be


    perpetually shrouded in darkness.


    However, the town did not appear to be dirty or dilapidated.


    The alleys did not appear to be overflowing with garbage or have graffiti on the walls, and nor did they appear to be a gathering place of people who might be difficult to approach.


    In any case, both Yasuo and Shouko instinctively felt that this place was completely different from any ¡ºtown¡» that they knew.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we still have some time, so would you like to go sightseeing?¡±


    ¡°¡°Sightseeing?¡±¡±


    Both Yasuo and Shouko looked surprised on hearing that word.


    ¡°Shouko. Don¡¯t raise your head like that, even if you are surprised. No matter how small it is, the Shii¡¯s flame will still attract attention.¡±


    ¡°Ah, s-sorry.¡±


    Shouko panicked and pulled the hood even lower.


    The flame had reduced in size somewhat because she was walking close to Yasuo, but the two of them could not very well walk around town while constantly holding hands.


    She had to stay alert at all times.


    ¡°Remember all the things I told you about this country on our way here? I think you¡¯ll understand


    why you felt uncomfortable about this place after we do a little sightseeing and see what this town is famous for, Shouko. Both of you, follow me.¡±


    Saying that, Catalina stated walking ahead of them.


    ¡°This place is a fortress town, and during the war against Demon King Kaul, this place served as the de facto front line for this area. Also, this town is an important hub for travelers. That¡¯s the reason why this town ended up in this way. To begin with, let¡¯s go over there.¡±


    What Catalina pointed at after saying that was the tallest tower in their surroundings.


    ¡°Uwaaaah!!¡±


    Just how many times had she let out shouts of amazement since coming to this world?


    Shouko, who was standing on the edge of the terrace, was struck with amazement after seeing the magnificent view that filed her whole vision, something no artist could ever hope to reproduce.


    The tower was made of stone, and was approximately fifty meters tall.


    The terrace on the topmost floor of that tower offered an unbroken view of Galedeite¡¯s surroundings, and so it served as a viewing platform open to the public as well as a watchtower.


    Although they had left their luggage at a guard station on the first floor, climbing the steep stone steps was quite a challenge for Yasuo, as he was a boy from the modern age who was used to things like escalators and elevators. However, the view from the top most floor immediately made him forget about his fatigue.


    ¡°A-Amazing...¡±


    If you consider just the height of the tower, it was not something Yasuo and Shouko, who lived in a modern city close to the capital, found particularly astonishing.


    However, the sheer width and depth of the view was something that people who lived in modern Japan would probably never see.


    The view of the town of Galedeite below their feet was also marvelous, but what amazed the two of them the most was the vast amount of nature that surrounded the town.


    Their attention was wholly occupied by the forest, the plains, the mountains in the far-off distance, and the sky.


    The view from the top of the famous viewing platforms in Japan is one of an endless expanse of cities and towns, punctuated by scenic mountains.


    However, from this viewing platform, the boundary between the sky and the ground was clearly visible.


    ¡°Amazing, amazing, amazing!!¡±


    As soon as Shouko reached the topmost floor of that tower, she became incapable of saying anything except that, and the fact was that the view had such a big impact on the two of them that there was nothing else to say.


    ¡°That forest is the same one you live in, right, Catalina-san?¡±


    Catalina nodded when Yasuo pointed his finger towards it and asked that.


    ¡°Yes. Also, you can see it from here, right? That river that is cutting through the forest and flowing into the western side of the town is the one that your father created towards the end of the battle with the Demon King, the ¡ºHideo Holy Sword River¡».¡±


    ¡°Really, can¡¯t something be done about that name?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point saying that to me.¡±


    Seeing it from above, Yasuo could tell that the Hideo Holy Sword River was very wide and long.


    His father had said something about the river being created due to the demon¡¯s attacks in the middle of the battle, but it seemed to originate from a lot further away than the phrase ¡°flash food¡± would imply.


    The river appeared to originate far away, in the slightly hazy mountains that were on the far side


    of the forest that the two of them had spent so much time wandering through yesterday.


    If this river had not existed thirty years ago, just how wide-scale and bizarre must have the battle between his father and the demons been in order to create it?


    If you had to replicate the same thing with a modern weapon from Earth, there was no doubt that it would have to be something off the charts.


    ¡°I think it should be clear after seeing this, but there is nothing in the vicinity of this town that would hinder an invading army. Once the enemy gets over those mountains far, far away, they just need to travel in a straight line to get here. And to the rear of the town is just a vast, open plain that is open to traffic from both Resteria and Baskelgarde. That¡¯s why this town of Galedeite ended up in this form, like a turtle that has retreated into its shell.¡±


    The reason why the town looked so dark was because it was fated to serve as a stronghold in times of emergency.


    The town walls were tall, the buildings were crowded close to each other, and the alleys were narrow and complicated in order to confuse invaders.


    Even long before the war with Demon King Kaul, this town must have weathered many attacks


    due to its nature as an important checkpoint for traffic and an economic center.


    ¡°My destination is a little difficult to see from here; it¡¯s that market over there. The sacks that Yasuo left in the guard room earlier contain the same dried beans that were used to make the tea you drank this morning. As for your destination¡­¡­ considering the situation, I


    suppose it would be over there.¡±


    The place Catalina was pointing to was on the opposite side of the town from the market, and the viewing platform was located almost exactly in between the two. It was a building that was almost the same height as the viewing platform.


    Unlike the other buildings in the town that were crowded together, this building had a fair amount of empty space around it.


    ¡°What is that place?¡±


    Catalina answered Yasuo¡¯s question nonchalantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Galedeite headquarters of the Gaz Knights Division. If they learn that you are a family member of the Hero Hideo, they will likely give you a warm welcome and offer you their protection.¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    Yasuo unconsciously gulped.


    No matter how much he tried to control it, his body would stiffen every time she mentioned the name of his father; Yasuo wondered if she had seen through that.


    Yasuo asked Catalina a question, as if to cover that up.


    ¡°Catalina-san. What kind of social position do the Knights have in this country?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, if you look at the word ¡®Knight¡¯ in japanese, it basically refers to a soldier who fights from horseback, someone more extravagant than a foot soldier. However in reality they tend to be more than that, so...¡±


    Yasuo felt annoyed that he wasn¡¯t able to properly put it into words, but Shouko seemed to understand what he meant and continued from where he had stopped.


    ¡°The social position that accompanied the title of ¡ºKnight¡» in the world we came from differed greatly depending on the country and the era. I think what Yasu-kun is asking about is if they are akin to feudal lords who rule over a demesne, or if the title is honorary and given to people who are recognized by a ruler, or if they are career soldiers.¡±


    Catalina seemed to understand after hearing what Shouko said.


    ¡°In this country, ¡ºKnight¡» is the name of a profession, and the post does not imply any special social position or nobility. The Knights Division Headquarters in the capital city of the commonwealth oversees the activities of all the Knights, and in essence, all the ¡ºKnights¡» are actually ¡ºMagitech Knights¡». Their work consists of maintaining public order and defending the territory. Does that answer your question?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you very much.¡±


    In other words, if they sought protection at that place called the Galedeite Headquarters, they would not need to worry about being imprisoned by some local noble who was a Knight in name only.


    While he was thinking about that, he made eye contact with Catalina, who had a serious expression on her face.


    ¡°The two of you have had some fairly high standard of schooling, correct?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°During the short time it took for us to come here from the forest, I understood that the two of you possess fairly good knowledge about history, politics, mathematics, and economics.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    ¡°When I was talking to you about this country, neither of you asked me to clarify what a particular


    word meant, even once. For example, even many of the people who live in this country do not know what the word ¡ºrepublic¡» means.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t she rating them too highly?


    At the very least, neither Yasuo nor Shouko thought that their knowledge was particularly extensive, and any liberal arts student who took their exam preparations seriously or a student aiming to get into a national university would be able to follow a conversation of that level.


    When they meekly told her the same thing, Catalina looked amazed and slumped her shoulders.


    ¡°The fact that you can say that that is normal proves what an extraordinary place the other world is. There must be children like you all over the place, right?¡±


    ¡°¡°......¡±¡±


    Yasuo and Shouko unconsciously looked at each other.


    From their perspective, both Catalina and the town of Galedeite were worthy of admiration, due to their otherworld nature.


    People here could use magic as if it was the most natural thing in the world, could fly through the air, and had trained fantastic creatures to work for them.


    Why would people of this world who could do such amazing things ever see Japan as a threat?


    Catalina seemed to have guessed what the two of them were thinking about.


    ¡°Even if you search the length and breadth of Ante Lande, you won¡¯t find a single country where every child is able to go to school and receive an education. Do the two of you think that all the people in Ante Lande are capable of using sorcery or magic?¡±


    Yes, they had been thinking that.


    Yasuo discovered that he had developed that misapprehension in some corner of his heart, and he was shocked.


    ¡°In Ante Lande, the number of people who can use magic, become Magitech Knights, or even go to school and receive and education are limited to a select few. You can say that ever since the war with Demon King Kaul, that trend has increased even more¡­ This is a good opportunity, so there¡¯s one more place I want you to see before we go to the market. Although it might be a little too depressing to be called sightseeing.¡±


    Saying that, Catalina started to climb down from the tower.


    ¡°W-Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To see a scar from thirty years ago.¡± Catalina¡¯s answer was concise.


    ¡ù

 Volume 3, 3 - The Town of Beginnings Part 3

    Volume 3, Chapter 3 - The Town of Beginnings Part 3


    ¡°T-This place is...¡±


    Among all the buildings that lined the streets, that building in particular looked conspicuously old and run down.


    From the outside, it appeared to be a church or a chapel, and in this town filled with tall structures, it was one of the rare buildings that was only two storeys tall.


    They saw something that looked like a courtyard after passing through the rusted gates, but the ground was mostly bare with just a single seedy-looking tree growing on it. Overall, it made for an appearance that was not particularly inviting.


    Catalina pointed towards what looked like a nameplate that had been nailed perfunctorily to the wall that surrounded the building.


    ¡°It says ¡ºHouse of the Fireflies¡». Do you know what sort of insects fireflies are?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Since the insects are luminescent and there is no danger of them sparking off a fire or explosion, they are often used as a light source in deep coal mines.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡±


    Didn¡¯t Catalina mention a strange word just now?


    ¡°Of course, the light given off by fireflies is fairly useless. However, for the people who work in coal mines, that feeble light is enough for them to trust their lives to it. This is that kind of place.¡±


    Yasuo unconsciously put himself on guard. It was almost purely on reflex.


    Catalina just clearly mentioned the word ¡ºcoal mine¡».


    ¡°This is one of the facilities managed by the Carnelian of the Coal Mine, the organization that works to assist displaced refugees.¡±


    ¡°...!!¡±


    He went stiff and felt a chill run through his heart.


    The wariness he had kept bottled up within himself until now suddenly rose up and forced his heart to beat faster.


    Catalina¡¯s intelligent eyes were looking sideways at Yasuo who was drenched in a cold sweat.


    What exactly was it that lurked deep within her eyes?


    Had Catalina guessed that Shouko was the ¡ºLatch¡» as he had suspected, and brought her here


    to hand her over to the Carnelian of the Coal Mine?


    Could he take Shouko and escape from Catalina, who appeared to be capable of using magic?


    Just before Yasuo¡¯s panicked thoughts were about to explode¡­


    ¡°...!?¡±


    A shrill bell sounded within the ¡ºHouse of the Fireflies¡», and Yasuo, Shouko, and even Catalina unconsciously looked in that direction.


    The next instant.


    ¡°¡°¡°****!!¡±¡±¡±


    Where exactly had they been hiding?


    A large number of children suddenly appeared from the various alleyways and ran towards the ¡ºHouse of the Fireflies¡» each one fighting to be the first one there.


    ¡°Eh!? Eh!?¡± ¡°Uwaaaah!¡±


    The children who darted past their legs all looked shabby and underfed.


    However, they had a sharp and shrewd look in their eyes.


    ¡°Who were those kids¡­?¡±


    Instead of replying, Catalina just pointed in a certain direction.


    The children were sitting in a circle around that seedy-looking tree.


    While Yasuo was wondering what they were doing, an adult person appeared from within the ¡ºHouse of the Fireflies¡».


    It was an old woman who was wearing a long and threadbare robe.


    The woman had a basket hanging from one arm with bread that looked similar to what they had received from Catalina that morning, and the children were all staring directly at that basket of bread.


    One of the children tried to stretch out a hand towards that basket when the old woman was not looking.


    ¡°**!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Shouko unconsciously let out a small shout. The old woman kicked backwards at that child


    without even looking.


    The child who had been kicked fell flat on the ground, but didn¡¯t cry, and instead just directed a sulky look at the old woman.


    On the other hand, the old woman seemed to have good hearing as she head Shouko¡¯s exclamation, and she appeared to glare in their direction for a second from under her hood.


    Seeing that, Catalina bowed towards her.


    ¡°......¡±


    The old woman appeared to notice Catalina as well, and she slightly raised her heavily wrinkled eyelids, but she immediately turned back towards the children and started to say something to them.


    Yasuo could not understand a word of what the old lady was saying.


    It was probably the language used by the people of this region.


    Even though he could not understand the language, he could tell that her voice was not gentle by any measure.


    However, the children appeared to still listen to her attentively, and after a few minutes, she distributed the bread among them, one loaf per child.


    Of course, the child who had been kicked earlier also got a share.


    After the old woman finished distributing the bread among the children, she moved toward a corner of the courtyard.


    There was a well with a hand pump mechanism over there.


    The old woman said something to one of the children who appeared to be older than the other children in the group.


    The child she had spoken to finished eating their share, licked their hands as if unwilling to let


    a single crumb go to waste, and went over to the pump and started to move the handle up and down.


    Before long, water began to flow out of the mouth of the pump, and the children who had finished eating their bread rushed towards the pump, fighting to be the first one there, and drank the water while spilling it on themselves.


    Only after all that had happened did the old woman properly turn towards Catalina, and walked over in their direction with slow steps.


    ¡°......¡±


    Yasuo had started to feel very tense after hearing the name ¡°Carnelian of the Coal Mine,¡± but the sight he saw before him differed greatly from what he had imagined.


    No, perhaps this was the original nature of the organization¡­¡­


    ¡°****, Catalina!?¡±


    The old woman who eventually came to stand in front of them asked Catalina something, in a voice that was close to a shout.


    ¡°****¡±


    Catalina also replied to the old woman in the same language that Yasuo and Shouko could not understand.


    The two of them just waited while being tense and watched the conversation, and eventually the old woman turned to look at Yasuo and spoke.


    ¡°I see. I knew it the moment I saw him.¡± ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You are Hideo¡¯s son, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Her voice had some strange inflections, but she was still speaking clear Japanese.


    What¡¯s more, she declared that he was ¡ºHideo¡¯s son¡» without any doubt.


    Yasuo¡¯s panic born from suspicion once again flared up, but the old woman just sighed once and looked away from him.


    ¡°Hideo¡¯s son has come here from the other world. I wonder if war is going to break out again. That would be bad. We¡¯re already living on scraps as it is.¡±


    ¡°W-What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Haa? Isn¡¯t that obvious? The Hero, Hideo, was brought here by God because no human could stand up against the Demon King Kaul. And what is it exactly that is threatening to throw the world into chaos right now? It¡¯s the Shii, right? It is obvious that God has summoned you here because, once again, the people of Ante Lande cannot hope to win on their own.¡±


    It looked like this woman was fairly strange. The old woman seemed to have a dangerous


    personality, but despite the fact that she had declared that he was ¡ºHideo¡¯s son¡», she did not raise a fuss about it, and despite the fact that she


    was living in a facility run by the Carnelian of the Coal Mine, she did not attempt to hide her hatred of the Shii.


    This was an attitude that was wholly incompatible with what he had heard regarding people affiliated to the Carnelian of the Coal Mine, based on the information he had heard from Khalija.


    Yasuo, who was completely lost, looked towards Catalina, but she just spoke to the old woman in Japanese without even sparing him a glance.


    ¡°Are things really that bad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been thirty years since then, of course the support will dry up.¡±


    The old woman answered the question with a twisted expression, turned back towards the¡ºHouse of the Fireflies¡», and looked at the children who had filled buckets with with water and had started washing their clothes.


    ¡°The House of the Fireflies that once took care of two hundred people is now struggling to even feed a bunch of brats like them.¡±


    ¡°......Umm, those children, just who are...¡±


    Shouko, who had been silently observing the situation until now, muttered that question, and the old woman gave a concise answer.


    ¡°They are orphans.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­...¡±


    Shouko was unable to say another word at the weight of the truth contained in that short answer.


    ¡°They all have different circumstances. There are some children who were abandoned, and some whose parents died for whatever reason and they had no other relatives, and they all live in these back alleys. To put it in the same terms as Japan, this place is an almshouse.¡±


    ¡°Almshouse?¡±


    It was not a word Yasuo was familiar with, so he was not able to understand what that signified.


    It looked like the same was true for Shouko as well, as she showed a baffled expression after blinking a few times.


    ¡°This place isn¡¯t an orphanage?¡±


    ¡°To be called an orphanage, the institution would need enough leeway to provide those brats with a place to live, right? This place has neither the beds for them to sleep in nor sufficient food for them to eat. Right now, this place is a gathering spot for those brats, but it was originally an office for the purpose of helping the the war refugees from Torjesso to somehow get settled in Galedeite. Even if I wanted to take those brats in, I don¡¯t have the infrastructure required. And if I tried to make it official, I¡¯d just get hit with taxes and such.¡±


    ¡°No way¡­...¡±


    According to what the old woman told them, for ten years after the war with Demon King Kaul, the


    neighboring kingdoms and the Gaz


    Commonwealth themselves provided a considerable amount of support, due to which the Carnelian of the Coal Mine, including this House of the Fireflies, was able to provide a lot of help and support for the refugees.


    However in recent years, the fact that a lot of the refugees had become permanent settlers caused the amount of support to dwindle, and once the Shii started to appear, the government had no leeway to support the poor people anymore due to rising social tensions, and support for such causes had gone down all over the country.


    Due to the sharp decrease in the amount of support received, the Carnelian of the Coal Mine lost a fair bit of their organizational ability as well, and in the present situation, small facilities like this one were considered to be formerly associated with the Carnelian of the Coal Mine and communication with the main organization was


    basically non-existent. The day-to-day administration was seen to by the people who were originally the caretakers, such as this old woman, and they were keeping the facilities running with just whatever support they could gather from the local area.


    ¡°What sort of relation do you have with this House of Fireflies, Catalina-san¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°This woman is a pretty strange one. She keeps trying to send us money that she earned from her incomprehensible job of being an artist that just sounds like a bored noble¡¯s hobby.¡±


    The old woman¡¯s answer to Yasuo¡¯s question sounded quite spiteful, but Catalina just smiled.


    ¡°Director Kelly here has always been a shy person, although she denies it vehemently. During the war with Demon King Kaul, she provided support for my family, but despite that, she refuses to take any but the bare minimum of support from other people. I for one just want to help because she is the person who saved the lives of my family members, but it¡¯s so hard to even get her to accept my donations.¡±


    Not knowing if they were actually praising each other or being spiteful, the two young people could only stare at the two older women.


    The old woman, whose name was apparently Kelly, was not cowed by something of this level and she spoke as if spitting out something nasty.


    ¡°I have no intention of raising these children to have a mindset that someone will make it rain money if they are in a bad way. If all they do is to crawl on the ground and drink muddy water, then they will be shunned by society even after they


    become adults. By giving them the bare necessary amount of food and a place to clean their clothes, these brats can keep their self-dignity. That¡¯s good enough. These brats have already had a bad birth and upbringing, so they need to learn that the world won¡¯t save them even they get sulky. Too much support will only bring them harm.¡±


    From those words that Director Kelly spoke quickly, no matter how coarse her language was, her love for the children was easy to see.


    From her manner of speech, there was absolutely no hint of her willing to do something like controlling the Shii and misdirecting the self- respect of people.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s why...¡±


    Director Kelly one again looked at Yasuo and grabbed his shoulders with her thin arms.


    ¡°This is my request to you. Please, save this world.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t do something stupid like going around and spreading word of your existence. However, in return, if you have come to Ante Lande to take up the same mission as your father did in saving this world, then please protect the future that these brats will live in when they grow up to be adults. That is my only request¡­¡­¡±


    Perhaps that was something that could be called an entreaty.


    However, Yasuo could not bear to shoulder her feelings, even as a lie to make her feel better.


    That was because he had been shown many times that he did not have the strength required to do so.


    Perhaps she sensed his bewilderment, Director Kelly showed a surprisingly gentle smile.


    ¡°I see, you¡¯re a honest kid. My bad.¡±


    Saying that, she took her hands off from Yasuo¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°I heard that your father had a strong tendency to run away from things when he first came here as well. I get it, it can¡¯t be a nice feeling to be told all of a sudden that the fate of the world is in your hands. I hear that people in Japan are not considered adults by the society until they are fairly old. No matter, I¡¯ll just wait without hoping for too much.¡±


    ¡°O¡­Okay¡­¡­¡±


    All Yasuo could do was to give a vague nod. However, he got a more than adequate


    understanding of what Catalina wanted to show him here.


    It was one side of the reality of ¡ºthe other world, Ante Lande¡».


    Catalina should not have any idea that Yasuo and Shouko had ties to the the higher-ups in Resteria.


    However, despite that, she had attempted to dispel their misunderstandings about the society of this other world by showing them this reality.


    Of course, this did not mean that Yasuo and Shouko¡¯s goal would change.


    However, they were now acutely aware of the fact that this society in another world was still a fully-fledged society of humans that just had a different cultural background from Japan or any other country on Earth.


    ¡°......Your Japanese is quite good, Obaa-san.¡±


    When Shouko said that in the atmosphere that had become slightly more relaxed, Director Kelly snorted.


    ¡°Back in the old days of Carnelian, there were many cases where knowing the language of Hideo¡¯s hometown was a basic requirement to acquire the support of nobles and the like. There aren¡¯t many people who can speak it in Gaz, after all. By the way, you look like you are from Japan as well. Don''t tell me, are you Madoka Sugiura¡¯s daughter or something?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, I am¡­¡­¡±


    When Shouko shook her head, Yasuo felt a moment of indecision.


    The name Madoka Sugiura had appeared in the conversation all of a sudden.


    Should he just go ahead and reveal that that was his mother¡¯s name? Just the fact that he was Hideo¡¯s son was enough to make Director Kelly entrust the future of the children to him.


    If she were to find out that he was the son of the Hero and the Sage, he might never be able to go back to Japan.


    However, that moment of indecision turned out to be a blessing.


    ¡°*****?¡±


    They suddenly heard the voice of a man who was calling out in their direction.


    Yasuo suddenly lifted his head and looked in that direction, and Shouko unconsciously hid behind Yasuo.


    He appeared to be in the first half of his twenties. He was one head taller than Yasuo, and had a robust body and gentle features.


    Although Yasuo had never seen its like before, the thing the man had hanging from the belt of his well-ordered uniform was something even he could easily identify as a ¡ºTechno Weapon¡» that had the shape of a sword.


    He was a Magitech Knight of the Gaz Commonwealth.


    ¡°** Catalina!¡±


    It looked like the Magitech Knight knew Catalina, as his face lit up with a smile and he rushed towards her.


    Catalina also smiled and gripped his proffered hand, and returned some sort of greeting to him.


    Yasuo made sure that Shouko was hidden behind him just in case, and asked Catalina in a low voice.


    ¡°Who is this person¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ah, this man is a Magitech Knight of the garrison here in Galedeite. His name is Feigreid, and his rank is Sergeant Major.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see we are speaking in Japanese now.¡±


    After Catalina introduced the young Magitech Knight to Yasuo, the man who had been called Feigreid also suddenly began talking in Japanese.


    ¡°It is good that we ran into you here, Sergeant Major Feigreid. We had planned on visiting the office at Headquarters later. Will you be at the office today?¡±


    ¡°If you just say the word, I think even the Lieutenant Colonel would keep me in Headquarters until your business is complete. Is it important?¡±


    Feigreid was speaking very politely to Catalina. That was not particularly strange, seeing as Catalina was older than him, but if the ¡ºLieutenant Colonel¡» whom he mentioned was his superior or the person who was in charge of that place called the headquarters, then perhaps Catalina had far


    more influence than Yasuo had suspected.


    ¡°I actually wanted to consult you about a request I have for the Knights Division. The matter is quite important, however, so I will explain the details later at Headquarters. I have some business I need to finish in the town first¡­ let¡¯s see, can we meet in the afternoon?¡±


    ¡°I understand. I will wait for you there. By the way...¡±


    Feigreid looked at Yasuo and Shouko who were standing behind Catalina with their hoods pulled


    low over their faces. ¡°Ah, these two?¡±


    Catalina turned around as if she just remembered that they were tere.


    ¡°They are actually relatives of a certain venerable person, so they are keeping a low profile while I show them around Galedeite. I¡¯ll introduce them to you later when we meet at Headquarters. Is that fine, you two?¡±


    ¡°......Yes.¡±


    ¡°......T-Thank you.¡±


    Yasuo and Shouko felt very uneasy because they could not introduce themselves right away despite the fact that they were standing right in front of him, but they were also discomfited by having a Magitech Knight staring seriously at their them in the middle of the town like this.


    Feigreid didn¡¯t seem to mind it much, however, and he straightened his posture and gave what appeared to be the Gaz Commonwealth¡¯s salute.


    ¡°I am Feigreid Rubiz, a knight assigned to the garrison here in Galedeite. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    It was a self-introduction with an extremely refreshing and sincere attitude.


    Due to the that, the two of them just grew increasingly discomfited, but managed a polite reply.


    ¡°¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you...¡±¡±


    They spoke at the same time and bowed deeply. ¡°So, what business does the great Magitech


    Knight have in a place like this?¡±


    At that point, Director Kelly saw her opportunity and inserted herself into their conversation.


    As usual, her manner of speaking was acerbic, however, there was an undeniable joy in her voice.


    Feigreid also looked like he was used to it, and he pulled out a bag from inside his shirt and tossed it in Director Kelly¡¯s direction.


    As Director Kelly caught it, a fairly heavy sound of metal could be heard.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want my little brothers and sisters to go hungry.¡±


    Saying that, Feigreid slumped his shoulders. ¡°This mother of mine is as frugal as they come,


    so if I don''t give her an allowance she won¡¯t even eat properly. Actually, I was finally promoted to Second Lieutenant recently so I have a fair bit of leeway in my finances now.¡±


    In contrast to the straight-laced impression he had initially given, he now spoke in a very casual tone.


    ¡°Oh my. Congratulations!¡±


    Catalina looked between Feigreid and Director Kelly and gave a small smile, and Yasuo and


    Shouko understood that this was a standard conversation between these people.


    ¡°Feigreid-san, are you from the House of the Fireflies as well?¡±


    ¡°Hey, what kind of question is that. We don¡¯t raise brats here, we just feed them.¡±


    Director Kelly spoke as soon as Shouko asked that question as if trying to interrupt her, but Feigreid spoke over her as well.


    ¡°Yes, I am. Mother saw that I was particularly clever, so she zealously taught me what I would need to enter the Knights Division. Learning Japanese was a part of that as well.¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just what I think. Mother doesn¡¯t accept it.¡±


    ¡°I see she¡¯s the same as ever.¡±


    Catalina smiled once more, and Director Kelly made a face like she had swallowed a bitter bug.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all you came here for, then hurry up and go back!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yes, I understand. Well then, Catalina- san and the two of you as well, I look forward to meeting you this afternoon.¡±


    Feigreid said that with a wry smile and bowed to Director Kelly and the rest of them, and walked away towards an alley with a bearing suitable for a soldier.


    ¡°Seriously, that boy always talks too much! By the way, Catalina! What exactly did you even come here for!?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say it earlier? I was showing these esteemed children around the town and just dropped by to say hello.¡±


    ¡°Hmmph. I see, so you want to paint a picture of these kids and make another fortune, right!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. If I can sell it for a high price, I¡¯ll consider making a donation to the House of the Fireflies.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what is called ¡ºcounting your hippos


    before they hatch3¡» in Japanese?¡± ¡°¡°Pfft.¡±¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny!?¡± ¡°¡°S-Sorry...¡±¡±


    Both Yasuo and Shouko couldn¡¯t hold in their laughter at Director Kelly¡¯s bizarre mistake, but they apologized in earnest when they provoked her wrath.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    At some point, the children had come to stand beside Director Kelly and were looking at the three of them with half-curious and half-fearful gazes.


    ¡°H-Hello...¡±


    Shouko bent down a little and waved her hand while making sure that the flame in her eye could not be seen, but there children didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°U-Umm, do these children not know Japanese¡­?¡±


    ¡°These brats can barely read the language of their own country, you think they¡¯d be able to speak a language from another world?¡±


    ¡°I-I see, that¡¯s right. Umm, we¡¯re not suspicious people or anything...¡±


    ¡°¡°¡°.........¡±¡±¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I guess that sounds pretty suspicious.¡±


    Even though Shouko tried speaking to them in a cheerful voice, she only received expressionless faces or suspicious looks.


    Moreover, since Shouko had let go of Yasuo¡¯s hand, she had to ensure that her face was covered to prevent the flame in her eye from being seen and couldn¡¯t make eye contact with them at all, so that result might have been unavoidable.


    ¡°If you want to appeal to the brats, bring them something to eat.¡±


    ¡°Something to eat¡­ But the snacks and bento I have are nowhere near enough for all the children, and we¡¯re basically penniless right now¡­...¡±


    In contrast to the children¡¯s cold response, Shouko was worrying about them earnestly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point worrying about it. To these children, the two of us probably just look like strange outsiders. I think at the most they just trust


    that we are not bad people because they saw us speaking to the Director.¡±


    Yasuo said that in a consoling tone, and Director Kelly also nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides, if you underestimate them because they¡¯re brats, you¡¯ll regret it. Even I have no idea what sort of trouble they get up to in the town.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d really like to believe that that isn¡¯t the case, though.¡±


    Children who live on the streets after losing their parents have limited choices in what they can do to rebuild their lives.


    Among them, there might be a few who take up criminal activities like pickpocketing.


    However, Galedeite did not seem to be a town with such lax security, so it should be unlikely that they would actually do something to Yasuo and Shouko¡­


    ¡°Like I said, that sort of thinking is too naive. You there!¡±


    When Yasuo was thinking that aloud, Director Kelly suddenly grabbed a boy who was standing a little away from the other children who had gathered around them, and forcibly dragged him towards her by the back of his neck.


    ¡°Eh? Wh-What...¡±


    Yasuo was taken aback at Director Kelly¡¯s sudden actions.


    ¡°Show me what¡¯s in your pockets!¡±


    The boy had washed his shirt using the well water, but his pants were still covered in soot.


    Looking closely, they could see that the boy had something rectangular in one of his frayed pockets, and Director Kelly forcibly pulled it out of his pocket despite his resistance.


    ¡°Ah!?¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s eyes opened wide when he saw what it was.


    What Director Kelly had snatched away from the boy was nothing other than Yasuo¡¯s Slimphone.


    ¡°Oh my. I suppose he took it earlier when the bell rang and they came running towards us.¡±


    Yasuo also remembered after Catalina said that. A large number of children had darted past their legs when the bell rang in the House of the


    Fireflies.


    So his Slimphone had been pickpocketed at that time?


    ¡°Hmm. What is this thing? It looks like strange slate, but is this one of the mysterious tools from Japan?¡±


    From the way the boy was shouting at Director Kelly, he appeared to be angry that his catch had


    been taken away from him. However, she just let go of his neck and delivered a blow to the top of his head, and returned the Slimphone to Yasuo.


    ¡°This is a one-time deal. The next time you let your guard down, I won¡¯t help you out.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you...¡±


    ¡°It would be too hard to bear if you lost interest in saving this town because that slate was stolen from you, after all.¡±


    Director Kelly said that, and it appeared that she was already seeing him as a prospective savior who had come from another world, just like Hideo.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have the intention or power to do something like that¡­ but¡­...¡±


    Yasuo looked from the boy¡¯s resentful gaze to the Slimphone in his hand, and gritted his teeth.


    And then, he took a step forward, and bent down in front of the boy who had pickpocketed him.


    ¡°......?¡±


    Yasuo brought his Slimphone closer to the boy who was looking at him suspiciously.


    ¡°!?¡±


    All of a sudden, music started to issue from the Slimphone¡¯s speaker, and the boy, the other children, and even Catalina and Director Kelly were taken aback.


    ¡°What was that? It didn¡¯t sound like the music from a music box¡­?¡±


    Catalina said that in a surprised tone. ¡°It¡¯s just that kind of tool.¡±


    Yasuo gave a brief explanation, and beckoned towards Shouko.


    While the others were still surprised, Yasuo showed Shouko the screen without letting any of the others see it, and after seeing what was on it, Shouko looked at him with a slightly surprised expression.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll give it a shot. It¡¯s been a while, but I should be able to manage while looking at the lyrics. Yeah.¡±


    Despite her face going a little red, Shouko understood what Yasuo intended to do and touched the replay button on the screen.


    When she did that, the gentle melody of


    ¡ºHometown4¡» started to fill their surroundings. On his Slimphone, Yasuo had downloaded a


    large number of practice songs back when he was still in the Choir Club that no longer existed, and he had many recordings of practice songs as well.


    That song was once loved by the people for its representation of Japan¡¯s roots. However, in this day and age, there were probably not many people who spent their childhood, as the lyrics of the song went, ¡ºchasing rabbits and fishing for carp¡».


    In the current era, Yasuo felt that if anything, the song served as a symbolic reminder that was different for everyone, and served to remind each individual of their own childhood.


    Shouko took the lead, and Yasuo supported her by taking the bass line, and the two of them sang the relaxed lyrics of the song.


    First, they sang of their childhood, then they sang of their memories of their parents and friends, and finally they sang about how the best kind of success is the success you bring back to your hometown.


    The children of the House of the Fireflies were certainly not living a blessed life.


    However, they still had adults who loved and cherished them, and there would be people like Feigreid who achieved success in life and cared for their juniors.


    Yasuo felt that the song ¡ºHometown¡» perfectly suited the children from the House of the Fireflies.


    By the time the relaxing melody ended, the children had a slight, but definite, look of curiosity in their eyes about the mysterious tool and Shouko and Yasuo¡¯s mixed chorus.


    ¡°***!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    A little girl who kept looking between Yasuo, Shouko, and the Slimphone, shouted something


    while tugging on Yasuo¡¯s great coat. ¡°***!¡± ¡°***!¡± ¡°***!¡± ¡°W-What?¡±


    After that, the other children also started to shout the same word one after the other, causing Yasuo to become confused.


    ¡°They are saying, ¡®Once more.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Once more? I wonder if it¡¯s fine to sing the same song again.¡±


    ¡°Singing the same song would be fine, but I think a different song would make them even happier.¡±


    After hearing Catalina say that, Yasuo took back his Slimphone from Shouko and started to search for a song that would not be too difficult for Shouko to sing.


    ¡°Find something which has the lyrics displayed, please.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know, but¡­¡±


    Since they could not connect to the internet, Shouko would not be able to use her own Slimphone to confirm the lyrics of songs that she barely remembered.


    However, the majority of the songs on Yasuo¡¯s Slimphone were just audio files, so he was not sure what to do.


    ¡°Do you remember this one? The set piece from the chorus competition in middle school.¡±


    ¡°Ah, this one. Yeah, compared to the others, it should be fine.¡±


    Completely different from the previous song, a rhythmic melody started to play and while the children, Director Kelly, and Catalina once again widened their eyes in amazement, Yasuo and Shouko lightly tapped their feet in time to the beat and started to hum the melody.


    It was a cheerful ballad5 of a monster that traveled along with a human caravan because it wished to see the ocean.


    The cheerful rhythm appeared to lift the spirits of the children from Galedeite as well, as a few of them started jumping up and down in concert with Yasuo and Shouko who continued to tap their feet.


    Eventually, the boy who had originally pickpocketed Yasuo¡¯s Slimphone also couldn¡¯t resist, and he joined the other children as they started to either sing or shout in tune with the song from a foreign land which was in a language they had never heard before.


    ¡°They never say a word of thanks to me despite the fact that I give them bread every day, and now look at these stupid brats.¡±


    Director Kelly snorted like she was displeased, but her eyes never left the group of children and Yasuo, who was at the center of them.


    ¡°They¡¯ve just grown used to your affection. But they will remember it once they grow older, like Feigreid.¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty aggravating in its own way.¡±


    Catalina looked at the tool that was playing music using some mysterious ability, and the young boys and girls who were singing and dancing.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°He possesses barely any mana. If not for that face of his, no one would believe that he is Hideo¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°Well, despite what I said earlier, I don¡¯t really believe it either.¡±


    ¡°Even so¡­ he is using his own power to make the children smile, as if it¡¯s the natural thing to do. I wonder if it¡¯s in his blood after all.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s just because he was brought up well? Still, I won¡¯t deny that it might be a talent that is rare in this current world of ours. More than that, I am curious about that young girl.¡±


    ¡°......So you noticed it after all?¡±


    ¡°Well of course, given that we were talking while standing so close to each other. It keeps increasing and decreasing in size every time she


    moves farther or closer to the boy, it just stands out even more that way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to warn them about that. What about the children?¡±


    ¡°The brats have never seen that before, so even if they catch a glimpse of it, they shouldn¡¯t know what it means.¡±


    ¡°About that...¡±


    ¡°If I was going to make a fuss about that, I would have done it long ago. There must be some circumstances behind it, right? I¡¯m not so young that I would go sticking my head into such troublesome things.¡±


    ¡°......Thank you.¡±


    The two of them were looking at the hood that Shouko still wore low over her eyes.


    No matter how much she tried to hide her eyes with a hood, from the angle that the children were looking at her, it should have been apparent at a glance.


    The girl who had a black flame burning in her eye.


    The children were not afraid simply because they didn¡¯t know what it was.


    ¡°What are you going to do? If you take someone like her to Feigreid, you can¡¯t complain even if he throws her in prison right away.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will properly explain the circumstances to him.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine and all, but even I¡¯ve gotten a message from the Foreman after a long time asking me to send her any information I come across regarding the Shii, so that she can trade that information with the parliament of the Commonwealth in return for more support. That girl isn¡¯t as safe as you people seem to think. The fear of the Shii is growing more tangible as the days pass, and there¡¯s no telling when some bastard will find fault with the girl and stab her in the back.¡±


    ¡°......I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    Director Kelly slumped her shoulders like she found the whole matter to be boring, walked up to the group of children who were pestering Yasuo and Shouko to sing another song, and set about the task of forcibly pulling them away from the two of them.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, any more and they are going to start charging you money to listen. And you two as well, if you are performers, then stop putting on a show for free!¡±


    ¡°P-Performers?¡±


    ¡°You play music from some strange contraption, sing, and dance. What else am I


    supposed to call you, if not performers? Ah! Which one of you brats just kicked me!?¡±


    All the children unanimously shouted abuses at Director Kelly who barged in to interrupt their fun time, but Director Kelly just glared at the two of them¡­ or rather, she glared at Shouko.


    ¡°You two, it¡¯s not really a good time for you to attract attention, is it? If some strange person comes to see what all the fuss is about and makes a report to the guards, it¡¯s not going to end well.¡±


    Both Yasuo and Shouko were taken aback when they saw Director Kelly point at her left eye.


    Director Kelly had realized it, and in spite of that, she had trusted Shouko for the sake of the children.


    She had trusted that Shouko was really a human being.


    ¡°......I¡¯m sorry. That was careless of me.¡±


    Shouko immediately apologized, and once again adjusted her hood so it covered her face.


    ¡°You two are staying with Catalina right now, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t do anything that would cause trouble for her. Also...¡±


    Director Kelly sniffled once and picked up a child who was sticking close to her legs.


    ¡°The next time you come here, make sure you are able to show these kids your faces. If you do that, I will at least serve you tea.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes!!¡±


    Shouko said that in a trembling voice, and Yasuo also bowed to her.


    Catalina judged that it was an appropriate time and came to put her hands on their shoulders, and the three of them turned away from the House of the Fireflies.


    Yasuo, who had once again picked up Catalina¡¯s luggage suddenly turned around, and saw that the children were standing as a group near Director Kelly and were shouting something to him while waving their hands energetically.


    ¡°They are saying, ¡®Come again.¡¯¡±


    Both Yasuo and Shouko felt tears rise up in their eyes after hearing Catalina¡¯s translation and they pulled their hoods even lower over their eyes, but they did still properly wave back to the children and Director Kelly as they walked away from the House of the Fireflies.

 Volume 3, Interlude - 3

    Volume 3, Interlude ¨C 3


    ¡°It takes money to operate the Gate Tower, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it is about three percent of the country¡¯s yearly budget.¡±


    ¡°I understand why Dad and Shouko-san had to go, but Onii-chan is basically just going there for sightseeing, was it really okay to spend all that money on him? Of course, I understand that it is for Shouko-san¡¯s sake, to make her feel more at ease. But since you are spending money from the country¡¯s budget, I was just wondering, is it really okay to be so lenient? It comes from the taxes paid by the citizens, right? Won¡¯t they find it troublesome?¡±


    ¡°Taxes?¡±


    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s not? That¡¯s what I heard from Diana-san, though.¡±


    ¡°Aah, I suppose that depends on how you put it. It¡¯s true that it takes the equivalent of nearly three percent of the country¡¯s annual budget to operate the Gate Tower. But it¡¯s not like the country pays for each and every single trip.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°For example, let us assume that Resteria¡¯s annual budget is one hundred trillion yen. three percent of that would be three trillion yen, right? Who do you think has to pay that three trillion yen for it to be counted as ¡ºthree percent of the country¡¯s annual budget¡» ?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I am fairly certain that the Krone family is paying the entire expense for all three of them for this trip. In other words, the funds are from the personal assets of Her Excellency Erijina, Dianaze¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°Haah!? Three trillion yen, from her personal assets!?¡±


    ¡°Well, the three trillion figure was just an example, and the currency conversion rates are also completely different, so I don¡¯t think it is actually as expensive as it looks to a Japanese person like you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to lecture Onii-chan and Shouko-san when they get back.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already getting to have fun and eat delicious things over there, as his little sister I can¡¯t forgive him for doing all of that on someone else¡¯s dime!¡±


    ¡°No, I doubt they are spending all their time only on having fun¡­¡±


    ¡°Even though I have more talent for sorcery!!¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­ So you were feeling jealous.¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m jealous! I wanted to go and look around there as well! I mean, a trip to another world where your safety is guaranteed is bound to be fun, no matter what happens! Aarrrrgh! Why do I have to spend my time going to school while Onii-chan is going on dates with Diana-san and Shouko-san!!?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

 Volume 3, 4 - A New Threat Part 1

    Volume 3, Chapter 4 ¨C A New Threat Part 1


    Galedeite¡¯s Central Market was surrounded by a fairly short wall.


    The wall had a number of gates interspersed along it, where soldiers were standing guard. Catalina handed one of them some money and received what appeared to be a wooden token in return.


    ¡°Yasuo, can you please hold on to my bag for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sure. Do people need to pay to gain admission to the market?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I am not a resident of Galedeite, so I need to pay a tax to buy or sell anything in this market. This wooden token serves as proof that I have paid the tax, and as long as I carry this, it also means that I do not have to pay any further taxes while inside the market that are levied on residents of the town.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s something like a consumption tax?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. It¡¯s probably something like foreigners being exempt from local taxes. Yasu-kun, do you want me to hold one of those?¡±


    ¡°Shouko, wait.¡±


    Seeing Yasuo carrying three large sacks all by himself, Shouko felt sorry for him and was about to take one of them from him, when both Catalina and the gate guard shot sharp looks in her direction.


    ¡°If you carry that, we¡¯ll just have to pay even more money. Yasuo, I¡¯m sorry, but please carry them by yourself from here on.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, yes¡­¡±


    The guard didn¡¯t take his eyes off them while the three of them passed through the gate.


    Shouko briefly wondered if the guard had seen the flames of the Shii in her eye, but after she saw Catalina give a small sigh of relief, she understood that that was not the case.


    ¡°Since there is only one person carrying the items that will be traded, we only have to pay the tax for one person ¡ª that is basically the rule here.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°If you had taken one of those sacks, Shouko, it would have counted as two people in total who were looking to do business. If that happened, we would have needed to pay four times the tax. That is the rule.¡±


    ¡°W-What kind of rule is that? What¡¯s the point of such a rule¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the most efficient method to collect taxes. I¡¯m sure the two of you understand why I, a person who is not a resident of Galedeite, have to pay a tax in order to use the market, right?¡±


    Yasuo and Shouko looked at each other when they were asked that question.


    The people of Japan had a bad habit of attempting to evade taxes where possible because it was seen as money being taken away by the government, and talking a lot about the various methods to do so and their rate of success without really trying to understand them in more detail, but Yasuo, who studied about modern society as part of his third year social studies curriculum in high school, thought about the question seriously.


    Before long, he arrived at an answer.


    ¡°Maybe it is for the protection of merchants who reside inside this town that is basically fortress? So the money paid to the guard at the entrance to the market was not an entry fee, but rather the minimum amount of import tax.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    In preparation for a scenario where popular goods were brought in from outside to compete with the existing items in Galedeite¡¯s market, they were levying a tax based on the quantity of the products being brought in from outside the town.


    By doing that, they could ensure that the price of such items would not differ greatly from the items already being sold in the market.


    Seeing as the tax would increase dramatically if two people carried the merchandise, they probably had a separate way of calculating the tax for when items were carried in on a wagon as well.


    The import tax served to dissuade merchants from flooding the market with a large number of products from outside the city.


    On the other hand, making it too hard to bring in items from outside would just cause a different set of problems, so the tax was specially reduced for small businesses that only traded an amount of products that could be carried by a single person.


    The truth was that the large number of various street hawkers and people like Catalina who did not conduct trade as their main source of income also greatly supported the lives of the people living in Galedeite.


    Even if they reduced the taxes for each individual, they could make up for it due to the large number of such small-time businesses.


    Of course, they would properly take a large amount of tax money from merchants who brought in a large number of products.


    While Yasuo was talking about that to himself, Shouko also understood and accepted what he said, but there was still one thing she had a question about.


    ¡°In that case, why didn¡¯t they just collect the import tax at the town gates? The toll we paid to enter the town wasn¡¯t all that high, right?¡±


    ¡°Probably because it is an important travel hub that is sandwiched between two large world powers. The fact that this country is a republic probably has a lot to do with it as well. Moreover, I guess that the method of collecting the taxes changes all the time depending on who holds power in the parliament.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡±


    Catalina affirmed Yasuo¡¯s hypothesis in a tone filled with admiration.


    An important travel hub would usually have a toll checkpoint where they would thoroughly evaluate everything from bootlaces to every last nail on a wagon and collect the appropriate amount of tax in order to let the town prosper. However, the Gaz Commonwealth was on the verge of exhaustion after the war with Demon King Kaul, and they did not have the military resources to oppose the major world powers, Resteria and Baskelgarde.


    Moreover, the Gaz Commonwealth was in a position wherein they would have to depend on either one of those countries for support in case of a crisis, and so they could not levy high taxes on them as that could lead to an increase in political pressure from both countries.


    And besides, there was already a trend of reducing economic activity due to the threat from the Shii, and in such a scenario, continuing to collect the entire tax at the town gates could not really be considered to be a smart way of going about it.


    This balance was particularly important for fortress towns that did not have any intention of increasing the amount of available land, unless they were willing to invest in large-scale building and improvement of their walls like Galedeite.


    If they were too strict, they would run into shortages of products, which would lead to black market trading growing more rampant.


    This method of tax collection would would most likely be flexibly tweaked in the future as well, based on factors such as protecting the interests of craftsmen who lived inside the city, maintaining public order, and maintaining a balance with nearby towns neighboring countries.


    ¡°In fact, there are opinions that the country should raise the taxes to a more standard level and in return open up the markets more for other industries and imported goods, and thereby boost the economy within country. Right now, neither the parliament of the country nor the governance in the fortress towns are able to settle matter. It is as if every time they decide on one thing, something else breaks down.¡±


    ¡°It was the same with the House of the Fireflies as well, but it all seems similar to the stuff you hear about on the news in Japan. It seems you can¡¯t escape from taxes even in a world of swords and magic.¡±


    Neither Yasuo nor Shouko had the slightest amount of interest in settling down permanently in Ante Lande, but they were once again forced to understand how harsh the world of adults could be, even if that was in fact in a different world.


    Speaking of taxes, during the middle ages on Earth, there was apparently a large tax levied on people who lived in towns for water supply. Going by that, it was not hard to imagine that the House of the Fireflies, which had a well inside the property, must be burdened with that kind of tax as well.


    Despite that, the reason why they did not abandon that property and that house was because even a single water pipe would make it easier for the children to stay clean, and because of the monetary support provided by Catalina and Feigreid.


    ¡°Oh well, nothing will change even if we stand around here talking about it amongst ourselves. Let¡¯s put the weighty considerations aside and have lunch, although it¡¯s a little early.¡±


    Catalina said that to cheer the two of them up, and once again started walking ahead of them.


    They walked to a corner of the market where there was a shop that looked like warehouse, and once they reached it, Catalina took the bags that Yasuo was carrying and handed them over to the middle-aged shop owner.


    Yasuo and Shouko couldn¡¯t tell whether the price fetched by the three sacks of tea beans was high or low, but Catalina looked fairly satisfied with the sale.


    At that moment, the sound of gentle bells echoed throughout the market, and Catalina told them that the sound signified that it was noon.


    ¡°That sound was kind of strange, though.¡±


    Shouko looked around restlessly.


    ¡°Rather than a bell, it sounded like the chimes used in school.¡±


    After she said that, Yasuo also felt that the sound did not come directly from a bell tower somewhere, but instead, it somewhat resembled the sound of chimes that were played over speakers throughout a school.


    It sounded like an electronic tone, although in this case, it may be more accurate to say it sounded like a Magitech tone.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s probably the reason you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Catalina was pointing at what looked like a round object affixed to the top of a utility pole.


    ¡°The sound of the bells comes from that round thing on top of the pole. This is related to the tax collection we were speaking of earlier as well, but this town is fairly strict about being on time. However, with all the crowded buildings around here, the sound from a regular bell tower won¡¯t reach very far, so they use Magitech engineering to transmit the sound in that way.¡±


    Hearing that, they understood that it was basically the same thing as a school chime, except for the fact that it used sorcery to work.


    ¡°It will ring loudly once more in the evening. Once that bell rings, the market and all business except for a select few will have to close for the day, and unless they have a special permit, people will no longer be allowed to enter or leave through the town gates.¡±


    Perhaps it was similar to the five o¡¯clock chime[1] in Japan that urges children to return to their homes.


    Apart from that fact that all the systems used mana as a power source, it looked like Ante Lande as a whole was blessed with a fairly rapid rate of technological development.


    Yasuo remembered hearing from Diana that the comparatively more developed regions had escalators, and they also had the technology to record audio and video on 8mm tapes.


    Thinking about it that way, perhaps the gap in technological development between Japan and Ante Lande was a lot smaller than Yasuo had originally imagined.


    No, if you consider how the use of magic and sorcery had become commonplace to a certain extent, Ante Lande already surpassed Japan in some respects..


    ¡°Looking at this, I feel like I can understand how Diana-san and Khalija-san got used to living in Japan so quickly.¡±


    Shouko said that in a low tone so that Catalina would not hear, and Yasuo agreed with her wholeheartedly.


    ¡°Right then, it¡¯s time for lunch. The plaza over there has benches that we can use freely, so let¡¯s secure a spot and go buy something.¡±


    ¡°Ah, please wait.¡±


    Shouko stopped Catalina who seemed to be in high spirits.


    ¡°My bento will go bad if I don¡¯t eat it by today, so I don¡¯t need anything.¡±


    ¡°Bento?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I prepared it before we came here¡­ I-I mean, I prepared it to eat for lunch with him.¡±


    Shouko nearly forgot that the two of them were supposed to be lovers, and they were supposed to have been on a date before coming to this other world.


    As Shouko had picked the ingredients for the bento without considering that the food would have to stay fresh for a while, she thought that she should eat it as soon as possible.


    ¡°Eh? You mean that is food from Japan!? Really!?¡±


    Catalina looked at Shouko¡¯s bag with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°Ante Lande has Japanese-style food as well, you know.¡±


    Not only Shouko, but even Yasuo had not heard about that before.


    ¡°Really!?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The cooking techniques of the Great Sage Madoka Sugiura who came from the same world as the Hero Hideo have spread throughout the land.¡±


    ¡°Pfft.¡±


    Yasuo unintentionally let out a snort of laughter.


    Now that he thought about it, he remembered hearing on some occasion that his mother¡¯s cooking had been inherited by Resteria¡¯s Knights Division, and that it was still quite popular.


    He had also heard that his mother had single-handedly taken up the job of cooking the meals during the time when she had traveled with Hideo, Erijina, and Alexei.


    However, he had not imagined that it had spread throughout the world with the label of ¡ºJapanese-style food¡».


    If he told this mother that, she might feel overcome by a sense of responsibility and start to mope.


    Also, he would now have to properly say what he had not been able to say earlier.


    ¡°Umm, Catalina-san¡­ I was curious about it earlier as well, but the Madoka Sugiura you mentioned¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah, she was one of your father¡¯s comrades, and fought against Demon King Kaul by his side¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my mother¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    For some reason, Catalina¡¯s expression suddenly stiffened.


    No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that her expression twisted.


    Catalina, who usually had a clever and intelligent air about her, was furrowing her eyebrows so much that even the skin on her nose was wrinkled, and her mouth was set in a twisted expression. After seeing that, Yasuo feared that he had made some sort of a blunder.


    ¡°Ah¡­ well¡­ I suppose that makes sense.¡±


    However, her twisted expression that looked like one of deep resentment faded along with her sigh, and she slumped her shoulders as if she was dejected.


    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s like that after all. I guess that¡¯s only obvious. Fufufu¡­¡±


    ¡°C-Catalina-san?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem like it was nothing, no matter how you looked at it. However Catalina was giving off a vibe that implied that she would not entertain any more questions on the matter.


    Yasuo had expected a more surprised reaction to the fact that the Hero Hideo and The Rainbow Sage were married, so her current reaction was not quite what he had expected. However, it might have just been the case that Catalina didn¡¯t really care too much about such things.


    In any case, he had managed to raise the subject of his mother in a very natural and calm manner, so he could put that matter to rest.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s focus on lunch for now. Haa¡­¡±


    Shouko also was not able to hide her confusion at Catalina¡¯s behaviour, who was quite obviously not concentrating on lunch at all. However, Shouko still held her bento box out towards Catalina and opened the lid.


    ¡°Shouko, if you¡¯re okay with it, can I have a taste of what real Japanese-style food tastes like? In return, I¡¯ll treat you to some food from this market that is famous for being the most delicious.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Although this doesn¡¯t really count as proper Japanese-style food at all.¡±


    As Shouko¡¯s bento had been prepared yesterday, there was quite a bit of condensation inside the box and the contents looked wilted.


    However, even Yasuo, who knew nothing about cooking, could tell that the food was prepared while taking the appearance and nutritional balance into account, and she had even taken into consideration the fact that she would be eating it on the move inside the Gate Tower, despite the fact that she had made that bento for herself.


    The box was double-layered, and the top compartment contained the side dishes.


    They consisted of fried chicken, cherry tomatoes, and what appeared to be frozen shumai.


    It had already deviated quite a bit from traditional Japanese-style food by this point, but as for what came next, there was no way to put it but to say that it was as expected of the daughter from the Restaurant Saburo.


    Thick slices of tamagoyaki that still looked like they had been perfectly fried despite the fact that they were cold and a lot of time had passed since they were made, and a kinpira made from carrots, burdock, lotus roots, and konjac. Radish that looked like it had been stewed in a fairly strong stock, and ganmodoki.


    The contents that were a perfect amalgamation of these gave off a slight aroma that was characteristic of bento.


    ¡°I see, so this is Japan¡¯s cooking!¡±


    ¡°The lower compartment has rice balls. And this is inari sushi.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about rice that has been shaped like a ball, right? We have those here as well. What is this inari sushi?¡±


    ¡°It is a type of food where you stuff rice into pockets of properly simmered and deep-fried tofu. This brown-colored part is the deep-fried tofu. This is undoubtedly Japanese-style food, so please try some if you would like. Do you know how to use chopsticks?¡±


    Catalina also looked like she was accustomed to using chopsticks just like Diana and Khalija, as she effortlessly used the disposable chopsticks that Shouko handed to her and ate a small-sized inari sushi in one bite.


    ¡°¡­¡­Mmm, it¡¯s delicious. This deep-fried tofu is very nice and sweet. Is this something that can be made at home in Japan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly possible to make it yourself, but I think it would be pretty difficult. Do you have a variety of beans called soybeans here?¡±


    ¡°Soybeans¡­ I¡¯ve never heard that name before. That¡¯s what they are called in your world, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They are a little bigger than the tea beans you sold earlier, and they are often used to as an ingredient in making condiments in Japan as well. This soup powder was made using the same beans as one of the ingredients as well.¡±


    Saying that, Shouko pulled out a sealed packet of miso soup stock.


    The actual miso powder was not visible since it was sealed in an aluminium packet, but Shouko pointed to the image of miso soup on the packaging, and Catalina looked between the image and the deep-fried tofu several times.


    As they could not boil water to prepare the soup, Shouko put the packet of miso soup powder back into her bag and continued her explanation.


    ¡°The deep-fried tofu is made by squeezing soy milk out of those soybeans, coagulating it into a white, jelly-like substance using nigari made from sea salt, and then frying it several times in oil of varying temperatures.¡±


    ¡°I know what salt is, but I¡¯ve never heard of nigari. We have beans that have a lot of juice in them, but I have no idea if they are the same beans you are talking about, and I¡¯ve never heard of them being used as ingredients to make condiments either. I can¡¯t justify purchasing oil just for the purpose of making this either, so I don¡¯t think I will be able to cook this. That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±


    It goes without saying that the method to prepare tofu and deep fry it is not something high school students study about for their exams, so this was yet another thing that was only possible due to Shouko¡¯s position as the daughter of Restaurant Saburou.


    After that, Catalina received several more portions of the bento from Shouko and she looked spoke while looking very satisfied.


    ¡°You must be very lucky to have a sweetheart who is so good at cooking.¡±


    ¡°Ah, umm, yeah.¡±


    This was a setting that he had created himself, but when someone else started to talk about it, he couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m still nowhere close to being a good cook.¡±


    Shouko showed true humility, probably she knew just how good the real thing was.


    ¡°Even so¡­ I think it¡¯s still quite delicious.¡±


    Yasuo gave his honest opinion, which caused Shouko to glare at him with a red face for some reason, and Catalina looked at him with a lukewarm gaze.


    ¡°¡­¡­! Y-Yasu-kun, you¡¯re so¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, my.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Geez¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh? Eh?¡±


    Despite being confused, Yasuo realized that he had one again committed a verbal gaffe, and that he had said something that caused Catalina to take up a teasing tone.


    Yasuo stuffed his cheeks with the sandwich Catalina had bought for him which had a lot of vegetables he had never seen before, and looked at the ground to preclude any further comments.


    In contrast, Catalina, who was happily eating Shouko¡¯s tamagoyaki, suddenly looked upwards and spoke in a soft voice.


    ¡°Aah¡­ If I had gone along with them back then, would things be different now?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing. Yasuo, I¡¯m sure this is something you wouldn¡¯t like to hear about.¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­ I don¡¯t really get it¡­¡­ but, the vegetables here are pretty tasty. The dressing is quite peculiar as well, it unexpectedly tastes like soy sauce.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I thought the same thing.¡±


    Yasuo thought that Catalina¡¯s reply to his question was quite strange, but he understood to some extent that she was thinking of something in the past that he might not be capable of understanding.


    Perhaps Catalina had realized that Yasuo and Shouko were trying to change the subject, as she nodded slightly and then put on a mischievous smile.


    ¡°Soy sauce, huh? What if I told you that it is also something that Madoka left behind?¡±


    ¡°Huh!? This too!?¡±


    Yasuo was shocked that details about his parents¡¯ preferences had permeated so deeply even into the light meals sold in the middle of a town, but Catalina put her hand over her mouth and laughed.


    ¡°I was joking. I didn¡¯t expect you to believe me so easily.¡±


    Yasuo scowled when he realized that he was being teased by Catalina, but then he saw that Shouko was also laughing.


    Looking at the two of them laughing like that, Yasuo felt that it would be okay to let it slide.


    ¡°Seriously, geez.¡±


    Despite that, Yasuo still left a reluctant comment for the sake of his meagre pride, and finished off the sandwich somewhat violently.


    ¡°Right then, now that we have finished eating, it¡¯s time to go meet Second Lieutenant Feigreid. Have the two of you had enough to eat?¡±


    Catalina clapped her hands once and spoke, as if to dispel the previous mood.


    ¡°If anything, the really important part for you two is going to begin now, so you should eat up and regain your strength¡­¡±


    It was at that moment.


    They heard a faint scream from the direction of the market.


    At the same time the three of them had raised their heads, they started to hear intermittent sounds of things being destroyed.


    ¡°Pack up your belongings!¡±


    Catalina¡¯s voice had a sharp edge to it, and both Yasuo and Shouko obeyed her without making a fuss.


    Even as they were doing that, the screams gradually started to get louder.


    ¡°Ah!!¡±


    From the corner of their eyes, they saw a street stall get blown into the air as if there had been an explosion.


    The fruits and vegetables that were being sold, the baskets and crates that held them, and even the stall itself went flying through the air, and a fruit that looked like an apple fell to the ground near Yasuo¡¯s feet and broke apart.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s going on¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Yasu-kun, over there!¡±


    Shouko suddenly pointed towards upwards.


    When Yasuo turned to see what she was pointing at, he saw that five people equipped with light armor had appeared on top of the wall that surrounded the market, and they flew off towards the direction in which the screams were coming from.


    Those superhuman movements, and uniforms similar to the one Feigreid was wearing.


    ¡°Magitech Knights!¡±


    It was a squad of Magitech Knights from the Gaz Commonwealth.


    At the same time, a large number of people who were dressed like guards rushed into the market and urged the people there to vacate the premises.


    As Yasuo and the others were still confused, the reason for the disturbance suddenly appeared before them.


    A pillar of rippling black flames appeared in front of the guards who were urging people to seek shelter.


    ¡°Shii!!¡±


    ¡°In such a crowded place!?¡±


    Yasuo and Shouko shouted, and Catalina suddenly turned around to look at the wall where the Magitech Knights had appeared.


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why the response was was so fast¡­! You two, it¡¯s time to run away. If they find Shouko here, they might kill her!¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Shouko looked taken aback when she was told that she might be killed, but Yasuo suddenly realized something.


    Catalina¡¯s fear was not exaggerated at all.


    The Shii had no place in human society as they were monsters that pierced and stole the hearts of people and were hence enemies of humanity through and through.


    If Shouko, who had the flames of the Shii in her left eye, was found by Magitech Knights who did not know her circumstances, there was no telling what they would do to her.


    ¡°It looks like we had better postpone our visit to the Headquarters. Due to the appearance of the Shii, it is likely that Second Lieutenant Feigreid will be at the scene of the incident as well. If we go around asking for him all of a sudden, we might put Shouko in danger.¡±


    The two of them followed Catalina as she started to run away from the market area before they were caught up in the chaos that was gradually spreading.


    ¡°Catalina-san! In front of you!¡±


    However, a pillar of black flame suddenly burst out of the ground directly ahead of Catalina, who was running while keeping an eye on their surroundings.


    By the time Catalina looked to the front after hearing Yasuo¡¯s warning, the Shii was brandishing a weapon that looked like a black longsword at her.


    Yasuo was reflexively about to close his eyes to avoid looking at the tragic event he was sure must follow in the next second.


    ¡°Don¡¯t close your eyes! Closing your eyes on the battlefield will get you killed!¡±


    After hearing Catalina¡¯s warning, Yasuo just barely managed to open his eyes again.


    Catalina used her hand that was covered with light to alter the path of the sword that the Shii swung down, and the sword cut through the air and slammed into the ground.


    ¡°Oh ancient being, break through the human commandments!!¡±


    The Shii was off balance, and when Catalina chanted that spell, a stake burst out of the ground that was paved with bricks and impaled the Shii.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    ¡°A-Are we just going to leave it like this?¡±


    ¡°In my current condition, I can¡¯t defeat it with my magic! Let¡¯s leave it to the Magitech Knights!¡±


    After saying that, Catalina ran off with a force that precluded any objections from Yasuo and Shouko. They could only follow after her.


    ¡°W-Where are we running to!?¡±


    ¡°Haah¡­ Haah¡­ L-Looking at how quickly the Magitech Knights arrived, I honestly don¡¯t know if there is a safe place where we can hide.¡±


    ¡°How quickly they arrived? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The Magitech Knights appeared far too quickly after we first heard the screams¡­ The only explanation is that they were already in the field, dealing with Shii that had popped up throughout the town.¡±


    ¡°Throughout the town¡­ Yasu-kun! The children at the House of the Fireflies!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah!¡±


    ¡°This is bad! If the Shii appear there, Obaa-chan won¡¯t be able to protect the children by herself!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Dammit.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s legs were already shaking.


    Looking at Catalina¡¯s battle strength, if they were to believe her own assessment of her ability, then she was only a little stronger than Yasuo.


    Should he leave it up to Shouko and her Shii power that had ripped through the wolves in the forest?


    No, there were too many uncertain factors about it to truly call it ¡ºShouko¡¯s power¡», and moreover, using that power had a high chance of making the Magitech Knights turn against them.


    On the other hand, he himself was only barely able to release a small jolt of electricity from the palm of his hand when he was touching his opponent, so what good was he in such a fight?


    The people with overwhelming fighting strength, Diana, Khalija, his father, and his mother were not around.


    If they went there, both he and Shouko might get killed.


    If he went there, and ran into a Shii, there was nothing he could do.


    But even so.


    ¡°Goddammit!!¡±


    When he thought of the children who had sung out of tune with him and Shouko, he could not bring himself to run away.


    Yasuo turned towards the street that they had walked out of just a short time ago, and rushed back without saying a word.


    ¡°!¡±


    Shouko followed closely behind him.


    ¡°H-Hey, you two!!¡±


    Catalina also followed them while looking flustered.


    While running, Yasuo thought about the situation optimistically on purpose to calm himself down.


    So far, he had not seen more than six Shii appear in a place at the same time.


    Back then, Khalija had released roughly thirty Shii within Tokorozawa.


    The Shii had appeared inside the town as if aiming for the time when he was inside, but in such a large town, there was no way that the Shii would bother with the House of the Fireflies which was located deep inside the alleys and had few people nearby.


    Before such a thing could happen, that Magitech Knight called Feigreid would come running to save them for sure.


    Their worries were unfounded.


    ¡°Obaa-chan!!¡±


    However, Shouko¡¯s scream cut through Yasuo¡¯s optimism.


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    The three of them arrived in front of the courtyard of the House of the Fireflies at almost the same time when Director Kelly, who was standing protectively in front of the children, was slashed diagonally across her chest by a longsword-wielding Shii.


    ¡°Guh¡­.!!¡±


    Catalina placed her hands on the ground, and the mana she released from the palms of her hands sped towards the Shii that had slashed Director Kelly while ripping up the flagstones.


    However, the distance between them was too large.


    The Shii easily jumped up high to avoid the stake the burst out of the ground, and landed in a composed manner on the roof of the House of Fireflies.


    Judging from its equipment and the way it moved, there was no doubt that this Shii was originally someone who was greatly skilled at fighting.


    ¡°Catalina-san!! Please try to keep it distracted somehow!!¡±


    Yasuo ran towards Director Kelly who had been slashed, while keeping a close eye on the distance between himself and the longsword-wielding Shii.


    ¡°Yasuo! W-Wait! ¡­Ugh, fine!!¡±


    The Shii turned its red eyes upon Yasuo who charged in recklessly, but Catalina barely managed to distract it by shooting a small fireball at it.


    ¡°Yasuo! What are you doing!? We can no longer do anything for her! Hurry up and run away¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! Yasu-kun might be able to save her! Catalina-san, please continue to keep that guy distracted!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Shouko, even you¡¯re saying things like that¡­ Hey, wait up! ¡±


    Before Catalina could finish speaking, Shouko also ran into the courtyard as if following after Yasuo.


    Shouko¡¯s motive was clear.


    She wanted to somehow help the children who were still petrified from fright in a corner of the courtyard to escape into the alleys.


    However, no matter how you thought about it, that was impossible.


    Most likely, Catalina¡¯s magic would not be enough to restrain the Shii that looked like it was specialized for battle.


    The ground stake and fireball she had used earlier were both uncomparably weaker than what she had been capable of back in the day, and if the Shii judged that she was harmless, it would ignore her and attack Yasuo and Shouko instead.


    ¡°I definitely¡­ won¡¯t let that happen!!¡±


    Catalina desperately forced her body that was far past its prime to keep shooting fireballs at the Shii that stood on the roof.


    However, she had barely shot out five or six fireballs before the Shii stopped considering her a threat.


    The Shii ignored the seventh fireball that she shot out, and fixed its sight squarely on Yasuo who was on the ground beneath its feet.


    ¡°Yasuo! Shouko! Run away! There¡¯s nothing more we can do!!¡±


    ¡°Please wait! It¡¯s almost done!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!? Just hurry up and run! You¡¯ll get yourselves killed!¡±


    Catalina¡¯s voice was close to a scream.


    However Yasuo stubbornly refused to move from Director Kelly¡¯s side, and instead, Shouko spoke up.


    ¡°Yasu-kun! How much longer!?¡±


    ¡°Probably less than two minutes!!¡±


    ¡°I think I can hold out for a minute or so!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Sorry!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better take responsibility for whatever happens, okay!!?¡±


    ¡°Hey! What are the two of you planning¡­!?¡±


    Shouko¡¯s gentle voice reached Catalina who was completely confused.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t be afraid. That Onii-chan, Catalina-san, and I will definitely protect you.¡±


    She spoke in Japanese, a language that the children had no way of understanding.


    However, strangely, the children stopped trembling.


    And then.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh!¡±


    The next instant, Catalina saw something that she could scarcely believe.


    A shadow leaped up from the courtyard to the roof with an explosive sound.


    The hood was blown back by the pressure of the wind, and Shouko, with black flames gushing out of her eyes, wrists, ankles, and waist closed in on the the longsword-wielding Shii with the speed of a bullet.


    ¡°Shouko!?¡±


    That was definitely Shouko.


    At the same time, Catalina also realized something else.


    The shape that the black flames took as they wrapped around Shouko looked familiar.


    ¡°Is that Baskelgarde¡¯s¡­ ¡ºDestroyer of Armies¡», Orion?¡±


    ¡°How dare you do that to Obaa-chaaaaaaaan!!¡±


    Along with the force of her jump, Shouko raised her right leg.


    Her abilities might have been superhuman, but her movements were too straightforward to fight against a Shii that was specialized for battle.


    She was going to get killed. Catalina gulped as she thought that.


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    However, for some reason, the longsword-wielding Shii stopped moving.


    Although the Shii¡¯s red, dead eyes were still turned upon Shouko, it froze in place as thought it had been paralyzed, and Shouko kicked it in its side with every iota of strength she could muster.


    The longsword-wielding Shii had no way of resisting the force of that kick, and it was sent flying into the wall of the neighboring building.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to go down just from that, right!? Bring it on! I will be your opponent! ¡±


    Shouko, who had landed cleanly on the roof, shouted loudly at the Shii that was embedded in the wall.


    Behind the flames that covered both her eyes, her pupils were glowing with the same red light as the Shii.


    Catalina was shocked because she had no idea what had happened to turn Shouko into such a state, but there was something happening that was even more shocking.


    ¡°Catalina-san! I¡¯ll leave the children to you! I¡¯ll take care of Obaa-san¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Eh!?¡±


    When Catalina looked towards Yasuo, she saw that Director Kelly, who was supposed to have been slashed by the Shii, was sitting up by herself with a dumbfounded expression on her face.


    ¡°W-What is going on¡­!?¡±


    Catalina, who had finally entered the courtyard while keeping an eye on the Shii that was struggling while still stuck in the wall, looked between Director Kelly, Yasuo, Shouko, and the children many times. Director Kelly herself kept looking between her body and Yasuo.


    ¡°You¡­ Just what did you¡­¡±


    Yasuo spoke concisely to the two women who were confused.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Catalina-san. The two of us were lying to you¡­ Tatewaki-san!!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°Obaa-san is fine! Can you somehow get one more hit in!?¡±


    Yasuo said that while pointing at the Shii that had almost finished extricating itself from the wall, and Shouko lightly scratched her head.


    ¡°Is that really something you would ask a person who is supposed to be your girlfriend to do? You¡¯re the worst!¡±


    Shouko said that as she kicked off from the roof of the House of the Fireflies with a loud sound, and once again got close to the Shii that she had sent flying earlier.


    Shouko looked into those red eyes with her own, and gave a small smile.


    ¡°Sorry, but this is something my boyfriend asked me to do.¡±


    After saying that, she hit it in the center of its chest with so much force that it felt like her fist might pierce through.


    ¡°Ugh, that sensation doesn¡¯t feel good at all.¡±


    To avoid getting hit with a counterattack, Shouko spun around and jumped down to stand beside Yasuo.


    Yasuo wasn¡¯t sure if the phrase ¡°on death¡¯s door¡± applied to the Shii, but its movements had noticeably become dull. Yasuo looked up at it and took a deep breath and started singing the requiem without any hesitation.


    ¡°Yasuo¡­ That¡­ That song is¡­!¡±


    Once the words of the requiem reached the Shii, it became completely motionless and its body started to flake off into particles of soot and disappear.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry, Catalina-san. We lied to you.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s flames disappeared, and she started to breathe heavily with a slightly pale face.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t sure if you were really our ally or not, Catalina-san¡­ So we were not able to tell you. We have a general idea about what¡¯s going on. About Ante Lande, the Shii and the things they have done, magic, and sorcery¡­.¡±


    ¡°Shouko¡­¡±


    ¡°The fact is, we came to Ante Lande on our own accord to unravel the secret of the Shii that is within me. We were planning on keeping that a secret until we met the Magitech Knights in this town and asked for their protection, but¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something we can keep a secret at the cost of people¡¯s lives.¡±


    The longsword-wielding Shii that had slashed Director Kelly had disappeared without a trace, and Yasuo said that after taking a deep breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ve fought against the Shii several times¡­ no, that¡¯s not quite right. I didn¡¯t actually fight them. I was just present on the field of battle. Just like what you saw earlier, I let other people do the fighting, and the only things that I am capable of are healing magic and singing the requiem. Even so, I felt that I had to protect these children, no matter what, because there was something that I could do to help them.¡±


    Saying that, Yasuo turned to properly face Director Kelly and Catalina.


    ¡°We are being targeted by someone who can control the Shii. There is a chance that we were the targets of this attack¡­ even though it is strange for them to appear all over the town like this. In the beginning, I even suspected that the two of you were connected to the people who were targeting us. That¡¯s why I felt compelled to lie¡­ I¡¯m sorry. However, now I understand that there is no point in suspecting you.¡±


    The wound that Director Kelly received from the Shii was real.


    If Catalina was in league with the Shii, she would not need to go to the trouble of pretending to help them escape or lend a hand in fighting against the Shii. She could have just disappeared after leaving the two of them behind at some place where the Shii would find them.


    If all of this was according to the ¡ºenemy¡¯s¡» plan, then Yasuo and Shouko already had no cards left to play.


    That is why there was no point in suspecting the two of them anymore.


    In that case, when faced with what had occured, the only thing he could do was to move according to his sense of justice that he had cultivated over his life so far.


    ¡°Have the two of you heard of anyone called Beatrice Heller or William Bareig?¡±


    When Yasuo asked that question in a calm voice, Director Kelly and Catalina glanced at each other after hearing the name Beatrice.


    ¡°By Beatrice, do you mean the ¡ºForeman¡»?¡±


    ¡°You know her!?¡±


    ¡°Well, of course.¡±


    Saying that, Catalina grimaced.


    ¡°I told you about them, didn¡¯t I? The pro-independence faction in the Gaz Commonwealth with nationalistic views. Beatrice Heller is in essence the leader of that third faction, the ¡ºCarnelian of the Coal Mine¡», that gained prominence in the Gaz Commonwealth with the aim of achieving a more clear-cut independence.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who has been sending the Shii to Japan!¡±


    Shouko shouted that vigorously, and Director Kelly and Catalina looked even more confused.


    ¡°I did think that it was strange for Hideo¡¯s son and his friend to not know about anything, but¡­ just how much of the situation do the two of you already understand?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, I think we know a bunch of details that people who are living ordinary lives in Ante Lande wouldn¡¯t know.¡±


    Yasuo replied with a sombre expression on his face.


    ¡°It happened just recently. I received an ¡ºofficial notice from the Foreman¡» after many years.¡±


    Saying that, Director Kelly hung her head with a mortified expression on her face.


    ¡°The message said to send over any information I came across regarding the Shii so that it could be used to negotiate for getting more support from the Gaz Commonwealth¡­ so, that¡¯s why I used the Magitech communication¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, you told her about me¡­!?¡±


    The only response Director Kelly gave in response to Shouko¡¯s question was a groan of repentance.


    However, that was enough to imagine what had happened.


    After the case with Khalija, Yasuo and the others had roughly perceived that the ¡ºCanelian of the Coal Mine¡» was an organization that was tainted with evil, however the truth was that most of the people belonging to the organization were ignorant of the truth.


    Just like what had happened today, Beatrice Heller was attempting sift through the information gathered from all the ¡°clean¡± branches that were on the fringes of the organization to find more information about the ¡ºLatch¡», no matter how trivial it was.


    Members of the organization who belonged to branches that had trouble keeping things running, such as the House of the Fireflies, would especially hand over any information without thinking too deeply about it for the sake of getting more support in the future.


    To Director Kelly, the children who were dependent on the House of the Fireflies to survive were her primary concern, after all.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry. If only we had properly told you about ourselves to begin with¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to apologize. You were correct in being cautious.¡±


    On hearing Shouko¡¯s apology, Catalina firmly shook her head.


    ¡°In the current state of Ante Lande,¡ºHideo¡¯s son¡» and ¡ºa human body in which a Shii resides¡» are both sensitive topics that can cause an explosive reaction. No matter what the reason, hiding the information you knew was not the wrong decision. Well, neither of us thought that the name of the ¡ºForeman¡» would come up directly¡­ however, it was good that I made preparations, just in case.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. However, it looks like the two of you have more experience than us when it comes to fighting against the Shii. What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    After looking at all the people gathered there, Yasuo spoke.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether they appeared spontaneously or someone is pulling the strings in the background. Now that so many Shii have appeared here, there is no such thing as a guaranteed safe place inside the town. Those things will easily appear indoors as well¡­ however¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±


    Yasuo looked surprised when he thought of something.


    And despite coming up with the idea, he grimaced as if wondering if such a thing would actually be possible.


    ¡°Please wait for a while. Yasu-kun is really racking his brains at the moment.¡±


    While silently wishing that Shouko wouldn¡¯t say such unnecessary things, Yasuo considered the various things he had seen in Galedeite since he had arrived there.


    ¡°The bells¡±


    ¡°Did you think of something?¡±


    ¡°If we use those bells, I think we can make something of this situation. Catalina-san! Do you know where the sound of the bells that we heard before we had lunch is broadcasted from?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the sound we heard in the market? I¡¯ve heard that they ring the bell in a watchtower that is jointly controlled by the Knights Division and the town council¡­ but since it is important for the functioning of the whole town and maintaining public order, regular people are not told where that tower is located. That¡¯s why, I don¡¯t know either¡­¡±


    Yasuo felt discouraged after hearing that answer from Catalina who looked perplexed.


    ¡°Everyone! Are you okay!?¡±


    However, all the people gathered there were startled by the voice of the man who had suddenly appeared there, and they raised their heads.


    On looking up, they saw Feigreid, who was white in the face, jump down from the roof of the House of the Fireflies. He confirmed that Director Kelly and the children were okay, and let out a small sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank goodness, it looks like you¡¯re all okay.¡±


    ¡°Catalina, this boy, and this girl came to protect us just in time.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­. Wait! That left eye is¡ª!¡±


    ¡°¡­!!¡±


    ¡°P-Please wait! She isn¡¯t a Shii¡­¡±


    Yasuo panicked and tried to stop Feigreid who was startled after seeing the flames in Shouko¡¯s left eye, but even before he could say anything, Catalina had moved to put herself in between Shouko and Feigreid.


    ¡°Second Lieutenant, there is something more important that I need to ask you to do for me.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ Catalina-san, what is the meaning of this? Just who is that girl¡­¡±


    ¡°She a guest of mine from Japan who has come here from the other world. She is not a Shii. She is not someone your organization needs to be afraid of. More importantly, Shii have appeared within the town, correct? That¡¯s why you came flying here, fearing that this place might have been attacked as well, right?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s true, but¡­ Hang on!! From Japan!? What¡¯s going on here!?¡±


    ¡°Due to the current situation, I¡¯d like you to guide him to a certain place. He¡¯s Yasuo Kenzaki, the son of the Hero Hideo.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh? Huh!? The son of the Hero Hideo!?¡±


    Feigreid opened his eyes wide in shock and spun around to see the young man who was standing behind him.


    On the other hand, Yasuo too looked surprised as he had no idea what Catalina was talking about.


    ¡ù

 Volume 3, 4 - A New Threat Part 2

    Volume 3, Chapter 4 ¨C A New Threat Part 2


    ¡°It¡¯s about time for that to happen, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    On that day, a certain notice had been circulated among the army personnel stationed at a checkpoint belonging to Resteria, located at the border between the Gaz Commonwealth and the Resteria Kingdom.


    The commanding officer for that particular day sat in the checkpoint building, looking bored as he flipped through the reports and replied to his subordinate who had asked that question.


    ¡°One of the VIPs from the Capital is going to cross over to the Gaz side. I heard that their destination is Galedeite.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that ¡®one person¡¯ part. I don¡¯t get why it¡¯s just one VIP. I don¡¯t know who they are, but you¡¯d think they would have at least one Magitech Knight as an escort.¡±


    ¡°No, it really seems that they intend to come alone¡­ Hmm?¡±


    At that moment, an alarm went off indicating that a an object using mana to fly was approaching the checkpoint at high speed from the Resteria side of the border.


    ¡°Oi, is there really someone stupid enough to try and cross the border from the air without permission in this day and age!?¡±


    ¡°Anti-flight Sorcery Division! Prepare to intercept¡­ Hey, hang on, that is¡­!¡±


    The commanding officer who had been looking through a telescope out of the window of the checkpoint stood shocked with his mouth agape for a moment, and then hurriedly ordered for the alarm to be stopped.


    ¡°Open the border gates! Open the border gates!¡±


    ¡°What!? There¡¯s no way that Gaz will allow someone to enter their territory through the air¡ª¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you, they have permission!¡±


    ¡°Haah!?¡±


    The airship approached the checkpoint.


    ¡°I¡¯m heeeeeeere!!¡±


    That flying object, which turned out to be a single Magitech Knight, approached at a high speed and crossed right over the gate on the ground meant to prevent people from crossing the border without permission.


    Strangely enough, that person¡¯s arrival coincided perfectly with the time mentioned in the notice sent to the border patrol, regarding the ¡°VIP¡¯s arrival.¡±


    ¡°That was¡­¡±


    After the Magitech Knight flew past them, a single sheet of paper came fluttering down from the sky.


    The Magitech Knight had realized that they were under observation through a telescope despite the great speed at which they was traveling, and immediately pulled out that paper. The commanding officer remembered that person¡¯s face and gave a bitter smile.


    ¡°¡­¡­Seriously, what a joke¡­ Umm, let¡¯s see. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen one of these as well. It has the Royal Seal to authenticate that person as an emergency special envoy¡­ The person who passed by is from the Kingdom¡¯s Knights Division, from the army in the capital. Let¡¯s see, the name is¡­¡±


    At that moment, they heard the alarm from the checkpoint on the Gaz side that was a short distance away from the border on the other side, and the sound carried to them faintly over the wind.


    Most likely there was an uproar on their side as well.


    ¡°It looks like we are going to get scolded for this, the permit notwithstanding.¡±


    The commanding officer slumped his shoulders in resignation, and then turned to look up at the sky that the Magitech Knight had flown through.


    ¡°I wonder why she was in such a hurry on a peaceful day like this with good weather. Really, I¡¯ll never understand what the VIPs are thinking.¡±


    ¡ù


    The tower to which Feigreid led Yasuo, Shouko, and Catalina looked almost identical to the tower that they had climbed earlier.


    ¡°There are other ¡ºBell Towers¡» apart from this one as well, and we use a different one each day.¡±


    Since the equipment was in charge of keeping time for the entire town, it was only natural that they went to that much trouble.


    ¡°Do all of them have broadcasting equipment?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they do. Each tower has its own Magitech Frameworks, and the person in charge just moves the bells each time we switch to a different tower.¡±


    Apparently, the town council were responsible for the overseeing the bells, and the Knights Division were responsible for getting them to the assigned place safely.


    ¡°Still, is something like that really possible¡­?¡±


    Feigreid asked that question uneasily, and Yasuo, whose expression looked even more uneasy, answered him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of whether I can do it or not, we have no choice but to try. If there is someone who is overseeing this entire incident, then that person might do something to get in our way. Feigreid-san, you have to do your best to protect this tower.¡±


    ¡°U-Understood¡­¡±


    Although Feigreid had broken out into a cold sweat, he looked like he had prepared himself and led the way into the tower. Meanwhile, Yasuo looked like he was not prepared at all and his breathing was shallow.


    ¡°It¡¯s over here¡­¡±


    After Feigreid ordered the soldiers who were guarding the facility to stand down, Yasuo entered a room that had many strange looking machines installed in it and his anxiety reached the maximum level.


    If his hypothesis didn¡¯t work out after going to all this trouble, not only would it be embarrassing for him, it might reflect badly on Feigreid as well.


    Since Catalina had mediated on Yasuo¡¯s behalf to get them this far, she might not get out of it unscathed either.


    ¡°Yasu-kun!¡±


    ¡°Ueeeh!? W-What is it¡­¡±


    However, Shouko unexpectedly slapped him hard on his back as though she had seen through his worry, causing Yasuo to start coughing.


    ¡°Be more confident! I¡¯m sure you can do it!!¡±


    Shouko said that forcefully to Yasuo who had tears in his eyes.


    ¡°If it doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll apologize to everyone along with you! Do your best! The kids from the House of the Fireflies are counting on you!¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to cheer me up or put more pressure on me? Make up your mind!¡±


    Yasuo said that with a bitter smile and looked around the ¡ºbroadcasting room¡».


    Hanging from the ceiling were three bells that looked smaller than he had expected.


    There were four trumpet-like things that looked like the speakers of a gramophone, surrounding those bells.


    A magical pattern appeared to have been carved into the floor, and Yasuo had no way of understanding its purpose.


    That pattern looked identical to the Magitech Frameworks that he had seen inside the Techno Weapon Castor in the past, and perhaps this entire room could be considered to be one large Techno Weapon.


    Looking closely, he saw that the bells had characters and diagrams engraved into them as well, and it appeared that the system was not as simple as just hitting the bells to make them ring.


    ¡°Hey, this is pretty nice! It kind of looks like a recording studio!¡±


    ¡°Seriously, can you just stop talking for a while!?¡±


    ¡°Would you like for us to leave the room?¡±


    ¡°I honestly have no idea what will happen. You can wait where ever you want, just be ready to take action no matter what happens.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Leave it to me. I still have a little power left to spare.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­To be honest, I don¡¯t like the idea of making you fight, Tatewaki-san.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little late for that.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s smile hinted at mixed feelings, and she spoke.


    ¡°Use whatever you have to. You can worry about the source of the problem and understanding the situation later. That said, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m not scared or anything, so the things you have to take responsibility for are rapidly growing, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got it¡­ wait, what!?¡±


    Yasuo had still not resolved himself, but in order to trick himself into believing that he was ready, he took a large breath and shouted out in a loud voice on purpose.


    ¡°Feigreid-san, let¡¯s start!¡±


    ¡°Understood¡­ In that case¡­¡±


    After Yasuo signalled that he was ready, Feigreid pressed his hand against a certain spot on the wall and activated the Magitech Frameworks.


    At the same time, the four trumpets that surrounded Yasuo and the bells started to let out a humming sound.


    Feigreid extended his hand to let Yasuo know that the requirements had already been set in motion.


    Yasuo did his best to calm his pounding heart, coughed once to clear his throat, and opened his mouth.


    The ¡ºRequiem¡» sung in Yasuo¡¯s resonant voice was transmitted throughout the town via the Magitech Frameworks, the Magitech equipment, and speakers that were mounted on the utility poles in the town.


    The speakers had been placed at calculated locations to ensure that the sound of the bells would reach all parts of the town, and now the sound of the requiem penetrated every single building, reached every single alley, no matter how small, and perhaps even extended beyond the walls of the town as well.


    ¡°T-This is¡­¡±


    Feigreid, who was operating the ¡ºbroadcasting room¡», spoke up in a shocked voice.


    Light extended from under Yasuo¡¯s feet, and that light spread across the floor, up the walls, and the bells that hung from the ceiling.


    The three bells started to tremble in concert with Yasuo¡¯s singing, and the trumpets that picked up his voice transmitted it all over the town without any loss.


    ¡°Shouko! Look!¡±


    Catalina, who had been standing near the door of the broadcasting room and looking outside the tower through a window, gestured for Shouko to come closer and look as well.


    Shouko ran towards the window, and she immediately understood what was happening as well.


    At first glance, it looked like fingers of black fire were extending upwards from all over the town.


    However, on looking closely, it was apparent that they were actually comprised of the soot-like substance that appeared when the Shii were being sent off with the requiem.


    In a short amount of time, the number of pillars of soot started to increase rapidly, from ten to twenty.


    Of course, it meant that the number of Shii that had appeared in the town was just that high, but Catalina could not hide her shock on seeing that spectacle.


    It was said that even higher-ranking clerics from the Church of the Divine King could send off no more than three Shii at once.


    However, it was unheard of for one person¡¯s song to send off ten or twenty Shii at once, even if that person was borrowing the massive power of large-scale Magitech Frameworks.


    ¡°Catalina-san! Over there!¡±


    On the roof of a building a few dozen meters away from the tower, they could see a Shii that was falling over in a strange posture.


    It was hard to tell as most of its body was hidden by the black soot that was rising up, but it looked like the body of the Shii was wracked with spasms.


    As the Shii continued to convulse, a Magitech Knight appeared from somewhere and delivered the finishing blow.


    As soon as it was struck, the Shii turned entirely into soot and vanished, and the Magitech Knight took a moment to listen closely to Yasuo¡¯s requiem, and despite looking mystified about what was going on, he flew off in search of other Shii.


    ¡°Is he keeping the Shii from moving?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it. Yasu-kun did the same thing in Japan, after all.¡±


    ¡°H-How is he able to stay on his feet after doing that!? Something like this can¡¯t be achieved with an ordinary amount of mana, you know!?¡±


    ¡°It seems he doesn¡¯t know the reason either. Even the Magitech Knight who taught him how to use magic found it incomprehensible.¡±


    ¡°I wonder¡­ if it due to his heritage after all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. It might sound bad to put it this way, but Yasu-kun¡¯s uncles and aunts are apparently ordinary people.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about how they are ordinary by the standards of Japan, right? Hideo and Madoka as well¡­¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Yasu-kun is just Yasu-kun. In the first place, Yasu-kun is terrible at the things that Oji-san and Oba-san are good at. I¡¯m sure that this is unrelated to them.¡±


    ¡°But in that case, what is the explanation for this outrageous situation¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like I said earlier. You can worry about causes and explanations later. However, if you absolutely must have an explanation for this, Catalina-san, I think I know the likely reason.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Shouko glanced back at the broadcasting room and spoke happily.


    ¡°Yasu-kun is gentle, loves to sing, and has put a lot of effort into it. I think that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Catalina looked disappointed for just a moment, and then she glanced at the broadcasting room and let out a sigh.


    ¡°Just to make sure, what you told me about the two of you being lovers is¡­¡±


    ¡°It was a lie. Or rather, I am waiting for his reply.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What a horrible man.¡±


    ¡°Seriously.¡±


    At that moment, the two of them realized that the pillars of soot that they had seen through the window of the tower had largely disappeared.


    Perhaps that meant that all the Shii that had appeared in the town had been defeated and sent off.


    ¡°Perhaps we should go and tell them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It might be putting a fair amount of strain on his body, after all¡­¡±


    It happened the moment after the two of them turned away from the window to talk to Yasuo and Feigreid.


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    All of a sudden, the interior of the tower went pitch black.


    It was as if something had eclipsed the sun.


    And then, when they turned around, Shouko and Catalina saw something unbelievable.


    It was a deep red in color, and was big enough to fill their entire field of vision outside the window.


    It was impossible to immediately realize what that was.


    The only thing Shouko and Catalina understood was that they were looking at something that could not possibly exist.


    Yasuo had certainly said it before they had carried out this plan.


    If the people who were working for Beatrice Heller had wormed their way into the deepest parts of the Gaz Commonwealth, they would easily be able to find out the location of the person who was using the town¡¯s broadcasting facilities to send off all the Shii that had appeared.


    It was possible that they might send an assassin to interfere with the requiem.


    That is why he had told Feigreid, Shouko, and Catalina to not let down their guard and be ready to fight.


    However.


    No one would have been able to predict that something like this would show up.


    ¡°Feigreid-san!! Take care of Yasu-kun!!¡±


    Shouko¡¯s scream coincided almost perfectly with the tower that housed the broadcasting system being broken in half by an enormous power.


    ¡ù


    The fact that she had been able to pick up Catalina and jump out of the window in time was nothing short of a miracle.


    Ever since she had first landed in that forest after coming to Ante Lande, the black flames of the Shii had saved her repeatedly.


    The flames that burned at her wrists, ankles, and waist granted Shouko superhuman strength, but just superhuman strength and stamina would not be enough for Shouko, who had no real experience when it came to martial arts or battle, to move in such a manner.


    ¡°W-What is that¡­!?¡±


    Shouko whispered in a dazed manner while still carrying Catalina.


    It was just way too massive.


    It¡¯s height was equal to that of the tower in which the broadcasting room was located.


    Furthermore, it carried a spear that was even longer, so long in fact that trying to guess its length felt like an exercise in futility.


    It had four legs that trampled on the town and left only rubble in their wake.


    It had no features in common with any creature Shouko knew about, but was this also a Shii that was based on some creature that was already dead?


    If it was a shii, then what kind of creature was it based on?


    It was a mass of black flames that had destroyed a fifty meter tall tower with a single swing of its spear, and had trampled over one district of the town.


    That massive creature that looked roughly like a centaur was most definitely not something that a person could fight against.


    ¡°Yasu-kun! Feigreid-san!¡±


    Shouko raised her voice until it was almost a scream, but due to the sound of the crumbling rubble, her voice did not even reach until the location where the tower had been standing.


    If this Shii had appeared in the same fashion as the human-type Shii, that is, by bursting out from underground, just how much damage had it done on the surface just by appearing?


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right, W-What about the House of the Fireflies¡­.!?¡±


    Catalina groaned while still being carried by Shouko and responded.


    ¡°It is in a district that just narrowly avoided being trampled under that thing¡¯s feet¡­ But when dealing with something that large, being one or two blocks away is meaningless¡­ I can¡¯t believe it, that is¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know what that thing is!?¡±


    ¡°The Hideo Holy Sword river was created during the fight between that guy and Hideo¡¯s group.¡±


    Even that idiotic name couldn¡¯t not help to soften the current atmosphere.


    ¡°Demon General Balor. The number of people he killed during the war against Demon King Kaul is among the highest¡­ Aah¡­ For the thing everyone in the world feared the most to happen at a time like this¡­¡±


    Ever since the Shii appeared, most of them that had been spotted around the world were humanoid, although there had been reports that some of them had been shaped like animals as well.


    From the testimonies of the soldiers who were originally from Torjesso, it was discovered that the Shii had basically the same features and level of ability that the people that they were based on had when they were still alive, and there had always been a concern that demons might be reborn as Shii as well.


    However, this demon Balor=Shii posed far too big a threat to be the first example of such an occurrence.


    If it was allowed to roam free for even as little as an hour, it would be able to reduce the whole of Galedeite to a plain, flat land.


    No matter how the battle had progressed, judging by the fact that the Hideo Holy Sword River had been created as a result of that battle in the past, it was clear that it was a fierce fight that greatly damaged the surroundings.


    It was a demon that had given the Hero Hideo such a hard time back when he was at his strongest, so even if it was a Shii now, just how were they supposed to defeat it?


    ¡°This¡­ might be impossible¡­¡±


    Judging by the time it had appeared, it must have also heard Yasuo¡¯s requiem.


    However, as far as Shouko could see, the requiem had no effect on Balor=Shii at all.


    Its resistance to the requiem and the holy attribute must be incomparably more powerful compared to a humanoid Shii.


    In any case, it was not an opponent that Shouko even dared to approach with her current level of strength.


    However.


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±


    It must have been the work of a truly evil god, or perhaps it was just something unavoidable.


    Balor=Shii met Shouko¡¯s gaze.


    It was not a coincidence or a mistake.


    Balor=Shii¡¯s eye, which was larger than a person, was looking straight at Shouko.


    And then, the demon pointed its massive spear directly at her.


    It moved in a very unhurried manner. However, there was no way that she could run away from it.


    Even with the flames of the Shii activated, Shouko was still frozen in fear and unable to move.


    While casting his shadow over her, Balor stabbed the spear towards her without even giving her time to scream.


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    However.


    ¡°Uwaaaa¡­?¡±


    However there was no destruction, impact, or death, and the strong wind she felt around her body raised a cloud of dust from the surrounding rubble.


    ¡°S-Shouko¡­¡±


    When Shouko heard Catalina¡¯s voice, she opened her eyes that she had inadvertently shut before.


    ¡°Hiii!¡±


    The first thing she saw was the spear that was about as thick as a skyscraper held motionless in the air, and her gaze once again met that of Balor¡¯s.


    She had no idea what had happened.


    She didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but was this instinct coming from her, or the Shii that was hiding inside her body?


    She instinctively understood that it was not a coincidence.


    The same thing had happened with the longsword-wielding Shii at the House of the Fireflies as well.


    For some reason, the Shii were unable to attack Shouko.


    ¡°Stop treating me like I¡¯m one of you!¡±


    There was no other explanation for it.


    Not just Director Kelly, but a lot of people in Galedeite had been attacked by the Shii.


    It was easy to imagine why she should be the only person who could not be attacked by them.


    It must be because she was the ¡ºLatch¡», although she had no idea what that meant.


    ¡°Even so, I can still use this!¡±


    ¡°Shouko?¡±


    Shouko put Catalina down on the ground, clenched her fist, and spoke in a loud voice.


    ¡°Catalina-san¡­ Catalina-san, please go and help the people in the House of the Fireflies to evacuate. I¡¯m going to save Yasu-kun!¡±


    ¡°Wait! What are you talking about!? In this sort of situation, if you recklessly charge out in front of him, there is nothing you can do!!¡±


    ¡°There is! You saw it too, right? The Shii can¡¯t attack me!! Even that massive thing is holding back! It would be a waste not to use this!¡±


    ¡°B-But¡­¡±


    ¡°If I go down there and run around his legs, he won¡¯t be able to move because he might crush me if he does, and as long as I¡¯m there, he can¡¯t attack! I can take my time and rescue Yasu-kun easily, right before the enemy¡¯s eyes!¡±


    As Shouko spoke, she felt the flames around her ankles grow one size bigger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use anything that I can! Even if it happens to be a Shii!¡±


    ¡°Wait, stop right there!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t wait! We¡¯re running out of time¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying! Even if the Shii won¡¯t attack you, the crumbling rubble and fires are still dangerous. If you¡¯re going to go anyway¡­¡±


    Catalina stuck her hand inside her robe with an expression that said she had more or less given up.


    ¡°¡­then go after you¡¯ve completed all possible preparations!!¡±


    ¡ù

 Volume 3, 4 - A New Threat Part 3

    Volume 3, Chapter 4 ¨C A New Threat Part 3


    ¡°Ugh¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re awake¡­ ugh¡­ Thank goodness.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Feigreid-san¡­?¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s vision was blurred and the only thing he heard was Feigreid¡¯s voice. He used all his energy to sit up.


    Yasuo eventually looked through the dust-laden air and spotted Feigreid lying on the ground near some rubble, but he was in no condition to rush over to Feigreid¡¯s side.


    When he tried to stand, a sharp pain ran through his right leg and he collapsed to the ground along with a cry.


    ¡°W-What happened¡­?¡±


    ¡°The tower¡­ collapsed¡­ I somehow managed¡­ to save you¡­ But I made a mistake.¡±


    ¡°Feigreid-san¡­¡±


    Without even knowing why his right leg was hurting, Yasuo looked over to where Feigreid was lying down and was shocked.


    A blood-soaked piece of wood was sticking out of Feigreid¡¯s abdomen.


    Yasuo was not sure if he was pierced by some shrapnel when the tower collapsed or if there was some other reason for it, but it was obvious that Feigreid, whose whole body was covered in blood, had no strength left to move.


    ¡°P-Please wait! I¡¯ll heal you right away¡­¡±


    However, Yasuo had the ability to use healing magic.


    As long as Feigreid hadn¡¯t lost too much blood, it should be possible to save his life. That is what Yasuo thought.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ dammit!!¡±


    When Yasuo looked closer, he saw that his right foot was bent at an impossible angle.


    The moment he noticed that, he was assailed by a sense of pain strong enough almost knock him senseless.


    At this rate, it would be impossible for him to heal Feigreid.


    If he didn¡¯t heal himself first, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to move through the rubble to Feigreid¡¯s location.


    However, Yasuo noticed something else as well.


    The surroundings were strangely dark.


    The midday sun was being blocked out by something.


    Yasuo forced himself to look away from his ankle that was screaming with pain and he looked up at the sky. What he saw there made him unconsciously hold his breath.


    ¡°Wha¡­¡­¡±


    It was a giant monster.


    That was the first description that ran through his mind.


    Even though it was so massive, it was still moving in a coordinated fashion..


    That alone was enough for fear to take hold of his entire body.


    It was impossible.


    There was no way that something like this could exist.


    Moreover, those black flames. And that red eye.


    Was this thing a Shii?


    ¡°It seems like¡­ it was the one who destroyed the tower¡­ Haha¡­ You¡¯ve got to be kidding me¡­ How are we supposed to¡­ Fight a monster like this¡­¡­¡±


    Feigreid¡¯s voice had lost all traces of vitality.


    He had been overcome with despair as well.


    The giant creature that was staring down towards them only had to take one step forward, and they would be squished to a pulp.


    Despite that, the two of them were not even able to run away from this place.


    After that, Yasuo and Feigreid were cast even further into shadow by an object that suddenly appeared in their field of vision.


    ¡°A¡­ spear?¡±


    Yasuo, who was sitting near the creature¡¯s feet was not able to immediately realize it, but this thing was carrying a weapon.


    Looking at the absurd length of that weapon, Yasuo instinctively understood.


    This was the creature that was truly responsible for creating the Hideo Holy Sword River.


    ¡­¡­This is insane.


    As this line of reasoning suddenly floated up in his mind, Yasuo felt like he was going mad and started to laugh.


    And then, the giant lifted one foot as if to stomp on Yasuo and Feigreid.


    However the two of them couldn¡¯t move a single step, and all they could do was to struggle fruitlessly.


    Despite the fact that death was closing in on him, perhaps his sense of danger had been numbed by the all too unrealistic sight in front of him, Yasuo did not feel as afraid as he had back when he was attacked by the Shii and William Bareig in Tokorozawa.


    He could not use the holy sword summoning to summon his father here, and nobody would come to save them.


    ¡°¡­¡­This is just insane.¡±


    That phrase he muttered at the end were going to be his last words.


    ¡°I am¡­ the one who nurtures the vast lands.¡±


    Or at least, that was supposed to be the case.


    ¡°Grow, ye sprouts! Thaw, ye snow! Awaken, ye which sleeps in the depths of winter! Holy Bow of Water, Pomona! Answer my call and take form!¡±


    There was no impact, and the only thing Yasuo saw was a large amount of light cutting through the sky.


    Yasuo unintentionally closed his eyes against the light that seemed to be bright enough to sear his eyes.


    ¡°Uwaah!!¡±


    When he opened his eyes again, he felt a spray of water against his face that felt like a light drizzle, and Yasuo let out a groan.


    At the same time, he heard the sound of something massive falling to the ground and saw that the giant creature that had been moving towards him had fallen heavily on top of the rubble.


    ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    Even Feigreid, who had prepared himself for the worst, was completely taken aback, and the two of them looked up into the sky.


    The sun was once again visible now that the giant had fallen over, and a dark speck swooped down towards Yasuo with the sun at its back.


    Compared to the giant, that person was far too small, however they appeared in that place with a sound filled with vitality.


    Golden hair that sparkled in that town filled with death and rubble.


    The bow that she held in her hands was releasing a divine aura, and nobody who saw it could deny the overflowing amounts of vitality and mana that it gave off.


    And more than anything else, that dignified voice that he had grown accustomed to over these past few months.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting!!¡±


    As he looked up at her hair ornament that was shaped like a flower, glittering in the light of the sun, Yasuo called out her name with an unbelieving expression on his face.


    ¡°Diana¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes!!¡±


    It was Diana.


    Dianaze Krone had arrived, wearing the uniform of Resteria¡¯s Magitech Knights that Yasuo had grown used to seeing.


    However, what she held in her hands were not the standard Techno Weapons of Resteria¡¯s Knights Division, Castor and Pollux.


    It was a weapon Yasuo had never seen before, and it looked like a flowering branch had been used as it is to make a bow and arrow.


    ¡°I guess the day we feared has finally come. Demon General Balor¡­ The day when one of the demons from Demon King Kaul¡¯s army was resurrected as a Shii!¡±


    ¡°Diana¡­ Just what¡­ why are you¡­¡±


    ¡°We can talk later. Yasuo, I will buy you some time. Please heal your leg and save that Magitech Knight from Gaz.¡±


    ¡°I-Impossible, there¡¯s no way¡­ you can face something that massive by yourself.¡±


    No matter how superhuman Diana¡¯s strength was, that was only in comparison to Yasuo¡¯s own strength.


    Feigreid notwithstanding, none of the Magitech Knights from Gaz had been able attack that giant, and Yasuo could not believe that Diana would be able to face it by herself.


    However, there was no hint of doubt in Diana¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I have no choice but to do it. I am¡­ I am also a Hero¡¯s daughter, after all!!¡±


    ¡°Diana!! Uwaah!¡±


    Diana drew the bow without nocking an arrow, and leaped into the air with a thunderous sound.


    Before her was the massive spear that was held aloft.


    ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±


    The next instant, Diana gave a yell loud enough to overpower Yasuo who was on the ground, and the overwhelmingly powerful blast of magical energy that she fired from that empty bow forced the spear back along with its wielder.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!!¡±


    Balor=Shii¡¯s shoulder was wide open after its attack was repulsed, and Diana shot several arrows of light at it in quick succession.


    Balor=Shii tried to intimidate Diana with a bloodcurdling scream, but perhaps it could not withstand the power of those arrows, as it no longer attempted to raise its spear.


    However, the characteristic ability of the Shii was their power to steal the hearts of living creatures.


    As Diana was struggling with inertial forces while flying through the air, a red beam of light was released towards her from Balor=Shii¡¯s red eye that was easily larger than her height.


    ¡°Diana!!¡±


    Yasuo, who had once had been exposed to that attack from a terrifying enemy, shouted in alarm, but it looked like timing with which the beam was fired made it impossible to evade.


    However, miraculously, an even stronger power appeared to interfere with that attack.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your rampaaaaaage!¡±


    A frighteningly large object appeared between Diana and Balor=Shii with the speed of a bullet.


    Shouko, clinging to the back of the scaled dragon, had appeared as if to protect Diana from that red light.


    ¡°Shouko!? Watch out!¡±


    By the time Diana noticed Shouko, the red light was right in front of her..


    A chill ran down Diana¡¯s spine as she thought that they were both going to be swallowed up by that red light.


    ¡º¡­¡­¡­¡­!¡»


    Balor=Shii closed its massive eye along with a roar, and the red light dispersed into the sky an instant before it hit Shouko and the scaled dragon.


    ¡°Diana-san, the Shii can¡¯t attack me so don¡¯t worry, more importantly if you have anything up your sleeve now is the time!!¡±


    Shouko shouted that in a single breath from the back of the scaled dragon as it passed by Diana while maintaining the momentum of its arrival.


    Diana felt that she had someone other than Shouko riding on the back of the scaled dragon as well, but she couldn¡¯t spare the time to confirm that.


    She could not afford to lose this opportunity where Balor=Shii stood with its eye closed and its spear was out of position.


    Diana accurately made use of the momentary gap that Shouko had created by risking her life.


    As Balor=Shii moved sluggishly trying to regain its stance, Diana poured every last drop of mana she had into her bow.


    ¡°Disappear!!¡±


    She fired the arrow directly into the center of Balor=Shii¡¯s chest while it was off-balance.


    ¡°Guh!!¡±


    Yasuo groaned when he was hit by a portion of that thunderous sound and shockwave, but when he opened his eyes again, what he saw was a sight that was even more unimaginable than Balor=Shii itself.


    ¡°Eeeeehh?¡±


    That giant body that had been strong enough to cleave the tower in two had been blasted into the air.


    The force of Diana¡¯s arrow of light had been strong enough to knock Balor=Shii of its feet and send it flying to the plains beyond the town walls.


    ¡°Yasuo!! Hurry up with the healing!!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Right!¡±


    After shouting to Yasuo who was just blankly staring into the sky, Diana flew off in pursuit of the Shii that she had just sent flying.


    It had been less than two days since Yasuo last saw her. Just what had happened to Diana in that time to enable her to easily blow away the giant Shii that was a symbol of despair beyond the town walls using some power that Yasuo had never seen before?


    ¡°Ouch!!¡±


    Along with that doubt, Yasuo¡¯s body was suddenly overcome by the fact that he was still alive, and his broken leg sent a complaint in the form of a sharp pain.


    ¡°Dammit¡­ This pain feels entirely different from having my stomach pierced through. Gaaaaah!¡±


    Yasuo somehow managed to set his ankle back in the proper position, and less than a minute after applying healing magic to it, his ankle returned to normal.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡±


    Since he had used the requiem and healing magic continuously without taking a break, he felt dizzy due to lack of mana.


    However, Feigreid was close by, on the verge of death.


    In order to share what had happened here with the people of this world, the presence of Feigreid, who was a Magitech Knight of Gaz, was indispensable.


    More importantly, for the sake of Director Kelly and the children of the House of the Fireflies who were waiting while being worried about him, Feigreid definitely could not be allowed to die.


    ¡°A-Are you still alive?¡±


    ¡°¡­Somehow. Yasuo¡­ what just happened¡­?¡±


    ¡°Well, that is¡­ Ah.¡±


    Feigreid, who unexpectedly didn¡¯t look too worse for wear, asked that question, and just as Yasuo was about to answer, they heard a dull sound from somewhere far away.


    When they looked in that direction, they saw that the left hand of the giant shii had been ripped off and it landed on the bank of the Hideo Holy Sword River.


    ¡°Haha¡­ I¡¯m just as surprised as you are. I honestly have no idea what just happened¡­ but I¡¯m sure that¡­¡­¡±


    That chant, that had similar wording to the chants used to summon the Holy Sword of the Wind, Liutberga, and the Holy Staff of Fire, Marlowe.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ she is the true hero that the current Ante Lande needs. However, the truth is¡­¡±


    Dianaze, daughter of Swordmaster Alexei Krone and the Great Sorceress, Erijina Radagast.


    If you just looked at her lineage and ability, she was a thoroughbred who was on an entirely different level compared to Kenzaki Yasuo.


    He didn¡¯t know the reason or the circumstances behind it, but it looked like she had been granted a power that was on the same level as the Holy Sword.


    ¡°Some like me probably has no right to say such a thing, but I¡¯m a little worried about her.¡±


    Unable to slow down in time, the scaled dragon that had shot past Diana at a high speed landed with the same force and tumbled across the ground that was strewn with rubble.


    ¡°Kyaaaa!¡±


    ¡°Uwaaaaah!¡±


    Shouko, who was enveloped in the flames of the Shii, managed to catch Catalina who was thrown into the air, and somehow managed to land on the ground without any injuries while hearing the sound of the scaled dragon crashing into something and destroying it in the background.


    ¡°I-I thought I was going to die!¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s my line!¡±


    The two of them sank to the ground while shouting at each other.


    ¡°Catalina-san! Yasu-kun and Feigreid-san managed to survive! Let¡¯s hurry back!¡±


    ¡°Wait! Are you just going to leave that scaled dragon in that sort of condition!?¡±


    When Shouko looked in that direction, she saw that the scaled dragon had crashed into some rubble and was struggling pitifully to free itself.


    It didn¡¯t appear to be seriously injured, but it probably wouldn¡¯t be able to fly again right away.


    ¡°Also, that Shii is no longer inside the town! Even if we hurry to their side, we have no means by which we can heal them. Thanks to that Magitech Knight, they should not be any danger of dying right away! Shouko! You¡¯re not exactly in perfect condition either, so calm down!¡±


    Hearing Catalina¡¯s rebuke, Shouko took a single deep breath to try and calm herself down.


    At that instant, they felt the tremors caused by some large object falling to the ground far away, and Shouko turned in that direction, and saw that Balor=Shii had been blown all the way to the edge of the forest.


    ¡°Diana-san is amazing¡­ But how did she know that we were here?¡±


    From what Shouko had heard about Diana¡¯s battle strength from Yasuo and Khalija, she was certainly far more talented than average, but even so she should not have such an incredible amount of power.


    Also, despite the fact that Shouko was ignorant of the details related to the military situation of Ante Lande, even she could tell that sending Balor=Shii flying to a location beyond the town walls was not something that could be achieved with a normal level of power.


    And most importantly, she was not able to understand how Diana had arrived at this place, as if she had pinpointed Yasuo¡¯s location.


    Shouko¡¯s question was soon answered by the person who was beside her.


    ¡°Just like how the two of you were on your guard with me, I too was scared of whatever brought the two of you here. Especially after I learned that Yasuo was Hideo¡¯s son. That¡¯s why, I contacted them last night.¡±


    ¡°Contacted them¡­ Ah!¡±


    Shouko remembered that Catalina had said something about making contact with someone when they were in front of the House of the Fireflies.


    ¡°You should have seen how worried she was when I contacted her and said, ¡ºI¡¯ve picked up a boy who looks exactly like Hideo, do you people have anything to do with that?¡»Despite how I look, I am still a famous painter, and I have had a long relationship with the people who saved this world along with Hideo.¡±


    Catalina pointed at the light that was piercing Balor=Shii and continued to speak.


    ¡°That light is from the Holy Bow of Water, Pomona. It is the bow that the Great Sorceress Erijina Radagast used when she fought against Demon King Kaul. However, it looks like the person who is using it now is not Erize, although I only caught a glimpse of her from far away¡­¡±


    ¡°Diana-san is the daughter of that person called Erijina.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I see, so that¡¯s how it is. So it was Resteria that brought you two here after all.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about hiding things from me at this late hour. I can guess that all of you were traveling to Ante Lande in secret, but due to some trouble, just the two of you ended up landing in the Gaz Commonwealth. From what I can see, Erize¡¯s daughter was the one who asked you to travel to Ante Lande. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­T-That is¡­¡±


    ¡°In any case, we can talk about that in length if that girl manages to defeat Balor=Shii. For now, we should get away from here and find some shelter. Shouko, could you scout around the surroundings, just in case? There might be some Magitech Knight who mistakes you for a threat, or a Shii that has not yet been sent off in the area.¡±


    At that moment, the two of them heard the roar of an animal from behind them.


    The scaled dragon had managed to crawl out of the rubble, and it was glaring down at them unhappily.


    Catalina started to pacify it by playing on the pipe that she pulled out of her robe, and spoke to Shouko.


    ¡°As I thought, it won¡¯t be able to fly again right away. We are pretty close to the House of the Fireflies, so let¡¯ begin with guiding Director Kelly and the others to some place where the Magitech Knights will be able to protect them. After that, we can go search for Yasuo and Second Lieutenant Feigreid. Let us believe in Yasuo¡¯s powers of healing. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, I understand.¡±


    Frankly, Shouko wanted to go save Yasuo as soon as possible.


    However, abandoning the people in the House of the Fireflies was also not an option.


    ¡°I should probably get used to this power a little more, anyway.¡±


    The increase in her power caused by the Shii¡¯s flames was still in effect, and Shouko could tell that the more she used that power, the longer she was able to maintain it.


    When she thought that more humanoid Shii might appear in the town, she felt like testing the limits of that strength.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ It looks like I¡¯ve been completely influenced by this stuff as well.¡±


    Had she always had such a combative mindset?


    Despite the fact that it was a serious situation where people¡¯s lives were on the line, Shouko felt it oddly amusing and couldn¡¯t resist smiling.


    ¡°I wonder if Tatewaki-san and Catalina-san are okay. The went flying off at such a high speed, after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either¡­ I had no idea scaled dragons could fly that fast, so I really can¡¯t say for sure¡­¡±


    Yasuo was doing his best to heal Feigreid after pulling out the piece of wood that had pierced through his abdomen and applying pressure to reduce the flow of blood.


    As Yasuo healed him, he could feel that Feigreid¡¯s overflowing vitality that probably came from his rigorous training as a Magitech Knight had already brought him out of a critical condition.


    ¡°Is that good enough¡­. I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    As soon as Yasuo judged that Feigreid was no longer in immediate danger, his entire body was assailed by a sense of fatigue.


    As Yasuo was about to crumple to the floor, Feigreid hurriedly put his hand out to support Yasuo.


    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you very much. My life was saved by the son of the Hero Hideo¡­ This will be something I can take pride in for the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°Haha, if you want to put it that way, then you are the one who saved me from the tower when it was destroyed, right? If anything, you should take pride in that instead¡­.¡±


    ¡°No. In the end, I was not able to let you escape from that Shii. I¡¯m sure a large number of people lost their lives as well¡­ Despite being a Magitech Knight, I feel like I¡¯ve only shown you such worthless things.¡±


    Yasuo was not one to rashly say that that wasn¡¯t the case, and Feigreid probably wasn¡¯t expecting to hear that either.


    ¡°And besides, the one who saved you, Yasuo, was¡­.¡±


    Feigreid stood up while supporting Yasuo, and gazed at the light that shone far away from the town wall.


    ¡°¡­that beautiful Magitech Knight.¡±


    ¡°Umm, Feigreid-san¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Feig.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Feig-san. Can you please take me to where she is¡­ to where Diana is? I¡¯m sure that the fight will be over soon.¡±


    ¡ù

 Volume 3, 4 - A New Threat Part 4

    Volume 3, Chapter 4 ¨C A New Threat Part 4


    Pomona, The Holy Bow of Water that Diana had received from her mother, converted her mana into far more powerful attacks than a regular Techo Weapon could hope to achieve, and Diana used that power to repeatedly chip away at the body of the Shii which only had its size as a strong point.


    However, Diana¡¯s body started to feel the strain from the amount of mana that was consumed.


    ¡°I am still¡­ far too weak!¡±


    Diana shot out arrows of light from Pomona while thinking about what had happened during the past couple of days.


    ¡°My heart, body, and sorcery are still far too weak!!¡±


    In a way, she was just venting her anger.


    ¡°Whether it is as a Magitech Knight¡­ or as a regular person¡­ At this rate, I won¡¯t be able to protect the people who are dear to me!¡±


    A portion of Balor=Shii¡¯s body or flames were blown away every time Diana fired an arrow from Pomona, and finally, that massive spear fell to the ground and disappeared.


    ¡°If I¡­ If we don¡¯t get stronger, Ante Lande won¡¯t¡­.¡±


    Diana¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred as she looked straight into Balor=Shii¡¯s massive red eye.


    ¡°¡­be able to protect Yasuo¡¯s hometown!!¡±


    The falling star that was created just above the ground pierced through Balor=Shii¡¯s skull, and that massive body finally collapsed completely flat on the plains.


    ¡°Haa¡­. Haa¡­. Haa¡­¡±


    Diana, who landed next to Balor=Shii while breathing roughly, glared hatefully at its corpse.


    ¡°Even after death you still appear to cause harm to people¡­ Just exactly where do all of you come from¡­¡±


    ¡ºGuuu¡­. Guaaaaaah¡»


    The only things that came from the giant mouth of the Shii that had once been a Demon General were groans and a foul smell.


    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±


    Diana instinctively wrinkled her nose at the smell of rot, but when she looked at the red eye that was steadily growing dimmer, she made a twisted expression as though she was sad.


    ¡°Who would do something like this, and why¡­¡­¡±


    Even a demon from ancient times that she had only ever heard about in legends would not want to seek out another death after already dying once.


    Why do they treat life so cruelly?


    Who was responsible for this?


    ¡°It will take a fair amount of time to answer that question.¡±


    ¡°¡­!?¡±


    It happened in an instant.


    Balor=Shii, the sky, the ground, the river, the forest, the town, and everything else had their color stripped away and turned into just black and white.


    When Diana saw that man who appeared as if welling up from the ground between Balor=Shii¡¯s face and herself, Diana¡¯s expression twisted with anger and she once again took a stance with Pomona.


    ¡°Hey! Spare me that. Your twin swords were of no concern to me, but getting hit by Pomona would hurt.¡±


    He was wearing a soot-stained shirt, trousers with suspenders, and a black newsboy cap.


    Also, he was holding a lantern.


    ¡°William Bareig¡­¡­.!¡±


    Diana called the name of the person who was like an embodiment of death, with his left eye glowing in an ominous red color behind the flames of the Shii.


    ¡°What is your objective!? First you attack Yasuo and Nodoka, and then you plant a Shii inside Shouko¡­ Is this uproar at Galedeite your doing as well!?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You may not believe me, but I will state for the record that I am not to blame for this current incident or the case with Shouko Tatewaki. The culprit you¡¯re looking for is Beatrice Heller. The same person who bewitched Khalija Welleger.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Beatrice Heller¡­.¡±


    Diana shuddered on feeling the malice of that person whom she had not even seen yet.


    ¡°They were probably among the ones that attacked Galedeite this time, the Shii that were once Magitech Knights of Resteria, wielding that Techo Weapon called Sinistra¡­ hey!?¡±


    Dian shot an arrow of light from Pomona without any warning.


    Willam avoided that in a hurry, and patted his chest with exaggerated motions.


    ¡°Stop doing such scary things. Didn¡¯t I just say that it would hurt if I got hit with that?¡±


    ¡°If killing you right here would help maintain the peace of the world, I would do that without hesitation!¡±


    ¡°Despite that pretty face, you speak just like any other soldier. Well, that¡¯s how you should be. Descendent of Krone and Radagast. So you can use Pomona to such an extent even though you only received it recently. Don¡¯t you think that you people don¡¯t particularly need any help from the Kenzaki family?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­We should have done that from the beginning. But it is too late now. And besides¡­ whether we reached out to the Kenzaki family or not, I am sure that you would have done something to hurt them eventually.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well I can¡¯t deny that¡­ Oi!¡±


    William let out an exaggerated shout at the arrow of light that almost grazed his face as it flew by, and then looked at Diana.


    ¡°¡­¡­I won¡¯t miss next time. Tell me what you know about the Shii and what your objective is.¡±


    ¡°It will only cause me some pain if you hit me with that, so if you want to do that then feel free¡­ but sure. Since you seem to want to know so badly, I¡¯ll tell you just one thing. It is regarding Shouko Tatewaki.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°I am also a ¡ºLatch¡».¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°However, capturing me is beyond Beatrice Heller¡¯s abilities. That is why she is searching for a ¡ºLatch¡» other than me. I don¡¯t particularly care either way, but looking at it from your perspective of right and wrong, allowing her to capture a ¡ºLatch¡» would probably not be a good thing for all of you.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is a ¡ºLatch¡»!? If you¡¯re saying that you are one of them, then are you actually a human being!?¡±


    ¡°Saying it that way is a little mean, but no, you¡¯re wrong. However, that woman is slightly mistaken. A ¡ºLatch¡» does not necessarily need to be a living human being. The only thing that matters is that they have a ¡ºvisible eye¡».¡±


    Saying that, William gestured towards his own left eye with the hand that was holding the lantern.


    ¡°From what I can see, Shouko Tatewaki was really just an average Japanese person. However, unfortunately for her, she seemed to have an extremely high compatibility with that particular Shii. It was only by coincidence that she became a ¡ºLatch¡» candidate. The Shii that possessed her is nothing special either. However, no matter how rare the coincidence was that created it, once that woman is aware of the existence of a¡ºLatch¡», she won¡¯t just sit idly by and let it escape from her grasp. You should be very careful. If she releases a powerful Shii like this Balor in Japan, that will truly become a situation too gruesome to look at.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Victims were victims, whether they belonged to Ante Lande or Japan.


    However, if such a massive Shii were to appear in Japan, or rather, on Earth, what would happen?


    It was not enough to just defeat it.


    After such an attack, the nature of the world itself would definitely change.


    That peaceful town and country that Yasuo and Shouko lived in would change.


    ¡°¡­¡­I definitely won¡¯t let such a thing happen!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in telling me that. Well, I don¡¯t particularly care who dies and where they die, but I don¡¯t like the idea of letting Beatrice do as she likes. Besides, I would eventually like for the Kenzaki family to help me out, so I¡¯ll take my leave for now. I feel like I will really be killed if I overstay my visit.¡±


    ¡°Wait! You still haven¡¯t told me what your objective is¡­!¡±


    ¡°What good will it do for you to hear the objective of someone like me? Now that you have Pomona, I certainly have more interest in making you one of my comrades compared to the last time we met, but there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll agree to that, right?¡±


    From the tone of William¡¯s voice, it wasn¡¯t apparent whether he was trying to taunt her or soothe her, but Diana frowned at the discomfort that she felt upon hearing the words that he had just uttered.


    ¡°Comrade? Did you just say comrade?¡±


    ¡°If possible, I would also like to make Yasuo Kenzaki and Nodoka Kenzaki my comrades as well. Yasuo is amazing, you know? Sure, he¡¯s next to useless when it comes to battle, but he used the broadcasting facilities to single-handedly purify all the Shii that appeared inside Galedeite. If only he was at least able to fight at the level of an ordinary Magitech Knight, he would have no demerits.¡±


    William said that with a wry smile while slumping his shoulders, and then adjusted the newsboy cap on his head and looked up at the pitch black sky.


    ¡°Oh, it looks like I¡¯ve stayed here a little too long. Now it¡¯s time for me to go back for real. Please send my regards to Yasuo and Erijina Radagast.¡±


    Diana¡¯s reply was in the form of an arrow of light.


    ¡°Seriously, despite that pretty face, you are one scary young lady.¡±


    William took that arrow head on without bothering to avoid it.


    Just as the arrows of light had broken Balor=Shii¡¯s body into pieces, it also broke William¡¯s body into particles of soot.


    Or rather, it only appeared that way.


    Diana put up her guard.


    The soot spun around like a tornado, writhed in that monochrome space like giant snake, and rushed straight at Diana.


    ¡°¡­!! Take this!!¡±


    Diana continuously fired arrows of light at it, but there was no feedback at all and it felt like she was shooting at mist.


    ¡°Ah¡­!!¡±


    And then, the first few particles of soot touched Diana.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Ahhhhhh!¡±


    It was cold, and yet hot.


    It felt like each particle of soot transmitted every possible unpleasant sensation to her body as they passed by her.


    Unable to bear that pressure, Diana could not remain standing and she sank down to the ground in an unsightly manner.


    ¡ºWielder of Pomona¡­ should you wish to know the location of the Hero Hideo, you would do well to search at the boundary of life.¡»


    Diana listened to the sound created by the unpleasant soot as it flew past her body.


    ¡ºThe Holy Bow Pomona, Holy Staff Marlowe, and Holy Sword Liutberga¡­ the Holy Armaments belonging to the Heroes of Salvation are all connected to¡­¡­¡»


    ¡°W-What¡­ What are they connected to?¡±


    ¡ºThe ***¡»


    Diana was not able to understand that sound.


    Or rather, her mind refused to comprehend it.


    ¡°Guaaaaah!!¡±


    The soot that was wrapping around her body disappeared after an instant that seemed to last for an eternity, and at the same time, the black and white space also crumbled away.


    The only thing left behind was the plains that had been ravaged by her battle against Balor=Shii.


    ¡°Diana!! Are you okay!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yasuo.¡±


    When someone called her from behind her all of a sudden, Diana dazedly turned around while still sitting on the ground.


    Yasuo was standing there, along with the Magitech Knight from the Gaz Commonwealth, and he was looking at Diana with concern in his eyes.


    ¡°Was William here just now?¡±


    ¡°You were able to see him?¡±


    ¡°Not really. It was the same kind of black space that appeared in Tokorozawa and I wasn¡¯t able to see you anywhere, so I thought that he might be behind it¡­ Did he do something to you?¡±


    Yasuo asked Diana that when he saw that she was acting strangely, but Diana just shook her head and forced herself to stand on her legs that still had some of that unpleasant sensation remaining.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ We talked for quite a while, but he didn¡¯t injure me in any way. It seems¡­ that he has already left.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±


    Diana looked around to make sure that there were no remnants of the soot in her surroundings, and then she suddenly realized something.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see Balor¡¯s¡­ the massive body of that Shii anywhere, did you send it off, Yasuo?¡±


    ¡°No, I tried, but it had absolutely no effect. I was also more worried about you and William¡¯s barrier, so I didn¡¯t have the time to think about that¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It was swallowed up by the ground and disappeared in front of our eyes, just like a regular Shii. If that Shii was based on Balor who went on a rampage during the war against Demon King Kaul, I feel a chill run down my spine when I think that we will have to fight against it again someday.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see¡­¡±


    After the Magitech Knight from the Gaz Commonwealth who was standing next to Yasuo said that, Diana hung her head a little.


    ¡°A-Anyway, that was incredible. You overwhelmed something so big¡­. Well, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you fighting on this world, Diana, is it that you find it easier to fight when you¡¯re here?¡±


    Perhaps Yasuo noticed Diana¡¯s reaction, as he put on a forced cheery voice and said that.


    Diana smiled while still looking down and shook her head.


    ¡°No. A lot of things happened. A lot of different things¡­. In the short period of the past two days¡­.. This Holy Bow Pomona, the Holy Armament belonging to my mother, is something that I was allowed to borrow for just this one time. My mother cannot easily come to Gaz because of her position, so¡­ However¡­¡±


    Diana raised her head and looked directly at Yasuo.


    ¡°When we received a message from Catalina Yostern-sama that she had taken in someone who might have been you, Yasuo, I wasn¡¯t able to sit still. The Gaz Commonwealth is a country where the influence of the Carnelian of the Coal Mine is especially strong. When I thought that something might happen to you or Shouko¡­. I¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo panicked when he saw that Diana¡¯s eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°Ah, no, we went through a lot of stuff as well. We might have caused you to worry, but thanks to that Catalina-san both Tatewaki-san and I are perfectly fine, I am still alive thanks to Feigreid-san, and remember how Dad started shining in the Gate Tower when we were on our way here? That was what caused all the problems, right? It¡¯s definitely not your fault or Resteria¡¯s fault, so¡­¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s vehement argument was cut short by golden hair and a flower-shaped hair ornament that filled his vision.


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­ It¡¯s really you, isn¡¯t it, Yasuo¡­. You¡¯re alright¡­. Thank goodness¡­.¡±


    ¡°Uwaah!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh my.¡±


    When Diana rushed straight at him from the front, Yasuo, who had run out of both mana and stamina, was knocked backwards onto the ground.


    Since the ground was covered with soft grass, Feigreid did not attempt to help him, and Diana burst into tears while lying on top of him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry for being late! I¡­ I¡­.!¡±


    ¡°D-Diana! I can¡¯t breathe¡­.¡±


    ¡°I was so worried. I was so scared! I was so scared that something might have happened to you because of me¡­.!¡±


    ¡°L-Like I said, it wasn¡¯t your fault. It was Dad¡¯s fault, right!? Seriously,I¡¯m begging you, please move away, this is embarrassing¡­¡±


    ¡°Yasuoooooo¡­.. Ueeeeeeh!¡±


    ¡°Should I give you two some privacy?¡±


    ¡°F-Feig-san, that would just make it even more embarrassing instead¡­.¡±


    Yasuo was hesitant to hold Diana, even if it was just move her aside. Comforting a girl who was crying because she was worried about him was a feat that was impossible for him, and just when he stretched out his hand with the intention of asking for help from Feig who was attempting to leave while smiling, he saw it.


    A strangely round creature was descending from the sky while flapping its wings.


    Without a doubt, that was the scaled dragon that Catalina had tamed.


    Why did the scaled dragon have to come this way?


    There was only one answer.


    ¡°D-Diana! Please, calm down! I¡¯m safe! Although if you keep this up, I won¡¯t be safe anymore¡­.¡±


    However Yasuo¡¯s entreaty was in vain, and the scaled dragon touched down on the ground with unexpected grace.


    And then, after a few seconds.


    ¡°¡­¡­What are¡­ the two of you doing¡­¡­?¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s eyes met Shouko¡¯s cold gaze that was apparent even through the flames of the Shii.


    ¡°I guess¡­ This is it for me.¡±


    Along with his lack of mana, Yasuo felt that his strength was also being drained away.

 Volume 3, Interlude - 4

    Volume 3, Interlude ¨C 4


    ¡°Aah¡­ I wonder if that bastard will really come back in one week¡­¡±


    ¡°Nodoka¡­ You seem to be very upset¡­.¡±


    ¡°When I think that I¡¯m working hard at school and cram school, and Onii-chan is enjoying a carefree vacation in that paradise-like other world with a pretty girl on each side, and moreover, he¡¯s using someone else¡¯s money to do it, I can¡¯t stop my resentment from building up.¡±


    ¡°A pretty girl on each side¡­ Yeah, I won¡¯t deny that, but I don¡¯t think Yasuo is capable of doing anything to them, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯s having such a carefree time either.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but just think about it normally.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°They went to meet Shouko-san¡¯s parents before they left, right? And of course, in the other world, they will be meeting Diana-san¡¯s mother as well, right?¡±


    ¡°That should be the case.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that basically like a parent-approved relationship? It is definitely a parent-approved relationship, isn¡¯t it!? Despite the fact that he¡¯s useless. Even though he¡¯s useless!!¡±


    ¡°Parent-approved? What are they approving? And why did you say it twice?¡±


    ¡°Diana-san and Shouko-san share a big secret with Onii-chan, so they¡¯re like the only three people in the world who have that in common, right?¡±


    ¡°Myself, you, Madoka, and Hideo. Then there¡¯s Her Excellency Erijina, and the Tatewaki couple as well. Altogether, there are ten people.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about it normally, wouldn¡¯t he raise a flag with either one of them!? Diana-san is sickeningly sweet to Onii-chan to begin with, and Shouko-san seems strangely accepting of Onii-chan as well.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­.. Well¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s Onii-chan we¡¯re talking about, so he¡¯s just going to break all those flags into pieces and come back like nothing happened, right? Aargh, I¡¯m so irritated! If I knew this was going to happen, I should have volunteered to become the Hero instead!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ Yasuo¡­. It looks like you¡¯re going to have a rough time after you return.¡±

 Volume 3, Epilogue

    Volume 3, Epilogue


    It took half a day for Shouko¡¯s mood to improve.


    It was not really a big enough deal for her to misunderstand what had happened, but since she had come looking for Yasuo because she was worried about him, only to find him lying on the ground hugging Diana (or so it appeared), her anger was probably inevitable considering her position.


    Even after they confirmed that there were no more Shii inside the town of Galedeite, they were kept busy and most of their day was taken up with things such as trying to understand the total scope of the damage, Diana¡¯s discussions with Galedeite¡¯s Knights Division about her crossing the border as an emergency special envoy, and confirming the safety of the people associated with the House of the Fireflies.


    In the end, all the people who had been present at the location where Balor=Shii¡¯s body had disappeared were only able to meet again late that night.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m really sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me when I saw that Yasuo was safe, and I really had no other ulterior motives¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, already!! If you apologize any more, I¡¯ll be the one who gets embarrassed!!¡±


    They rented rooms at an inn that was located in a section of the town with relatively less damage, and Yasuo, Shouko, Diana, Catalina, and Feigreid were all assembled there, but Diana had been continuously apologizing since the start and on the other hand, Shouko found herself being steadily driven into a corner by Catalina¡¯s smirking expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of Yasuo. I wish that I can follow in his footsteps as well.¡±


    ¡°Feig-san, stop saying things like that with a refreshing smile!!¡±


    It was an honest opinion that came from his steadfast personality, but just made it even worse.


    ¡°Anyway!! Like we explained, after Yasu-kun and I fell out of the Gate Tower, we were rescued by Catalina-san and ended up here! What about you, Diana-san!? Just what happened to you after that!?¡±


    ¡°I-I was the only one who drifted to the exit of the Gate Tower in Resteria as per the usual process. Yasuo, Hideo, and Shouko were not with me, so everyone who had assembled there, including my mother, fell into chaos.¡±


    She explained that it wasn¡¯t just Yasuo and Shouko, even Hideo had been ejected from the Gate Tower.


    There were many conceivable reasons for that, but apparently they discovered the location of his father a few dozen minutes after Diana reached Resteria.


    ¡°My mother used Pomona to determine Hideo¡¯s approximate location. Pomona, Liutberga, and Madoka¡¯s Marlowe rule over all of creation in Ante Lande, and they are sacred treasures that act in concert with each other¡­ However, there was a problem.¡±


    Yasuo had already heard about this right after he managed to escape from Diana¡¯s embrace and Shouko¡¯s cold glare, but apparently his father had not yet made contact with Diana or Erijina.


    ¡°He is at a place that he cannot easily move from. Compared to Yasuo, if word of Hideo¡¯s existence got out, it is capable of doing far more damage, so unless it is someone like Second Lieutenant Feigreid who is a special case, he cannot carelessly ask people for help even within the country.¡±


    ¡°Honestly speaking, I am still very much a novice, so I am a little tense. More importantly, when I think that I am witnessing a legendary moment with my own eyes, my heart cannot help but leap with joy.¡±


    Feigreid was older than Diana, but perhaps because he was keeping the difference in their social status or the difference in their fighting strengths in mind, from the moment he met her, he had been looking up at Diana with sparkling eyes as though he was her subordinate.


    ¡°I swear upon the name of the Great Sorceress Erijina that I will never carelessly reveal your secrets!¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ Yes, I am counting on you¡­..¡±


    Diana felt like backing away from Feigreid who was speaking in a straightforward manner and giving off a strange sense of pressure.


    ¡°However, despite having heard the circumstances, my feelings are complicated. If not for the Carnelian of the Coal Mine, I might have lost my life when I was still a child¡­ So I find it hard to believe that the Foreman of that organization is involved with the Shii that are threatening the whole world.¡±


    ¡°However, that is the truth. It is possible that even Balor=Shii that appeared this time was dispatched here on the basis of information sent by Director Kelly of the House of the Fireflies. We were almost certain that Beatrice Heller had the ability to selectively choose and lead the Shii that are based on Magitech Knights from Resteria, but the incident this time is even more serious. We cannot continue to ignore her.¡±


    The Demon General Balor is famous throughout the world, along with the legend of the Hideo Holy Sword River.


    It was impossible to ensure that every single person who was in Galedeite kept their mouths shut.


    Sooner or later, word would get out that a demon Shii had appeared, and the world would be surrounded by an even more gloomy atmosphere.


    ¡°Well, we can worry about that later, but for now, why wasn¡¯t Dad able to meet up with you?¡±


    ¡°About that¡­ It appears that Hideo landed in territory controlled by Baskelgarde.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in Baskelgarde?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What¡¯s more, he seems to be in a region that is quite deep within the country, so if he tries to fly or use his abilities in any way, Baskelgarde will detect it and find out about his existence, so he¡¯s basically stuck there¡­ Also, the reason why you were not able to summon Hideo like you did in Japan is also probably connected to that.¡±


    ¡°Does you mean that is the place where the Holy Sword Liutberga originated?¡±


    Diana nodded in reply to Catalina¡¯s question.


    ¡°In the first place, Hideo¡¯s Holy Sword Liutberga was first discovered in the Baskelgarde Federation, in a temple constructed by an ancient civilization that is located in the mountain ranges at the far north. Hideo¡¯s landing point is also estimated to be somewhere around there. It is hard to imagine that this was just a coincidence¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I see. Were Pomona and Marlowe also discovered in the same place?¡±


    ¡°No, each of them were found in different places, enshrined in temples built by an ancient civilization¡­¡±


    The phrase ¡®ancient civilization¡¯ brings to mind a sense of persistent history and romance.


    However, when Yasuo remembered the ¡ºperfected form¡» of his mother¡¯s Holy Staff Marlowe, he didn¡¯t really feel like accepting any sense of romance from the kind of ancient civilization that forces the user of the staff to fight in that sort of a Magical Lady form.


    ¡°While we had at least confirmed that Hideo was safe, we had absolutely no idea where Yasuo and Shouko ended up, so all of us fell into a panic. If something had happened to the two of you, we would not be able to face the Tatewaki family as well as Madoka and Nodoka, and more than anything, I was so worried about the two of you that I just couldn¡¯t sit still¡­.¡±


    ¡°So once you found out that Yasuo was safe, your feelings of relief and anxiety came to the fore all at once and you ended up hugging him, is that it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes¡­. I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡±


    ¡°Catalina-san!!¡±


    The evil old lady Catalina obviously found the situation to be highly amusing, causing Diana to shrink down even further and Shouko to yell at her with a red face, while on the other hand, Yasuo just elected to just stay silent.


    ¡°H-However, I was really surprised when my mother received the Magitech transmission from Catalina-sama. I had heard that she was living in Gaz, but I had no idea that she possessed a Magitech device capable of sending messages from so far away¡­..¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose you would have no way of knowing that. Ever since I happened to meet Hideo and Erize during my travels thirty years ago, I have stayed in contact with Erize and we periodically exchange messages. Even though one of my paintings was selected as a national treasure, that fame alone is not enough to keep me fed for the rest of my life¡­ And Erize appreciated my achievement of having continued to travel on my own for a long time¡­ so she gave me various tasks from time to time.¡±


    ¡°Wait, does that mean¡­.¡±


    Hearing Feigreid ask that in an uneasy voice, Catalina shook her head.


    ¡°You may not believe me, but my work was confined to the interior of Resteria. I was born in Torjesso, but I grew up in Gaz, and I am happy that I was allowed to settle here permanently. I give you my word, I never sent Erize any sensitive information about Gaz. And besides, Erize probably has several talented people who could do the job better than someone like me who stands out a lot. On the other hand, there were things I could do to support Erize specifically because I stand out. In any case¡­¡±


    Catalina looked at Yasuo and Shouko in turn.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the two of you were desperate, but I knew from the start that the two of you were lying to me and hiding something.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I suppose we made fools of ourselves in front of a professional.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like I said. Even if people suspect you, it is fine as long as you don¡¯t let them find out any crucial information. That wariness of yours was commendable considering that the two of you were amateurs.¡±


    After saying that in a consoling tone, Catalina turned to Diana and Feigreid.


    ¡°Honestly, it was only recently that I was asked to look into the activities of the Carnelian of the Coal Mine in Resteria. Considering that I am from Torjesso, it was a trivial task for me. I looked into several organizations that were affiliated to Carnelian, including Kelly¡¯s House of the Fireflies, but as far as I could see, they were all still just charitable institutions. However, there was definitely something strange about them.¡±


    The tip of the iceberg was probably that ¡ºmessage from the Foreman¡» that Director Kelly had received.


    ¡°I have no idea what that person called William Bareig that Diana-chan mentioned was talking about, but it seems to me that leaving this situation unchecked will lead to nothing but trouble. Whether it is for Resteria, Japan, or even the Gaz Commonwealth. What do you and Erize plan on doing from here on out?¡±


    ¡°Honestly speaking, we have not yet been able to come to any decision. Although Yasuo and Shouko are safe for now, when I think about Balor, I don¡¯t think the two of them will be safe even if we send just the two of them back to Japan¡­.¡±


    ¡°If the overall plan has yet to be decided, the only thing you can do is to take care of whatever is under your nose, right?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°There is no way to find out anything regarding that person called William, correct? And from what you told me, Diana-chan, it doesn¡¯t feel like he is going to proactively take any action anytime soon. In that case, there are only three things that all of you should take care of.¡±


    Yasuo couldn¡¯t tell if that number of tasks was large or small, but as he looked confused, Catalina continued to speak while counting them out on her fingers.


    ¡°Regrouping with Hideo. Understanding the connection between Shouko and the Shii inside her. Eliminating Beatrice Heller. I think it should be alright if you work on these three tasks based on their priority and degree of difficulty.¡±


    ¡°Catalina-san, did you just say ¡®Elimination¡¯¡­..?¡±


    ¡°I am saying that based on the information we have right now, Beatrice Heller is a threat to all the people living in the world. Just the fact that she controls the Shii makes her someone who will not have a good effect on society, and it is also a fact that there has already been a large number of casualties. No matter how it is done, there is no choice but to eliminate her. However¡­¡±


    ¡°We currently have no definite proof or any means by which to corner her.¡±


    Catalina nodded to what Feigreid said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. As for the disturbance this time as well, the only explanation we have is from that person called William Bareig, and of all the people here, only Yasuo and Diana-chan have met him. We have no objective evidence at all. If we make a move on Beatrice Heller right now, it will be considered as terrorism or assassination, and it will leave behind a lot of uneasiness in society. So we cannot eliminate Beatrice Heller right away. In which case¡­¡±


    Catalina looked around at everyone present.


    ¡°The only thing you can do is to go to Baskelgarde. For the sake of both Hideo and Shouko.¡±


    ¡°Wait, for my sake?¡±


    Shouko blinked when her name suddenly came up along with one of the countries of Ante Lande.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I am fairly certain that the Shii inside you was originally someone from Baskelgarde.¡±


    ¡°How could you know about something like that!?¡±


    When Diana asked that vehemently, Catalina pointed to her own wrist.


    ¡°You may not have seen it, Diana-chan, but the things Shouko did were quite amazing. She fought barehanded against a Shii that wielded a sword, and still came out on top, after all.¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Diana looked at Shouko with a shocked expression, and Shouko did not deny it either.


    ¡°Yeah¡­. Well, it started ever since I came to this world. For whatever reason, when I got into trouble, the power of the Shii would activate to protect me. It¡¯s like, this flame that is currently only in my left eye starts gushing out of my right eye as well, and also, rings of flames appear around my wrists, waist and ankles, and my whole body starts to feel charged with energy¡­.¡±


    ¡°Wrists, ankles, and your waist¡­?¡±


    ¡°Wait, could that be¡­?¡±


    Both Diana and Feigreid reacted at the same time after hearing Shouko¡¯s explanation.


    ¡°¡°Baskelgarde¡¯s ¡ºDestroyer of Armies¡», Orion!?¡±¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Please explain it in a way that Tatewaki-san and I can understand as well.¡±


    Catalina nodded as if she was satisfied, and Yasuo asked for an explanation.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell for sure until I actually see it, but if what Shouko said is true, then the shape that her flames took is similar to that of Orion, known as the ¡ºDestroyer of Armies¡», which is one the oldest Techno Weapons developed by the Baskelgarde Federation.¡±


    Diana said that, and Feigreid also agreed with her.


    ¡°I saw it as well. It is an old Techno Weapon, so it is apparently not used in the field anymore, but everyone knows that it is the weapon that laid the foundations for Techno Weapons research in Baskelgarde. I have heard that unlike the modern Techno Weapons that convert the wielder¡¯s mana into things like a beam of light, it is apparently used to increase the wielder¡¯s physical strength and agility.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why¡­¡±


    That not only explained why Shouko was able to do things like kick a beast high into the air and cause a Shii to get embedded in a wall ever since she got here, but it also explained why the Shii that they had encountered in Tokorozawa when Khalija first came to Japan had a level of strength and agility that was a higher than that of all the other Shii they had faced.


    ¡°If you is able to master the use of the Holy Armament Pomona, Diana-chan, then you should be able to get in touch with Hideo. Also, Yasuo and Shouko cannot return to Japan right away. The Techno Weapon that the Shii that is inside Shouko takes the form of still exists in Baskelgarde. Also, we cannot let Baskelgarde know that Hideo was summoned to this world, so it is not possible to get any reinforcements from Resteria¡­. I think that basically decides the issue, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yasuo, Shouko¡­..¡±


    Diana looked towards the two of them as if she was taking over from Catalina.


    ¡°¡­¡­I will make sure to protect the two of you this time¡­ So would you please¡­.¡±


    Diana stopped talking because both Yasuo and Shouko held up their hands.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, you don¡¯t need to say any more.¡±


    ¡°There is absolutely no reason for you to think that you were in the wrong, Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo¡­. Shouko?¡±


    ¡°I mean, we are talking about my father, after all.¡±


    ¡°And it involves me as well.¡±


    Yasuo and Shouko said it like it was only natural.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together. To Baskelgarde. I realized that I don¡¯t just want to be protected all the time, and if anything, I was the one who kept protecting Yasu-kun this time¡­ although I¡¯m not sure how well I¡¯ll do if I am fighting against people.¡±


    ¡°After what happened this time, I understood more clearly than ever that I am of no use when it comes to fighting. On the other hand, I also learned that I can heal even fairly serious wounds as long as they are not immediately fatal. I think that I will be more useful than I was in the past, both before and after a fight. I won¡¯t do anything like making you fight alone even after getting a fracture, Diana.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo¡­. Shouko¡­.!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to accompany you as well. I may not be as powerful as Major Krone, but I still have confidence in my skills. I will not lose to a regular shii or Magitech Knight!¡±


    ¡°Second Lieutenant Feigreid¡­ Is that really okay? What about your duties here in Galedeite?¡±


    Feigreid spoke as if to display his skill with the sword that hung from his waist, and Diana asked him that in return even though she was still teary-eyed.


    ¡°As a Magitech Knight of Ante Lande, I do not have the choice of not going along with you in such a situation. You understand, don¡¯t you, Major Krone?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sure I would have done the same thing in your place.¡±


    All the soldiers who were born in the generation after the war against Demon King Kaul and who fought at the forefront of their Knights Divisions yearned to experience the same kind of adventures as Hideo did, while keeping their pride as soldiers.


    Just like Diana, Feigreid was also a young man who admired the Hero.


    ¡°And besides, I am indebted to the Carnelian of the Coal Mine. If my mother and the organization she believed in are doing the wrong things, then I have a duty to correct them. I wish to fight, for the sake of the children who live in this town as well.¡±


    ¡°It looks like everyone is in agreement.¡±


    Catalina nodded as if she was satisfied, and handed Yasuo a silver-colored pipe that she pulled out of her robe.


    ¡°I can¡¯t go along with you as I would only get in your way, but take my scaled dragon with you. Keeping it fed is a bit of a hassle, but it can easily fly while carrying four people, so I¡¯m sure it will come in useful even after you enter Baskelgarde.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you very much!¡±


    It was certain that their travel would become a lot easier if they used the scaled dragon that could fly without using magic.


    A lot of things had happened in the two days since they came to Ante Lande.


    However, it looked like that was still just the tip of iceberg.


    ¡°I wonder if we will really be able to to back in one week.¡±


    ¡°When the two of us ended up in that forest, Yasu-kun, I already gave up on returning within the prearranged time limit.¡±


    ¡°I made a promise to your parents, so I will definitely send you back to Japan within the time limit, Shouko!¡±


    ¡°I will make sure to properly protect all of you during the journey! Please be at ease!¡±


    Catalina gave a small smile after seeing the young people who were exhilarated about their adventure that would begin tomorrow, and spoke in a low voice to herself.


    ¡°I wonder if all of you traveled in this way as well¡­ Hideo¡­.¡±


    The artist burned the enthusiasm of those young people into her memory, as if overlapping them with the Heroes of Salvation from thirty years ago.

 Volume 3, Afterword

    Volume 3, Afterword


    As a person who got through elementary and middle school with the school-provided lunch, the words ¡ºschool cafeteria¡» and ¡ºschool store¡» simultaneously evoked both feelings of yearning and awe in me.


    I imagined all sorts of useless things about what I would do after entering high school, such as scrambling to get bread at the school store, or asking for a larger serving at the school cafeteria while being scolded by the old lady in charge.


    However, once I actually entered high school, what I saw before me was truly anticlimactic.


    A meal-ticket based system that left no room for argument about the selection or quantity of food.


    All the popular items on the menu would be sold out because of the students who came early to school for club practice.


    There was no separate school store, and the place that sold bread was treated as part of the school cafeteria, so all the students satisfied their need for bread by solemnly standing in well-ordered lines at the downtown McDona**s.


    And more than anything, what left me crestfallen was the fact that everything was quite expensive.


    It was certainly less expensive than wandering into some restaurant in the town to eat, but paying 480 Yen for shoyu ramen or 400 Yen for curry every day was simply too high a threshold for a highschool student who did not have a part-time job.


    As for bread, the yakisoba sandwich that often appears in stories set in high schools was actually priced over 200 Yen. What¡¯s more, they were so small that you would need at least three of them to fill your stomach.


    No matter how you looked at it, it was not a price that would prompt students from all over the school to compete fiercely for their share.


    Of course, there was no way that my mother would allow me to spend nearly 500 Yen everyday to eat things like curry and ramen, so I was fortunate enough to receive a bento from her almost everyday for three years that was far more filling and had more variety than any single item from the school cafeteria.


    It has been a while. This is Wagahara, whose biggest regret is not being able to eat the katsu curry that was the most popular item on the school menu.


    In the end, the first time Wagahara was able to decide what to eat on his own was after entering college.


    As for being able to properly cook on my own, it was only after the late age of twenty five.


    I think that deciding what to eat on your own is an essential step to becoming an independent adult.


    In order to make decisions on what, when, where, and how to eat something, it is necessary to have a suitable level of economic freedom, ability to take action, ability to discern the quality of food, and the ability to act without the oversight of guardians.


    On the other hand, it is probably only after one gains all these requisite abilities and becomes an adult who does not rely on anyone for their food, that they start to realize how lucky they were to experience a time when they could completely depend on someone else for their bountiful meals, the so-called ¡ºmother¡¯s cooking¡».


    By the way, I am sure that most adults have some fond memories of their¡ºmother¡¯s cooking¡», but the phrase¡ºfather¡¯s cooking¡» doesn¡¯t pop up very often.


    However, these days, it has become quite normal for fathers to participate in taking care of children as well.


    Maybe once the children from this generation grow up, they will feel nostalgic while saying things like ¡ºMy father made this particular dish for me when I was a child¡».


    By the way, my experience of an unforgettable ¡ºfather¡¯s cooking¡» is the roasted pacific saury that my father would quietly leave next to my keyboard as I sat in front of my PC while drinking coffee.


    Around two-thirty in the afternoon. Coffee and pacific saury would be waiting on the PC desk.


    My father was always a little crazy when it came to fish, but I still have no idea why he would choose that sort of time to roast pacific saury.


    This book is about the children who are still not able to choose the contents of their own meals, but who are growing without realizing it into people who will be able to make those choices someday.


    Unlike a certain Demon King and his friends, they are still incapable of securing their own meals unless they are under someone¡¯s protection, but it would be nice if we could see them grow just a little closer to adulthood in the next volume as well.


    Well then, let us meet again in the next volume!!


    ¨C Wagahara Satoshi.


    ¡ºWagahara¡¯s friend watching in shock as he sticks his head into a box¡»


    Friend: What on earth are you doing?


    Wagahara: Pacific saury in a box.


    Friend: You¡¯ve been strange since a while back, what happened?


    Wagahara: Perhaps I have lost confidence in myself.


    Friend: Should I pack some in a box and ship it to you?


    I have become addicted to ramen lately. I want to eat some tasty shoyu ramen made with chicken stock¡­.

 Short Story 01 - Watches cannot measure the heart

    Short Story 01 ¨C Watches cannot measure the heart


    The members of the Kenzaki family were all busy with their morning preparations, but Diana was looking at one particular person while she was helping to prepare breakfast.


    ¡°Yasuo¡¯s is black.¡±


    Dianna murmured to herself while looking at Kenzaki Yasuo, the eldest son of the Kenzaki family, who was wearing his school uniform.


    ¡°Hmm? Diana, is something the matter?¡±


    Yasuo tilted his head and asked after he noticed Diana¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing, sorry.¡±


    Diana gave a small apology, thinking that she had been rudely staring at him for too long


    ¡°Diana-chan, there¡¯s some leftover bacon in the top shelf of the refrigerator, can you get that for me please?¡±


    ¡°Yes, certainly.¡±


    Diana carried out the request of Kenzaki Madoka, a housewife, mother, and the person who wielded power over the family in the background.


    ¡°Madoka¡­ doesn¡¯t have it.¡±


    She said that to herself as she continued to observe. At that time,


    ¡°Mom, have you seen my mobile phone!?¡±


    Kenzaki Nodoka, the younger sister of Yasuo and the arbitrator of the family, came running into the kitchen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Weren¡¯t you holding it right after you woke up? Did you check in the washroom?¡±


    ¡°Eeh!? I already checked there¡­¡±


    Saying that, she ran out again.


    ¡°Nodoka¡­ doesn¡¯t have it either.¡±


    Looking at Nodoka, Diana slightly tilted her head.


    ¡°Seriously, Nodoka is like this every morning¡­ Right then, it¡¯s time for me to leave. Mom, I¡¯ll be late today as I have to meet customers who are coming from far away.¡±


    Kenzaki Hideo, the central pillar of the Kenzaki family and the Hero who Diana looked up to, said that after quickly finishing his breakfast and standing up.


    ¡°Yes, okay. Do you have your mobile phone? Try to be alone as much as possible, just in case something happens.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Hideo looked at Diana after accepting his wife¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Diana-chan, I¡¯m counting on you to take care of the other things.¡±


    ¡°Yes, leave it to me. Have a good day!¡±


    Diana gave a short bow while wiping her wet hands with a towel, and,


    ¡°¡­Hideo¡¯s is silver.¡±


    She was properly observing the correct things.


    ¡°Yasuo, you don¡¯t need to stop what you¡¯re doing, so can you please answer a question?¡±


    ¡°W-What¡­? Do you need me to answer it right away, can¡¯t it wait until after we¡¯re done?¡±


    After returning from prep school that night, Yasuo, who had been training under Diana for the past few days suddenly received a question.


    ¡°If possible, I would like for you to answer it right away.¡±


    Diana still looked fine while performing the strenuous exercise, but Yasuo was red faced and out of breath.


    ¡°R-Right away¡­ That depends¡­ on the quession (question)¡­¡±


    His tongue was not working properly.


    Diana¡¯s movements were rhythmical and she didn¡¯t mess up her pace at all, however Yasuo was at the level where he was not even sure how his body was moving once he started to talk.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do it¡­?¡±


    Although Diana was usually the kind of person who tripped over nothing, and was prone to saying the most idiotic things, she turned into a completely different person when it was time for training. It was the same even during their daily nighttime running routine.


    She was a Magitech Knight from Ante Lande, a different world.


    She was a bona fide soldier from the Resteria Kingdom.


    Yasuo only possessed the physical strength of an average third year high school student, could not match her when it came to physical ability at all.


    However, Yasuo was still training under Diana in order to be able to fight for and protect his family. More than anything, there were probably no men who could reply that it isn¡¯t possible when a girl like Diana, who was an otherworld beauty, asked them if they can¡¯t do something.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. It¡¯s impossible. At least, let us walk¡­¡±


    Simply put, everything has a limit.


    There was no way that the president of a cultural club that had been shut down more than half an year ago could match up to a real soldier.


    Even though he felt it was disgraceful, Yasuo bent down and asked for a break.


    ¡°S-So what did you want to ask?¡±


    After he stopped running and started to walk instead, he suddenly started to sweat profusely. Yasuo, who was still out of breath and had a high heart rate, asked Diana who still looked the same as usual.


    ¡°Actually, I wanted to ask about the thing you and Hideo usually wear.¡±


    ¡°The thing Dad and I wear? What, is it the necktie?¡±


    Talking about things he and his father had in common, he could only think of the necktie and leather shoes¡­


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not the necktie.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you know what a necktie is.¡±


    ¡°We have those in Ante Lande as well, although the shape is different. My Magitech Knight uniform has a tie as well, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Then what is it?¡±


    Lately, he hadn¡¯t seen Diana wearing her Magitech Knight uniform.


    Right now, she was wearing a comfortable tracksuit, however, it was strange how even this tracksuit that only cost 1280 Yen looked like it was custom made for her when worn by a girl like Diana.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s probably something that doesn¡¯t exist in Ante Lande, so I don¡¯t know what to call it¡­ Please excuse me.¡±


    Saying that, Diana casually held Yasuo¡¯s left hand as they continued to walk.


    ¡°Uh.¡±


    From Yasuo¡¯s perspective, having a girl hold his hand was a major event that was only allowed in the early years before he had joined school, so he was about to shout from surprise. However, considering Diana¡¯s personality, she would take that as a sign that she had done something rude and get depressed, so he forced himself to hold it in.


    It was a good thing they had been running until now. Even if his face was flushed and his heart rate was high, that wouldn¡¯t look strange at all.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Ah, It¡¯s not here.¡±


    Diana had been staring at Yasuo¡¯s left wrist. Seeing that, Yasuo understood what Diana had wanted to ask about, even though he was tense.


    However, in a way, that was unexpected. Diana had already been fluent in Japanese since coming to this world, and she at least knew about the existence of some consumer electronics.


    However, the thing she was asking about now, did it really not exist in Ante Lande?


    ¡°Umm, I saw that the both of you had worn it on your wrists, so I initially thought it¡¯s just something like a bracelet, but then I saw Hideo glance at it several times this morning. I don¡¯t think men would do something like look at an accessory several times and feel happy about it, so I was wondering¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo¡¯s was black in color and made from leather, and Hideo¡¯s was silver and made from metal.¡±


    It was a very roundabout way of talking about it, but Yasuo didn¡¯t particularly feel that it was strange that she didn¡¯t know about it, so he answered in a normal tone.


    ¡°Umm, that¡¯s probably the watch, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡±


    For some reason, Diana was so surprised that she stopped walking.


    ¡°Yasuo¡­ can you repeat what you just said?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Like I said, it¡¯s a watch¡­ a wristwatch.¡±


    No matter how he looked at it, Diana was definitely talking about the wristwatch. However, after being taken aback for a few moments, she immediately smiled.


    ¡°Come, now. Yasuo, even I won¡¯t be fooled by something like that.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s impossible to have a clock so small that you can wear it on your wrist.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I know that this world has a lot of incredible technology, and I also know that the flat mechanical device called a Slimphone has the ability to measure the passage of time.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ yeah.¡±


    ¡°But talking about a clock that can be worn on the wrist, I cannot believe something as outrageous as that.¡±


    It looked like Diana was actually being serious. However, Yasuo was not able to understand why Diana was so insistent that wristwatches could not exist, and refused to believe him.


    That¡¯s why he immediately understood that it was no use trying to convince her with words, and,


    ¡°This is what you were talking about, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±


    He pulled his wristwatch out of his pocket and showed it to Diana.


    It was an analog watch with a black leather strap. He usually wouldn¡¯t wear it when he was exercising, but he forgot to take it off before he started running today, so he had stashed it in his pocket.


    It was a waterproof wristwatch with a simple design that his father had bought for him as a gift when he started high school. Not only for exams at school, it was useful to have on his desk while he was taking a test or mock examination at prep school at well.


    Even though it¡¯s not good to talk about the price of something received as a gift, his watch was not some expensive model that cost several tens of thousands of Yen. Sure, Yasuo would need to save up a bit if he wanted to buy it with his allowance, but putting it another way, even Yasuo would be able to buy it if he really wanted to.


    However, Diana was looking at it in amazement as if she was seeing some OOParts from a different world.


    ¡°T-This is a watch?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, it is.¡±


    ¡°This small, round thing, is it really a watch!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. Is it really that surprising?¡±


    Because she kept asking, Yasuo pushed the watch into Diana¡¯s hands slightly forcefully.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    When he did that, Diana hurriedly used both hands to hold it. She held it delicately as if she was handling some relic of immense importance, and stopped moving.


    ¡°¡­The hands are moving. This one which moves the fastest displays the number of seconds, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You didn¡¯t have any problem reading the time looking at the clock at home, why are you so surprised at seeing a wrist watch?¡±


    ¡°B-But it¡¯s so small¡­¡±


    Apparently, the small size was what bothered Diana the most.


    ¡°Are the watches in Ante Lande a lot bigger than this?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ as far as I know, the smallest watch in Ante Lande is about the size where I can hold it in the palm of my hand¡­¡±


    ¡°Something like a pocket watch? But I¡¯m not sure if those are the same size as Diana¡¯s hands¡­ wait, they¡¯re pretty big.¡±


    ¡°No!? They¡¯re small! Besides, those watches are so rare that you¡¯ll almost never see regular people holding one. I¡¯m sorry if this sounds like I¡¯m boasting, but I was only able to hold one because of my family!¡±


    Diana¡¯s parents were also heroes who saved Ante Lande thirty years ago, and even before that, they were important figures in their country.


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising. I thought it would be easy to make such things using the power of magic or sorcery.¡±


    While thinking of ¡°Magic from another world¡±, Yasuo had built up the impression of a civilisation where things which ran on electricity in this world would run on magic in the other world, for example, the streetlights would be powered by magic.


    ¡°Using magic to run a mechanism as complicated as a watch would be incredibly difficult. And to think, it¡¯s so small¡­¡±


    This was probably because of the difference in their viewpoints.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! Yasuo! You were running with this in your pocket, right!?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Is that okay? Won¡¯t it break, or get messed up beyond repair?¡±


    ¡°Eeeh?¡±


    Yasuo didn¡¯t know why she was so worried about a mere wristwatch, but she refused to listen to him no matter how many times he told her that it would be okay, so the two of them ended up walking all the way back home.


    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    After they returned home, Yasuo told his mother and father what happened, while Diana was in the bath. His parents then looked at each other and nodded as if they understood.


    ¡°Well, that can¡¯t be helped. A wristwatch in Ante Lande would be on about the same level as a Slimphone, both of them would be considered OOParts.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that incredible? It just displays the time.¡±


    ¡°The importance of ¡®displaying the time¡¯ is completely different between the two worlds.¡±


    Perhaps his father noticed that Yasuo still didn¡¯t understand in spite of saying so much, so he took his own wristwatch off and put it on the table.


    ¡°On Earth, wristwatches reached the level where they could be purchased by commoners somewhere in the second half of the 19th century. It¡¯s believed that they become popular sometime around World War I.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Yasuo was surprised because his father suddenly began to lecture about world history.


    ¡°Before that, all the watches were handmade by craftsmen, unlike now when any component can be manufactured in a factory. Manufacturing something in bulk would require a lot of craftsmen to work on it. Not just the assembly, each component was also made by hand. Since each of those craftsmen were fairly skilled, the cost of labor at that time was extremely high compared to now. Besides, the watches made at that time were delicate and would easily go out of alignment. Well, there are also people in the world who say things were better back then.¡±


    ¡°Go out of alignment?¡±


    ¡°It depends on the era, but it was said that even pocket watches that were custom made for nobles would be off by several minutes on the next day. A watch will shake when you walk around with it, right? Apparently, that would have an effect on the mechanisms inside the watch. Even watches built for nobles were like that, just imagine what it must have been like for the lower classes.¡±


    Perhaps his father was able to talk so much about watches because the company he worked for specialized in making measurement devices.


    ¡°Being negatively affected by vibrations was a fatal flaw particularly when traveling by sea. Ships are constantly swaying on the surface of the water, right? Think about what will happen if the time is off by even a minute on ships that cross the open sea.¡±


    ¡°Just one minute? Can that really have an effect?¡±


    ¡°Come on, this is an elementary school level math problem.¡±


    At his son¡¯s reply, the father made a stern expression.


    ¡°Yasuo, if a car runs at one hundred kilometers per hour for one minute, how much distance will it cover?¡±


    Seeing that Yasuo was still confused, his mother gave him some help.


    ¡°¡­Ah, I see.¡±


    Yasuo finally understood.


    On a paved highway, the distance traveled by a car moving at a fixed speed will change if the duration of the journey is changed by even a minute.


    If that happened during a sea voyage where there were no markers or guideposts of any sort, what would happen?


    ¡°If you can¡¯t measure the time precisely, you won¡¯t know how far you¡¯ve traveled or where exactly you are right now.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Even if you know what direction to travel in because of a magnetic compass, things will get really bad if your estimate of the current location is wrong.¡±


    His father nodded strongly.


    ¡°Both your mother and I have had to escape from stranded ships because of that reason.¡±


    ¡°The ship was stranded both during the journey to Racquan Island and on the way back, I really thought we would die at those times.¡±


    One of their memories as a couple is escaping from a stranded ship, and what¡¯s more, it happened multiple times?


    Also, please don¡¯t bring up names of places in the other world like Racquan Island as if you are just describing a trip to Kyoto. This is why things would get troublesome if the hero of a story married the magician.


    ¡°This fact is so important that ships on Earth have devices called marine chronometers that are specifically built for such purposes. That¡¯s just how difficult it was to build a small watch that doesn¡¯t go out of alignment. The quartz watches that we use everyday only spread to the public about fifty or sixty years ago. It¡¯s not surprising that Diana-chan was so amazed by the existence of a wristwatch. But they have things like sorcery, magic, and Techno Weapons, so you¡¯d think their rate of technological development would be faster than ours¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It feels strange.¡±


    Yasuo looked at the wristwatch that his father had put on the table.


    Something he took for granted and rarely even thought about had so much history and meaning behind it.


    Diana, who had come from another world, still didn¡¯t know about that history.


    ¡°But it¡¯s important to talk to Diana-chan about such things. We need to start acclimatizing her to this world to some extent¡­. We also need to buy her clothes and other items that she¡¯ll need in daily life, right? This is a good opportunity, why not gift her a wristwatch?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh? Me?¡±


    Yasuo didn¡¯t immediately realize that his mother¡¯s proposal had been aimed at him, so he was slow to react.


    ¡°You don¡¯t realize how much she¡¯s helping you? Even though she¡¯s training your lazy body everyday?¡±


    ¡°No, I realize that, but really? Me? I¡¯ve never given a present to a girl, you know?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t!? Yasuo, even I had done something of that level when I was around your age.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Yasuo got angry after seeing his mother¡¯s look of surprise and his father¡¯s look of pity.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be something elaborate or expensive. It just has to be something that Diana-chan can use in daily life without any trouble¡­ If you choose it, don¡¯t you think you can score a lot of points?¡±


    ¡°What the hell do you mean by ¡®points¡¯!?¡±


    What the hell was his mother trying to incite him to do?


    At the very least, he sensed that she was trying to tease him, so he stood up suddenly and tried to end the conversation.


    ¡°The style is important though. At the very least, pick something that doesn¡¯t look ugly, okay?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I didn¡¯t agree to buy something for her!¡±


    ¡°Why not research what kind of watches the girls you¡¯re friends with like to wear?¡±


    ¡°Enough, already!¡±


    Yasuo heard the sound of the bathroom door opening, and retreated to his room as if he was running away so that Diana would not hear the conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯m done with my bath¡­ Huh? Has Yasuo gone to sleep already?¡±


    When Diana entered the living room, she only saw Madoka who was laughing, and Hideo who was sighing because he was despairing over his son¡¯s future.


    ¡°Huh? A wristwatch? I don¡¯t wear one. None of my friends do, either. What¡¯s with the sudden question?¡±


    ¡°T-There¡¯s no deep meaning behind it, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to give one to Diana-san as thanks for the Magitech Knight training? Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea? Buying a watch is too high a hurdle considering your fashion sense, Onii-chan.¡±


    Despite what he had said to his mother, Yasuo felt bad for not doing anything for Diana despite all she had done for him, so he had asked the ¡®girl¡¯ close to him, his sister, for advice while having a faint thread of hope.


    As a result, Nodoka instantly saw through her brother¡¯s shallow thoughts and rejected it to his face.


    ¡°The ones that look nice are obviously expensive, the ones that are cheap really differ a lot and depend on the wearer¡¯s taste, and you won¡¯t find them in shops that men usually go to. Besides, in case something happens, won¡¯t a wristwatch get in the way when she¡¯s fighting?¡±


    She continued to point out flaws in the idea that she had already rejected, and completely crushed Yasuo¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Besides, would people really ask their little sisters for this kind of advice? Did you think that I would meekly agree and point out what I liked? Diana-san is a few years older than me, at the very least you should ask some girl of the same age as her, right? What about that person from your prep school?¡±


    Nodoka was probably talking about Tatewaki Shouko.


    However, Yasuo didn¡¯t think that he was particularly close to her, and besides, he couldn¡¯t remember if Shouko had been wearing a wristwatch or not. Also, if he asked Shouko for advice, she would get suspicious that he was ¡®asking her for advice on what to buy for a different girl¡¯. If she just suspected him, that would be manageable, but:


    ¡°Ahh, Yasu-kun, you¡¯re really enjoying your high school life~ There¡¯s a girl you want to gift a wristwatch to~ No wonder you forgot all about me~¡±


    There was a good chance that she would say something like that. He had already made a bad impression on her because of the stuff that had happened the other day.


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s not an option. Well, it would probably be better to give up, Onii-chan. You¡¯re probably incapable of asking girls for that kind of advice in the first place, and if you did, they¡¯d definitely think you¡¯re creepy.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t recall doing anything that would merit this level of insults, but since he was unable to completely deny Nodoka¡¯s words, he wasn¡¯t able to get angry either. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if she even saw through those troubles of his.


    ¡°Well, I will praise you for at least having the intention to thank her. There¡¯s no point in rushing these things, so why not get her something simple instead of a watch that carries a lot of meaning? Diana-san would probably be happy with almost anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see¡­ I understand, thanks for your help.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Where¡¯s my consultation fees?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting anything from me.¡±


    ¡°Useless.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really horrible, you know that?¡±


    Why would she hurl so much abuse at him every time she opened her mouth?


    The instant he tried to say something back to her, she disappeared from before him, only to be replaced by the door of her room.


    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s with this situation¡­¡±


    Yasuo was talking to himself.


    This was not the first time Diana had experienced culture shock since coming to Japan. However, because of his mother¡¯s unnecessary words, he had started to think about something unnecessary as well.


    Giving something that he had chosen, or something he had made, as a present to a girl.


    His last memory of doing that was back in play school, when he had given a girl a paper airplane made from the yellow folding paper that she liked.


    Such a miserable state of affairs.


    ¡°¡­Besides, it¡¯s just something Mom said. There¡¯s no need to be in a hurry to do something to thank her.¡±


    Yasuo felt more miserable the longer he thought about it, so he forcefully cut off that train of thought.


    He tried to cut it off. However, in spite of that, his imagination refused to stop.


    If he gave Diana a wristwatch, would she happy?


    Did he really want to make Diana happy?


    ¡°Ahh, I don¡¯t understand it anymore!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like he wanted to be thanked by Diana. In spite of that, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from imagining the look on her face when she received a present from him.


    Yasuo sat in his room and held his head in depression because he felt embarrassed at having such thoughts, but the seconds hand of his alarm clock kept on making a sound as if to corner him and laugh at his helplessness.


    ¨C The End ¨C

 Short Story 02 - The eyes can be just as expressive as the mouth

    Short Story 02 ¨C The eyes can be just as expressive as the mouth


    Yasuo came into the living room after finishing his bath, and he saw that Diana was watching TV.


    He had finally gotten used to the sight of a Magitech Knight from another world watching television in the living room of his house.


    ¡°What are you watching? The news?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t tell what show she was watching because commercials were currently playing, so he asked her that question while opening the door of the fridge. The fact that a wristwatch commercial was playing was slightly bad for his heart because of the events the other day, but¡­


    ¡°¡­Yasuo¡­¡±


    The fact that Diana¡¯s face after she turned around was as pale as a ghost was even worse for his heart.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Yasuo¡­ It¡¯s terrible.¡±


    ¡°W-What is?¡±


    The fact that the watch being shown in the commercial was a high-priced model with several functions made his worries go off on an entirely different tangent, but Diana¡¯s next words went over even that.


    ¡°Aliens¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It appears that¡­ aliens are investigating this world.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±


    Yasuo had no idea what Diana was talking about, and he stood there with his eyebrows furrowed until the fridge made a sound, warning him that he had left the door open.


    How many years had gone by since he had last heard that word?


    It took Yasuo around five minutes to confirm that Diana was indeed talking about creatures from another planet.


    ¡°Umm¡­ they were saying on TV earlier that aliens are investigating this planet, so¡­ I¡¯m from a different planet myself, so I can¡¯t really complain, but maybe because of that, there is a chance that we might run up against each other¡­¡±


    It was the same during the incident with the wristwatch the other day, but seeing Diana seriously thinking about such things and becoming confused really made him remember that she is from a different world after all.


    The reason why he couldn¡¯t just think of her as a foreigner with no idea about life in Japan was because she could speak Japanese perfectly.


    After finding out why Diana had suddenly brought up the topic of aliens, Yasuo burst into laughter.


    ¡°Y-Yasuo!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about one of those, right? A canned coffee commercial¡­¡±


    He should have realized it the instant she said the phrase, ¡°aliens are investigating the Earth¡±.


    She must have been talking about the canned coffee commercials that featured a famous Hollywood actor.1


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s not really an alien. He¡¯s from Earth.¡±


    ¡°B-But he fired energy beams from his eyes, you know!? Also, his ears seemed to have some sort of barrier ability that is impossible for humans¡­¡±


    Where had she learned how to say ¡°barrier ability¡± in Japanese? Come to think of it, she also knew the term for the Halibut fish. Yasuo sometimes felt like he couldn¡¯t gauge the depth of Diana¡¯s Japanese vocabulary at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s all CG.¡±


    ¡°Shee-Jee?¡±


    The sight of Diana drawing out the syllables while learning this new word could only be called adorable.


    ¡°CG. Computer graphics. It¡¯s an artificially created image.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s all just made-up imagery? It really didn¡¯t look like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, we all watch it while being aware of the fact, but I guess it looks that way if you don¡¯t know about it. That person who plays the part of an alien is an actor from abroad. They just use CG to add on all sorts of effects.¡±


    ¡°I see. I was really surprised. After all, I had heard that the people of this world cannot use magic or sorcery¡­¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of movie DVDs in the shelf below the TV, you can watch them if you like. I¡¯ll teach you how to play them.¡±


    As they had been talking about CG, Yasuo selected a number of CG anime and movies that were known for VFX, and showed Diana how to use the DVD player.


    Since it was already late, he didn¡¯t expect her to watch them right away, but he picked a number of movies for her assuming that she would watch them when she had free time.


    The next morning.


    ¡°W-What is that? What happened!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m sorry please don¡¯t look at me I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m sorry It¡¯s nothing!¡±


    Diana was sitting down at the dinner table wearing sunglasses that didn¡¯t suit her at all.


    If he was not mistaken, those were the glasses without any degree that his father occasionally wore while driving, but they didn¡¯t suit Diana¡¯s face at all, and it looked like she was wearing a disguise that made her stand out on purpose.


    Although he didn¡¯t want to believe it, could she possibly be imitating that movie he recommended last night that was known for its VFX and had a lead character who wore sunglasses?2


    Besides, how could she expect people to not look at her when she was wearing something so conspicuous?


    At this point, Madoka, his mother, made a harried expression and said,


    ¡°Yasuo. Leave her be.¡±


    ¡°Ehh¡­ ah, okay.¡±


    Yasuo really wanted to ask for more details, but he realized that nothing would come from it even if he did, so he silently ate his breakfast. After he was done, he sent a message to his father who had left earlier, and went to school.


    After confirming that Yasuo had left, Madoka let out a small sigh and sat in front of Diana.


    ¡°Listen, Diana-chan.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Diana¡¯s face had turned bright red beneath the sunglasses, and she hung her head.


    ¡°There might be no point in telling you, a Magitech Knight, about this, but the eyes are delicate. Someone must have told you when you were little to not stare directly at the sun, right? If you fire energy beams from such a place, in the worst case, you might even go blind, you know? You¡¯re lucky that you only ended up with slight burns on your eyelids, and I was on hand to heal you right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Firing beams from the eyes only happens in CG and special effects movies. You¡¯ve never seen anyone in Resteria do something like that, right? Why did you do something like that all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ I was unable to resist my curiosity¡­¡±


    ¡°In any case, don¡¯t ever try to fire magic from your eyes again. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Diana answered while looking like she wanted to disappear.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what it was.¡±


    Nodoka had refrained from entering the room because she sensed the serious mood, but she nodded after looking at the flowerpot near the main door which was broken in a weird way, with the cross-section of the pieces appearing as if they had melted.


    She also felt slightly disappointed that even a Magitech Knight from another world was incapable of firing beams from her eyes, and then,


    ¡°It¡¯s really hot, you know? When I tried doing that a long time ago, my eyebrows and eyelashes were completely burned away.¡±


    ¡°Madoka!?¡±


    ¡°Mom!?¡±


    After hearing her mother¡¯s incredible confession, Nodoka couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and burst into the living room.


    ¨C The End ¨C


    Notes


    1 ¡®Boss¡¯ canned coffee commercials starring Tommy Lee Jones. Some examples: Boss commercials


    2 I¡¯m almost certain that this is a reference to The Matrix, but it could also easily be any number of movies like Men in Black, The Terminator, or some Japanese movie that I haven¡¯t heard of.

 Short Story 03 - There are many unknown things in this world

    Short Story 03 ¨C There are many unknown things in this world


    There was a time when her mother had attempted to fire energy beams from her eyes.


    Even though Nodoka had not wanted to know about such a past, how should she interact with her mother now that she had found out about it?


    Nodoka felt like she was seeing her mother in a whole new light.


    Speaking of seeing people in a new light, it was no longer possible to just write it off as a joke after seeing the chain of events that had been caused by Diana¡¯s actions, but putting that aside for now,


    ¡°Besides, just what made you want to try such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Ah, umm¡­ sorry, I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t pursue this matter any further¡­¡±


    Next to Nodoka, Diana was wearing the sunglasses and had hung her head in shame.


    Although Diana clearly did not want to attract attention from other people in the street, she was still accompanying Nodoka to her school as a guard.


    Would she still be able to fight if the otherworld monsters called Shii showed up? Moreover, did she really intend to fight the Shii, that looked like black shadows, while wearing black sunglasses?


    As Nodoka looked at Diana who was slightly taller than her, she noticed Diana¡¯s golden hair sparkling in the early morning sunlight.


    ¡°¡­Mu.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Nodoka?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfair.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Those sunglasses are the ones Dad uses when driving, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I had heard.¡±


    ¡°Beautiful people are so lucky¡­ although the glasses obviously don¡¯t suit you, you still end up looking somewhat cool.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tease me!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m actually being kind of serious, you know? You look like an actress who is going to Hawaii on vacation.¡±


    ¡°By Hawaii, do you mean that place in Tottori¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why do you only know about such strange things, Diana-san?¡±


    There¡¯s a hot springs resort called ¡®Hawai¡¯ in the Tottori Prefecture that has become pretty famous in recent years, and it has many good reviews online.


    However, why did this person from Ante Lande know about it, when she was only supposed to have information about Japan that was over thirty years old?


    ¡°Ah, actually it was shown on TV yesterday¡­¡±


    ¡°Diana-san, you¡¯re actually quite fond of watching TV, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. It¡¯s something that does not exist in our world after all, and it¡¯s easy to learn a lot of things because it displays text and produces sound at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you mean like how you feel you can understand what they are saying in English if the video has subtitles?¡±


    From what Nodoka had seen so far, she knew that Diana had a wide variety of tastes when it came to television programmes.


    She could understand why Diana would be interested in the news and documentaries, but she had also occasionally come across Diana watching variety or comedy shows, travel documentaries, and TV shopping programmes with a serious expression on her face.


    ¡°Are travel documentaries and TV shopping programmes really that interesting? Diana-san, you¡¯re still not that familiar with the geography of Japan, right?¡±


    ¡°Whether they are interesting or not¡­ that doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Watching TV shopping programmes helps me understand the value of currency here as it lets me know the relative value of different items. As for travel documentaries, they teach me about the different modes of transportation available in this world. I would like to ride on those vehicles called trains and buses some day. They also help me understand the geography easily as it is presented in a visual format. Of course, I will also need to study it properly using textbooks, but for me, the most important thing right now is to align myself with the Japanese way of thinking as soon as possible. I just thought that travel documentaries are best suited for that purpose.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Align yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Remember when I acted rudely towards one of Yasuo¡¯s friends?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you mean that time when you intimidated one of Onii-chan¡¯s friends from prep school?¡±


    Not long after Diana had come to Japan, there had been an incident where Diana had mistaken Tatewaki Shouko, one of Yasuo¡¯s classmates from middle school, for an enemy and intimidated her.


    ¡°The people who appear in travel documentaries are those you mentioned earlier, the actors, correct? So they¡¯re all famous people.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. Although that depends on the type of documentary.¡±


    After hearing that, Diana lightly patted the pocket of her jacket and smiled.


    ¡°I need to get used to the fact that even such people, and the staff personnel around them, do not need to go armed in this country called Japan. Maintaining public order and actions taken to preserve the peace are directly dependent on whether the country is peaceful to begin with.¡±


    ¡°A-Armed!?¡±


    Diana was wearing Madoka¡¯s jacket, but she had Pollux, which was one of her twin bladed Techno Weapon, concealed under it. The other half, Castor, had broken in the previous fight and had been left behind in the room Diana was using.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s shameful to admit, there are many places and districts within the Resteria Kingdom that are beyond the reach of not only the Magitech Knights, but the local authorities as well. Such places are either a hotbed of crime, or are overrun by dangerous wild beasts¡­ there are no such places in Japan, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that Japan is absolutely free of such things.¡±


    ¡°No, there are really no such places in Japan.¡±


    Diana gave a shallow smile.


    ¡°I mean, Nodoka, you¡¯ve never had to arm yourself for self-defence, right? There is no need to carry weapons in the course of your usual life, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. More like, possessing weapons is a crime¡­¡±


    ¡°Children who live on the streets because they have lost their parents ambush people on the streets and steal their money. Groups of bandits attack merchants who are traveling on the highway and kill them. There are no places in Japan where such things happen on a daily basis, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯m sure things like that won¡¯t happen here.¡±


    There are many reports of incidents that are so cruel that they want to make you cover your eyes.


    However, even though Nodoka didn¡¯t know much about the world, she could confidently say that there was no place where such things were considered normal.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, I need to understand that this country is that kind of place. I need to understand that Yasuo¡­ was born and raised in such a country.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Yasuo was a person who had very little experience with real malice and killing intent. However, the path that he had chosen to follow was saving that ¡®other world¡¯ from a crisis, where fighting and bloodletting were common even during peaceful times.


    ¡°Putting it this way might sound bad, but it¡¯s probably better to not expect too much from him. Onii-chan has no courage at all.¡±


    Diana merely laughed and shook her head after hearing Nodoka¡¯s critical appraisal of her brother that she had given after seeing him all her life.


    ¡°Even though I was born in such a world, I was raised while being pampered in the society of nobles, so it took me a long time to accustom myself to that reality and build up my courage as a soldier.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, if you¡¯re okay with it, Diana-san, then that¡¯s fine.¡±


    If Yasuo was still determined to follow this path and Diana didn¡¯t change her mind either, then it was not something Nodoka could do anything about.


    Nodoka had strongly rejected the idea of her father going to Ante Lande, but she didn¡¯t particularly feel anything about Yasuo¡¯s training.


    Nodoka already knew the reason for that, but after remembering it once again, she asked a question to try and change the subject.


    ¡°Diana-san, you¡¯re very fluent in Japanese, but that¡¯s not a language spoken in Ante Lande or Resteria, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not.¡±


    After hearing that, Nodoka sighed and said,


    ¡°Onii-chan is really bad at English, you know.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know that. But the national language of Resteria is not English, and thanks to the influences of Hideo and Madoka, a little Japanese is also spoken there.¡±


    ¡°A little¡­?¡±


    ¡°Umm, like the names of food and so on¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    So it was like how words like ¡®sushi and ¡®tempura¡¯ had become load-words in English, and it was not at the level where people could speak or understand the language at all.


    ¡°Putting it this way might sound bad, but it¡¯s probably better to not expect too much from him.¡±


    ¡°¡­It all depends on his actions from now on.¡±


    Diana¡¯s eyes were hidden by the sunglasses, but Nodoka was certain that her eyes were filled with worry.


    ¨C The End ¨C

 Short Story 04 - Nature is beautiful everywhere

    Short Story 04 ¨C Nature is beautiful everywhere


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    They had almost reached Kitahara Middle School, the middle school that Nodoka attended, when Diana let out a loud voice and stopped walking.


    ¡°Nodoka! Over there! Look!¡±


    Diana excitedly took off her sunglasses and pointed at something far away.


    Instead of what Diana was pointing at, Nodoka saw that the area around Diana¡¯s eyes was slightly red. However, if she were to mention this, she had a feeling that Diana¡¯s whole face would turn red, so she decided not to point it out.


    She unwillingly turned to see what Diana was pointing at, but¡­


    ¡°¡­Hmm? What?¡±


    Houses, the streets, a small tea plantation, and buildings.


    ¡°What are you pointing at?¡±


    Nodoka really couldn¡¯t tell what Diana was pointing at and intently looked for the thing that had captured Diana¡¯s interest, but she still couldn¡¯t find it.


    ¡°Over there! That¡¯s Mt. Fuji, right!?¡±


    ¡°Ehh!? Mt. Fuji!? Where!?¡±


    The two of them were in the middle of town, and it wasn¡¯t a particularly elevated area.


    Nodoka knew that if they were blessed with clear weather during winter, Mt. Fuji would be visible from the upper levels of her school. However, was there a really a place on the route to school, moreover, in such a place surrounded by buildings, from where Mt. Fuji would be visible?


    ¡°Over there, isn¡¯t that Mt. Fuji!?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Ehhhhh!?¡±


    Nodoka put her face next to Diana¡¯s, looked intently to see what she was pointing at, and was honestly surprised.


    It was in between two low-rise buildings.


    The gap between the buildings acted as an unintentional peep hole, and from exactly this spot, she was indeed able to catch a glimpse of the snow-capped peak of Mt. Fuji.


    ¡°G-Good job on finding that.¡±


    ¡°I really wanted to see it at least once after coming to Japan! I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s a really beautiful mountain!¡±


    Diana continued to talk about it excitedly like a typical tourist from abroad, albeit in fluent Japanese. She even appeared to have forgotten that her eyes had been burned by the energy beam.


    Nodoka was a little relieved after seeing her bright face and hearing her happy voice.


    During the battle the other day, Diana had received a large emotional scar. However, no shadow of that fight or the trouble with otherworldly monsters could be seen on her happy expression at this moment.


    How was she able to stay so positive?


    Looking at her expression right now, Nodoka really felt that her brother was not needed at all. However, saying that right now would sound like a non-sequitur, so she held it in.


    ¡°You knew about Mt. Fuji even before coming here?¡±


    From the way Diana put it, it sounded like she had known about Mt. Fuji from a long time ago rather than hearing about it after coming to Japan.


    ¡°Of course! To the people of Ante Lande, Mt. Fuji is a divine mountain!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­ Hmm?¡±


    Nodoka intended to give a light response, but after thinking of something, she felt a chill run down her spine.


    ¡°Hang on, you don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s considered divine because it exists in the birthplace of Hideo and Madoka!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Mt. Fuji is an active volcano that sits in between the Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures. Neither her father nor her mother, nor any of their relatives were from Shizuoka and Yamanashi, so it was a little strange to hear someone saying that it ¡°exists in the birthplace of Hideo and Madoka¡±.


    ¡°There are many mountains in Ante Lande that have been named ¡®Fuji¡¯ or ¡®Fujisan¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really?¡±


    ¡°Remember the painting I told you about before, the one called ¡®The Hero, Hideo, gazes upon the sunrise at the Sacred Mountain¡¯ that was painted during Hideo and Madoka¡¯s travels? The mountain in that painting is now sometimes called Mt. Hideo Fuji!¡±


    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s what she said.¡±


    ¡°Now way¡­¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    That night, Nodoka casually mentioned Diana¡¯s shocking proclamation to her parents over dinner, which caused both her father and mother to hold her heads and collapse upon the dinner table.


    ¡°What kind of name is Hideo Fuji¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. That sounds like a Sumo wrestler¡¯s stage name.¡±


    The middle school daughter turned a sceptical look upon her parents who were trying to escape from reality.


    ¡°It¡¯s that painting, right? The one that was painted on the northern cliffs of Gazadi¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right.. Remember that person we met while coming down the mountain? She said she was a painter and a survivor from Torjesso.¡±


    ¡°Damn her, doing something so unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, that painting is treated as one of Resteria¡¯s national treasures now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what they think about the painting itself, but why did it cause the cliffs of Gazadi to be called ¡®Hideo Fuji¡¯? That place is a mountain range, right?¡±


    ¡°Actually, did you talk to anyone over there about Mt. Fuji?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember something like that. Are you sure you¡¯re not the one who talked about it?¡±


    Nodoka could only smile bitterly while watching the Hero and great magician arguing hotly and pushing the responsibility onto each other.


    ¡°You probably looked at some mountain during your travels and said that it looked like Mt. Fuji, right? To someone like Diana-san¡¯s father or mother.¡±


    Looking at it as a topic of gossip, it was not impossible.


    Nodoka had never been abroad, but if she went to study in a foreign country someday and saw a view there that resembled Japan, she would surely mention it to the people there.


    In her parents¡¯ case, because their companions were leaders of countries, anything they let slip would immediately be spread widely among the commoners.


    ¡°Does it really matter? This is all stuff in Ante Lande, right? Just let them do what they want.¡±


    ¡°Nodoka, just think about it. How would you feel if you became famous for some great achievement, and they changed the name of this area to ¡®Tokorozawa City, Nodoka District¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Uuu¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t like it if they wanted to change the name of Tokorozawa Station to Nodoka Station in light of your achievements, right?¡±


    ¡°I definitely wouldn¡¯t want that.¡±


    ¡°If Yasuo really manages to become a hero in Ante Lande, then you might face the same thing as well. In the process of celebrating Yasuo¡¯s achievements, they might give your name to some river or building, that¡¯s entirely possible.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think that Onii-chan will really manage to become a hero, but for the first time, I seriously feel like I want him to stop trying.¡±


    In that room illuminated in a slightly yellow light by an aged fluorescent lamp, the old Hero, great magician, and their daughter gave a heavy sigh while thinking about the boy who said he wanted to become a hero, and who was out training at this very instant.


    ¡°And so, after dropping Nodoka off at her school, I walked about a little searching for a place from where I would be able to see Mt.Fuji.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see¡­¡±


    That night, Diana happily related what happened that morning to Yasuo during their usual running, but Yasuo was once again so out of breath that he couldn¡¯t even reply properly. It was the same during the incident the other day with the wrist watch, Diana talked a lot even while running.


    For Yasuo, talking during exercise was unthinkable because it would disrupt his breathing.


    However, thinking about it properly, people would have to move a lot in the middle of battle. If you¡¯re not able to communicate properly in the middle of battle, there is a possibility of losing your life.


    That is what he had been told, but he still wasn¡¯t able to make any proper conversation, and it usually ended with him running in silence. Sure, it had only been a week since he had started training, but at this rate, it was unclear whether he would even manage to become a regular soldier, let alone a Hero.


    Incidentally, Diana¡¯s eyes seemed to have already been completely healed by some magical means, and she was no longer wearing the sunglasses when Yasuo had returned from school.


    ¡°You want to¡­ see Mt. Fuji¡­ so badly¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Diana clenched her fists without disrupting her breathing at all.


    After hearing that a lot of mountains in Ante Lande had been named Fuji, Yasuo felt like he had heard of something like this happening before and he kept thinking about it while running silently.


    ¡°Ah¡­ I remember¡­ Mt. Fuji¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    They had finally reached home after finishing their running, and Yasuo was so fatigued that he even felt nauseous.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ a Mt. Fuji¡­ close by.¡±


    ¡°Ehh!?¡±


    Diana¡¯s already big eyes widened even further after hearing that.


    No matter how you look at it, it was definitely just an artificial hill.


    Yasuo booted up the PC at home that he rarely used, and ran an internet search for ¡°Tokorozawa Mt. Fuji¡±. One of the search results was the Fujizuka1 near Sayama Hills, the ¡°Arahata Fuji¡±.2


    ¡°I went to see it during a school outing once. This is called a Fujizuka.¡±


    ¡°Fujizuka?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. back in the old days, it was pretty difficult to even travel to the base of Mt. Fuji. However, Mt. Fuji was visible from many parts in Japan, and paintings of that beautiful sight also easily spread to many places. You said mountains with snow, tall mountains, and mountains with similar shape are called Fuji in Ante Lande because of what Dad or Mom said, right? This is pretty similar to that.¡±


    From the description provided on the website, it appeared that the ¡°Arahata Fuji¡± near Tokorozawa City was originally a Fujizuka that was present at a shrine that was built sometime in the Meiji Era. It had been moved to its present location later on, and it was now a lot bigger than it had originally been.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t serve its original purpose anymore, but since the old days, everyone has always felt that Mt. Fuji was special¡­ That¡¯s what my teacher at school said, anyways.¡±


    Yasuo closed the browser and shut down the PC while continuing to speak.


    ¡°This is not really a reason, but¡­ how do I put this? I know I¡¯m nowhere near your level yet, Diana, but after hearing about how the people over there named a mountain after Mt. Fuji to celebrate the achievements of a Hero, I¡¯ve come to feel that the people of that world and this world share a similar way of thinking, so it gives me a little motivation.¡±


    ¡°The Arahata Fuji you just showed me, is it permitted to climb it?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re allowed to. It¡¯s supposed to be the object of worship in a shrine after all, so climbing it might invite divine punishment. It was probably built while regarding it as something sacred.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think I understand. The feelings of admiration. Even though I only saw it from afar, I too thought that it was a beautiful mountain.¡±


    Diana made a small smile after saying that.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of beautiful scenery in Resteria that I want you to see as well, Yasuo. They are beautiful sights that Hideo and Madoka have definitely seen before.¡±


    ¡°¡­It was my idea after all, so I¡¯ll work hard.¡±


    If Yasuo ended up going to Ante Lande, it would definitely not be for a sightseeing trip.


    Going to that land would mean taking up the mantle of Hero as his father¡¯s representative, and entering a world of war that he had never experienced before.


    ¡°Saying this sounds uncool, but really, don¡¯t hold high hopes for me, okay? Even I don¡¯t know if I can really become that strong.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Even if you don¡¯t become a Hero, Yasuo, I would still like you to come to Ante Lande to visit. Of course, I¡¯ll act as your guide when that time comes.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, sure¡­¡±


    After seeing such an honest smile, he had no choice but to work hard.


    Yasuo suddenly felt shy and ran away from that place after saying that he was going to take a shower.


    ¡°Mt. Fuji¡­¡±


    Diana once again murmured the name of Japan¡¯s largest sacred mountain to herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little too far away to use as a training spot.¡±


    After saying that, she turned to the living room door that Yasuo had escaped through, and made a mischievous smile.


    The next morning, Yasuo woke up feeling a little more refreshed than he usually did in the morning, perhaps because of what happened last night, or as a result of his daily training. He left his room in high spirits, but,


    ¡°Onii-chan.¡±


    For some reason, Nodoka was waiting for him outside his room, and,


    ¡°Onii-chan, you¡¯re not suited for this after all. Becoming a Hero doesn¡¯t suit you at all.¡±


    She said something like that as soon as she opened her mouth, and,


    ¡°Yasuo, don¡¯t you feel like you¡¯re at your limit? If you want to give up, now¡¯s the time.¡±


    His mother said something so disheartening to him when he ran into her near the bathroom, and finally,


    ¡°Yasuo, are you really not going to regret becoming a hero?¡±


    Even his father asked him that with a serious expression when they were sitting at the dining table.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s up with all of you? Saying stuff like this right after I got motivated to work harder!¡±


    He knew that the people of his family were not enthusiastic about the fact that he had volunteered to become a Hero.


    However this was the first time he had seen them try so earnestly to change his mind, and moreover, they were doing it as a group, so Yasuo felt more confused than angry.


    ¡°I told you that I¡¯ll do whatever is within my power, right? What¡¯s up with all of you all of a sudden!?¡±


    ¡°No, you should really quit.¡±


    ¡°I mean, considering it¡¯s you¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, as long as you hold on to that conviction¡­¡±


    At these half-hearted responses, Yasuo said,


    ¡°I¡¯m going to school! Dad, keep your mobile phone within reach as much as possible, okay!?¡±


    Yasuo left the house after squaring his shoulders.


    ¡°Have a good day!¡±


    Diana, who had been cleaning the area near the still-broken front door sent a cheerful voice towards Yasuo¡¯s back, and spurred on by that voice, Yasuo headed forward to face another day.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s no good, he¡¯s really motivated. And Diana-san is the type of person who unconsciously encourages him to work harder.¡±


    ¡°This takes me back. I remember when you and Alex were often taken for a ride by Erize¡¯s airheaded side as well. ¡±


    ¡°W-Why did you shift the conversation to me all of a sudden?¡±


    The Hero Candidate was running towards a bright future, and for better or for worse, he didn¡¯t hear a word of the things his family members were talking about.


    ¨C The End ¨C

 Short Story 05 - Dealing with it calmly

    Short Story 05 ¨C Dealing with it calmly


    When Yasuo climbed down the stairs and entered the living room, he saw that Diana had a pale face and had sunken down onto the floor.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yasuo¡­ It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s terrible.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Yasuo looked to see what Diana was pointing at, and saw the house phone which was made of plastic, yellowed with age.


    ¡°T-The phone rang just now¡­¡±


    ¡°The phone?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Madoka told me that I don¡¯t need to answer the phone, but I was standing right next to it when it rang, so I answered it without thinking.¡±


    ¡°Really? Was the phone call something bad?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Umm, what should I do¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh? Hey, Diana! What¡¯s wrong!?¡±


    Diana burst into tears for some reason, and Yasuo began to panic.


    ¡°H-Hideo is¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad? Did something happen to him!?¡±


    ¡°H-Hideo¡­ caused a traffic accident¡­!¡±


    ¡°A traffic accident!?¡±


    This was indeed serious.


    It was a phrase you hear often, but if it happened to you, it was serious enough to turn your life upside down.


    ¡°A-And he apparently ran over the old lady after hitting her¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Apparently both of them are in the hospital with serious injuries, so they couldn¡¯t talk on the phone. But the policeman said that if we act quickly, we can settle this out of court, so we should prepare the money.¡±


    ¡°Hang on. There are many suspicious parts in that statement. I mean, this is still a problem, but in a different way than you think.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Think about it. We don¡¯t have a car. It was destroyed in that battle with the Shii a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes.¡±


    ¡°Also, Dad is a Hero, right? It would be weird if he got injured badly enough that he had to be admitted in a hospital and couldn¡¯t talk on the phone.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the police won¡¯t ask you to prepare money. It¡¯s obviously an impersonating fraudster.¡±


    ¡°I-Impersonating¡­ Eh? Fraudster?¡±


    ¡°And finally, one more thing.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad¡¯s in his room right now, watching baseball on TV.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    Diana looked up at the ceiling where Yasuo was pointing with a stupid expression on her face.


    ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s right, today is that day of the week when people don¡¯t go to work.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°They said something about calling back later, though.¡±


    ¡°Seriously!? Dad! Mom! We might be in a bit of trouble!¡±


    How seriously had Diana taken that fraudster¡¯s call?


    In any case, if the fraudster really called back later, then they had a duty as citizens to report it to the police.


    Yasuo, the high schooler, didn¡¯t hesitate for a second before relying on his parents.


    ¡°Thank you for your help. A few people had already fallen prey to this, but as it was a small organization and they demanded only small amounts of money, we were able to resolve the situation before it became serious.¡±


    ¡°No, it was nothing really. One of my relatives¡¯ children just happened to pick up the phone call, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Three days had passed since then.


    A policeman from the nearby police box whom they had become familiar with after the incident when the front door was destroyed came to the Kenzaki residence to inform them that the police were able to catch the fraudster thanks to their help.


    A lot of similar calls had been made to houses in the locality and many reports had been made to the police, but the recording taken by the Kenzaki family contained the decisive evidence required to find the criminals, so the police wanted to thank them.


    Madoka was properly dealing with the policeman, and as for the ¡°relative¡¯s child¡± in question,


    ¡°Humiliating¡­ I¡¯m so ashamed¡­ If I had just thought about it calmly I would have immediately realized that it was strange, and yet¡­!¡±


    Diana was constantly blaming herself for losing her composure in spite of being a Knight, and because of that¡­


    ¡°Diana-san, you¡¯re amazing! Even though you came to a different world, you still defeated the bad guys! Awesome!¡±


    Seeing how depressed Diana was, Nodoka tried her best to cheer her up.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just glad it was resolved without any damage.¡±


    Seeing that, Yasuo breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°As if I would run over someone and put them in the hospital¡­ Seriously, saying such horrible things about me.¡±


    And for some reason, Hideo was still angry with the fraudster¡¯s methods.


    ¨C The End ¨C

 Short Story 06 - Chokansha Fair 2017

    Short Story 06 ¨C Chokansha Fair 2017


    In ancient times, the world at night did not belong to the humans.


    Even some time after man had obtained culture, items like oil and candles that could be used for illumination at night were very expensive, and they were not something commoners could use without reserve.


    However in this other world called Japan, even a child could summon the brightness of noon at night by pressing a single switch.


    The Magitech Knight, Diana, was still astonished at the simplicity of these ¡ºNighttime Lights¡», and she whispered softly,


    ¡°It¡¯s finally¡­ time¡­¡­¡±


    It was 1:00 AM, the time when most people were fast asleep. Diana¡¯s heartbeat sped up and her slender throat moved as she gulped.


    She was nervous.


    Even she thought it was silly behavior for a person who had risked their life and lived through many battles, but it was only natural for people to be nervous when faced with the ¡ºUnknown¡».


    With trembling fingers, Diana picked up the ¡ºUnknown¡».


    When she shook it, she heard the sound of something light moving inside.


    She awkwardly removed the transparent wrapping from the ¡ºUnknown¡» and gathered her resolve before opening the lid.


    ¡°¡­¡­H-Huh?¡±


    However, the instant she took the lid off, it curled up in her hand. At this rate, it would be impossible to carry out the next step from the instructions she had heard earlier.


    ¡°C-Calm down¡­ How can I give up when faced with an emergency of this level¡­¡±


    This lid could no longer be used. When Diana was looking around to find something that could be used instead,


    ¡°Is that you, Diana? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Hiyaaaaaaaa!¡±


    The lights in the living room were switched on, and the light illuminated the kitchen as well.


    Diana gave a small scream and jumped because she had not expected someone to call out to her all of a sudden.


    ¡°Y-Y-Yasuo! You were awake?¡±


    ¡°I had been studying until just now. What¡¯s wrong? Why were you so surprised?¡±


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing! I wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong!¡±


    She had overlooked this possibility.


    Since the house was silent, she had assumed that everyone was asleep, but the eldest son of Hideo the Hero, Yasuo, was preparing for exams, so he stayed up late every night to study.


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®wrong?¡¯ I thought I¡¯d grab something to drink before going to sleep. I need to open the refrigerator, mind moving out of the way?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Ah¡­ Umm¡­ Please wait!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Diana?¡±


    In contrast to Yasuo¡¯s smile, Diana was trembling like a lamb that had been cornered by a carnivorous beast.


    Yasuo wondered why Diana was so scared.


    And then, three minutes later.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡±


    Diana was smiling happily while eating cup ramen.


    Apparently, she was interested in the true nature of this method of food preparation that is ¡ºcomplete in three minutes after adding hot water¡». She had asked for the most basic variety, and then decided to challenge herself in the middle of the night to prepare cup noodles for the first time in her life, while looking forward to the results.


    ¡°You should peel the lid halfway and pour the hot water inside, then put chopsticks or something else on top to keep it closed.¡±


    ¡°I see! So we¡¯re not supposed to open it all the way!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Or you can just cover the opening by putting a flat plate on top like we did just now. By the way, why were you so scared?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared or anything.¡±


    Even so, Diana still cast her eyes downwards while looking a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Being awake in the middle of the night for no reason is already a problem, on top of that, I was shamelessly meddling around in the kitchen preparing a snack, which I was taught was unbecoming behaviour, so I feel like I¡¯ve done something bad¡­ But surprisingly I haven¡¯t found the opportunity to eat it at any other time¡­¡­¡±


    Even though she was still looking down, Diana had a blissful expression on her face while she finished eating the cup ramen in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°¡­¡­That was heavenly.¡±


    Diana said that with a sigh of satisfaction, and,


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡±


    Looking at her expression, Yasuo could not help but smile.


    ¨C The End ¨C

 Volume 4, 1 – Those Who Look To The Past, Part 1

    Volume 4, Chapter 1 ¨C Those Who Look To The Past, Part 1


    Inside a dimly-lit and chilly room, a boy¡¯s voice echoed as if he was trying to endure something.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m at my limit¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? We¡¯re just getting started.¡±


    As the boy¡¯s complaint tapered off pitifully, another voice rang out within the room which sounded more like bullying than encouragement.


    ¡°No way¡­. Tatewaki-san¡­ I can¡¯t take any more, just leave me¡­.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Yasu-kun!? That¡¯s nowhere near enough. I¡¯m not satisfied yet! You can still keep going, right?¡±


    Kenzaki Yasuo hung his head inside the dimly-lit and cramped room while being repeatedly struck by Tatewaki Shoko¡¯s aggressive voice.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m really at my limit¡­¡­¡±


    As Yasuo let out yet another pitiful comment, another voice, which sounded both anxious and yet disappointed, broke into the conversation.


    ¡°Yasuo¡­ Are you done already?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡­¡±


    Sensing the undertones in that voice accurately, Yasuo looked in the direction of the speaker and saw the slightly sorrowful and flushed face of Dianaze Krone looking at him with moist eyes.


    ¡°Just a little more¡­ Can you please hold out for a little longer?¡±


    ¡°Look, even Diana-san is saying that. Let¡¯s have some more fun together.¡±


    Shouko added her own comments after Diana spoke, and looked at Yasuo¡¯s face as if she enjoyed seeing his reaction.


    Trapped in that small room, Yasuo had no way to escape.


    Despite Shouko saying whatever she wanted with a big smile on her face, Yasuo was already at his limit.


    He was exhausted, out of breath, and on the verge of fainting.


    Despite that, both Shouko and Diana wanted to keep going.


    Yasuo¡¯s hand hit the slightly musty curtain as he struggled to stand, and a flash of sunlight entered the room for just an instant.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s still daytime, and yet¡­.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re supposed to give it your all until the climax, right?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve never done this before¡­!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Yasuo. It¡¯s easy once you get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Wow, Diana-san sounds so grown up! That¡¯s right. This is something that everyone experiences at some point, right?¡±


    ¡°I really doubt other people experience it like this!!¡±


    ¡°Seriously, you have a comeback for everything¡­ But it looks like you¡¯ve gotten a little better?¡±


    ¡°U-Ugh!?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re feeling better, you can still keep going, right?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Inside that dimly-lit and cramped room, Yasuo felt himself driven into a corner by Shouko and Diana¡¯s voices.


    ¡°Fine, I get it, already¡­¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s will crumbled into pieces.


    Seeing that, Shouko cheerfully signalled a young man who had been standing silently behind the three of them.


    ¡°Alright! Feig-san, you know what to do!¡±


    ¡°Understood. I wonder if this is the right one¡­¡±


    The young man called Feig picked up a disk-shaped metal container from a pile in the corner of the room and opened it to reveal a donut-shaped disk. He took it out of the container and placed it inside a machine. The light from the machine was especially bright inside the dimly-lit room.


    ¡°Ahem, in that case, let¡¯s start. The running time of this video is fifteen minutes. The title is, ¡°The Triumphant Return of The Hero, Hideo and His Party from the Ruins of Oodem.¡± and this is the fourth chapter in the series.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that series isn¡¯t done yet!!?¡±


    Hearing Yasuo¡¯s scream, Feigreid Rubiz, a Magitech Knight from the Gaz Commonwealth, delivered a cold-hearted answer.


    ¡°The Ruins of Oodem series has another three chapters.¡±


    ¡°Three more chapters!?¡±


    ¡°After that, there¡¯s the record of their grand audience with His Majesty in the federal parliament. That¡¯s another five chapters.¡±


    ¡°Hell, no!!¡±


    Yasuo tried to run away after hearing Feigreid¡¯s declaration, but Shouko grabbed him by the neck and pulled him back.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right Yasu-kun, take a seat. Your father looks really cool! I want to watch a whole lot more.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t want to watch any more! Please, I beg you, just watch it without me¡­!¡±


    ¡°Look, Yasuo! Hideo and Madoka are using the final forms of the Holy Sword and Holy Staff! That¡¯s so awe-inspiring¡­.!!¡±


    ¡°Diana! I don¡¯t need a live commentary!¡±


    ¡°Ah, the way Hideo¡¯s face looks from the side as he suddenly goes on alert in the middle of the town! Don¡¯t you think he looks exactly like you, Yasuo!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Seeing it like this, you really do resemble your father, Yasu-kun. Ah, is that the Holy Staff Marlowe? So the girl who is fidgeting bashfully and walking behind your dad must be your mother, Yasu-kun! ¡±


    ¡°Stooooooop!¡±


    ¡°Your mother is really pretty, Yasuo. There aren¡¯t many pure magic-users left since the advent of techno weapons and Magitech Knights, but the costume that she is wearing, called the ¡®Sugiura-Type Magical Vestment¡¯, is still the standard uniform for female magicians around the world.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t know that! Nor do I care! How is this knowledge supposed to be of any use to us!?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so cute! She has braided hair! Your mom looks just like a high school student!¡±


    ¡°Seeing this again, I really think Nodoka resembles Madoka after all!¡±


    ¡°Major Krone, is Nodoka Yasuo¡¯s little sister?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Second Lieutenant Feigreid. She¡¯s a very intelligent and cute young girl. I am sure that in another three years or so she will become a lovely lady, the spitting image of The Great Sage, Madoka Sugiura.¡±


    ¡°But man, seeing it recorded like this in a video, I guess your father was really a Hero after all, huh? He¡¯s a little shorter than you are, but his face looks more masculine, kinda like an experienced hero. Don¡¯t you think so, Yasu-kun?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Yeah.¡±


    Yasuo was experiencing hell.


    That was the only way to describe this space.


    With no way to escape, he was being forced to watch videos of his parents¡¯ younger days while surrounded by his friends. Truly, this was a space that was custom-made to torture Yasuo.


    Holstro, the capital city of the Baskelgarde Federation.


    In a corner of that city, there were archives of videos in a military museum that the Baskelgarde Federation, a major world power, had created by amassing technology and making the recordings, and for some reason they were completely open to the public.


    The other world, Ante Lande, had 8mm film cameras and 8mm tapes.


    The technology had been brought to this world by the Hero Hideo, Yasuo¡¯s father, who had saved the world from imminent destruction at the hands of the Demon King Army thirty years ago.


    It was a technology that had disappeared a long time ago from the houses of Japan, Yasuo¡¯s birthplace, but in this world the technology was at the height of popularity.


    The military museum in Holstro had many recordings from thirty years ago, and the videos, especially the ones that were related to the current high status of the Baskelgarde Federation, were proactively advertised to the public.


    Yasuo strongly thought that the videos should have been treated as classified information and most certainly not rented out to random people on the street, but apparently the great country of Baskelgarde felt differently.


    Just like the world that Yasuo was from, the entire world of Ante Lande was currently engulfed in a technology race. Each country was trying to improve the 8mm cameras and tapes that were gaining popularity, and hence each nation proactively created opportunities for the people to watch videos in order to show off their own technology.


    In fact, even Diana had brought a video letter addressed to Yasuo¡¯s parents recorded on an 8mm tape when she had first come to Japan.


    It was quite surprising that while the tapes were undoubtedly high-class items, even regular people could experience the technology if they wanted. Also, at this moment Yasuo could only think of this fact as an unwelcome favor.


    Even since before coming to Ante Lande, Yasuo had been frequently stunned by the Japanese culture and other customs from Earth that his parents had brought to this world, but he had not imagined that the 8mm tapes that had first given him that idea would bare their fangs at him at a time like this.


    ¡°Even Resteria doesn¡¯t have such a vast repository of videos. Ah, to think that I can see new videos of the time when The Hero, Hideo was still active¡­. I can¡¯t even describe this feeling!¡±


    Diana had been in this state since that morning, from the moment she had started browsing the video archives after the museum opened for the day.


    Yasuo had never seen Diana get excited to the point of losing all self-restraint like this before.


    In the beginning, Diana had shed tears while looking at the videos that displayed a younger version of her deceased father, Alexei Krone, who had been a comrade of the Hero.


    However, as they continued to peruse the archives, Diana¡¯s speech became more and more fervent as she started to do a commentary on the videos, like a hardcore fan talking about their favorite idol.


    Diana¡¯s cheeks were still flushed because watching these precious videos one after another gave her no time to cool down, and her eyes were moist because she was so deeply moved that she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears.


    Seeing Diana like this, Yasuo suddenly became embarrassed about being in the same room with her.


    There was no logical reason for it.


    Sitting with Shouko, Diana, and Feigreid and watching things about his family that even he did not know about was just plain embarrassing.


    In the past, there had been multiple cases where Yasuo had been confused by Diana¡¯s extravagant words of praise for his parents, or felt an indescribable sense of discomfort about how the Hero, Hideo¡¯s exploits were praised at every turn by the people of Ante Lande, in a way that went against his sensibilities.


    However, Yasuo had never been in a situation where he was seeing those events directly until now, and moreover, there were even other people learning about them too. So, until now, he had only felt a sense of discomfort.


    But now, Yasuo, as a modern youth from Japan, was being put in a spot where he felt like his heart was being gouged out.


    It was like an extended version of being spotted by classmates in middle school while going to the supermarket with his mother.


    ¡°There¡¯s no logic behind it¡­.¡±


    He unintentionally mumbled that aloud.


    Seeing it on a video like this, Yasuo could tell that he truly looked a lot like his father from his younger days.


    They weren¡¯t on the level of being like identical twins, but anyone would be able to tell at a glance that they were blood related.


    And that young father of his was currently smack in the middle of the slightly grainy video frame, wearing clothing that just screamed ¡°Hero¡±, even more so than the clothes that Diana or Feigreid were wearing.


    Every time the video switched to a new scene, Diana and Shouko would let out a shrill shout while being oblivious to his discomfort, and that was slowly eroding his heart.


    And as for Feigreid, the Magitech Knight from the Gaz Commonwealth¡­


    ¡°I am so jealous that you have a chance to see what your father looked like in his youth, Yasuo. Also, as a Magitech Knight, just looking upon the countenance of the Hero Hideo is simply fascinating.¡±


    He was neither playfully teasing like Shouko, nor was he intoxicated to the level of Diana, but he still had an overly serious and ambitious personality.


    For that reason, unlike with Shouko and Diana, Yasuo was not able to immediately refute what Feigreid said to his face.


    Although Feigreid was a few years older, he was still roughly in the same age group as Yasuo. Moreover, not only did Feigreid have a successful career as a Magitech Knight of the Gaz Commonwealth, he loved his mother and the younger kids in the orphanage and was diligent in finding ways to both openly and covertly support them.


    At this point there was no area in which Yasuo could win against Feigreid as a person, so when Yasuo heard those serious comments about his father from him, the unworthy son of a Hero could only sit there in silence.


    ¡°¡­¡­Please just let it be over quickly¡­.¡±


    Watching each of his companions getting excited in their own way, and yet being unable to take his eyes off the video archives for the sake of the future, all Yasuo could do was to curl up and wait for it to be over.


    ¡ù


    Their mission; to discover the true nature of the Shii, a spirit monster that had possessed Tatewaki Shouko¡¯s body, and to remove it if possible.


    Kenzaki Yasuo, Dianaze Krone, and Tatewaki Shouko had originally come to the other world, Ante Lande, for that reason.


    Yasuo and the others saw the dark side of the ¡°Carnelian of the Coal Mine¡±, an organization that helped refugees and which was also behind the appearances of the Shii in Japan.


    Realizing that staying on the defensive in Japan would not solve their problems, Kenzaki Hideo, his son Yasuo, and Tatewaki Shouko set out on a journey to Ante Lande. They were accompanied by Diana, who had turned Yasuo¡¯s life upside down ever since she had first appeared.


    However, after the group had jumped into the Gate Tower, a construct that linked different worlds, they experienced a malfunction. The four of them ended up being separated and sent to different places in Ante Lande.


    Yasuo and Shouko landed in the Gaz Commonwealth, a country neighboring Resteria, where they received help from a painter named Catalina Yostern who took them to a nearby fortress town called Galedeite. However, the dark hand of the Carnelian of the Coal Mine stretched after them even there.


    Yasuo and Shouko, with the help of Catalina and Feigreid, a Magitech Knight of the Gaz Commonwealth, purified the numerous Shii that popped up all over the town.


    However, the Shii of a demon general named Balor that had previously been killed by Hideo appeared, as if to sneer at their efforts.


    The entry of the giant Shii, incomparably larger and more intimidating than any other Shii on record foretold the utter destruction of the entire area around Galedeite. However, Diana, who had borrowed the power of the ¡°Holy Bow Pomona¡± from her mother who was one of the hero companions of Hideo, saved them in the nick of time by destroying Balor=Shii.


    Reunited with Diana, Yasuo put together the various pieces of information that were available and determined that his father was in a neighboring country called the Baskelgarde Federation, in an ancient ruin called Oodem.


    Moreover, from what they had seen during the battle in Galedeite, the group thought it likely that the Shii which had possessed Shouko was using an ¡°Orion, Destroyer of Armies¡± which was developed by Baskelgarde and was considered to be the oldest model of Techno Weapon in existence.


    Instead of returning to Resteria, Yasuo and the others decided to head to Baskelgarde.


    Despite knowing that Yasuo, Shouko, and Diana could not make their identities public, the Magitech Knight Feigreid requested to join their party. Using his status as a Magitech Knight as cover, the four of them managed to enter Baskelgarde without any issues.


    Thanks to the Scelephant, a giant flying creature that they had borrowed from Catalina, they managed to make the journey from the Gaz Commonwealth to Holstro, the the capital city of the Baskelgarde Federation, in just a day and a half, a journey that would have taken them several weeks on foot.


    Once they arrived in Holstro, they settled the Scelephant¡ªnicknamed ¡°Hana-chan¡± by Shouko during their journey¡ªin a stable belonging to the inn in which they were staying. That afternoon, the group set out to visit the Holstro Military Museum to examine the ¡°Orion, Destroyer of Armies¡± that was displayed there.


    However, unluckily for Yasuo, Feigreid had recalled that the Holstro Military Museum had a large quantity of video tapes related to the Hero Hideo¡¯s journey in its archives.


    They had started an informal video viewing session hoping to find some trace of Hideo or information related to the ancient ruins of Oodem, but that viewing session now seemed to stretch on with no end in sight.


    ¡ù


    Astonishingly, the video archives had a whole fifty video tapes.


    The videos were of different lengths. While some of them were under a minute, there were others that were well-edited documentaries more than thirty minutes long.


    Yasuo¡¯s father, Hideo, was the main focus of forty of those videos, and twenty five of them were dedicated solely to him.


    Some of the videos had no audio, others were interviews structured similar to a news show in Japan, some were state functions, and there were even a few that looked suspiciously like hidden camera footage. There was truly a great variety of videos.


    They did not find any videos that indicated where to go next or any hints regarding Yasuo¡¯s father¡¯s location which was still uncertain. Nor did they find any information about places where Hideo was likely to go. The entire video session just turned into a long demonstration of how Yasuo¡¯s parents were praised and revered in this country.


    Shouko had initially started watching the videos to mock Yasuo like someone going through a friend¡¯s old yearbook, but even she became silent at some point during the screening. After they finished watching the videos, she just said one thing.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, good work enduring it.¡±


    All she had to say was that one sentence, which had complex feelings of praise hidden in it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡±


    ¡°My bad.¡±


    One of the films had a recording of a hymn sung in honor of the Hero, Hideo, and the lyrics of the hymn were provided as an annexure in the box that the tape came in.


    As Feigreid translated the lyrics of the hymn which was written in the official language of Baskelgarde, Shouko sensed that Yasuo wanted to run away in earnest.


    After seeing that, Shouko tried to divert the topic towards Alexei and Erijina who were Diana¡¯s parents, but..


    ¡°Yes, my father is the pride of our country.¡±


    Or,


    ¡°So my mother¡¯s strict teaching method was caused by something this trivial, I see.¡±


    Engrossed in the heroic appearance of her parents that was shown on the display, she just responded normally.


    ¡°Wow, she¡¯s really used to it.¡±


    Unexpectedly, it looked like this is what Diana had meant when she said, ¡°It¡¯s easy once you get used to it.¡±


    The state of her country, the position of the Krone family in the country of Resteria, and the environment that Diana had been raised in, had resulted in her turning out this way.


    There was a wide gap in experience between Yasuo, who had not even tried to understand what his father¡¯s job as a salaryman was until recently, and her.


    ¡°Woah, it¡¯s already pretty late in the evening.¡±


    Once the screening session was over and they opened the curtains, they saw that the sky had already taken on the appearance of an evening glow.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty late. Should we move the museum tour to tomorrow? This place looks pretty big.¡±


    Certainly, the Holstro military museum had more area to cover than any museum that Yasuo had visited, and the building itself was a lot bigger.


    This was something Yasuo had only heard about, but apparently it would take at least a day to just walk around looking at the displays at the British Museum in England, the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, or the Louvre Art Museum in France.


    He had no idea if the Holstro military museum was comparable in size to those, but he spoke after thinking about it for a short time.


    ¡°How about we take a look at Orion today, at least?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not here to study the history of Baskelgarde, so there¡¯s no need to walk around the whole museum, right? We have barely three days until you are supposed to go back to Japan, Tatewaki-san.¡±


    Yasuo himself did not know what the ¡°solution¡± to their problems would be.


    However, he was desperate to not end their first day in Holstro with just watching a discography of his parents that he had not been aware of.


    ¡°I see. There will be less sightseers around because it is nearly closing time, and Shouko can also walk around without attracting attention.¡±


    ¡°Really? Don¡¯t they have things like CCTV?¡±


    ¡°CC¡­ what?¡±


    Seeing that Feigreid was puzzled by what Shouko said, Diana gave him an explanation.


    ¡°Think of it as a greatly advanced version of the 8mm tapes. Using that device, it is possible to see what is happening far away and keep watch over a specific area.¡±


    ¡°They have something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, Ante Lande¡¯s recording systems have not progressed to such a level. You don¡¯t need to be that cautious.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll still be careful, just in case. It wouldn¡¯t be pretty if we ran into some last-minute guests like ourselves.¡±


    Saying that, Shouko pulled the hood of her cloak low over her eyes in advance.


    ¡°Is this all the films we borrowed? Should I just return them to the reception counter near the entrance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of returning the films. As you said, it would be bad if you were seen by someone, Shouko. Both of you, wait here with the Major.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll help too, Feig-san.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? In that case, I¡¯ll carry the films. Yasuo, please take care of the camera.¡±


    Even since they had entered Baskelgarde, they had used Feigreid¡¯s position as a Magitech Knight of the Gaz Commonwealth as a cover for all work that required public interaction.


    Even though Feigreid had been the one to suggest that plan, Yasuo hadn¡¯t felt comfortable with pushing all the work on to him alone, and so he would volunteer to take up simple tasks as much as possible ever since they had left Galedeite.


    Feigreid started to push the trolley that was carrying the crate full of tapes, and Yasuo smiled wryly after picking up the tripod and the camera case.


    ¡°It feels strange to see it here. This logo is pretty old, but it belongs to a Japanese company, right?¡±


    ¡°No, that logo belongs to a state-run business from Baskelgarde.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Really?¡±


    The logo engraved on the protective case belonged to a famous company from Japan that made precision instruments, and it was still famous to this day.


    ¡°Uhh, what was it called in Japanese again? A ¡®copy¡¯? Is that right?¡±


    Strictly speaking, that was English, not Japanese. However, that was enough for Yasuo to understand.


    ¡°So as usual, someone made a copy of something that Dad brought here, and also set up a company with the same name while they were at it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Well, the two of you probably find it disagreeable, right? Like that, for example.¡±


    Feigreid came to a stop and pointed in a certain direction.


    An object rested inside a transparent case that was made of a material that was unknown to Yasuo and was neither glass nor plastic.


    ¡°The original.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I take a quick look?¡±


    The body was shaped like an uppercase ¡®B¡¯ from the English alphabet and there was a trigger on the grip.


    The cylindrical portion sticking out in front had a lens attached to it that refracted light and sparkled in a purple color.


    It was a typical compact 8mm film camera.


    ¡°By all rights, it should have been fine for you to take it back with you, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh well, I understand why I can¡¯t do that. It¡¯s smaller than I thought it would be.¡±


    Yasuo had the impression that recording devices only got bigger as you went back in time, but considering the size of the film used, the size of the camera made perfect sense.


    ¡°Besides, the display is a separate device.¡±


    For the modern generation, it was natural to use the same device to both record and playback videos, but this camera from his father¡¯s generation could only be used for recording.


    ¡°Still¡­ Why was he carrying this with him?¡±


    Both his mother and father said that they did not remember the particulars of how they had been sent to Ante Lande thirty years ago.


    However, judging from their explanations, it was clear that they had been sent there against their will, and it had happened all of a sudden.


    In that case, why had his father been carrying an 8mm film camera with him when that had happened?


    ¡°Of course, he must have been filming something. That¡¯s obvious. Feig-san.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the tape that was originally inside this camera? Is it here?¡±


    ¡°No, I heard that it is in Resteria.¡±


    ¡°Then how come only the camera is in Baskelgarde?¡±


    ¡°The camera broke when it was in Baskelgarde. Take a look at the back.¡±


    Yasuo went to the other side of the display as suggested, and saw that the casing on the back had been broken off violently, and the insides were burnt to a black char.


    ¡°It¡¯s written on this exhibit caption here. Apparently, their baggage received a direct hit from the enemy¡¯s magic during one of the battles with the Demon King¡¯s army which destroyed the camera.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t possible to repair it, and since it was useless he left it here instead of lugging it around, is that it?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. And then the federal parliament claimed it as a cultural artifact, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­. Hmm?¡±


    Yasuo had been staring at it closely for no particular reason, but he furrowed his brows after catching sight of something in particular.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡¯KEN¡¯? Feig-san.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Does the description say anything about these letters here?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Ah, this might be it. [The lettering on the camera belongs to a script from the other world, and it is read as ¡®Ken¡¯. It is a portion of Hideo Kenzaki¡¯s family name.] That¡¯s what it says. I guess that means your father wrote his own name on the camera because it belonged to him? It was an expensive item, right?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I guess that makes sense.¡±


    It was handwritten in permanent marker on the silver part of the camera casing, and it was still faintly visible.


    Maybe because of the spot where it had been written, the letters were warped and it was hard to liken it to his father¡¯s handwriting.


    Besides, as Feigreid said, 8mm cameras should have been quite expensive back when his father was still in high school.


    He couldn¡¯t really imagine his father writing on such a luxurious item directly in permanent marker.


    ¡°Oh well, Dad was still in high school at the time. I guess even he would do such careless things back then.¡±


    Even though he wasn¡¯t entirely satisfied with that explanation, Yasuo could neither confirm nor deny it and so he settled for just nodding his head.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Sure, the camera had been damaged, and thirty years had passed since then. Even so, Yasuo felt a queer sensation when he looked at the grip of the camera that looked quite worn down.


    ¡°So Dad had been carrying this camera around with him¡­¡±


    Of course, Hideo was still alive, so it felt strange to get sentimental about it. Even so, Yasuo could not deny that he had strong feelings about this old item that belonged to his father that he had not heard anything about from either his mother or his grandparents.


    Besides, he had been chasing after his young father in the display until just earlier, no matter how much he hated it.


    Why had that young father of his been carrying this 8mm film camera around with him?


    Among the films that did not have Hideo in them, maybe a few were filmed by Hideo himself.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hurry, Yasuo. It¡¯s nearly closing time. At this rate, we really won¡¯t have time to take a look at Orion.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    His bout of sentiment dispersed after Feigreid urged him to hurry, but Yasuo decided to ask his father about this 8mm film camera once they were reunited.

 Volume 4, 1 – Those Who Look To The Past, Part 2

    Volume 4, Chapter 1 ¨C Those Who Look To The Past, Part 2


    According to Feigreid, that room was known as ¡°The Dawn of a New Era in Baskelgarde¡¯s Techno Weapon Development¡±.


    The first weapon to clearly draw a line between ordinary ¡°weapons¡± that existed before Techno Weapons and the ¡°Techno Weapons¡± themselves was stored in a long and narrow room that didn¡¯t have any windows.


    There was a lot of text written in a language that Yasuo couldn¡¯t read, and there was what looked like a portrait of a person hung up on the far side of the room.


    The room had a great many displays of rusted and twisted items that must have been parts of Techno Weapons, but ¡°that¡± particular exhibit had a presence that immediately caught the attention of Yasuo and the others as soon as they entered the room.


    Shouko must have felt the same way.


    Castor and Pollux, the standard-issue Techno Weapons of Resteria that Diana used.


    Sinistra, the Techno Weapon developed by Khalija as a Meister, and Marfik.


    Capella, the standard-issue Techno Weapon of the Gaz Commonwealth that Feigreid used.


    The exhibit before them clearly had a different design philosophy from all the other Techno Weapons they had seen so far, causing Shouko to cower instinctively and hold her wrist.


    ¡°This¡­ No way, this is Orion? It¡¯s like¡­ a little different from what I imagined.¡±


    Shouko drew back a little after saying that with a stiff expression.


    The exhibit consisted of a set of five metal rings of different sizes.


    They were a belt, ankle rings, and bracelets.


    If it was just that, then the set certainly resembled the shape of the flames produced by Shouko¡¯s Shii.


    However, there was one thing about them that was clearly strange.


    The five rings had thick, spike-like protrusions on the inner sides that were sharpened to a fine point, and each of the spikes was thoroughly rusted to the point where it took on a dark hue.


    Moreover, they were designed in such a way that the spikes would definitely pierce the flesh of the wearer if they were worn around the limbs and waist.


    ¡°This feels really creepy.¡±


    Shouko started to rub her wrists with a stiff expression on her face.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Feigreid started to explain while making sure to not take his eyes off Shouko.


    ¡°Destroyer of Armies, Orion. The oldest Techno Weapon. At the time, there were no mechanisms to transmit magic from the wielder to the Techno Weapon through skin contact as we have now.¡±


    Yasuo, who had held a Techno Weapon before, felt thankful for the progress of technology and shuddered slightly at the thought of having to equip something like this on his own body.


    ¡°So they stabbed things like this into their bodies!? I-In five places, no less! Besides, how did they take a bath and stuff with these things stuck in their bodies?¡±


    ¡°I guess they never took them off?¡±


    Feigreid answered casually, causing Yasuo to unconsciously grit his teeth.


    ¡°This is what I think it is, right? The reason why the spikes are black and rusted is because¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably blood. No matter how you think about it.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to say it aloud.¡±


    Yasuo, who had been looking closely at Orion while furrowing his eyebrows sighed wearily after hearing Shouko¡¯s straightforward response.


    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s no point trying to cover it up, right? Considering the Shii inside me, we need to get a clear grasp of every single detail about this original piece that is in front of us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Shouko, you don¡¯t need to strain yourself so much, okay?¡±


    If anything, it looked like Diana was more worried about Shouko¡¯s sensitivity.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. We can¡¯t see this anywhere else, right? Then we need to get a good look at it while we¡¯re here.¡±


    However, it looked like Shouko was the most pragmatic among them. Even though she drew back in the beginning, she now approached the five rings and was looking at them closely.


    The five rings behind the sturdy glass case must have had a bright sheen at one point, but now they had a dull golden color.


    The surface of the rings had a large number of densely-arranged patterns carved into them.


    ¡°Do these patterns have some sort of magical significance?¡±


    ¡°Probably. I had a look inside Diana¡¯s Castor back when Khalija-san was repairing it, and circuits inside looked similar to this.¡±


    ¡°But Diana-san¡¯s and Feig-san¡¯s Techno Weapons don¡¯t have such a nasty design, do they? Feig-san, were there a lot of people who used this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the oldest Techno Weapon that was fit for practical use, after all. Among all the designs back then, I assume it was the most prolific. Still, the use of Techno Weapons was not so widespread back then, so I think it would be incomparable to the number of Techno Weapons that are in use now.¡±


    Feigreid said that while crossing his arms and Diana nodded in agreement.


    ¡°The military job called ¡®Magitech Knight¡¯ was created quite a long time after Orion started to be used, after all. The knights who initially used Orion were not yet Magitech Knights, but they were without a doubt elite soldiers recruited from all over Baskelgarde.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­So even if the people who fought while wearing this weren¡¯t spread out all over the world and numbered in the tens of thousands like you have now, there were still at least five hundred or a thousand of them?¡±


    ¡°I wonder if Khalija-san would know more about the history surrounding the design of such a Techno Weapon.¡±


    Khalija Welleger, who was currently protecting the Kenzaki and Tatewaki families back in Japan was a Magitech Knight of Resteria, but she had said that she was born in the Grand Duchy of Torjesso.


    Compared to ordinary craftsmen, she probably had more knowledge regarding the history of Techno Weapons from different countries.


    ¡°¡­¡­Anyways. How is it? You know¡­¡±


    Yasuo fearfully questioned Shouko.


    At that moment, he didn¡¯t know why he felt the ¡°fear¡± in his heart and his question trailed off towards the end.


    Diana and Feigreid also looked like they had been caught up in Yasuo¡¯s fear and made a low noise in their throats while looking nervous.


    However Shouko replied in an ordinary tone as though she wasn¡¯t worried about Yasuo¡¯s behaviour.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Nothing in particular. Actually, I¡¯ve been trying a bunch of things since earlier like looking at it only though my left eye where fire is coming out from, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything different.¡±


    They had theorized that the Shii inside Shouko had once been a Magitech Knight who used the Destroyer of Armies, Orion, but even with the original Orion in front of them there was no reaction of any kind.


    ¡°If there were hundreds of people who used it, then the chances that the Orion in front of us is the same one that my Shii used are very low, and even if it was the same one, that still doesn¡¯t mean that something would happen for sure. I suppose we¡¯ll just have to set aside the problem of my Shii for now.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right. I have no idea what to do next.¡±


    Despite saying that, it¡¯s not like Yasuo was really looking forward to some sort of development.


    He realized that he had come this far without really understanding what might happen, assuming something did in fact happen.


    The Shii wouldn¡¯t just float out of Shouko¡¯s body like a ghostly apparition just because it was shown something that it had a connection to. That would have been far too convenient and so the thought hadn¡¯t even occurred to him.


    Even so, the Shii might have gone on a rampage, Shouko could have gotten hurt, or something else might have happened that Yasuo couldn¡¯t even imagine.


    ¡°¡­¡­What the hell, I have no idea what this means¡­ Wait.¡±


    He had thought that something would happen.


    The other world called Ante Lande, and the magic and sorcery used by Diana and Khalija.


    Just by coming to this new world, a place that people who lived ordinary lives in Japan would never encounter, he had expected that some sort of incredible supernatural phenomenon would occur to resolve Shouko¡¯s affliction in some dramatic way. It was that sort of despicable thought.


    Shouko¡¯s affliction was already a sort of supernatural phenomenon.


    So, he had one-sidedly assumed that the resolution of said affliction should also be a supernatural phenomenon.


    He had assumed that the Shii inside Shouko would automatically show some kind of reaction after coming close to the Orion that it had a connection to.


    ¡°I guess I had the wrong expectation from the start.¡±


    There was a bit of relief in his voice.


    They should be happy that there were no further abnormalities occurring inside Shouko¡¯s body.


    They had originally planned to get Shouko examined in Resteria by Diana¡¯s mother, and if that had happened they would have detected the connection with Orion at some point anyway.


    However, even though they came in contact like this, there was no particular reaction from either the Shii or Orion.


    Having eliminated this small possibility in advance should already be considered a significant outcome.


    ¡°What should we do next? Seeing as Orion went against our expectations, should we make plans to move to Oodem?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re right. Now that we know that there¡¯s nothing to be gained from Orion, I think it would be better to go over there.¡±


    There was a faint sense of relief in Diana¡¯s voice. Also, she intentionally emphasised the part where there was no reaction between Orion and the Shii, that probably wasn¡¯t just Yasuo¡¯s imagination.


    As expected, even she had only realized now that Orion and Shouko¡¯s Shii might have caused some sort of dangerous reaction.


    ¡°Man, this sucks~ I thought some sort of shadow would fly out of my body the instant I saw Orion, and the battle would start instantly.¡±


    Shouko didn¡¯t seem to be particularly serious, but since she basically had a prudent personality, there might be something that only she could feel.


    A relieved mood settled over the party and Shouko took her eyes off Orion.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Now that he was freed from his tension, Yasuo was finally able to pay attention to the other exhibits and properly became aware of the portrait on the far side of the room.


    It was a portrait of a man who looked a bit young to have his likeness preserved as an oil painting and displayed in a museum.


    ¡°That¡¯s Elliot Higgins.¡±


    Diana said that after noticing what Yasuo and Shouko were looking at.


    ¡°I heard about him from Colonel Khalija in the past. He is the designer of the Orion that we were just discussing.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I see, so he was the one.¡±


    ¡°Back when the remnants of Demon King Kaul¡¯s army were being hunted down, he gathered the research that had been done so far on Orion and made it viable for practical use, thereby carving his name into the history of technological development in this world. I heard that he even had some slight interaction with my mother and Madoka.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I see. So this person was¡­. By the way, he looks pretty young in that portrait, does that mean he¡¯s still alive?¡±


    ¡°Aah, I wonder¡­ I only heard about him in passing, so I don¡¯t know the details.¡±


    Hearing that, Feigreid approached the portrait and looked closely at the exhibit label.


    ¡°¡­¡­It appears that he has already passed away. Twenty-five years ago. So he was 38 years old at the time of death. He was quite young. I didn¡¯t know about this either.¡±


    Yasuo was obviously surprised.


    ¡°Did he fall ill, or get into an accident or something?¡±


    The Techno Weapon craftsman, or rather, researcher, who had died young.


    From that perspective alone, it must have been a great loss to the whole of Ante Lande where Techno Weapon development was concerned.


    Yasuo muttered that under his breath as if he was some famous person from the history books.


    ¡°¡­¡­He was killed.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    And so he had not expected to receive an answer, much less that the answer would come from Shouko¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh? What is it?¡±


    Yasuo unconsciously turned around to look at her, but Shouko blinked as though she was startled and questioned him in return.


    ¡°What was that now, all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, all of a sudden? Yasu-kun, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Shouko, you just said that Mr. Elliot was ¡®killed¡¯¡­¡±


    Diana also looked perplexed after hearing what Shouko had spoken in a low voice.


    ¡°Diana-san, too? I didn¡¯t say anything yet¡­¡­¡±


    Shouko herself rebutted that fact in earnest, but,


    ¡°Elliot was killed¡­. Eh?¡±


    Shouko¡¯s mouth betrayed her intent.


    ¡°¡­¡­Tatewaki-san!?¡±


    ¡°Shouko!¡±


    The abnormality occurred an instant later.


    The flame in her left eye instantly grew to a massive size.


    ¡°Ugh!!¡±


    Shouko immediately groaned in pain and pressed her hand against her left eye. However, the flames grew to a size that couldn¡¯t be suppressed by just her hand, grew high enough to lick the ceiling of the exhibit room, and even started to whirl around as though attempting to cover the whole of Shouko¡¯s body.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san!!¡±


    Yasuo ran to Shouko¡¯s side.


    That was because the whirling flames looked a lot like the flames that heralded the appearance of a Shii.


    And then, as if confirming that impression, Shouko¡¯s body began to sink into those black flames!


    ¡°Tatewaki-san! Grab my hand!¡±


    Yasuo grabbed Shouko¡¯s hand and tried to pull her out of the flames, but her feet didn¡¯t move an inch.


    Not only that, she didn¡¯t even look at Yasuo who was holding her hand.


    ¡°Y-Yasu-kun¡­ N-No, I¡­ can¡¯t see anything¡­ Where are you, Yasu-kun!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here! Tatewaki-san, can you hear me!? I¡¯m right next to you!!¡±


    Yasuo put his arm around Shouko¡¯s shoulder, but even that didn¡¯t cause the flames to subside.


    Until now, the flames had reduced in size to a mere flicker under her eyelid if he so much as held her hand, but no matter how strongly he hugged her now, they showed no signs of abating.


    Not only that, the flames grew even larger and started to suck Yasuo in as well.


    ¡°Yasuo! Shouko!¡±


    Diana and Feigreid tried to pull the two of them out of the flames, but they couldn¡¯t move Shouko an inch even with the strength of two Magitech Knights. Not just that, the flames started to envelop all four of them.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ So cold¡­ What is this¡­!?¡±


    A chill that gave off an offensive smell.


    Yasuo shivered within the black flames that could only be described in that fashion.


    ¡°Ugh¡­!! Why can¡¯t I¡­ What the heck is this! T-Tatewaki-san!?¡±


    Yasuo noticed something.


    He could feel the sensation of gripping Shouko¡¯s hand.


    But Shouko¡¯s face that he was hugging close to his body was slowly fading away and starting to become invisible.


    ¡°Diana!?¡±


    ¡°W-Where are they!? Major Krone! Where are Yasuo and Shouko!?¡±


    ¡°Feig-san!!¡±


    Inside the whirling black flames, Diana and Feigreid started to slowly disappear from his sight.


    ¡°Yasu-kun! This is¡­ not a reaction to Orion¡­! Ugh¡­Aaahh!!¡±


    Even Shouko who was still in his embrace started to disappear, and despite that, she took her hand off her left eye and pointed directly ahead.


    ¡°It¡¯s that painting¡­¡­! The one of Elliot-san¡­!¡±


    Wrapped inside the flames, Yasuo couldn¡¯t even clearly see if the painting was still there.


    Just as his vision was about to be completely trapped inside the black flames, Shouko whispered in a faint voice that was on the verge of disappearing.


    ¡°¡­¡­Elliot¡­¡­¡±


    The next instant, Shouko¡¯s warmth vanished from within Yasuo¡¯s arms. Yasuo¡¯s consciousness was also swallowed up by the flames and he blacked out.

 Volume 4, 1 – Those Who Look To The Past, Part 3

    Volume 4, Chapter 1 ¨C Those Who Look To The Past, Part 3


    Judging by how it felt, it had all happened within the span of a few seconds.


    ¡°Gah!!¡±


    Yasuo opened his eyes and sucked in a deep breath¡­ or at least he tried to.


    He clapped his hands to his throat.


    He couldn¡¯t feel the sensation of breathing. He felt like he was drowning in a lukewarm liquid that existed between him and the outside world.


    ¡°This is¡­ No, but still¡ª!¡±


    He had experienced this sensation before. It was as if he was dreaming about waking up from a dream.


    It was like a dream in which he was sleeping and dreaming, while being aware that he was asleep and wanting to wake up.


    And then, even though he woke up inside the dream, his senses were still stuck further behind himself who had supposedly woken up, which meant that he had not actually woken up at all, it was that kind of feeling.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san! Diana! Feig-san¡­!!¡± he shouted.


    His voice was supposedly still working. Even his own ears were able to hear the sound of his words.


    Still, his voice did not reach them.


    The three of them were lying face down right next to him. They were easily within his reach. All he had to do was bend, and he would be able to touch them, and yet, he was not able to get any closer to the scene before his eyes.


    ¡°Shit¡­ What¡¯s going on¡­ Where am I¡­!¡±


    He looked around at his surroundings.


    It was as if he was immersed in a sticky liquid, and couldn¡¯t move his head the way he wanted to.


    Despite that, he struggled to move his eyes as much as he could and saw were on top of what looked like a hard, white ground. Although the surface had a few bumps, the ground appeared to be essentially flat as it stretched out infinitely in all directions.


    Even the sky was white. There was a greenish-gray glow at the horizon, but everything else in his sight was colored white.


    He realized something when he looked up at the sky.


    There was a wind that sounded like nothing he had ever heard before, and it was making his whole body tremble. It was the sound of an echoing, faraway wind that would normally be heard when covering both ears with your hands.


    That sound relentlessly blew the pure-white clouds in the wide sky towards the horizon.


    What was he supposed to do now?


    When stuck in a dream like this, it was possible to wake up by focusing one¡¯s senses even more strongly.


    Of course, there was a chance that there might be multiple layers of dreams, but once he actually managed to wake up, all of his struggles within the dream would come to an anticlimactic end and everything would go back to the way it was supposed to be.


    ¡°This is a dream.¡±


    Whenever he had this sort of dream, Yasuo made sure to say whatever he intended to do out loud.


    Of course, there would not be any immediate change. He didn¡¯t even know if he was actually speaking out loud. However, there was nothing else he could do while standing on this white land without being able to move a single step.


    ¡°This is a dream. I¡­ I need to force my eyes open¡­¡±


    He felt a yearning to open his eyes. Even though he was looking at that white world, he still tried to open his eyes.


    If he did that, then he would be able to wake up from this dream for sure.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wake up.¡±


    ¡°Of course you can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°This is a dream.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a dream.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    Yasuo looked to his side.


    ¡°It is the world that I currently belong to.¡±


    The creatures of dreams do not follow any logical reason for appearing or disappearing.


    So he didn¡¯t find it particularly surprising when a woman suddenly appeared next to him, even though only Shouko, Diana, and Feigreid had been there just a moment ago.


    The biggest reason why he wasn¡¯t surprised was because the woman had golden rings around her wrists, ankles, and waist.


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re the one who is inside Tatewaki-san¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems that you people call me a Shii. I gleaned that information through her eye.¡±


    Her hair was long, but it looked desiccated. She had vacant eyes, and a pallid complexion.


    Could this being, utterly devoid of any signs of life, be the ¡°dead person¡± that existed within the black flames of the Shii?


    ¡°Back when I was still alive, I was called Raia Calgani. I suppose I am something of a nuisance to Shouko Tatewaki, even though it was not my intention to become so.¡±


    Her dispassionate voice felt a little eerie to Yasuo, but then he noticed something that made him even more uncomfortable.


    The woman called Raia made no attempt to look at him.


    The greenish-gray horizon that Yasuo had noticed earlier. She was staring at that continuously without blinking. That gaze, coupled with the general lifelessness about her, made her seem even more creepy than before.


    ¡°Just who are you?¡±


    Yasuo asked that question with his mind still reeling from shock.


    If he asked something complicated, he felt that it might snap him out of this dream. That was because the being that had introduced itself as Raia looked like it was on the verge of disappearing.


    Perhaps he had guessed correctly, as Raia answered his question without looking at him.


    ¡°I am one of the dead.¡±


    ¡°Why are you inside Tatewaki-san¡­ Inside Shouko Tatewaki?¡±


    ¡°Because she resembled me.¡±


    She probably wasn¡¯t talking about a physical resemblance.


    Even if you ignored the part where she was devoid of life, Yasuo did not think that Raia and Shouko looked anything alike.


    ¡°What do you mean, she resembled you?¡±


    ¡°I just happened to be pulled into a light, and found myself in a place that was not Ante Lande. And then, when I was trying to find my way, I discovered her.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Light?¡±


    ¡°The light of a burning coal.¡±


    Yasuo realized that the conversation was slipping away from the topic of Shouko, and attempted to correct his question.


    ¡°How was Shouko Tatewaki similar to you?¡±


    ¡°She was in love.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª!¡±


    However, the answer he received was quite unexpected coming from a woman who called herself one of the dead, causing Yasuo to immediately lose his composure.


    ¡°Her heart was in turmoil because of an unexpected reunion with Yasuo Kenzaki. The love that she had once given up on was rekindled. That part of her was similar to how I was when I was still alive.¡±


    Had Raia been sharing Shouko¡¯s memories after being assimilated into her?


    It would have been quite appalling if Raia had read Shouko¡¯s thoughts without permission, but judging from her frank way of speaking, it looked like the two of them just happened to share the same wavelength.


    That said, Yasuo still felt shaken after hearing how Shouko felt, even though he already knew about it.


    As far as he knew, this Shii was supposed to have fused with Shouko before she obtained any information regarding Ante Lande. By that time, Shouko already felt such strong emotions within her that it was enough to move a dead creature like the Shii¡­¡­


    ¡°No way no way no way, I¡¯m just being too self-conscious!¡±


    ¡°You seem to be agitated.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am!¡±


    Yasuo was scared that Raia would disappear because of his strong reaction, but she continued to stare at the horizon without even looking at Yasuo, just like before.


    ¡°Can you be separated from Shouko Tatewaki?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is possible.¡±


    ¡°Then please separate yourself from her right now.¡±


    A part of him thought that he was being too direct, but he still wanted to avoid any complications and hence he ended up being exceedingly blunt.


    ¡°I cannot do that of my own free will.¡±


    ¡°Then, what needs to be done to separate you from her?¡±


    ¡°I do not know.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Getting angry at her in their current situation would achieve nothing.


    She looked human for now, but the Shii were still dead creatures. She might be bound by laws that were incomprehensible to the living.


    Yasuo decided to change his line of questioning.


    ¡°¡­¡­What sort of place is this?¡±


    ¡°Is it the Land of the Dead.¡±


    ¡°You mean it is the world that people go to after they die?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I said.¡±


    Every time he thought about the nature of the Shii, he had vaguely considered that possibility.


    He hadn¡¯t formed any concrete thoughts such as a land of dead people, but since the Shii were not merely corpses that were reanimated with magic, he had suspected that some remnant or soul of the dead must have remained somewhere.


    Since that remnant had currently regained a clear human form, it stood to reason that this place was Heaven, the Netherworld, the Far Shore, Hell, or any other such place where people were said to be sent after death.


    Assuming, of course, that this was not all just a part of Yasuo¡¯s dream.


    ¡°Are we dead?¡±


    ¡°You are alive. Instead of looking at the horizon, you are able to look at me. There¡¯s no better proof than that.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The deceased can only look towards the horizon. Their feet can also only move in that direction.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    The movement, when it came, was sudden.


    Raia moved at an inhuman speed and stared at Shouko who was lying on the ground at their feet.


    ¡°But, if the ¡®Latch¡¯ were to open, things would be different.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s heart jumped..


    He felt an uncomfortable sensation like his heart jumped all of a sudden inside his body that he had not even been able to feel until now.


    ¡°I already walked on this white ground once. It should have been impossible for me to return. But the light of a burning coal guided me back to the Land of the Living. The place beyond the horizon is overflowing with the dead. At some point, this white land will also be brimming with the dead. Once that happens, the hordes of the dead will look for a destination, and will once again go to the land of the living. They will pass through the latch and seek new lives.¡±


    ¡°W-What are you¡­¡±


    ¡°The Land of the Dead has already reached its limit. On the other side of the white land, the Capital of Last Rites is already overflowing with the dead.¡±


    ¡°Overflowing with the dead? What are you talking about!?¡±


    Raia bent down and tried to get closer to Shouko.


    ¡°The dead cannot be reborn unless they pass through the Capital. But the Capital is overflowing with the dead and is unable to keep up with returning them to life. And the dead, they cannot wait. They pile up. They stagnate. And so, they desired a new life on their own¡­ To grant the dead a new life¡­¡­ Kaul, Beatrice, and J?rg each used their own methods to leave the Land of the Dead.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo trembled after hearing the names that came from Raia¡¯s lips. He did not think that it was just a coincidence.


    Kaul. Wasn¡¯t that name of the Demon King who dragged the world of Ante Lande into a dreadful war thirty years ago? Did that mean that the Demon King had something to do with the Shii?


    As for Beatrice, there was no doubt that it was Beatrice Heller from the Carnelian of the Coal Mine.


    They left the world of the dead? What did that mean? Were both Kaul and Beatrice dead people, just like the Shii?


    However, Kaul stood in the way of the Heroes as the King of Demons, and Beatrice must have appeared before Khalija not as a Shii, but in the form of a human.


    But if that was the case, then what about the last name that was mentioned?


    J?rg. He had never heard that name before. Could there be someone apart from Beatrice who had connections with the Shii and was working in the background?


    No, in the first place, just who were Kaul, Beatrice, and J?rg?


    ¡°Are the three of them Shii!? Are they people who have already died?¡±


    ¡°Kaul is a burning torch. Beatrice is a queen. And J?rg is a mask.¡±


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for strange metaphors!¡±


    If Raia had spoken of them in terms of her own situation, or from the perspective of other Shii, then it might have had some meaning.


    Until now, her answers to his questions had been relatively direct. However, she suddenly started speaking in exaggerated metaphors, causing Yasuo to strongly retort.


    ¡°You have a problem with that?¡±


    What¡¯s more, she seemed dissatisfied with his comment.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a problem or anything, I was just hoping for something more specific¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if I told you, there¡¯s nothing that someone like you who is not even a wielder of a Sacred Vessel can do about it. It seems you are skilled in the ability to send off the dead, but that¡¯s all. Yasu-kun, you don¡¯t have Liutberga, Pomona, Marlowe, or Solanum, do you?¡±


    As Raia kept staring at Shouko, her tone started to become somewhat strange.


    ¡°¡­¡­Raia-san, are you getting your personality mixed up with Tatewaki-san? Also, can you please stop using new terms all of a sudden while talking?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up. I¡¯ve already reached the Capital once, you know? Is that any way to talk to someone who is sharing all this info with you? ¡­¡­I mean, could you refrain from talking that way?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to take over Tatewaki-san¡¯s mind or something like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!!¡±


    Raia¡¯s tone was clearly overlapping with that of Shouko¡¯s.


    Now that he thought about it, it was strange for Raia, a woman from Baskelgarde, to be speaking in Japanese.


    It had slipped his mind before because Diana and Feigreid spoke fluent Japanese, but there was no way that someone from the age when Orion was being used could be this proficient in modern Japanese.


    She had mentioned something about being connected to Shouko¡¯s psyche, and it was probable that Raia¡¯s personality and memories were having an effect on Shouko while they were merged.


    ¡°I understand now, so get away from Tatewaki-san!¡±


    ¡°I said it was impossible, didn¡¯t I? I can¡¯t do anything about this on my own.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking like Tatewaki-san! Also, look at me when you¡¯re talking!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­The connection between Shouko Tatewaki and me is getting stronger by the second. It¡¯s because she is unable to escape from the fear that you are going somewhere far away, Yasu-kun. Right, Shouko?¡±


    Raia kept her back to Yasuo while she caressed Shouko¡¯s hair and touched her left eyelid.


    The next instant¡­


    A white flame flowed out of Shouko¡¯s left eye and whirled around Yasuo¡¯s surroundings in a flash.


    It was just like what happened the instant before he was sent to this world, only in the opposite color. Yasuo¡¯s sight was suddenly filled with nothing but whiteness.


    ¡°Raia-san!¡±


    ¡°Aah, I wonder what would happen if this Latch were to open in the Capital. I wonder if Elliot is also still wandering around somewhere¡­¡­¡±


    A voice different from that of both Raia and Shouko echoed from the other side of the white flames, and Yasuo¡¯s consciousness once again receded rapidly.


    ¡°Shouko. If, by some chance, you find that person¡­¡­¡±


    That was the last thing he heard.


    As his vision returned, he felt an intense discomfort in both his mind and body as though he had woken up abruptly from a dream.


    Once he regained consciousness, he saw that Shouko, Diana, and Feigreid were lying on the ground, just as he remembered seeing them in the white world.


    All three of them were unconscious, but it looked like they were alive.


    ¡°Raia Calgani¡­¡­¡±


    He did not think it was just a dream. There was no way that the three of them had lost consciousness for no reason.


    Whatever had happened in that white world was real, and the name of the Shii inside Shouko was undoubtedly Raia Calgani.


    However, Orion was not the direct cause of what had happened.


    Among the information Raia had shared with him, there were a lot of things that he had heard for the first time.


    The instant before they had been sent to that white world, Shouko had said that the cause was not Orion, but the portrait of Elliot. However, the information about the portrait was obviously written in not Japanese, but what looked to be the language of this country and he wasn¡¯t able to read it.


    Diana and Feigreid were still unconscious. He needed to wake up at least one of them, and they needed to move to a place where they could compose themselves.


    He had gained a number of new hints.


    Combined with what he already knew about until now, he had to try his best to not forget what seemed to be an additional component while they moved away from here as soon as possible.


    Yasuo tried his best to remember what had happened just before he had passed out.


    The room had no windows, but it should already be nighttime. He had no idea how much time had passed, but it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it was already past closing time.


    However, because of that, maybe nobody had noticed the strange situation that had just occurred. Just as Yasuo began to hope for such an outcome¡­


    ¡°****!¡±


    A large number of Baskelgarde Magitech Knights came storming into the room while screaming, causing Yasuo¡¯s body to stiffen.


    Every one of them was holding what looked like a Techno Weapon, and they were talking to each other with stern expressions and serious voices.


    ¡°**Shii **! ¡­¡­! **Shii!¡±


    He thought he heard the word ¡°Shii¡¯ in their conversations, but seeing as he was completely unfamiliar with the language, even that might have been an error on his part.


    After that, it was only natural that Yasuo, who was sitting up while being surrounded by three unconscious people, was extremely conspicuous.


    Two of the Magitech Knights approached him and said something, but he had no idea what they were saying, and he couldn¡¯t even tell what sort of emotion they were feeling from their expressions.


    Their Techno Weapons were only partially raised, so they were probably worried about him. However Shouko was right behind him, and it would spell the end for them if they got a look at her face.


    ¡°I-Is there anyone here who speaks Japanese!?¡± Yasuo shouted all of a sudden.


    His voice was a little shrill, but that was unavoidable. For now, he had his hands full making sure that Shouko would not be seen as a suspicious individual.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    A flash of surprise crossed the face of one of the senior Magitech Knights who had a full beard, and the next instant¡­


    ¡°****¡±


    He lowered his shoulders and shook his head.


    ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t!?¡±


    Not just Diana, even Feigreid had been fluent in Japanese, and so Yasuo had assumed that anyone who had a certain level of schooling would have some knowledge of Japanese. But there were nearly ten Magitech Knights here and apparently none of them could speak it.


    ¡°***!?¡±


    ¡°W-What is it!?¡±


    ¡°***Gaz***! *****!?¡±


    Now they were saying something while pointing at Feigreid.


    He thought he had heard the word ¡°Gaz¡± just now, maybe that was referring to the Gaz Commonwealth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, can you speak a bit slowly!? I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying, so even if you keep talking like that¡­!¡±


    Any sudden actions when dealing with people who were speaking a language you couldn¡¯t understand would only serve to fuel the anxiety.


    Of course, it was apparent from seeing how tense the Magitech Knights were that they had not just come here to tour the museum, but seeing how they were yelling so much, Yasuo didn¡¯t even know how they would interpret his body language and hence felt extremely shaken.


    ¡°***!¡±


    ¡°W-What do you want me to do!?¡±


    He could not move away from Shouko, and Diana and Feigreid showed no signs of waking up.


    ¡°¡­¡­It looks like you¡¯re in a bit of trouble. Do you need some help?¡±


    All of a sudden, he heard a voice from behind him. It was the voice of a woman.


    He instinctively turned around, thinking that Diana had woken up, but¡­


    ¡°Hey there.¡±


    Shouko was openly showing her face with a bold smile.


    ¡°Eh¡­.¡±


    ¡°You told me to look at you when I was talking, so I decided to talk while looking you in the eye.¡±


    And then, the black flame in Shouko¡¯s eye blazed more sharply than it had ever done before.


    ¡°Eh? Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­!¡±


    ¡°***?¡±


    Noticing that Shouko had woken up, the Magitech Knights asked a question, and in return,


    ¡°***¡±


    Shouko started speaking in a language that Yasuo did not understand.


    ¡°Hey wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­!¡±


    ¡°***!¡±


    ¡°****!!¡±


    ¡°****Shii.¡±


    ¡°***!!¡±


    ¡°The conversation is definitely headed in a bad direction, isn¡¯t it!?¡±


    Not only was Shouko looking straight at the Magitech Knights without even trying to hide the flames in her left eye, she even clearly said the word ¡°Shii¡±.


    The expressions and voices of the Magitech Knights grew more and more furious, and the atmosphere turned heavy as if they were about to start arguing.


    The mood of the other Magitech Knights also grew visibly worse and all of them took a stance with their Techno Weapons.


    ¡°W-Wait just a second! You¡¯re not Tatewaki-san, you¡¯re Raia-san! What did you tell them!?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, you realized it sooner than I thought you would.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get the general idea! Why are the Magitech Knights acting like that!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing really.¡±


    With the flame burning brightly in her eye, Raia smiled wickedly using Shouko¡¯s face.


    ¡°I just told them that we Shii would destroy this pathetic country.¡±


    ¡°You moron!!¡±


    Standing behind Shouko=Raia who continued to smile, the senior Magitech Knight powered up a one-handed sword type Techno Weapon that resembled Castor.


    They had been taking the utmost care to avoid attracting the attention of law enforcement ever since entering Baskelgarde, but she had gone and ruined all that effort in an instant. Moreover, Diana and Feigreid still showed no signs of waking up.


    While he had some defenses against the Shii, Yasuo had no chance of winning against people even if they hadn¡¯t been Magitech Knights.


    It was a checkmate.


    Just as Yasuo was about to give up¡­


    ¡°Just look at who they are whining instead of attacking the enemy. It looks like the Holstro Battalion has fallen so low.¡±


    A black ring of flame appeared around Shouko=Raia¡¯s right hand, and she lightly grazed the chin of the senior Magitech Knight with it.


    ¡°¡­.!¡±


    Just that was enough to cause the Magitech Knight¡¯s eyes to roll up in his head and bring him to his knees, before he collapsed on the ground.


    ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡±


    As Yasuo opened his eyes wide in amazement, new black rings appeared around both of Shouko¡¯s legs and she darted down the narrow corridor of the museum like a shadow while bringing down the Magitech Knights one after the other.


    Yasuo stared blankly at the scene of Shouko knocking out the Magitech Knights, unable to believe that it was really happening.


    ¡°The Techno Weapons might have improved, but the people are still just the same, I see.¡±


    As Shouko=Raia slammed her left knee into the stomach of the last young man to attack her, the room grew so silent that Yasuo was able to hear her mutter that to herself.


    After that, Shouko=Raia looked at Yasuo with a cold gaze.


    ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t fight, but seeing you lose your composure to that extent against such weak opponents¡­ I guess you really can¡¯t do anything, huh, ¡®Yasu-kun¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say something so absurd right after finally looking me in the face! If you knew about that, then you should also know why I can¡¯t fight!¡±


    ¡°I also know that you¡¯re overreaching yourself in spite of that. No wonder Shouko¡¯s so worried about you.¡±


    ¡°Shouko¡­. T-That¡¯s right! What happened to Tatewaki-san!?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s alive. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m in control right now. You know how Shouko¡¯s been drawing on my power without permission until now to fight? So it¡¯s like quid pro quo.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Seeing something like this happen for real right in front of me, I can¡¯t help but be seriously worried about Tatewaki-san¡¯s condition.¡±


    Two personalities sharing the same body.


    Stories of such happenings were common since time immemorial, but anyone would be extremely uneasy about such a thing if it happened to a person close to them.


    It was not a case of the so-called multiple personality disorder, but instead she was possessed by an external spirit or influence of some sort. In such a situation, Yasuo, as a student preparing for exams, couldn¡¯t help but wonder about it from the perspective of physics or biochemistry. Just what sort of effect would this have on Shouko¡¯s neurotransmitters and the electrical impulses in her brain?


    Moreover, she had just demonstrated a level of physical ability that Shouko clearly did not possess, and he had no idea what sort of stress that placed on her body.


    ¡°Shouko is actually in fairly good shape, and considering her abilities, I didn¡¯t really push her too hard. If anything, Shouko was the one who got ahead of herself and put a burden on her body while she was drawing on my strength.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re free to doubt me, but is this really the time to be talking so leisurely?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°These guys are from the Holstro Battalion. They are elite troops who make up the backbone of Baskelgarde¡¯s Magitech Knights. Since they¡¯ve been crushed this badly, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be on wanted posters throughout the capital in the blink of an eye.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    Yasuo had only been able to make such pathetic sounds since some time ago.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ What just happened¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Geh¡­ I thought I saw some black flames¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Finally!!¡±


    At this time, Diana and Feigreid finally began to stir and sat up with dazed expressions.


    And then after noticing the state of their surroundings, the two of them turned pale as ghosts.


    ¡°Yasuo¡­ Just what happened here¡­¡±


    ¡°I feel like the situation is exceedingly bad¡­¡±


    Both Diana and Feigreid seemed to be frozen in that position of having just sat up.


    ¡°Oh my, it looks like the esteemed Magitech Knights of this generation are really carefree. I see, at this rate it makes sense that they would fall behind us.¡±


    Seeing the two of them like that, Shouko=Raia smiled as if she was taunting them.

 Volume 4, 1 – Those Who Look To The Past, Part 4

    Volume 4, Chapter 1 ¨C Those Who Look To The Past, Part 4


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now. It looks like we have shaken off the pursuers.¡±


    They were in the slums on the outskirts of Holstro, hiding in one of the rooms of what could only be described as a dilapidated multi-tenant building while holding their heads in their hands.


    Actually, only Yasuo and Feigreid had their heads in their hands. Diana was able to look up despite looking haggard. And as for Shouko¡­


    ¡°I wonder. We might have shaken off the ground forces, but what happened back there was tantamount to rubbing the Holstro Battalion¡¯s faces in the dirt. They might be searching for us from the skies.¡±


    She was sitting on some rubble inside the room, acting like it had nothing to do with her and looking at Diana who spoke earlier as if mocking her.


    Despite being so far away from the city, the area was still illuminated by numerous streetlights. Bathed in the light from those streetlights and the moon shining in through a window with shattered glass, the person who looked like Shouko smiled like a demon while her eye behind the flames glowed red.


    ¡°This place is called a slum, but that just means that the streets are relatively unsafe, not that it is beyond the reach of the officials. We¡¯ll be caught for sure if we stay in the same place for too long.¡±


    ¡°Whose fault do you think this is¡­ Raia Calgani-san?¡±


    Diana used that name to refer to the Shii that was borrowing Shouko¡¯s appearance while making shameless declarations. Seeing that, Raia¡¯s evil smile grew even wider.


    ¡°Hmm~? It¡¯s Yasu-kun¡¯s fault, right? I mean, if Yasu-kun hadn¡¯t been panicking so pathetically back there, I wouldn¡¯t have had to make a move, you know~?¡±


    Even Diana couldn¡¯t stay calm after being taunted with Shouko¡¯s usual way of talking. She frowned angrily.


    ¡°¡­¡­If you weren¡¯t inside Shouko¡¯s body, I¡ª!¡±


    ¡°What would you do~? No matter what you say~ you are someone who has been living in a clean and proper world until now, Diana-san~ Even if I wasn¡¯t in Shouko¡¯s body~ You¡¯re not the type of person who would be able to torture me or anything right~?¡±


    ¡°Y-You little¡­¡­!!¡±


    Diana¡¯s face was flushed with anger, but even so she couldn¡¯t think of any way to refute the statement made by the one inside Shouko¡¯s body and could only tremble silently with rage.


    ¡°¡­¡­Looks like you¡¯re a lot more talkative now, completely different from back then.¡±


    Even Yasuo couldn¡¯t keep his cool against the one occupying Shouko¡¯s body and glared at her angrily.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me to look at you when I was talking, Yasu-kun. I¡¯m just doing what you asked. I¡¯m just trying to tell you that I¡¯m able to do this sort of thing now because Shouko and I grew a little more familiar with each other in the museum, so can you stop glaring at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Raia-san.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    The Shii inside Shouko¡ªRaia Calgani¡ªwas exhibiting the personality from when she was still alive. In that case, there was no need to hold back against her like he normally would with Shouko.


    ¡°Back then, I wasn¡¯t able to deceive the Holstro Battalion. Back then, I was certainly saved by you. For that, you have my thanks.¡±


    ¡°I sense a ¡®but¡¯ coming after that gratitude though.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I also know you didn¡¯t just save us out of good will. In the end, you are still a Shii.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°You told me a lot of things in that white world. However, none of that information is immediately helpful in doing something about the current situation where the world is being attacked by the Shii. The Shii have their own objectives. You¡¯re trying to use Tatewaki-san for the sake of those objectives, right?¡±


    ¡°Shouko is still lacking to become a Latch, but she is quite useful. The fighting strength of this group would be a lot higher with me in control instead of Shouko, which benefits all of you as well. So it¡¯s better for everyone if Shouko just stays asleep like this¡­¡­¡±


    Since she had her back to the moon, her sadistic smile looked even more twisted.


    Yasuo stood up and moved directly in front of Raia=Shouko.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Shut your mouth.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Let Tatewaki-san out. I don¡¯t need to hear anything more from you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you should be talking to me like that, Yasu-kun? There are still things all of you want to know, I could probably tell you something about¡­¡­¡±


    Raia wasn¡¯t able to finish her sentence.


    ¡°Stop messing around while wearing Tatewaki-san¡¯s face and using her voice. The only person who is allowed to call me by that nickname is Tatewaki-san. No matter what we hear from you, we have no way to determine if that is truth or lies. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m not interested in hearing anything more from you. I¡¯m telling you once again.¡±


    Yasuo directly hugged Shouko¡¯s body from the front.


    ¡°Get lost. And give Tatewaki-san back.¡±


    The next instant, the flame in her left eye shrunk in size and the evil expression rapidly receded from her face.


    ¡°¡­¡­How boring.¡±


    Raia¡¯s voice sounded as though she truly found it boring.


    ¡°I sensed that the Latch would shut especially tight at times, so it was because of this¡­.Haaa.¡±


    Raia¡¯s eyes closed, and her body suddenly grew slack.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­!¡±


    Yasuo tried to support her body, but then¡­


    ¡°I-I¡¯m okay¡­ I¡¯m okay, so, umm¡­¡±


    The person enveloped in Yasuo¡¯s arms spoke with the same voice as before, but the tone was clearly different.


    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve come back. Umm, Yasu-kun, thank you. I can stand on my own. I can stand on my own, so¡­¡±


    Saying so, she pushed Yasuo¡¯s chest and forcefully separated herself from him.


    ¡°Umm, I-I¡¯m fine already.¡±


    ¡°Eh, y-yeah, I see.¡±


    There was no mistaking it. It was Shouko. The one in front of Yasuo right now was not Raia, but the real Shouko.


    ¡°You really are Shouko¡­. Right?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah. Sorry, Diana-san and Feig-san too, for causing trouble. Umm¡­ Diana-san, do you have a minute?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    For some reason, Shouko dragged Diana to a corner of the room and whispered something to her. Yasuo, and Feigreid who lifted his face up after Shouko returned, instinctively looked at each other, but the next instant¡­


    ¡°Eh!¡±


    Diana looked surprised as she repeatedly looked between Shouko, who was hanging her head, and Yasuo. After that, she started patting Shouko¡¯s head while looking partly annoyed and partly pitying.


    ¡°W-What happened¡­¡­?¡±


    Yasuo looked at Shouko¡¯s eyes that were shaking with uncertainty and agitation behind the flame that had shrunk down until it was barely visible, and he started to feel uneasy himself.


    Had something bad happened to Shouko¡¯s body because of how Raia¡¯s personality asserted itself?


    ¡°Tatewaki-san, are you okay? Your face is¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not blushing! I¡¯m not blushing, okay!?¡±


    ¡°Eh!? Umm, yeah, the window is broken, so maybe you could try to keep your voice down¡­¡±


    ¡°W-Whose fault do you think¡­. Yeah, I understand.¡±


    Shouko then proceeded to sink to the floor next to Diana and slumped her shoulders as though she was depressed.


    Diana bent down and patted her shoulder once, then gave a slight nod before turning around and walking to Yasuo.


    ¡°She seems to be okay, so let¡¯s leave it at that for now.¡±


    ¡°Eh? B-But¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡±


    Pushed back by Diana¡¯s unexpected intensity and the pressure of her hand on his shoulder, Yasuo also sat down on some nearby rubble.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over the current situation.¡±


    Diana said that in a solemn tone, but the situation was so simple that they didn¡¯t need to particularly go over it.


    ¡°We are being pursued by Baskelgarde¡¯s Magitech Knights.¡±


    ¡°Our personal descriptions should also be ready by now, based on the testimony of those people back at the museum.¡±


    ¡°It sounds hopeless.¡±


    Shouko, who had been blushing just a minute ago, now looked pale.


    ¡°I knew there would eventually be problems, but I expected a situation a little more conducive to hearing our side of the story¡­¡±


    Feigreid, who was sitting next to Yasuo, let out a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yasuo, Shouko. This is my fault.¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s not true! You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, Feig-san! If anything, it¡¯s all because of me and the creature inside me¡­.!¡±


    Yasuo and Shouko panicked after hearing what Feigreid said, but Diana shook her head.


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong. In addition, it is also my fault. No, at this point it can be said that the whole of Resteria and the Gaz Commonwealth are at fault.¡±


    ¡°A-Aren¡¯t you making too big a deal out of it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Both myself and Second Lieutenant Feigreid should have been more alert so that we could have responded in case anything happened to either of you. Despite that, we helplessly let ourselves get sucked into Shouko flames, and on top of that, we were disgracefully unconscious when the Holstro Battalion arrived, that is shameful behaviour unbecoming of a Magitech Knight.¡±


    ¡°N-No way. I mean, nobody could have predicted that¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°If the soldiers from the Holstro Battalion had been a little more aggressive, or if Raia Calgani had not seized control of Shouko¡¯s body, we might have all been killed on the spot back then. For soldiers like us, ¡®nobody could have predicted it¡¯ isn¡¯t a valid excuse. If we get into such a situation, it¡¯s the same as putting somebody¡¯s life at risk. It happened because¡­ both myself and the Second Lieutenant were overconfident, we believed that no matter what happened, we were stronger than the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Diana-san¡­¡±


    ¡°However.¡±


    Stopping Shouko who tried to comfort her, Diana resolutely raised her head.


    ¡°We gained the chance to make up for our failure. Let us quickly decide on what we should do next, here and now. Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°What is it¡­¡±


    Diana¡¯s usual unsteadiness and cheerful expression were gone, replaced by a cold mask of resolve.


    ¡°Our original plan has failed. I propose that we prioritize leaving Baskelgarde and entering Resteria.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Are you serious?¡±


    It was obvious at a glance that this was not what Diana really wanted. Despite that, she was forcing herself to behave as a soldier.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°I am completely serious.¡±


    ¡°Mind telling me the reason?¡±


    ¡°That is the decision I arrived at after prioritizing the lives of all four of us.¡±


    ¡°What about Dad?¡±


    Yasuo purposely asked her that, causing Diana to momentarily be at a loss for words.


    ¡°¡­¡­Hideo¡¯s strength is on a different level from ours. Even if he was thrown naked to the North Pole, Hideo would be able to safely make it back home.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense about my dad.¡±


    ¡°But the current situation is very dangerous for us, and especially for Shouko. We are being pursued not by Shii, but by people. It¡¯s not the sort of situation where we can just fight off anyone who comes after us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­In the worst case, Tatewaki-san and I can just abandon everything and go back to Japan, but that¡¯s not the case for Feig-san, right? Considering what happened, people can¡¯t help but think that Feig-san purposely snuck into Baskelgarde to let the Shii loose here. Won¡¯t he be branded as a spy and get into trouble?¡±


    ¡°There will probably be some trouble. Of course, I don¡¯t have any intention of abandoning Second Lieutenant Feigreid either. I will take the proper measures.¡±


    ¡°Mind telling me what sort of measures you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    Diana patted her own chest while strengthening her gaze.


    ¡°I will use the name of the Krone Family and think of a scenario where Resteria takes full responsibility for this incident. The Second Lieutenant will play the part of a ¡®victim¡¯ who was used by the Krone Family and Resteria.¡±


    ¡°Please wait, Major Krone! I too have my pride as a knight! Just because I stumbled upon the path that I chose for myself, I cannot accept being protected by somebody else!¡±


    ¡°Of course. That is why I will have you atone for your mistake in a different way.¡±


    Diana faced Feigreid who raised an objection, and forced her haggard face into a fearless smile.


    ¡°I will have you become ¡®bait¡¯ in order to catch the Carnelian of the Coal Mine.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand what you are trying to say, but then what will happen to the Obaa-chan in the House of the Fireflies? And those orphan kids too¡­¡±


    Diana resolutely looked at Shouko who was shaken after hearing the name, ¡®Carnelian of the Coal Mine¡¯.


    ¡°¡­For a while, they will be put in a difficult position¡­but¡­¡±


    ¡°I will protect my mother and the rest. If it is for the sake of exposing the true nature of the Carnelian of the Coal Mine and furthering the fight against the Shii in all the different countries, then it can¡¯t be helped.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wrong! If you do something like that, some people will definitely get ahead of themselves! There will definitely be a massive fallout!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­This is a problem that we, the people who live in Ante Lade, had to originally deal with. Relying on the Hero who defeated Demon King Kaul, unable to escape from the dream of clinging to the savior, Ante Lande had already lost the power to improve itself by its own power¡­ At that time, we had already lost.¡±


    Diana said that with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Although she was one of the Heroes, my mother had nobody left to rely on after my father died. From the start, my mother looked for salvation from somebody else. My mother, I, and everyone else believed that it was the right decision, and didn¡¯t have any doubts at all¡­ And because of that, Yasuo and Shouko got hurt both in mind and body and your lives are in turmoil.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­The Major is right. Even in the Gaz Commonwealth, there were people who were eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the Hero, but not a single person tried to become a Hero on their own.¡±


    ¡°During the days when I lived in Tokorozawa, there were many times when I regretted disturbing the peaceful days of Yasuo and everyone else in the Kenzaki Family. Despite that, I once again ended up hurting the two of you today¡­¡­¡±


    Diana clenched her fist with regret, and then silently bowed to Yasuo and Shouko after looking at each of them in turn.


    ¡°Yasuo, Shouko. Please allow me to keep the promise I made to Shouko¡¯s parents. Almost five days have passed since we left Tokorozawa. The most important thing to me right now is to send the two of you back to Tokorozawa by the date we promised in advance. Of course, I will not trouble the two of you ever again until the issue with the Shii is resolve¡ªpuah!¡±


    Diana¡¯s speech filled with heroic resolve was cut off part way with an idiotic sound.


    ¡°Hey, Yasu-kun!?¡±


    Shouko let out a low shout while going red in the face.


    Yasuo had sandwiched Diana¡¯s face between the palms of his hands and forced her to look up.


    ¡°Y-Yahuo?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting too agitated.¡±


    ¡°Wh-Whyut¡­¡±


    ¡°Calm down a little. I understand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡±


    Yasuo let go of Diana¡¯s face, and then for some reason he looked at his hands and his face turned red.


    ¡°Sorry, I thought that would be better than holding your head or your chin, so¡­¡±


    ¡°E-Eh!? Y-Yes, that would have been bad! B-But grabbing someone by the cheeks is also a bit¡­!¡±


    Diana also belatedly turned red and kept glancing towards Shouko. As for Shouko, she was just staring blankly at them while repeatedly opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just¡­ really bad at stuff like this. It never goes well. I just can¡¯t do stuff like that with the sensibilities of a Japanese person. Ah, geez!¡±


    Yasuo shifted his weight from one foot to the other while wiping off the cold sweat that had formed on his forehead and the bridge of his nose. He glanced at Shouko, Feigreid, and Diana in that order as if gauging their expressions, and then he stared in a completely different direction, unable to make eye contact with any one of them before he began to speak once more.


    ¡°I completely understand what you were trying to say, Diana. For you, the most important thing is for Tatewaki-san and me to return to Japan unharmed, is that right?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°But you see, that¡¯s not what is most important to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    ¡°To me, the most important objective of visiting Ante Lande this time is to do whatever it takes to rip that Shii out of Tatewaki-san¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand that, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Just now, I decided that I cannot deviate from that path, no matter what happens. I mean, you saw it, right? You saw how evil her personality was.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­ But¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Even though I know he¡¯s not talking about me, it¡¯s still depressing¡­¡±


    ¡°Until earlier, I would have been satisfied if we could at least do something about the flame in her left eye, but it¡¯s no longer that simple. The Shii inside her is intelligent and is trying to do something using Tatewaki-san¡¯s body. At this point, even if we drop everything and return to Japan, she definitely won¡¯t be able to go back to her normal life.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Diana looked as if she had something lodged in her throat.


    ¡°But, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°The safety of myself and Tatewaki-san is your primary concern. I understand that, and I am thankful you feel that way. I also understand that you are feeling crushed by the responsibility and that you¡¯re trying your best to do something about this situation. But on the other hand, the two of us are also frustrated by how little we can achieve with our own strength even though we knowingly stuck our heads into this.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for the two of you to feel that way¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Even if you feel that there is no need, we can¡¯t help it.¡±


    ¡°Shouko!?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I was just completely dragged into this mess. I haven¡¯t done anything wrong. But it¡¯s not like you purposely put this ill-natured creature inside me, right Diana-san?¡±


    Shouko smiled bitterly while pointing at her left eye.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re very concerned about the difference between Ante Lande and Japan, but this is basically something like me just happening to catch a disease that originated in a different country, right? Whether you catch a disease or not just depends on your luck. But if the person who is trying to cure me of that disease tries to disappear from my sight because of some incomprehensible sense of responsibility, it¡¯ll just make me feel uneasy instead.¡±


    ¡°Shouko¡­ But, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Yasu-kun.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That creature might have already said something unnecessary, but you should say it again.¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask her what she meant.


    ¡°¡­..I can¡¯t deny that I am lacking experience either.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s voice was frail and unreliable.


    ¡°But I came to Ante Lande after making up my mind. In Galedeite, I got into a fight and risked my life for the first time when Diana wasn¡¯t nearby. It made me realize once again just how powerless I am, and it was scary as hell. To be honest, even recalling it makes me start trembling. But even then, what I wanted to do didn¡¯t change.¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s speech was completely incoherent and disorganized.


    ¡°I want to become a Hero and save people in need, I want to solve Tatewaki-san¡¯s problem, and also, I want to be recognized by Diana.¡±


    However, his resolve was the real deal. Diana should have realized that much.


    ¡°I want to fight by my own resolve, and bear the full responsibility for it.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you just clearly declare that, ¡®I am going to become a Hero!¡¯ at a time like this?¡±


    Shouko interrupted him to say that, but Yasuo shook his head.


    ¡°Acting cool is easy, but I can¡¯t honestly convey that.¡±


    Saying that, Yasuo gripped Diana¡¯s hand.


    ¡°To me, becoming a Hero and getting you to recognize me are two different things. If people whom I¡¯ve never met call me by some vague term like ¡®Hero¡¯, that¡¯s still fine. But after showing my careless and pathetic side to you so many times, I want you to accept me as a person who can stand on his own feet, regardless of whatever high opinion everyone else might hold about me.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo¡­¡±


    ¡°Aah, geez. For cripes¡¯ sake.¡±


    Shouko looked a little unhappy, but she continued to listen attentively to what Yasuo was saying.


    ¡°Of course, I realize that there¡¯s no way I can be recognized by the world as a Hero when I can¡¯t even stand by your side in battle. But I still have a lot of things that I want to achieve related to Ante Lande. That¡¯s why, I want to respect your will, but I still hope you can understand that I have my own way of thinking, Diana.¡±


    Yasuo turned to look at Feigreid while continuing to hold Diana¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I want to respect the resolve that the two of you have as soldiers. But more than that, I don¡¯t want to just leave two of my important friends behind and run away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Looking at it rationally, Major Krone¡¯s plan is the most realistic, you know?¡±


    Feigreid hadn¡¯t known them for all that long. However, he was still able to understand that Yasuo wouldn¡¯t change his mind so easily.


    ¡°Since you said ¡®rationally¡¯, that means you don¡¯t really want things to end that way either, right Feig-san?¡±


    ¡°Of course. After all, I haven¡¯t done anything noteworthy so far even after coming all the way from Galedeite. I haven¡¯t even been able to repay you for saving my mother and siblings back in Galedeite¡­ And besides.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, that was a really selfish thought, so it doesn¡¯t matter. Still, under such restricted conditions, the things we can do are also few in number. Yasuo, you said you wanted to fight for the sake of preserving Shouko¡¯s peaceful future, but if she gets captured or killed, she won¡¯t have any future left to preserve, you know? Also, if that once again triggers Raia Calgani to appear like before, what do you intend to do about that? It¡¯s not like you will always be able to immediately hug Shouko, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Feig-san, you probably shouldn¡¯t bring that up again¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    After hearing the usually serious Feigreid say that in a serious tone, both Yasuo and Shouko started blushing even though they were in the middle of a serious conversation. Even so, Feigreid undeniably had a point, and it was true that even more so than before, they could only react on the spot to whatever Raia might do.


    ¡°But putting that matter aside, there are still things that you want to do, right, Feig-san?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine just hearing you say that. Tatewaki-san.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°This is troubling for you, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it definitely is. It¡¯s a truckload of trouble. No matter what the circumstances are, it¡¯s so troubling that there¡¯s no chance of sympathizing at all.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s thoughts had been clear since the beginning.


    In the end, only Diana was left.


    ¡°What do you want to do, Diana? Just you, personally.¡±


    ¡°Me¡­ just personally¡­¡±


    Diana looked up at Yasuo and spoke in a trembling voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never even thought about such a thing¡­ After all¡­¡±


    ¡°Then try thinking about it now.¡±


    Diana¡¯s voice was choked up like she had been driven into a corner, and she shook her head like a child who had an impossible task forced upon her.


    ¡°Impossible¡­ That¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t do something like that¡­.¡±


    Born into the foremost noble house of the great nation of Resteria, and furthermore, as the only daughter of a married couple of Heroes, this was a choice that Diana had never experienced before in her life.


    As Diana continued to stubbornly shake her head, she heard something she didn¡¯t expect.


    ¡°In that case, do you want me to say it in your stead? What you really hoped to achieve during this journey.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Before Diana could say anything else, Yasuo rapidly continued to talk.


    ¡°Finding a hint to discovering the true nature of the Shii. And putting that knowledge to good use for the sake of the world¡­ How¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®How¡¯s that¡¯¡­ Any Magitech Knight in Ante Lande would want that¡­¡±


    ¡°That means you feel the same way too, right, Diana?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡­ When you put it that way, that¡¯s certainly true, but¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s okay even if we don¡¯t find out the true nature of the Shii?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, but we¡¯re not talking about such things right now¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°I am talking about such things, you know? I already heard about what would be the rational thing to do. Right now, I¡¯m talking about what each of us wants to do. So, what do you say? Am I right or am I wrong!?¡±


    ¡°Of course, when you put it that way, you¡¯re right! But still¡ª¡±


    ¡°In that case, shouldn¡¯t we be thinking of a way that takes both our safety and our hopes into consideration? Right now, we¡¯re just individuals. When you¡¯re part of an organization, there are times when you have to think in terms of all or nothing, but right now we¡¯re just individuals.¡±


    Of course, Feigreid was here as a Magitech Knight from the Gaz Commonwealth, so there would be times when his affiliation would act as shackles and impede him.


    On the other hand, it was not like Feigreid had been particularly given any mission by the Knight Division of the Gaz Commonwealth either.


    In the first place, the only people in Galedeite who knew about Yasuo¡¯s heritage were Feigreid, Catalina who had assisted them, and the old lady at the House of the Fireflies.


    Looking at Feigreid¡¯s current status from the point of view of other people, he was just acting on his own accord to guard a pair of unknown travelers while being prepared to use his identity as a Magitech Knight as a trump card as a last resort.


    ¡°We can no longer perfectly achieve everything we set out to do. But if allowing for some leeway will help us do something, then I would like to pick that option. Diana, have you really thought about everything properly to the end? Is there really no way to find out the truth about the Shii inside Tatewaki-san and still return to Japan before the time limit? I think there is still a way. I think you should have started to vaguely sense this as well, Diana.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that, ever since you came to Tokorazawa, you¡¯ve been overly sensitive about not disturbing our lives more than necessary. That¡¯s probably why you kept trying to avoid looking at that possibility. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    Diana agreed with what Yasuo said.


    ¡°I feel that¡­ that¡¯s something we shouldn¡¯t do, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°In that case, what if Tatewaki-san or I say that it¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡®It can¡¯t be done!¡¯


    ¡°Like I¡¯ve been saying, that¡¯s not true!!¡±


    Growing impatient, Yasuo grabbed Diana¡¯s shoulder and forced her to raise her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you to think of it from that direction! But with just me, Tatewaki-san, and Feig-san, we cannot move forward in that direction. We need your help, Diana. I won¡¯t let you say that you can¡¯t do it. Just earlier, you were perfectly willing to cause an international incident if that¡¯s what it took!¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s quick talking sealed Diana¡¯s route of escape. And then, he asked her one last time.


    ¡°You should have arrived at some sort of answer by now, so please tell me. Diana, what do you want to achieve during this journey?¡±


    Yasuo remembered the expression on Diana¡¯s face in the archive room of the museum.


    She had always yearned for the sort of adventures that the Hero Hideo and his companions had experienced.


    All the young boys in Ante Lande would use fallen branches on the roadside as a ¡°holy sword¡±, and all the girls dreamed of being a great magician standing by their side. Moreover, Diana was a ¡°girl¡± who had been closest to the truth of those adventures.


    In that case, Diana¡¯s feelings on the matter were obvious.


    ¡°I want¡­ to fight¡­ alongside Yasuo and the others. I want to go on a journey¡­ to find out the truth about the Shii¡­¡±


    She had been holding back her emotions, but now a single tear rolled down her cheek.


    It was only a single tear.


    ¡°I want to try going on a journey.¡±


    ¡°Finally, you¡¯re being honest with yourself.¡±


    Yasuo nodded while smiling, and let go of Diana¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s finally my turn in the end. No matter what happens, I want to rip that Shii out of Tatewaki-san¡¯s body!¡±


    Yasuo looked at Shouko.


    ¡°After that, I want to do something to thank Feig-san. He¡¯s been helping me out continuously ever since we were in Galedeite.¡±


    He looked at Feigreid.


    ¡°And then, I want Diana to recognize me as someone who can stand on their own feet.¡±


    He looked at Diana.


    ¡°Oh yeah, one more thing¡­ While we¡¯re at it, I want to confirm that Dad is okay. Since we were separated after being sent to Ante Lande, I¡¯m sure Dad would also try to meet up with us. But we¡¯ve had no word from him so far, so maybe he¡¯s in some sort of trouble. From everything I¡¯ve experienced so far, I understand very well that just being superhuman isn¡¯t enough when it comes to solving trouble with the Shii.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s only two days left until the date by which we promised to send Shouko back. No matter what, trying to achieve all of that in such a short time is¡­¡±


    ¡°Like I said before, it depends on how you go about it. The two of you were completely ready to make this an international incident and blow it out of proportion, right? In that case, instead of turning it into a tragic story, I think there¡¯s still another way left.¡±


    ¡°Yasuo¡­¡±


    Diana looked on uneasily, and even though Yasuo¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t filled with vigor, it could still be said that he had more than enough determination.


    ¡°Protecting all of our lives and moving towards our objective without throwing away our immediate goals. There¡¯s just one way left to achieve this. Of course, this plan should also allow us to just barely return to Japan by the day we promised.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t interrupt because you were pushing Diana-san forward so confidently, but I still don¡¯t understand. Does such a convenient method really exist?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Yasuo nodded vigorously in answer to Shouko¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s a completely un-Hero like method that relies entirely on Diana¡¯s popularity and the standing of her family, though.¡±


    Despite breaking into a cold sweat, Yasuo still grinned and opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡ù


    The following day, four people made an appearance at the Magitech Knight outpost belonging to the Holstro Knights¡¯ Division.


    The four of them proclaimed themselves as the group affiliated with the Shii that had injured soldiers of the Holstro Battalion at the military museum, causing a temporary uproar.


    However, the four of them were neither subjugated, nor were they arrested.


    Apparently, they were placed under strict guard and surveillance, and escorted to the Federation¡¯s Parliament building.


    As soon as it was decided that the four of them would be taken to the Parliament building, rumors about their identities started to spread like wildfire among the Holstro Battalion and the numerous Magitech Knights stationed at the capital.


    In the beginning, everyone just ridiculed those rumors as being obviously fake. But when definite information was released later that a meeting had been called at the Parliament building to specially conduct a hearing, those rumors instantly became more believable.


    And then, if the content of those rumors were confirmed to be true, everyone believed that the fallout would be restricted to not just Baskelgarde, but it would become an international problem where even the neighboring countries would get dragged in.


    After all, the rumors said that of the four people, one of them was a man who claimed to be the son of the Hero Hideo, and another was the only daughter of the Krone family, the family of Heroes belonging to Resteria.

 Volume 4, Interlude – 1

    Volume 4, Interlude ¨C 1


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a bad mood. Not that it¡¯s anything out of the ordinary these days.¡±


    ¡°We have a parent-teacher conference tomorrow.¡±


    Sitting at the kitchen table, Nodoka stared at a printout sheet and sighed. Seeing that, Khalija smiled wryly.


    ¡°Parent-teacher conference¡­ Oh, it¡¯s that, right? Career counseling.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you wrote something like ¡®Magitech Knight¡¯ on the form.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t write it. I wasn¡¯t thinking about writing that either. That¡¯s just generally lame.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Khalija-san, how did you decide on your career?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use me as a reference. You already heard it, right? About what happened in my life to make me end up like this¡­¡±


    ¡°But not just anyone can become a Colonel, right? Does everything just work out for the best if you have talent and do your job properly?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet if it was for the best or not, but¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You wouldn¡¯t know that, right? Besides, this career counseling itself is like some sort of game where you match your grades against some safe occupation that the adults would like, it¡¯s just horrible.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that you can also look at it that way. If it¡¯s just about finding a dream and building up the zeal to work towards it, you can still do it on your own. But looking at things objectively is hard to do even after you become an adult. In that respect, I feel like that sort of coercion is also necessary.¡±


    ¡°Logical harassment.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. I already know that. I know that it¡¯s just part of the system. But coming from our homeroom teacher, who somehow grew up without gaining any objectivity, that sort of thing really pisses me off. Everyone in our class knows about how he scolded a boy who wanted to be a horse jockey and a girl who wanted to join the SDF to the point of tears in April.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That sort of thing also only lasts for a moment. For both of them.¡±


    ¡°I still think I have more talent to live in Ante Lande¡­¡±


    ¡°Nodoka¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Mom and I are going shopping after the parent-teacher conference tomorrow, so you should take some time to relax, Khalija-san.¡±


    ¡°Ah, got it. I¡¯ll do that.¡±

 Volume 4, 2 – Beside You, Forever, Part 1

    Volume 4, Chapter 2 ¨C Beside You, Forever, Part 1


    Shouko shouted as soon as she saw that silhouette, her voice sounding like she was about to break into tears.


    ¡°Hana-chan!! Thank goodness you¡¯re alright!!¡±


    She took off running at a speed that caused the surrounding Magitech Knights to tense unconsciously and rushed to the side of a scelephant that was tied up in the stable.


    ¡°H-How do I put it, this place is pretty intimidating.¡±


    Feigreid had called this place a ¡°stable¡±, but it was on a completely different scale compared to the stables that Yasuo knew about. After all, this place did not house horses or livestock.


    It was filled with military-use scelephants.


    ¡°Feig-san, did you recognize that scelephant as Hana-chan right away?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ With so many of them in one place, I couldn¡¯t tell them apart¡­¡±


    Whether it was the height of the ceiling, the size of the feeding troughs, or the thickness of the bars on the pens, everything was far beyond the ordinary. The scelephant was a giant creature that could carry four people on its back while flying through the sky, and there were roughly fifty of them here.


    Despite the stables being so massive and somewhat dark, Shouko hadn¡¯t hesitated for an instant.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san, are you sure this one is Hana-chan?¡±, Yasuo timidly asked. Hearing that, Shouko turned around with tears in her eyes while still gripping the bars of the pen.


    ¡°She¡¯s completely different from all the others! Just look at the dark viridian fur and the ecru mane and speckles! How could she be anything other than Hana-chan!?¡±


    ¡°Viridian? Ecru?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what those words mean either¡­¡­¡±


    As the two of them stood there flustered, Shouko gave them a sidelong glance and then focused on the pen in front of her. The scelephant inside stretched its trunk out towards her hand that was still holding on to the bar and let out a warm and humid breath. Despite being named after the elephant from Earth, its trunk wasn¡¯t all that long.


    ¡°Hana-chan, are you okay? They didn¡¯t do anything horrible to you, did they?¡±


    ¡°The scelephant did nothing wrong. We do not abuse animals in this country. I ask that you refrain from making such baseless statements.¡±


    While Shouko was holding on to Hana-chan¡¯s trunk, she heard a deep voice from behind her speaking in Japanese. Yasuo and the others turned around, and he saw a person whom he was familiar with.


    ¡°You are¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Captain Gaius Tyndall of the City Safety Patrol, commonly known as the Holstro Battalion.¡±


    He was the one who had presumably asked Yasuo to identify himself at the museum and was also the first one to be taken out by Raia after she hijacked Shouko¡¯s body.


    ¡°So you can speak Japanese after all.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Looking closer, Yasuo saw that the Magitech Knight with a large build who had identified himself as Gaius was carrying a Techno Weapon on his back.


    Gaius was a head taller than Feigreid and was a size bulkier when it came to the size of their muscles. The massive sword-type Techno Weapon on his back looked big enough to slice through all three of them with a single blow.


    ¡°There¡¯s not a single person in the Holstro Battalion who cannot speak Japanese. It is part of the general curriculum.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you respond to me when I was talking to you back then?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just his stature, even Gaius¡¯s expression was stern and intimidating. Instead of looking at Yasuo who asked the question, he glared warily at Shouko who was standing beside Hana-chan and let out a sigh.


    ¡°There are plenty of people who have learned Japanese. No matter which country, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising to find one or two people in a sample batch of hundred who can speak it.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    Yasuo looked at Feigreid, who also nodded.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably true. Even I learned Japanese from my mother, and there are plenty of people in Gaz¡¯s Knights Division who have learned it.¡±


    ¡°That being the case, there is also no end to the number of miscreants who try to put that knowledge to bad use. The things you were saying back then were obviously the sort of things a suspicious person would say.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±


    Yasuo finally understood why Gaius had not responded when he tried to talk to him.


    ¡°One in a hundred. That¡¯s not a small number, but it¡¯s not particularly large either. If some bad guy among that number introduced himself as a Japanese person or the Hero Hideo¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Every year, we have a never-ending number of thieves and crooks who use such cheap imitations to trick people. And correspondingly, the number of people who fall for it is also never-ending.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of similar crimes in Gaz as well. We even have a term for it, although the two of you wouldn¡¯t understand it because it is in our language¡­ Let¡¯s see. If I had to translate it, it would be something like ¡®The Hero Hideo¡¯s friend scam¡¯ in Japanese.¡±


    ¡°Uwaaah¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yet another outrageous term has been coined¡­¡­¡±


    Shouko smiled bitterly, while Yasuo¡¯s shoulders sank.


    The Hero Hideo had traveled all over the world, and what¡¯s more, not even thirty years had passed since his famous exploits. There were still plenty of people who remembered what happened back then, and some of them had also gained recognition because they were acquainted with the Hero.


    Looking at it that way, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if someone who could speak fluent Japanese popped up and called themselves a friend of the Hero Hideo to trick people. Yasuo was forced to concede that Gaius¡¯s actions at the time had been logical.


    Gaius then looked squarely at Shouko.


    ¡°The number of stupid crimes related to Shii is equally large. Your group satisfied the criteria for both of these. I thought it better to arrest you rather than sit around talking.¡±


    ¡°Crimes related to the Shii!? You mean¡­!¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, assuming that Baskelgarde had already uncovered the secret machinations of the Carnelian of the Coal Mine. But the reply that he received was one that he had not expected.


    ¡°It¡¯s a foolish scam. In the past half-year, there has been a rapid increase in detestable scoundrels who take advantage of grieving families or fear of the Shii. In the beginning, I thought you people were among their number.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Shouko stared seriously at Gaius, no longer bothering to hide the flame in her left eye.


    Gaius stared down at the red glow that lay behind that flame, the frown on his face deepening the already significant furrow between his eyebrows.


    ¡°Do you have any close relatives who lost their lives to a whim of fate?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it was because of illness, an accident, crime, war, or anything else. Is there anybody you hold so dear that you would give anything to bring them back to life?¡±


    As soon Shouko heard that, her face grew red with anger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they actually¡­!¡±


    ¡°There are many people who want to depend on such things. After all, it has only been thirty years since the tragedy that was Demon King Kaul¡¯s invasion.¡±


    ¡ù


    Diana was sitting on a sofa in a luxuriously appointed room, accompanied by Magitech Knights equipped with ornate armor and Techno Weapons.


    Her beloved light armor had been confiscated along with her Castor and Pollux. In addition, the long journey and half a day¡¯s worth of hiding in the dilapidated house had covered her uniform in dust, which was currently leaving a white stain on the leather sofa that she was seated on.


    Despite that, Diana still waited resolutely with her back perfectly straight. Eventually, she detected the presence of someone approaching the door to the room and stood up in a single, elegant motion.


    The Magitech Knights did not move a muscle.


    The door opened, and a man walked in. Diana mimed picking up the hem of a non-existent skirt and bent her knees into a curtsey.


    He was an elderly man with a solidly-built body and a luxurious beard, wearing not the uniform of the Magitech Knights, but the formal dress uniform of a Knight.


    ¡°Your Excellency. It has been a long time since we last met, General Leonid.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Indeed.¡±


    The elderly man whom Diana had addressed as Leonid looked at her with a slightly dazzled expression.


    ¡°I wondered what had happened when I heard the news, but you truly are Miss Dianaze¡­ We haven¡¯t met since Alexei¡¯s funeral. You have grown into quite the beautiful young lady.¡±


    ¡°My country, the Krone family, as well as myself received great support from Your Excellency¡¯s kind words at my father¡¯s funeral. I had hoped to repay that debt of gratitude the next time I was graced with an opportunity to meet Your Excellency in person, but I must instead beg your pardon for appearing before you in such a state.¡±


    ¡°Stop that. As Alexei¡¯s daughter, you are as good as my own grandchild. No matter what your appearance, I believe that you had a good reason for it.¡±


    ¡°I am grateful for your understanding.¡±


    ¡°Let me get someone to bring you a hot drink. You there.¡±


    The Magitech Knight that General Leonid indicated snapped off a salute with sharp movements and left the room to carry out his order.


    ¡°Stand at ease. We are both short on time, are we not?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Your Excellency¡­ The thing is¡­¡±


    ¡°I already contacted your mother earlier. It was a private conversation.¡±


    Forstalling Diana¡¯s explanation, the kindly old general spoke in a deep voice.


    ¡°No doubt only a few people in the vast land of Ante Lande have ever heard that Erijina Krone¡¯s flustered voice. It was an unexpected benefit.¡±


    ¡°¡­What did my mother say?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Before we get into that¡ªOh, that was quick. Even though this is an informal visit, we are still entertaining the young lady from the Krone family. I hope you have prepared a suitably high-quality tea.¡±


    The Magitech Knight from earlier returned promptly and started arranging a luxurious tea in front of Diana.


    Since the general had mentioned a ¡®hot drink¡¯, tea was well within Diana¡¯s expectations. However, the afternoon tea that the Magitech Knight was arranging on the table in front of Diana had more food than your average luncheon.


    Moreover, an identical set was arranged opposite to Diana, and Leonid plonked his heavy body into that seat.


    After glancing over the arrangements, Leonid nodded as though he was satisfied and dismissed the Magitech Knights from the room.


    ¡°I stopped smoking recently, you see. Since then, I¡¯ve had such a large appetite that eating four meals a day has become the norm. This is a good opportunity, you can keep me company.¡±


    Although it was supposed to be an afternoon tea, Diana caught glimpses of things like grilled sausages, bacon, and hash browns. If anything, it looked like a food spread arranged by a catering service.


    ¡°Right, now where should I begin.¡±


    Plates stacked with plenty of food before him, Leonid initiated the conversation.


    ¡°If there is anything Your Excellency is curious about, please do not hesitate to ask.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That young man. He certainly resembles Hideo a great deal.¡±


    ¡°He is Hideo¡¯s firstborn son. His name is Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any proof of that?¡±


    ¡°No Sir, I do not.¡±


    ¡°In that case, is that girl Madoka¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°She is an important friend of Yasuo¡¯s. Her parents are acquaintances of both Hideo and Madoka.¡±


    ¡°I see. Is Hideo doing well?¡±


    ¡°His whereabouts are presently unknown.¡±


    ¡°Why did you and the others come to this country?¡±


    ¡°We were in the middle of an expedition to satisfy our thirst for knowledge.¡±


    ¡°It must have been quite an expensive trip, if you came all this way just for a tour of the museum.¡±


    ¡°There were many things we had to take into consideration.¡±


    ¡°I see, it looks like you¡¯ve had your share of troubles.¡±


    During this series of questions and answers, Leonid had already polished off one plate of food.


    This person who appeared to be a good-natured old man, and was reaching for the plates like a child in front of his favorite sweets, was attempting to lull Diana into a false sense of ease and ferret out more details of the incident.


    He had said that her mother was flustered, but there was no way to tell if that was really true.


    One thing was for sure, the man in front of her was no longer the ¡°Uncle Leonid¡± whom she had met as a child through her father, and who had visited the Krone family mansion in Resteria at every opportunity.


    However, this situation was still within their predictions. Moreover, it was not Diana¡¯s prediction, but Yasuo¡¯s.


    While being internally astonished by the proceedings, Diana could not help but feel an indescribable sense of exaltation.


    ¡ó


    ¡°Reveal our identities and surrender!?¡±


    Feigreid probably doubted Yasuo¡¯s sanity after hearing what he had to say. After all, they had so far relied on Feigreid¡¯s presence as camouflage precisely because there would be a great deal of trouble if Yasuo¡¯s or Diana¡¯s true identities were revealed.


    If they used the name of Dianaze Krone, it would certainly be a simple matter to ensure that Shouko would be sheltered by Baskelgarde. However, that would lead to Diana¡¯s own position becoming precarious, and it would inevitably cause friction between the countries of Baskelgarde and Resteria.


    Regardless of how Diana felt about the matter, she was still a VIP.


    As the sole child of braves and a member of the Krone family, her position held considerable clout all over the world. If the fact got out that such a person had gone undercover, snuck into Baskelgarde, and then proceeded to demand political asylum, there was no telling what would happen.


    The investigation and validation of her story would take a considerable amount of time, and while she would be given the appropriate courtesy, she would still be placed under custody for a long time.


    If something like that came to pass, they could forget about returning Shouko to Japan within a week¡¯s time. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that it would take several weeks or even months.


    When Feigreid expressed his worries on the subject, Yasuo pointed at himself.


    ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be just Diana. I will reveal my identity as well, as the son of the Hero Hideo.¡±


    ¡°H-How will that change anything!?¡±


    ¡°It will, so long as we do things in the right order and conduct ourselves in the proper fashion.¡±


    At that point, Yasuo seemed to suddenly lose the confidence he had shown so far and repeatedly looked around at the others in the group.


    ¡°Firstly, there¡¯s Diana. Diana, you are probably familiar with some people in Baskelgarde, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, I am. Considering our situation, you are referring to a person from the Knights Division or nobility, someone who has influence with the top brass, correct?¡±


    Diana quickly understood the intention behind Yasuo¡¯s question and nodded in reply.


    ¡°Yeah. It would be best if it is someone who fought against Demon King Kaul¡¯s army alongside my dad or your parents.¡±


    ¡°I can think of a few people who fit those criteria. What do we do next?¡±


    ¡°I want you to find the most important person among them and tell them everything about us without holding anything back. I estimate that we will spend at most a day and a half for this.¡±


    ¡°Hang on. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s impossible?¡±


    Shouko interrupted him, but Yasuo shook his head with a pale face.


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. If it¡¯s someone who has fought against Demon King Kaul, they will probably make their own misconceptions in the blink of an eye.¡±


    ¡°Misconceptions?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You remember Catalina-san¡¯s painting, right? Anyone who fought against Demon King Kaul¡¯s army beside my father probably has the appearance of the Hero Hideo carved into their memory. Also, this country even has video archives that are accessible by everyone. The videos are so vivid that even Feig-san, who has never met my father, could tell that I resemble him.¡±


    Saying that, Yasuo looked at Feigreid.


    ¡°Moreover, the daughter of braves and the son of the Hero are accompanied by a lone Magitech Knight from the Gaz Commonwealth who chose to distance himself from his duties towards his own country. Truth to tell, Baskelgarde will probably find Feig-san¡¯s presence the hardest to ignore.¡±


    Hearing that, Feigreid himself was only able to blink dumbfoundedly.


    ¡°I wonder¡­ Even though I don¡¯t particularly want to say this, I am not the type of knight who will rise much further in my career, you know? I don¡¯t have a strong patron supporting me either. Even if I play all my cards right, I will only become the commanding officer of Galedeite at most. When you said that you wanted to reveal your identities, I thought that I would become useless at that point.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. If anything, you are the cornerstone of this entire plan, Feig-san. Most likely, we will not be able to get them to release us so easily with just Diana, Tatewaki-san, and me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I have no clue what you are trying to say.¡±


    ¡°In the first place, one of the reasons why my dad and I decided to travel to Resteria in secret was because we didn¡¯t want any other countries to find out about our plans. Every country has its own Gate Tower, and every country wants to do something about the Shii. Despite that, no other country tried to make contact with us because of the clout that Diana¡¯s parents have in Resteria. Even if some other country had initially tried to reach out to my father regarding the Shii, he would still consider the safety of the comrades who risked their lives by his side as his highest priority, and so Resteria had a monopoly over the braves from the past. However¡­ the situation right now is different.¡±


    Yasuo grinned while breaking out into a cold sweat.


    ¡°Whether it is Resteria, Baskelgarde, or Gaz, no country has even the slightest idea about how to resolve the issue with the Shii. Not only did the Hero Hideo fail to descend from the heavens to save them, they even lost the Swordmaster Alexei. Right now, this world needs new braves. It¡¯s not important whether they can resolve the issue with the Shii or not. They just need to give people hope. With that in mind, if there is someone who is traveling alongside the sole daughter of braves and the son of the Hero, how do you think other people around the world would see him?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yasuo¡­ You mean¡­ I¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I want you to become a candidate for the new generation of braves, Feig-san.¡±


    Yasuo continued to speak while covered in sweat and having a pale expression.


    ¡°If it were just me and Diana, other countries could say that Resteria was just doing whatever it wanted or that I was a fake who was calling myself the son of the Hero Hideo. But what if we added the Gaz Commonwealth to the mix?¡±


    ¡°People would assume that¡­ Gaz ratified Major Krone¡¯s actions and Yasuo¡¯s identity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that even the Hero Hideo¡¯s journey started out as an unofficial expedition. That¡¯s only natural. Back then, nobody in Ante Lande knew anything about a Hero who wielded a holy sword. My father and the others did not have the protection of any country, they slowly gained fame and recognition during the course of their journey. We are going to¡­ do a reenactment of that. And besides, we do have definite evidence that seems to point towards the true nature of the Shii.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yasu-kun, did you do that on purpose?1¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was a coincidence. I couldn¡¯t think of any other way to say it.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ It was a pun on Shouko¡¯s name!!¡±


    ¡°While sheltering a girl who bears a Shii within her body, the daughter of braves, the son of the Hero, and a Magitech Knight who put his own country aside are traveling together. Don¡¯t you see¡­.¡±


    By this point in time, Yasuo looked completely nauseated. Setting up a flashy scenario like this was too heavy a burden for a high school kid from modern times to bear.


    Forget about planning for his future, he had gone through life without even thinking about what he would do the next day until just two months ago. He was only a member of a school club on paper and just went straight home after school. For a kid like him, even spouting arrogant lines like this should have been beyond his ability.


    Still what choice did he have?


    If he didn¡¯t do this, he, his friends, and other people would be in for a great deal of trouble.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see? What we have here is pretty much exactly what a party of braves would look like. Anyone who thoughtlessly throws us in jail under such circumstances would no doubt get all sorts of horrible things written about them in the memoirs of the new generation of braves and receive criticism from every direction.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yasuo¡­¡±


    Diana noticed Yasuo¡¯s abnormal tone and tried to support his shoulders, but he shook his head and declined her help.


    Since he had chosen to aggrandize himself to such an extent, he had to stay standing on his own feet until the end.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to cause an international incident anyway, we might as well pick an option that gives us a chance for the future.¡±


    ¡ó


    Diana remembered how Yasuo had been driven to his limits by just pretending to be bold while explaining his plan to the three of them.


    Yasuo had faced numerous situations in the past that should have been far more nerve-wracking. Even though Diana had been beside him during pretty much every one of those situations, she had never seen him affected to such an extent before.


    She had even reached out to support him, but had been gently rebuffed. She felt a certain level of heroic resolve from that action. He wanted to finish speaking until the end with his own strength.


    Now that they had actually put Yasuo¡¯s plan into action, it was amusing how everything was falling into place exactly as he had predicted.


    While she was having a one-on-one meeting with Leonid, Yasuo, Feigreid, and Shouko had probably gone to visit Hana-chan who had been captured at the inn where they had been staying. While the three of them had been put under surveillance by the Holstro Battalion, they had not been arrested.


    Yasuo had probably been able to think of this plan by making full use of all the experience, knowledge, and memories that he had accumulated related to Ante Lande. The fact that she had been included in that plan served to further heighten Diana¡¯s emotions.


    She, Diana, was in the middle of an adventure.


    She wasn¡¯t just chasing after her father¡¯s and mother¡¯s pasts.


    She was having an adventure of her own free will.


    ¡°By the way, I heard an interesting rumor recently. You came to Baskelgarde from the Gaz Commonwealth, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is correct. Would you like to know which checkpoint we passed through to get here?¡±


    ¡°Ah, never mind that. More importantly, since you came from Gaz, can you tell me if you have heard of a certain person? Apparently, when the Shii of Demon General Balor appeared in the fortress city of Galedeite, a certain ¡®Saint¡¯ saved a huge number of people from the Shii.¡±


    ¡°A ¡®Saint¡¯?¡±


    ¡°While ordinary Magitech Knights can send off one or maybe two Shii at a time with great effort, apparently this person sent off a hundred Shii all at once without even weakening them first.¡±


    ¡°A hundred Shii!?¡±


    Diana was genuinely surprised at the extent to which the rumors had been embellished. There was no need to confirm it, Leonid was obviously talking about Yasuo.


    Also, the actions that Yasuo took along with Catalina and Feigreid to oppose the Shii had already spread to such an extent among the people. For these two reasons, Diana was unable to conceal her surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the rumors say. Galedeite has a system in place that uses sorcery for broadcasting sound, and given the design of the fortress city, the system is set up in such a way that the sound reaches every nook and cranny. Apparently, the Shii were sent off using that system.¡±


    ¡°A broadcast¡­ so the Shii were decimated by a requiem that was amplified using the power of sorcery?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. After we heard the rumors, our Knights Division immediately prepared an experiment where we channeled the requiem through a broadcasting facility, but the measurements did not detect any amplification of the requiem¡¯s power. At the moment, the conclusion seems to be that the so-called ¡®Saint¡¯ was just that powerful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ In a way, that is an unfortunate result.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I feel the same way. If that¡¯s all it took to solve the problem, I would have immediately set up a broadcasting network that covers the whole of Holstro and played the requiem around the clock.¡±


    ¡°I feel like that would be quite depressing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than having people turn into Shii. Speaking of which, Dianaze-kun.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Excellency?¡±


    ¡°I think that the young man called Yasuo might be the ¡®Saint¡¯ we just discussed.¡±


    Leonid said that all of a sudden, but Diana smoothly parried his verbal jab.


    ¡°What gave you that impression?¡±


    ¡°A young man calling himself the Hero Hideo¡¯s son came here from Galedeite along with the late Alexei¡¯s daughter. There are rumors in Galedeite about a Saint with hitherto unseen levels of power. It is not strange to think that the two events are connected somehow.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°You looked genuinely surprised when I mentioned the number hundred earlier, so maybe there was a mistake in the information somewhere¡­ but you and others are without a doubt connected to the incident in Galedeite where there was a large outbreak of Shii, and to the defeat of Balor¡¯s Shii that appeared in the city. What do you say?¡±


    In the time it took Diana to drink a single cup of tea, Leonid had polished off every plate of his afternoon tea. He asked her that question while brushing crumbs of scone out of his beard using a napkin.


    After taking a slightly deep breath, Diana raised her left hand and held it beside her face.


    ¡°Uncle Leonid.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Are you familiar with this hair ornament?¡±


    Diana¡¯s hair clip was set with a decorative white flower.


    ¡°Ah¡­ That is¡­¡­ Hmm? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Is that¡ª!?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Diana, who suddenly changed the way she referred to Leonid, had a large smile on her face, while Leonid, who had not been able to conceal his sharp expression despite acting like a good-natured old man so far, dropped his gaze.


    ¡°Goodness me¡­ Do you know the truth about that hair ornament?¡±


    ¡°I heard about it from my mother when I was still a child. She told me that the hair ornament was one of her important memories of the time she had spent fighting against the demon king¡¯s army. She told me that it was a charm that was created using a magical tool that is unique to the native people who live in the northern region of your country, that it is woven from a special type of silk thread called ¡®crystal cocoon¡¯, and that it is supposed to protect the wearer against evil and death.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, yes, that is certainly true, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Also¡­ she told me that in that region, it is something that a man weaves with his own hands and presents to a woman that he loves.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±


    Leonid covered his eyes with his wrinkled hand.


    ¡°Did Alexei know about that as well?¡±


    ¡°No, my father did not know about this. Even I only found out by accident. When I was still a child, I just happened to be present when my mother was organizing her accessories one day. I fell in love with this ornament the moment I saw it and pestered her until I finally got this. It was only much later that my mother accidentally told me what happened when she was drunk, about the passionate proposal that you made to my mother when she was still young. It was a lovely story.¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Y-Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°My mother was not the type of person to boast about her own beauty, but she told me when she was drunk that she was more popular than Madoka when they were young. I think she was just nursing a silly grudge from her youth. After all, compared to the various legends that have cropped up about the Great Magician Sugiura Madoka who already left this world behind, there aren¡¯t many legends about my mother.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­ I¡¯m surprised you have taken such good care of it even after hearing that story. It is proof that some other man tried to hit on your mother, after all.¡±


    ¡°A whole ten years had passed between the time when I pestered her to give me the ornament and when I heard the real story¡­ And besides, there were some men who made their own misconceptions after seeing it, so it served its purpose well in keeping away evil influences.¡±


    While the practice of giving hair ornaments made from crystal cocoon wasn¡¯t widespread within Resteria, anyone who was familiar with the culture of Baskelgarde would understand at a glance that the hair ornament was a present from a man. It was just that well-known.


    The young lady from the Krone family had received a number of marriage proposals in her time, but there hadn¡¯t been so much as a whisper of such from influential families of Baskelgarde. No doubt, that was because of the hair ornament exhibiting its power to the fullest.


    After that, Diana boldly spoke to the old general who was reminiscing about his youth and blushing in a manner inappropriate for his age.


    ¡°No matter what, I am also a person from the Krone family. If things continue as they are now, I will be the next head of the family. While thinking about that¡­ I assumed that it would come in useful someday, just like this.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I see. Splendid. You understand it very well.¡±


    The old general waved his hand uncomfortably and drank his lukewarm tea as if it was a shot of cheap alcohol.


    ¡°What is it that you wish for?¡±


    ¡°Can you really grant it, Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Mgh¡­ Oh well, I have no choice. Still, I expect a certain level of recompensation. There are things that I need to prioritize over my youthful indiscretions, make sure you don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    ¡°Of course! In that case, Uncle, can I meet up with my companions for the time being? I can¡¯t decide on what to ask of you unless I discuss it with them first.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Very well. Wait here for a while. Right now, they should be in the Holstro Battalion¡¯s scelephant stables.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you very much, Uncle!¡±


    Diana graced him with a smile that could only be described as flower-like and bowed her head to him. Leonid received that smile with a bitter smile of his own.


    ¡°My goodness. It looks you¡¯re more of a challenge than even your mother.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be mean, Uncle. There¡¯s no way I can match my mother.¡±


    Leonid stood up hurriedly and left without saying anything else.


    Most likely, he intended to take action on his own without involving any other people in order to prevent the information from leaking.


    Diana looked at the door that closed behind him and slightly bowed her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Uncle.¡±, she whispered.


    Diana had not uttered a single lie.


    The fact that Erijina possessed a hair ornament that she had received from Leonid during the battle against the Demon King¡¯s army, and the fact that Diana had coveted it as a child, this was all true.


    However.


    ¡°This hair ornament was made by my father.¡±


    Erijina hadn¡¯t been able to get rid of the present that she had received from Leonid. The reason for that was exceedingly simple, both she and Leonid had been accomplished members of the Knights Divisions in their respective countries even before the battle against the Demon King¡¯s army.


    Even leaving out the sentimental aspects of it and considering it from the perspective of diplomatic courtesy, she had no choice but to hang on to the item that she had received as a gift.


    However, there was no way a mother would give something like that to her daughter.


    At her wits¡¯ end, Erijina had reached out to Alexei for advice. Alexei had immediately arranged to have crystal cocoon imported and stayed up all night making ornaments for his wife and daughter.


    It was an irreplaceable memory of her father that he had made for her despite not being skilled at such things. Diana had never imagined that she would end up using it in such a way, but her father was not so petty that he would sulk about something like that.


    ¡°¡­¡­I think.¡±


    According to her memories, her father had given her the hair ornament less than a week after she had first asked for it.


    It was possible that her father had not known about Leonid giving her mother the hair ornament until then, and he made the ornaments because he felt jealous about something that had already been settled years ago.


    ¡°¡­¡­Father¡­¡±


    Diana clenched her fists on top of her legs.


    She remembered the creature that had appeared in Tokorozawa in the past, the one she had delivered the final blow to with her own hands. It had looked like her father, but it should not have actually been him.


    However, she remembered thinking that it might have actually been him.


    When she saw the one called Raia Calgani, the Shii inside Shouko, her heart had wavered for just an instant.


    If the Shii had a will of their own, then maybe her father had recognized the people in front of him at that time?


    Maybe there had been a way to save her father that day?


    Maybe her father was¡­


    ¡°Diana.¡±


    ¡°Diana-san!¡±


    ¡°E-Excuse me, I¡¯m coming in!!¡±


    At that instant, Yasuo, Shouko, Feigreid, and an unfamiliar Magitech Knight with a large build entered the room along with Leonid.


    The moment she saw Yasuo, who was standing at the front of the group, the darkness in her heart dispersed.


    Her father was dead.


    He was dead, and Yasuo had been the one to send him off with the requiem.


    Despite the fact that she had stolen his peaceful life from him, that young man had still sent her father off in her stead.


    After standing up to greet them, Diana took hold of Yasuo¡¯s hand and gave him a small smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Yasuo. Somehow, I feel like I was able to change a little.¡±


    ¡°Eh? W-What do you mean?¡±


    Yasuo¡¯s face turned red and he panicked at the unexpected smile and words of gratitude.


    Shouko, who was standing a short distance behind him, had a scary expression on her face, but Diana thought that it should be okay for just a little while.


    She had been born as the child of braves, and everyone expected her to carry herself in a manner befitting the child of braves. Despite that, nobody ever thought that she herself could become one of the braves, and yet here she was, trying to change the world of her own free will.


    Diana walked to stand in front of Leonid while still holding on to Yasuo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Uncle. I said some mean things to you earlier. To make up for that, there is something that I¡¯d like to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±


    Diana faced Leonid who kept a dignified face in front of his subordinate Magitech Knight and spoke to him.


    ¡°The ¡®Saint¡¯ of Galedeite you mentioned before, this is him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Diana?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a part of Yasuo¡¯s plan. They only needed Leonid to accept that Yasuo was really the son of the Hero Hideo.


    Still, what did it matter after coming so far?


    Both the Hero Hideo and Swordmaster Alexei were now existences from distant legends.


    In that case, for just a little while longer¡­


    Since he himself had decided to pursue that path, it couldn¡¯t hurt for people to recognize him on his own terms.


    ¡°Yasuo Kenzaki. After I went to Japan to ask for help, he saved me and other people from the horrors of the Shii on several occasions. He is ¡®Saint Yasuo¡¯.¡±


    ¡ù


    Translation Notes:


    [1] The Japanese word for evidence (Shoko/Ô^’‡) has the same pronounciation as Shouko¡¯s name (Ïè×Ó).

 Volume 4, 2 – Beside You, Forever, Part 2

    Volume 4, Chapter 2 ¨C Beside You, Forever, Part 2


    The room was furnished so opulently that it seemed ludicrous to even compare it with the inn that they had originally been staying at. In the middle of that room were Diana and Shouko, sitting on opposite sides of an antique table and arguing vehemently.


    ¡°No way!!¡±


    ¡°Why not!?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s just no way!!¡±


    ¡°But why not!? What¡¯s wrong with ¡®Saint¡¯!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fishy as hell!¡±


    ¡°What part of it is fishy!?¡±


    Their argument had been going on for nearly an hour.


    ¡°It¡¯s got to do with my feelings so I can¡¯t really explain it, but ¡®Saint¡¯ just sounds really horrible!¡±


    ¡°But why!? It doesn¡¯t have a bad meaning in Japanese either, right!?¡±


    ¡°By the way, Diana-san, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been curious about for a while now!¡±


    ¡°W-What is it?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the biggest religion in Ante Lande right now!?¡±


    ¡°R-Religion? Umm¡­. I guess that would be the Church of The Divine King¡­¡±


    ¡°How long has that religion been around!?¡±


    ¡°U-Umm¡­. Since roughly two thousand five hundred years ago¡­.¡±


    ¡°From a Japanese person¡¯s point of view, a saint needs to be someone from around that era!! Calling someone a ¡®saint¡¯ or a ¡®holy man¡¯ and worshipping them while they are still alive isn¡¯t something that is done in Japan!!¡±


    ¡°No way! I saw it on the news! There is a ceremony called ¡®canonization¡¯ by which people are granted sainthood, and even people from modern times have been given the title of ¡®Saint!¡¯¡±


    In short, they were arguing over whether it was right or wrong to call Yasuo a ¡®Saint¡¯. The argument had started shortly after Leonid had arranged for them to be given these large quarters in the Holstro Battalion¡¯s office, and had been continuing ever since.


    Watching the two of them from a little distance away, Feigreid turned to ask Yasuo a question.


    ¡°So, how is it actually? What sort of image does the word ¡®Saint¡¯ give you?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Well, it certainly isn¡¯t a word I would associate with a living person. How do I put it, assume there¡¯s some person who dedicated their life to philanthropic work decades ago and passed away quietly without any fanfare, and then after a few more decades people suddenly started discussing that person¡¯s deeds and they ended up being given the title¡­ It sort of feels like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how it is.¡±


    ¡°Apart from that, I¡¯ve seen stuff on TV where some grizzled ascetic gains that title after completing severe training deep in the mountains of India and starts being worshipped by the people around him.¡±


    ¡°So basically, it¡¯s not a term commonly used in Japan.¡±


    ¡°I believe so. If I saw a young person being called a saint in modern Japan, I¡¯d assume they were out to take advantage of people and get them to buy stuff like expensive vases or healing crystals.¡±


    ¡°Vases? Healing crystals?¡±


    ¡°Anyways, Diana and Tatewaki-san are arguing because they were raised in different cultures, so there¡¯s no way for us to arbitrate.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then there¡¯s no choice but to have Shouko yield regarding this matter.¡±


    The Saint of Galedeite.


    That rumor, exaggerated to bizarre proportions, somehow managed to travel a great distance and reach until here in such a short amount of time.


    The origin of the rumor was obviously based on how Yasuo had used the broadcasting facilities in Galedeite to sing the requiem and send off all the Shii throughout the city in one go, which was the truth.


    However, for the people of Ante Lande who were tormented by feelings of being trapped by the Shii, this was their first-ever piece of good news on the subject. Due to that, the rumors quickly started to be exaggerated to a bizarre degree as they continued to spread.


    The rumor that Leonid had mentioned, where the Saint had apparently sent off a hundred Shii at once, was actually one of the least preposterous.


    It was being said that the rumored Saint appeared from the heavens wielding the fourth Holy Armament similar to the Holy Sword Liutberga, the Holy Staff Marlowe, and the Holy Bow Pomona, and was traveling between the various countries while sharing his power to send off the Shii with the people.


    Apparently people who prayed to the Saint for salvation would be given divine protection against the Shii, and children christened by him would have the symbol of the Saint appear somewhere on their body.


    ¡°How the heck did people manage to inflate the rumors so much in just two days!? There¡¯s no way such a convenient person could exist, just walking around and spreading paradise! Didn¡¯t anyone find it strange at all!?¡±


    ¡°It just sounds ludicrous when you put them all together like that, Shouko. In reality, each rumor is from a different place and is independent of the others. In some places, people only hear rumors about the fourth Holy Armament, while people in other places might only hear the rumor about the christening.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even worse! I bet those are the kind of people who easily fall for targeted scams!¡±


    It looked like Shouko, who disliked the title of ¡®Saint¡¯, was reaching the end of her patience.


    ¡°To some extent, those rumors might be unavoidable. There are probably people in Gaz who remember Her Excellency Erijina using the Pomona, and there might be people who heard from the Knights Division or other Magitech Knights that I am escorting Yasuo¡­ or rather, a mysterious traveler, and started spreading their speculations.¡±


    ¡°Those are the kind of people who should never be given access to social media!!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t even making sense anymore.


    ¡°Shouko, calm down a little. Certainly, the whole ¡®Saint¡¯ thing was unexpected, but it is still an effective card to play against Leonid and Baskelgarde. Due to that, we weren¡¯t arrested and we have the freedom to discuss what to do next. This is an even better result than what Yasuo initially planned for. We should consider that to be a blessing for now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Well, you¡¯re not wrong, but¡­¡±


    Shouko reluctantly backed down after Feigreid pacified her.


    ¡°But for the next step, that scary-looking Magitech Knight is going to be coming with us, right?¡±


    Shouko was probably talking about Gaius.


    ¡°That¡¯s unavoidable. Baskegarde needs to gain something in exchange for keeping this incident under wraps. We need to travel around Basklegarde anyway, so let¡¯s think of him as a sort of all-access pass to help us do that. At the very least, his presence will allow us to easily travel to the Ruins of Oodem.¡±


    The Ruins of Oodem.


    That was one of the places shown in the recordings that they saw in the museum, and it was also one of the destinations that Yasuo and the others intended to reach during this journey.


    People from other countries only knew about the place as remnants of an ancient civilization located in the northern reaches of Baskelgarde, but the ruins held a special meaning for those who witnessed the war against the Demon King¡¯s army.


    According to historical records, Hero Hideo¡¯s Holy Sword Liutberga had awakened to its true powers in the Ruins of Oodem.


    Also, based on the data collected by Resteria¡¯s Magitech Observatory, there seemed to be a high probability that Hideo had ended up there after being separated from Yasuo and the others during their journey.


    Since even Resteria had been able to come to that conclusion from so far away, obviously Baskelgarde¡¯s Magitech Observatory had detected the anomaly in the Ruins of Oodem as well. Of course, since Baskelgarde knew nothing about Hideo¡¯s return, they were merely puzzled over what they saw as an abnormal magical reaction.


    ¡°Considering that matter as well, it was necessary to reveal Yasuo¡¯s identity as the ¡®Saint.¡¯¡±


    For the most part, Diana¡¯s sentence was directed towards Shouko who was still overreacting to the term ¡®Saint¡¯.


    ¡°Well¡­ I guess that¡¯s true.¡±


    Even Shouko couldn¡¯t argue when she put it that way.


    Diana had informed Leonid that Yasuo was the son of the Hero Hideo. This was something they had planned to do from the beginning after deciding to turn themselves in.


    However, she hadn¡¯t said anything about the Hero Hideo himself returning to Ante Lande.


    ¡°Uncle Leonid knows Hideo very well. I thought that introducing Hideo¡¯s son as the Saint would convince him to let us investigate the ruins, and that went exactly as planned. The ruins are inextricably linked with Hideo¡¯s Holy Sword Liutberga, after all. And besides, telling Uncle that Yasuo is the Saint will keep Baskelgarde from interfering with Japan or Tokorozawa, if only in a roundabout fashion.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Because if they irritated the Hero, the Great Magician, and even the Saint on top of that, it would spell the end of the world.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Ante Lande? For such a pathetic reason?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to say in our defense. Even my mother, who is supposedly one of the braves, probably thinks that way.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Anyway, that¡¯s enough talk about me and my family. The point is, our chances of meeting up with Dad have increased thanks to Leonid-san. More importantly, what about the matter of Tatewaki-san¡¯s Shii? Did you hear anything about that?¡±


    ¡°Considering that Captain Gaius will be accompanying us, I think we need to tell them the truth to a certain extent.¡±


    Using Shouko¡¯s body, Raia Calgani had spoken in the language of Baskelgarde and defeated Gaius and his men with only her fists. At the very least, they needed to tell them that Shouko and the Shii were fused together and that the Shii possessed a personality identical to that of living people.


    They also needed to reveal that the Shii was originally a person from Baskelgarde.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether we should let them know about the connection to Orion. Based on what we heard from Raia Calgani, there¡¯s some history there that might rub people from Baskelgarde the wrong way. But if we keep it a secret now, and it comes out at some point later by accident¡­¡­¡±


    The gazes of three people converged on Shouko. Shouko also understood what the three of them left unsaid.


    ¡°If that spiteful creature suddenly takes over again and uses my mouth to reveal information that is disadvantageous to us, the tables will turn on us instantly. Is that right?¡±


    Raia was one of the deceased.


    Even though they could converse with her, there was no way that they could come to a mutual understanding. She would never stand on the same side as Yasuo and the rest.


    Everything that Raia said and did was clearly with her¡ªor rather, the Shii¡¯s¡ªbest interests in mind. Moreover, compared to Shouko, Raia was obviously in a better position to make use of the ¡®other party¡¯.


    ¡°Umm, do you mind if I ask you something, Tatewaki-san? Were you still aware of what was going on when Raia-san was in control? Do you have any memories of what happened during that time?¡±


    Yasuo asked that question because he was genuinely curious. He just wanted to know what happened to the host¡¯s consciousness when a stranger¡¯s soul or mind suddenly entered the host¡¯s body, a topic that often came up in fiction.


    ¡°What!? Of course not!! Why would you even ask that question!?¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    However, Shouko snapped that back at him at a speed that surpassed human cognition. Moreover¡­


    ¡°Of course she doesn¡¯t. Don¡¯t say such silly things, Yasuo.¡±


    For some reason, even Diana responded that way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember a single thing that happened when that spiteful creature was in control! That¡¯s the truth!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right Yasuo. Why would she remember something like that?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with you two all of a sudden!?¡±


    The two girls suddenly put up a defensive wall of thorns against Yasuo as if their personalities had actually changed.


    ¡°It looks like Yasuo can be tactless once in a while.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be helped. He lacks experience, after all.¡±


    ¡°Feig-san, did I really say something so horrible!?¡±


    ¡°P-Please don¡¯t involve me in this.¡±


    Diana and Shouko¡¯s attitude indicated that Yasuo had trod upon a subject that must never be touched. Fearing the aura that the two girls were giving off, Feigreid clumsily dodged Yasuo¡¯s request for assistance.


    ¡°Still, the instant before she takes control and the instant after she goes away¡­ Let me see, it¡¯s probably similar to the feeling of dozing off or waking up from a dream.¡±, Shouko said while continuing to glare at Yasuo.


    ¡°It¡¯s like that feeling of, ¡®Oh, was I asleep just now?¡¯, or, ¡®Oh, this has got to be a dream¡ªbut hang on, I can still hear Mom operating the washing machine.¡¯ It¡¯s really just a feeling so it¡¯s hard to describe. ¡±


    ¡°Actually, I think I understand what you are saying, Shouko. Back when I was still training to be a Magitech Knight in Gaz, the training drills were so exhausting that every cadet went through the experience of putting on their uniform while they were still asleep at least once. Our bodies would move on their own even though we were still asleep. If it is that sort of feeling, then I think I can relate.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I know that feeling too. One time, a girl who shared a room with me imitated our drill sergeant and woke me up in the middle of the night, and I remember rushing out of the room before I was fully awake.¡±


    If anything, Yasuo found the conversation between the two career soldiers harder to process. However, he understood that it was next to impossible for Shouko to use her willpower to resist when Raia took over her body.


    ¡°Anyway, I think it would be best to tell them about Shouko and reveal Raia Calgani¡¯s name. That would be better than having it come out at some time in the future and causing problems. No matter how delicate the matters surrounding that name are, I doubt it would be enough to make someone in Uncle Leonid¡¯s position turn against the only daughter of the Krone family. Even now, although they put her under surveillance, they¡¯re still allowing Shouko to stay together with us.¡±


    When it came to matters regarding the Shii, there were very few facts that were known.


    Leonid and the country of Baskelgarde probably wanted to investigate Shouko¡¯s body as soon as possible, regardless of the identity of the Shii that possessed her. However, they hadn¡¯t done so because of the influence of Diana, the Krone family, and Resteria, together with Yasuo¡¯s identity as the ¡®Saint¡¯ and the son of Hero Hideo. These factors acted as trump cards to keep Baskelgarde in check.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Uncle Leonid will make any impossible demands as long as we promise to make a stop at Holstro on our way back to Resteria, no matter what happens in the ruins of Oodem. Captain Gaius will be accompanying us, after all. After that, I think we should be fine as long as I promise to share whatever information Resteria acquires from this mission with Baskelgarde.¡±


    ¡°One last thing, what should we do about the Carnelian of the Coal Mine?¡±


    ¡°Considering our situation, I believe there isn¡¯t any pressing need to tell anyone about them. They haven¡¯t really done anything to hinder us so far, and not only do we have no evidence, we don¡¯t even know of sure if the organization is really moving behind the scenes or not. If we have to tell Baskelgarde something, then I think it would be best to talk only about Beatrice Heller as a single person¡­¡­¡±


    Back in that white world, Yasuo had already heard Beatrice¡¯s name from Raia¡¯s lips. There was no doubt that the Carnelian of the Coal Mine and Beatrice were connected to the appearance of Balor in Galedeite as well.


    Besides, it didn¡¯t really matter if Beatrice did it herself, or if it was done by her subordinates. Rumors of the arrival of the ¡®Saint¡¯ and Balor¡¯s defeat by the user of Pomona had already spread far and wide. There was no way Beatrice would assume that Yasuo and the others had fallen victim to the Shii in all the confusion.


    ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re plotting something.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I doubt they have kept track of every move we made, but considering how big an organization Carnelian is¡­¡±


    The organization known as Carnelian had slender and hard to detect connections to the command structure of every country.


    Being directly manipulated by Beatrice, as Khalija had been, was actually the better alternative. Most people believed that the Carnelian was an organization for charity work and trusted them utterly, as Feigreid had once done.


    Director Kelly, Feigreid¡¯s adoptive mother and the overseer of the House of the Fireflies in Galedeite, had contacted the organization in good faith and yet that had directly resulted in the summoning of Balor¡¯s Shii to that location.


    If there were any people close to the center of Baskelgarde¡¯s Knights Division under the influence of the Carnelian or Beatrice like Khalija had been, then they would find out everything about what Yasuo and the others planned to do next.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit scary. Even though we¡¯ve come this far.¡±


    The flame in Shouko¡¯s left eye grew slightly bigger.


    Many people considered Shouko, who had merged with Raia, to be a ¡®Latch¡¯.


    Yasuo felt like he had already caught a glimpse of the true nature of the ¡®Latch¡¯ once, and as for the power of the ¡®Destroyer of Armies, Orion¡¯ that had saved Shouko multiple times during and after their journey to Galedeite, it would no longer be a good idea to rely on it now that the personality of Raia had awoken completely.


    Even at this moment, Raia could be waiting with bated breath, watching closely for a chance to take control of Shouko¡¯s body.


    ¡°Depending on how things go during our journey to Oodem, it might be a good idea to tell only Captain Gaius about everything that happened since I first went to Tokorazawa. Once we are sufficiently far away from Holstro, of course.¡±


    Truth to tell, Yasuo still didn¡¯t know what exactly had pulled him and the others out of the white world that they had been sent to while they were at the museum. A part of him felt that they had been sent back due to Raia¡¯s will, but the fact remained that Gaius had already been inside the museum before Yasuo and the others returned from the white world. They had no choice but to talk to Gaius later and find out if he had seen anything strange at that time.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Shouko¡¯s mouth dropped open and she exclaimed as if she had remembered something, but she then immediately covered her mouth with both hands.


    ¡°Tatewaki-san?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? If you remembered something, you should tell us¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Diana-san, help me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°She said nothing is wrong. Leave it at that.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up with the two of you? You¡¯ve been acting strangely for a while now.¡±


    Ever since they had accepted Leonid¡¯s protection, there had been times when Diana would cover for Shouko and keep Yasuo at a distance. It was quite obvious because Shouko¡ªor rather, Diana¡ªwould suddenly start behaving differently, but some reason Diana would start talking to Yasuo in a somewhat reproachful manner at those times.


    ¡°How about we call it a day? We have a meeting with Uncle Leonid early in the morning tomorrow, and besides, all of us are tired after everything that happened today.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, that sounds good. We should do that.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I will excuse myself. Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, ok, me too¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­ W-Wait, what?¡±


    Feigreid clapped Yasuo¡¯s shoulder after calling his name, and then for some reason pushed him through the door of the girls¡¯ bedroom that Diana and Shouko had just been about to enter.


    ¡°W-What are you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Feigreid looked at Yasuo as if he had asked a strange question, and pointed in a certain direction.


    ¡°Yasuo, you need to sleep in the same room as Shouko, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Yasuo and Shouko looked dumbfounded, and only Diana clapped her hands as if she had just remembered something.


    ¡°In case Raia appears again, Yasuo is the only one who can suppress the Shii¡¯s control without harming Shouko.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Well, that¡¯s certainly true, but¡­!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will be on standby here in the living room just in case something happens. Shouko, Major Krone, please rest without worrying about anything.¡±


    ¡°Eh? A-Ah, I see. So that¡¯s what you meant.¡±


    The three of them were overwhelmed by Feigreid¡¯s smile that lacked any trace of malice.


    The quarters that Leonid had arranged for them were so opulent that none of them except for Diana had even set a foot into such a place. The quarters were meant for visiting nobles and were so high-class, luxurious, and huge that they even hesitated to call it a suite.


    The living room where they had been talking had the same floor area as the entire Kenzaki family residence in Tokorozawa on its own, and it was flanked on two sides by massive bedrooms, each of which was equipped with two king-size beds.


    The shag carpet on the floor was so luxurious that not only had Yasuo and Shouko repeatedly asked the Magitech Knight who guided them here if it was okay to step on it with their shoes on, they were still hesitant to do so in the end and ended up taking off their shoes.


    Based on his experience and knowledge, Yasuo could only tell that the carpet was incredibly thick and that the furnishings in the room looked really expensive. All he understood for certain was that it was pointless for him, a third-year high school student, to wonder how much money it would cost to stay in a similar hotel room in Japan.


    ¡°B-But do we really need to do that? The rooms are right next to each other, and Fieg-san, you don¡¯t have to stand guard, aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    Shouko was completely flustered, but Feigred¡¯s answer was overwhelmingly gentle.


    ¡°No, just think about it. It¡¯s unfortunate, but everyone here apart from Yasuo was completely helpless in the face of the phenomenon caused by Raia in the museum. Moreover, it happened in a flash. Even though the rooms are close by, there¡¯s still the living room in between so it might be too late if anything happens.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s true, but sleeping in a girls¡¯ room is a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right. Oh yes, Second Lieutenant. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to push the guard duty to you alone, so let¡¯s decide on a time and take turns to keep watch¡­.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Major Krone, you should rest. It¡¯s fine. With that soft sofa in the living room, I¡¯ll get plenty of rest just by sitting down. You must be exhausted after the negotiations with General Leonid. You should go to sleep as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­.!! No, I mean, but¡­¡±


    Apparently, Feigreid was serious.


    For what it was worth, Yasuo was an adult male, at least on paper. And yet Feigreid was trying to make him sleep in a room with the girls.


    After a while, it looked like Feigreid realized why the other three young people were so flustered. He thought about it for a second and beckoned Yasuo over to have a whispered conversation with him.


    ¡°F-Feig-san, this isn¡¯t going to work out¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You are a sincere and gentle young man. There¡¯s no way anything inappropriate will happen, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here!¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself, Yasuo. Think about what should be given the highest priority. There¡¯s nothing more important than Shouko¡¯s safety and peace of mind right now, am I right?¡±


    ¡°T-That is¡­¡±


    Yasuo was at a loss for words. Feigreid apparently took that to mean that he was convinced, stepped away from him, and bowed slightly to Diana and Shouko.


    ¡°Well then, see you again tomorrow.¡±


    Saying that, Feigreid closed the door right in front of Yasuo.


    After staring at the delicate carvings in the oak door for a moment, Yasuo timidly turned around.


    ¡°¡­¡­There¡¯s no choice. Just accept it, Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Seriously, though. You understand right? No funny business.¡±


    Yasuo saw both Diana and Shouko standing there with awkward expressions, causing his vision and his thoughts to go completely blank.

 Volume 4, 2 – Beside You, Forever, Part 3

    Volume 4, Chapter 2 ¨C Beside You, Forever, Part 3


    Apparently, he had blanked out for only a short while.


    When he regained consciousness, he found himself completely drenched in sweat, sitting on the edge of one of the two beds in the room. When he looked around, he couldn¡¯t see Diana or Shouko anywhere.


    Yasuo relaxed for a brief second thinking that the others had changed their minds and decided to split the boys and girls into different rooms after all, but his hopes were instantly shattered.


    ¡°Geh!¡±


    Hearing the sounds that came from beyond a door on the far side of the bedroom, Yasuo felt like he was about to lose consciousness once more.


    It was the sound of water. The sound of running water was echoing throughout the room.


    Yasuo finally realized something.


    At the inn they had stayed in before, all facilities with the exception of bedrooms had been a communal space and so he had completely forgotten about it.


    That was a bathroom.


    It was a freaking bathroom. And he could hear sounds coming from inside it. He could tell that there were people inside.


    In other words¡­


    ¡°No way no way no way no way no way!¡±


    That meant Diana and Shouko were in there, taking a bath without a care in the world.


    ¡°This¡­ This isn¡¯t right, is it? It¡¯s different from the time when we were in Catalina-san¡¯s house! Diana is here too, what the heck is she doing!? Why are the two of them accepting it so easily! Aren¡¯t they supposed to reject the idea outright!?¡±


    Feigreid certainly had his reasons for suggesting this, but Yasuo was still a third-year male high school student. He lived in a law-abiding environment with a standard level of social norms in Japan. His mind could not help but raise a top-priority alarm that his current situation was immoral.


    The circumstances were different compared to their lodging until now.


    Ever since they had met up with Diana, they had continued to travel in a group of four. The four of them had shared a single bedroom, with the bath and toilets being part of the communal space. Not only did they not have the luxury of changing into pajamas before they went to sleep, they even slept with their shoes on so that they would be ready to react in case of an emergency.


    However, the circumstances were clearly different now.


    ¡°¡­¡­Why the heck did they leave their clothes folded there, like its the most natural thing in the world!?¡±


    Shouko¡¯s hoodie, shirt, and trousers, and the uniform that Diana wore under her armor had been folded neatly and left on a table in a corner of the room as if it was the natural thing to do.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t see anything like their underwear lying around. In other words, the two of them were going to change into nightclothes after their bath.


    If any of Yasuo¡¯s friends from his class, such as Aoto, Igarashi, or Hino heard about this situation, they would mercilessly poke fun at him regarding boy-related matters. It was just that kind of situation. However, Yasuo had not lived the kind of life where he could see this sort of situation as good fortune and be happy about it.


    One thing was for sure, Yasuo had no idea how he should conduct himself in a room that he shared with two girls. The situation was so bad that his brain was overheating even more than the time when he first found out about Ante Lande.


    ¡ó


    ¡°I can hear some sounds coming from the bedroom. I wonder if he¡¯s awake.¡±


    Shouko raised her head while sitting in a bathtub that was bigger than an average public bathhouse.


    Not just the bathroom, but even the dressing room that separated it from the bedroom was very spacious. The door was also quite thick, so it should have been impossible for them to hear Yasuo from the bedroom, no matter what he did. However, Shouko accurately picked up the sounds of Yasuo being noisy in the bedroom.


    ¡°He was panicking quite badly, wasn¡¯t he? I wonder if he¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°I feel like we shouldn¡¯t have to worry about things like that¡­ Seriously, why can¡¯t he act more normal at times like this?¡±


    ¡°The fact that he can¡¯t do it is what makes him Yasuo, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you have a point.¡±


    Sitting in the bathtub that was big enough to let them stretch their legs even though they were both using it together, the girls started a conversation about Yasuo where it was hard to tell whether they were praising him or criticizing him.


    ¡°But you know, I thought it was really amazing. After meeting that person¡­ was he called Leonid-san? Anyway, it feels like everything went exactly as Yasu-kun predicted ever since we met him, right? I was thinking that he had become more mature, but he didn¡¯t notice at all¡­. Of course, he didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been obvious since the beginning that Yasuo was at his absolute limit¡­ If he was the kind of person who could notice something like that, I don¡¯t think he would have panicked like he just did.¡±


    The bathroom was decorated with white marble tiles. The flame in Shouko¡¯s eye should have been really obvious in such a place, but it had shrunk down to the point where it was barely visible even though Yasuo wasn¡¯t next to her.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I completely used you as a shield, Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t have Yasuo getting all shy at this point and causing problems down the road because of it, after all.¡±


    Shouko covered her face with both hands, whereas Diana was submerged up to her chin with her hair tied up in a towel and a weary expression on her face.


    ¡°No, I get that. This is Yasu-kun we¡¯re talking about, after all¡­ But you know, that means he meant everything he said, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡±


    ¡°After saying and doing things like that with a straight face, I can¡¯t believe he can still act that shy just because he¡¯s hyperaware of us. Can he even really call himself a man after behaving like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡±


    Diana had only been able to give such a vague reply since some time back. Truth to tell, there was nothing else that she could do.


    ¡°And then, you know, if you look at it another way¡­!¡±


    ¡°Haah¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Since he can say things like that with a straight face, doesn¡¯t that mean he doesn¡¯t care about me at all!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true blub blub blub¡­¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like Diana didn¡¯t understand what Shouko was trying to say.


    This was something only Diana knew about, but the truth was that Shouko had actually seen everything that had happened since Raia knocked out the Holstro Battalion in the museum, and she remembered every detail.


    While they had been temporarily hiding in the dilapidated house in the slum, Shouko had told only Diana about that.


    Shouko had heard what Yasuo said to Raia after he lost his patience with her, and she remembered it word for word.


    ¡°I mean, Yasuo did say that he didn¡¯t want anyone but you to call him by his nickname, Shouko¡­¡±


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t that just because he was pissed off at that ass Raia!? I think there must be plenty of people around who call him ¡®Yasu-kun¡¯ just because his name is Yasuo. I have no idea what kind of friends Yasu-kun socializes with at his high school.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, all of Yasuo¡¯s close friends at school are male.¡±


    ¡°So basically, I feel like he thinks of me in the same way as his other friends! If I go and tell him that I actually remember everything that happened while Raia was in control, I think Yasu-kun will get embarrassed. But you know what, that¡¯s not right, is it?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ Basically¡­ blub blub blub¡­¡±


    This time, it was Shouko¡¯s turn to sink her face into the water.


    ¡°You know what I think¡­ If he thought I was, well, somebody special¡­ then there wouldn¡¯t be any need to get embarrassed, right? I mean, I already told him how I feel.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±


    ¡°I can tell that Yasu-kun thinks of me as someone important to him. It¡¯s just¡­ how do I put this, it doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m someone special, but rather just a friend of the opposite gender. I just can¡¯t help but feel that that way very strongly. I mean, sure, I felt a little something when we slept together at Catalina-san¡¯s house, but it feels like even that was just an extension of the same thing¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Did something happen while you were staying with Catalina-sama?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh? Wait, we didn¡¯t already talk about this?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard about this before¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ Argh, it¡¯s all because Feig-san said something like that¡­ I completely walked into that one¡­¡­blub blub blub¡­¡±


    Shouko once again submerged her face underwater.


    ¡°¡­¡­Why don¡¯t you just take the opportunity to ask him how he feels?¡±


    ¡°If I could do that, I wouldn¡¯t be this bothered. I mean, it¡¯s already obvious after looking at how he behaves around me¡­¡­¡±


    Shouko spoke while blushing a deep red in color.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not Yasu-kun¡¯s special person.¡±


    ¡°Shouko¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I do think that¡¯s he¡¯s hyperaware of me. I mean, if he didn¡¯t at least feel that way after I confessed my feelings to him, I would seriously get depressed. It¡¯s just that¡­ I can tell. Yasu-kun treats me like I¡¯m very important to him. He really does, but¡­¡­¡±


    Shouko¡¯s sigh disturbed the rising steam.


    ¡°Yasu-kun doesn¡¯t love me the way that I love him.¡±


    ¡°It might be rude to ask this¡­ But what part of Yasuo did you find attractive, Shouko?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s see.¡±


    Shouko started summarizing the events for Diana.


    About how she looked and acted completely differently during her middle school years compared to her current self.


    About how, during middle school, she had only ever had a handful of conversations with Yasuo.


    About how he had become a memory inside her until they finally met again at prep school in their third year of high school.


    About how that meeting caused the few memories she had of him to burst forth once more.


    ¡°I guess¡­ it¡¯s something like the cicadas.¡±


    ¡°Cicadas? By cicadas, do you mean the bugs that people associate with summer?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They spend years and years living as nymphs underground, but once they come out they make so much noise that nobody can ignore them¡­. And then, this thing appeared at the same time.¡±


    Shouko lightly tapped her left eye with a wet hand.


    ¡°All of a sudden, there was this incredible secret that the two of us shared¡­¡­ To be honest, I think you and the others would be disgusted if you realized just how absurdly elated I was, Diana-san. You, Khalija-san, and Yasu-kun¡¯s mom and dad¡­ all of you told me how sorry you were that this happened, but I was really happy. That¡¯s the truth. I mean, I felt like I had this special relationship where I was the only person in the world who shared this secret with him¡­ but you know what?¡±


    Shouko shifted her posture and lifted her shoulders above the water as if she was feeling too hot from the bath.


    ¡°The amount of time Yasu-kun and I spent together is probably less than the time he spent together with you, Diana-san. Of course, love doesn¡¯t necessarily depend on how much time you spend with someone, but I feel like the fact that I went to a different high school was the final straw. Back in middle school, there were more chances for me to stare at him from afar, but he didn¡¯t notice me at all¡­¡­So that¡¯s why¡ª¡±


    Shouko leaned against the edge of the bathtub and spoke concisely.


    ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t care if he¡¯s called a Saint or a Hero¡­¡­I just can¡¯t bear to see him go far away from me once again.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I tried thinking about what Yasu-kun would do if everything went well and we somehow managed to get Raia out of my body. Can you imagine what he would do, Diana-san?¡±


    Diana had certainly not thought that far ahead. However, based on what she knew about Yasuo¡¯s personality and seeing what he had done so far, she was easily able to arrive at the answer.


    ¡°He¡¯d probably move to Ante Lande, right? I don¡¯t know if will be after he passes the college entrance exams, after he graduates from college, or if he would skip college entirely and do it right after he finishes high school¡­¡­ But I probably won¡¯t be able to go with him. Yasu-kun would definitely be against it. Because¡­ he doesn¡¯t want to put me in danger.¡±


    Diana didn¡¯t have any way to refute Shouko¡¯s prediction.


    ¡°Hey, Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°What do you think I should do to be able to stand beside Yasu-kun¡­ or to get him to stand by my side instead?¡±


    Shouko remembered the videos she had seen in the archives of the museum, and the images of the Great Magician Madoka Sugiura flickered through her mind.


    ¡°Shouko¡­¡­¡±


    Every child in Ante Lande had grown up dreaming about being the Hero Hideo or the Great Magician Madoka.


    However, what Shouko wanted was not a mere dream, but to make that a reality.


    Shouko did not dream of being Madoka.


    Yasuo Kenzaki feared the mysterious forces that were eating away at the world called Ante Lande and he wanted to challenge those forces despite lamenting his own lack of strength, and she wanted to stand beside him as Tatewaki Shouko.


    After realizing that fact, Diana¡¯s face and the depths of her chest felt hot as if she had just downed a shot of strong alcohol.


    ¡°¡­¡­I will¡­¡±


    Before she realized it, she was already saying it aloud.


    ¡°I will stand there.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh? Stand where?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Ah¡­¡±


    After realizing that she had said that aloud, Diana panicked and hurriedly stood up from the bathtub.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m a little lightheaded from the bath! I¡¯ll be getting out first!¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. I¡¯ll stay in for a little while longer.¡±


    Shouko sighed and stretched her legs out in the bath that felt even wider after Diana left in a hurry.


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s not like Diana-san would know the answer anyway. She¡¯s probably tired after everything that happened, and I went and got her tangled up in my mess. Haah¡­.¡±


    She stretched her entire body and submerged herself completely beneath the water.


    ¡°Considering Diana-san¡¯s position, she can¡¯t make any careless statements after all.¡±


    ¡ó


    ¡°Wh-What was I trying to¡­¡±


    Pressing her hand against her chest, Diana considered the words she had let slip a few seconds ago. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t understand why she had said those words.


    She understood Shouko¡¯s problem very well.


    Although their conversation had been at the level of a casual chat, she understood that Shouko¡¯s question had been in earnest.


    In the past, even if Diana didn¡¯t know the answer to Shouko¡¯s question, she would have definitely been willing to hear her out. That was the least she could do, considering that she had gotten Shouko mixed up in her troubles, and also because she saw Shouko as a friend. Even now, at this instant, Diana only wanted to be earnest and sincere with Shouko.


    However, for just one second back then, a dark, ugly emotion she had never experienced before had surged through Diana¡¯s heart.


    Shouko had been speaking about how she wanted to stand beside Yasuo and that she wanted to be with him, and in return¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­Jealousy.¡±


    Diana had felt jealous.


    As if to confirm that fact, she spoke that word aloud. Not in Japanese, but in the language of Resteria.


    ¡°No way¡­¡­¡±


    After she identified that emotion, the darkness within her heart grew even denser.


    Diana thought that she didn¡¯t have a single reason to be jealous of Shouko. However, thinking she had no reason to be jealous amounted to arrogance. She was aware of that.


    To refute that arrogance, she had no choice but to accept her jealousy towards Shouko.


    ¡°I¡­¡­¡±


    There was only one thing about Shouko that she could have felt jealous of.


    Shouko had something that Diana did not. Or rather, it was something that nobody from Ante Lande possessed.


    All the people of Ante Lande were afflicted by a certain disease.


    It was a wretched condition that caused them to wait for salvation from somewhere else instead of trying to become one of the braves on their own.


    Diana thought that she had understood just how selfish that way of thinking was during the time she had spent with Yasuo. When Yasuo had asked Feigreid to be a candidate for the new generation of braves, she thought she had reaffirmed that feeling.


    However, that still wasn¡¯t enough.


    Yasuo had accepted being called a ¡®Saint¡± and then easily gone back to acting like his usual self. Diana felt that she needed to be like him as well. Instead of making it her mission to protect a symbolic existence like a Hero or a Saint, her job should have been to stand against the disaster that was eating away at the world.


    Shouko had wished to be that way.


    Shouko did not wish to dissuade Yasuo from his path. Nor did she wish to urge him to follow his dream of becoming one of the new braves of Ante Lande.


    If Yasuo wished to stay in Japan, that was fine. If he wished to move to Ante Lande, she wanted to move there with him, stand beside him, and face the same problems that he did.


    Diana realized that even after coming so far, somewhere in her heart she had still wanted to entrust someone else with the task of saving the world from disaster. The realization shamed her.


    That shame had driven her to feel jealous of Shouko, who had the same qualities that Madoka Sugiura possessed.


    That was why Diana had gone and run her mouth like that.


    She said that she wanted to stand beside Yasuo as his equal and work towards the same goal with him.


    After saying that, Diana had immediately realized that Shouko might misunderstand her words to mean that she too had special feelings for Yasuo. Driven by that thought and her jealousy, she had broken off the conversation midway and run away while making up a poor excuse.


    ¡°Just what¡­ am I doing, at a time like this¡­¡±


    Yasuo had made up his mind long ago. He wished to save Ante Lande of his volition, for Diana¡¯s sake and for the sake of his family. Shouko understood that Yasuo wanted to save Ante Lande, and she wanted to help him do that. As for Feigreid, he had always been fighting for the sake of his family members from the House of the Fireflies, and it was obvious that he would continue to do so in the future.


    ¡°For what purpose¡­ am I¡­¡­¡±


    She had already lost her father.


    As the sole member of the braves left in Ante Lande, Diana¡¯s mother eclipsed her daughter¡¯s power both metaphorically as well as literally.


    ¡°Eh, no way.¡±


    When she tried to think about whose sake she was fighting for, she realized that she couldn¡¯t think of a single person that was important to her apart from her parents.


    She had many friends in the Knights Division.


    There were many leaders, like Khalija, that she respected.


    However, she couldn¡¯t think of a single person for whom she would be willing to do anything and sacrifice herself unconditionally. The realization shook her.


    Wanting to protect an irreplaceable friend. Wanting to protect one¡¯s family. Wanting to protect the citizens of Resteria.


    Having such feelings was only natural for any Knight or Magitech Knight of Resteria. However¡­


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°What do you think I should do to be able to stand beside Yasu-kun¡­ or to get him to stand by my side instead?¡±


    There was nobody with whom she wanted to stand on the same level. Nobody she wanted to stay with even if that meant putting her heart and her life at risk.


    ¡°What do you want to do, Diana? Just you, personally.¡±


    Back then, Yasuo had asked her that question while talking about what path to take in the future. However, Diana now asked herself the same question, as a single human being.


    ¡°I¡­¡­¡±


    What was she fighting for?


    For whose sake had she been so desperate?


    Just who was the person called Dianaze Krone?


    ¡°I¡­ was¡­ desperately¡­¡­¡±


    Diana realized something after somehow managing to suppress the emotions that arose from her fit of passion.


    Perhaps that answer was nothing different from the answer that any Knight or Magitech Knight would give if asked the same question. However, having come to this conclusion after facing her feelings of jealousy towards Shouko, Diana couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly.


    This method might be a little careless, considering they had to stay alert against Raia.


    However, for better or worse, it appeared that worrying about her relationship with Yasuo was actually good for Shouko¡¯s mental state. After initiating that conversation with Diana, the flame in Shouko¡¯s left eye had reduced by a lot.


    It should be fine for just a little bit.


    Diana toweled herself off to get rid of the water droplets that still clung to her body and used magic that could be activated with just her hands to quickly dry her hair. She then put on the night clothes that had been prepared beforehand, steeled herself, and left the dressing room.


    ¡°Hyaa!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the ¡®Hyaa!¡¯¡­ Seriously, Yasuo.¡±


    Upon exiting the dressing room, Diana saw that Yasuo was still frozen in the same spot where they had left him before entering the bath. He had his back to her, and when he turned around, she could immediately tell that he was drenched in a cold sweat.


    ¡°Ah, y-you¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m done. But it looks like Shouko will stay in a little longer.¡±


    ¡°I-I see. Phew!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yasuo, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°D-Do I look okay to you?¡±


    ¡°Not in the slightest.¡±


    He had the face of a man who was firmly in the throes of a panic attack.


    ¡°T-To tell you the truth, I¡¯m so nervous I¡¯m starting to get a stomach ache¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad? The restroom is through that door over there.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah. I see. Thank goodness, I was wondering what I should do if it was in the bathroom. I-I¡¯ll be back in a sec.¡±


    Yasuo walked unsteadily towards the indicated door like a robot with rusted joints, and for some reason, he once again let out a scream after going inside. A short while after Diana blinked in surprise, Yasuo returned with his face even paler than it had been just earlier.


    ¡°It was the color of gold¡­ Was it really okay to use it for that?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s fine. Yasuo. I can understand why you¡¯re nervous, but it¡¯s not like Shouko and I are going to eat you up or anything, so please relax a little.¡±


    She didn¡¯t ask what he was talking about, but Diana knew that it was not merely gold in color, but actually made of solid gold. However, telling Yasuo that at this time would only make him perspire even more, so she silently hid that fact in the depths of her mind.


    ¡°Y-yeah, uh, sorry. I guess, talking to girls about toilets right before going to sleep was a bad idea, huh? Haha¡­ Hahahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Yasuo¡­ Why have you been avoiding my gaze since earlier?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯ve never seen girls in their nightwear from up close.¡±


    ¡°You saw me plenty of times back in Tokorozawa.¡±


    Diana had often roamed around the house wearing sweats or a tracksuit while staying with the Kenzaki family, and Yasuo had seen her plenty of times back then.


    ¡°Seeing you blushing about that after all this time¡­ It makes me a little embarrassed as well.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh! I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Diana wasn¡¯t trying to tease him or anything. But from Yasuo¡¯s perspective, he couldn¡¯t equate their current situation with casually seeing her around the house in a tracksuit while the rest of his family were home.


    Close, but no cigar. That was the most accurate way to sum up that comparison.


    Comparing the combination of the Kenzaki family living room and a tracksuit with the combination of a luxurious suite room and high-class sleepwear was the same as comparing crab sticks to horsehair crab.


    ¡°¡­¡­The way you are right now, can you really hug Shouko tightly if it looks like Raia is about to take control?¡±


    ¡°H-Hug!?¡±


    ¡°You already did it once back then, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, but¡­!!¡±


    Diana sighed after seeing Yasuo panicking to the point where he couldn¡¯t even understand simple logic.


    ¡°Yasuo¡­ Let¡¯s step out for a bit and get some air. Right now, Shouko¡¯s flames are small and stable, so it should be okay. At this rate, Shouko and I will be the ones who can¡¯t sleep in peace.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Y-yeah, okay. Sorry.¡±


    Yasuo looked a little depressed after he was chided by Diana. However¡­


    ¡°This way.¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    He tensed right back up again after Diana held his hand like it was nothing. Diana felt his nervousness transmitted to her through his palm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a little while, just the two of us.¡±


    Looking just the slightest bit happy, Diana pulled Yasuo by the hand to the windows of the room. She pulled back the curtains that had been shut all this time and opened the latch, leading him out to the balcony.


    ¡°Uwaah!¡±


    The two of them were exposed to the night wind which was a bit too cold for someone who had just come out of the bath. Also¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­Amazing.¡±


    Before them lay the nightscape of Holstro lit up by streetlamps, spread out as far as the eye could see.

 Volume 4, 2 – Beside You, Forever, Part 4

    Volume 4, Chapter 2 ¨C Beside You, Forever, Part 4


    It was a view that was no less magnificent than that of the urban center of Tokyo City.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be so bright.¡±


    Yasuo was lost in admiration, leaning over the railing of the balcony and gazing at the sight of the streets of Holstro.


    ¡°Why is it so bright? It feels like it would be too bright to sleep unless you had really thick curtains.¡±


    The view of Holstro at night was far too bright to really call it a ¡®night view¡¯. Seen at night from a distance, Japan or any other city on Earth would have gaps in between the sources of light that were steeped in shadow. However, that was not the case with Holstro.


    It looked like the entire city of Holstro was directly underneath a single, massive source of light, as if the city was repelling the curtains of night that descended from the sky. The fact that most of the buildings were white or a light grey in color only served to add to that bizarre effect of brightness.


    ¡°It was only recently that the city at night became this bright.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Originally, many of the buildings were made from a light brown brick. However, after the Shii appeared, there was an excessive amount of effort put into eliminating shadows from the city as much as possible in order to better fight against them during a night battle. I heard that putting reflective tiles on top of the old buildings was also one such measure.¡±


    ¡°Looks like they were quite thorough. Even the roofs are white. The reflections during the height of summer must be something else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that ever since Holstro turned out like this, the entire nation of Baskelgarde has been desperately researching how to manufacture sunscreen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re joking or being serious.¡±


    Yasuo smiled and moved back from the balcony railing.


    ¡°¡­¡­Thanks. I¡¯ve calmed down quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°Really? It still feels like you¡¯re standing farther away from me than usual.¡±


    ¡°Let me off, already.¡±


    Diana held back her hair that was being blown by the night wind and smiled impishly. Although it looked like she did not do it on purpose, Yasuo¡¯s heart rate sped up because he had never seen her make that expression before.


    Diana came to stand fairly close to him without showing any signs of understanding how Yasuo felt. She stared at the lights of Holstro before she began to speak.


    ¡°To be honest, I wanted you to see the view of Resteria first and be impressed by it.¡±


    ¡°Is the ambiance of each city completely different, after all?¡±


    ¡°Holstro is built on the plains, but the capital of Resteria is close to the mountains. It¡¯s a little similar to Tokorozawa in how you can catch a glimpse of bluish mountains in the distance while gazing upon the city.¡±


    ¡°The capital city reminds you of Tokorozawa? What the heck.¡±


    Yasuo couldn¡¯t suppress a wry smile when he thought of how far removed Tokorozawa was from looking like a capital city.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a vague feeling. They are somewhat similar.¡±


    Diana also picked up on Yasuo¡¯s thoughts and returned a similar wry smile.


    ¡°¡­¡­Thank you very much.¡± Diana said.


    ¡°Eh? For what?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­For everything.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, for everything?¡±


    ¡°I mean for everything. Truly, for everything.¡±


    There were a lot of things she wanted to say. However, when she tried to talk about everything that had happened, she found it difficult to put it into words.


    ¡°Until very recently, I had no idea what I was trying to achieve. I had no idea what I was fighting for.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Wasn¡¯t it because you wanted to protect the people of Resteria and Ante Lande?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose that¡¯s true. That¡¯s certainly the case. It¡¯s just¡­ That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±


    However, she wasn¡¯t standing here for just that reason alone.


    She wanted to convey that to him. She wanted to¡­


    ¡°I want to fight against the Shii along with you, Yasuo.¡±


    She wanted to convey that to him properly.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you, all of a sudden?¡±


    However, it looked like Yasuo did not understand the true intention behind her words. There was no trace of understanding in his expression. However, that was only natural. Because¡­


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t it been like that for a while now? Why bring it up again all of a sudden?¡±


    Ever since Yasuo decided to stand upon the battlefield, he had always been fighting beside Diana. From his perspective, it probably felt like it was too late to bring this up.


    However, for Dianaze Krone, the only child of braves and a Magitech Knight, it was a turning point in her life that would never come about ever again. At least, from her point of view, she felt like she was finally able to see what she wanted to achieve.


    However¡­


    ¡°Whether it was the case with your father, the fight against Khalija-san, or the fight against Balor, didn¡¯t we always deal with it together in the end?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°No matter what happened, I have always been completely relying on you, Diana. You haven¡¯t forgotten, right? I made you fight even though you had a fracture, while I just hid behind you.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I remember that.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t changed at all since then. Before you appeared, the ones who fought against the Shii other than Balor were Tatewaki-san and Catalina-san¡­ Thinking about it that way, I¡¯m really the worst. I¡¯m always making girls do the fighting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a case of dividing the responsibilities. And besides, isn¡¯t Second Lieutenant Feigreid with us now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to explain it, even that part is weird. Considering the situation we¡¯re in, whether it the title of ¡®Saint¡¯ or ¡®Son of the Hero Hideo¡¯, I¡¯m willing to use whatever is necessary to make our lives easier¡­ But don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit like Sanz¨­h¨­shi?¡±


    ¡°Sanzohoshy? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It the name of one of the characters from an old tale called ¡®Journey to the West¡¯ that originated in a country neighboring Japan. The character is based on a famous Buddhist monk who really existed. He goes on a journey accompanied by three ogres who are his disciples, during which he runs into various troubles.¡±


    ¡°Ogres? What are those again?¡±


    ¡°Umm, in Ante Lande¡¯s terms, they would probably be something like demons. But the three demons that accompanied Sanz¨­h¨­shi were friendly towards humans¡­ anyways, it¡¯s been a famous story since ages ago, so it became a template for a bunch of adaptations in modern times, but I didn¡¯t really like this story back when I was a kid.¡±


    In Japan, the tale of the Journey to the West was narrated in a way that placed emphasis on the exploits of the characters, making it seem like an adventure novel. In order to make the story more exciting, Sanz¨­h¨­shi, who was based on the real monk Genj¨­ Sanz¨­, was more often than not depicted as a person who stirred up trouble as a plot device. This was in spite of him actually being the protagonist of the story.


    In the version of the Journey to the West that was edited for children, Sanz¨­h¨­shi was always depicted as getting through difficult situations because of the exotic magic or fighting techniques used by Son Gok¨±, Cho Hakkai, and Sa Goj¨­. He was never shown to break out of a situation using his own strength. As a child, Yasuo had always been dissatisfied with the character of Sanz¨­h¨­shi depicted in the story who apparently couldn¡¯t even protect himself from monsters using his holy powers despite being a distinguished monk.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the same as how I am now. I just have an inflated sense of purpose and no real power to speak of. I keep causing trouble for my friends, and in spite of that, I am revered as the son of the Hero or the Saint.¡±


    Diana, who was standing beside him, could clearly see that Yasuo was getting more and more depressed as he continued to talk. When Yasuo got like this, he would often hang his head and slump his shoulders.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that story so I can¡¯t say anything for sure, but¡­ there¡¯s one thing that I can say. It¡¯s about that person called Sanz¨­.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Diana smiled softly and gave Yasuo a hard smack on his back.


    ¡°Ugaah!!¡±


    Yasuo reflexively straightened his back after feeling the sting of the Magitech Knight¡¯s open-handed slap. Seeing that, Diana continued to speak while keeping her hand on his back.


    ¡°The story would not have started if Sanz¨­ had not gone on his journey. Don¡¯t you think that is similar to you as well?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ That¡¯s¡­. Eh?¡±


    ¡°If you had not taken that first step, Yasuo, none of us would have decided to join the fight. The rest of us were able to move forward because you made the decision and pulled us along. I believe that Sanz¨­ was that sort of existence to the other characters in the story as well. Just as you are to us, Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Is that really how it is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. I couldn¡¯t have done what you did. Of course, Shouko and Second Lieutenant Feigreid couldn¡¯t have done it either. Hideo and Madoka aren¡¯t here right now. We are able to endure the hardships and take a stand against the Shii only because you are here, Yasuo.¡±


    Yasuo had mixed feelings about what Diana just said and replied with a troubled smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel that way¡­ But still, I don¡¯t like leaving everything up to everyone else.¡±


    ¡°I understand how you feel, but that¡¯s just asking for the impossible. There¡¯s nothing you can do about it in just two or three days. Just accept that and give up.¡±


    That half-baked and sloppy side of Yasuo was also a part of him and made him who he was.


    No matter how it turned out, the results were unimportant.


    Of all the people in Ante Lande, Yasuo was the one who most earnestly desired to stand against the darkness that was encroaching upon the world. He was unreliable and weak, but he was still the most heroic person at heart.


    Diana had always wanted to fight at the side of someone like that. That was what it meant to dream of standing in Madoka Sugiura¡¯s shoes.


    ¡°Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still far away from getting to where Shouko is right now, and I don¡¯t want her to get the wrong idea either.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Tatewaki-san? What do mean, getting the wrong idea?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­The fact that you give me special treatment¡­ it makes me a little happy, Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    Seeing Yasuo blink without understanding what she said, Diana closed her eyes and let out a little sigh. She had already reached her limit with what she just said.


    ¡°¡­¡­We ended up talking for quite a while. We have an early day tomorrow, and we¡¯ll catch a cold if we stay here any longer. We should go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Diana? Hang on, what exactly did you mean by¡ª¡±


    Yasuo stretched his hand out towards Diana who had turned around to return to the room.


    The next second, she had grabbed his arm and pulled him closer.


    ¡°Diana¡ª¡±


    ¡°This is just a rehearsal.¡±


    Before he realized it, Yasuo had ended up in a position where he was embracing Diana.


    ¡°U-Umm¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Shouko loves you the way you are right now, but you need to hug her firmly like this without hesitating when you need to, okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Umm¡­¡±


    Before Yasuo could do more than register the scent of Diana¡¯s freshly-washed hair filling his nostrils, she had already moved away from him and returned to the room.


    ¡°Ueee¡­..¡±


    Hearing Yasuo¡¯s strange groan from behind her as he was left standing out in the balcony, Diana revealed a happy and yet somewhat lonely smile as she looked around the room.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    However, Shouko was nowhere to be seen. Diana hurriedly ran to the bathroom, and when she opened the door¡­


    ¡°Diana-san¡­ I think I stayed in the bath too long, I¡¯m a bit dizzy.¡±


    Shouko was red in the face, stretched out in the bath.


    Diana was momentarily relieved that Raia had not appeared as she had feared, but then she frowned, considering what would be the best thing to do. She immediately returned to the balcony to find Yasuo still frozen in the same place where she had left him, and proceeded to draw the curtains closed right in front of his face.


    ¡°Eh? What¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yasuo! I¡¯m sorry, but please stay in the balcony for a little while longer! Shouko got dizzy in the bath so I¡¯m going to carry her to the bed!¡±


    ¡°Ehh!?¡±


    The thick curtains muffled Yasuo¡¯s exclamation.


    Diana immediately returned to the bathroom and rescued Shouko from the bathtub, dried her off roughly, and easily carried her to the bed. She then offered her a pitcher of water that had been left in the room.


    ¡°You must be dizzy because of staying in the bath for so long while you were already tired. Just go to sleep for today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll do that. Sorry for making you carry me like this.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s dry your body and hair off properly, or you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°So hot¡­¡±


    Diana quickly blow-dried Shouko¡¯s hair with magic as she squirmed around on the bed and somehow managed to get her dressed in her sleepwear while supporting her back.


    ¡°Uuu¡­ Yasu-kun you idiot¡­¡±


    Shouko grumbled about Yasuo as if she was drunk, but she immediately fell asleep once Diana laid her down on the bed.


    The flame in her left eye was small and wavered gently, and her breathing was regular. However, she had fallen asleep without even covering herself with a blanket.


    ¡°Yasuo¡¯s special person, huh¡­¡­¡± Diana whispered while stroking Shouko¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°I want you to accept me as a person who can stand on his own feet, Diana.¡±


    Yasuo, more than anyone else, respected Diana for just who she was. Diana blushed slightly when she recalled the expression on his face as he had declared that to her and apologized to Shouko who was fast asleep.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ But I¡¯ve started to feel like I don¡¯t want to lose this sense of special treatment either.¡±


    Diana felt herself going red as she said that and hurriedly moved away from Shouko, intending to jump under the covers of the other bed. However¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­Diana, aren¡¯t you done yet? It¡¯s getting a little cold out here¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    She remembered that she had left Yasuo standing in the balcony and hurried to let him into the room. After quickly explaining to him how the fittings in the dressing room and the bath worked, Diana told him that she wanted to go to sleep and then jumped into bed for real this time.


    She felt a little restless.


    Her mind refused to regain its equilibrium.


    It was because too many things had happened in a short span of time. Also, maybe she was still experiencing some after-effects from her battle against William Bareig who had appeared in Galedeite.


    Yes, that must have been the cause. There was no doubt about it.


    Diana continued to make excuses to herself in order to calm her mind that kept spinning in circles, but in the end, she also lost to the fatigue that she had accumulated and fell asleep almost instantly.


    ¡ó


    ¡°Hey¡­ You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡±


    After getting out of the bath, Yasuo stood in the dimly lit room, at a loss as to what to do.


    The room had two beds. Shouko was sleeping in one bed, while Diana was sleeping in the other.


    Diana should have understood that Yasuo was feeling nervous. Also, both beds were king-sized, with enough room for two people to easily sleep side by side on a single bed. That being the case¡­


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Diana just go to sleep in the same bed as Tatewaki-san¡­¡±


    If Yasuo wanted to sleep in a bed, he would have to choose to get under the covers beside either one of them.


    ¡°Nope. Not happening. I¡¯m sleeping on the sofa. As long as I¡¯m in the same room, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems¡­¡±


    However, for some reason, the room only had armchairs.


    When he thought about it, the reason was obvious. This was a bedroom, and it already had two king-size beds. There would be no reason to put another long sofa in here.


    ¡°¡­¡­So I guess I¡¯ll have to sleep here.¡±


    The place Yasuo chose was in between the two beds.


    He took out some spare sheets from the closet, appropriated a pillow from Shouko¡¯s bed that had four of them for some reason, and then lay down on the carpet in between the two beds.


    The space in between the king-size beds was also king-size. Thanks to the thick shag carpet on the floor, Yasuo felt like his current arrangements were even more comfortable than his own bed at home.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on anymore¡­¡­¡±


    As Yasuo lay there, feeling miserable and wondering what he was doing¡­


    ¡°Nnnn¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuuu¡­ Fuuu¡­¡±


    He heard the sounds of Shouko talking in her sleep and Diana¡¯s gentle breathing. Just thinking about that made his heart rate skyrocket once more. And then, as if delivering the final blow, both Shouko and Diana rolled over in their sleep to face the direction that Yasuo was in.


    ¡°Guh¡­¡±


    Their sleepwear was slightly out of place because of their postures, and Yasuo¡¯s heart wavered greatly once more when he caught a fleeting glimpse of that.


    ¡°¡­¡­Hang on. If I¡¯m here to deal with Raia in case something happens, does that mean I¡¯m not allowed to sleep?¡±


    Even in the dark room, Yasuo could see that the flame in Shouko¡¯s left eye was small and stable. However, continuing to lie down in his current posture while staring at the rumpled collar of Shouko¡¯s sleepwear was bad for his heart. However, if he turned around, Diana was in a similar state on the other side.


    ¡°Nnnn¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuuu¡­ Fuuu¡­. Nnnn¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I might just die here, today.¡±


    Yasuo softly muttered that to himself as his consciousness continued to fall deeper and deeper into chaos.

 Volume 4, Interlude – 2

    Volume 4, Interlude ¨C 2


    Khalija was absentmindedly listening to the voices on television while thinking about having dinner. The time was five o¡¯clock in the evening.


    She was wearing a tracksuit and lazing around in the apartment that she was supposed to be sharing with Diana. If not for the sling on her broken arm, she would have looked exactly like a company employee who had no plans for their weekend.


    Ever since Yasuo and Hideo had gone to Ante Lande, Khalija had been working in shifts along with Madoka to stand guard over Nodoka. However, Nodoka had an event called a parent-teacher conference that day and had plans for shopping and dinner with her mother after that, leaving Khalija completely free.


    Despite that, she was still on a mission to guard the Kenzaki family, she had no Japanese currency to speak of, and on top of everything else, she was injured. For the above reasons, a day off for Khalija involved nothing more than lazing around at home.


    There were no signs of the Carnelian of the Coal Mine or the Shii attempting to take advantage of Hideo¡¯s absence to launch an attack. Nodoka¡¯s surroundings were completely peaceful. Khalija and Madoka had not let down their guard, but they were not so tense that they would have an adverse effect on Nodoka¡¯s life either.


    ¡°Oh well, it might not be so bad for the two of them to have some quality time together once in a while as parent and child.¡±


    Since the two of them were spending time together, it would have been boorish for Khalija to butt in.


    ¡°Let us start with an emergency announcement.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    When it was time for the evening news to start, the newscaster said that with a tense expression.


    ¡°Earlier this afternoon, at just past four o¡¯clock, there was an accident in which a passenger vehicle collided with a bus on highway number 16 at Iruma City in the Saitama Prefecture. The accident occurred on the two-lane road near the outlet mall, and we have received reports that many people were injured. We¡¯re now switching to our correspondent on the scene¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°How dangerous¡­ Things like this happen because there are always people who go way over the speed limit. There are surprisingly a lot of things to watch out for other than the Shii.¡±


    In order to sate the pangs of hunger in her stomach, Khalija walked into the kitchen to check the contents of the refrigerator while leaving the television on. Because of that¡­


    ¡°This information hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet, but there are reports that a large number of passengers who were supposed to be on the bus have disappeared from the scene of the accident. Due to that, the police and the fire department are having difficulty estimating the actual level of damage¡­¡±


    Khalija did not see the reporter on TV who was at the scene of the accident, or the heavily damaged bus that was on fire in the background.

 Volume 4, 3 – The Hero’s Daughter and Her Comrades, Part 1

    Volume 4, Chapter 3 ¨C The Hero¡¯s Daughter and Her Comrades, Part 1


    Even though they were wearing earmuffs, the air at their current high altitude was so cold that her skin felt like it was being ripped to shreds. Seen through a layer of dense air, the mountain range in the distance looked as blue as the sky.


    ¡°Do you see the twin peaks directly in front of us? The pilgrimage road into the Ruins of Oodem begins at the base of those mountains. We¡¯ll have to walk from there.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ No way¡­¡±


    Shouko grimaced after hearing the explanation from Gaius, one of Baskelgarde¡¯s Magitech Knights.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just keep flying like this until we reach our destination?¡±


    ¡°Oodem is home to several of Baskelgarde¡¯s indigenous northern tribes who consider it a holy land. The place is also a natural fortress. We will only be able to fly on the scelephant until we reach the Knights Division¡¯s command post village at the base of the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah, in that case, we¡¯ll have to be careful about what we do. Ugh, it¡¯s so cold.¡±


    Shivering in spite of her thick clothes, Shouko patted the scaly back of the scelephant, Hana-chan, through a gap in the saddle.


    ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s amazing? I didn¡¯t know Hana-chan had this kind of stamina. We¡¯ve been ignoring the checkpoints and flying nonstop for almost three hours ever since we left Holstro.¡±


    ¡°This scelephant is a fine specimen. I wish I could put it to work in the Holstro Battalion. Either the person who raised it had good skills, or it grew up in an environment with plentiful food.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯d do just fine even if you changed careers, Hana-chan. What a good girl.¡±


    Even though there was no way it understood what Shouko was saying, Hana-chan raised a muffled cry as if it was embarrassed and slowly started to descend.


    ¡°By the way, Yasu-kun, how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Hana-chan. Let¡¯s descend as slowly as we can, okay?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! I can¡¯t believe that the Saint of Galedeite, the Hero of the new generation, gets sick from riding a scelephant!¡±


    ¡°What does¡­ being a Saint¡­ have to do with motion sickness¡­ Ughhh¡­¡­¡±


    Ever since they had entered the mountainous territory, Hana-chan had started to sway significantly while flying. It might have been due to the uneven wind currents in the area. Yasuo, who had not had any problems until then, suddenly found himself struggling desperately to avoid regurgitating the contents of his stomach. However, he was close to reaching his limit.


    As Shouko said earlier, Hana-chan had been flying for close to three hours.


    They had needed to stop at several checkpoints during their travel from Galedeite to Holstro, so they had not flown continuously for more than an hour at any given time. Because of that, Yasuo had not experienced any problems.


    However, flying for a long distance at an altitude barely low enough to let them withstand it without any barriers, and moreover in a region that was prone to bad weather, was a different story. For the first time, Yasuo realized that he could get ¡®Hana-chan sick¡¯.


    Since Yasuo¡¯s maternal grandparents lived in Sapporo City in Hokkaido, he had flown on an airplane several times during visits and yet he never got airsick even once. However, it looked like flying on a living creature was quite different.


    ¡°Captain Gaius!¡±


    At that moment, another scelephant that was smaller than Hana-chan flew over to their side and kept pace with them.


    ¡°Are those twin peaks the main gate into Oodem!?¡±


    Diana was holding the reins, and Feigreid was riding with her. Gaius nodded upon hearing Diana¡¯s question and replied,


    ¡°Major Krone, please go ahead and begin your descent before us, as we discussed earlier!¡±


    ¡°Understood. Ah, I can see the sign indicating the landing zone already. Shouko, do you see those three bonfires arranged in the shape of a triangle!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! I see it! That¡¯s the spot, right!?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going on ahead. Second Lieutenant Feigreid, please hold on tight!¡±


    After saying that, Diana guided her scelephant into a steep dive and started gliding towards the landing zone marked by the three bonfires.


    ¡°Alright Hana-chan, we¡¯re going to take it slow. You wouldn¡¯t like it if Yasu-kun lost control and threw up all over you, right?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m holding on, somehow¡­ Ughhh¡­¡±


    Surprisingly, the person who was gripping Hana-chan¡¯s reins and guiding her to follow behind Diana was not Gaius, but Shouko.


    Apparently, Shouko had an innate talent for riding scelephants, as seen by her ability to make Hana-chan¡ªa scelephant not trained for military use¡ªcarry out some pretty crazy maneuvers during the fight against Balor¡¯s Shii.


    Gaius was astonished at how skilfully the girl who harbored the power of the Shii in her left eye was able to handle the reins, although he stayed alert to jump in and take over just in case anything went wrong.


    When they had informed Leonid that they were leaving Holstro to go to the Ruins of Oodem where they assumed Hideo was located, he had given them his permission with the expected condition attached; they were to be accompanied by Magitech Knight Gaius.


    On paper, their expedition was designated as a scouting mission to Oodem dispatched by Leonid. Gaius was the captain, and Yasuo and the others were ostensibly his subordinates. Since Hana-chan could only carry a maximum of four people at a time, they had taken the opportunity to borrow another scelephant from Leonid.


    The reason why Yasuo and Shouko were riding on Hana-chan along with Gaius was simply to improve their relationship with him.


    After they had traveled a fair distance from Holstro, Yasuo and Shouko had given Gaius a brief and yet completely honest account of everything that had happened until they reached Holstro without leaving anything out. It wasn¡¯t clear if Gaius believed everything that they had said, but considering how he had allowed Shouko to take Hana-chan¡¯s reins, Yasuo assumed that they had established a certain level of trust.


    Gaius had looked a little surprised when Yasuo proposed to share information, but from Yasuo¡¯s perspective, it was obvious that Gaius¡¯s mission was to keep him and Shouko under observation.


    That being the case, Yasuo thought that having an open discussion right from the start would be the best course of action, but his one miscalculation had been getting well and truly sick from riding on Hana-chan. Because of that, Shouko had done almost all of the talking during their journey here.


    Shouko safely landed Hana-chan in the heliport-like space reserved for scelephants to land.


    ¡°Hey Yasu-kun, are you okay? Look, we¡¯ve landed.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, allow me to help you. Come this way.¡±


    As Yasuo unsteadily attempted to climb down from the saddle, Shouko supported him from the top, and Feigreid supported him from the bottom.


    ¡°If not for Major Krone¡¯s word on the subject, I wouldn¡¯t have believed that Yasuo is actually the eldest son of the Hero Hideo.¡±


    ¡°As for me, I only believed that Yasu-kun¡¯s father was actually the Hero after seeing the 8mm tapes at the museum.¡±


    Shouko smiled wryly as Gaius muttered that to himself, and Gaius also nodded.


    ¡°I watched those 8mm tapes all the time as a child. I see, so they made that sort of impression on you.¡±


    ¡°Even though we have basically opposite standpoints, I completely understand how you feel. Are you ready, Yasu-kun? I¡¯m letting go now.¡±


    After scrambling ungracefully down Hana-chan¡¯s side and reaching the ground, Yasuo took a few steps before falling on his backside. Unable to bear watching him any longer, Diana and Feigreid walked over to give him a hand. Seeing that scene, Shouko caught Gaius¡¯s eye and laughed.


    ¡°Well, I get it. He really doesn¡¯t look like someone who fits that description, right?¡±


    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t. I¡¯m getting down first, I¡¯ll give you a hand.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Gaius nimbly dismounted from the saddle and stretched out a hand to help Shouko once he was on the ground.


    ¡°Speaking of deceiving appearances, you handled that scelephant like a seasoned veteran with years of training under their belt. Although you don¡¯t look like one at all.¡±


    ¡°I was surprised too. It¡¯s not like I have any experience with riding animals back in Japan, but for some reason, I¡¯ve been able to get along well with Hana-chan ever since our time in Galedeite.¡±


    Shouko patted the scales on Hana-chan¡¯s flank happily.


    ¡°I think this ability probably comes from the Shii called Raia that is inside me. I wonder if Hana-chan would stop listening to me once Raia disappears. Man, that would suck.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Gaius tensed slightly at that statement, and Shouko shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡°I think I understand just how difficult it is to control animals and make them do exactly what you want. I¡¯m not going to believe that some untapped ability bloomed when I looked at Hana-chan in the eye and caused our hearts to connect. I¡¯m not that optimistic.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I was just surprised, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been able to do a lot of stuff since coming to this world that I couldn¡¯t do before, and almost all of it is because of the Shii¡¯s power. Unlike Yasu-kun, I didn¡¯t go through any magic or sorcery training in Japan, and I didn¡¯t do any physical training either. All of my ancestors for several generations have been ordinary Japanese citizens with no connection to other worlds. It¡¯s impossible to think that I awakened to all these new abilities for no reason right after coming to this world.¡±


    Seeing Shouko say that dispassionately, Gaius forgot his own position and tried to console her.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to be certain. Perhaps you had the talent to ride scelephants all along, and didn¡¯t realize because there aren¡¯t any in Japan¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That would be depressing in its own way. Talk about wasted talent.¡±


    Considering they had no idea how many chances Shouko would have to interact with scelephants in the future, it would have been fine even if she had never realized that talent.


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m grateful you said that. I feel bad for saying this, but I thought you didn¡¯t have a good impression of me or Yasu-kun. So I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d try and console me like that.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s only natural you feel that way, considering what happened before.¡±


    Gaius was talking about what had happened when he met Yasuo and Shouko at the scelephant stables after they had surrendered to the Knights Division of Baskelgarde.


    When he had first seen Yasuo and the others at the military museum, Gaius¡¯s first impression had been that they were a group of scoundrels who were attempting to pull off a hybrid of two common scams; pretending to be the Hero Hideo, and pretending to bring a dead person back to life using the power of the Shii. Needless to say, it was the worst first impression that they could have made.


    It was already common knowledge in every part of the world that the Shii took the form of people who had died in the past.


    There were several irredeemable scoundrels in the world who called this phenomenon a ¡°revival¡±. They would get an accomplice to wreathe themselves in artificial black flames created from a combination of sorcery and chemistry, proclaim them as a Shii, and then proceed to fleece people of their money and goods by showing off how they could resurrect a living person from the so-called ¡®Shii¡¯.


    As a member of the Holstro Battalion that was tasked with keeping the law in the vicinity of the capital city of the Federation, Gaius had probably seen so many such cases that he was sick of them.


    ¡°The usual way to do it is to rub a mixture of soot and tallow from fire wolves into a great cloak or the sleeves of a shirt and then set fire to the outer layer. When it is set alight, the mixture undergoes a chemical reaction that produces a black flame. The color persists for only around thirty minutes, but¡­ well, that¡¯s more than enough to deceive weak-hearted people. After all, most people wouldn¡¯t think that scam artists would go so far as to set themselves on fire just to cheat someone.¡±


    ¡°I guess scams work the same way no matter where you are.¡±


    ¡°You would think it would be obvious to everyone that dead people cannot come back to life.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I suppose some people just want to cling to hope.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t let them keep doing that. That¡¯s why¡­¡±


    Gaius suddenly glared at Shouko through narrowed eyes.


    ¡°We need to get rid of the root issue that gives them hope. I want the Shii inside you to disappear, even more earnestly than Yasuo does.¡±


    Shouko understood where Gaius was coming from. In a way, it could be said that Raia¡¯s current condition was a case of a dead person¡¯s consciousness returning to the land of the living. If this fact got out, it would undeniably have an effect on public order. There was even a chance that people would lose their will to fight against the Shii entirely.


    Also, even though Gaius didn¡¯t put it into so many words, Shouko understood the real reason why he had accompanied them on this journey.


    If, by some chance, there was danger of Shouko¡¯s secret being exposed to the public¡­


    ¡°Thank you very much. I will interpret that as having gained a reliable ally.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Sure.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like Gaius was itching to take action against Shouko either. After all, even he had once been a boy who had looked up to the Hero.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Diana-san and the others are waiting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hana-chan, go where this old man shows you, okay?¡±


    A soldier wearing the uniform of Baskelgarde¡¯s Knights Division, who was presumably guarding the path into Oodem, came out to meet Diana. Shouko saw Diana handing him the reins of the scelephant that she had been riding.


    Shouko pulled the hood of her cloak down low to cover her eyes and handed Hana-chan¡¯s reins over to Gaius.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be the one to meet the guard and hand Hana-chan over, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re right about that.¡±


    Gaius nodded and walked away while pulling Hana-chan, who looked a little uneasy about leaving Shouko, behind him. Seeing that, Shouko deliberately pulled the hood even lower down over her face and sighed.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, I should have expected that. People have their own circumstances. Man, this is rough.¡±


    Sighing once again, Shouko made her way towards Yasuo who had been guided by Feigreid to sit on a bench in a corner of the landing area and was apparently experiencing deep distress.


    As for Yasuo himself;


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you get enough sleep last night?¡±


    He was in such a bad state that he could not even reply to Feigreid¡¯s question with the cliched answer about that being normal for a teenage boy his age. As expected, he could only sit there with his eyes cast downwards.

 Volume 4, 3 – The Hero’s Daughter and Her Comrades, Part 2

    Volume 4, Chapter 3 ¨C The Hero¡¯s Daughter and Her Comrades, Part 2


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot more well-maintained than I thought it would be.¡±


    Despite being a mountain trail, the path leading to Oodem was a lot more forgiving than the name suggested and showed clear traces of human engineering. They hadn¡¯t noticed it before because they had been flying, but it looked like the access routes to the highways that lead to the various nearby towns were in pretty good shape as well. The steep areas had steps made from stone or logs of wood to ease the passage, and gravel had been spread out on the flat areas.


    Since the path took them through mountainous terrain, there were times when the rock faces to either side of the road rose up in a steep overhang, but surprisingly, there were even nets placed at such locations to prevent rockslides.


    ¡°Compared to the forest around Catalina-san¡¯s house, this is almost like a leisurely hiking trail.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­More like a mountain road.¡±


    The air was a little too thin to call it a hiking trail. For Yasuo, who had nothing to augment his flagging physical strength, the continuous uphill climb was starting to get rough. Even so, he had to admit that the place did not look nearly as dangerous as the phrase ¡°ruins of an ancient civilization¡± had led him to believe.


    Of course, the fact that his expectations were betrayed meant that¡ª


    ¡°The Hero Hideo unlocked the full power of the Holy Sword in the ruins of Oodem. After the war against Demon King Kaul, this place became an actual holy site.¡±


    ¡ªIt was a given that there would be a reason like that behind it. Yasuo had already gotten used to it.


    ¡°Back when Hideo and his party traveled to Oodem, the mountain path itself existed, but it was nowhere near as well maintained. There were a lot of wild animals as well, and the mountains themselves had not been maintained, so I heard that they faced a lot of difficulty in getting through to Oodem. However, servicing the mountain road led to an increase in the number of pilgrims, which meant that the costs associated with the repairs were recovered in short order¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°What is this, a World Heritage Site?¡±


    After hearing an explanation that sounded like something he would hear on the news, Yasuo couldn¡¯t resist smiling wryly even though he was already used to this sort of thing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like this doesn¡¯t concern you. If you carry out some great feat and word of that spreads throughout the land, something that you were involved with might get the same treatment and become a place of worship as part of the Saint¡¯s legacy, you know?¡±


    ¡°If that happens, then Galedeite would be the first candidate to become a holy land.¡±


    Yasuo felt a chill run down his spine for the first time in a while after hearing Feigreid say that.


    The town of Galedeite already had a holy site with the ridiculous name of ¡°Hideo Holy Sword River¡±. Although Yasuo¡¯s feelings of wanting to bring peace to Ante Lande remained unchanged, if a ¡°Yasuo something-or-another¡± came into being alongside the so-called ¡°Hideo Holy Sword River¡±, it would shame the Kenzaki family for the rest of time.


    It wasn¡¯t clear if they understood how Yasuo was feeling or not, but¡­


    ¡°Hey, that sounds great. How about the broadcast tower that Balor destroyed? You could call it the ¡®Yasuo Hymn Spire¡¯ or something.¡±


    ¡°Shouko, that¡¯s perfect!¡±


    Shouko and Diana started saying whatever they wanted while ignoring him. The name was so absurd that his skin prickled with shame just by hearing it, but based on his experience so far, he couldn¡¯t just let it go as a joke. Yasuo started to have vague thoughts about letting Diana or Feigreid take over in case he felt like he was about to achieve something big, which could only be chalked up to him feeling overly optimistic.


    It was at that moment that it happened.


    ¡°I see, there¡¯s definitely something strange going on. Everyone, stop.¡±


    Gaius restrained the group with a tense voice, and everyone in the group looked at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Captain Gaius?¡±


    Instead of answering Diana¡¯s question, Gaius just pointed at the ground a short distance ahead.


    Diana and Feigred instantly lowered their bodies and went on alert, and Yasuo and Shouko also took a somewhat similar position.


    ¡°The gravel on the path is in disarray. There are a lot of footprints as well.¡±


    ¡°From the looks of it, at least twenty people marched this way.¡±


    Gaius nodded as if agreeing with Diana¡¯s and Feigreid¡¯s analysis.


    ¡°There weren¡¯t any such traces until now. I didn¡¯t hear anything about such a large group at the command post village at the base of the mountain either¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Does that mean there are intruders here?¡±


    ¡°I suppose¡­ But if that¡¯s the case, that doesn¡¯t explain¡­¡±


    After hearing Shouko¡¯s question, Gaius started looking around restlessly.


    ¡°Gaius-san, doesn¡¯t this look like the remains of a campfire?¡±


    Yasuo alerted Gaius to the remains of a campfire that he spotted in a slight hollow on one side of the mountain road. Gaius¡¯s frown deepened after seeing that, and Diana and Feigred also made grim expressions.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, you three?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange. Something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so strange about it?¡±


    ¡°This is the path that leads to Oodem. It is always under observation by the country¡¯s forces, so entering here from the sky is impossible, and there are no records or traces of such a group entering the path until now. And yet they left behind such obvious traces here without even attempting to hide anything. Look over there.¡±


    Diana pointed at something near the remains of the campfire.


    ¡°Someone probably cooked and ate a fish. Look, there¡¯s a discarded fish head here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­It almost looks like they set up a camp and relaxed here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Yasuo, look over there.¡±


    After looking at where Feigreid pointed, Yasuo saw multiple elongated depressions in the gravel.


    ¡°See how the gravel is depressed? Someone probably slept over here. This place is completely open and can be seen easily both from above and below, so it¡¯s hard to believe that someone just lit a campfire here and went to sleep.¡±


    After it was pointed out to him, even Yasuo could tell that several people had laid down on the ground here to sleep.


    ¡°Captain Gaius. Are there any important relics in Oodem that would attract treasure hunters?¡±


    ¡°No. In the first place, the ruins here aren¡¯t the type to contain a treasure trove of gold or silver. Sure, the ruins here have historical significance and value, but I don¡¯t think carrying off rocks or brick from this place would fetch any money elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they are like terrorists looking to destroy an important religious landmark as a psychological attack?¡±


    However, Yasuo¡¯s question also received a frown from Gaius.


    ¡°If that were the case, they would definitely be careful to avoid detection. Only amateurs would leave behind traces like this. Look over there, all the footprints are clearly headed up the mountain.¡±


    ¡°And despite all of that, we¡¯ve seen no trace of them until now¡­ You¡¯re right, it¡¯s certainly strange.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If we keep following this path, there is a high chance that we might run into this group. Major Krone and Second Lieutenant Feigreid, we¡¯re going to keep moving at a slower pace without breaking formation. I¡¯ll take point, with Yasuo and Shouko right behind me. The two of you can bring up the rear¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yasu-kun!!¡±


    While Gaius was giving soldier-like orders to Diana and Feigreid, Shouko, who had been loitering around near the remains of the campfire, suddenly rushed towards them with a pale face.


    ¡°Look at this!! You too, Diana-san!!¡±


    Shouko held out something that looked like garbage, pinched in between her fingers. It was a little dirty because of the dirt and moisture, but both Yasuo and Diana went wide-eyed in shock when they saw it.


    ¡°Why is there such a thing in a place like this!?¡±


    ¡°What is the meaning of this!?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, you two?¡±


    Feigreid was surprised by the degree to which Yasuo and Diana were flustered.


    ¡°What exactly is that?¡±


    It looked like Gaius didn¡¯t realize the significance of it either.


    Even Shouko, who had been the first one to find it, was at a loss as to how to explain it. In the end, she chose to just say it plainly.


    ¡°¡­¡­The wrapper of a soybean and kelp onigiri from Friend Mart.¡±


    ¡°¡°Huh?¡±¡±


    Both of the male Magitech Knights let out a confused sound at the same time. Although, speaking of confusion, Yasuo, Shouko, and Diana weren¡¯t much better off.


    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s the wrapper of a soybean and kelp onigiri from Friend Mart! The 130 yen one!¡±


    ¡°What the heck is that!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something from Japan! It¡¯ something that¡¯s supposed to only exist in Japan! Neither me, Tatewaki-san, Diana, or my Dad brought something like this to Ante Lande!¡±


    Yasuo stared intently at the remains of the campfire that had been set up sloppily and found something in the ashes.


    It was the front cover of a magazine. It was made from glossy paper and had traces of color printing, and had apparently not burned up fully.


    It was the front cover of a golf magazine.


    ¡°The people who were here¡­!¡±


    At that moment, they head a low shout echoing through the mountains.


    ¡°¡­!!¡±


    And then, the sound of an explosion.


    It was a sound that people would normally never hear during their daily lives, but Yasuo and Shouko had already heard it several times before.


    It was not a sound that occurred in nature. It was the sound of an explosion that accompanied battle.


    ¡°Diana! Feig-san! Gaius-san! Please go!!¡±


    ¡°Yasuo!?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on¡­! But in the place where we heard the explosion coming from¡­¡±


    Yasuo gripped the cover of the magazine that he had found in the remains of the campfire, and looked like he was about to be sick.


    ¡°The place where the explosion came from¡­ There are innocent Japanese citizens there!!¡±

 Volume 4, 3 – The Hero’s Daughter and Her Comrades, Part 3

    Volume 4, Chapter 3 ¨C The Hero¡¯s Daughter and Her Comrades, Part 3


    The ruins before them looked exactly like the ruins that had shown up at the end of a famous western movie series. In the movie, the secret to immortality was supposed to be hidden within those ruins, and the location used for shooting the movie was both a World Heritage Site as well as a popular tourist attraction.


    However, she had not heard anything about that site being located in Japan. Moreover, the creature that appeared in front of her today was something completely removed from anything she had experienced or learned about.


    ¡°Ogawa-san! Watch out!¡±


    ¡°Uwaaah!!¡±


    The man called Ogawa somehow managed to stumble out of the way of the flaming black stick that had been swung down towards him. While he did manage to avoid the blow, his knees buckled under the weight of the excess fat around his midsection and he shamefully fell over on his backside.


    ¡°H-Hiiii!¡±


    ¡°Ogawa-san, are you okay!?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I-I¡¯m fi, I¡­¡­¡±


    He tried to reply to the girl who called out to him, but his tongue refused to form the words.


    It had all happened so suddenly. Nothing made sense.


    He had attempted to start a campfire after they decided to spend the night outside the ruins, only to have something black burst out of the ground all of a sudden like the shoot of a bamboo tree. At the same instant, the girl who had been helping Ogawa with the campfire had shouted something and pushed him out of harm¡¯s away.


    Something that looked like a sword swung through the spot Ogawa had been occupying only a moment earlier. The one doing the swinging was a person wreathed in black flames.


    ¡°W-What is this¡­ M-Monster!¡±


    ¡°Stand up, Ogawa-san! You need to get word to the people inside! Tell them to not come out of the ruins no matter what! Also, can you do something about the one that has a long stick!?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡­ What¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, geez! Pull yourself together!! Suzuki-san! Akaike-san! Someone, please help Ogawa-san! Also, make sure everyone else stays inside the ruins!¡± The girl shouted at two men who were older than her who had also been attempting to set up a campfire.


    Although the two of them had not grasped what was going on, they seemed to be merely bewildered instead of flying into a panic. It was probably because the scene that was unfolding in front of them was just that unrealistic. While keeping their distance from the humanoid black flame, the two of them approached Ogawa who was still on the ground with the girl standing protectively in front of him and heaved his large body off the ground.


    ¡°Damn you¡­ Don¡¯t come any closer¡­ I still can¡¯t control this power very well, if it comes any closer I might get everyone else caught up¡­ Huh!? No way!¡±


    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw even more flames rising up out of the ground. Three human-shaped flames had appeared as if to smash the campfires that they had just been about to light into pieces.


    ¡°Everyone!! I¡¯m sorry if you get caught up in this!!¡±


    After shouting that, the girl put both hands together in front of her body and raised her right leg as high as it would go.


    ¡°Wheel of flame that sleeps beneath the earth, open the door to wisdom with the furrows of your passing!!¡±


    The girl then slammed her raised leg into the ground with all the force she could muster. The next instant, the black shadow that had been moving toward Ogawa was engulfed in a pillar of red flame and stopped moving.


    ¡°Hurry up and run!!¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    The girl shouted once again, standing in front of Ogawa who had been rescued by Suzuki and Akaike.


    ¡°Wheel of flame that sleeps beneath the earth, open the door to wisdom with the furrows of your passing! Alright, once more! Open!¡±


    Every time the girl slammed her right foot into the ground like a child throwing a tantrum, flames burst out of the ground to engulf the black shadows.


    ¡°Hurry up! Everyone, get inside the ruins! Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, okay.¡±


    The girl looked over her shoulder while urging the men to leave.


    There was a limit to how long she could keep the enemy at bay with those flames. She did not have the leeway or ability to hold back and preserve her strength.


    In that case, there was no choice but to keep doing what she could.


    ¡°Wheel of flame that sleeps beneath the earth!¡± The girl shouted once again after confirming that the men had safely made it into the ruins.


    ¡°Wheel of flame that sleeps beneath the earth! Wheel of flame that sleeps beneath the earth!!¡±


    With every word she uttered, she could feel an uncomfortable, bloated feeling rise up within her making her feel like she was about to throw up. Despite that, she could not stop chanting.


    After all, she didn¡¯t know how to do anything else.


    ¡°Wheel of flame that sleeps beneath the earth!! Open the door to wisdom, open the door to wisdom!! Open every single door, dammit!!¡±


    As if preparing her final move, the girl jumped high into the air and slammed both feet into the ground as she landed. The next instant¡­


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaah!!¡±


    An explosion loud enough to drown out her shout wiped out three of the shadows. She had released every last bit of fire magic that she possessed, causing an explosion large enough to even engulf the traces left by her previous attacks.


    Feeling the heat from the explosion on her face and arms, the girl turned and ran into the stone ruins.


    ¡°It turned out bigger than I thought it would! Everyone, move farther in!¡±


    She raced past the men who had been watching from just inside the ruins with uneasy expressions and headed farther into the ruins. Seeing that, the men followed after her.


    A small amount of the flames made it into the ruins and singed the hem of her skirt.


    ¡°Haa¡­ haa¡­. I-I wonder if that took care of them¡­¡±


    ¡°T-That was amazing¡­ What you did earlier, was it really magic, after all?¡±


    The girl nodded briefly in reply to the question posed by the man named Ogawa.


    ¡°I know you might not believe me, but¡­ Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no question about it. I haven¡¯t seen a fire that big, even on TV¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m a bit tired.¡±


    ¡°You definitely saved us, though. Don¡¯t tell me, were you the one who chased away the beast the was attracted by the campfire last night¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you noticed? There was this thing that looked like a big cat, so I gave it a bit of a scare.¡±


    Ogawa nodded in admiration of the girl who still put on a brave expression despite her pale face.


    ¡°In this incomprehensible situation, we need to use whatever we can. At the very least, I think that you saved me just now. I doubt even those monsters could survive an explosion like that. Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I think I can manage. Sorry about the campfires, I blew them away.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Anyways, there¡¯s a massive blaze out there now, so we have to wait for it to die down before¡ª¡±


    Ogawa put on a strained smile and turned towards the entrance of the ruins when he saw it.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡±


    A black flame was forcing its way through the entrance. There was only one of them this time. However, it was resolutely heading towards them.


    ¡°¡­..I can¡¯t do it¡­ As I thought¡­ is my power¡­ lacking something after all¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe it survived an explosion like that¡­ Stand up, we have to run¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll try to do it once more¡­ Ogawa-san, run away¡­ ugh¡­¡±


    After forcing herself to stand up, the girl toppled over. She couldn¡¯t muster up any strength at all. It was as if her muscles refused to support the weight of her body.


    ¡°No¡­ way¡­¡±


    ¡°Aah¡­. Aaah!!¡±


    Ogawa tried to lift her up while trembling uncontrollably, but¡­


    ¡°Gyaah!¡±


    The black shadow closed in on Ogawa directly from the front and blew him away with a single kick. After seeing that and hearing Ogawa¡¯s scream, the remaining men froze in their places from fear. They were only a short distance away, but none of them were able to run to her side.


    ¡°Guh¡­¡±


    Stretched out on the ground where he had collapsed, Ogawa watched as the black monster¡¯s blade descended towards the girl.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s no good¡­ Run away¡­¡±


    Ogawa screamed.


    ¡°Run away Nodoka-chan!!¡±


    However, Kenzaki Nodoka was already in a state where she couldn¡¯t move an inch. She was so exhausted that she couldn¡¯t even look up at the blade that was swinging down towards her.


    Aah, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to get killed in this weird place, in front of people I¡¯ve only just met¡­


    Because of her weakness, even that thought seemed like it was going far away.


    At that instant¡­


    Two streaks of light flashed out and sliced the black flame into four pieces.


    ¡°Ooooh!!¡±


    A golden bullet cut through the wall of flames in front of the door and flew inside. After slicing the black flame into pieces, it stood in front of Nodoka and Ogawa as if protecting them.


    ¡°I have no idea why things ended up like this¡­ But it looks like we made it just in time.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    Nodoka opened her eyes. After hearing that familiar voice, she was able to breathe again once more.


    She could feel herself breathing. She was still alive. She felt warmth return to her consciousness, which was about to sink into darkness.


    ¡°¡­..! ¡­¡­ka! Nodoka! Pull yourself together! Are you okay!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±


    Her blurry vision cleared. She realized that the voice she was hearing now was something that she was so used to that it might as well be ingrained into her genes, and she smiled in spite of herself.


    Even though she found it extremely maddening, she couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re so late¡­ Onii-chan. What the heck were you doing, I ended up coming over here¡­ Ugh, geez¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t expect that he would have changed much in the few days that he had been away. Despite that, her sight blurred with tears of relief after seeing her older brother¡¯s face.


    ¡°I¡­ I was so scared¡­ Thrown into this strange place all of a sudden¡­ I¡­ ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everything is okay now!!¡±


    Perhaps her brother was panicking as well. That was only natural. The sister whom he had supposedly left behind in Japan was fighting against the Shii all the way in the mountains here.


    Moreover, she had stood on the front lines while freely wielding fire magic.


    If that wasn¡¯t enough to surprise him, then there wouldn¡¯t have been any meaning to putting her life on the line.


    ¡°¡­¡­Nodoka. There are plenty of things I want to say to you, but for now, I¡¯ll just say this.¡±


    ¡°Diana-san¡­¡±


    Backlit by the wall of flames, Diana¡¯s face was surprisingly gentle when she turned around.


    ¡°The power of your flames was incredible. I¡¯ll leave the lecture for later.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­ Thanks to that, even I was able to protect people.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ll make sure to take that into consideration¡­ Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Take care of healing Nodoka first. Also, I¡¯ll leave the sending off to you. We will deal with the Shii.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    The flames at the entrance had disappeared at some point, and two more Shii slowly plodded towards them. Nodoka felt a little despair after seeing how little damage she had done to them, but neither Diana not her brother wavered in the slightest.


    Of course, that was only natural.


    Two male Magitech Knights who were unknown to Nodoka grandly made their entrance as if they were chasing after the Shii.


    The three Magitech Knights used their respective Techno Weapons to slice the three Shii into pieces at a speed that was too fast for the eyes to follow, and the remains were turned to soot and dispersed by the requiem that her brother sang. In the end, the only things left behind were the deep gouges in the earth caused by Nodoka¡¯s magic, and the scorch marks on the walls of the ruins.


    ¡ù


    ¡°The last thing I remember is the bus that we were riding on getting into an accident at the intersection near the outlet mall. The bus was crowded, so there was a bit of a distance between Mom and me. I luckily happened to find a seat during the ride, and it was the seat next to the emergency escape. Can you believe the irony?¡±


    ¡°I was sitting in the seat in front of Nodoka-chan¡¯s. I let my guard down because the mall has been there for quite a while now, but that is definitely not a bus you want to catch when you are carrying bulky luggage.¡±


    At the entrance to the ruins of Oodem.


    The group had re-built the campfire inside the massive atrium while Feigreid and Gaius stood guard. There were twelve other Japanese citizens taking shelter inside the ruins including Nodoka and Ogawa, a surprisingly large number.


    All of them had been riding on the same bus as Nodoka, and they all told the same story, that they found themselves in the mountains near Oodem before they knew what was going on.


    ¡°It was obvious that the vegetation wasn¡¯t something from the Kanto region, you see. It gave me quite a shock. But before long, I started to think that we weren¡¯t even in Japan at all. Whether it was the flowers, the trees, or the insects, they were all things that I had never seen before.¡±


    Ogawa was a middle-aged man around fifty years old.


    While he was around the same age as Hideo, his attire consisted of a fishing vest, full-length trousers made from thick fabric, a wide-brimmed hat, and polarized sunglasses. He looked like a typical angler, no matter how you looked at him.


    ¡°You got on the bus dressed like that?¡±


    ¡°I was on my way to visit a friend, you see. We had plans to take his car to go camping in Okuchichibu early the next morning. Of course, I had no idea that my trip would end up like this¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°We would have been in a lot of trouble if Ogawa-san hadn¡¯t been here. On our first day here, we were stuck somewhere in the mountains and couldn¡¯t even find a road.¡±


    It went without saying that Ogawa¡¯s camping equipment played a major part in helping to keep them all alive. After all, as long as the weather wasn¡¯t too extreme, just being able to light a campfire in short order can help to drastically increase the chances of survival.


    They got through the first day by catching fish in the mountain streams, and it was evening the next day when they had made it to that mountain road. Although finding a well-maintained road was a stroke of good fortune, they considered that it would be dangerous to go walking around an unknown mountain road without knowing where they were, so they decided to bivouac there once more.


    After the sun rose, they initially planned to go down the mountain, but¡­


    ¡°There were a bunch of crocodile-like things. They weren¡¯t very big individually, but they were blocking the road.¡±


    ¡°A crocodile?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably talking about the Three-tailed Lizard. They are poisonous creatures that have thee tails and travel in groups. They are rarely seen during this time of the year. I¡¯m surprised you managed to escape unscathed.¡±


    Gaius provided an explanation from his post a short distance away.


    ¡°It feels a little strange to see people speaking fluent Japanese while dressed like that.¡±


    Ogawa honestly gave voice to his thoughts.


    ¡°If you run across a bear while camping or mountaineering, the level of danger is completely different depending on whether the bear is uphill or downhill in relation to you. If he¡¯s downhill, that basically means your route of escape is cut off, after all. We don¡¯t know anything about this mountain. In the end, we had no choice but to go uphill in order to avoid aggravating the crocodile, but¡­¡­¡±


    Ogawa went on to explain that one of the relatively larger crocodiles in the group had spotted Nodoka and the others and proceeded to crawl up the gravel path at an unbelievable speed. He had single-mindedly attempted to fend off the creature using his fishing pole, but it wasn¡¯t an opponent that would falter because of a lightweight fishing pole used for camping.


    When Ogawa was close to running out of options, a pillar of fire had suddenly burst out right in front of him.


    ¡°In the beginning, I was panicking for two reasons because I had no idea what was going on. The other people were completely taken aback as well. And to think¡­¡­¡±


    Ogawa glanced at the young girl who was sitting next to him.


    ¡°I initially thought she used hairspray or something to create an impromptu flamethrower. Now that I think back, that must have also been Nodoka-chan¡¯s ¡®magic¡¯, right? That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    ¡°I-It wasn¡¯t all that great. In the end, I was only able to drive it off, I didn¡¯t beat it.¡±


    ¡°Just being able to do that is amazing.¡±


    Ogawa praised Nodoka who was trying to be modest.


    ¡°In the end, we were forced to climb even further up the mountain because we were wary of the crocodiles. We came across these ruins a short while after that. By that point, I felt like I was barely alive. Normally, you would expect to see a management office or something near such places, right? I thought we would finally be able to make contact with other people, but no matter how much we looked, we found only ruins here. I was crestfallen.¡±


    ¡°But this place is great for hiding or running away, so we decided to spend the night here anyway.¡±


    ¡°Still, if all of you hadn¡¯t shown up, I don¡¯t think we would have lived past tomorrow. We have no food, and there¡¯s only a little water left¡­¡­¡±


    Despite looking haggard, Nodoka and Ogawa had the strength to lead their little group of people. However, it was apparent to even Yasuo that the other people from Japan, who had no option besides obeying Nodoka and Ogawa for their survival, were even more emancipated.


    ¡°¡­¡­In any case, I understand the circumstances. I¡¯ll go down to the checkpoint at the base of the mountain first thing in the morning and get them to send aid. We will stand guard tonight, so both Nodoka and Ogawa-san should get some rest. Although it¡¯s not much, we have some food and supplies with us. Even with such a large group, I think we should be fine until tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That would be great. Thank you so much.¡±


    Ogawa sighed in relief after hearing what Diana had to say and covered his eyes with his hand. Nodoka had to struggle to keep her emotions in check after seeing him like that.


    ¡ó


    ¡°Ogawa-san has been steeling himself all this time. All of us started relying on him because he seemed to know a lot about stuff like camping and mountains, but he¡¯s not a pro or anything, he just does this as a hobby. He confided in me last evening just a little about how worried he was that something bad would happen.¡±


    Later that night, Yasuo, Shouko, Diana, and Nodoka were sitting around the campfire and exchanging information.


    ¡°The only people in the group who were able to deal with the situation somewhat were me and Ogawa-san, and then Suzuki-san and Akaike-san. Suzuki-san is apparently in the mountaineering club in his college. He didn¡¯t have any equipment or anything with him like Ogawa-san did, but he understood the things that Ogawa-san was trying to say and then explained it to the rest of us in terms we could understand. I think that¡¯s what really brought us together as a group. Akaike-san teaches P.E in high school, so he took care of most of the manual labor. But all the others are all either students or housewives¡­ Until today, they only spoke to everyone else when they needed to and just barely managed to get this far. I suppose the only silver lining is that we had no babies or young children with us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I see. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fine. I didn¡¯t go home to change out of my school uniform after the parent-teacher conference, so I was still in my short-sleeved school uniform when I got sent here. I got a ton of scratches from tree branches in the forest, and it was so freaking cold at night.¡±


    Despite being weakened, her stubbornness in refuting whatever her brother said was actually quite reassuring in this instance.


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve had an even harder time than we did after landing in the forest near Catalina-san¡¯s house. Yasu-kun and I were at least prepared mentally to a certain extent that we were going to another world, so we were able to get back on our feet somehow, but that¡¯s not the case for you and the others, right, Nodoka-chan?¡±


    Nodoka nodded vigorously in response to what Shouko said.


    ¡°Even I wasn¡¯t fully convinced that we were in another world. I don¡¯t understand vegetation and stuff like Ogawa-san does, and to be honest, I didn¡¯t think that we were in Ante Lande until I saw those crocodiles. But¡­¡±


    Nodoka held her index finger up in front of her nose, and a small flame appeared on the tip.


    ¡°I was able to use magic quite easily here, so I thought there was a chance. I was always using this power secretly to light half the campfires.¡±


    ¡°Nodoka-chan, that¡¯s amazing. You can use magic so easily.¡±


    ¡°Unlike my brother, I have talent.¡±


    Sitting beside Yasuo who had decided to let Nodoka¡¯s arrogant statements slide for just this day, Diana could only show a complicated smile.


    ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t she would be able to do so much. I remember using the Flame Wheel magic only once in front of you in the past, did you remember it from that time?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. In any case, it was lucky for me that Ogawa-san, who became our leader, and all the others didn¡¯t really understand the situation. Also, they are all gentle people. In movies or manga where people are forced into extreme situations like this, you usually get a few characters who do stuff like being rough with the women or people who don¡¯t listen to what the obviously knowledgeable people say, make a fuss, and put everyone in danger. Or someone who is secretly a wanted criminal. Well, we didn¡¯t get anyone like that, so I¡¯d say we were actually quite lucky in that regard.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, totally! You also get the people who are like, ¡®I have no intention of getting chummy with you¡¯ even though it¡¯s a dangerous situation and it¡¯s not like they¡¯ve got some a secret ace up their sleeve or anything. I always wonder what kind of mentality those guys must have!¡±


    After seeing Nodoka and Shouko agreeing upon some mysterious opinion, Yasuo turned to talk to Diana.


    ¡°How is this going to work? There are a whole twelve people here.¡±


    ¡°Once they are rescued, I can¡¯t say what will happen next until we get back to the city¡­¡­ I¡¯m also worried about why only Nodoka is here and not Madoka. Also¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The two of them looked back at the traces left by Nodoka¡¯s magic and their expressions turned gloomy.


    ¡°Even though there was such a flashy fight here, Dad is nowhere to be found. I wonder if the abnormality detected by Resteria and Baskelgarde might have been because of Nodoka and the others arriving here. Well, it helped us save Nodoka in the end so it wasn¡¯t a bad thing, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t add up. At the very least, the disturbance detected by Resteria occurred not less than two days before Nodoka arrived here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­In that case, Dad must be around here after all.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something else going on. That is the obvious inference.¡±


    Even though he was inside ruins that had practically been assimilated by the mountains, Yasuo did not feel particularly ill at ease.


    Surrounded by the cold rock and slightly dusty atmosphere, what Yasuo felt was reverence and awe for the ancient people who had once lived here and built these structures without the help of any machinery.


    ¡°I wonder what it is about this place¡­¡±


    Both the era and the world were completely different. Even so, it was still something that had been built by people.


    ¡°¡­¡­The people who built this place¡­ I wonder what happened to them.¡±

 Volume 4, Interlude – 3

    Volume 4, Interlude ¨C 3


    ¡°Madoka!!¡±


    Khalija had rushed to the hospital after receiving a phone call. After seeing that Madoka had no life-threatening injuries¡ªalthough she did have a large sticking plaster on her head¡ªshe felt relieved for a moment. However, she immediately realized that Nodoka wasn¡¯t nearby and took a sharp breath.


    Madoka also came running up to Khalija after noticing her.


    ¡°¡­¡­Nodoka didn¡¯t go home, did she?¡±


    ¡°No. She hasn¡¯t contacted me either¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange. There were quite a few people missing when the passengers were carried out of the bus. I¡¯m sure there were more people. It¡¯s not just Nodoka. There are a number of people missing.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­.. W-What does this mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ All the people who were missing, including Nodoka, were sitting towards the rear of the bus¡­. There¡¯s something¡­ This feels familiar¡­¡±


    ¡°Madoka!? What¡¯s wrong!?¡±


    ¡°Khalija-san¡­ You need to¡­ contact Resteria right away.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Contact Resteria! I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s Hideo or Erize! Right now! I remember! I finally remembered something!¡±


    ¡°W-What did you remember!?¡±


    ¡°How I¡­ How I traveled to Ante Lande thirty years ago¡­ It was white. White sand dunes. Yes, the desert. That was¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Madoka! Are you okay!? Umm, we need some help over here!¡±


    While supporting Madoka who had fallen to her knees on the floor of the hospital, Khalija called for a doctor. Madoka kept repeating the same word while being held in Khalija¡¯s arms.


    ¡°A white¡­ world. A white¡­ desert. I could only move¡­ in a single direction¡­ Back then¡­ my mother asked me to deliver stewed pumpkin to the old lady who lived down the street¡­ I was riding my bicycle, got run over¡­ by a truck¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Madoka! Stay with me!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Hideo and I were¡­¡±


    Madoka¡¯s next words were spoken too low for Khalija to understand.


    ¡°We passed through the Country of the Dead to reach Ante Lande!¡±

 Volume 4, 4 – The Two’s Feelings, Part 1

    Volume 4, Chapter 4 ¨C The Two¡¯s Feelings, Part 1


    ¡°Once morning comes, we will need to split up into at least two groups. Now is our only chance to explore Oodem,¡± Diana said.


    It was three hours after they had met up with Nodoka and Ogawa. The sun had set and the day was already coming to an end.


    ¡°Luckily, the ruins of Oodem are not very big. Research has shown that this place was originally used by the ancient people for their rituals. It doesn¡¯t have anything like a graveyard or a treasure vault. The entire place was also examined thoroughly after Hideo¡¯s journey. We should go over all of the ruins by the end of tonight.¡±


    ¡°The Major is right. I agree with her as well. Once morning comes, we will need to escort the people of Japan to the base of the mountain. Also, I¡¯m sure they would feel uneasy if Yasuo and Shouko, who are also from Japan, are not present while negotiating terms with His Excellency Leonid.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t just leave them here and go exploring, not after we have seen Shii appearing in this area. It would be unreasonable to expect Nodoka Kenzaki to fight any longer. The only people here who can be counted upon to fight are Major Krone, Second Lieutenant Feigreid, and myself.¡±


    While Yasuo could exhibit certain abilities in a fight against the Shii, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against wild animals. The opposite was true for Nodoka. As for Shouko, there was no telling when Raia¡¯s power would turn upon them.


    ¡°Captain Gaius. Would you be willing to go and scout with Second Lieutenant Feigreid¡­ and Shouko?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Me too?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I suppose that method carries the least risk.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Why?¡±


    Gaius agreed to Diana¡¯s proposal, while Shouko was wide-eyed with surprise.


    ¡°Since we got the central figures of Baskelgarde involved, we need to ensure that Captain Gaius is the first person to discover any new information. By that, I mean anything to do with Raia Calgani or the magic abnormality detected at the ruins of Oodem.¡±


    ¡°The people here are all citizens of Japan with no fighting ability. In that case, the best person to guard them would be the Major who has lived in Japan and can relate to them. But that¡¯s not all.¡±


    Gaius shot a sidelong glance at Feigreid.


    ¡°If I try to hide any information from getting out of Baskelgarde, Second Lieutenant Feigreid would be able to protect Shouko. Besides, I don¡¯t want to cause friction between the Krone family and His Excellency Leonid either.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that, more shady political talk?¡±


    Shouko eyed Gaius with a slightly cold gaze, and the two men showed that they were just joking.


    ¡°That¡¯s just the way things are. Whether we want to or not, we are in a position where we are representing the interests of our respective countries. That is especially true for Major Krone and Captain Gaius.¡±


    ¡°Besides, if the Hero Hideo is truly here, we will need someone who is familiar with him to come along with us. Neither I nor Second Lieutenant Feigreid know anything about Hideo as he is now.¡±


    ¡°But if Yasuo goes deep into the ruins and the Shii once again appear en masse as they did in Galedeite, Major Krone might not be able to protect all the people from Japan on her own. As long as Yasuo is here, he can stall a large number of the Shii using the requiem.¡±


    As for Nodoka, even Shouko understood that she couldn¡¯t ask them to take her along instead.


    Nodoka was tired out from using too much magic, so she probably wouldn¡¯t want to be separated from her brother or Diana again so soon. Besides, she was younger than Shouko. There was no way she could dump any more unreasonable work on a kid from middle school.


    ¡°Fine, it looks like I have no choice but to go. But in exchange, make sure you protect me properly, okay? I don¡¯t want to rely on Raia¡¯s power anymore.¡±


    Seeing Shouko resign herself to going, Yasuo ran up to Feigreid.


    ¡°¡­¡­Sorry, but please take care of Tatewaki-san.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that Yasuo did not trust Gaius. However, Gaius had already been defeated by Raia once, although that was because he had let down his guard.


    Right now, what they needed to be worried about with regards to Shouko was not her getting hurt by some external party. The main threat was losing control of her mind and body to Raia.


    ¡°Leave it to me and relax. I have spent more time with all of you than the Captain. I promise I will do everything in my power to prevent the worst-case scenario from occurring.¡±


    ¡°The ruins themselves aren¡¯t very big. Even if we take our time with the investigation, it shouldn¡¯t take until late in the night. We will leave right after getting something to eat,¡± Gaius declared.


    ¡ù


    On the far side of the atrium was a large cave, much like in the movie mentioned earlier. However, all of the traps had been disabled by Hideo¡¯s party thirty years earlier, and subsequent investigations had stripped away anything of note. Gaius had estimated that no matter how carefully they went about it, investigating the ruins would not take more than three hours.


    ¡°¡­Even just waiting around is hard. I feel like I can¡¯t relax.¡±


    ¡°The best-case scenario would be for them to find Hideo and confirm that the anomaly that we detected was due to Hideo¡¯s presence. Also, getting Uncle Leonid¡¯s help to send Nodoka and the others back to Japan via Resteria would be nice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s definitely impossible,¡± Yasuo muttered under his breath. Diana did not confirm or deny it, instead choosing to smile bitterly.


    ¡°If it comes down to it, I will convince my mother to cough up every last coin of the Krone family¡¯s wealth for that purpose.¡±


    This time, it was Yasuo¡¯s turn to smile bitterly at the Magitech Knight who was attempting to mobilize funds on the level of an entire nation¡¯s budget despite being only a year older than him.


    ¡°Would that really work? I don¡¯t see that happening, even if people continue to praise me as the Saint and I become one of the braves. What do you plan to do after using up all of your wealth?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe my mother and I will move to Tokorozawa and find part-time jobs along with the Colonel.¡±


    ¡°That would probably make Nodoka happy.¡±


    Yasuo looked at Nodoka who was fast asleep near the campfire with Diana¡¯s cloak wrapped around her. They had taken Ogawa¡¯s help to get all of the others to assemble and get some rest where Diana and Yasuo could keep an eye on them.


    If any of them had to go to the toilet, Yasuo would accompany the men and Diana would do the same for the women. They had also given instructions that everyone was to gather around Yasuo in case of an emergency and to obey Diana¡¯s commands without fail.


    Yasuo slowly looked around at the people who were sleeping in various poses. From what he could see, they were all ordinary Japanese people.


    After talking to each of them separately, he had found that all of them lived in the general area around the outlet mall which had been their destination. Even Ogawa¡¯s house was within the Tokyo area. One of the people had apparently graduated from Kitahira Middle School around ten years ago, Yasuo¡¯s alma mater and the school that Nodoka currently attended, and they had enjoyed a conversation about the school for a little while.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Not a single one of them had any business being sent off to another world. Thinking about it calmly, the same must have been true for his father and mother as well.


    Nodoka had learned some magic because of the circumstances of their family, it wasn¡¯t like she suddenly became able to use it after coming to this world. Yasuo had only talked to the others briefly, but he confirmed that none of them had developed any special powers or felt capable of doing something that they couldn¡¯t do before since coming to this world.


    Apart from Nodoka, they were all over twenty years old, with Ogawa being the oldest.


    ¡°I suppose we won¡¯t understand the reason just by sitting here and thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking, if we still have time, I¡¯d like to go and take a look around as well after Tatewaki-san and the others come back. We probably won¡¯t come back here again, and I want to see the stuff that Dad and the others saw in the past. Well, there¡¯s also a part of me that just wants to see the sights like a tourist.¡±


    ¡°I think that should be fine. If that happens, we can leave this place to Second Lieutenant Feigreid and the others and go together.¡±


    ¡°We should take Nodoka with us, or she¡¯ll bite our heads off later on.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, how cold. And here I was trying to ask you out on a date.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What¡¯s up with you since yesterday? Diana, there¡¯s something strange about you. Please spare me the heart-attack-inducing jokes.¡±


    ¡°Are you scared that Shouko will get mad at you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo turned away, unable to discern the intention behind Diana¡¯s eyes that reflected the flickering light from the campfire a short distance away.


    ¡°A little bit. Remember what happened at Galedeite?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. My thoughtless actions led to Shouko feeling jealous.¡±


    Diana had hugged Yasuo tightly after being overcome with emotion at seeing him safe. After seeing that, Shouko had been in a bad mood for quite a while. Yasuo smiled vaguely after remembering that.


    ¡°¡­¡­I don¡¯t understand it. Honestly. Even though she said¡­ I mean, even though she confessed her feelings to me, I don¡¯t remember doing anything to make her feel that way. If anything, I¡¯ve given her plenty of reasons to hate me recently.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. Ever since we came here, I haven¡¯t done a single thing on my own. Tatewaki-san was the one who chased away the wolves in the forest near Catalina-san¡¯s house, and she was also the one who directly got rid of the Shii that attacked the House of the Fireflies. I¡¯ve just been continuously relying on somebody else. I mean, that¡¯s not much different from how I am usually, but¡­ still¡­¡±


    Yasuo looked like he was taking damage from his own words, and put his head between his knees as if he was depressed.


    ¡°I just have no confidence.¡±


    His own strength. Their future from here on out. What he had achieved so far, and the path he had taken to get there. The reason why Shouko held feelings of love for him. And whether he deserved that love, or had done anything worthy of it.


    Yasuo was probably talking about all those things.


    ¡°And Nodoka has, well, always been like that.¡±


    Even though little sisters in general were often harsh with their brothers, Nodoka was especially so. Also, as her mastery of the Flame Wheel magic had clearly shown, she had a lot more talent for magic than he did.


    Not much time had passed since she broke into a heavy sweat just by producing a tiny flame on the palm of her hand in the Kenzaki family house, and yet she had gained enough strength to stall the Shii, even if she wasn¡¯t able to defeat them entirely. Perhaps she had secretly trained her abilities alongside her daily life using her fearsome powers of concentration.


    Of course, her magic was self-taught and she had completely skipped over learning the basics, so she would run out of energy and become powerless to move so much as a finger if she overdid it, just like what had happened earlier. Despite that, if she took the time to train properly, it was obvious that she had far more talent to become a Magitech Knight than Yasuo did.


    Even though it had only been for a brief time, she had fought with her own strength and protected several people.


    ¡°You know, Nodoka¡¯s grades at school are much better than mine were at her age. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad if that was the only thing, but after seeing her ability even in these kinds of situations¡­ I just ended up thinking about a bunch of stuff.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Let me ask you one thing. Shouko has already seen all of that and is well aware of it. What are your thoughts about that?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°She knows all of that, and yet she made it apparent that she loves you anyway. How does that make you feel?¡±


    ¡°W-What do you mean, how¡­¡±


    ¡°Are strengths and achievements the only things that define a man? You may not have those, but there¡¯s something about you that has always caused Shouko to find you attractive, can¡¯t you think of it like that?¡±


    Yasuo thought that he wouldn¡¯t be struggling so much if he could think of it in that way. However, there was a hint of anger in Diana¡¯s voice that did not allow him to reject her idea out of hand.


    ¡°¡­I, also¡ª¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Yasuo instinctively stood up after sensing Diana¡¯s anger, something he had never experienced before.


    At that moment.


    ¡°Yasu-kun!¡±


    After hearing Shouko¡¯s voice, both Yasuo and Diana raised their heads and their expressions turned stiff.


    She was alone. Shouko had come back by herself.


    ¡°Back there, Feig-san and Captain Gaius told me to come back by myself!¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    ¡°Stop right there!!¡±


    Yasuo immediately rushed to Nodoka¡¯s side, and Diana shot a bullet from Castor at the ground near Shouko¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Woah!? Diana-san, what was that for¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, Raia Calgani! What did you do with the two of them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seriously had enough of you! Are you doing this on purpose!? Nodoka, wake up!¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ W-What is it!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh?¡± Shouko said after seeing Yasuo shaking Nodoka awake without a hint of indecision on his face.


    ¡°¡­¡­What gave it away? I thought I did a pretty good job.¡±


    She dropped the act right away and made a show of putting her hands up. As Yasuo and Diana had guessed, it was Raia borrowing Shouko¡¯s body.


    ¡°You really want to know!?¡±


    Raia had made a mistake with how she addressed Gaius. The fact that she had referred to Feigreid normally made her mistake stand out even more, making it more jarring than even she suspected.


    ¡°What the hell do you want!? What did you do to Feig-san and Gaius-san!?¡±


    ¡°Eh? W-What¡¯s going on? Onii-chan, Diana-san, what¡¯s the matter? Why are you talking to Shouko-san that way!?¡±


    ¡°Hello~ Nodoka-chaaan~ It¡¯s nice to meet yoooou~ I¡¯m Tatewaki Shouko¡¯s roommate, Raia Calganiii~ Didn¡¯t you hear about me already~?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°Nodoka, get back. Right now, Tatewaki-san is being controlled by the Shii that possessed her.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s haaaarsh~ Saying I¡¯m controlling her is so mean. Yasu-kun, just how many times do you think you¡¯ve been saved by my poweeeer~?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah, I think I get it. She sounds like she¡¯s got a terrible personality. That thing is not Shouko-san.¡±


    ¡°Eeh? Is it so bad that even a girl who¡¯s meeting me for the first time thinks that way? I suppose I¡¯ve still got a long way to go~¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to never come out again!? Also, I highly doubt Feig-san overlooked your appearance. What the hell happened!?¡±


    ¡°I mean, even if you ask me that¡­¡±


    Raia used Shouko¡¯s face to grin at them.


    ¡°Diana-san, have you heard about what is contained within these ruins? The place where the Hero Hideo awakened the full power of his holy sword.¡±


    ¡°In the depths of the ruins of Oodem¡­ I heard that there was nothing there.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Yasuo was the one who looked surprised by that statement.


    Thinking about what had happened so far, it was true that Diana, Gaius, and Leonid¡ªthe people who looked like they were well-versed in the lore of Oodem¡ªhad not mentioned anything about what the ruins contained. He had assumed that someone would give him an explanation once they arrived at the ruins, but the unexpected reunion with Nodoka had pushed the matter to the back of his mind.


    The fact of the matter was, while the presence of Nodoka and the others and the arrival of the Shii was certainly a surprise, the ruins themselves were completely unremarkable. That said, hearing her actually say that there was nothing there came as a bit of a surprise.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ve heard that in the innermost area of the ruins of Oodem, there is a spacious room that is the same size as the entrance here. There are apparently traces of ancient rituals being performed there, but there is no ritual altar or idol of any sort. Hideo and the others originally came here because the demons were using this place as a fortress and they were asked to clear it out, or so I heard. But¡­¡±


    Without taking her eyes off Raia, Diana pointed the blade of Pollux in her left hand in a different direction.


    The atrium beside the entrance where they were currently situated had multiple holes in the walls and ceiling that acted as skylights through which the starry sky and moon outside were visible.


    ¡°The ancients performed their rituals twice a year. They were performed here, in Oodem. I believe that the researchers came to the conclusion that the innermost room was an observatory used to study the summer and winter solstices.¡±


    ¡°Right answer. Now allow me, dear old Raia-san, to teach you something interesting. In ancient times, the climate here in the northern reaches of Baskelgarde was so unforgiving that the various tribes that lived here put a lot of time observing the heavens. They considered the sun on the summer solstice to be a metaphor for the beginning of life, while the sun on the winter solstice marked the end of life, and they used these as reference points to mark the passing of a year. Hideo did awaken the true power of the holy sword Liutberga here in the ruins of Oodem, but¡­ Why do you think that happened in such an unremarkable place?¡±


    ¡°Why do you know the answer to that¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural that I know. I am the first Magitech Knight to exist in Ante Lande. Orion, the Destroyer of Armies, was created here. This site of ancient rituals was where Elliot¡­ first discovered where the ¡®magical energy¡¯ possessed by people comes from. The beginning of life and the end of life¡­ The place that exists between life and death. Yasu-kun, does this sound familiar? Haven¡¯t you heard of ¡®something¡¯ like this before?¡±


    ¡°The boundary between life and death¡­ Don¡¯t tell me!?¡±


    Yasuo inhaled sharply. He thought that his heart would stop beating.


    And then, without intending to, he looked at Nodoka.


    How did Nodoka, Ogawa, and the other people get here? What happened to bring them to this place? Along with the items that they had been carrying in Japan, no less.


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, just so you¡¯re aware. Since Shouko herself is the ¡®Latch¡¯, it¡¯s not like anything will happen when she or I go there. But for the Hero Hideo, it was enough for something to happen to him¡­¡­ Even I only realized it after going there. I realized just how the Hero Hideo first came to this world called ¡®Ante Lande¡¯!!¡±


    At that instant, a mass of black flames appeared from the direction in which Raia had come running. It was a large number of Shii.


    However, they were clearly different from the Shii that Yasuo and the others were familiar with. What those Shii carried in their arms were not Techo Weapons.


    ¡°Everyone, take cover!!¡± Yasuo shouted at the top of his lungs as he jumped behind the nearest stone pillar while dragging Nodoka along with him.


    He hadn¡¯t done that deliberately.


    He had just wanted to put a sturdy barrier between himself and the Shii.


    Luckily for Yasuo, that turned out to be the correct decision.


    Along with a loud explosion, pieces of stone flaked off the pillar that Yasuo and Nodoka were hiding behind.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh, just now, was that¡ª¡±


    Nodoka¡¯s voice trembled.


    Yasuo knew about those. He had seen them several times in fiction. However, he had never seen them in real life or witnessed them being used.


    Most importantly, it was supposed to be impossible for the Shii to be carrying those around.


    ¡°Diana! Ogawa-san! Take cover! Those things are using guns from Earth!¡±


    The instant Yasuo shouted that, the ruins of Oodem were once again filled with the unbelievably loud sound of gunfire.


    ¡°Onii-chan!!¡±


    ¡°Nodoka! Curl up as tightly as you can! Stay behind the pillar no matter what!¡±


    Yasuo embraced Nodoka as if trying to cover her body with his own, and curled up as much as he could behind the pillar.


    Since he still heard intermittent screams, it appeared that at least some people were still alive. However, the rain of bullets continued incessantly, making it impossible to stick his head out and confirm if the others were alright without getting his own head smashed to pieces.


    ¡°Wow, this is amazing! I did think that they were nothing special physically, but now it makes sense! They have such amazing weapons! If we had these, the fight against the Demon King army would have probably been a lot easier!! The sound is incredible!! My ears huuuurt!¡±


    Yasuo was able to hear Raia¡¯s voice intermittently in between the dreadful roar of gunfire. It was enough to make him seethe with rage.


    She was using Shouko¡¯s voice and Shouko¡¯s body to do whatever the hell she wanted.


    However, Yasuo did not have the ability to slip through this veritable rain of bullets. He could only sit here while trembling and hugging Nodoka, unable to even stick his head out from behind the pillar.


    ¡°Yasuo, Nodoka. Are the two of you okay? Look at me.¡±


    Despite the situation, Yasuo suddenly heard Diana¡¯s concerned voice. It sounded like she was right in front of him. He fearfully opened his eyes to see Diana, standing ready in a low stance.


    Apparently, the stone pillar was still doing a fine job of protecting them from the bullets.


    ¡°I count ten Shii on the enemy¡¯s side. They are all armed with guns, but it looks like only one of them is capable of firing continuously. The rest are all firing single bullets and it looks like they need to reload after every shot.¡±


    ¡°S-So what!? We¡¯re still stuck here¡­!¡±


    ¡°I can stop them¡­ I was surprised in the beginning, but it¡¯s just like Raia said. Apart from their guns, their overall combat potential should be low.¡±


    ¡°T-That means¡­¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I can destroy all of them in the blink of an eye. Right now, Raia has a hostage to use against us.¡±


    ¡°You mean Tatewaki-san¡¯s body¡­?¡±


    ¡°That is very plausible. We still don¡¯t know what Raia is trying to achieve, but it¡¯s doubtful that she will be careful with Shouko¡¯s body. I¡¯m also worried about Second Lieutenant Feigreid and Captain Gaius. Yasuo, listen to me.¡±


    ¡°W-What is it?¡±


    ¡°Can you think of a way to let Shouko¡¯s consciousness regain control?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Raia is also a Shii. The power of your requiem should affect her as well. But more importantly, Shouko has feelings for you, Yasuo. That¡¯s why she was able to push Raia away and return to herself last time. From here on out, can you stop thinking about Raia and think of a way to let your voice reach Shouko instead?¡±


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t just come up with something like that all of a sudden¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if you sing the requiem, I doubt it would reach them properly through all this noise. Besides, if your requiem ends up returning Shouko¡¯s consciousness, there is a chance she might get attacked by those other Shii instead¡­!¡±


    At that moment, a small piece of rock grazed Diana¡¯s forehead and left behind a thin line of blood.


    ¡°Diana-san! There¡¯s blood! You¡¯re bleeding!¡±


    Nodoka let out a scream, and Diana gently stroked her hair as if trying to reassure her.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s just a scratch. I¡¯ll get Yasuo to heal it up later¡­ But it looks like we don¡¯t have much time. Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Diana¡­¡±


    ¡°Shouko cares about you more than anyone else. But the person who believes in you the most¡­ is me.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Yasuo, I¡¯m sure you can do it.¡±


    Diana just said that and smiled.


    ¡°Diana!!¡±


    ¡°Diana-san!¡±


    Leaving the voices of the siblings behind her, Diana suddenly jumped into the hailstorm of bullets.


    Yasuo forced himself away from the brink of panic and desperately thought about what Diana had said to him, but he couldn¡¯t think of any words that would reach Shouko instead of Raia. In the first place, he had no idea what had caused Shouko and Raia to switch places.


    Also, Yasuo and Shouko had very few memories or experiences in common. He had only gotten to know her well very recently, which was after he realized that they went to the same prep school.


    At the time of their reunion, the most important things on Yasuo¡¯s mind had been his family¡¯s secret, as well as Diana, whom he had seen as an intruder.


    It had been only a few weeks since Shouko found out about Ante Lande. Yasuo couldn¡¯t think of anything he could say based on this timeframe that would allow Shouko to suppress Raia¡¯s consciousness.


    ¡°Whew, way to go Diana-san! You¡¯re practically inhuman~ Dodging bullets like that isn¡¯t something regular people can do!¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­ the compliment!¡±


    Yasuo couldn¡¯t hear Diana¡¯s voice clearly, maybe because she was moving at a high speed.


    ¡°Aaaaah!¡±


    However, the next second, Yasuo heard the sound of Diana vigorously bringing down the twin blades of Castor and Pollux, followed by the sound of a magical bullet fired off as a finisher.


    At the very least, she had incapacitated one of them. Or at least that¡¯s what Yasuo thought, but¡­


    ¡°No way!!¡±


    Diana¡¯s surprised shout betrayed his expectations.


    ¡°Ugh!!¡±


    ¡°Okaaay! Cease fire! What do you think, Diana-san¡­? Packs a punch, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°W-What was that, just now¡­¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t able to cut them, were you? Castor¡¯s blade just went through the Shii like they weren¡¯t even there, right!?¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    ¡°Onii-chan, that¡¯s dangerous!!¡±


    Yasuo tried to peek out from behind the pillar despite himself, and Nodoka desperately stopped him.


    ¡°Yasuo! My Techno Weapon doesn¡¯t work against these Shii!¡±


    In exchange, Diana shouted a concise and despair-inducing explanation.


    Standing with her twin blades poised for battle in an area with no cover, Diana¡¯s expression from the side showed that she was backed into a corner.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, riiiiight~!? Whatever could be the reaaaason~!? Why won¡¯t your Techno Weapons work against the Shiiiiii~!? At this rate, who knows if even Yasu-kun¡¯s requiem will work on them or noooot~!¡±


    Yasuo gritted his teeth while listening to Raia talk like she had already won.


    Just what the heck was going on here? If Diana¡¯s Castor and Pollux didn¡¯t work against them, then what had happened to Feigreid and Gaius who were not here?


    ¡°What do you think of that, Yasu-kun!? It looked like you were getting cocky after Diana-san called you a Saint, so why don¡¯t you try and sing your requiem from over there!? That¡¯s fine with me! Give it a shot!¡±


    ¡°¡­Like hell, I will. It probably won¡¯t work anyway.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you might still have a chance! Yasu-kun, you are the Saint and the son of the Hero, aren¡¯t you? Maybe you¡¯ll have better luck than an ordinary Magitech Knight like Diana-san! Come on, if you manage to send off the Shii here, I¡¯m sure Shouko will fall even deeper in love with you!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­If you weren¡¯t dead already, I¡¯d seriously try to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Yeaaah, that¡¯s not happening. But if you¡¯re not going to do anything, I¡¯ve got other stuff to do. I can¡¯t just sit around here and keep you company. I want to leave Oodem and take this bunch with me to Holstro. So¡­ Haaaaah!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!!¡±


    A loud scream and the sound of a gunshot reached Yasuo¡¯s ears, and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Diana being slammed violently into a wall.


    ¡°Can you not get in my waaay~!?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Shouko! You need to wake up!¡±


    ¡°Nope! She can hear you, but she can¡¯t do anything about it! After all, Shouko herself helped me get adjusted to this body! She wanted to help Yasu-kun so badly, she wanted to save him so badly, that she called out to me again and again in Galedeite! Haaaah!¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Why you¡­!¡±


    ¡°Diana!!¡±


    The black flames of Orion wrapped themselves around Shouko¡¯s limbs and waist like poisonous snakes, and she mercilessly rained down a flurry of kicks and punches on Diana.


    Diana parried, blocked, and sidestepped every one of her blows, but since she was fighting against Shouko¡¯s body, she wasn¡¯t able to counterattack. Moreover, the other Shii¡¯s supply of ammunition seemed inexhaustible as they continued to fire their guns.


    ¡°Nodoka! Can you do something about them!? If you can at least stall the Shii for a little bit¡­!¡±


    ¡°No way! If I can¡¯t see my target, there¡¯s no telling where the Wheel of Flame will go! Onii-chan you idiot, you should do something about them with your requiem instead!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useless! I¡¯ve been singing it for a while now, but it won¡¯t work at all!¡±


    ¡°Eeh!? Maybe you¡¯re just not singing it loudly enough! The gunshots must be overwhelming the sound of your voice! You need to sing loud¡ªKyaa!!¡±


    It looked like Nodoka¡¯s yelling caught the attention of the Shii, as they switched targets from Diana and instead resumed shooting at the pillar behind which Yasuo and Nodoka were hiding.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yasu-kun!? At this rate, I¡¯ll eventually defeat Diana-san and then turn Hosltro into a sea of blood! I wonder how long Diana-san¡¯s stamina will last! I just hope Shouko¡¯s body doesn¡¯t break down before that!¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around! Weren¡¯t you guys planning to use Tatewaki-san as a ¡®Latch¡¯!?¡±


    ¡°Yep. But it¡¯s all good as long as Shouko is still alive. So it doesn¡¯t matter if she gets hurt a little, you see? That¡¯s why¡­ Haaah!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Diana-san!!¡±


    Nodoka¡¯s scream rang out once again. Raia¡¯s fist had sunk itself into Diana¡¯s right flank, slamming her into the ground.


    ¡°Hahaha! Diana-san, you could have avoided that hit just now, right!? If you had used the Pollux in your left hand to attack my wrist, you wouldn¡¯t have taken so much damage, right!? Why? Why didn¡¯t you do that!?¡±


    ¡°Ugh! Onii-chan, what¡¯s up with her!?¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew! Oi, Raia! We already passed through Holstro last night! I¡¯m not letting you go there, no matter what!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Hmm?¡±


    Standing beside Diana who was still collapsed on the ground, Raia made a sound that indicated that she was not amused.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. That idiot Shouko, she got so excited just because you hugged her and closed up the Latch so tightly that I wasn¡¯t able to do anything. But Shouko and I are one. I knew her Latch would loosen up soon enough because of anxiety and jealousy. I mean¡­¡±


    Raia moved Shouko¡¯s eyes to look at Yasuo. He felt a chill run down his spine.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, you just want to travel all over this world with Diana-san without caring about my feelings at all!¡±


    ¡°¡­What¡­ are you¡­¡±


    ¡°Raia¡­ Be quiet¡­ Don¡¯t say anything more¡­¡±


    ¡°These are Shouko¡¯s true feelings. Shouko feels jealous of Diana-san. She¡¯s strong, cute, and you depend on her all the time, Yasuo. Shouko has been jealous of Diana all this time for being able to stay beside you.¡±


    ¡°Raia!! Stop!! Don¡¯t reveal any more of Shouko¡¯s feelings¡­!¡±


    ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you try to steal a march on her last night?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°Shouko was watching you. She saw you take Yasuo out of the room. She saw you hugging him and smiling happily.¡±¡¯


    ¡°¡­¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Onii-chan? What the heck were you doing!?¡±


    Diana and Yasuo were obviously shocked, but it looked to him like even Nodoka felt the same.


    ¡°You know, ever since ¡®I¡¯ first met her, I knew that ¡®Diana-san¡¯ was important to ¡®Yasu-kun¡¯. I mean, you¡¯re completely different around her.¡±


    ¡°Shouko¡­ It¡¯s not what you think, that was just¡­¡±


    ¡°From back when we met at the Ozone shopping center on Prope Street. It wasn¡¯t any one thing in particular. It was just a simple matter of ¡®me¡¯ and ¡®Diana-san¡¯ occupying different places inside Yasu-kun¡¯s heart. That was inevitable, right? I mean, until we met again, ¡®I¡¯ was just someone from ¡®Yasu-kun¡¯s¡¯ past, a long-forgotten memory.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Shouko.¡±


    ¡°Forgotten past¡­¡±


    Diana groaned in pain, and Yasuo inhaled sharply as if he had just remembered something.


    ¡°Forgotten past¡­ Forgotten¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Hey, Onii-chan!?¡±


    ¡°Say it, ¡®Diana-san¡¯. Be honest. How do you feel about ¡®Yasu-kun¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Raia smiled sadistically and grabbed Diana by her hair, forcing her to look up.


    ¡°You knew it, didn¡¯t you? You knew that even when I come out to the surface, Shouko will still be aware of everything that is going on.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡­ You are¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is so thrilling. I bet I had the same expression on my face before I died¡­ But don¡¯t hold a grudge against me, okay? I just don¡¯t want the young kids to have any regrets, you know? If you don¡¯t express your feelings while you still can, or you might never get the chance.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    The gunfire from the Shii had stopped at some point.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean that the Shii had disappeared. They were just standing around and flickering eerily while pointing what looked like the muzzles of their guns at the surroundings in a threatening manner.


    However, the Shii had suddenly stopped moving ever since Raia¡ªwho was supposedly controlling them¡ªhad started glaring and spouting her complaints to Diana.


    Yasuo hurriedly glanced around his surroundings. Ogawa was fairly close to him, with his back against a nearby pillar. As for the others, he saw people like Suzuki and Akaike who had failed to run away in time and were similarly hiding behind pillars or walls and trembling in fright. However, he did not see anyone bleeding or collapsed upon the ground with injuries.


    However, it was only a matter of time before they would be massacred.


    Raia had somehow gotten the drop on Feigreid and Gaius, and Diana was being driven into a corner right in front of him. If he allowed Raia to keep doing as she pleased, there wouldn¡¯t be anyone left who could fight against her.


    ¡°This is a good chance, so let me tell you something. Elliot Higgins was killed by the current Holstro military faction of Baskelgarde, led by your ¡®Uncle Leonid¡¯. Just because he refused to submit the Orion for official testing.¡±


    ¡°He was¡­ killed?¡±


    ¡°Elliot thought that Orion was still incomplete. Given its structure, it put too much of a burden on the Knights who wielded it. He kept insisting that it needed to be refined a lot more before it would be ready for practical use¡­ It was around then that rumors started spreading about Resteria¡¯s Castor being close to completion. You see, Baskelgarde really wanted the title of ¡®First in the world to create the new generation of weapons¡¯. They needed that title to seize the initiative in clearing out the remnants of the Demon King army after Hero Hideo left this world.¡±


    ¡°¡­Uncle Leonid did that¡­? That can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°Elliot was stripped of his development environment. He was forcefully assigned to the mission to retake Torjesso along with me and several other members of the initial development team. That was one of the places where the remnants of the Demon King army were concentrated in large numbers. Elliot was a researcher, not a Knight like me. Even so, the two of us were placed at the forefront of the troops in order to show off the power of Orion to the world¡­. The two of us died right away, it was pretty anticlimactic. We had planned to get married once Orion was ready for practical use¡­¡­ Hehe, if Shouko¡¯s memories are correct, that sort of thing is called a ¡®death flag¡¯ in Japan, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I sympathize with your circumstances. But that has nothing to do with Shouko!¡±


    ¡°Huh!? What are you saying? Of course it has nothing to do with her. But isn¡¯t that just how fate works to link people together? Elliot and I just happened to meet by coincidence because of where we were posted. We weren¡¯t childhood friends or old rivals who became close to each other or anything like that. It¡¯s the same for me and Shouko. The two of us just happened to have feelings of love that would never be realized, and we just happened to cross paths.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying such nonsense! Shouko is a person from Japan! There was no way the two of you could have met unless someone was pulling the strings in the background¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey Diana-san, don¡¯t you remember? That Techno Weapon of yours, there was someone else fairly recently who wasn¡¯t affected by it, right? An enemy you couldn¡¯t cut, no matter how much you tried.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Diana, as well as Yasuo and Nodoka, remembered him.


    An enemy against whom Diana¡¯s full power was completely meaningless. No matter how much she hit him, she couldn¡¯t put so much as a scratch on him.


    ¡°William Bareig¡­ Don¡¯t tell me, you were present during the battle in Tokorozawa¡­¡±


    ¡°I was actually watching that, you knooow~ Although I only realized what it meant after I possessed Shouko. And so, when I tried to copy him, I was able to do it because of Shouko¡¯s ability to function as a Latch¡­¡­ I was able to summon the ¡®Shii from another world¡¯. Well, I suppose it¡¯s not really impressive enough to be called summoning. All I did was to grab some guys who were wandering around and forcefully kick them out through a gap in the Latch.¡±


    Raia¡¯s disdainful monologue continued.


    ¡°Diana-san, didn¡¯t you ever stop to consider why your attacks never landed on him? Why did Hideo¡¯s attacks work on him? What was the difference?¡±


    Raia pointed at Yasuo, who was hiding behind the pillar.


    ¡°Why did Castor hit him when Yasu-kun just blindly threw it at him?¡±


    That had certainly happened.


    Diana¡¯s sword had just passed through William like he was insubstantial, no matter how many times she had tried to hit him. However, the broken Castor that Yasuo desperately threw at William out of fear had made contact with his head.


    ¡°I realized something after seeing that. I could use this. If I could make use of that ability, I could travel through the Latch and take revenge against Baskelgarde. I realized that¡­¡±


    At some point, five black rings had appeared around Shouko¡¯s wrists, ankles, and her waist.


    It was the Destroyer of Armies, Orion. The first Techno Weapon ever created, developed by the man named Elliot.


    ¡°I realized that I would be able to take revenge against Baskelgarde for robbing me of Elliot, Orion, and my future as a human being.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Your desire for revenge¡­ is your own business. But I won¡¯t let you do as you please with Shouko¡¯s body and mind just because of that!¡±


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a little too late to say things like that. I don¡¯t have the time to search for another Latch either, now that Beatrice and J?rg have put their plans into motion. The Shii are already on the brink of overflowing from the Country of the Dead. I also need to take this opportunity to help their plans succeed¡­ by first drowning Baskelgarde in a sea of blood. Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Ughh!¡±


    Raia causally kicked Diana in her side, as if she was doing nothing more than flicking a piece of dirt off her clothes.


    ¡°¡­¡­Raia¡­ Give back Shouko¡¯s body!¡±


    ¡°Give it a rest already. I get it, okay? I¡¯ll give it back after everything is over. It¡¯s not like I have anything against Shouko, if anything, I feel like I owe her. Which is why I explained everything properly before everything goes to hell. Is that okay with you, Yasu-kun?¡±


    Raia turned her back to Diana and spoke to Yasuo who was hiding behind the pillar. Her voice was filled with malice.


    Yasuo gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Stop messing around! What is wrong with you!? You call yourself one of the dead, act like none of this affects you while still miserably clinging to the world of the living, and don¡¯t care about hurting people for the sake of your goal¡­ How does that make you any different from Uncle Leonid or the people of Baskelgarde whom you cursed with your dying breath!?¡±


    Diana¡¯s shout didn¡¯t seem to affect Raia one bit.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­This is your last warning. Give Shouko back¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s end the long conversation here. Get out of my way, Diana-san. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll have to kill the Japanese people around here for real¡ªWha¡­?¡±


    At that moment.


    The gunfire was supposed to have stopped, but the sound of a single shot echoed around the room.


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh?¡±


    Raia turned to look at Diana with her eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°¡­¡­Did you seriously just¡­ shoot me?¡±


    Diana¡¯s index finger on her left hand was squeezed around the trigger of Pollux.


    Raia¡¯s, or rather, Shouko¡¯s left sleeve had been ripped open, and blood began to stain the fabric around her upper arm where the skin had been cut.


    ¡°¡­¡­It hurts¡­ Who knew Shouko¡¯s body was actually this weak¡­?¡±


    Diana hadn¡¯t inflicted any real damage. If anything, her attack only served to make Raia¡¯s expression distort with anger as the black flames surrounding her increased in intensity.


    ¡°After all your pretty words, you would still shoot your rival in love for your own benefit!? You¡¯ve got some serious guts!!¡±


    ¡°Aaah!!¡±


    After violently kicking Pollux out of Diana¡¯s hand like she was kicking a soccer ball, Raia once again leaned over Diana and pulled her up by her hair.


    ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t kill you? I can squash Magitech Knights like you in less than a second. Don¡¯t you care about what happens to Shouko?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Don¡¯t mistake me. I will properly apologize to Shouko later to the best of my ability.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°I just needed you to look towards me for three seconds¡­¡­ Don¡¯t you hear it?¡±


    The sound of a weak, yet overlapping melody echoed through the dust-filled room in the ruins of Oodem.


    Upon hearing that, Raia¡ªor rather, Shouko¡ªimmediately stiffened and threw her head back.


    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ Eh?¡±


    Only her eyes moved as she frantically searched for the source of that song.


    Yasuo and Nodoka had come out from behind the pillar at some point. They were now standing directly in front of Raia, singing the same song together in one voice.


    ¡°Eeeh¡­ Are you serious? You¡¯re reacting to something like this? What the heck!?¡±


    That song had a far too cheerful and inappropriate melody for their current situation.


    ¡°Yasu-kun, Nodoka-chan¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡°¡±¡±


    ¡°¡°¡±¡±


    Yasuo and Nodoka continued to sing that song, their voices overlapping with each other.


    ¡°¡°¡±¡±


    ¡°¡°¡±¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s so lame.¡±


    At that instant, the last traces of Raia¡¯s consciousness disappeared from Shouko¡¯s visage. As her bloody and battered body started to fall, Yasuo immediately reached out and held her in his arms.


    At the same moment,


    ¡°Wheel of flame that sleeps beneath the earth, open the door to wisdom with the furrows of your passing!!¡±


    Nodoka slammed her right foot into the ground along with a fast-paced chant, causing the Shii in Shouko¡¯s surroundings to burst into flame and burn intensely.


    Inside the flames that Nodoka created, the Shii appeared to fall into a panic as they broke their stances with their guns.


    In that instant, Yasuo immediately switched to a different song. That was more than enough.


    ¡°¡±


    All he did was to recite one line of the requiem while continuing to hold Shouko in his arms. However, that was enough to immediately cause all ten of the Shii to stop moving. Hearing the requiem sung by Yasuo while trapped inside the flames produced by Nodoka, the Shii followed the inevitable fate of the deceased as they turned into soot and vanished.


    Yasuo laid Shouko down on the floor, placed a finger on the wound caused by Pollux¡¯s magical bullet, and applied healing magic while continuing to sing the requiem.


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Diana apologized to Yasuo.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. It was my fault for standing up suddenly without giving you any sort of signal. You did great, getting Raia¡¯s attention like that. I don¡¯t think it will leave a scar¡­ but even if it does, I¡¯ll make sure to take responsibility for it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No, you can¡¯t. I was the one who shot her.¡±


    However, Diana spoke as if she had shot Shouko out of her own free will. She held her injured side as she made her way over to Yasuo, leaned over, and gently stroked Shouko¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Afterwards, I need to allow Shouko to vent all her frustration on me. This is just the starting point for that.¡±

 Volume 4, 4 – The Two’s Feelings, Part 2

    Volume 4, Chapter 4 ¨C The Two¡¯s Feelings, Part 2


    ¡°The song that stopped Raia in her tracks earlier on¡­ What was it?¡±


    Shouko, who had regained consciousness and finished undergoing healing, was the one who answered Diana¡¯s question.


    Shouko was throwing fleeting glares in Yasuo¡¯s direction. Yasuo was going around the room and treating the other people from Japan who had been injured by the Shii¡¯s gunfire, so he didn¡¯t notice her gaze.


    It was a miracle that no one had died despite the heavy gunfire and Raia¡¯s rampage. However, quite a few people had been grazed by bullets and were injured, so Yasuo had his hands full with healing them.


    Shouko looked at Yasuo as he worked and bestowed an extra-stern glare upon him before turning away.


    ¡°¡­¡­The school song. From Kitahira Middle School,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Kitahira Middle School¡­ Ah, that¡¯s right. I had forgotten that Yasuo and you used to attend the same middle school that Nodoka goes to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right, but¡­ but it just had to be the school song, of all things. When Onii-chan asked me to sing it with him, I thought the fear had finally driven him insane.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Still, it is a memory from the past that Yasuo and Shouko have in common, correct? I asked Yasuo to think of a plan that would allow Shouko to suppress Raia somehow. I think he made the optimal choice. The instant I looked at you and Yasuo, I knew you had come up with a plan of some sort, Nodoka. That¡¯s why¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you didn¡¯t have to shoot me, right? I only found out now, but Raia and I even share the sense of pain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really very sorry¡­ But I believed in Yasuo¡¯s skills. His abilities surpass those of even high-ranking clerics, so I believed that it would be simple for him to heal a scratch from a magic bullet without leaving a scar¡­ Of course, that doesn¡¯t excuse the fact that I injured you, Shouko. I am very sorry.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Oh well, it¡¯s fine. In a tense situation like that, I don¡¯t think you would have been able to distract Raia with any half-hearted methods¡­ More importantly.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    Diana went pale in the face and cast her gaze downwards, awaiting Shouko¡¯s judgment.


    ¡°¡­¡­About the stuff that Raia said.¡±


    However, Nodoka suddenly interrupted their conversation at that point.


    ¡°Aaaaah! Yeah, about that! You must be joking, right!? I knew that Diana-san has been soft on Onii-chan ever since she first met him, but what happened to you, Shouko-san!? You should reconsider it!! I mean, just look at him!!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t clear whether Nodoka didn¡¯t sense the heavy mood between Shouko and Diana or if she willfully chose to ignore it. Shouko looked at Nodoka who had jumped into their conversation like a runaway train and gave her a clear reply.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already confessed to him, though.¡±


    ¡°Ugaaah!?¡±


    Nodoka released a scream full of dissent and doubt from the bottom of her lungs, causing Shouko to smile wryly.


    ¡°I guess it might be a little difficult to understand at your age, Nodoka-chan. Sure, many people would prefer to have someone who is especially cool or who is more talented than others. I get that. But there are times when you see someone working hard, or unexpectedly catch sight of a guy¡¯s true beliefs and how he lives his life, and that can affect you too.¡±


    ¡°Even if you act all mature like that¡­ By those standards, it seems even less likely that anyone would fall for that brother of mine.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Anyways, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been in love with your brother ever since I was in middle school. So¡­ Diana-san.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Sit down properly on your knees. I¡¯ll do it too.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡±


    Shouko and Diana faced each other, formally seated on their knees, despite still being covered in dust from the battle.


    ¡°Be honest. How are things, really?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­This might just sound like an excuse, but¡­ I don¡¯t know. As you are aware, I¡¯ve lived a life where I could never put my own choices first¡­ So¡­¡±


    Diana looked at Yasuo with moist eyes and red cheeks as he earnestly worked some distance away from them to heal the people who had been caught in the crossfire.


    ¡°I want to fight by Yasuo¡¯s side. I do not know if this feeling is love, or if it is a sense of aspiration and duty towards one who carries the blood of the Hero Hideo.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I see. Hmm.¡±


    Shouko looked like she wasn¡¯t entirely satisfied with Diana¡¯s answer, but the look she sent Diana¡¯s way was not one of hatred. If anything, it was closer to sympathy. As for Nodoka, she was left alone to grab her head and feel perplexed about the situation while looking between the two of them.


    ¡°¡­¡­I can¡¯t believe it. There are actually two young ladies who are fighting over my brother. Actually, this is not the time to be talking about this, right? The other two Magitech Knights haven¡¯t come back yet, you know?¡±


    ¡°¡°Ah.¡±¡±


    Even Feigreid and Gaius would probably get angry if they heard the two of them make such an airheaded sound.


    ¡°I-I guess things got a little heated there. We need to get our priorities straight.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t believe I lost my composure like that¡­ Oh, that hurts¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yasu-kun! Hurry up and heal Diana-san¡¯s side too! Oh, that¡¯s right! Yasu-kun! Nodoka-chan! We found him! All the way inside!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Umm¡­ Whom did you find¡­?¡±


    ¡°Your dad! Oji-san!! We found him in the innermost part of Oodem!!¡±


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    ¡°S-Seriously!?¡±


    ¡°You really found Hideo there!? Is he okay!?¡±


    Yasuo, Nodoka, and Diana immediately drew closer to Shouko, causing her to become flustered.


    ¡°H-Hang on. Give me a second. Yeah, he was there. It¡¯s just¡­ He didn¡¯t look like he was hurt or anything, but I¡¯m not sure if that counts as being ¡®okay¡¯ or not¡­¡­ I mean, that idiot Raia¡­¡­¡±


    Shouko placed her left hand over her left eye and trembled.


    ¡°That idiot Raia¡­ She pulled those Shii out from where your father was¡­¡­¡±


    ¡ù


    They had expected to find a large area after hearing that it was used as an observatory and space for holding rituals, but what they found instead was a snug semi-circular space that was slightly smaller than a classroom at school.


    After climbing a long and straight stairway to reach the area, there was a vertical slit-shaped window directly opposite. Most likely, the light from the sun would shine directly through that window on the day of the summer solstice. From the layout of the place, it looked like it was constructed so that light from the sun at a certain angle would fully illuminate the stairway that Yasuo and the others had just climbed, and even it would even reach the entrance.


    They found Feigreid and Gaius lying unconscious in that small space, but the two of them immediately regained consciousness and sat up once Yasuo used his healing magic on them. Gaius, in particular, wasn¡¯t able to hide his astonishment at Yasuo¡¯s healing magic which surpassed that of an accomplished cleric.


    ¡°Oh? So you really weren¡¯t just playing around after all.¡±


    Compared to the amazed look on the face of the Magitech Knight whom he had only met recently, even Nodoka¡¯s habitual abuse sounded like music to his ears.


    However, they did not have the time to rejoice over their safe reunion. At the moment, Ogawa and the other people from Japan were waiting in the large room at the entrance to the ruins without anyone to guard them.


    After finding out that Hideo was present inside the ruins, albeit in an abnormal state, all of the people who knew him, including Nodoka, decided to go inside the ruins. However since they did not know what sort of situation was waiting for them inside, they couldn¡¯t just take the people from Japan along with them. Hence, they had instructed Ogawa and the other people to wait near the entrance, and to follow them into the ruins in case anything went wrong.


    ¡°After Raia suddenly took over Shouko¡¯s body, it looked like she stuck her hand into this and forcibly pulled those Shii out.¡±


    Even without Feigreid¡¯s explanation, Yasuo, Diana, and Nodoka were able to tell at a glance that the strange phenomenon before them was the reason for the disturbance they had experienced earlier.


    It was right in the center of the semicircular space. It was positioned in such a way that any light that entered from the slit window would be obstructed by it before it reached the stairway. It looked like a snow globe, only instead of glass, it was made from a sphere of light.


    Hanging in the air in the middle of the room was a flickering vortex of light the width of an adult¡¯s arm span, within which a white space was taking form.


    Yasuo was familiar with all of these things.


    The flickering vortex was the light of a Gate Tower. The white space was the World of the Dead, which he had previously witnessed through Raia¡¯s intervention. And then¡­


    ¡°¡­..What the heck are you doing in a place like that, Dad?¡±


    At the heart of the queer snow globe¡ªthe spot where Santa Claus would be present in an actual one¡ªwas Kenzaki Hideo. The size of the dome made his father look proportionally smaller, and he was crouched down while looking at the ground.


    Yasuo was looking at that sight from a somewhat overhead view. He remembered seeing his father in that position before. It was the same position that his father had taken in the Gate Tower on their way here, crouched down after complaining about feeling unwell. Everything was exactly the same, from the clothes he was wearing to the shoes that he had on.


    ¡°Now it makes sense why he never appeared no matter how many times I tried calling the Holy Sword. He¡¯s in a completely different world.¡±


    Most likely, Yasuo and the others were currently looking into the World of the Dead without Raia¡¯s help.


    Yasuo had no idea why his father ended up in the World of the Dead while they were moving through a Gate Tower that linked Japan to Resteria. However, even he and Shouko had ended up in the Gaz Commonwealth, so there was little benefit in trying to guess what had caused the deviation.


    The question was, how were they supposed to get his father out of there?


    It had already been six days since they had entered the Gate Tower. If his father had been there the whole time since then, that meant he could not come out of his own free will. If that was the case, they needed to do something to help him.


    ¡°¡­¡­Tatewaki-san.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s pretty much the only thing we can try now, right? It¡¯s not like Raia has left my body just yet. What do you want to do? Should we all go?¡±


    Yasuo shook his head in response to Shouko¡¯s question.


    ¡°No, just me alone. I¡¯ve been there once before and come back, after all.¡±


    ¡°T-That doesn¡¯t guarantee anything, does it? ¡­More importantly, how do you plan on entering this¡­¡­ Yasuo, do you know what this globe is?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it works, though. Last time, it was Raia who pulled us in. We are looking into the World of the Dead. The entrance is¡­ in Tatewaki-san¡¯s left eye.¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m really unstable right now, okay? It feels like Raia will take control if I let my guard down even a little bit. Kekeke.¡±


    Shouko put on a teasing face for a moment as if she was making fun of Diana, but she immediately regained a serious expression.


    ¡°You really want to go alone?¡±


    ¡°If it turns out that I can¡¯t come back, I¡¯ll need Diana, Feig-san, and Gaius-san to return to their respective countries and let them know what¡¯s going on. Raia exists independently on the other side, so there shouldn¡¯t be any danger to your own body on this side, Tatewaki-san. In the worst case, it will be just me and my dad stuck in there together. If that happens¡­¡±


    Yasuo turned to look at Diana, who could only nod back at him.


    ¡°I will definitely find a way to save you and Hideo.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. The odds aren¡¯t that bad. Diana, you have the Pomona that is linked to Liutberga, and Nodoka probably has the same nature as me. I think the same thing that happened in the museum will happen once again. Everyone, step back for a bit.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Everyone, let¡¯s head back down the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Nodoka, Captain Gaius, please come this way.¡±


    ¡°Just what is going on?¡±


    ¡°H-Hang on, Diana-san. What are Onii-chan and Shouko-san trying to do¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­If we don¡¯t make it back¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh!? What¡¯s that supposed to mean!? What the hell are you¡­¡±


    ¡°If that happens, you will probably be the last thread of hope, Nodoka. I¡¯ll do my best to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen¡­ but nobody can be sure about what will happen in the future.¡±


    ¡°Onii-chan!! Shouko-san!?¡±


    ¡°Sorry about this Nodoka. Also, Diana¡ª¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s more whining, I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡±


    Just as Yasuo was about to say something, Diana clearly started that.


    ¡°I believe in you, Yasuo. You have overcome every single challenge so far. I believe in you. Make sure you¡­ Make sure you come back quickly¡­ so we can fight side by side.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Diana.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve recognized you for who you are a long time ago, Yasuo. You are a warrior who can stand on his own feet, one braver than anyone else in all of Ante Lande. Shouko.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Please make sure to bring Yasuo back.¡±


    Shouko looked back at Diana, held Yasuo¡¯s left hand, and stuck her tongue out at her.


    ¡°The place beside him is mine. I¡¯m not letting you have it.¡±


    It took only a fraction of a second. Black flames large enough to cover the entire semicircular room appeared before Diana and the others, and the Magitech Knights put up their guard. A few seconds later¡­


    ¡°T-They¡¯re gone¡­¡±


    As soon as the swirl of flames receded, they saw that Yasuo, Shouko, and the shining snow globe that projected an image of the white world had all vanished.


    ¡ù


    When he regained consciousness, his vision was filled with not black, but white. Yasuo focused on his left hand, but he couldn¡¯t feel the sensation of holding Shouko¡¯s hand.


    As before, he felt the sluggish and sweltering feeling as if he was walking through a dream. At that moment, he realized that instead of Shouko, a different girl was standing by his side. She was staring in a single direction without looking at him. That too was just as he remembered.


    ¡°You really got me good back there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡±


    Raia Calgani. The Shii that had taken up residence inside Tatewaki Shouko.


    ¡°I never imagined that Diana would shoot Shouko. Also, I did not expect that you would pull Shouko¡¯s consciousness to the surface with such a lame song. It¡¯s called a school song, right? I know it from Shouko¡¯s memories, but it was by no means a good memory for her.¡±


    ¡°You seriously have such bad taste. You share her memories, too?¡±


    ¡°I saw the strong memory that bubbled up to the surface because of your crappy song, that¡¯s all. I don¡¯t think I have intruded into her privacy too much.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so the people of Ante Lande from thirty years ago had the Japanese word for ¡®privacy¡¯ in their vocabulary?¡±


    ¡°I learned it from Shouko. The last time you forced me back, I had to endure a ton of complaints from her.¡±


    ¡°Serves you right. Saying whatever the hell you want using Tatewaki-san¡¯s body like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rich, coming from a man who can¡¯t even properly respond to her love confession.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª!!¡±


    That was definitely something Raia had no business butting into. However, it looked like she was satisfied with making Yasuo get flustered, as she suddenly changed the topic.


    ¡°By the way, just how do you intend to rescue Hideo from this world?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not expecting any help from you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to talk to me like that? Shouko is one of the living, so her power is meaningless in this world. One might even say that the management of the Latch has been left up to me. Even if you and Shouko manage to get back, you can¡¯t do anything for Hideo using Shouko¡¯s Latch.¡±


    ¡°I said that I have no intention of getting help from you, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Yasuo brushed aside Raia¡¯s taunts and looked around at his surroundings.


    ¡°As long as I stay here, that guy will come eventually. I¡¯ll negotiate with him.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, look. He¡¯s coming from the same direction that you¡¯re staring in.¡±


    ¡°What is¡­¡±


    Raia and Yasuo were standing beside each other, looking in the same direction. It was the direction in which Raia said that the Capital of the Dead lay waiting, far off in the distance.


    It was the color of a bloodstain that had dripped on to the otherwise pure white world. It was a dirty black in color with a heart of crimson, looking as if it was trying to suck all the light out of the world.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±


    Raia¡¯s voice was filled with fear. She turned around, even though she wasn¡¯t supposed to be able to do so, and tried to run.


    However, she failed. Because she was one of the dead.


    ¡°What are you so afraid of, Raia Calgani?¡±


    A carefree voice and an arrogant manner of speech. That person was about a head and a half taller than Yasuo.


    A once-white shirt, now dirty, with the sleeves rolled up. Loose, khaki-colored trousers held up with suspenders. Leather boots. A sturdy physique.


    Last of all, a lantern held in the left hand that overpowered the white world with a black and red glow.


    ¡°It has been a while, Yasuo Kenzaki.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come for me so soon, William Bareig.¡±


    William smiled as if he was truly happy, while his left eye glowed an ominous red.


    ¡°You finally came over of your own free will, Yasuo. It would be discourteous to not come out to meet you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to play around. I intend to go back right away. You understand that, right?¡±


    ¡°Even so. The time spent with a dear friend is precious, no matter how short the meeting. You have done well in gaining such mental fortitude in such a short time. It feels like it was only yesterday that you were trembling in fear after seeing this eye of mine.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t really that long ago, after all. My senses aren¡¯t really working properly in this place, but I¡¯m still scared of you.¡±


    ¡°Be more confident. Truth to tell, I am amazed by your growth. If I wait just a little longer, I am sure you will turn into such an outstanding person that it will make our first meeting feel like a lie. Of course, the same goes for your little sister as well. She appears to be worried about her future path, but she has the talent required to serve as Madoka Sugiura¡¯s successor. That is why I gave up on aiming for your ¡®lives¡¯ for the moment. Of course, I would give you a warm welcome if the two of you wanted to join me right this instant.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I have several questions for you.¡±


    ¡°Come on now, no need to be in such a hurry.¡±


    William made a show of dropping his shoulders after seeing Yasuo¡¯s unfriendly attitude. That small movement was enough to cause the red light from his lantern to flicker, making Raia flinch and tremble in fear.


    ¡°Still, your growth does warrant some reward. I will answer whatever I can.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You¡­ You¡¯re not from Ante Lande, after all.¡±


    William smiled happily at Yasuo who stated that as if it was a fact.


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°Diana¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t work against the Shii that were summoned by Raia. Just like in her fight against you. Judging from the way they were dressed, the Shii that Raia summoned came from some point in the history of Earth.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You were hit by the piece of junk that I threw at you. Nodoka¡¯s magic was able to hit the Shii that were summoned by Raia. That¡¯s why I thought, the dead people from a particular world can only be attacked by living people from the same world.¡±


    ¡°Do you not have any doubts about why the dead from both Earth and Ante Lande appear from the same place?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly surprising, considering that even living people can travel between the worlds. There¡¯s no point wondering about the reason, so it can wait. It¡¯s more important to acquire proof that the World of the Dead, Ante Lande, and Earth are all interconnected. Otherwise, there would be no way to explain how Nodoka, Ogawa-san, and the others made it here.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well then, assuming that the worlds are interconnected as you say, what does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­You said it back then, didn¡¯t you? You told us the reason why you wanted me and Nodoka¡­ ¡®To save the world,¡¯ you said.¡±


    ¡°I am impressed that you remembered that.¡±


    Yasuo took a breath. As if he was resolving himself for what was to come next.


    ¡°¡­¡­When are the Shii going to start appearing on Earth?¡±


    Was sound still transmitted through the air, even in the World of the Dead? Was it really air that Yasuo breathed in just now?


    William Bareig grinned widely at the young man who had been born only some ten-odd years ago and who excelled at healing other people.


    ¡°It might very well depend upon the two of you.¡±

 Volume 4, Final – The Hero’s Children

    Volume 4, Final Chapter ¨C The Hero¡¯s Children


    The blizzard that was raging outside was not typical weather for this time of the year, even taking into account the fact that there was still a fair amount of time until spring. Visibility was next to zero with all the snow and the gusts of wind, making the relatively warm weather they had had until yesterday seem like a lie.


    ¡°Give me a break already. I can¡¯t get into the mood.¡±


    The city streets had been blindsided by the unseasonal snow, causing traffic to come to a grinding halt. The only reason he had managed to make it to his destination was because he wanted to be there for what was going to happen, no matter what.


    There was actually no need to show up at that place these days. There were plenty of days to get confirmation even without doing so. Even so, he still wanted to go there for no other reason than to feel the sense of accomplishment in person.


    He walked forward slowly and carefully to avoid slipping in the accumulated snow and finally reached his destination.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He had assumed that there wouldn¡¯t be many people eccentric enough to visit the place in person on a day like this, but to his surprise, he found that quite a few people besides him had chosen to gather in that place. He felt a sense of relief after seeing that.


    With so many people here, it was very unlikely that the event that was to come would be canceled due to bad weather.


    The storm grew even worse, to the point where it became impossible to gauge the time based on how bright it was. However, all the people gathered there were waiting with bated breath for that very moment, which was nine o¡¯clock in the morning.


    The curtain dropped away, quite literally. Exactly as planned. He gulped and tightened his grip on the scrap of paper that he held in his hands.


    And then¡­


    ¡°Found it.¡±


    It had only taken him around ten seconds or so. The white curtain had dropped away to reveal a notice board filled with numbers. Kenzaki Yasuo confirmed that his exam seat number was displayed on that board in just ten-odd seconds.


    ¡°¡­¡­Haah¡­¡±


    He had expected to feel much happier than this.


    He had expected that this result would cause him to shout with joy.


    However, the feelings currently dominating Yasuo¡¯s heart were a queer sense of achievement, along with a certain kind of resignation.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no going back now.¡±


    After checking another three times to make sure that his number was really displayed on the board, Yasuo pulled his Slimphone out of his pocket and held it to his ear.


    ¡°H-Hello, this is the Kenzaki residen¡ªAh!!¡±


    Unlike him, the person who picked up the call on the first ring appeared to be very tense. Not only did they mess up the greeting, but they had also apparently dropped the telephone receiver. The loud sound that came through the speaker caused Yasuo to reflexively move his Slimphone away from his ear.


    ¡°¡­Hello~. Calm down a bit. Why are you more nervous than me when I am the one who actually came to the location?¡±


    After listening to the apology that came over the speaker of his phone, Yasuo spoke with a hint of pride in his voice.


    ¡°I passed the exam. For Politics and Economics at Waseta University.¡±


    A huge commotion broke out on the other side of the call the instant he said that, forcing him to once again move his Slimphone away from his ear.


    ¡°Hey, calm down. When you get all excited like that, it just makes me cool down even more. I¡¯m standing in the middle of a blizzard here, you know?¡±


    After saying that, Yasuo once again looked up at the notice board that displayed the list of people who had passed the general examination.


    ¡°Okay. Yeah. The blizzard is really bad, so I¡¯ll be taking the train straight back home. Yeah, the trains are delayed a lot but they¡¯re still running slowly. Yeah. With this, I have achieved the bare minimum.¡±


    Peeling his eyes off the notice board, Yasuo looked up at the large auditorium of Waseta University, one of the hardest private colleges to get into in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Had he not been stuck in the middle of a blizzard, would the snow that accumulated in the eaves have given the sight a slightly magical feeling?


    No, surely not.


    After all, Yasuo would not be attending Waseta University despite it being his first choice of college and passing the examination.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll call again if anything happens. I¡¯m heading back home for now, so would you mind turning on the bath heater? I already feel like I¡¯m frozen solid. Yeah¡­ Eh? Geez¡­¡±


    Yasuo smiled wryly at the voice that came over the speaker of his phone.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Isn¡¯t that what we decided on to begin with? I held up my end of the promise. Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    The voice on the other end of the call was crying.


    It wasn¡¯t due to happiness, but due to sadness and regret. To some extent, that response was also as he had expected. That was because¡­


    ¡°I decided to fight. With this, I have satisfied your condition, Diana. Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡ù


    ¡°William. There is one thing I want to confirm.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    On that day, Yasuo asked William a question after going from the Ruins of Oodem to the Land of the Dead.


    ¡°Do I have to die, no matter what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are getting at.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I already heard the explanation from Raia. She told me that both Kaul and Beatrice set out with the intention of keeping the World of the Dead from filling up to the brim. I didn¡¯t understand everything she said, but most likely, there are far too many of the dead right now, to the point where the Country of the Dead can¡¯t receive any more. I don¡¯t really understand what Kaul was trying to do with his methods, but I assume that Beatrice Heller was trying to keep the cycle of life going while keeping the dead in the world of the living.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, that assumption is more or less true.¡±


    ¡°Then what is your goal? If I go by what you said when we first met, it makes me think that you wanted to drag Nodoka and me to this place all along. It sounded like we wouldn¡¯t serve your purpose unless we died. But I used a ¡®Latch¡¯ and came here anyway. Is this good enough?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Beatrice tried to use the Latch to send the Shii en masse to the world of the living. In fact, she was able to choose from among the dead with a fairly high degree of precision and release them into the world of the living. In that case, wouldn¡¯t the opposite also be true?¡±


    William made an expression like he had fallen into thought for a short while, but eventually, he held out his right hand that was not holding the lantern and raised three fingers.


    ¡°There are three problems. Firstly, we do not have much time until the Land of the Dead bursts from the pressure and breaks the cycle of life. Even though you used the Latch to come here, you cannot move around properly, correct? You haven¡¯t moved a single step since you came here. You are of no use to me this way. Another problem is that if we keep waiting for you to mature, Beatrice¡¯s plan will succeed. Not to mention the bursting that I mentioned before.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I see. So what¡¯s the last problem?¡±


    ¡°Living beings cannot reach the Capital.¡±


    ¡°The Capital?¡±


    ¡°The core of the life cycle system that makes the Land of the Dead what it is. There is no way to get around this particular problem. You cannot pass through the Gates of the Dead while you still possess a physical body. With the current state of the cycle of life, the only ones to pass through the Capital are those that you people have been sending off. However, both Earth and Ante Lande have generated far too many of the dead. The system is unable to deal with the sheer number of dead and they are backing up, starting to encroach upon life itself. Both Kaul and Beatrice were trying to keep this system intact while trying to make it work more efficiently.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­And you?¡±


    ¡°I want to break the system that maintains the cycle of life. My choice is the complete opposite of what Kaul and Beatrice were trying to do by maintaining and optimizing the current system.¡±


    ¡°What happens if you destroy it? Does that mean people will no longer die?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea about that.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Yasuo was shocked by William who just gave an irresponsible answer all of a sudden.


    ¡°The current state of the system is hindering the smooth reincarnation of life, right? If you destroy the reincarnation system itself, won¡¯t that just mess everything up?¡±


    ¡°Just when did I say that the cycle of life was ¡®reincarnation¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Nobody knows what happens to the dead after they are sent off. It is said that the Capital¡¯s system purifies the souls and sends them on to their next life. However, there is no guarantee that a person who has died will be reborn once again as a human.¡±


    William¡¯s red eye glowed even brighter as a smile tinged with madness spread across his face.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound horrible? No matter how many good deeds you stack up, it all ends when you die. No matter how many evil acts you perform, death sets you free. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s unforgivable? If there is a cycle of life, then I would like for the karma accumulated by a soul to be carried over to the next life, as it should have been from the start¡­¡­ That¡¯s why¡­¡­ That¡¯s why I separated myself from the system. I used the Torch to obtain this lantern. The power to cheat death, and obtain the Mask of life.¡±


    Mask. Yasuo remembered hearing that word before. He had heard it from Raia.


    Kaul is the Torch. Beatrice is the Queen. And¡­


    ¡°So you are the one called J?rg?¡±


    ¡°That is just what the dead people in the Capital started calling me. It is merely one of the many names I am known by. The same goes for Kaul and Beatrice as well, they just chose those names on their own. I¡­ I have only one true name. My father was a shithead and he was completely beyond help, but he still gave me a name, William, and I loved him. Say, Kenzaki Yasuo. I cannot believe them. I cannot believe the bastards who say that they never want to be reborn as humans. If you face hardship, or if you face a helpless situation, then isn¡¯t it natural to seek revenge against the ones who put you in that position? If the people who don¡¯t feel that way are reborn as shellfish or something, what¡¯s the point? They don¡¯t want to live, but they still want to become a different type of ¡®living thing¡¯ in spite of that. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s ridiculous?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve never felt that much despair towards my life. I¡¯m just a kid from Japan from an ordinary family, after all. Compared to the world¡¯s standards, I¡¯ve actually lived a relatively blessed life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. You are far more blessed than I was when I was born into the world as a human. Anyways, that is not important. Reasons aside, I want to destroy the system that is built to maintain this cycle of life. I want to see if what comes after that is eternity or an end. Say, Kenzaki Yasuo.¡±


    William suddenly closed the distance between himself and Yasuo. He came close enough for Yasuo to feel his breath, and Yasuo felt like taking a step back out of fear.


    ¡°You can¡¯t move, can you? That is because you are bound by your life. You cannot become one of my comrades in that state. You cannot fight by my side as long as you are alive. Or fight against me, for that matter.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    William thrust the lantern in his hand towards Raia who was standing next to Yasuo, still unchangingly facing the direction of the Capital without even being able to turn to look at him.


    ¡°W-What are you¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Beatrice¡¯s Latch is a hindrance. While I am looking to acquire souls that grew to be superior while still alive, her Latch is an obstacle that does naught but nip such talent in the bud. It is enough for only my own ¡®Latch¡¯ to exist. Your existence is what makes Yasuo harbor such strange misconceptions.¡±


    ¡°J-J?rg! What are you¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of? You¡¯re already dead. In the first place, you are just an ordinary Shii. You are merely one of the pitiful keys in Beatrice¡¯s keychain that happened to manifest the personality from back when you were still alive. You cause nothing but harm to Yasuo and his friends. Separate yourself from Shouko Tatewaki.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait¡­¡±


    Raia¡¯s scream was erased by the light of the lantern. The red light from the lantern flooded her left eye.


    Yasuo, who was unable to take his eyes off William, heard something snap in the fringes of his vision, followed by the sound of a small footstep, as if someone was walking upon wet sand.


    Raia faced forwards and started to walk away.


    ¡°¡­¡­Raia.¡±


    Yasuo called out to her back in a tone of voice different from sorrow, regret, or even resentment. However, Raia¡ªthe girl who was one of the dead¡ªdid not look back at him.


    ¡°There is nothing more pitiful than a Shii that has fled the Capital. Because she left the circle of life that is still barely functioning, she has to start all over again from the last place in the queue. I wonder how long it will take until she once again reaches the Capital¡­¡±


    William spared Raia a momentary glance as she walked away, but he immediately returned his gaze to Yasuo.


    ¡°What do you say? The failure of the system is inevitable. Before long, the dead will overflow into the land of the living. Before that happens, there might be a chance to save other pitiful souls like her. Would you like to bet on that chance? Would you like to witness the creation of a new form of life and death?¡±


    Life was inevitably followed by death.


    The Capital had a system that would return a soul after death to the cycle of life, which worked in much the same way as the sending off performed by Yasuo and the other Magitech Knights. However, what would happen if that system was close to reaching its limits?


    There was far too little information to work with. Yasuo¡¯s strength was far too insufficient. The way he was right now, he did not not have the capacity to answer William¡¯s question.


    ¡°¡­¡­For now, I think that Beatrice¡¯s plan is more realistic. I can also understand why she spread the roots of the Carnelian of the Coal Mine throughout each nation. The goal is to basically create a world-wide, state-sponsored program to send off the dead. That should reduce the burden on the Capital a little.¡±


    ¡°That only postpones the problem.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to act like you¡¯ve achieved something after rejecting everything that has been in place since ages ago, either.¡±


    Although it sounded oddly familiar and cliched, Yasuo and William were running on parallel paths that would never intersect.


    ¡°I have lost interest. I can¡¯t move you from that location, nor can I kill someone who has come to the World of the Dead. Sheesh, the youth of Japan are far too conservative. I wonder if it is because of your rigid society.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re both humans, aren¡¯t we? You should understand how it feels to want things to stay the same.¡±


    Yasuo said that offhandedly, but that comment seemed to take William by surprise. He looked a little daunted as he stared intently at Yasuo¡¯s face. Was it just his imagination, or had the bloodthirst emanating from William¡¯s soulless left eye reduced a little?


    ¡°Did I say something strange?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Fairly strange, I would say. Even back when I was a human, I was repeatedly despised as a demon and whatnot. I never imagined that I would be treated as a human after ending up in such a state.¡±


    ¡°Despite how I look, I¡¯m still preparing for exams. I believe that I am capable of taking things in context. If you were once a human, then I see no problem with saying that you¡¯re still a human now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s not like there are any rules on the subject. So even after death, one remains human. Hahaha.¡±


    Yasuo wondered what was so strange about that. William raised the corners of his mouth in a happy smile and then did something completely unexpected.


    ¡°Yasuo. I will entrust this to you.¡±


    William pulled a flaming coal that glowed with a bright light from the lantern he held and pressed it into Yasuo¡¯s hand. It was the same hand that Yasuo had used to hold Shouko¡¯s hand before he came here. Yasuo panicked, but he could not resist William¡¯s strength.


    Despite glowing ominously, the piece of coal that was pressed into his hand did not give off the slightest amount of heat.


    ¡°Observe.¡±


    William raised Yasuo¡¯s hand that was holding the coal to eye level, allowing him to see what was happening.


    The piece of coal held in his hand crumbled away like the soot from a Shii that was being sent off, leaving behind a small cylinder that sparkled with a golden color in the palm of his hand. At first glance, it looked like the sort of whistle that a sports referee would wear around their neck during a match, but Yasuo saw upon looking closer that it had the shape of an olifant, despite its small size.


    ¡°The Holy Sword Liutberga. The Holy Staff Marlowe. The Holy Bow Pomona. All of them are sacred vessels that were named from the belief that souls would be reincarnated from the underworld. And this here is the last one. The Holy Flute Solanum.¡±


    ¡°Solanum?¡±


    That was also a word that he had heard from Raia. However, not just Diana, even Feigreid and Gaius had never heard that name. Yasuo¡¯s doubt must have shown on his face, as William put on a teasing expression and once again said something that was hard to understand.


    ¡°Even Japan has the Obon festival, right? I¡¯ve heard that Solanum is meant to be used at that time.¡±


    ¡°What the heck is that supposed to mean?¡±


    Seeing as all four of his grandparents were still alive and well, Yasuo¡¯s impression of the Obon festival was merely that it was a time during his summer vacations when things got especially crowded and disorganized.


    However, since William had said that, there had to be some meaning behind it.


    ¡°After you return to Oodem, try blowing it before the ¡®Latch¡¯ closes. Hideo will undoubtedly be returned to the world that he belongs to.¡±


    The moment William said that, Yasuo was surrounded by a sudden whirlwind of black soot that welled up from the lantern that was supposed to be empty. The whirlwind gave off a grating sound, like the wings of countless insects. Even William, who was standing right in front of Yasuo, disappeared from his view.


    ¡°The next time we meet, I expect a more favorable response¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡ó


    The next instant, Yasuo opened his eyes and found himself in front of the snowglobe in Oodem. Unlike the time in the museum, his mind was completely clear, and he was still holding Shouko¡¯s hand.


    Held in between their palms was the small golden flute. Yasuo let go of Shouko¡¯s hand and held the whistle up to his lips, causing a clear, peaceful, and beautiful note to echo throughout the surroundings.


    The Holy Flute Solanum.


    Before Yasuo could even recall that name that he had heard in the chaotic, dreamlike vision of the Country of the Dead, the vortex of stars surrounding the snowglobe that looked like a Gate Tower suddenly shattered. The white world started to distort, including Hideo who had been frozen inside that space. And then¡­


    ¡°¡°Eh?¡±¡±


    As the two of them watched, Hideo was thrown into a sky, right in front of them. It was a sky that Yasuo and Shouko were very familiar with.


    It was the sky above the Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park, in broad daylight.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what he meant when he said, ¡®the place where he belongs?¡¯¡±


    For an instant, they saw Hideo struggle frantically when he was thrown into the sky above Tokorozawa, but the image that they had been seeing dispersed along with the last fragments of the shattered vortex of stars and they could not tell what happened to Hideo after that.


    ¡°Yasuo, Shouko, are the two of you okay?¡±


    The two of them turned towards the voice that called out to them timidly from behind. The next instant, Diana, Nodoka, Feigreid, and Gaius were suddenly taken aback.


    ¡°Shouko¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Shouko-san, your eye! Your left eye!¡±


    Diana and Nodoka ran up to Shouko, irrepressible smiles breaking out over their faces at the sight of her left eye . Yasuo looked at her face while continuing to hold her hand.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s still a little red.¡±


    Shouko¡¯s eyes were a little red, maybe because she was tired.


    However, that was all.


    There was no trace of the black flame that could not be hidden no matter how hard they tried.


    ¡ù


    What followed next was a great uproar, in more ways than one.


    The Shii had disappeared completely from Shouko, and her left eye went back to its original color. That meant she also lost the Orion and the superhuman strength that had come from Raia, but Hana-chan continued to interact with Shouko in the same way as before, proving that Shouko¡¯s skill at handling scelephants came entirely from her own talent.


    After that, there was a huge uproar in Baskelgarde regarding the treatment of the twelve people from Japan who had appeared in Oodem.


    The matter of the magic anomaly detected at Oodem was settled with the explanation that it had been caused by the arrival of the twelve people near Oodem, but sending back so many people to Japan using the Gate Tower would cost an incredible amount of money. Nodoka aside, the other people from Japan couldn¡¯t even believe that they had really been transported to another world, so it took some time to get them to understand.


    In any case, the conclusion was that Yasuo was not able to return to Japan for almost a month.


    Since they had at least completed their highest priority mission, namely getting rid of the Shii that had possessed Shouko, Diana took her back to Japan right away. She was able to return Shouko to Japan in exactly seven days, just as she had promised.


    That was all well and good, but in order to secure the funds to send the other twelve people back, they had no choice but to make Yasuo¡¯s existence public. Since the ¡°Saint of Galedeite¡± who had already been making the rounds in rumors brought back a new sacred vessel from the same place where the holy sword had awakened, the mood in Holstro turned so festive that it made it seem like all problems related to the Shii had been resolved.


    Only the fact that Yasuo was the child of the Hero had been kept under wraps, but since both of them were existences who had the potential to save the world, the number of people who wanted to connect the two of them together was by no means small.


    After that, Leonid, of all people, set up a fund for donations to the ¡°Saint¡±, and then used the entire amount to finance the transportation of twelve people using the Gate Tower.


    The Gate Tower required three percent of Resteria¡¯s yearly budget to pay for a round trip for a single adult. Of course, the donations alone would not cover the entire cost of the trip for twelve people, so Leonid used the donations as leverage to establish a ¡°Support Fund for the Saint¡± as a government venture to gather even more money through investors. Even Diana could not help but be surprised by this plan which could only be called a state-sponsored scam.


    Truthfully speaking, Yasuo considered it a miracle that he was able to return to Japan in just one month. There was a very real possibility that he could have been raised up as a national hero and swept away by the flow, but the ones who stopped that from happening were Leonid and the Krone family.


    Just when Yasuo was on the verge of being declared as a national hero, Leonid released fake information that he had left the country on a journey to suppress the Shii.


    Despite collecting donations and even establishing a fund for his use, the fact remained that Yasuo did not have the sort of power that the rumors said that he did, and nor did he have any means to resolve the root cause of the problem with the Shii. That said, it was apparently good for Basklegarde¡¯s image to provide official support to him while allowing him to tour the various countries, at least for the time being.


    Feigreid, as a Magitech Knight from the fortress town of Galedeite which was considered to be the ¡°Land where the Saint first appeared¡±, was deeply connected with Leonid¡¯s manipulations. Even Hana-chan, the scelephant that was supposedly used by the Saint on his travels, was being treated as a sacred beast.


    Of course, Yasuo had not actually gone on a journey. After seeing off Nodoka and the others who traveled back to Japan using Baskelgarde¡¯s Gate Tower, he was transported to Resteria by the Krone Family from where he used the return trip that had already been paid for to return to Japan.


    The reunion with his parents that came after a month of separation turned into an awkward situation. After all, Hideo, who was supposed to guard them during their trip, had not even made it to Ante Lande, and had instead ended up being unceremoniously kicked back to Earth.


    On top of that, Madoka had ended up hospitalized due to mental stress after remembering what had caused her to be transported to Ante Lande thirty years ago and connecting the dots that explained Nodoka¡¯s disappearance. In conclusion, the whole family was in an extremely complicated situation.


    Apparently, the fact that Nodoka had been secretly practicing magic had also caused a bit of a conflict between her parents.


    Of course, it went without saying that there was a fairly big panic when the people who had gone missing after the bus accident suddenly appeared one night at the Aviation Park.


    Since Nodoka had also been declared as one of the missing people, the Kenzaki family was forced to deal with reporters on several occasions who tried to forcibly interview the missing people who had returned.


    Returning to school had also been a major challenge.


    Not only had they taken an unplanned leave of one whole month, there was also the aforementioned bus accident that had left a major impact. In the end, it took a whole three months for Yasuo¡¯s and Nodoka¡¯s surroundings to calm down, counting from June, when their trip to Ante Lande had ended, all the way to the end of September.


    And then, when the uproar in their surroundings had finally started to die down, Yasuo and Diana got into a big fight.


    ¡ó


    ¡°Nodoka! You froze the bathwater again! What¡¯s the matter with you!?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I was just trying to use Fog Magic, I swear!¡±


    The family discussion on that day started with the issue that Nodoka had caused, namely turning the hot bathwater into a solid chunk of ice.


    Nodoka, who had learned the Flame Wheel magic on her own, had not reflected on her actions one bit. Instead, she went on to apply the various bits and pieces of knowledge that she had gained about sorcery from Feigreid and Gaius during her stay in Baskelgarde to earnestly practice her magic without permission.


    No matter how many times Madoka, Diana, and Khalija tried to warn her, she did not listen to them. In the end, she even ended up acquiring freezing and thunderbolt magic all on her own.


    ¡°Just when I was feeling happy that no Shii have appeared for the last three months, do you have any idea how many things you have broken instead!? You destroyed the lights in the living room, the bath heater, and even froze the plants in the garden and killed them! I¡¯ve had it up to here with you!¡±


    ¡°I said I was sorry, didn¡¯t I!?¡±


    While listening to the ongoing argument between the mother and daughter, Yasuo had been made to sit opposite Diana, who had her arms crossed and was frowning at him from across the table in the living room.


    ¡°No matter how many times you ask, the answer is ¡®No¡¯. I cannot accept it. I will not let Resteria or Baskelgarde interfere with the Kenzaki family ever again, no matter what! You are going to live out your life safely right here in Japan, Yasuo!¡±


    ¡°Like I said, that¡¯s impossible now. I already told you everything that happened between William and me in Oodem, didn¡¯t I!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason why! Everything that you know came from William, how do we know that it¡¯s true!? In any case, the problems that Ante Lande faces from here on need to be handled by the people of Ante Lande themselves. We can just say that Saint Yasuo is still somewhere in Ante Lande, saving the people who fight against the Shii. That should be good enough!¡±


    ¡°Like hell it is! In the one month that I was there, I went about using my image quite a bit in Baskelgarde! If I just take advantage of the fact that I¡¯m in Japan to fade out of the scene, that would be a betrayal against all the people who are depending on me! Besides, Baskelgarde would get sued for fraud!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s their fault for holding unreasonable expectations! Those people are just like how I was in the past. They won¡¯t spare a single thought for your circumstances. They¡¯ll just take advantage of your good intentions to keep inflating their demands! Resteria and Baskelgarde are no exception! We can¡¯t have the people of Ante Lande being coddled by Heroes who come from somewhere else anymore!¡±


    ¡°Just listen to me for once! I¡¯m not planning on extending a helping hand to every single person¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have someone else that you need to extend a hand to, Yasuo!? Did you reply to Shouko¡¯s confession yet!?¡±


    ¡°W-What does Tatewaki-san have to do with this!?¡±


    ¡°She has everything to do with it! Instead of worrying about Ante Lande, you should be properly resolving the problem at hand instead!¡±


    ¡°Nodoka, it looks like Ogawa-san sent you an assorted ice cream box or something.¡±


    ¡°Hideo, please stop talking about pointless things and say something to him as well!!¡±


    ¡°Eh!? Uhh¡­ Umm¡­ Yasuo. It might sound strange coming from me, but being a Hero is quite a pain.¡±


    ¡°I already know that!¡±


    ¡°¡­B-By the way, Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°What is it now!?¡±


    ¡°You really¡­ You really didn¡¯t see it, did you? The film that I left behind in Resteria.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I didn¡¯t see it. I forgot all about it. Believe me, already.¡±


    ¡°T-Then it¡¯s fine, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Hideo! Stop saying things that will make Yasuo want to go back to Ante Lande!¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, I was just a little concerned¡­¡±


    After returning to Earth, Hideo also remembered the reason for his transportation to Ante Lande in his youth, perhaps due Madoka¡¯s suggestion. However, it appeared that the circumstances surrounding that incident were a part of Hideo¡¯s dark history that he wanted to stay hidden.


    Back when he was in high school, Hideo had wanted to become a film director.


    He had borrowed the movie camera that was handed down in the movie research society at his school, dubbed the ¡®EIKEN¡¯, and had gone around on his own filming whatever caught his fancy. One time, he had gone to get some footage of mountain scenery, and ended up straying from the path and entering an area that was off-limits, after which he had fallen off a cliff and ended up in Ante Lande.


    According to Hideo, he had planned for a long filming session, so in addition to filming equipment, he was carrying portable rations, a tent, and props used for filming. He had also been carrying a Japanese dictionary for script-writing purposes and an accent guide for giving directions to actors.


    In short, the young Hideo¡¯s dreams about his future were the reason for the popularity of the 8mm film format in Ante Lande, as well as the reason why there were so many people in that world who were excessively fluent in Japanese.


    Incidentally, the reason why so many Techno Weapons had trigger systems similar to those of firearms was because Hideo had been greatly interested in western films at the time and the movie props that he had been carrying with him had included a replica gun.


    ¡°Anyways, the film Dad left behind has nothing to do with it. I¡¯m still going back to Ante Lande!¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t! Please, just give up on that already!¡±


    ¡°No-do-ka! Why is the t-shirt that I washed burnt to a crisp¡­!?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­ We don¡¯t have a dryer, right? So I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Nodoka!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!!¡±


    ¡°Diana! Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to fight by my side!? What do you plan to do about that promise!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Well, I mean, I said that because Shouko was with us at the time¡­ and back then, I didn¡¯t expect that the problem would be resolved in that way, so I just said that while getting carried away by the mood¡­!¡±


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t a lie, right!?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yasuo, you¡¯re too close! M-Move back a little!¡±


    ¡°Sheesh, Onii-chan¡­. I¡¯m telling Shouko-san.¡±


    ¡°Nodoka! I¡¯m not done talking to you yet!!¡±


    There wasn¡¯t even the slightest trace of tension. The mood was so devoid of tension that it would be hard to believe that the entire family was involved in a life-threatening crisis related to another world.


    That was mainly because, in the three months since Yasuo had returned, there hadn¡¯t been any moves from Ante Lande or any trace of the Shii appearing on Earth. Another major factor was that Diana had been doing everything in her power to keep the Kenzaki family as far away from Ante Lande¡¯s various problems as she possibly could. Even though she had initially come over to summon Hideo, she had completely changed her stance to that of protecting the Kenzaki family from Ante Lande.


    ¡°But if what William said was true, then the situation will eventually turn bleak anyways, right? None of the people who got transported to Ante Lande along with Nodoka have the ability to influence public sentiment or the mass media of Japan. If the Shii start appearing on Earth as well, there is no way we can mount an immediate response. In that case, doesn¡¯t it make more sense to go to Ante Lande since they already have a good understanding of the Shii and see how the situation unfolds over there? That would make it easier to protect Japan as well, in case something happens.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Diana, you brought up the matter with Tatewaki-san earlier, but I think that going to Ante Lande and developing countermeasures against the Shii is what¡¯s best for her sake as well. Let me say this up front, I¡¯m not just saying this because I want to run away from my exams, okay? I realized what I really want to do with my life in the one month that I spent in Ante Lande. I¡¯m going to Ante Lande, to protect the world. Not to compare myself to Nodoka, but I haven¡¯t just been sitting around doing nothing for the past three months. The other day, I just happened to see a kid get hit by a scooter. Not only did I finish healing the kid in under five seconds, I even used an electric shock magic to capture the culprit!¡±


    ¡°Why are you just casually saying something important enough to be featured on the news!?¡±


    Diana was taken aback, and Hideo put on a slightly stern expression.


    ¡°Yasuo. Just like in that one American movie, even if you gain some special powers and try to use them for the sake of the world, you will definitely hit your limit at some point. You will definitely experience the sadness that comes from not being able to save someone!¡±


    ¡°Hideo, please go put that ice cream in the fridge first! It was a gift from someone else, right!?¡±


    Hearing that, the Hero of old who had been listening to the conversation between Diana and Yasuo all this time while holding the gift that had been sent by Ogawa dejectedly did as he was told and proceeded to put away the assorted ice cream box.


    ¡°Anyways, Diana! Please understand!¡±


    ¡°Hyaaa!?¡±


    Diana turned back to resume her conversation with Yasuo after seeing Hideo leave, but instead let out a wild scream after he directly grabbed her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s something that I want to do. After everything that has happened, it is something that I decided to do. Haven¡¯t I been saying from the start that even if I pass the college entrance exams, I¡¯ll still take a break from studies and go to Ante Lande? It¡¯s the same thing, only the schedule has been moved up a bit!¡±


    ¡°B-But Yasuo! The circumstances were different at that time¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know that the circumstances were different! But you said it yourself, Diana! You said that you recognized me as a warrior who can stand on his own!¡±


    ¡°S-Sure, I said that, but that was just because I was caught up in the moment¡­ It wasn¡¯t a lie, but that¡¯s still unrelated to the matter at hand¡­!¡±


    ¡°My skills at magic are still inferior to even Nodoka, but I¡¯ve been working out every day! I¡¯ve also been going to morning practice at school everyday, so I can sing the requiem for a whole three hours without a break if I have to! Please, Diana!¡±


    ¡°Umm, Yasuo, I get it. I get it, so please, let go of my hand¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°And besides, there¡¯s the matter of Solanum as well. For some reason, I feel like as long as I¡¯m holding on to that, I can¡¯t rid myself of William even if I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°You should just throw that thing away with the inflammable trash!¡±


    ¡°If I do something like that, he¡¯ll just get pissed and come at us directly! For now, I still can¡¯t see myself winning against him.¡±


    ¡°A-Anyways, I¡¯m not going to allow it. No means no! A-Also, you¡¯re holding my hand for too long. I mean, I understand how you feel, Yasuo, so please let go¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Why is Diana-san refusing so strongly? Holding her hand like that and pressuring her¡­ Just what are you doing, Yasu-kun¡­¡­?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I just happened to run into Shouko earlier so I brought her along with me¡­ Is this a bad time?¡±


    ¡°¡°Ah.¡±¡±


    In the middle of that chaotic situation, Shouko entered the room after being brought over by Khalija and made the obvious misunderstanding. Only, instead of flames gushing out of her left eye, it looked like she was angry enough to grow demonic horns from her head.


    ¡ó


    The peaceful days had continued, until that time.


    It was the middle of October, a time when all troubles related to the Shii and Ante Lande had started to become nothing more than vague memories. At this time, when the days were noticeably shorter, rumors of a suspicious person started to circulate among the students of Kitahira Middle School, the school that Nodoka was a student of. According to the information, the person was apparently a vicious slasher who made a habit of attacking people on the streets at night when there were few people around.


    The police stepped up their vigilance, and Yasuo¡¯s family also went about their lives while keeping an eye out for trouble. However, one day, the aforementioned slasher¡¯s attack left one of the victims severely injured.


    The unfortunate victim was a police officer who had been attacked while they were on the job. The attack had been carried out in an area that was relatively well-lit by streetlights and was in plain view of a surveillance camera belonging to a nearby shop. The fact that the criminal had blatantly chosen such a location for the attack made the residents of the area shudder with fear, but the ones who received the biggest shock of all were the people related to the Kenzaki family, who were watching the news.


    The video that accompanied the news report about the slasher showed the police officer who had fallen victim to the attack on patrol, when a man with a grotesque silhouette stepped out from the shadows.


    The report went on to explain that the dark and fuzzy silhouette of the attacker was caused by the positions of the light sources near the scene, but the members of the Kenzaki family, the Magitech Knights, and Shouko only needed a single glance to understand what it really was.


    It was a Shii.


    A single Shii had appeared all of a sudden, out of nowhere. There wasn¡¯t so much as a hint of anything suspicious happening on Ante Lande¡¯s side, and there were no traces of Beatrice or William being involved either.


    A stray Shii had appeared in Japan.


    That single truth shook the Kenzaki family to its core. Maybe William Bareig might have been telling the truth all along. That suspicion suddenly started to grow in their hearts.


    Of course, there was a chance that this Shii was released into the world by William, precisely to stir up the Kenzaki family¡¯s agitation. While that possibility was not zero, the fact remained that Shii were once again able to manifest in Japan, which forced the Kenzaki and Tatewaki families to once again stay on their toes.


    After a week of living on high-alert, the Shii in question was defeated by Hideo who just happened to come across it on his way back from work. He didn¡¯t even have to use Liutberga. A simple and straightforward punch imbued with magic was all it took to defeat the Shii, after which he sent it off using the requiem that he had learned. Sending off a single Shii was no trouble at all for him.


    As the Shii had been defeated by Hideo, the wielder of the sacred vessel Liutberga that had been born from the Country of the Dead, there was no way to tell what world the Shii had originally belonged to. However, on the same day that Hideo reported his defeat of the Shii, a family meeting was called at the Kenzaki residence that included Khalija and Shouko. Everyone present at the meeting had the same, severe expression.


    ¡°As I said earlier, I¡¯m going.¡±


    Nobody raised any objection to that statement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can help, but there¡¯s definitely something going on. I want to exchange information with the people of Ante Lande and prepare for the possibility of something happening in Japan. If nothing happens, that¡¯s fine. But just in case something happens, I¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Yasu-kun¡­¡±


    It looked like Shouko, who looked anxious, had something to say. However, she restrained herself. She was a person who put store by reason and intellect, and so the memories of the week she had spent in Ante Lande with Yasuo kept her from saying anything.


    And so¡­


    ¡°There is one condition.¡±


    Diana spoke up instead of Shouko.


    ¡°You mentioned that it would be fine if nothing happens, but I disagree. It would mean that you threw away the life you have in Japan for absolutely nothing. Yasuo, your home is here, in Japan. Don¡¯t forget that. That¡¯s why¡­¡­¡±


    It was possible that the detour would just cause them to end up at an impasse after going around in circles.


    In spite of that, the path taken to reach that place was a detour that was absolutely necessary for the Kenzaki family, Kenzaki Yasuo himself, and for Dianaze Krone, who had caused him to shoulder the circumstances of another world.


    ¡°Pass the college entrance examinations. Establish a foundation for your life here in Japan. Once you do that¡­¡­¡±


    Diana looked Yasuo straight in the eye.


    ¡°Saint Yasuo. I will take you to Ante Lande.¡±


    ¡ù


    Considering Yasuo¡¯s academic performance upto that point, getting accepted into Waseta University was undisputedly a spectacular feat. At the time when he had entered his third year of high school, his evaluation was a solid ¡®C¡¯ even for colleges that were a whole two ranks below Waseta in terms of deviation score. Both Diana and Shouko honestly praised Yasuo for boosting his ability up by two ranks despite everything that had happened with Ante Lande and the bus accident.


    He had not neglected his magic and sorcery training during that time either. As before, he was only able to use healing and lightning bolt magic, but his evaluation had grown to the point where Khalija rated him as ¡®Somewhat better than a Knights Division newbie.¡¯


    With this, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that Yasuo had completed the bare minimum preparation in order to go to Ante Lande.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yasuo boarded a train from the Takadanobaba Station, which was the closest station to the university. The train was emptier than he had expected, and although it moved forward at a snail¡¯s pace, it did not make many stops in between either, and so the trip to Tokorozawa Station only took thirty minutes longer than usual. By that time, the heavy snowfall had stopped, and even the wind had died down.


    Yasuo headed to the ticket gate while praying that the road to his house was not filled with too much snow. At that moment¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­Welcome back. Congratulations.¡±


    Yasuo ran into Shouko, who had been waiting there for him.


    ¡ó


    ¡°Sorry. I was planning on telling you once I reached home.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Nodoka-chan told me that you were probably planning on doing that.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡±


    The two of them had their umbrellas out as they walked through the peaceful residential district.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to stop you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°You decided from the start, right? That you would go to Ante Lande if you got accepted into college¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to Baskelgarde? Didn¡¯t they make you do all sorts of outrageous stuff before?¡±


    ¡°Definitely Resteria, for starters. I plan to eventually go to Galedeite to exchange information with both Resteria and Baskelgarde, and also enlist Feig-san¡¯s and Catalina-san¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°I see. I suppose leaning too much towards a particular faction will cause problems. Seeing as you¡¯re one of the new Braves and all.¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Those are just my thoughts on the matter, I have no idea what Diana¡¯s mother and Leonid-san have on their minds. I¡¯ll adjust my plans accordingly after actually getting there.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. There¡¯s still some time left until you actually go to Ante Lande, after all¡­¡­ So you¡¯re taking a temporary break from your studies? Going on leave right after enrollment into university, as expected of a Hero. You¡¯re going to attend the entrance ceremony at least, right?¡±


    ¡°My father told me to do that, so yeah.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ You¡¯ll be leaving after two months, at the most.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡­ Tatewaki-san, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Yasuo called out to Shouko on reflex after seeing her put on a lonely expression, but he was interrupted by a long and narrow package, neatly wrapped in wrapping paper.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Congratulations. Here¡¯s your gift for passing the exam.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh? Really?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie about something like this? Go on, open it.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ This is¡­ a fountain pen?¡±


    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s cheap, but it¡¯s an authentic dip pen. You need to dip it in an inkwell to write¡­¡­ I heard that these are commonly used in Ante Lande.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Tatewaki-san.¡±


    ¡°Yasu-kun. Did you look at my face just now and try to rush your answer?¡±


    ¡°Ueeh!?¡±


    ¡°You were making an expression like you wanted to get the current unresolved question out of the way just because you won¡¯t be able to see me for a long time after you go to Ante Lande.¡±


    ¡°N-No, it wasn¡¯t for such a perfunctory reason¡­¡±


    Yasuo grew flustered because her statement had not been completely off the mark, but Shouko just grinned back at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with never getting an answer. After all, you don¡¯t love me or anything. Right, Yasu-kun?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t press you for an answer in spite of that. I mean, the result is right there for me to see. That¡¯s why, I don¡¯t need an answer.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Tatewaki-san, I¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Next time, I want you to be the one to confess, Yasu-kun.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Eh!? Uwaah! ¡±


    As Yasuo looked around, shocked by her unexpected statement, a snowball hit him right in the face. By the time he hurriedly shook the snow off, Shouko had already moved quite some distance away from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going this way! See you later!¡±


    After looking around, Yasuo realized that he was standing at the crossroads that lay in between his house and Shouko¡¯s. However, he felt for some reason that the crossroads represented his separation from Shouko, and he wasn¡¯t able to even chase after her as she moved farther away.


    Yasuo began to carefully put the wrapping paper¡ªslightly wet from the snow¡ªinto his pocket, when he realized that there was a stiff piece of paper inside. He looked inside, expecting it to be usage instructions for the pen, but saw that it was a handwritten message from Shouko.


    _______________________________________________________________


    Maybe this pen will become mightier than the sword?


    Do your best, Novice Saint-sama.


    -Shouko


    _______________________________________________________________


    For the following two months, Yasuo wasn¡¯t able to meet Shouko even once. She did not reply to his phone calls, emails, or ROPE messages, and even when he went to her house, he was gently rebuffed by her parents.


    ¡ù


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve ended up in a serious situation. I have to admit, I did not foresee that it would end up like this. Maybe Nodoka instead, but not this.¡±


    ¡°Really? I had an inkling that this would happen.¡±


    Diana and Khalija were talking while cleaning up Apartment 101 of the Marigold Hills Tokorozawa building, the flat that they had moved into. Khalija would continue to stay in Tokorozawa, but since Diana was planning on moving her base of operations to Ante Lande, she had to pack up and move with all her necessities.


    ¡°Nodoka is still in middle school. She is still maturing, both in mind and body, and while she does have talent, she doesn¡¯t have the nerve to see things through. At the very least, until she finishes high school¡­¡­¡±


    Diana had finally yielded to Yasuo¡¯s request and allowed him to go to Ante Lande, but she still stubbornly refused to do the same for Nodoka who also hoped to go there. That was because Nodoka herself was still immature, and Diana could not prepare a place or organization that could accept Nodoka in such a state.


    ¡°Well, I agree with you on that, but¡­ Are you sure you¡¯re okay with leaving things with Shouko like that?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I always thought Shouko was the type of girl to chase after a more clear-cut conclusion. I guess I just didn¡¯t expect her to shut Yasuo out like that.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be helped. It was a conclusion that Shouko came to after worrying about it just as much, if not more, than Yasuo himself. Besides, I do not have the right to object in this matter.¡±


    ¡°Oh? In that case, do you mind we talk about some high-level politics instead? If Yasuo is accepted as a Saint by the people of Ante Lande and his relationship with Hideo becomes public, the people around him will start having all sorts of unreasonable anticipations, right?¡±


    ¡°Such as wanting to pair the children of the heroes up together, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get to it. You know what they say, talking about what will happen next year will bring bad luck. At the very least, I will be the one to stand beside Yasuo and fight for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Very well, let¡¯s leave it at that for now. Although if you ask me, there will be less problems down the road if you take this opportunity to completely shut out the other party.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. That would go against my morals and also sour my relations with people. I stole a march on Shouko once. All the more reason why I have to make sure everything is fair and square from here on out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Morals and relations, sure. I get it. It feels like I¡¯m seeing that meek side of you after a long time, Major.¡±


    ¡°Surely it¡¯s just your imagination.¡±


    Diana shrugged, and then folded her arms while looking at the memo on the calendar that was hanging on the wall.


    ¡°Things are going to get busy from here on. We don¡¯t have the time to be thinking about anything else.¡±


    ¡°My bad. I teased you too much.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s seriously a pain when it gets to this level. Ah, that¡¯s right. Can you give this to Yasuo later?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­What is it? That¡¯s the little box that has been lying on the shelf near the front door all this time, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Diana looked at the small and unadorned wooden box that she had received from Khalija.


    ¡°May I open it?¡±


    ¡°Sure. It¡¯s not really a big deal.¡±


    Diana opened the lid and saw something that looked like a bracelet inside.


    ¡°¡­¡­Colonel. This is Marfik¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Back when we fought in the Gate Tower, Yasuo picked it up after it was broken. He said he did that because it was important to me. The actual units that could turn into blades were damaged beyond repair, but that bracelet is something I made out of spare parts specifically for him. In the future, when Yasuo becomes capable of handling a Techno Weapon, it will be useful as a means of transmitting magic power.¡±


    ¡°In that case, why not give it to him yourself?¡±


    ¡°I think it would be more amusing to leave it to you, Major.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Very well. I will make sure to hand it over to him.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­ Even though we are faced with a problem that might engulf the whole of Ante Lande and even Earth, everyone seems to be very relaxed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it? I won¡¯t begrudge them something of this level.¡±


    Diana put the bracelet of Marfik back in the wooden box and closed the lid, then set the box on her lap and sighed.


    ¡°The more terrible the situation, the more important it becomes to find happiness. It¡¯s times like this, when people make terrible memories, that it becomes important to work towards having a perfect life.¡±


    ¡°Despite saying things like that, you are the type of person who will get used to being single. You should be careful.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from you, Colonel!!¡±


    Diana got flustered and almost threw the box containing Marfik¡¯s bracelet at Khalija.


    ¡ù


    ¡°Alright then, It¡¯s time for us to leave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to come back and visit as much as possible. Also, I¡¯ll learn the communications sorcery as quickly as I can.¡±


    It was during April of the new year. The time was midnight, at the Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park. It was the same time that they had begun their journey during June of the previous year.


    Hideo, Madoka, Nodoka, Khalija, and the Tatewaki family were there to see Diana and Yasuo off on their journey, or so he had thought. However¡­


    ¡°By the way¡­ Why is Tatewaki-san prepared to go on a journey as well?¡±


    Tatewaki Shouko, the girl he had not been able to get in touch with for the past two months, was standing next to Diana with a big smile on her face while carrying a massive rucksack. Shouko made an expression like she had been waiting for him to ask, and proudly held up something that looked like a certificate.


    ¡°Feel free to praise me. This is a certificate for getting accepted into the Sorcery Engineering Department in the Royal University of Resteria.¡±


    ¡°What the hell!? Why didn¡¯t anyone say anything about this to me!?¡±


    Indeed, Yasuo was the only one who looked surprised by this development. What the hell were the Tatewaki couple thinking?


    ¡°I told everyone to keep it a secret. I had no confidence about getting accepted into a college in another world, after all. Ah, don¡¯t worry. I got accepted into Futatsubashi University as well to settle things with my high school and the prep school.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­No, I mean, that¡¯s not the sort of university you can just get into as an afterthought¡­¡±


    ¡°So what? Didn¡¯t you also get accepted into Waseta as if it was just a backup?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    There was nothing he could say when she brought that up.


    ¡°W-What about the Gate Tower usage fee?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Leonid provided the funds. He said it was an apology for getting Shouko mixed up in Baskelgarde¡¯s old troubles during the incident with Raia.¡±


    ¡°Eeeh¡­¡±


    ¡°Fufufu! Just seeing your dumbstruck expression makes me feel that it was worth working so hard to get accepted! ¡­..And besides, Yasu-kun.¡±


    Shouko suddenly lowered her voice and whispered into Yasuo¡¯s ear.


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m not such an accepting woman that I can let you go off on a trip with my rival in love after you put the two of us on a scale and compared us to each other.¡±


    ¡°¡­I-I most certainly did not put you on a scale¡­..!¡±


    ¡°Well, being compared to Diana-san isn¡¯t really a bad feeling, but it¡¯s still complicated. For starters, I¡¯ve decided to chase after you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Yasuo looked at Shouko¡¯s father, Kousuke, as if seeking his help, but Kousuke just shrugged with a resigned expression on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for children to leave their parents after graduating from high school. I cannot stop my daughter who says she wants to do something to help a world that is in dire straits. Shouko, make sure you take responsibility for the choice that you have made and work hard. Yasuo-kun, Diana-san, please take care of Shouko.¡±


    With that single sentence, Shouko¡¯s travel to Ante Lande was set in stone.


    ¡°S-Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are completely serious. Come now, Yasuo, Shouko. It¡¯s time for the Gate Tower to open.¡±


    They looked up at Diana¡¯s signal and saw the familiar sight of a tower of stars extending into the night sky.


    After accepting the farewells from their respective parents and Nodoka, who had safely been accepted into her first choice of high school, three bodies floated up into the sky.


    Diana rose up on her own, while Yasuo carried Shouko on his back.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that my son turned into a flyboy in just one year.¡±


    Hideo let those words slip, causing Madoka to give him an angry glare.


    ¡°¡­¡­I just wanted to try saying that, okay?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yasuo. Make sure you properly listen to what everyone says and take care of your health, okay? Shouko-chan. Please take care of Yasuo.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±


    ¡°Shouko, make sure you study a lot, and umm¡­ When you come back, teach me how to use magic!¡±


    It looked like Shouko¡¯s mother, Youko, was still as starry-eyed as ever.


    ¡°Shouko-san! Diana-san! Take care of Onii-chan, okay? Also, you can come back any time if you grow disillusioned with him!¡±


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯ll be fine. Stay safe, Nodoka!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Nodoka-chan! If it comes to it, I¡¯ll return to my parents¡¯ house!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ªI don¡¯t see that happening anytime soon, but take care!¡±


    As they exchanged words with each other, the sound of the vortex of stars above their heads started to grow louder.


    ¡°The Gate Tower is about to open.¡±


    As if Diana¡¯s words were a signal, a hole opened up in the vortex of stars that hung in the sky.


    ¡°We¡¯re going now! See you again!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you soon!¡±


    ¡°Hideo, Madoka, Nodoka! Thank you for taking care of me!!¡±


    The Hero of the previous generation calmly looked on as Yasuo, Shouko, and Diana slowly ascended into the Gate Tower.


    ¡°Yasuo!!¡±


    His voice spurred the young man to even greater heights.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about things here! Since you¡¯ve decided to do something, take care of it until the end! That¡¯s what it means to be a man!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    Even though he replied, they were already so far away that his voice could not reach the people on the ground anymore.


    Yasuo raised his hand once in farewell and nodded, and then flew straight up into the sky. As soon as they entered the Gate Tower, the scenery behind them blended into the backdrop of stars and rapidly receded into the distance.


    The young man, who had outgrown his parents¡¯ protection and chosen his path of his own free will, flew through the sky in pursuit of a brand new world.


    Unlike their previous trip, they did not run into any abnormalities. They simply traveled through the starry tunnel for about two hours. In front of them, a new light started to come into a view.


    ¡°That¡¯s Resteria¡¯s capital. The place where the Gate Tower was originally supposed to exit.¡±


    Yasuo and Shouko nodded strongly after hearing Diana¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long road to get this far.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But we¡¯re finally at the starting line.¡±


    It was time for the child who had been the Son of the Hero to exit the tunnel of stars and seize his own future as a warrior.


    ¡°Yasuo. Shouko.¡±


    It was time for the young man¡¯s true adventure to begin.


    ¡°Welcome to Ante Lande!¡±

 Volume 4, Afterword

    Volume 4, Afterword


    It has been a fairly long while since I became an adult and started working as an author, which is all the more reason why I am worried about my ¡°future path.¡±


    My days during middle school, high school, and college were filled with recklessness and pessimism, but at least I had the choice of, ¡°Let¡¯s see how far I can progress along this path,¡± back then.


    Eventually, everyone reaches a point where the ¡°Just do whatever you can,¡± attitude no longer helps you move forward. That trend is particularly striking in this profession of being an author.


    The choice of merely maintaining the status quo does not exist. If one does not continuously struggle to produce something new, the threat of perpetual stagnation is always only one step away.


    Kenzaki Yasuo, Dianaze Krone, Tatewaki Shouko, and Feigreid Rubiz.


    Just as the story of their travels was a story of them searching for their future paths, it was also a story of how an author called Wagahara Satoshi took one more step forward towards his own future path.


    This book is a tale of how a young man and the women around him chose their own futures in order to get through the darkness and find a light in the two worlds where nobody knows what might happen. Only the future knows if I will be able to continue working as an author without regretting the choices that the young men and women made and the answer that they arrived at.


    To all the people who traveled along with me on this journey of Tokorozawa and Ante Lande, I hope I will see you again in a brand new story. Goodbye.


    ¡ù