ã€ŠLeviathan of the Covenantã€‹


 Volume 1, Prologue

    Volume 1, Prologue

    Haruga Haruomi''s earliest memory was that of a "dragon."

    A dragon soaring through the sky.

    Its reptilian head, torso and limbs resembled those of lizards.

    A snake for a tail. The pair of outspread wings resembled those of bats. Its scales were the color of steel.

    The dragon leisurely stretched out its great wings and flew in the blue sky. With a body length of roughly six or seven meters, this should be quite a typical size for a lesser dragon.

    ¡ªThis was the earliest memory carved in the heart and mind of young Haruga Haruomi, aka Hal.

    It was also one of the few memories he could recall from early childhood. But apart from Hal, there were probably many other boys and girls with similar memories.

    The return of the dragons had taken place more than twenty years ago.

    For those born in the ensuing generation, dragons were nothing rare. But no matter how much time passed, this type of creature still remained impressive as ever.

    Be that as it may, Hal''s life had always been intimately involved with these transcendent creatures.

    Back when he was still a young child, Hal was already frequently playing on his father''s notebook computer.

    Behind the back of the father who was always immersed in his "work" materials¡ªporing over piles of old and dust-laden books, intently reading some sort of literature¡ªHal was always playing on the computer by himself. He would occupy his time by visiting video websites over the internet.

    All of the videos bookmarked by his father were related to dragons.

    The Day Dragons Returned: depicting the spectacle of dragons awakening from the deep sea where mankind had never ventured, taking to the skies and sweeping across the entire world. Dragons Strike for the First Time: the returning dragons took decisive action and launched aerial assaults against all nations.

    Most classic of all was Here Comes HANNIBAL the Red Dragon!

    This was live footage of a dragon¡ªthe self-styled "King of Dragons"¡ªthat had flown to New York''s Rockefeller Center and delivered a speech in perfect English(!) to propose a draft policy regarding "orderly coexistence between dragonkind and earthlings"¡ª

    Hal had grown up surrounded by this type of information.

    But most frequently of all, young Hal mainly watched Japanese animation and television dramas.

    His father was often traveling all over the world on "business trips." Due to frequently living in various countries, the internet became one of their few connections to their homeland of Japan.

    Hal''s nickname naturally arose during this period.

    Even in contemporary Japan, old-fashioned names like "Haruga Haruomi" had become quite rare.

    Foreigners capable of pronouncing it properly were virtually nonexistent. They all preferred to call him "Hal" directly.

    As a side note, Hal once asked his father whether the double-"Haru" alliteration was intentional. His father ended up replying instantly with a completely serious expression, saying that "toying with their child''s name is one of the few privileges enjoyed by parents."

    This was the kind of father he grew up with, just the two of them.

    No sooner had they stayed in Indonesia''s Jakarta for six months when they immediately went to live in Romania''s Bra?ov for a year. Then after stopping at the Kamchatka Peninsula for four months, they moved to Tskhinvali in Georgia. This time, they stayed relatively longer, for two years¡ªThis was the kind of vagabond lifestyle that Hal had always lived.

    However, when Hal was twelve years old...

    After a long absence, he and his father finally returned to Tokyo New Town to live at "their own home."

    Unlike the past, the reason for their stay was not "work."

    His father had fallen critically ill. In order to nurse his illness, the two of them had returned to Hal''s birthplace. However, this period of life ended rather quickly.

    Unable to recover from the severe illness, Hal''s father passed away six months after returning to Tokyo.

    Consequently, Hal became an orphan at the tender age of twelve.

    Nevertheless, Hal abandoned the options of turning to distant relatives or orphanages for help, instead deciding to resume his vagabond lifestyle.

    By this point, adjusting himself to settled life and cohabitation would be more of a bothersome challenge instead.

    The inheritance from his father proved to be handy on this occasion.

    But instead of money, it was knowledge. Thanks to staying by his father''s side throughout the years, Hal understood his father''s "work" very well. Hence he decided to inherit the family business.

    Due to the uniqueness of the profession, Hal''s young age fortunately did not pose any problems.

    Like his father, Hal "worked" in various countries for a few years¡ª

    Then just as he was about to turn sixteen, Hal was confronted with a dilemma. Due to a certain reason, he was compelled to return to his homeland of Tokyo.

 Volume 1, 1 - To the Homeland Where There Are Dragons

    Volume 1, Chapter 1 - To the Homeland Where There Are Dragons

    Part 1

    It all started two months earlier.

    Back then, the calendar read February.

    That would be midwinter¡ªWell, only inhabitants of the northern hemisphere would jump to that conclusion. At the time, Hal was actually in Australia on the southern hemisphere, and at a little coastal town to boot.

    With summer in full swing, the sky overhead was blue and distant while the clouds were so white that they were dazzling.

    Although the sunlight was quite intense, it added further to the liberating feeling of summer.

    There was also the sea. A beautiful sea, navy blue and crystal clear, together with a white beach.

    This was a town where one could take a quick walk to the shore and fully enjoy summer. Even if meant as flattery, calling this area metropolitan would be quite a stretch. However, it was not sparsely populated to the point that one would begin to miss urban life.

    Tranquility in moderation. Comfort in moderation.

    Hal''s purpose here was work.

    ¡ªFlying in from the moon and satellite orbits, the frequency of recent dragon attacks on urban areas had almost reached the level of sudden natural disasters.

    As a safety precaution, local administrations in developed nations had written up tremendously detailed emergency evacuation manuals.

    Furthermore, rigorous simulation drills were held at regular intervals to ensure flawless execution of evacuation procedures. This had already become the norm.

    Apart from that, further self-defense measures would be desirable.

    However, there were no military installations near this little town. In addition, despite being a coastal area, there were limitations in relying on the patrolling fleets of the TPDO¡ªthe Trans-Pacific Defense Organization.

    Hence, it was commonplace for people to desire "assurance" unhindered by these conditions.

    Hal worked for an organization whose main business was selling "knowledge" to these people.

    Back when he first arrived here at the organization''s referral, the southern hemisphere was still in winter.

    During this period before the arrival of summer, Hal rushed all over Australia like the world-famous archaeologist and grave robber, Indiana Jones, and finally completed his mission. Having handed the obtained Grave Goods to local big shots, he was freed from his task.

    He did not know if the ladies selected as eligible candidates would succeed in becoming witches known as "magi."

    However, that did not fall under Hal''s jurisdiction.

    In the short term, all he needed to do was recuperate and enjoy this leisurely vacation without restraint.

    Hence, he first went to a cafe by the sea. In the middle of slurping his mixed fruit juice, Hal received an incoming phone call that would disrupt all his plans.

    "...Asya."

    The touchscreen-operated portable terminal displayed the caller''s name.

    Anastasya Rubashvili.

    Born in Georgia. Nicknamed Asya. Childhood friend. An unfortunate but inseparable relationship. For Hal, who did not have many friends, she was a rare case of a long-term friendship he maintained.

    Touching the LCD, Hal picked up the call.

    ''It''s been a while, Haruomi. How have you been, lately?''

    The childhood friend''s voice was both lovely and gentle.

    In fact, she was also blessed with natural beauty that offered a perfect match for her voice.

    But for some unknown reason, Hal found it extremely challenging to treat her as a member of the opposite gender. Maybe it was because he had often witnessed the way she wolfed down two-kilogram steaks while claiming "I''m lacking in appetite today" before finishing off another three plates of Korean-barbecued beef ribs.

    In any case, to the childhood friend whose dreamy appearance only ran skin deep, Hal replied: "Good enough, I suppose. After all, I just finished a job."

    ''That''s really good news. Well then, I happen to have a request fo¡ª''

    Beep. Hal disconnected the call.

    Rather than a carefully thought-out action, this was a reflexive impulse.

    ''Could you please explain why you suddenly hung up?''

    Calling again, Asya''s voice still sounded adorable but now there was also something terrifying about it.

    "Sorry. I couldn''t help myself because you''re like the monster that''s trampling my paradise."

    ''That does not constitute a valid reason. And please avoid describing a young maiden as some kind of monster.''

    "Then let me break this to you... As I''ve already mentioned before, my dream is to save up enough money to retire in seclusion at a quiet little town somewhere."

    A light sigh was emitted on the other side in response to Hal.

    ''...Oh that one. If my memory serves me right, your target is to achieve your dream before the age of thirty-five, isn''t it?''

    "Yes. Then I''ll spend the rest of my life freely indulging myself in my interests without doing any work at all."

    ''For a teenage boy''s ambitions, that''s severely lacking in the dream department.''

    "Is it? On the other hand, I believe that as far as life''s planning goes, there''s nothing more dream-like than this. If you ask some pedestrians on the street, I''m sure many people will support the notion."

    ''Many people may agree, but I''m quite sure not many teenagers will be among them.''

    Rather than caustic, Asya''s tone of voice was indifferent.

    She seemed to have had enough. However, Hal remained unfazed and continued, "In any case, that''s my dream. My current location is quite ideal. This town offers just the right level of tranquility, it''s comfortable to live in and has good proximity to the sea."

    ''By ideal, you really mean...''

    "Yes. As a secluded residence, I think this place is completely flawless. Asya, I just finished a job and am now in a place where I can fulfill my dream. Wouldn''t you agree that it''d be a most natural development if I want to take a vacation and have a trial run of my future while I''m here?"

    ''Speaking of which, it happens to be summer over on your side right now...''

    "And yet you call at a time like this to discuss a ''request.'' In any case, I''m sure it must be work related? That''s why I hung up. In order to stop a certain insensitive monster from invading the sanctity of my paradise..."

    ''Please do not use a word like ''sanctity'' to describe an excuse for slacking off.''

    "I want to spend my time here lazing about like some sort of slovenly creature. Please find someone else."

    ''I refuse.''

    The two sides had no common ground.

    In order to overcome the impasse, Asya began to explain tirelessly.

    ''There''s some personal research I''d like to conduct, so I plan to go to Tokyo New Town soon and use that place as a temporary base of operations.''

    "Research, you say? And you deliberately go all the way to New Town?"

    ''Yes. However, I''m not too familiar with that city. I''ve also heard that SAURU does not have much staff there who could provide assistance.''

    Hal and Asya both belonged to the research organization SAURU.

    Undertaking the revival and research of the Metaphysical Body of Knowledge for resisting dragons, their mission was to promote this to the entire world¡ªA secret association.

    "The current Tokyo is nothing more than a regional city. I believe it has fallen into a deep recession, so having large numbers of staff stationed there is pointless," said Hal indifferently.

    After the "Dragons'' Return" and First Strike event over twenty years ago, the humans were forced into an unequal treaty, resulting in the establishment of over two hundred "concession" territories ceded to dragonkind.

    The Tokyo Concession was one of them.

    Currently, all the capital functions had been moved to central Japan.

    ''However, it would make a huge difference just by having one trustworthy companion by my side... Haruomi, you were born there, am I right? I also seem to remember you mentioning that you have a home there. So I wanted to discuss¡ª''

    "I haven''t gone back for three years already. Neither do I have any intention to do so now," Hal swiftly rejected Asya before she could finish.

    ''Could you compromise a little on that point? Think of it as helping your childhood friend.''

    "Friends are best kept out of sight, in one''s heart."

    ''...Heartless.''

    "I don''t mind if you call me a fiend."

    ''Then I won''t hold back. Fiend, demon! You are totally human scum, the worst lowlife!''

    "Hearing that from a young girl gets me a little excited."

    ''You''re a total pervert as well!?''

    "......Heh."

    ''P-Please at least pretend to deny that last allegation!''

    After grumbling at Hal''s chuckling, Asya coughed and cleared her throat.

    ''In that case, Haruomi, let us have a chat about old memories. Do you still remember the time when we went to town by ourselves and ended up getting lost?''

    "I seem to remember you were leading the way and took a wrong turn?"

    ''If anything, it was your fault for losing the map, Haruomi. Anyway, we were wandering about town back then, our stomachs rumbling with hunger.''

    "Right, that''s why I suggested: ''Given how cute a girl you are, Asya, all you need to do is plead tearfully and some benevolent adult or dirty pedophile will surely treat us to a meal, why not give it a shot?''"

    ''That''s right, you said that... When clearly that kind of beggar-like behavior is totally unacceptable.''

    "Rather than beggar-like, it''s truly authentic begging."

    ''That''s even worse! Putting that aside, back to the subject... Back then, by spending the little money I had to buy a hamburger, I was rendered penniless. Yet I divided my precious food and shared half with you to alleviate your hunger.''

    "Hold it right there. From what I remember, your share was a lot more than half, you know?"

    ''W-Whatever. Anyway, roughly a half, okay!''

    "Judging from your arguing, you''re really doing this on purpose."

    ''...Please cast away those suspicions that are tainting our wonderful reminiscence. In any case, you understand now? After that, the bond we''ve built up has become our shared treasure. In order to respect that bond, shouldn''t we support each other through good times and bad?''

    "I think that reason''s really stretching it."

    ''I don''t care. Back then, you took away half of my food, Haruomi, so it''s not fair unless you repay me accordingly!''

    "...If I remember correctly, we were in Luxembourg back then?"

    Hal attempted to recall the price level and local currency value from that time.

    "A hamburger, right? Probably less than two Euros..."

    ''What''s important is the benevolence of sharing roughly half of one''s possessions with another. It''s not very manly of you to calculate the value of a favor in terms of money.''

    The above conversation led Hal to return to his homeland of Tokyo.

    Despite going on a massive tangent filled with nonsense, Anastasya Rubashvili, aka Asya, was indeed Haruga Haruomi''s old friend.

    To be honest, Hal''s true thoughts were "By this point, why bother going to a place like Tokyo..."

    He had not returned all this time. Furthermore, despite being his homeland, there was no one waiting for him back there. There was no need to confirm this fact deliberately¡ªThat was what Hal believed.

    However, his long and deep friendship with Asya prevented him from rejecting with that kind of reason.

    Hal could only shrug and go "good grief" in resignation.

    Hence, his vacation was cut short after lasting a mere three days. Hal started preparing for his return to Tokyo New Town.

    Part 2

    Time flew.

    On the verge of returning to his homeland, Hal had no choice but to finish handling a mountain of paperwork.

    First of all, he contacted the Japanese headquarters of SAURU, the organization he belonged to.

    "So that''s how it happened. Although it''s not my original intention, I have finally decided to visit my hometown."

    ''Oh dear, your long phase of living away from home is finally drawing to an end, eh?''

    Making an international call from Australia, Hal explained the situation and reported his plans to return.

    On the other end of the line was a woman called Hiiragi-san. Her voice sounded gentle and elegant over the phone. Hal could not help but describe her voice as noble.

    She was the leader in charge of SAURU''s Japanese branch in the Kantou region.

    ''Considering it''s you, Haruomi, who refused to return no matter how much I tried to persuade you... This somehow makes me deeply moved.''

    "I didn''t run away from home. I''m simply making a living overseas."

    ''At your age, there are definitely plenty of alternatives to your pelagic fisherman-kind of lifestyle, aren''t there? There''s plenty of work in Tokyo too. You must have heard about the shortage of talent around here.''

    "Yes, primarily from you, Hiiragi-san."

    The speaker on the other side was Hiiragi-san, a member of the organization''s core leadership.

    Part of her duties involved referring jobs to SAURU members such as Haru and Asya. After receiving "requests" from civilian or state agencies in her area of jurisdiction, she would assign them to suitable members according to what the jobs entailed.

    "''The lack of manpower is such a pain, so I hope you can help out in handling all the odd jobs and menial tasks. I''ll order you around and make full use of you, so hurry back, will you?'' ¡ªThat''s what you actually mean, right?"

    ''...Hold on, I should''ve expressed it far more tactfully than that, right?''

    "You even resorted to tears once."

    ''My acting skills were clearly perfect that time... But you still remained unmoved, Haruomi.''

    "Because the timing in the transition from your original subject of conversation to the outpour of tears was a teeny bit unnatural."

    ''Getting duped willingly is a show of manliness in times like those, you know? Oh right, before I forget it,'' the crafty organization leader suddenly changed the subject.

    ''I''ve already introduced you to a high school that''s on good terms with our organization, so you must attend school normally.''

    "High school!?"

    ''Of course. After all, you''re an age where you normally go to high school to begin with.''

    "I''ve totally forgotten about that."

    ''Forgotten on purpose, you mean? Don''t just focus exclusively on being a treasure hunter. At least earn the high school credits you''re supposed to have.''

    "I''m not good at that kind of stuff. After all, I won''t be making friends."

    Hal''s talent was in searching for the antiques known as Grave Goods.

    Technically speaking, they should be called "magical apparatus for enshrined object emulation."

    Due to being too long and unwieldy, the official term naturally fell into disuse. Instead, the colloquial name, slightly lacking in dignity, found widespread use. These were the objects that Hal would obtain by excavating, stealing and extracting from ancient ruins and historical sanctuaries, or by acquiring them from black markets where artwork and antiques circulated.

    This was why Hiiragi-san called him a "treasure hunter."

    Hal was not the only one talented in this line of work. It had been his father''s specialty as well.

    For the sake of securing whatever caught their eyes, the father and son would go as far as to run all over the world. Hal had been transferring between schools constantly on a global range.

    Hence, his sense of belonging in the institution called school was rather weak.

    ''Don''t give up before you start... But it''s true that you''re definitely a child who completely fails at reading cues, Haruomi. Even when there are hungry bears prowling nearby, I get the feeling that you''d still lightheartedly start a barbecue.''

    "Rather than failing to read cues, I notice but deliberately ignore them."

    ''In other words, the problem lies not in sensitivity but sociability? Perfect. Then take this opportunity in the closed environment of a school to learn properly how to live in society.''

    With this troublesome mission imposed on him, Hal finally returned to his home country.

    The Tokyo New Town Special Economic Zone was formed by redeveloping the former administrative regions including the Tokyo wards of K¨­t¨­ and Edogawa, stretching all the way to the wards of Adachi and Katsushika as well as the southeastern part of Saitama Prefecture.

    The Haruga home was situated in the Sumida Ward inside this zone.

    It had originally been a grand residence designed in the image of a European mansion.

    But perhaps due to being uninhabited for long periods of time, the house was no different from a derelict building. The garden was completely neglected as well. As much as the house remained intact, it had become something like a ghost mansion.

    Hal cleaned up the house to a level livable for a single male, at least.

    First, he made a rough sweep of the dust accumulated over the long years, doing some vacuum cleaning, cutting corners to a degree that would cause any neat freak to frown. Then he ventilated the interior and took out a simple bed to set up in the study¡ªThat was all.

    Honestly speaking, it really was a sloppy clean up job...

    "I''ve never returned to this home since Pops passed away," muttered Hal softly while looking at the study that had become his castle.

    The sort-of magnificent bookshelves were fully occupied by the book collection of the Haruga family, a lineage said to have produced many a collector over the generations, although only few of them were from his father. Despite having read tens of thousands of volumes, he tended to digitize the majority of books after reading.

    This naturally arose from a lifestyle of frequent relocations.

    "Oh, so that''s where Pops kept it."

    Inside the study was a heavy desk. Opening a drawer, Hal discovered it.

    A silver pocket watch. Hal had some recollections of it. During the last years of his life, his father often kept it by his side, staring at it with deep emotion. As a side note, this was no ordinary watch.

    It was one of his father''s tools of the trade, a "clockwork mage."

    Having inherited the family business, Hal also treasured the same type of tool.

    "This thing is really good, just as I thought. And you clearly said you''d give it to me once you''re done with it..."

    The silver watch was circular with a diameter of 10cm.

    It was slightly too large as a pocket watch, but Hal still stuffed it into a pocket in his pants.

    Even higher in quality than the one Hal was currently using, this thing was definitely going to come in handy in the future. However, Hal could not deny the fact that he was partially motivated by a desire to carry a memento...

    Then Hal spread out some documents on the desk.

    These documents were required by the school introduced by Hiiragi-san and had to be filled in properly. After doing that, he would also need to visit SAURU''s one and only branch office in New Town to greet his contact there...

    With a whole ton of necessary tasks to complete, Hal was quite occupied for days on end.

    During this time, Asya finally arrived in Japan as well.

    By the time that Hal had finished most of preparations for his new life, it was already April.

    April meant the start of the Japanese school year--Having forgotten this kind of basic fact, Hal hastily changed into his uniform, grabbed his schoolbag and rushed out of the house on the morning of the opening ceremony.

    Opening ceremony. New student orientation. Introduction to clubs. Official start to lessons. Etc.

    After experiencing a first week packed with events, Hal''s high school life entered its second week.

    Kogetsu Private Academy. Year 1 Class F in the high school division.

    Hal''s seat was in the last row, next to the window. Sitting there motionlessly like a Japanese house spirit, he silently surveyed the classroom without conversing with anyone.

    Lessons were over and it was currently after school.

    Friendships within the class seemed to be establishing themselves smoothly.

    Several cliques had already formed among the boys and girls. Staying in the classroom, they would either chat together or horse around, looking like they were developing amicable relations.

    However, Hal was alone by himself.

    This resulted from how passive he had been in approaching classmates ever since the start of the school term.

    "Isn''t this within expectations too?" Hal whispered to himself.

    Ordinary people might feel uncomfortable in his situation, but Hal was completely unfazed. After all, his personality was not endearing at all, to the point that he would not be deterred by concerns regarding public image.

    Today, he had agreed to help Asya out after school was over.

    But just now, he received a text message from her saying that something had come up and she would be late.

    Thus Hal was leisurely hanging around in the classroom.

    While Asya was handling whatever she needed to do, he needed to kill time¡ª

    "Hi, you''re... Haruga-kun, right?"

    Someone suddenly spoke to Hal. The girl sat in front to his right.

    Sporting short hair amenable to an active lifestyle, she looked rather cute.

    "Are you free today? If it''s okay with you, could you accompany me for a bit?"

    "Sorry, I''m not free so I must decline."

    The chance to get to know a cute girl¡ªFailing to manifest such ulterior motives his heart, Hal refused her firmly.

    As a result, the girl grinned with a look that seemed to say "Oh."

    "Come on, don''t be like that. All you need to do is visit our club room for a bit and leisurely fill out your name and class on our club membership form! After that you can be a ghost member if that''s what you want, but if you''re interested, you can come over after school for some fun or join in our regular weekend gatherings. Wouldn''t it be nice to spend the days of your youth in a fulfilling way?"

    An invitation to club activities? Hal nodded.

    Were it not for this reason, this girl probably would not have tried to make conversation with Hal specifically, right?

    It was only the second week, but this girl was already going around, trying to recruit members for the club which she belonged to. She seemed to be lively as her appearance suggested. Hal recalled that her name should be Mutou.

    "And your club is?"

    "The UFO Research Club. If we don''t find two more members, we''ll lose the room our club is using."

    "Well, I''m not interested in chasing after flying saucers," replied Hal after hearing the girl bring up a club whose name sounded so suspicious.

    "Everyone keeps saying the same thing. Looks like bringing boys over to the club room is already taxing the limits of my charm stat. But you won''t even make a visit, Haruga-kun."

    "I think it''s not a bad approach towards recruiting members."

    Mutou''s sighing tone of voice instilled Hal with a sense of camaraderie.

    Given appropriate suggestions, solving the problem should not be difficult with her level of energy. Hal tried the following:

    "How about you don''t take people to the club room and instead invite them straight to a three-day camp. After pushing them to their limits using hunger, sleep deprivation and psychological pressure, you can gently console your targets and make them dependent on you. To finish up, you can have them sign their names on the club entry form."

    "No way, you''re actually an unscrupulous person, Haruga-kun!?"

    Hal had recommended a typical brainwashing technique, causing Mutou to jump in fright.

    "Well, the method I recommended is actually the mildest one I could think of... I guess it''s a bit too intense for Japanese schools?"

    "I''m pretty sure that goes for schools in any country!"

    "Anyway, a club that studies UFOs, eh? I thought such hobbies had already gone extinct by the end of the twentieth century."

    "Eh, why''s that?"

    "Because we''re currently in an era when dragons come flying from the moon, suddenly appearing in the sky..."

    Hal pointed to the sky''s vast expanse outside the window.

    "I don''t think the sky has any remaining space for unknown lifeforms from the universe to hover in flying saucers, whether Adamski-style or cigar-shaped."

    "Ahhh, so that''s what you''re thinking of? Wrong, wrong."

    Smiling, Mutou-san waved her hands to refute.

    "The UFOs we chase are not flying saucers but the dragons you just mentioned."

    Hal only needed to think slightly before understanding immediately.

    The acronym UFO officially stood for "Unidentified Flying Object." It did not originally mean flying saucer but was a codename for unknown flying entities. In that sense, just as Mutou-san pointed out, the dragons were currently the biggest and most numerous UFOs.

    "Then your club activities involve--"

    "Yes, the study of dragons as lifeforms. See, although the government and the JSDF deny hiding and censoring information about the dragons, in actual fact, they are doing it. So in order to collect as much correct information as possible, we have to take action as civilian volunteers."

    "..."

    "Also, we basically have no concrete understanding of the ''serpents'' humans use to repel dragons. Since it''s not like they''re shiny silver aliens from Nebula M78, there must be something kept under wraps, but they won''t disclose anything to ordinary people."

    To think the conversation would even bring up "serpents."

    Hal was quite surprised. This happened to fall under his field of work, namely the Metaphysical Body of Knowledge that the research organization SAURU devoted its efforts to disseminate.

    "Anyway, we only know that they''re lifeforms similar to dragons... Also, they''re guardian deities or biological weapons of war that are protecting humans for some kind of reason. Oh, by the way..."

    Never expecting this type of topic to come up in conversation at a Japanese high school, Hal found it perplexing. While he was thinking that, Mutou-san continued.

    "When dragons fly nearby, we also head out to high places to take images."

    "You go that far!?"

    "Yeah, then we release them on the internet. So, seeing as you''ve misunderstood our club activities, I''ll ask you once more: Haruga-kun, would you like to join our research club? It''s quite interesting."

    Just as Hal was pondering how to respond, someone suddenly joined the conversation from the side.

    "I know it''s very impolite for me to interrupt your conversation, but please allow me to interject a few words."

    The girl sitting in the seat to Hal''s right had turned towards them.

    Hal was quite surprised because ever since Year 1 Class F came into being, the noisily chatting boys and girls had rarely approached this female student.

    Nevertheless, she was not one of those "unsociable nobodies" like Hal. Quite the opposite, in fact.

    Precisely because her presence stood out too much, she became a "solitary person."

    "Regarding your club, Mutou-san, I''ve been having the same misunderstanding as Haruga-kun. I never expected you to be a community that tries to contribute to society so seriously... I suppose this serves as an example of why we shouldn''t make judgments based on preconceived notions," murmured Juujouji Orihime emphatically, the girl with excessive presence.

    Due to the rarity of both her family and given names, Hal had retained a strong impression of her as well.

    "Oh, it''s nowhere as amazing as what you make it out to be... We club members only do it because we like it."

    "Even so, your noble deeds are still admirable."

    Although Mutou-san acted very modest, Orihime offered her praise generously.

    Elegant, refined, graceful, magnanimous¡ª

    Various virtues typically lacking in high school girls could be found in Orihime''s comportment.

    Like Hal, she was seated in the last row at the back of the classroom. But unlike Hal who sat all lonesome by himself like a Japanese house spirit, Orihime''s sitting posture was very upright as though she were a noble princess presiding over this classroom.

    Paying serious attention to all lessons, performing gallantly during PE class to showcase her excellent athleticism and outstanding figure to the surrounding people, she was extremely capable and talented.

    (So she resembles a princess not only in appearance but internally as well?)

    Speaking of people whose personalities failed to live up to their appearances, Hal had his childhood friend Asya as an example.

    Possibly, Juujouji Orihime was also¡ªHal secretly speculated. But imagining such things seemed too impolite. Hal silently apologized in his heart.

    Unaware of Hal''s thoughts, Orihime took out a B5-sized sheet of paper from her desk.

    It was a club entry form. With beautiful handwriting, she wrote down "Juujouji Orihime, Year 1 Class F" then handed the form to Mutou-san.

    "You need club members, don''t you? I am willing to help."

    "Eh, are you sure!?"

    "Yes. I might have needed more time to think over the matter if you hadn''t mentioned the option of being ghost members. But since ghost members are accepted, I see no reason to hesitate any further," said Orihime as she took her schoolbag and stood up.

    "Oh, if it''s okay with you, please feel free to visit our club classroom for some fun next time."

    "Of course, if I feel so inclined and happen to be free. But I am quite busy, so I''m sorry I cannot readily promise anything. Please don''t be too expectant," replied Orihime cheerfully after hearing Mutou-san''s invitation from behind.

    With these honest words without any nuance of sarcasm, Orihime quickly walked over to the classroom entrance. Her every movement was truly dashing and gallant.

    "...Almost like a person from a painting," muttered Hal subconsciously to himself as he watched Orihime depart.

    Part 3

    Curry shop, cafe, massage parlor, used bookstore, DVD shop, etc.

    Anastasya Rubashvili aka Asya was currently on the fourth floor of a multi-tenant building. To be precise, she was inside a used bookstore called Mirokudou.

    Even more precisely, she was at the cash register.

    Nevertheless, she was not in the middle of a part-time job. Originally, she had simply come here as a customer.

    Sighing lightly, sitting on the round stool, Asya turned her gaze to a book on her thighs. Two hours had passed since the shop manager, the only member of the sales staff, had asked her to help watch the store.

    During this time, not even a single customer arrived. In other words, the shop was in a state of being open but halted in business.

    As commonly seen in shops of this type where nary a comic book was put on display, this hard-line used bookstore had never undergone thorough organization at all. Books that could not fit on the occupied shelves were piled up haphazardly like towers of waste paper all over the store''s interior.

    Asya''s appearance was very out of place in this old and filthy store.

    She was a beautiful young maiden.

    The delicate features of her well-proportioned face seemed somewhat dreamy while her blue-tinted silver hair also gave off an intense air of mysteriousness.

    Her slender body looked fragile enough to break from a single hug. Naturally blessed in appearance, this Eastern European girl possessed a body that could be described as like a fairy''s.

    "Good work. You really helped me out by looking after the shop."

    Kagetsudou''s glass door suddenly slid open sideways as a young man entered.

    The man had an elegant face that one could describe as handsome without feeling like a liar at all. However, his unkempt beard and wrinkled shirt made for a big minus on favorable first impressions.

    Kenjou Genya. This bookstore''s owner. A young man roughly twenty-five or six in age.

    "This is a local specialty, curry bread. Consider it a gesture of thanks."

    "Compared to local specialties, I''d prefer if you could have returned at least thirty minutes earlier," grumbled Asya while accepting the paper bag that was handed to her.

    It was past noon when Asya had visited the bookstore to check out the latest shipment of used books. Then the young Mr. Kenjou had asked her to watch over the store. Thinking he would return quickly, Asya had casually agreed without thinking.

    "Why did you spend two hours when all you did was have lunch at a curry shop in the same building?"

    "Well, that''s because I was chatting with the shopkeeper about ''How''s business going?'' and ''So-so I suppose'' and stuff like that. Then after the meal, I read four sports newspapers while drinking coffee, which ended up taking quite a bit of time."

    "Please find a better excuse than slacking off, no matter how true it may be. By the way..."

    Asya peered into the bag of the gift:

    "This appears to be baked curry bread... But compared to the baked version, I like deep-fried curry bread even more. If it''s not too much trouble, please buy the deep-fried one next time. I enjoy the crispy texture of deep-fried bread."

    One of Asya''s talents was the ability to adjust to any country''s culinary culture without any difficulty.

    Having started living in Tokyo New Town less than a month ago, she had already reached the level where she was able to critique pedestrian bread varieties innovated by the Japanese.

    "You''re a girl after all. Try to eat a little healthier."

    "Don''t worry. Just as you can see, I''ve got the type of constitution that never gets fat no matter how much I eat," declared Asya as she placed her hand on her flat chest.

    Despite ingesting vast amounts of food every day that would astonish any onlooker, her fairy-like body of fantasy never accumulated any weight in fat at all.

    Nevertheless, Kenjou refuted her while making a fool''s expression on purpose:

    "Rather than constitution, it''s thanks to the metabolism of your youth, isn''t it? After a certain age, abnormal eating habits will reflect on your body all at once, you know? Especially Caucasian females, their body mass tends to expand sideways after they grow up, causing their overall figure to go out of shape."

    "Th-That''ll never happen to me! Absolutely never!"

    Asya could not help but yell after hearing his offensive comments.

    As a side note, her retort was completely baseless, no different from a spinal reflex.

    "Putting that aside, Kenjou-san, I''d like this one and that one."

    "Thank you for your patronage. It''s wonderful that something managed to catch your eye, Asya-san," thanked Kenjou after seeing the secondhand books that Asya had picked out.

    The titles were Nicolas Flamel and the Magic of Kings and Anthology of Secret Love Poetry from Past and Present. This unique combination comprised an ancient foreign text with a Japanese book dating from the early Shouwa period, but Asya was capable of reading both without any trouble at all.

    Awakening as a witch conferred a number of special powers.

    One of them was an exceptional capacity for linguistic learning. Even foreign languages with absolutely no prior exposure could be used as fluently as a mother tongue after merely two months of training.

    "Can I pay the usual way?"

    "Sure. Just transfer the funds into this branch''s account before the end of the month."

    Kenjou nodded in response to Asya''s question for confirmation.

    The Mirokudou was not just an ordinary used bookstore where business was slow.

    At the same time, it was also a branch of the research organization SAURU. That said, this branch was so small that it could not accommodate more than eight assigned members...

    "Although I''ve traveled all over the world, this is my first time seeing such a small branch."

    "That''s the way it is. This store was originally just a place for selling strange books about supernatural phenomena or purchasing them in return. It only became the branch office after the organization withdrew from New Town," muttered Kenjou after hearing Asya''s comment.

    The two books Asya had just bought were both part of the Metaphysical Body of Knowledge¡ªin other words, books about magic written by "researchers" in olden times.

    "Although my title is shop manager, I was originally just a direct subordinate under our boss¡ªHiiragi-neesan."

    "Speaking of which, I noticed that this store only opens for business two days a week."

    In order to access the store when the manager was out, Asya and Haruomi both held a spare key each in their possession.

    Seeing Kenjou smiling lightly, Asya shrugged and asked, "Come on, SAURU is a global organization after all, isn''t it?"

    "Yes. But if a city doesn''t have many of their members, the organization will only provide relatively lukewarm support for that branch. You see, isn''t this what''s known as a rational business model?"

    "I can''t believe that a secret association is devoting its efforts towards streamlined management, that''s so mundane..."

    "Despite having members distributed globally, the organization has nothing to do with the various urban legends about secretly controlling the governments of various nations. In fact as of right now, there are perhaps only three people officially registered with headquarters who are actually living in New Town. Me, Asya-san and¡ª"

    "Haruomi, I guess."

    "Indeed, Haruga-sensei''s son. You''ll be meeting him shortly, right?"

    "...What are you talking about?"

    Asya immediately played dumb in response to having her plan exposed.

    She was not committing a crime. There was no problem even if she told her plans to Kenjou.

    Nevertheless, she tried to conceal the fact because she found it embarrassing.

    Asya turned her body away unobtrusively in an attempt to block Kenjou''s view with her slender body, preventing him from seeing the basket at the checkout counter.

    However, the young man said tactlessly with great curiosity, "That basket is giving off the aroma of sauce. Is it a packed lunch? Did you bring it along in hopes of eating it together with that boy?"

    "O-O-O-On what grounds are you making such a claim!?"

    "Nothing much, Asya-san, I was just thinking you''d have finished the food during the time you were waiting for my return if the packed lunch were only meant for yourself. It happened to be noontime too."

    Young Mr. Kenjou had gone out during 12:30pm to 2pm.

    Asya''s stomach had subtly growled dozens of times already to express her hunger. Ever time her stomach rumbled, she kept staring intently at the basket she had brought.

    But each time, she was able to dispel the temptation by thinking of the childhood friend she was about to meet.

    "P-Please don''t get any strange ideas. My plan today is gathering research materials, not going to see Haruomi... Then I''ll be off."

    "Oh sure. Say hi to the boy for me," said Kenjou cheerfully to Asya while she was hurrying towards the exit.

    Although the young man looked dense and idle on the surface, he definitely must not be underestimated.

    After leaving school, Hal received a text from Asya on his cellphone.

    The text told him that her task was done and also where they were going to meet. Hal originally expected a fast food shop or in front of the train station.

    "Why are we meeting in a park?"

    It was true that the weather was nice today and staying outside would not be unpleasant...

    Walking, Hal made his way to the large park, located closest to Ryougoku Station.

    Then only after he waited casually on a park bench for ten-odd minutes, Asya made her overdue arrival.

    For some reason, Asya blushed red to her ears as soon as she saw Hal''s face.

    "I-I didn''t come here to see Haruomi, okay."

    "What nonsense are you speaking? Asya."

    Hal made a jab at his childhood friend''s weird murmurings.

    Although the reason was unknown, Asya was acting awkward, looking very shy.

    "You''re the one who called me here, right?"

    "Y-Yes, that''s true indeed! But it''s not like I mean anything special. Today, I simply wanted to ask for your help in research. The thought of going out with you, Haruomi, never crossed my mind at all!"

    "I know that even if you don''t explain explicitly."

    Hearing Hal''s calm answer, Asya inexplicably glared at him in anger.

    Then she set her basket down hard on the bench.

    "Anyway, wars cannot be fought on empty stomachs. Have some lunch first."

    "Go ahead and eat if you want. I''ve already had lunch."

    "¡ªHaruomi, what did you just say?"

    "Like I said, I already had lunch."

    "I-I can''t believe I endured so desperately, yet you already went ahead to have lunch on your own!?" said Asya while her eyes accused him of betrayal. Again, the reason for this was a mystery to Hal.

    "Of course. I''ve been attending school obediently all this time, after all. Naturally, I''d take care of lunch at the cafeteria during the lunch break."

    "No way... I was thinking you''d skip school for a whole week straight, Haruomi."

    "Don''t underestimate how serious I can be. However, I do intend to find a random excuse to transfer to a distance learning high school after going to school dutifully for a month or so."

    "This type of scheming and lack of seriousness is certainly very much in your style, Haruomi... Oh, however."

    With surprise showing on her face, Asya suddenly came back to her senses and said, "On further thought, Haruomi, you are a boy after all. You shouldn''t have any trouble eating a second lunch. Come, let''s have lunch together."

    "Please allow me to refuse your kind offer. You made it yourself, right? In that case, surely as one would expect¡ª"

    Hal unceremoniously opened the basket.

    Arranged neatly inside were sandwiches as the main course along with cooked vegetable side dishes and fruit.

    Asya was not only a voracious eater but an excellent cook as well. However...

    "Just as I guessed. What are you thinking, making all the sandwiches with pork chop cutlets as fillings? I just had a pork chop cutlet rice bowl for lunch, so this is a bit hard to stomach..."

    "You are mistaken. Please look more carefully."

    "Whether the golden color of the outside layer of batter, deep-fried to perfection, or the whiteness of the pork''s cross-sections, there''s no room for misunderstanding at all. A total of twelve pork chop cutlet sandwiches, am I wrong?"

    Asya began to snicker in response to Hal''s accusation.

    "Although they''re all deep-fried cutlets, there are a total of three variants: steak, pork chop and chicken. This is your chance to enjoy their respective flavors and textures."

    "...I see."

    Taking a closer look, Hal found the red meat of four deep-fried steak sandwiches mixed among them.

    Hence, the two of them opened the handmade packed lunch on the park bench and began to enjoy a lavish meal¡ªAsya''s first lunch for today but the second lunch for Hal.

    The weather was bright and clear with a gentle breeze. The spring sky was blue and refreshing.

    Despite the excellent picnic weather, Hal''s appetite was naturally quite subdued.

    Trying to minimize damage to his digestive system, Hal went for the ratatouille and pickles.

    "Don''t just keep eating vegetables. You need your meat and carbs too. Compared to biased vegetarianism, a balanced diet is the shortcut towards good health."

    "That''s totally unconvincing coming from you," responded Hal to Asya''s advice.

    Then Hal finally picked up a cutlet sandwich and took a bite.

    The noteworthy(?) first sandwich tasted of pork.

    The outer layer was still moist despite the passage of time since the deep-frying. The pork chop was thick and chewy in texture, while the sauce was especially delicious. Only a mixture of store-bought sauce with ketchup and mustard could produce this type of complicated flavor.

    The ratatouille serving as a side dish was also rich in flavor while the pickles were personally made by Asya herself.

    To be honest, Asya was an excellent chef no matter how unflattering Hal''s view of her.

    "...So long as the choice of food isn''t on the heavy side and the volume isn''t so excessive that there are leftovers..."

    "What did you say, Haruomi?"

    "No, nothing. By the way, let me give you a bit of honest advice."

    After she had consumed four deep-fried cutlet sandwiches, Hal said to Asya with a serious look, "I know that you''re proud of your constitution that prevents you from getting fat easily, but that''s only because you''re young, right? We''ll be in our twenties and thirties eventually. I think it''s best if you start now to slowly get used to applying restraint, so that you won''t have to worry about dieting in the future."

    "E-Et tu, Brute!?"

    "Why are you quoting Julius Caesar''s last words...?"

    Seeing Asya sulking dramatically, Hal cocked his head in puzzlement.

    The contents of the basket were definitely in the process of decreasing. As a side note, out of the twelve cutlet sandwiches, Hal''s share was three while Asya''s was nine.

    "By the way, how''s Rushalka''s condition?"

    "Not too good... No, it''s terrible. I fear that her days are numbered."

    Asya answered Hal''s question while she was eating.

    Rather than consoling Hal, she probably hesitated for a moment because she wanted to say something optimistic to comfort herself.

    But in the end, she did not do that. She had already prepared herself to accept the depressing ending.

    Due to their deep friendship, Hal was unable to offer Asya comforting words irresponsibly at such a time.

    Sighing, he changed this tone and said, "I see. She was such a good ''serpent.''"

    "Yes, she was a reliable partner."

    Hal was using past tense prematurely while Asya was presumably misusing it on purpose.

    As childhood friends, the two of them had shared many joys and happy memories. The same went for unfortunate, sorrowful, unreasonable or irrevocable experiences.

    Hal did not have the sentimental sense to offer appropriate remarks for times like these.

    Hence, he silently chewed on the bread and chicken cutlet of his sandwich while sitting side by side with Asya.

    It was the same back when they had met up shortly after the passing away of Asya''s grandmother. Meeting up three months after Hal''s father passed away from illness, she had also leaned herself against him on her own accord without saying a word.

    Perhaps this might be what Asya called their "bond."

    "Now that our stomachs are filled, it''s time to go," announced Asya cheerfully, having finished lunch.

    Hal could not sense from her body any trace effects of either the hearty consumption of nine cutlet sandwiches or the depressing subject of conversation.

    Her tone of voice was the same as usual. On the other hand, Hal chose to nod silently in response and could not be bothered to speak due to his overloaded stomach. But ignoring the weight in his gut, Hal quickly stood up.

    Although Hal and Asya were absolutely dissimilar, they did share one common feature.

    Namely, neither of them was prone to the wasteful behavior of letting sorrow hinder their ability to take action. This was perhaps due to courage distilled from a life filled with danger and final farewells combined with their rugged personalities.

    Part 4

    After the late lunch at the park, Hal and Asya made their way to the station.

    Including the Yamanote Line or the Ch¨±¨­ Main Line, the majority of the rail lines formerly managed by business conglomerates had stopped running a long time ago. Nowadays, local residents were left with only the loop line encircling Tokyo New Town as well as what was left of the subway system as options for mass transit.

    Hal and Asya¡¯s destination was Shin-Kiba in the K¨­t¨­ ward.

    While the train carried them along the New Town Loop Line, they were instantly presented with the striking scenery. This was because the Sumida River was visible from the elevated railway where the train was traveling.

    "Oh right, it¡¯s possible to see that side from these parts," mumbled Hal softly while holding onto the train¡¯s ring-shaped handgrip.

    Stretched out on the opposite shore of the Sumida River was the scenery formerly known as the Asakusa district.

    Furthermore, there was the black pillar of stone, standing upright on the other end¡ª

    It was shaped as an equilateral triangular prism. The color was completely pitch-black without any impurity, giving off a lustrous gleam like obsidian.

    This pure-black triangular prism was standing upright in a corner of what used to be the Chiyoda ward.

    Despite its location, the stone pillar was still clearly visible even from the window of a train running along the Sumida River. Standing at over a kilometer in height, the stone pillar was a landmark dwarfing all tall buildings in Japan.

    "As expected of a Monolith. These things stand out so much no matter what country they''re in."

    "That being said, it''s not a pleasant scene by any stretch."

    Hal and Asya sighed together after remarking quietly.

    Concession territories ceded to dragonkind were scattered all over the world, numbering more than two hundred. Erected at each of these locations was the same type of ominous black pillar¡ªthe Monolith.

    "Old Tokyo" consisted of what used to be Tokyo''s hub area back when the city was still Japan''s capital.

    The special wards of Shinjuku, Chiyoda, Ch¨±¨­, Bunky¨­, Tait¨­, Shibuya, Minato, etc...

    No longer inhabitable, this area was currently just an expanse of deserted wasteland as far as the eye could see, a "dead city."

    Currently displayed before Hal and Asya on the opposite shore of the Sumida River was also Old Tokyo.

    A cityscape was visible from the train window.

    There was not even a single pedestrian outside. Every building was derelict.

    All glass had been shattered. The streets were quite messy overall because there was no one to clean up. There was a lack of vitality but the sight of this unusual scenery gradually grew distant...

    Because the train was leaving Sumida River and approaching Shin-Kiba.

    Hal and Asya alighted at the Shin-Kiba Station.

    Ever since the destruction caused by the dragons suddenly flying in ten years ago, this area had turned into land marked for redevelopment. This maritime territory essentially consisted of empty land as far as the eye could see.

    Hal and Asya walked in silence.

    Their destination was roughly ten minutes away from the station on foot.

    Specially planted cedar and cypress trees formed a small patch of forest where a building, their destination, had been built. Its appearance resembled a small library.

    However, there were no signs or direction boards to explain what kind of facility this was.

    "Here is my identification."

    At the reception, Asya presented a card that was the size of a business card.

    There was nothing written on the card. Whether front or back, both sides were completely black. However, any person possessing magical sight would be able to see the blue and white pattern that was drawn on the black card.

    An emblem consisting of two staves crossed with each other, surrounded by a circle formed from a serpent devouring its own tail¡ª

    This was precisely SAURU''s symbol.

    This mark belonged to the secret association and research organization that dedicated itself towards the research and proliferation of magic.

    SAURU was the world''s one and only think tank capable of establishing covenants between witches and serpents. This card served as proof of identification for SAURU''s members.

    The middle-aged man at the reception desk was dressed in an exceedingly ordinary suit.

    Furthermore, he was wearing silver-rimmed glasses whose lenses were supposed to be enchanted. Hal also possessed something similar.

    Witches were able to activate magical sight by using their naked eyes alone.

    On the other hand, commoners must rely on enchanted tools in order to obtain magical sight temporarily. As expected, the middle-aged man simply glanced at Asya''s card once before nodding to authorize her entry into the building.

    "It''d be so much easier if facial recognition could be used almost all the time. But it''s possible that people might not want to associate with suspicious characters like us," remarked Hal not long after entering the building, prompting Asya to respond immediately.

    "Please don''t include me so nonchalantly. Speaking of first impressions, mine are definitely much better than yours, Haruomi."

    "Yeah. After all, you''re an extremely cute girl."

    "Eh... Jeez¡ªHaruomi... Fufu."

    Asya suddenly made an expression of delight as the corners of her lips curled adorably in a smile.

    She had this weird habit of getting unusually elated whenever Hal complimented her appearance.

    "Oh dear, but in your case, one begins to understand increasingly that the first impression is nothing more than an illusion as time goes by. Maybe you''d better work on addressing that a little."

    "No, Haruomi, you''re the one who should work on fixing your bad habit of elevating others with compliments before cruelly dropping them from great heights!"

    Asya always flew into an instant rage whenever this subject was broached.

    But today, she immediately calmed her fury and changed the subject.

    "Ease of entry into this place would be good and all, but I think it''s better to adhere more to procedure. After all, this is a precious Witch Mansion."

    "But aren''t Mansions in regional cities or villages mostly like this?"

    At the moment, there was only one mage-serpent team defending Tokyo New Town.

    Asya was present too, but since her partner was currently facing certain difficulties, she probably should not be included in the count.

    "A region fortunate enough to have three or four witch-serpent teams would probably show more vitality. But looking at the current state of affairs around the world, the vast majority of cities don''t even have a single team, right? In fact, this city''s serpent apparently needs to venture all over the Kantou region when dragons attack."

    "The shortage of manpower is severe everywhere..."

    "Thanks to that, there is no shortage of work for us. But Asya¡ª"

    Hal and Asya made their way into the depths of the facility.

    Walking to the corridor from the reception desk, they then took the elevator down to the second floor underground.

    After keying in the code to open the automatic door at the far end, they made their way down the staircase behind the door, finally arriving at the deepest level, the fifth floor underground¡ª

    This was a library where all sorts of books recording taboo knowledge were kept.

    Just by stepping in there, one would feel their back and the soles of their feet stiffen from the cold.

    The cold air-conditioning and especially the spiritual energies residing in the large number of "tomes with power" went as far as to mercilessly steal warmth from Hal and Asya''s bodies.

    "Those people in Europe will likely get mad if they heard ''shortage of manpower'' coming from your lips. All things considered, your Rushalka was still a summoned "serpent"¡ªa leviathan¡ªof the strongest class over there until three months ago."

    Despite Hal''s hobby and lifelong goal of saving money...

    His childhood friend had actually outstripped him in terms of progress in this area.

    Asya was one of Europe''s top magi. For the past few years, she had fought dragons persistently by drawing out the maximum potential of her partner, Blue Rushalka.

    Her bank account should have accumulated the remunerations and contract payments from the many battles she had experienced.

    "Didn''t they approach you repeatedly with courtesy, asking you to return as soon as possible?"

    "Indeed... But Rushalka''s problem is still unresolved and I also have research I''d like to conduct here in Tokyo."

    This was reportedly Asya''s second visit to this library.

    As eastern Japan''s largest vault of grimoires, this place was built so that the "tomes with power" gathered by civilian volunteers could be used with effectiveness by people knowledgeable in magic like Hal or outstanding witches like Asya.

    This was a source of knowledge, both mysterious and dangerous.

    Being that kind of place, this library was nowhere near comfortable. The arrangement of the excessively abundant bookshelves was difficult to navigate, being as complicated as a labyrinth. Furthermore, in consideration of the fact that old books were susceptible to degradation from light, illumination was limited to the brightness level of candlelight at exceedingly sparse numbers.

    Thanks to that, the library was virtually pitch black.

    For the sake of finding their targeted books more efficiently, Hal and Asya decided to split up to search separately.

    Carrying their own flashlights, they wandered the labyrinth of books on their own.

    Asya searched for the wanted books in the catalog while Hal worked from the ground up and confirmed the names of the books kept on the shelves.

    Foreign books included The Secret Manuscript of the Terrifying Ogdoad, Commentaries on the Dark Goddess of Magdala, The Mutual Action between Earth and Water in the Universe, The Various Aspects of Hermes'' Alchemy and others. Japanese books included The Handy Guide to Curse Magic, Secret Collections of the Mystical, etc. In addition, there were Buddhist treatises such as Discourses on the Golden Light Sutra and Presentation of ¨¡k¨¡?agarbha''s Esoteric Doctrine Method. There was also a full assortment of Chinese classics including Forbidden Truths of Divine Talismans, The Compendium of Roots, Herbs and Longevity Practices, Divine Technique of the Sky, Secret Records of the Grand Supreme Lord, Secret Guide to the Normal Course for Rulers and Kings...

    But none of these were what Hal and Asya sought.

    Reading grimoires of this level without prior preparation would result in terrifying results.

    One would likely hallucinate immediately after reading them? Monsters would definitely appear in dreams if one were to fall asleep. Then growing more haggard and emaciated with each passing day, one would walk along a path of mental chaos, eventually reaching insanity...

    This time, what Asya wanted was information on unorthodox magic research.

    The field included archaeology, folkloristics and comparative mythology, etc.

    Books in this area were quite plentiful and many rare and precious volumes, normally impossible to obtain, were casually placed around here.

    For quite a while, Hal worked steadily and persistently, alone at his task¡ª

    But just at this moment, a gust of cold air suddenly blew across the back of his neck.

    Due to the nature of his line of work, Hal could be described as what one would call a person with sharp senses. Furthermore, this place was filled with large amounts of ghostly and spiritual energies.

    There were many cases when people would be affected by them and end up possessed by "unclean things" with endless occurrences of paranormal phenomena as well. In fact, Hal had also experienced it a number of times in the past.

    "Please just be an ordinary spirit, without any additional prefix of ''evil'' or ''vengeful,'' I beg you..."

    Grumbling like an expert, Hal turned his head to look back at the same time.

    ¡ªThere. Hal saw a pair of gleaming eyes in the depths of the darkness.

    Just eyes, nothing more. The pupils were golden. Despite looking like human eyeballs for the most part, they carried a reptilian air about them.

    Intimidated and stunned by the air of mystery exuded by the golden eyes, Hal could not help but gasp.

    (Hoh... To possess something so interesting despite being just an ordinary human¡ª)

    It was not very clear, but Hal seemed to hear a girl''s quiet whispers.

    He waited cautiously in an attempt to catch the continuation clearly, but¡ª

    "...It already left?"

    Failing to hear more of the voice after waiting for roughly two minutes, Hal sighed.

    The mysterious spiritual being had apparently left, but it was probably still lurking somewhere in the library...

    Hal shrugged and resumed his task.

    Surviving in his line of business would be impossible if one were to become neurotic over occurrences of this level.

    Dozens of minutes after the spirit(?) encounter, Hal met up with Asya in a corner of the library.

    Of the childhood friend''s list of books she wanted to have a look, they managed to find three of them today¡ªThe History of East Asian Legends of Dragon Gods, Ancient Korea and Collective Rites of Secret Cults and Theory of Equestrian Tribal Dynasty and the Second Coming of Japan''s Mythical Age.

    In addition, when Hal brought up his spirit encounter just now, the childhood simply remarked: "Oh, these occurrences are commonplace."

    Had their roles been reversed, Hal would surely have said the same thing.

    "Then let''s start."

    "Understood. It''s really quite convenient that rare ancient books can be digitized."

    Hal took out his portable terminal while replying to Asya.

    The two of them flipped the books open and took pictures with a cellphones. Turning the pages from cover to cover and repeatedly photographing, they converted the contents into digital data stored using information technology.

    This act would be meaningless if these were grimoires imbued with power.

    That type of book possessed magical power (one could also call it a curse) that pulled the reader into special mental states. It was only possible to understand those books'' true meaning by reading with full attention, under the effects of these abnormal emotions, regardless whether they were happiness, anger, sadness or even madness.

    Although the text could be digitized through scanning or photographing, magical properties could not be recreated.

    Asya was responsible for turning the pages while Hal snapped photo after photo to record the data.

    The two of them worked for a full three hours, interspersed with breaks in between. Just as their work was winding down to an end, Hal and Asya suddenly heard footsteps.

    Thud, thud, thud, thud. The sound of leather soles striking the floor.

    The footsteps were very stable and steady, yet filled with a rhythmic sense of musicality.

    It felt as though the person walking must possess an excellent sense of rhythm and athleticism in order to make such spectacular footsteps. Furthermore, the person''s murmurings could be heard.

    "This place is really quite outrageous... I think it needs to be organized a bit, or rearranged in consideration for ease of use... I guess I''ll talk to Hazumi about it next time."

    Hal was greatly surprised. He had heard this voice before.

    "A witch? But somehow I get the slight feeling that..."

    Next to Hal, Asya cocked her head in puzzlement. She probably felt that the visitor seemed greatly out of place, not like a witch who would come to this type of disreputable den. It was only natural for Asya to think that. Hal nodded.

    This girl looked glamorous, gallant and radiant with an extremely wholesome air.

    However, this was a pitch-black and depressing space filled with ghostly energies.

    No matter how one wrapped their mind around it, she did not match this place at all. That being said¡ª

    "This is actually my first time meeting other visitors in this place. Please excuse my intrusion. But if it is agreeable with you, I would be most grateful if you could tell me how to use this library effectively. Although I''ve been here a number of times, I still haven''t gotten used to it¡ªEh, Haruga-kun?"

    The third person arrived before Hal and Asya. Just as Hal thought, he had recognized her correctly.

    Standing before them was the classmate who had left the deepest impression upon him, the one and only Juujouji Orihime in the flesh.

    Part 5

    Orihime''s beautiful face was filled with surprise.

    In contrast, Hal hid his inner thoughts and simply shrugged with a mutter of "Who would have thought." Life was full of unpredictable futures.

    On the other hand, Asya stared at Orihime with suspicion before turning her gaze towards Hal.

    "Looks like it''s someone you know, Haruomi. Did you arrange to meet up here by any chance? After helping me with my task, then roaming town with this person at night, keeping her up until morning... You wouldn''t happen to have made such shameless plans, would you?"

    For some reason, the childhood friend''s tone of voice and eyes were filled with accusatory reprimand.

    Despite the inexplicable sense of discomfort, Hal still answered quietly, "She''s my classmate in high school. Running into each other here is pure coincidence... No, I guess it might be inevitable after all. Sigh, Juujouji-san, seeing as you''re able to enter this place, are you also a witch?"

    Hal''s question prompted Orihime to recover her usual demeanor and said, "I shall tell you if you would agree to answer my question, Haruga-kun. To my understanding, this library can only be used by women such as witches or people with magic-related knowledge, isn''t that correct? Why are you here with that person over there, Haruga-kun?"

    Her stately tone of voice was making Hal force a wry smile. His attempt to obtain information from her without giving up anything in return was apparently not working.

    "Excuse me for the late introductions. This is who we are."

    After searching around in his pocket, Hal fished out a black card the size of a name card.

    This card served as proof of his membership in SAURU, identical to what Asya had presented at the reception except for the fact that the card had become crumpled and creased inside his pocket.

    "The surface of this card is totally black without any words... Does this kind of thing hold some kind of meaning in the world of magi? Sorry, I actually don''t understand the rules in this domain."

    However, Orihime simply tilted her head in puzzlement. She was apparently unable to see the SAURU emblem.

    A witch would be able to invoke magical sight just by using the naked eye, but Orihime could not do it. In that case, the most likely reason was¡ªJust as Hal figured out Orihime''s background...

    Hal, Asya and Orihime''s cellphones all vibrated simultaneously. They had all received a text at the same time.

    "Emergency evacuation announcement... Four lesser dragons have flown into Tokyo Bay''s airspace¡ª"

    Asya looked over the text message she had received on her cellphone and read out its contents quietly.

    "Haruomi and the lady over there, let''s find shelter first and save the talking for later."

    Hal and Orihime immediately responded with the same action. They both nodded.

    Twenty years prior, dragonkind had "returned" to the planet Earth.

    However, these super lifeforms did not choose to make Earth their place of residence.

    Instead, they lived far on the other end of the sky¡ª

    Crossing the atmosphere, they had colonized satellite orbits and the moon''s surface.

    The dragons all possessed flight capability and survivability enabling them to break through the atmosphere by their own power. Humans were no longer surprised even after learning of this fact. But after learning of dragonkind''s certain habits, people probably prayed to their worshiped gods or cursed their own fates.

    Dragons frequently attacked, spurred by impromptu destructive impulses.

    They would then descend upon Earth from either the moon''s surface or satellite orbits, visiting human settlements.

    Then they proceeded to destroy everything mercilessly. The winged attackers demolished cities, trampled towns and incinerated villages, thereby satiating their destructive urges.

    Furthermore, these attacks were mostly conducted collectively...

    Humanity had protested against these vicious "Dragon Strikes" with extreme anger.

    These grievances were aired at the giant red dragon who had called himself the representative of dragonkind and customarily established an "embassy" at New York.

    This resulted in that particular "king" appearing in front of CNN''s cameras and generously declaring in an astounding tenor voice:

    "It is truly regrettable that such problems have arisen. Consequently, as the representative of dragonkind, I promise you all, humans, we shall refrain absolutely from interfering if you were to exercise your right to self-defense against berserk members of our kind. I hereby swear upon my title as king."

    Despite the clearly solemn tone of voice, the words coming from his mouth were absolutely irresponsible.

    In short, his message was "I don''t intend to take up the responsibility of overseeing my kind, so do your best to defend yourselves."

    Hence, humans in the twenty-first century had no choice but to coexist with terrifying predators¡ªthe dragons that attacked from the air.

    However, one saving grace could be considered a blessing mixed in the curse.

    Lesser dragons, forming the majority of dragonkind, were relatively easy to defeat.

    That being said, that assessment was based on expert perspectives and differed somewhat from common perceptions. In the process of evacuating from the library''s fifth floor underground to the ground surface, Orihime murmured with worry, "Dragons... will reach New Town?"

    "Judging by common logic, chances should be very low seeing as there are only four of them," answered Hal.

    As a side note, they were rapidly ascending the stairs instead of taking the elevator because getting trapped in the event of a power failure would be problematic.

    Asya was leading the way with Orihime in the middle and Hal holding the rear.

    "If the swarm of dragons number less than twenty, they can still be exterminated by deploying a squadron of fighter jets at a hundred million USD apiece or billion-dollar aircraft carriers and destroyers in a desperate struggle to deliver missiles or artillery shells extravagantly at hundreds of thousands of dollars per barrage. Compared to what you see in monster movies in the past, this method of fighting works much better although it''s admittedly quite low in cost effectiveness."

    "But Haruga-kun, you said ''by common logic'' just now, didn''t you?"

    Orihime had caught the ambiguous part of Hal''s statement.

    She still seemed calm despite the current situation. Hal could not help but feel impressed by her excellent courage.

    "If we don''t go by common logic, how would that change your earlier prediction?"

    "Hmm... The dragons were detected in Tokyo Bay''s airspace, quite near the shore. Even if only a single dragon slips past and flies to Tokyo, it could easily turn into a serious emergency."

    "Something will inevitably slip through..." whispered Asya as well.

    Coming from her, an experienced combatant, these words felt even more real.

    "In addition, although it''s quite rare, if instead of lesser dragons¡ªRaptors¡ªwe have the Equites that are capable of human speech... in other words, elite dragons, then the danger level will immediately rise to Code Red."

    "Raptors? What are they?"

    Hal''s intentional use of technical jargon in his explanation left Orihime tilting her head in puzzlement.

    As expected, she was a layperson¡ªAt least currently still. Hal nodded secretly to himself before supplementing his explanation.

    "It''s a shortened form of the scientific nomenclature used for dragonkind. You should be learning it in the near future... How''s the situation on the surface now?"

    The trio had finally finished climbing stairs, arriving at the ground floor.

    They quickened their pace and ran, swiftly rushing to the emergency exit. The man at the reception had disappeared somewhere, most likely gone to seek refuge.

    The trio instantly left the building then expressed their emotions in their respective ways.

    "This has turned troublesome," said Hal, scratching his head.

    "Raptor..." whispered Asya, her gaze turning sharp.

    "No way. Why here out of all places?" Orihime was wholly stunned.

    The three of them looked up into the night sky. The sun had set a long time ago.

    Illuminated by the crescent moon''s especially vivid radiance, the starlight from the spring constellations and the street lighting, a ferocious winged beast was currently circling in the air above¡ª

    Seven meters or so in length, its body displayed the color of steel.

    Reptilian head, body and limbs. A snake for a tail. The bat-like wings were flapping strenuously. These details matched that of the creature occupying the depths of Hal''s memories.

    A dragon. Lesser dragons: Raptor Draconis.

    Hal, Asya and Orihime''s worries had come true.

    Penetrating the defensive net formed from the Trans-Pacific Defense Organization (TPDO), the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), this dragon had finally arrived in Tokyo New Town.

    Hal also knew why it was flying over the Mansion.

    "If I had to imagine a reason, that thing flew here because it was attracted by the magical presence exuded by the Mansion..."

    Dragons had a crazed obsession for rare metals, precious metals and things containing magic.

    Growing wiser as they aged, Raptors would sometimes gather such objects the way certain birds liked to collect shiny articles.

    "How annoying. What a keen nose for a mere Raptor..."

    No sooner had Hal grumbled when the dragon immediately roared from the sky.

    ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    A ferocious beast''s roar. Sadism firing up its eyes, the dragon stared down at the Mansion on the ground.

    "Hurry and run, everyone! Now that things have come to this, we can only flee and pray that our luck holds out!"

    "I''ll summon Rushalka if the situation gets dire, but for now, let''s flee first!"

    Asya concurred as soon as Orihime finished speaking.

    Hal''s childhood friend was capable of eliminating lesser dragons in an instant if she had the intention.

    However, it looked like she wanted to save her final trump card. Or perhaps, Rushalka''s condition was already so poor that Asya wanted to avoid summoning her even in this kind of predicament? Hal was curious but there was no time to explore the matter.

    Hal sprinted as fast as he could while Asya and Orihime began to run at the same time as well. However¡ª

    "...Weird?"

    Unbelievably, Hal felt perplexed.

    His legs refused to obey him and he tripped himself, falling over forwards.

    For better or worse, Haruga Haruomi had already experienced close encounters with dragons many times, confronted with the brink of life and death a number of times at that. But what was up with this?

    Lying on the ground, Hal looked up into the sky.

    The dragon was still circling in the sky above the Mansion. However, it was flapping its wings even harder than before while its face grew even more savage.

    Wrinkling its nose severely, baring its sharp teeth, the dragon displayed its wild appearance.

    Such vigor was the expression of a predator about to pounce upon its prey.

    Nevertheless, Hal''s body remained immobile, almost like an automobile that has exhausted its gasoline.

    "W-What the heck...?"

    Hal desperately squeezed out the last of his strength, trying to stand up, but did not succeed.

    He wanted to sit up at least, but even that was beyond him. He could not even lift a finger. Resembling forcibly halted machinery, his body could not move at all. Was his body frozen stiff from fear?

    On the other hand, his mind could ponder such useless matters with exceptional lucidity.

    What was going on with himself? While feeling stunned, Hal was greatly surprised again.

    Circling in the night sky, the dragon occupied his field of vision.

    Red firelight suddenly lit up this scene.

    Flames. Crimson flames. Blazing flames had turned the scenery before Hal''s eyes into an astounding shade of red!

    Then overhead, in the center of Hal''s flame-filled field of view...

    The strenuously flying dragon opened its jaws.

    The light of blue-white flames could be seen in the depths of its throat.

    The dragon was attempting to spew out Fire Breath that had cruelly incinerated many human cities. In all likelihood, the dragon probably found Hal to be an eyesore and wanted to burn him to oblivion!

    "Haruga-kun! Hang in there, I am coming to save you now!"

    "Haruomi!? Guh... I hereby dedicate my prayers to the ancient divine seal of purity!"

    Girls'' voices. During his attempt to run away, Hal had suddenly fallen over on his own and stopped.

    Superficially, it looked as if the two girls had fled, leaving Hal behind.

    But Orihime came running back. She intended to return to help Hal.

    Hal was both shocked and angry. Orihime was truly courageous but had clearly made an error in judgment. She was going to get caught in the blast and die!

    Meanwhile, Asya chanted the song of summoning and entered the stance for "calling" Rushalka.

    She probably intended to deplete her partner''s precious life for the sake of rescuing her foolish childhood friend.

    ¡ªDamn it. I can''t believe I''m embarrassing myself with such unsightliness.

    Hal seethed with rage against his ineptitude. I must help Orihime survive at least, right? Just as Hal was thinking for solutions, in that very instant, the dragon in the air expelled blue-white flames forcefully.

    Anger, despair and self-contempt surged from Hal''s heart like magma.

    But virtually at the same time, a radiant pentagram manifested in the air.

    As though trying to protect Hal and the others, this pentagram appeared between the dragon''s fire and the Mansion, blocking the super high-temperature blue-white flames.

    The pentagram was the seal of sacred protectors, exorcising evil, slaying monsters and vanquishing demons.

    While blocking the flames, the light forming the pentagram gradually changed in shape.

    The star drawn by trails of light turned into a serpent depicted by trails of light.

    The serpent swallowed its own tail, forming a "¡Þ" symbol in the air.

    The infinity symbol gradually materialized, turning from massless light into a corporeal creature. Then it transformed even further.

    While Hal and the others watched, the light from the pentagram finished transforming into a "serpentine dragon."

    This was a dragon whose form greatly differed from the dragonkind who stood as mankind''s enemies.

    Its body was long like a snake and had four extremely short limbs. There was a horn on its head that resembled a deer''s antler in shape. Its entire body was covered with emerald scales. Overall, there was a kind of fish-like air to its appearance.

    If anything, it was a "serpentine dragon" that was highly oriental in outward appearance.

    "Minadzuki... You made it in time."

    Trying to pick Hal up in her arms, Orihime whispered in a relieved tone of voice.

    Minadzuki. This was apparently the name of this leviathan shaped like a serpentine dragon.

    Leviathans were the artificial dragons born from occult and magic. Created for fighting dragonkind, these "serpents" possessed bodies similar to dragons and shared their lives with witches.

    SAURU, of which Hal and Asya were members, was the organization overseeing the birth of leviathans and their covenants.

    ¡ªKyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Minadzuki cried out shrilly.

    At this moment, the Raptor flapped its wings warily and suddenly flew up.

    In contrast, Minadzuki''s method of flying could be described as graceful. Twisting her body like that of a slender fish, she advanced through the air as though she were swimming.

    Then she called out again. Kyuahhhhhhhhh!

    Opening the palm of her right front limb, corresponding to a "right hand," she pushed it forward.

    Her right front limb was almost twice as long as the left one and also had a massive palm. There were four fingers in total with thick talons on the fingertips that were as sharp as blades.

    This right hand, much more deadly than the left hand, together with those four talons¡ª

    Hal made a realization. This was precisely Minadzuki''s "horn counterpart" as a leviathan!

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhh!

    Immediately, white lightning erupted from the right hand''s talons. Struck by the electrical attack, the Raptor stopped in the air. Presumably, it must have suffered a substantial shock.

    At this time, Minadzuki continued to fly gracefully to close the distance to the Raptor.

    Then she raised her enormous right hand and swung down forcefully with the four talons. This attack produced four lacerations on the lesser dragon''s chest, splattering mercury-colored blood everywhere.

    The Raptor wailed, unable to bear the pain. ROOOOOOAAAAAR!

    The four giant sharp claws were used in the last attack.

    Horn counterparts were commonly used to attack during battle. As organs, they could be considered a leviathan''s "horns."

    Like Minadzuki''s talons, horn counterparts were especially striking in appearance for the most part.

    After using its inborn weapon to suppress the Raptor, Minadzuki opened its mouth.

    A blue-white heat beam was then released¡ª!

    This was a leviathan''s second type of inborn weapon.

    Wholly shrouded in the heat beam, the Raptor died instantly.

    After the lesser dragon perished, its corpse crashed down from the air towards the ground.

    Immediately, the remains underwent changes. The reptilian body gradually turned into stone.

    The petrification started from the extremities, proceeding along the limbs, then the body, the long neck and the head in sequence.

    Instead of rigor mortis, dragons would turn into stone after death.

    Furthermore, the remains of dragons also became extremely fragile, making the tough resilience from when they were alive seem fictional. In actual fact, more than half of this Raptor''s body shattered from the impact of the fall.

    Watching the death state unique to dragonkind, Hal thought to himself.

    Amidst the misfortune of a dragon attack, how lucky it was for all of them to survive unharmed.

    However, what exactly was going on with his body? His prior embarrassing display looked almost like a panic attack from seeing a dragon...

    The way things looked, his new life in Tokyo seemed on course to be filled with trials and tribulations.

 Volume 1, 2 - Towards the Covenant Ritual

    Volume 1, Chapter 2 - Towards the Covenant Ritual

    Part 1

    The Juujouji home, where Orihime was born and raised, did not impose a curfew.

    However, that did not equate unbridled freedom.

    Although there was no set curfew, conversely, Orihime was obliged to decide by her own will and judgment the appropriate hours for a fifteen-year-old girl to return home then adhere to that time.

    But on this day, she was quite delayed, failing to return home until 11pm. This was due to the dragon encounter at the uncomfortable Witch Mansion that she had sneaked into.

    The first thing Orihime did as soon as she got home was to make her way to her grandfather''s room.

    Orihime walked slowly along the corridor, making her way through this wooden building that had been built a hundred a forty years back.

    Only locals with insider knowledge were aware that the Juujouji home was a samurai residence. This naturally included a long corridor overlooking the entire courtyard and needless to say, the grandfather''s bedroom, also serving as a study, was also a Japanese-style room.

    The paper sliding door was open. Looking from the corridor, Orihime could see her grandfather sitting on a legless chair, the kind used on tatami floors.

    "Grandpa, I have returned."

    "Uh-huh."

    After the dragon encounter, Orihime had already phoned home beforehand to explain the situation.

    Consequently, she only used a simple greeting to announce her return while her grandfather also nodded with a brief response. But unexpectedly, the grandfather said with a solemn expression, "Even if there was an emergency, don''t you feel that you have returned a little late? Young ladies should take care to get home earlier, shouldn''t they?"

    Despite having passed the age of seventy, the grandfather''s body was still highly robust.

    This was apparently the result of his kendo training since youth. Furthermore, he used to work as a senior managing director at a certain automobile manufacturer and was a prominent figure hailing from a prestigious samurai family dating back to the Muromachi period. Old-fashioned in personality, he had a preference for traditional Japanese clothing.

    Due to various reasons listed above, he always exerted an extraordinarily calm aura of pressure whenever he was feeling displeased.

    However, Orihime answered simply without fear, "Don''t be silly. Indeed, Minadzuki... Hazumi''s ''serpent'' did defeat the dragon, but it''s not like I could immediately return."

    "Hmm."

    "Hazumi''s body is very frail. I''ve heard that using her ''serpent'' often leaves her confined to bed."

    "But Orihime¡ª"

    "Feeling very worried, I went to check on her. Oh, she looks fairly energetic despite a bit of a fever, so I guess it''s pretty much a relief."

    "I-I see."

    "And if dragons are attacking, the trains also get stopped, right? With that, of course I''ll need to spend more time getting home than usual, won''t I? After all, it''s quite a long walk."

    "In that case, you could have taken a taxi."

    "During difficult times like these, things like taxis should be left for people who really need them. I''m healthier than most people and have the stamina. Walking a distance of four stations isn''t really much. Besides, wouldn''t taking a taxi be squandering money?"

    "Your grandfather is willing to pay this bit of money no matter what!"

    The grandfather had already lost his earlier composure.

    Possibly because the household only consisted of the two of them, grandparent and grandchild, the grandfather would exhibit excessive protectiveness in certain areas. Despite the Spartan approach to education, he sometimes doted on Orihime very much.

    "No. I can''t be too wasteful of money I didn''t earn myself."

    "Ahem."

    Probably feeling embarrassed, the grandfather cleared his throat and changed the subject.

    "That organization has delivered a notice. The person presiding over the ritual is apparently ready and supposed to make a home visit in two days'' time to explain various matters of importance. Make time for it."

    "The ritual? Then I can finally become..."

    "Yes, we have completed preparations fully on our side, so it''s all up to you now."

    The preordained occasion had apparently arrived. Orihime nodded vigorously.

    "I understand. I will definitely prepare myself mentally¡ªOh, I already ate along the way because I was really hungry, so let''s save tonight''s dinner for breakfast tomorrow morning."

    Dinner at the Juujouji family was prepared personally by the domestic helper every day.

    Orihime seemed to want to finish as much of the food as possible to repay the domestic helper''s labors. Come to think of it, how did the classmate she had encountered by chance handle dinner after what happened?

    Leaving her grandfather''s room, Orihime murmured to herself while walking alone in the corridor.

    "I wasn''t invited either."

    After the battle, the Caucasian girl named Asya had complained "I''m hungry!" Hence, Orihime''s classmate, Haruga Haruomi, had nodded and replied "Dinner together? Let''s sneak into a place where we can prepare food." Then the two of them left.

    Before leaving, all he said to Orihime was "See you at school."

    "It felt like he was trying to avoid me... Am I thinking too much? I don''t remember doing anything to make myself disliked. Rather, we haven''t interacted much at all."

    This classmate was quite "an eccentric" at first glance.

    His aloof expression and tone of voice were especially memorable. Who on earth was he? Orihime''s curiosity was piqued.

    "So, Haruga-kun, could you tell me about yourself?"

    "What the heck is this...?" muttered Hal in response to suddenly getting questioned by the classmate sitting next to him.

    This was happening in the morning before homeroom, as soon as Hal entered the classroom and took his seat.

    "Juujouji-san, did you happen to omit too much?"

    "We''re both in the same year group, so please feel free to address me by name directly. However, it feels impolite to use a boy''s name directly, so I''ll continue using the ''-kun'' honorific when addressing you."

    "So, Juujouji, what do you want to know about me?"

    Juujouji Orihime was evidently fearless in character.

    Hal was certain she would make contact with him in some way today.

    But to think it would be early in the morning, so suddenly... Curse this seating arrangement of neighbors. Also, Hal noticed something else¡ªHe had obediently addressed her by family name without honorifics just now.

    Apparently, Orihime was quite adept at pulling others into her pace.

    "First of all, I would be quite pleased if you could introduce yourself a bit, Haruga-kun."

    "Japanese nationality, male, currently living in the Sumida ward. Title on my ID reads high school student. Is that enough?"

    "What interests me are details from your profile that were omitted just now, Haruga-kun."

    "Despite how I may look, I''m actually quite cautious in handling personal information. I''m fine with disclosing my height and weight to you, but give me a break if you want my three sizes."

    "Relax, I''m not interested in that. Haruga-kun, I want to know about the knowledge you''ve acquired outside of school, as well as about what happened over there yesterday. However¡ª"

    Hal jumped in fright, because Orihime suddenly drew her face near.

    Leaning forward swiftly, she turned her dignified and beautiful face towards him, looking him straight in the eye.

    Hal was overcome with certainty. His compatibility with this girl was likely to be poor.

    Truly a tricky case¡ªTo a boy like Haruga Haruomi who willingly chose to step into darkness, a girl like her, whose body and mind were composed wholly from elements of light, was a bit too dazzling to behold.

    Rather, wouldn''t it be better to say that just by having her beside him, he was unable to calm his mind? Or perhaps, he involuntarily wanted to avoid her?

    "Are you trying to avoid me by any chance, Haruga-kun?"

    Also, she was definitely not slow on the uptake. Extraordinarily sharp.

    "Did I offend you slightly yesterday? If that is the case, I apologize. I am quite impetuous, which is why I unintentionally talked to others in that manner."

    This girl was probably capable of being considerate of people around her. Last night, she even attempted to rescue Hal even in the face of danger.

    Increasingly dazzling, increasingly troublesome. Hal sighed.

    "Suddenly imposing these prying questions nonstop would be quite impolite. Today, I am just informing you of my interest in you. Let''s chat again another time."

    "Thank you very much for that..."

    While giving a sloppy answer, Hal realized something.

    A few classmates were staring in their direction with eyes of surprise.

    A girl sitting ahead to the right, Mutou-san, and Funaki-san in the seat in front of her.

    The two girls had apparently overheard Hal and Orihime''s exchange by chance.

    Orihime had engaged Hal in conversation with her usual tone of voice and attitude of cheerfulness. Sitting nearby, it was only natural for those girls to overhear.

    Unconcerned, Hal did not feel compelled to do anything in particular about it.

    Nevertheless, he would come to deeply regret his oversight at the time...

    On this day, Hal found lessons to feel longer than usual.

    This was probably due to his neighbor, Orihime, staring at him from time to time. After noticing her gaze, Hal could not calm his mind no matter what, leaving him no choice but to pretend not to notice.

    Hal never expected such a day to arrive when he would become the target of attention from a member of the opposite sex...

    Despite the strangely emotional response, Hal still waited single-mindedly for all lessons to end.

    After school, Hal took care to avoid eye contact with his neighbor while hurrying to leave the classroom.

    Quickly rushing off to the station, he then took the New Town Loop Line to Togashikomagata.

    After a ten minute walk from the station and entering the Mirokudou located on the fourth floor of a multi-tenant building, Hal began to grumble:

    "What rotten luck. Playing a student''s role seriously, my foot. Humans are really not cut out to do things they''re not used to doing."

    The only ones present in the used bookstore, rarely frequented by customers, were Hal''s acquaintances.

    Namely, the store manager and SAURU staff, young Mr. Kenjou, as well as Hal''s childhood friend, Asya.

    "What''s the matter, Haruomi? You don''t look like you feel well."

    "Of course I don''t feel well. I originally intended to keep playing my part as the ordinary boy who doesn''t make an impression for a while longer before withdrawing from school at an opportune moment, but now I''ve attracted weird curiosity from others..." replied Hal, who then scratched his head rudely.

    "Despite your dignified, elegant and dreamy appearance, Asya, you''re like a ravenous wild beast at your core and ultimately, I get along best with you after all. Things are so easy when I don''t need to respond with full effort."

    "Putting aside the issue of getting along, I am personally quite appalled by your malicious slandering!"

    "Anyway, let''s move on. Kenjou-san, I must have contracted a mental disorder, right? Look, there were inexplicable symptoms of a panic attack earlier. A performance of Dr. Freud''s nonsensical drama must surely be playing in the depths of my mind."

    During the dragon encounter, Hal had experienced full-body paralysis and hallucinations.

    Although Asya had accompanied him to the hospital afterwards for a medical check, all tests came back with "normal" as the result, including psychiatric ones.

    Even so, Hal still insisted strongly he had developed post-traumatic stress disorder.

    This was partly due to wishful thinking. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to accept that sudden and unnatural ataxia.

    "As a result, I want to leave Tokyo temporarily and take this opportunity to undergo therapy. Could you help me explain to Hiiragi-san?"

    "Well, that''s certainly sudden. Don''t you need to help Miss Asya?"

    "That''s a very good point. Come on, you should have sought my opinion too, at least."

    Following up on what Kenjou mentioned, Asya pouted, looking very displeased.

    She had presumably seen through Hal''s intentions of "using this as an excuse to escape Tokyo."

    "Oh dear, think about this. It''d be a pain if these symptoms interfered with work, not to mention massive trouble at school. That''s why I think it''d be a good idea if I could go somewhere far away to relax for a while."

    "Please act a little more Japanese. You should be exhibiting the spirit of hard work even more at times like these."

    "Well, personally, I believe that an escapist solution like spending four years or so at a tropical island is quite suitable for young people."

    Just as the two youngsters were starting to argue, Kenjou interrupted in a nonchalant tone of voice, "Excuse me, but a job is already arranged. Please give up on your plans to escape Tokyo for now."

    "A job, you say... Now that''s quite sudden," murmured Asya in response to the sudden notification.

    "Actually, we were hired quite some time ago to help conduct a ritual. However, the matter was delayed repeatedly because our side was unable to locate a Grave Good for the covenant ritual. The client seems to be both rich and well-connected. During the call yesterday, they said they have secured the artifact already. Hence, it should be smooth sailing from this point onwards."

    The two new members never expected this type of job to fall upon them in the first place.

    One of the two, Hal, slumped his shoulders. On the other hand, Asya immediately smiled radiantly.

    "Fufu, surely you can''t waste a rare chance to make money? Let''s shelve the matter of relocation until this job is over. Does that work, Haruomi?"

    "It''ll be a pain if cancelling a job at the last moment tarnished my reputation. Naturally, moving house will have to wait."

    Next to the elated Asya, Hal muttered, "The ritual candidate... I don''t suppose her family name is something fabulous like Juujouji, is it?"

    "Bingo. I never knew you were that knowledgeable about matters on our end."

    Hearing Kenjou''s impressed response, Hal shrugged.

    Rather than knowledgeable, he had merely predicted a probable development.

    Recalling the profile of Juujouji''s dazzling face, Hal could not help but feel an urge to sigh towards the heavens.

    Part 2

    "So this is the situation. I am Haruga from SAURU."

    "This time, it seems like it''s my turn to go ''what the heck''..."

    It was 6pm the following day after Hal was informed of the urgent job.

    This conversation took place between Hal and Orihime after they met in the Juujouji residence''s Japanese-style room.

    Asya and the client, apparently Orihime''s grandfather, were also present on the side.

    Orihime was slightly displeased. The reason could easily be surmised. Most likely, it was due to Hal trying his utmost to avoid her in school today, then suddenly making a home visit afterwards.

    But whatever. Because explaining would be a pain...

    "Orihime, is this someone you are acquainted with?"

    "I am classmates with your granddaughter at school."

    Hal answered swiftly. He had entered his business mode that was 30% more friendly than his usual self.

    "So you are a high school student too?"

    "Yes, but please rest assured. I believe my profile has already been delivered to your hands. There is not a single erroneous fact. To date, I have succeeded in nine cases of Grave Goods acquisition while there were four occasions when I served as staff during successfully completed rituals. These are my total accomplishments over the past three years."

    Orihime eyed Hal suspiciously while he was talking nonstop with a fake smile.

    This was probably because she knew how different he was acting compared to usual, but Hal pretended not to notice. Gaining trust from the client¡ªmore accurately, the representative¡ªwas the most important.

    "Furthermore, I am merely playing an assistive role on this occasion. Anastasya here will be responsible for carrying out the ritual and providing security. Information on her has already been sent to you, yes?"

    "Indeed. Master-class... Is that so?"

    Witches¡ªmagi¡ªwere precious talents. There were probably fewer than a hundred and fifty of them in the entire world.

    Among them, the majority belonged in the range of Level 1 to Level 3, but witches reaching Level 4 or above, designated "master-class" by SAURU, were extremely rare.

    In particular, Asya was one of only eight Level 5 witches in the entire world. One could definitely call her a person of exceptionally rare talent.

    "How astounding for someone in possession of such power to come expressly to Tokyo..."

    Asya smiled back modestly in response to the gaze of Orihime''s grandfather.

    In order to impress her dream-like beauty deeply upon others, she nodded lightly and bowed.

    "Although I sometimes receive exaggerated praise, I have simply had more opportunities to take part in battle than other witches."

    Her choice of words were very polite but conveyed unwavering confidence.

    Excellent, wonderful acting. Well done. Hal secretly praised her.

    Asya was undoubtedly playing the part of an incomparably calm and mysterious version of herself. Part of the act was not sitting cross-legged in a Japanese-style room despite being a foreigner.

    Instead, she was sitting very straight and formally in seiza.

    Although such behavior did not resemble a foreigner''s, it served as a foil to Asya''s fairy-like beauty, hence it was absolutely the superior choice.

    Back when his childhood friend first came to New Town, Hal had discussed with her over a meal of grilled meat.

    Henceforth in Japan, Hal was going to be in charge of the talking during "business" while Asya''s job was to play the role of the reticent and mysterious character, thereby leaving a good impression on sponsors. If the client could be persuaded to relax standards of scrutiny and remunerate more generously, life would be much easier during work.

    Still, it felt truly ludicrous to be discussing the topic of mysteriousness in a grilled meat restaurant amidst smoke and odors...

    "First of all, I wish to dedicate my humble efforts towards making Orihime-san our new comrade. Please count on me."

    Asya promised while pretending to be a precocious prodigy.

    This type of image manipulation usually worked when securing the support of layman sponsors.

    It went without a hitch this time as well. Orihime''s seemingly very strict and old-fashioned grandfather looked impressed with Asya''s behavior of calm confidence, closing his eyes slightly and nodding.

    "I see. Then I place my granddaughter in your hands."

    "...?"

    Orihime tilted her head in puzzlement, probably because she had witnessed Asya yelling "I''m hungry!" without pretense the day before yesterday.

    After all, she must find it suspicious how different Asya was from her earlier impression.

    "Then allow me to explain the details of the ritual."

    Before Orihime could say anything, Hal changed the subject.

    "As you already know, humanity was forced to coexist with dragonkind in this century. Thus, the existence of ''serpents'' became gospel to those who worry about the security of neighboring areas. Namely, those created through the ancient knowledge known as magic... the giant creatures named leviathans."

    Artificial monsters created by magic to oppose the dragons.

    Witnessing their existence, the media called them "leviathans" in reports, even making up the nickname "serpents" for these super lifeforms.

    "Using an alchemical process only privy to SAURU, the ritual creates the physical body of the ''serpent'' then links it to the candidate girl through covenant magic. If successful, she will become the leviathan''s partner, in other words, a mage."

    The word "mage" originally referred to a "user of magic."

    But in modern times, the most outstanding magic practitioners were leviathan covenantees. Hence, referring to them as "magi" became spontaneously entrenched.

    "Making use of their power for public benefit, magi became the protectors of human settlements. This you should already know. As for terms of service and remuneration, please negotiate with local authorities and sponsors¡ª"

    "Hold on, Haruga-kun. May I have a moment of your time before we start the long discussion?"

    "We are talking already. I don''t think there''s any need for an additional moment or anything like that..."

    Orihime had angrily interrupted Hal''s explanation, prompting him to respond with the above.

    He tried to avoid eye contact with her as much as possible, but the slightly agitated young lady counterattacked swiftly, going straight to the point.

    "I want to talk alone in private. Cut the irrelevant nonsense and come with me!"

    Orihime''s soft palms forcefully grabbed the collar of Hal''s school uniform. Due to coming here straight after school without changing, Hal was still in uniform.

    On the other hand, Orihime had already changed into casual clothing. Forcibly pulling Hal up to his feet, she dragged him to the corridor.

    Her formidable strength did not quite match her attire, a white cardigan with a flared skirt.

    Consequently, before Asya and Orihime''s grandfather could even react in surprise, Hal was already taken captive.

    Part 3

    Hal was taken to a place serving as an interrogation room. By all guesses, a girl''s bedroom.

    A Japanese-style room. In the corner was a desk where a number of textbooks were placed, the same ones Hal was using.

    Hanging on the wall was a uniform from Kogetsu Academy''s high school division. Naturally, it was a girl''s.

    In addition, there were a number of small articles and furniture fitting for a girl''s room...

    "Sit down anywhere you like. This is my room, so make yourself at home."

    Orihime''s words verified Hal''s suspicions.

    The room was very pretty with very sufficient sunlight, but somehow made Hal feel uncomfortable. He sat down cross-legged whereas Orihime took her seat in front of him using formal seiza posture.

    Her back was very straight, an indication of her excellent upbringing.

    "Okay, now that it''s just the two of us, put away all those formalities, reservations, weird courtesies and business jargon so that we can talk openly and upfront."

    "On the other hand, I think the things you just deemed unnecessary are essential for smoother communications between people, no matter what."

    "Perhaps that may be true, but right now, we don''t need them. After all¡ª"

    Orihime placed her hand on her chest.

    Although Hal only realized now, she was really quite an attractive girl.

    "Haruga-kun, we are classmates and friends. Furthermore, we know each other''s secret."

    "Hold it right there. Disregarding the other two claims for now, what do you mean by ''friends''?"

    Ignoring the charms of the girl before him, Hal made a displeased look.

    "I don''t think we have built up that deep an interpersonal relationship yet."

    "Well, we''ve already spent a week in the same class. Two days ago, we even experienced a life threatening crisis together. After that, we''ve also chatted a bit about various things."

    On the other hand, Orihime had made an astounding declaration in her usual cheerfulness.

    "If not friends, what would you call our relationship?"

    "..."

    I can''t believe you consider us friends just because of something on this level. Hal almost wanted to grumble aloud.

    Also, he noticed something. Just now, Orihime had most likely omitted on purpose¡ªAbout how she had selflessly exposed herself to danger in the face of a dragon in order to rescue Hal back then.

    ...Despite knowing she would gain a psychological advantage had she brought it up.

    Hal had no evidence. He was simply guessing blindly.

    However, Orihime really seemed like a girl who would unobtrusively act considerately for other people''s feelings.

    Even though she clearly said "put away the formalities" herself...

    "Fine, putting words like ''friends'' aside for now, I accept your point about being open and upfront."

    Truly a tricky customer. Why was she so dazzling? Hal continued with vexation in his heart, "Then what? Why do you want to talk to me?"

    "Didn''t I mention before? Because I am very interested in you."

    "It might sound a bit trite coming from myself, but I''m not that special a person. On the other hand, Asya who came along is quite amazing. I''m simply someone who accepts jobs from the SAURU organization, running errands to provide various kinds of assistance to covenant rituals."

    Hearing Hal speak truthfully from the heart for the first time, Orihime made a skeptical look.

    "Simply the fact that you''re in this line of work as a high school student is already weird enough. Doesn''t it require special knowledge or ample experience? I get the feeling you''re very familiar with things related to dragons and magic, Haruga-kun."

    "This job has no age restrictions. Just as you described, because it''s a profession requiring special skills, age isn''t much of an issue."

    "Then from where did you learn those skills?"

    "The answer is very simple. It''s my family business."

    Family business? As Orihime murmured softly in curiosity, Hal continued, "My father was a member of SAURU too. He was part of the research group that confirmed the theory of ''serpents''¡ªthe synthesis of leviathans and the process of covenanting. Pops taught me a lot while I also read the materials at home, so that''s how I gradually gained expertise in this field."

    "Your father..."

    "Besides, regarding the point of age restrictions, magi enjoy even greater freedom. In short, all you need is to be a girl. Asya became a witch back when she was ten and you''re a girl too."

    Orihime could only be described as a young beauty in terms of age. Hal said to her:

    "Furthermore, at such a young age, you have been recognized as an eligible mage candidate, receiving massive support from local society and about to establish a covenant with a ''serpent.'' The fees paid to SAURU on this occasion also come from industrialists, capitalists, religious organizations and others that are based in Tokyo."

    Orihime''s grandfather was the client this time.

    However, he was nothing more than the representative for the project of cultivating Orihime as a mage.

    There should be many others who have dedicated money and effort for her sake.

    "You visited the library at the Mansion last time. That was for the purpose of acclimatizing your body to magic, right?"

    "Yes. The ''serpent'' will not grow in strength unless I do that."

    "The power of a ''serpent'' depends on ''how acclimatized to magic'' is the mage with whom the covenant is established. Even if it''s just for getting used to that kind of space, which is filled with mysterious energies, it''s still excellent training for a novice mage."

    "I think I''ve heard that before. But I''ve been there a number of times and still haven''t grown accustomed to it yet..."

    "If you wish to respond to the expectations and investments of the sponsors, then endure it. But to be frank, I don''t think you''re cut out to be a witch."

    "How so? Am I actually not talented enough?"

    Although Hal had said something that could be construed as an insult, Orihime''s response turned out to be very respectful.

    Presumably, her true nature must be very upstanding and not twisted in any way.

    "Rather than talent, it''s a question of temperament."

    "...Perhaps I look too much like a lady, by any chance? Despite appearances, I''m actually a tomboy at heart. Especially as a modern kid, I''m more skilled in physical than verbal fights, so I''m actually quite strong at fighting. I think there''s no problem even if I have to fight dragons."

    After hearing this confession that could not be ignored, Hal could not help but stare off into the distance.

    "Come on, words like ''tomboy'' or ''modern kid'' are already outdated in twenty-first-century Japan, right? Using such a retro choice of words is really quite fitting for a sheltered high-class lady like you. Besides, your ''strong at fighting'' confession is really urging me to make a snide remark. However¡ª"

    Glancing aloofly at Orihime who seemed airheaded in certain ways, Hal said, "That''s not where the issue lies. You are too upstanding, too wholesome... It''s impossible for you to share your soul with ''serpents,'' the close relatives of dragons."

    "Wholesome?"

    "Yes. Using the analogy of light and darkness, something like magic would be darkness. Using the analogy of the sun and the moon, it would be the moon. Someone like you, Juujouji, who exudes an aura filled with light from the bottom of your heart... probably cannot get acclimatized to magic."

    "Won''t it work if I devote time towards training? I am very tenacious, you know?"

    "Will it? You just said that you didn''t get used to it despite visiting a number of times, right? Perhaps you already know instinctively. There''s a decisive conflict between the dark knowledge occupying that place and the personality of Juujouji Orihime."

    Indeed. It was the same incompatibility as that between Haruga Haruomi and Juujouji Orihime.

    That was what Hal thought to himself, but Orihime said nonchalantly, "Then you''re probably overthinking things, Haruga-kun... Rather, you''re overestimating me. I am not as devoid of darkness as you say. To be honest, I''m quite resentful that you''ve been avoiding me all the time lately, Haruga-kun."

    You call something of that level "darkness"? Hal smiled wryly. Orihime proceeded to ask him:

    "Then pray enlighten me as the expert, Haruga-kun, what kind of personality is suitable for becoming a witch?"

    "Someone who embraces darkness in their heart. Someone whose very soul harbors a certain type of insanity. Their thought processes are impossible to fathom using a normal person''s sensibilities. As far as I know, all master witches¡ªthose Level 4 or above¡ªfit the aforementioned description."

    "But... Since you say that, what about her? Your friend, Haruga-kun."

    Orihime was probably trying to recall that girl''s name. With a labored expression of pondering, she said, "Asya-san, if I recall correctly? She looks so delicate and dream-like, giving off such a frail impression. But she''s a very powerful witch, isn''t she?"

    "Bullseye."

    Hal expressed great approval of what had caught Orihime''s eye.

    "Asya only looks weak superficially. As for her true nature... Well, perhaps it''d be appropriate to describe her as a beast. She''s a ferocious beast in human clothing!"

    "A ferocious beast¡ªin human clothing!?"

    "She seems to have preserved the bestial instincts that many modern humans have lost during the process of evolution. That''s why... She is so compatible with the primitive and primordial aspects of magic as a type of knowledge."

    So-called magic was a profound field of expertise. However, knowledge and intelligence alone were not enough to master it.

    Only those with mental strength and sensibilities transcending conventional boundaries were able to attain greatness.

    "Asya''s body and mind easily grew accustomed to the path of unorthodoxy. She is more vicious than anyone in combat and definitely barbaric, almost rivaling the dragons. That already makes her an unprecedented monster."

    "W-Wait, Haruga-kun, how could you describe a girl in that manner!?"

    While Hal was praising his childhood friend nonstop, Orihime stopped him for some reason.

    "Did I say something weird just now? I was simply lavishing praise on her talent."

    "It sounded nothing like that at all!"

    "Totally! O-Of all things, you''re comparing me to animals, beasts and monsters! Haruomi, what do you take a young maiden in her prime to be!?"

    "Hmm?"

    Hal felt concerned about the yelling coming from outside the room.

    Orihime also tilted her neck in puzzlement before reaching for the paper sliding door separating the bedroom from the corridor. The door slid open with a clack to reveal Asya eavesdropping with her ears perked.

    "...What are you doing?"

    "...I just wanted to find out a little about what Haruomi and Orihime-san are discussing."

    Asya explained, trying to play dumb.

    At the same time, she turned her face to the side, avoiding eye contact with Hal.

    "This isn''t trying to find out a little. You''re simply a suspicious character engaging in eavesdropping."

    "I couldn''t help it. It''s all because you two are acting so sneaky with such a suspicious atmosphere! Orihime-san''s grandfather seems very worried too!"

    The childhood friend was yelling loudly, true to her original nature. The feigned temperament of the calm young lady was no more.

    In response to her carelessness, Hal frowned and replied "That''s why I keep saying you''re too careless in business, Asya." Then he noticed Asya''s last sentence, one that he could not ignore¡ªHer grandfather is very worried too?

    Closer examination revealed that Orihime''s grandfather was currently standing behind Asya.

    His facial muscles were twitching nonstop, as though suppressing certain intense emotions.

    "You are Orihime''s classmate at school, aren''t you? I have certain things to say to you."

    "Oh, sorry about that. I''ll immediately resume the explanation about the ritual."

    "I don''t care about that right now. The most important matter at hand is this: you are the first man to ever step into my granddaughter''s room."

    "Eh? Is that true, Juujouji?"

    "I only realized now that it was mentioned, but it does seem to be the case."

    "I can''t believe a young man and a young woman are spending time alone in a bedroom, it''s truly too immoral. This type of behavior is the breeding ground for impure interactions between genders!"

    "Yes, indeed. To stop you from abusing your classmate position to deceive my granddaughter, I must teach you a good lesson. Could you accompany me briefly?"

    Asya was yelling loudly whereas the old man spoke calmly with a tense face.

    Orihime''s face froze in disbelief while Hal was confronted with new troubles.

    Orihime''s grandfather spent roughly two hours warning Hal about the "Juujouji family''s ban on impure interactions between genders."

    The process not only dragged on but was also unnecessarily detailed. That being said, Hal never even entertained the thought of making a move on Orihime.

    After he voiced his opinion, Orihime''s grandfather ended up taking offense again.

    "You are saying that... My granddaughter is unattractive as a woman? That is truly an insult!"

    Only after placating the old man with much difficulty could the discussion on the ritual finally resume.

    Then when leaving the Juujouji residence, Asya inexplicably grumbled "I can''t believe you''re aiming to please a girl whom you''ve only met recently without even evaluating your own abilities!"

    Handling Asya also took a very long time.

    It was currently after 10pm. Utterly exhausted, Hal made his way home on his own. Then roughly five minutes away from his messy house¡ª

    Hal felt someone''s gaze. On the dim road at night, a girl was staring at him with a sardonic smile.

    Roughly aged eleven or twelve in appearance. Her facial features were very delicate. A cute girl.

    However, her attire was quite strange. A scarlet kimono. Tied on her lustrous black hair was a large scarlet ribbon. Perhaps this girl already developed the same retro tastes as Orihime''s grandfather at this age?

    "...Who are you?"

    Hal asked with suspicion on his face, because she could not possibly be an ordinary child.

    If his eyesight was not mistaken, she had suddenly appeared out from the shadows in the road under the cover of night. It was almost like teleportation...

    "For a mere human to possess a star''s fragment... You have involved yourself in a troublesome destiny."

    The girl in the kimono spoke quietly in an arrogant tone of voice.

    Although her voice was as young as her appearance, there was a calmness in tone that did not match her age.

    "Star, you say?"

    "Are you unaware? It is the fragment of the flint star pouring flames into the conqueror''s secret runes. Despite being followers of the unorthodox path, contemporary humans are rather lacking in depth of research. What a sad sight indeed."

    The girl had clearly mentioned "followers of the unorthodox path."

    In other words, she knew that Haruga Haruomi was involved with SAURU.

    Hal then noticed at this moment. The girl''s eyes had golden pupils and felt a little reptilian. Unmistakably, this was the same pair of eyes he had encountered last time at the Mansion''s library!

    "Discovering you in this city was truly fortunate from my standpoint... But I am as yet unsure of your capacity. Let us chat again should an opportunity arise in the future."

    The girl smiled with conceit then said quietly:

    "However, let me offer you a word of advice. At the current rate, you will surely die in the near term. If you wish to live, then go search deep into the ground where even the wings of dragons cannot reach. Then again, who knows if such a place actually exists in this world!"

    Finishing with these words, the girl vanished as suddenly as she had appeared.

    Hal had evidently crossed paths with a supernatural being. Furthermore, the encounter was accompanied by an ominous prediction of death. Perhaps all this implied¡ª

    "What happened to me was not a mental disorder... but some kind of curse or haunting?"

    Uncharacteristically, Hal mumbled to himself in a daze.

    Part 4

    "I''m so sorry for yesterday. My grandfather was acting very strangely."

    It was the next day after the visit to the Juujouji residence, before homeroom started, inside the classroom at morning.

    After Hal took his seat, Orihime, who had arrived first, suddenly apologized.

    "You don''t need to apologize. I wasn''t offended. It just gave me a fright, that''s all."

    "Grandfather is usually quite strict but becomes over-protective in weird areas. In any case, I am very sorry for causing you additional trouble, Haruga-kun, even though it was a rare occasion for you to visit my home."

    Chatting with a neighboring classmate in the morning was probably a very common scene in school.

    But why? The surrounding students were suddenly clamoring.

    The two girls sitting diagonally ahead, Mutou-san and Funaki-san, exchanged glances. Sitting up front, a boy¡ªTakayama¡ªstiffened his back with a crack.

    Am I overthinking things? Despite a feeling of doubt, Hal still answered, "Every family has their own problems. I really don''t mind what happened yesterday."

    To be honest, the PTSD-like symptoms last time were more serious of a problem.

    That really was a "curse," right? A single thought prompted thousands more thoughts to fill Hal''s mind... Unaware of the troubles Hal was confronting, Orihime cheerfully said, "So here is my gesture of apology. Don''t be shy, feel free to accept it."

    What Orihime presented was a convenience store bag. Hal leaned forward to peer inside.

    "Your apology for yesterday is only worth two Chinese-style steamed buns? Your sincerity is truly impressive, Juujouji."

    "Not both of them. The caramel macchiato strawberry custard bun is mine, Haruga-kun, while yours is the ginger sauce grilled meat kimchi green tea bun. Oh, please do share your thoughts after trying it. Although I''m very curious, I really couldn''t actually bring myself to try that one."

    "Your fully sincere response truly fills me with awe..."

    Hal reached his hand into the convenience store bag.

    He frowned at both the colorful product that seemed as though it was developed in resignation by a Japanese convenience store chain as well as Orihime who was nonchalantly shoving this brightly colored object on him.

    Instead of the pink bun, he tried bringing to his lips the orange bun whose hue was so intense that it looked poisonous.

    "It''s not exactly disgusting... But the flavor is as disharmonious as a symphony orchestra without a conductor."

    "As one would think, I can''t expect the feeling of security I get from the standard flavors... Actually, I originally thought of buying a meat bun and a bean paste bun, but it''d be bad if you turned out to be the kind of rebellious youth who totally scoffs at safe brands, Haruga-kun, so I decided to take a gamble."

    "On the topic of food, I am just a boring guy, so plain and ordinary is good enough."

    "Understood. If another chance for me to treat you comes up again, I''ll try to apply what I learned from this experience."

    Using her hands to break off a piece of the bun that looked like it was sickeningly sweet, Orihime gracefully delivered it to her mouth.

    Meanwhile, Hal finished his bun in merely four bites. Seeing that, Orihime said, "Haruga-kun, would you like to try some of this? The excessively sweet caramel is slightly addictive. But this sweetness isn''t quite normal. Rather than people with a sweet tooth, it feels more like they''re targeting those with a sugar dependency."

    Orihime extended a small piece of her bun.

    Although this image greatly resembled an "Open up and say ah~~" kind of scene, Hal replied indifferently, "Each person should take responsibility for finishing off their own portion."

    Classmates chatting casually should be a commonplace occurrence in any school.

    However, Hal noticed presently that his earlier feeling was not his imagination. The surrounding classmates were all staring at him in surprise. Why was that?

    "Say, Haruga... You seem to be getting along quite well with Juujouji-san..."

    The boy sitting in front, Takayama, remarked resentfully, prompting Hal to retort with indifference, "You''re mistaken. Juujouji is a straightforward girl who treats everyone the same. I just happen to be in her company as a matter of circumstance. However, I''m timid in personality and can''t keep up with her friendly ways, so I wouldn''t really call it getting along quite well."

    "You, timid in personality, Haruga-kun? You must be kidding!?"

    Orihime exclaimed in surprise. Hal took the opportunity to assert strongly:

    "Not lying here. Can''t you tell just by looking?"

    "Who can tell? On the other hand, I feel like you''re an exceptionally thick-skinned person, Haruga-kun."

    "And you seem to be excessively upstanding."

    "You are right. However, I''m not a straightforward person who treats everyone the same. I hate people who are rude or pretentious the most."

    "But those kinds of people get hated by others, not just you, right?"

    "H-Hold on! Haruga-kun and Juujouji-san, can I confirm something with you two first!?"

    Interrupting the conversation was the girl who sat diagonally in front, Funaki-san.

    She had stood up from her seat and jogged her way over to just before Hal and Orihime.

    "A couple days ago, Juujouji-san said she was interested in Haruga-kun, didn''t she!?"

    "Yes, I did say that. Then this person started avoiding me, but after many things happened, Haruga-kun finally revealed his true colors."

    "Didn''t I already say so? I am shy and timid in personality."

    "Liar, you simply find interpersonal relationships to be a hassle. That''s just laziness."

    Hal was secretly impressed. Orihime was sharp as expected, cutting straight to the point.

    On the other hand, Funaki-san''s eyes glowed energetically as she proceeded to ask again:

    "In the past few days, you two have rapidly grown close. Next comes the second matter. Haruga-kun, you visited Juujouji-san''s home yesterday, right? Did you meet her family at the time?"

    "Yeah. But due to certain reasons, Juujouji later dragged me into her room."

    The instant Hal gave an immediate response, the atmosphere in the classroom suddenly changed.

    Why was that? Anger, resentment and jealousy were appearing in the eyes of the boys who were listening intently in the surroundings. Meanwhile, the girls were all looking this way with heightened excitement as though they were about to scream "kyah!"

    As for Funaki-san, she was nodding with satisfaction.

    "Now for the third matter! What were you doing, Haruga-kun, visiting Juujouji-san!?"

    "Sorry, I don''t want to answer. Please allow me to remain silent."

    "Then Juujouji-san, if possible, could you tell me!?"

    "Hmm... No, I can''t tell you. Let it be a secret between the two of us. Also, I don''t think it''s something that can be disclosed to unrelated people."

    "Understood! Then I won''t pursue this matter any further!" promised Funaki-san, still with a happy look on her face.

    A few days later, not only Hal but also Orihime regretted this scene.

    Within a mere span of a week, rumors started spreading.

    Completely unfounded and strange news was circulating in the high school division of Kogetsu Academy.

    ''Exposed: romantic relationship of Juujouji Orihime, the most popular beauty in the school.''

    ''Surprising! The one who took initiative to confess was the Princess (school slang referring to Orihime)!?''

    ''Her alleged boyfriend is likewise a first-year. Why would the Princess like such a gloomy-looking guy!? If hatred could kill, that guy must surely be ranked first on a "want to kill the most" poll! ¡ùsurveyed population: all male students.''

    ''The only man who ever stepped foot into the Princess'' bedroom. We will never forgive him. Never.''

    ''Verification 1: since family was involved, nothing should have happened, right?''

    ''Verification 2: do not be overly optimistic. All boys of the school, now is the time for resolve.''

    ''The alleged boyfriend completely denies rumors of a romantic relationship with the Princess. Is he lying? Or being tsundere? Or is he gay?''

    ''Further reports: the Princess also denies of a romantic relationship. However, the shadow of doubt continues to hang over the entire affair. Has springtime arrived for the school princess who was an attainable goal for everyone? The entire male student body is crying!''

    Hearing that the situation had developed into this state, Hal could not help but think¡ª

    Why was everyone spinning themselves in circles over erroneous information whose truth could not be confirmed, getting all worked up for nothing?

    Since it was far too unexpected, Hal did not even get a chance to take precautions.

    "In other words, that''s how massively popular Juujouji is."

    Hal muttered with poignant feeling.

    "I''ll be careful starting next time. I have to avoid carelessly talking to girls whom an indeterminate number of boys treat as virtual romantic partners as though they were worshiping idols."

    The current location was the deserted rooftop of the school building. Orihime was standing before him.

    They had come here because the gazes of bystanders were too aggravating when they tried to talk in the classroom or the corridors.

    "I clearly denied them so many times, but why won''t the rumors calm down!?"

    Orihime angrily clenched her fist and complained.

    "Haruga-kun and me¡ªHow impossible!"

    "Is it really okay for you to assert ''how impossible'' in my presence? My feelings such as male pride are a bit hurt."

    "Eh? Is that how you feel about me by any chance, Haruga-kun?"

    "Nope. Because I''ve already experienced for real the kind of risk involved in getting into that type of relationship with you. It''s troublesome beyond compare."

    "Say, isn''t it rude as well to call someone ''a girl who is very troublesome to get into a relationship with'' to her face?"

    Orihime instantly retorted against Hal''s slip of the tongue. Hal shrugged.

    "Sigh, let''s put that aside. Even if you continue to go around and deny rumors, it''d still be futile. Just wait calmly and quietly for the rumors to settle down. Toleration is the best course of action."

    "...Hmph, you''re talking like it has nothing to do with you."

    Orihime stared intently at Hal after remarking nonchalantly.

    Hal secretly felt surprised. Judging from her tone of voice, it sounded like she had already seen through his intentions.

    Discreetly withdrawing from this school within a month, leaving Orihime to endure on her own... That was precisely his irresponsible plan. Hal decided to change the subject.

    "By the way, the ritual''s schedule is already decided. It''ll take place at night, three days from now."

    "...Got it. Finally, the official start is here."

    Ritual. Of course, that referred to the ritual for establishing a covenant with a leviathan.

    Confronted with this sudden notification, Orihime''s face tensed up.

    "But you mentioned last time during the explanation, right? A single misstep during the ritual could lead to a great disaster, so it''s necessary to choose a wide open and uninhabited space as the venue. Has the specific location been decided yet?"

    "Yeah. Based on the criteria, that place is the most suitable in this area."

    Places that happened to meet all criteria required by a covenant ritual...

    Such locations were normally not easy to find. However, there was a most suitable plot of land near Tokyo New Town¡ªthe Tokyo Concession that had become uninhabited.

    Hal and Orihime''s destination three days later was going to be a cluster of ruins in Old Tokyo.

    I hope that symptoms of that mysterious curse or PTSD won''t break out before the ritual concludes successfully¡ªHal felt compelled to pray to God whom he had never believed in.

    Part 5

    Then on the night three days later...

    Hal, Orihime and Asya were gathered in front of the Ryougoku Bridge spanning the Sumida River.

    Crossing the river would take them to the area of Old Tokyo.

    Although the Kuramae, Umaya, Komagata and various bridges crossing the Sumida River were not guarded by security, they were completely sealed off.

    Furthermore, this Ryougoku Bridge was sealed off even more securely than the other bridges.

    Not only did the bridge have a gate, but there were also security guards stationed twenty-four hours a day.

    This entrance was used by police-related vehicles patrolling the area of Old Tokyo.

    Gazing into the distance on that side, Orihime suddenly murmured, "Clearly it''s dragon territory but humans are responsible for managing it. It''s so strange."

    "Those guys didn''t demand ''concessions'' for the purpose of living in them. They just wanted to build that."

    Hal pointed into the night sky extending across the opposite shore of the Sumida River.

    The wasteland of a city on the far bank was shrouded entirely in darkness without any activated illumination.

    But due to the complete absence of artificial lighting, the moon and the stars seemed even brighter, their gentle white light shining on the ground surface.

    Against this "illuminated" backdrop of the dark night, a pillar''s silhouette was visible.

    It was the Monolith standing in the center of Old Tokyo, an imposing pillar of black stone, rising over a kilometer in height.

    "The surroundings of that pillar... have changed."

    "Changed?"

    "Yes. Magical, spiritual and mysterious energies, miasma... That place is filled with such energies belonging to the path of unorthodoxy. Whether water, soil or air, everything has become different from that of ordinary land."

    This time, it was Asya''s turn to speak to Orihime who was staring in wide-eyed amazement.

    "Commoners can only stay for a month before the strong magical power becomes unbearable, causing their bodies severe discomfort. Conversely, there are also advantages to land where magical power has increased."

    "What you''re implying is... land that facilitates rituals like this time''s, right?"

    Seeing her potential junior, Orihime, comprehending, Asya suddenly smiled.

    "A correct answer. For a large-scale ritual like a leviathan''s birth, the spiritual and magical energies residing in the soil must not be overlooked. Hence, tonight¡ª"

    "That is why we came to Old Tokyo to find a place with strong spiritual energy."

    The magical power in the soil waxed and waned depending on weather, seasons and leyline conditions.

    To check magical power conditions tonight, Hal took out his oft-used pocket watch.

    "What is that?"

    "My tool of the trade, it''s called the Clockwork Mage."

    Answering Orihime''s inquiry, Hal lightly lifted up in the silvercrafted pocket watch.

    This was the memento he had discovered in his father''s study soon after returning to Tokyo New Town. An old-fashioned mechanical watch with hundreds of turning parts such as gears, winders, springs and oscillators.

    This was the Clockwork Mage. Also a modern version of a mage''s wand.

    Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. The sounds of the second hand counted out intervals of time.

    It needed to be synchronized with his heart rate. Hal adjusted his breathing. Right now, the second hand''s rate of movement was almost identical to his pulse.

    The watch hand and his heart. Hal imagined both of them moving with the same rhythm.

    Tick-tock, badump, tick-tock, badump.

    Hence, the second hand slowed down slightly to reach the exact same rhythm as Hal''s heart. In that very instant, magical power was generated.

    A supernatural power that commoners were not supposed to be capable of generating.

    "I''ve heard that in the Chinese art of geomancy, Feng Shui, it is very important to capture circulatory flows in the ground¡ªdragon pulses. Try using this principle to observe the flow and distribution of magical power."

    Hal spread out an aerial photo of the Old Tokyo area.

    This photo was apparently taken from the air. Holding a red pen in his right hand, Hal drew a number of circles on the map. What guided the pen''s movement was not Hal''s own will.

    Instead, it was the spell of Leyline Exploration performed using the clockwork device''s magical power.

    Naturally, the circled locations all held strong magical power.

    "Is this one okay? I also get the feeling that it''s a wide open space."

    "The Ochanomizu neighborhood? Got it. Then let''s go there."

    Hal immediately nodded in agreement with Asya''s comment after she examined the map and the circles.

    On the other hand, Orihime was staring at the pocket watch with eyes full of curiosity.

    "Although I''ve heard of this type of device, it''s actually my first time seeing one. So with this in hand, even commoners can use magic?"

    "Naturally, it doesn''t work unless the holder understands magic to a certain extent."

    Hal put away the pocket watch and said, "This thing allows me to perform magic up to Rank B5, so it''s not bad as a portable tool. Anyway, let''s hurry and get moving."

    Having said that, Hal turned his gaze to the light motor vehicle parked on a nearby road. It was a car owned by SAURU that he had asked Kenjou to deliver here.

    "Hold on, a car is all fine and good, but who''s going to drive it?"

    "It''s a bit late to be asking this kind of question."

    "Don''t worry. Neither Haruomi nor I have any trouble driving."

    Confronted with the issue Orihime had pointed out, Hal shrugged whereas Asya answered readily.

    "...According to Japanese laws, people under the age of eighteen shouldn''t be able to obtain a driver''s license. Also, you''re in my year group, Haruga-kun. Did you ever repeat grades in school?"

    "No, Juujouji, I was born in the same year as you. I''m still a young and tender fifteen-year-old."

    "Somehow it feels really wrong to hear Haruomi calling himself young and tender... Oh by the way, I''m only fifteen as well, like everyone here. A girl who outblooms even a flower."

    "Say, Asya, didn''t you ravenously wolf down a large amount of edible chrysanthemums or some other kind of flower earlier?"

    "Umm... I''ll be blunt then. Do either of you have a license?"

    Orihime asked with a very melancholic look on her face.

    She looked like she was worrying about what to do, as if she had discovered a reserve army of criminals.

    Hence, Asya puffed out her flat chest and took out her driver''s license with a giggling smile.

    "That''s what you''re worrying about? Just as you can see, my preparations are impeccable."

    "I''m fine too. Despite requiring a bit of money to acquire, it does come in handy for various situations henceforth. I''ve already obtained a Japanese driver''s license."

    Hal also took out his license. However, Orihime reacted with an expression of shock.

    "Anastasya Kaminsky, nineteen years old. Haruda Harunosuke, eighteen years old. How exactly should I comment on the names and dates of birth that differ from what I previously heard..."

    "Oh¡ªLet me explain for your information. There exists a type of profession in this world where people will prepare all sorts of documents for you as long as you''re introduced through friends and provide a reward."

    "Their help was frequently necessary when I first started this line of work."

    "Also, the only forgeries here are the licenses. Our skills are totally legitimate."

    "As for driving experience, Haruomi and I once took turns driving through the Taklamakan Desert in a military jeep, following an oasis that went across the desert. Please rest assured."

    "I''m not concerned about driving skills. It''s the issue of suspicious, forged licenses!"

    After getting the surprised Orihime seated in the back of the light motor vehicle, Asya squeezed into the front passenger seat while Hal sat down as the driver. Starting the car, he stepped on the gas pedal.

    The car gradually approached the gate on Ryougoku Bridge used by police vehicles.

    Although the research organization of SAURU did not secretly control the Japanese government as suggested by urban rumors, they did maintain intimate ties to many state organizations.

    The date-stamped access pass was already prepared.

    The access gate''s appearance resembled a highway''s toll station. However, what blocked their path ahead was a very sturdy looking fence. A police officer, in his late thirties approximately, was on standby before the gate, hence Hal stopped the car in front of the gate and extended his pass out of the window.

    After glancing over the pass, the police officer returned it to Hal and operated a switch.

    ...Accompanied by the sound of turning machinery, the fence gradually rose up.

    Thus Hal and company entered the former Yasukuni Street, a road from Ryougoku to Shinjuku, traversing the former capital in times past before it became a wasteland.

    Driven by Hal, the car advanced smoothly.

    Traveling along the former Yasukuni Street, the car passed through Asakusa Bridge and the district of Higashi-Kanda.

    However, everywhere was deserted. The hustle and bustle of innumerable cars and pedestrians of the past had all vanished. Naturally, there was no street lighting either. Apart from their car''s headlights, the only remaining light sources were the moon and the stars.

    Along the way, the trio witnessed a tragic scene in the district of Iwamotochou.

    "They sure rampaged to an unbelievable degree."

    "Abandoned immediately after the destruction wrought by the dragons, I guess..."

    Orihime concurred with Hal''s comment.

    A flock of hungry dragons had probably flown in back then. Skyscrapers, multi-tenant buildings, ordinary family residences, public facilities, warehouses, factories, shops¡ªThe whole city was pulverized, torn apart and incinerated until nothing was left.

    Various types of construction materials were scattered all over the place as rubble and debris.

    Fortunately, none of the remains were enough to constitute road obstacles. Without needing to take detours, the trio continued to advance.

    "If left alone to rampage, Raptors¡ªthis goes the same for the lesser dragon flying in last time¡ªare capable of destruction that''s no joking matter. Even more so for elite dragons. Speaking of how terrifying they are... I don''t even want to give them any thought," remarked Asya lightly, seated next to the driver.

    The beauty of her fairy-like face was mixed with a warrior''s solemn dignity, like a renowned sword that had been sharpened. She often displayed this type of expression whenever matters of power and battle were brought up.

    "You previously mentioned those elite dragons, Asya-san? How are they different?"

    Her curiosity piqued by Asya''s remark, Orihime proceeded to inquire of her soon-to-be senior.

    "Well... Elites are more than double the size of Raptors and very powerful in combat strength. Apart from that, they''re also well-versed in many languages."

    After a moment of thinking, Asya began to explain.

    "This includes Sumerian and Coptic languages, Ancient Greek, Latin, and various languages used by modern humans. There''s also their own language, Hyperborean, as well as the runic symbols of Ruruk Soun which are said to have gathered all magical wisdom possessed by dragonkind... In addition, elites have very strong magical power, making super high-level magic as easy to perform as breathing for them."

    "You mean magic like the spell Haruga-kun just used?"

    "Nowhere close. Magic of ours on this level cannot compare to that of the dragons at all. However, witches and leviathans are able to control magical power on a similar level as them."

    "But even if power level is the same, there is still a gap in magical proficiency and experience... To be honest, I wouldn''t want to fight them at all unless my side outnumbers them four to one or more."

    Asya''s combat record was supposed to include several occasions when she had fought elite dragons.

    After hearing the sincere opinion of Asya who had survived these deadly encounters, Orihime remarked with heartfelt emotion, "Then if I became a witch as well, is it possible I might have to fight those elite dragons?"

    "Chances are not low. If it''s just Raptors, even ordinary military can oppose them. But elites can use magic to disable mechanical parts and disorient people on the order of tens of thousands... Hence, no one can handle them except for witches with leviathans."

    "Also, elites often wander the earth in search of things like precious metals, rare metals and foci bearing magical power."

    Experts like Hal and Asya seldom referred to Raptors as "dragons" because somewhere in their hearts existed a certain mindset¡ªUltimately, the only true dragons were the elites.

    After listening to them, Orihime nodded greatly and said, "Speaking of which, is that red dragon an elite too? The one you can often find on internet videos, making speeches in fluent English¡ªOh right, Hannibal!"

    The giant red dragon had flown to the Rockefeller Center twenty-odd years ago.

    Since his self-introduction was simply "I am the king and representative of dragonkind," the people of Earth gave him another nickname. Namely, "Hannibal."

    The name of the famous ancient Carthaginian general who had ravaged the Roman Republic in the past...

    Hal exchanged a glance with Asya then quickly responded, "Of course. In our world, that guy is the most famous of the elites."

    "By the way, Haruomi, any update on that ''mental disorder''?"

    "It hasn''t recurred again, at least for now. But I''ve been thinking, perhaps it''s actually due to something like haunting or a curse."

    "Now that you mention it, I do recall that it''s quite possible for us to encounter those beings due to work..."

    Then there were those classified as Caesar Draconis, commonly known as "dragon kings."

    They were the irregulars reigning supreme at the top of the elite dragons. However, it would be premature to discuss this topic with a newcomer who had yet to become a witch...

    Unaware that Hal and Asya were secretly withholding information, Orihime began to show interest in the new subject of conversation.

    "H-Hold on, what do you mean by a curse?"

    "Nothing much, just the symptoms that broke out during the dragon encounter last time. In the beginning, I thought it was something like PTSD but there are many aspects worth pondering over."

    Hal recalled the situation when he had encountered the mysterious spirit(?) while explaining, "In my family''s case, I''ve had past experiences because Pops and I often suffered retribution when visiting places like ancient tombs. Speaking of which, Pops died all of a sudden when his health failed without warning."

    "I think it''s best that you pay the SAURU headquarters a visit to get diagnosed."

    "All kinds of things really can happen in your line of work, Haruga-kun..."

    By the time they noticed, their car had already reached the vicinity of their destination.

    The neighborhood formerly known as Ochanomizu...

    Although situated in the heart of the city, this area was unlike commercial and business districts. In the past, there were many universities and hospitals here. The location that caught Hal and Asya''s eyes was also a certain university''s campus.

    Their car stopped in a corner of the parking lot located inside the university''s back entrance.

    After getting off, Hal and Asya immediately started preparations.

    First, Hal clutched his pocket watch tightly to perform Altar Formation magic.

    As a result, blue light suddenly appeared from the ground of the vast open space. At the same time, complicated shapes, letters, numbers and symbols were being rapidly traced out one after another on the ground.

    This was the magic circle used for carrying out a ritual of Leviathan Birth.

    Then Hal pulled a trunk case out from the car and took out the Grave Good inside.

    An ancient mirror, polished from white copper. Hal had no idea whether it was found in a shrine or a museum somewhere, but it definitely felt very historical.

    Hal placed this white copper mirror in the center of the magic circle.

    In technical parlance, an artifact like this mirror would be called the "magical apparatus for enshrined object emulation."

    Once the covenant ritual was completed, it would become the leviathan''s core¡ªthe Heartmetal¡ªand start functioning as the cardiac organ of the super lifeform closely related to dragonkind.

    "Okay, with this, the altar''s preparations are done."

    "I''m ready on my side too. The connection to the New Town branch office is secured. We can start any time."

    Asya reported while facing a notebook computer connected through a satellite cellphone.

    Orihime jumped in surprise. With an impressed look, she was watching Hal and Asya in action.

    "Eh, you''re already done? Not even ten minutes have passed since we got off the car."

    "Nothing of that sort. Haven''t you waited for a very long time before coming here? Also, counting back, more than half a year has elapsed since we came to Tokyo. During this time, Juujouji, Istanbul''s SAURU headquarters has been making many preparations for you."

    "That''s right. Not only does the composition formula for the ''serpent'' need to be calculated and the required magic circle designed, but adjustments are also needed to accommodate the Grave Good your side prepared."

    Asya spoke while operating the computer.

    "Via a direct line at the New Town branch office, this terminal is currently connected to the Wizard''s Clock at the Istanbul headquarters... as well as ''Grandmother Immortal.'' Although only Haruomi and I are present here, even more people are currently on standby for this ritual."

    A look of respect and admiration appeared on Orihime''s face after she was told the situation. Hal also chimed in to say, "Juujouji, your task is to just wait a little longer. Look carefully at the shadow of the ''serpent'' that will be born for you... Okay, Asya, it''s up to you now."

    "Very well¡ªO mother of the immortals, I hereby invite on your behalf the priestess who shall inherit your soul!" chanted Asya sonorously while facing the giant magic circle.

    Astoundingly strong magical power was erupting from her delicate body.

    A task requiring Hal to use a clockwork device to perform was accomplished by a witch with just her heart. Every time the childhood friend''s chest pulsated, magical power flowed out endlessly.

    Furthermore, a vast amount of magical power and ingenious spells were being transmitted from the Istanbul headquarters.

    Bridging both sides was an electronic version of the Clockwork Mage that was installed in the notebook computer together with the satellite cellphone, first connecting to Tokyo New Town''s Mirokudou through the cellphone''s signals then reaching the Istanbul headquarters through a high-speed direct line.

    Evaluated in terms of transmission bandwidth, this communications channel would probably be considered very slow.

    However, this was a magical ritual.

    No matter what form taken, magic was able to construct a spiritual bond known as the Astral Link as long as the person in the priestly role carrying out the ritual was mutually connected to the Istanbul headquarters.

    Even if the medium was wireless or a conventional phone, in the end, the same result could still be obtained.

    "O queen who gazes down on all creation with the eyes of the great sorceress, O noble advisor who possesses infinite wisdom."

    "You are the one wielding authority. By your pale and noble hands, heaven and earth is nurtured, guided and shaped."

    "O queen and sovereign who purifies rivers and makes water flow. We worship your divinity and pledge our allegiance. O mother, I implore you to grant her your protection and confer your guidance!"

    In response to Asya''s chanting, the "shadow" on the magic circle gradually grew larger.

    It was the black silhouette of an enormous beast. Quadrupedal and mammalian in form, its overall physique was slender. What was it shouldering on its back?

    This shadow was the materialization of the leviathan about to be born.

    Orihime murmured with eyes wide in surprise, "So that''s a ''serpent''... The leviathan born for my sake...?"

    "Indeed. But it''s still unknown whether the birth will succeed since it''s currently just a spiritual body that''s still unable to manifest in the present world... A shadow ''serpent,'' that''s all. Juujouji, if the covenant''s bond fails to connect your body and mind to that thing, it will remain stranded in the present world¡ª"

    Halfway through the explanation, Hal was stunned with surprise. Flames?

    Suddenly, Hal''s field of view became dominated by fire without warning.

    Burning. The altar where the ritual was taking place, Asya chanting sonorously, Orihime looking up at the shadow nervously, the scenery of the wasteland in the distance, everything was set ablaze.

    Was this the illusion of flames he had experienced before? Hal was struck with unease.

    Last time when he saw these flames, there was a Raptor nearby. Could it be possible that this time as well¡ªHowever, there was not the slightest dragon''s shadow in sight. Neither could the presence of dragons be sensed...

    Hal frantically surveyed his surroundings but blocked by the flames, he could not see clearly.

    "Damn it, get out of the way!"

    Hal roared angrily. The intensely burning flames instantly vanished without trace.

    Hal''s forceful vigor had dispelled the mysterious hallucination¡ªWas that the conclusion to be drawn? Hal found it strange but kept looking around him. There were no signs of dragons nearby.

    "What''s the matter, Haruga-kun? Is there a problem?" asked Orihime in worry from her position next to him.

    However, Hal was too preoccupied to answer her. Holding the pocket watch, he invoked the magic of Enemy Detection.

    Immediately, guided by magic, he turned around exactly 180 degrees.

    Amplified to telescopic levels, his vision captured a certain shape. At first glance, it resembled a large bird.

    A Stellar''s sea eagle or similar bird? Or one of the rare birds of prey inhabiting the mountain forest near the city?

    But he was wrong. It was comparable to an eagle only in size but completely different in form.

    "How on earth..."

    Perched on some school''s roof, the lifeform was gazing down at the altar¡ª

    A winged dragon. The scales on its body''s surface were bronze in color.

    It seemed to have noticed Hal''s gaze. Flying leisurely through the air, it descended gracefully towards them. Unmistakable.

    Realizing the dragon''s true identity, Hal managed to make a sound with much difficulty.

    "Halt the ritual, Juujouji and Asya. The most terrifying monster has appeared¡ªAn elite is flying at us!"

    No dragons existing in the world were actually this small in size.

    Even the Raptors, known as lesser dragons, were typically over five meters in body length. However¡ª

    Hal recalled what had been explained to Orihime just earlier.

    ¡ªAll elite dragons were masters of magic. For them, Miniaturization magic was probably no different from child''s play.

    Descending gracefully, the bronze dragon was undoubtedly an elite dragon¡ªscientific name: Eques Draconis¡ªthat had miniaturized itself!

 Volume 1, 3 - Revived Flames

    Volume 1, Chapter 3 - Revived Flames

    Part 1

    "As an endless traveler hailing from dragonkind, I hereby offer my greetings to all of you."

    The small bronze dragon landed lightly on a streetlight like a bird of prey.

    This lighting equipment was never going to light up again. However, the moon was especially clear tonight and fully substituted for the streetlight''s function.

    The voice emitted by the dragon was both clear and intellectual.

    "Using a pronunciation easier for your comprehension, my name is Raak Al Soth. Although my dealings with you shall conclude in an instant, I do hope that every one of you will remember my name firmly until the final moment."

    "Rather than conclude, you are going to terminate..." muttered Hal quietly.

    His heart felt like it was about to explode from terror.

    Elite dragons were capable of cursing humans to death with nothing but a stare.

    Nearby, Orihime and Asya who had interrupted the ritual were both staring up in wide-eyed shock at the dragon. However, Hal''s childhood friend stiffened her expression further when she saw the dragon speak.

    Since Asya was a witch who had survived countless battles, this reaction of hers most likely stemmed from personal experience regarding the threat posed by elite dragons.

    "Next, race that is more closely related to apes than snakes..."

    The dragon Soth was speaking in a calm voice that did not match his curled up body.

    "May I mutter to myself for a little while? Until a few days ago, I was still in slumber. Does everyone here know that hibernation periods exist for my race? Well, using your calendar system, it means slumbering continuously for several years."

    Unbelievably, there was a sense of humor in the dragon''s tone of voice.

    Humor was a sign of intelligence.

    However¡ªHal frowned. No matter how much mental cogency and powerful magic they possessed, the true nature of dragons was ultimately that of terrifying creatures.

    "We get a little excited when coming out of hibernation. Trivial things can turn into stimulus provoking me to attack the ground surface and revel in the joy of violence and destruction."

    At this rate, the dragon was undoubtedly going to start a fight¡ª

    Hal signaled with his eyes to Asya who nodded lightly in response.

    "But right now, another bad habit of mine is bothering me. Once provoked, I cannot suppress my vice of avarice no matter what. Excuse me, everyone, but I wish to rob you of that treasure there. Would you allow me to do so?"

    Treasure. The dragon was probably referring to the white copper mirror Hal''s group had brought.

    Compared to Raptors, elite dragons experienced a much stronger desire to gather precious metals, rare metals and objects carrying magical power.

    Previously, Hal had called Asya "a beast in human clothing"¡ª

    However, elites were "demonic beasts wearing guises of intellect." The real thing instead of a metaphor.

    While Hal and his group were so shocked that they gasped, the dragon Soth spread his wings and hovered into the air.

    Then he suddenly started to expand. Within the blink of an eye, the physique that was almost the size of Stellar''s sea eagle extended itself to a giant body ten-odd meters in length.

    Enlargement¡ªNo, this was the dispelling of Miniaturization magic.

    The elite''s gigantic body spread its pair of wings wide, blocking moonlight from reaching the ground.

    "Hold on! There is no need for you to rob us. If you want this thing, just take it!" declared Orihime suddenly without warning while she stared sternly at the dragon.

    "Although I''ve heard that it''s very expensive... In the end, it''s just an object."

    Under Hal''s surprised gaze, this was the answer Orihime gave. There was nothing worth agonizing over if the trio''s lives could be saved in exchange for a single mirror. That was probably what went through Orihime''s mind. Her beautiful face was filled with acuity.

    "And aren''t you an expert in finding objects like this one, Haruga-kun? I just need to hire you to find another one, so losing the mirror isn''t regrettable at all."

    At the end, her lips twisted stiffly in an effort to force a smile.

    Even while resisting the pressure brought about by a giant elite dragon, she was still forcing herself to smile and trying not to let Hal and Asya worry too much.

    Damn it. For some reason, Hal really wanted to click his tongue.

    Why was this girl making a full display of her dazzling aspects so frequently?

    And why must someone like her be sent to the front lines to fight dragons that were impossible to measure with common sense?

    After all, this deal proposed to the dragon would ultimately¡ª

    "Do not get the wrong idea, girl. I said ''I wish to rob'' and have no intention of profiting without labor."

    As expected. Hal gnashed his teeth.

    This was his first time encountering an elite dragon up close, but as an "expert," he was already familiar with the belligerent and sadistic nature of their race.

    As though corroborating his knowledge, the elite dragon Raak Al Soth laughed.

    "I wish to trample you viciously together with that shadow of an imitation you have created, thereby satiating my avarice! For us dragons, there is no greater joy than conflict, extermination and devastation! Hahahahaha!"

    Soth laughed while flapping his wings.

    Instantly, a raging gale swept forth, blowing the trio over backwards.

    Then there was the shadow behind Hal''s group.

    The leviathan about to be born¡ªthe shadow of a quadrupedal beast¡ªwas blown and scattered by the wind, vanishing like a mirage!

    "M-My serpent!?"

    "Dispel... He used a countermagic spell! Watch out, Juujouji¡ªUrgh!?"

    No sooner had he issued a warning, Hal knelt down. That was because his legs suddenly lost strength.

    In the corner of his field of vision, Hal could catch a faint glimpse of red flames. The hallucination seemed to be acting up again.

    Was he still unable to overcome it?

    "Haruga-kun!"

    Like last time, Orihime rushed over to him. That girl never minded her own business nor feared for her own life.

    Why did she choose the path of shared destruction instead of abandoning deadweight? Just like last time, Hal burned with fury at his own ineptitude.

    However, the only difference in situation this time was Asya''s presence.

    "I pray to the ancient divine seal of purity!"

    She was chanting a song of summoning, a hymn for calling forth her partner, Blue Rushalka.

    "Send the transient blue dragon to the ground! Let the star of purification manifest over our heads!"

    Responding to her call, a shining pentagram materialized in front of Raak Al Soth who was hovering leisurely in midair with wings spread out.

    "Fufufufu, of course I noticed. Girl sacrificed to the accursed race deserving of death, the smell of an imitation is hanging over you¡ª"

    The belligerent giant bronze creature''s voice was filled with joy.

    "You lot are precisely the prey that I seek, the enemies who truly ought to be crushed! Very well, hurry and summon it!"

    "I''ll do that even without being told by you! Fight alongside me once more, Rushalka!"

    Responding to Asya''s call, the light constituting the pentagram transformed into a "¡Þ" shape.

    Immediately, the "¡Þ" then turned into a blue magical beast.

    A dragon without front limbs. Sprouting from the shoulders was a large pair of long wings. Spreading its wings ferociously and leaping into the night sky of Old Tokyo was precisely a "wyvern."

    The surface of her body was light blue with a blue mane on her head.

    Furthermore, a long horn protruded from her forehead.

    A blue wyvern with a single horn like a unicorn¡ª

    Asya''s partner, the "serpent" Rushalka, had materialized.

    Rushalka''s build was slightly smaller than Raak Al Soth''s. Elites and "serpents" were almost perfectly matched in physical size and abilities.

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Rushalka roared loudly and flew, hurtling straight towards Soth ahead.

    Her massive body was very agile. There was even a sense of lightness to her movements. Despite clearly being a gigantic monster, Rushalka was moving around with great fluidity of motion and speed.

    Closing in within an instant, Rushalka stabbed her forehead''s lone horn at Soth''s body.

    This horn would be considered her "horn counterpart."

    But speaking of agility, the elite dragon was in no way inferior at all. Relying on bestial reflexes, Raak Al Soth instantly reacted.

    That being said, he was not taking any evasive measures¡ª

    "O secret runes of Ruruk Soun, turn into my mysterious shield!"

    Accompanying the incantation, defensive magical power was spread out.

    Soth''s gigantic bronze-colored body was surrounded by cuneiform script that was hard to tell if it consisted of characters or patterns¡ªThey also slightly resembled symbols from an alphabet. These symbols numbered almost twenty.

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhh!

    Moving her long and sharp horn, Rushalka stabbed.

    However, the alphabet surrounding Soth blocked her direct flying charge.

    Despite reaching merely meters from stabbing the target, the horn was unable to advance!

    "That is rather strong for an imitation. Looks like I have to exert myself to handle this opponent using my sluggish body newly risen from slumber!"

    Soth roared loudly. Despite complaining about exertion, he seemed quite happy.

    Then he slowly and calmly spread his wings, gradually rising in altitude.

    Whether dragons or leviathans, neither lowered themselves to flying via the inelegance of hastily flapping their wings. Spreading their wings wide as though they were the sovereigns of the sky, they soared through the air by expending magic. Such was the style of these creatures.

    After reaching sufficient height, Raak Al Soth opened his mouth and breathed blue flames diagonally downwards!

    This was the Fire Breath that had incinerated many of humanity''s cities.

    The mighty flames were descending on Rushalka from overhead. Using her own nimble agility, the blue wyvern should be able to evade the attack through flowing motions like a meandering river, but¡ª

    "Rushalka!"

    Asya shouted to relay her orders to her "partner."

    Magi and "serpents" were connected by telepathy. Just by shouting loudly or thinking silently with concentration, the covenantees were able to transmit their will.

    At this moment, Asya was probably thinking "Protect us!"

    As a result, Rushalka held her position in the air, blocking Soth''s fiery explosion directly.

    Because she could not dodge.

    Otherwise, the flames would end up reaching the ground, incinerating the trio of Hal, Orihime and Asya until nothing was left.

    Kyuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

    The one-horned "serpent" roared in pain but the surface of her blue body was unharmed.

    Soth''s flames were not powerful enough to defeat her¡ªAt least, not yet.

    "Fufu, the flames inside me are still not hot enough, apparently. But this problem shall be solved soon enough. Imitation, give me a good fight until then!"

    Soth''s fully confident voice was heard from above.

    Indeed. The power of the attack just now was clearly weak compared to the standards of flames discharged by elite dragons. Having just come out of hibernation, Soth probably needed warm-up exercise like a human athlete.

    Once his body¡ªthe flames inside him¡ªwere sufficiently fired up, his attacks ought to become even stronger.

    Furthermore, elites also had the option of using magic to raise the power of their flames.

    Raak Al Soth still had yet to bring out his true power.

    On the other hand, Asya and Rushalka...

    "Don''t worry... Your body should still hold for now. I will sustain you, so please endure a little longer, Rushalka..."

    The use of "still" on both sides was diametrically opposite.

    Despite being in the middle of an intense battle, Asya was calling to Rushalka in a gentle voice.

    Upon closer examination, one could see what appeared to be small dust-like particles crumbling and falling away from Rushalka''s massive body. The blue wyvern''s physical body was gradually falling apart.

    After persistently fighting battles all over Europe, the "serpent" had suffered incurable injuries.

    Asya''s partner, Blue Rushalka.

    Hal last saw her a year ago, but Rushalka had evidently passed the peak power of her prime.

    Flying in the air above Old Tokyo were Raak Al Soth and Rushalka.

    Soth was flying even higher.

    This relative positioning also happened to reflect their difference in combat strength.

    Having trouble even standing steadily, Hal found his field of vision dominated by those flames.

    Whether the university campus they had been using as the altar or the moonlit sky where the dragon and the snake were fighting, everything was shrouded in flames. In addition, his heart was beating rapidly and he could not muster any strength in his back and legs.

    Perhaps this was the end for him.

    Hal sighed then said to Orihime beside him, "...Juujouji, things look bad right now, so you''d better hurry and escape. That dragon is currently interested in Rushalka only, so you might be able to escape if it''s just on your own."

    Part 2

    "Haruga-kun, what do you mean by that?"

    "Just solving a simple arithmetic problem. Since there is the option of one person surviving, of course that''s better than all three of us getting killed," explained Hal indifferently to Orihime who was glaring harshly at him.

    Meanwhile, he was sitting collapsed on the magic circle he had constructed earlier for the ritual.

    High in the sky, Raak Al Soth was flying while shooting flames confidently at the ground. And Rushalka was blocking them with her body.

    Soth probably intended to gradually increase the flames'' heat by shooting them continually.

    Whenever the flames seemed like they were about to end, he would start spewing them out again the next instant.

    In order to protect Asya, Hal and Orihime on the ground, Rushalka could not dodge. Although she could still endure for now, time seemed to be running out. Hal said, "Getting back to New Town on foot is tough and very dangerous... But compared to getting killed by that elite, it''s probably not much of a trial. Also, it''s less likely you''ll be spotted compared to moving in a vehicle."

    "Don''t be silly. If I''m going to escape, I''m taking you with me, Haruga-kun."

    The rational suggestion was rejected by an impulsive declaration.

    How stupid. Although Hal was quite skinny in physique, he was no baby.

    A girl as slender as Orihime could not possibly carry him on her back.

    "I don''t know whether you''ve been afflicted with a mental disorder or Taira no Masakado''s curse but I''m not shameless enough to run away and leave behind someone who''s like a patient. Doing that would surely weigh unbearably on my conscience, causing me to acquire a mental disorder instead."

    Despite understanding that this choice would lead to her own demise, she still adhered nobly and faithfully to kindness.

    Hal sighed. In fact, he had already predicted this.

    Considering the Princess here, this sort of answer was very possible.

    Despite the hallucinations tormenting him, Hal still turned his gaze to the sky.

    Rushalka was engaged in a desperate battle against the elite dragon''s Fire Breath. However, seizing the instant of interruption in the opponent''s flames, she finally counterattacked.

    "Rushalka!" commanded Asya.

    In that instant, Rushalka exhibited great fluidity in motion.

    She suddenly flew as smoothly as water flowing down in accordance to elevation.

    A rapid ascent with astounding calmness.

    Nevertheless, the speed was as fast as lightning. Using just an instant, Rushalka closed in and arrived in front of Soth, then she stabbed her single horn at the elite dragon''s neck.

    If the neck''s center could be pierced, perhaps a critical wound might be inflicted.

    Relying on bestial reflexes again, Soth twisted his neck to one side and avoided the horn''s attack. What a shame.

    Still, the desire to seek victory was amazing in refusing to miss tiny openings so as to counterattack.

    Within Hal''s flame-enshrouded view¡ª

    Asya''s elegant face was filled with acuity and solemnity, truly awe-inspiring.

    Although the young maiden was as delicate as a fairy or an antique doll, only at times like these during battle did her image rise to her most beautiful, looking like a painting.

    "...If she were like this all the time, perhaps I might even fall for her..." murmured Hal in mesmerization.

    If his childhood friend emerged victorious just like that, there would be no problem.

    But on further thought, it was just a hope of fantasy. Hal secretly prepared himself for the worst.

    "Haruomi is really in bad shape..." murmured Asya, glancing at her childhood friend collapsed on the ground. Haruomi did not possess the power to fight dragons to begin with, but he was a boy who was used to such battlefields.

    The witch candidate from the client''s side and her childhood friend¡ªNeither could be allowed to die.

    Committing her resolve, Asya glared at Soth.

    Meanwhile, her "serpent" Rushalka had just taken the opportunity to attack Soth with her horn. Now, Rushalka had flown back to above Asya, waiting in the air to prepare for the next exchange of attacks.

    Asya nodded. Using guerrilla tactics would be best for now.

    It was not yet time to instigate a close-range brawl.

    Biting the enemy''s neck while wrestling with each other...

    Such crude tactics were only applicable when the opponent revealed more openings. Right now, what she ought to do was¡ª

    "Rushalka, form an enclosure using pseudo-divinity!"

    Asya threw out one of her trump cards. Namely, allowing Rushalka to use magic.

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhh!

    The wyvern-shaped blue serpent cried out shrilly.

    As a result, the concrete below was split open as a violent torrent of water gushed out from within.

    Rushalka had summoned a pillar of water. This water pillar divided itself into two along the way. The end of each water pillar took on the shape of a snake''s head, wriggling restlessly like a slithering snake''s.

    Simply stated, the large amount of water bursting forth had transformed into a giant two-headed snake.

    The two-headed snake of water extended its long necks to form a circle, surrounding Rushalka all three hundred and sixty degrees like a barrier.

    With this, the continual attacks of fiery breath earlier would no longer be a problem.

    The snake of water was constituted using the pseudo-divinity of water.

    A water deity''s power was capable of suppressing flames and sealing away evil powers. The water snake''s heads were guarding on Rushalka''s left and right respectively.

    Leviathans were able to invoke magic rivaling that of elite dragons.

    Namely, pseudo-divinity, the trump cards of witches like Asya.

    "Don''t attack yet, Rushalka. Right now, prioritize protecting yourself and us," whispered Asya softly.

    In Rushalka''s current state, she was unable to muster the kind of destructive power required to suddenly charge the elite dragon and rampage all the way to the end. In that case, persisting in thorough defense was the better choice.

    Let Soth attack if that was what he wanted. She was going to wait like this until the opponent grew tired and presented a opening.

    Once the opportunity arrived, she would aim for that bronze-colored throat¡ª

    "Fufu, I never knew an imitation could lead its own minions!"

    Looking at Rushalka and the two-headed snake, Soth snickered.

    "A tough fight indeed. But what a shame that you are injured. Originally, you could have amused me by using many more fancy tricks..."

    He had seen through the fact that the enemy side was not at peak condition. Asya frowned.

    The number of times that a "serpent" could invoke pseudo-divinity was dependent on the partner. Asya was a Level 5 witch.

    This implied that she possessed the power to "order the use of divinity five times a day."

    Originally, she should have chosen to use spells at an earlier opportunity.

    But she only used it this late due to considerations for the burden it would impose on Rushalka.

    Invoking divinity would greatly reduce the lifespan of the "serpent" whose days were already numbered. Restraint was necessary to use her partner''s remaining life with effectiveness.

    "This rare strength and resilience has been compromised by injury? Truly a shame and quite a mood killer. Know that this is my very first prey after coming out of hibernation!"

    There were many among elite dragons who adhered rigidly to their own peculiar aesthetic sense.

    Asya could not help but feel suspicious while recalling that fact. What exactly was he trying to say?

    "O dim-witted Jabones, respond to the summons of the Zizou, seekers along the Road to Kingship."

    Soth chanted an incantation. As a result, shooting stars suddenly appeared in the night sky.

    A number of lights were descending on the earth from satellite orbits.

    This was not a sudden meteor shower. Nowadays, dragonkind had built a number of colonies on satellite orbits and the moon''s surface where large numbers of Raptors¡ªlesser dragons¡ªinhabited.

    "Are you summoning minions too!?"

    "Mmm-hmm. Didn''t I say that my mood was killed? The winged lizards shall serve as your opponents."

    Streaking across the sky, the meteors landed between Soth and Rushalka.

    Roughly thirty in number, they were all dragons smaller than Rushalka. Descending from the sky were steel-colored lesser dragons, Raptor Draconis.

    Indeed. Elites were able to magically summon groups of lessers, commanding them as they pleased!

    Before their eyes were the non-sapient Raptors, pure beasts. Normally, they would attack Rushalka without any leadership or tactics but this time, things were different.

    The Raptors surrounded Rushalka in an organized fashion, forming a net of encirclement.

    Following Raak Al Soth''s directions, they were taking combat action as an army.

    "Then I shall excuse myself... Allow me to claim the treasure."

    Leaving the battlefield to his minions, Soth slowly and calmly spread his wings.

    The elite dragon''s gaze was cast down onto the magic circle on the ground, the white copper mirror located at its very center¡ªIn other words, the divine artifact that had caught his eye.

    Just as Asya clicked her tongue to engage the Raptor group in battle¡ª

    Haruomi suddenly took unexpected action.

    Just as he had feared, numerous Raptors had flown in from the sky.

    Hal sighed. It looked like he had no choice but to try out that plan. Because it was a very uncertain challenge, he really wanted to avoid using it unless necessary¡ª

    Hal strained to use his right hand, which was having trouble moving freely, to search the interior of his waist pouch.

    Inside was a folding knife. Taking it out, Hal flicked out the knife edge.

    ¡ªHal had dispelled the state of paralysis and hallucination of flames before by pure vigor alone.

    In that case, let''s try it again. Hal gripped the blade hard with his left hand.

    "Ow... It really hurts!"

    "Hold on, Haruga-kun, what on earth are you doing!?"

    Naturally, his left palm was cut open and dripping with blood.

    Frightened by Hal''s sudden act of self-mutilation, Orihime looked into his face with worry.

    In that very instant, Hal''s field of view became clear, no longer shrouded by flames. The pain had driven away the bizarre hallucination.

    Orihime''s pale face looked very clear and distinct. His legs... were now able to gather strength.

    Hal said to the beauty who was up very close, "You seem to have forgotten this. If any accident occurs during the ritual, protecting you is part of the job we are undertaking. Not doing my job properly is unacceptable..."

    "Eh?"

    Hal finally stood up with difficulty. Leaving the surprised Orihime behind, he stumbled his way to the pedestal set up at the center of the magic circle and grabbed the white copper mirror on top of it.

    This was the Grave Good provided by the client to be used during the covenant ritual to become the Heartmetal.

    Hal proceeded to drag himself unsteadily into the driver''s seat of the light motor vehicle. Turning the key in the ignition, he started the engine.

    "Sorry, I''ll be taking away the thing you want!"

    Hal opened the car window and yelled to the sky. A taunt directed at the elite dragon.

    As a result, Soth went "Hmm?" in the air, a little surprised. He never expected to hear such a declaration from Haruomi whom he acknowledged as nothing more than a monkey.

    "Oh?"

    Hal could feel Soth''s gaze piercing him and the car.

    By this point, his heart still felt inexplicably afraid. Rushalka was surrounded by over thirty Raptors. Judging from the current situation, he could not expect his childhood friend''s assistance for now.

    Hal made eye contact with Asya on the ground again.

    The childhood friend nodded lightly. She understood Hal''s intent.

    However, it was nothing so amazing that one would call it intent. After all, Hal was just taking action in reckless abandon.

    The current situation was almost hopeless.

    By taking away the "treasure" that had caught the elite dragon''s eye, it would be great if he managed to divert Soth''s attention.

    It would be even better if Soth sent several Raptors to chase him. It would not be much, but at least Rushalka''s burden could be lessened somewhat.

    Then after that, what awaited Hal was probably a tragic fate.

    But at least it would be a thousand times better than getting crushed by those dragons. In addition, making a desperate struggle like this might perhaps lead to survival...

    Rather than relying on magic, Hal and his childhood friend simply communicated their thoughts to each other through silent mutual understanding.

    (I''m counting on you, Haruomi. But I don''t intend to say a final farewell to you here!)

    (The same goes for you. We must live on no matter what.)

    Asya nodded as though saying "go" and blinked with determination, absolutely refusing to say goodbye, displaying a warrior''s calm solemnity¡ª

    All this served to clearly express the childhood friend''s thoughts.

    She was probably reading Hal''s inner thoughts in a similar manner.

    Hence, Hal floored the car''s gas pedal without giving Asya another look.

    "Haruga-kun! Using yourself as bait is way too reckless!"

    He could hear Orihime''s voice. The Princess had apparently realized Hal''s intentions.

    Hal remained convinced that she was not cut out for great accomplishments as a witch. But perhaps just as she claimed, she might turn out to be unexpectedly talented in fighting. Such were the rude thoughts crossing Hal''s mind.

    Heeding Orihime no more, Hal drove the car to leave the scene on his own.

    Departing from the university campus that had turned into an altar then a battlefield, the car sped along the sloped Hongou Street.

    First, Hal drove south to the former districts of ¨­temachi and Marunouchi. He decided he would abandon the car after pulling ahead some distance, then escape into the wasteland...

    Fortunately, Hal was very familiar with the geographic environment.

    Although he did not visit very often, this was his hometown after all.

    Hal and his father were both members of SAURU who made a living relying on magic. There were several occasions in the past when he had to hand in research reports to headquarters, thus requiring him to infiltrate the Tokyo Concession where magical power exceeded normal parameters.

    Even without looking at a map, Hal could still remember major roads and shortcuts.

    If things went smoothly, he ought to have ample chance to escape with his life¡ª

    "What!?"

    Just as Hal was persuading himself with optimistic speculation, he jumped in fright.

    Reflected in the rear-view mirror was a flying object that was closing in at a leisurely rate.

    The bronze dragon was flying with confidence, his wings spread out in leisure while he chased after Hal.

    Without rising in altitude, he was flying courteously above the traffic lanes.

    Soth was most likely doing this to make Hal realize the fact that he was being chased. It was possible that Soth wanted to go on a hunt.

    Hal had not expected Soth to come chasing after him as the leader¡ª

    If it were a single Raptor, he might have been able to use magic to escape by the skin of his teeth!

    Soth was evidently serious when he declared himself weary of Rushalka and Asya. Then opening his jaws wide, he was undoubtedly planning to breathe out fire.

    Part 3

    Hal''s light motor vehicle was passing by Ogawamachi and speeding along Hongou Street.

    This was an unrestricted race without any need to heed legal speed limits or concurrent traffic. Hal floored the gas pedal without hesitation, racing at full speed.

    However, this was quite dangerous behavior.

    After all, no one could predict what kinds of obstacles had fallen on the abandoned vehicle lanes. He should not let his speed exceed a certain threshold.

    In fact, during the trip here, Hal had driven sluggishly at an average of less than forty kilometers per hour.

    But now, he was going at full speed¡ª

    Entirely because he was afraid of the magic beast in the sky behind, chasing him.

    Hence, Hal had accelerated to top speed to escape. Soth ascended slightly and was now flying at an altitude just above the clusters of high-rise buildings.

    "But for a dragon, it''s not like it matters whether I''m going at fifty kilometers per hour or two hundred..." muttered Hal to himself.

    Gripping the steering wheel, his hands were sweating slightly. Just by using magic for high-speed flight, elite dragons were able to break the sound barrier.

    Hal was keeping the white copper mirror targeted by the dragon in his shirt pocket.

    Sacred treasures used in religious rites since time immemorial sometimes became vessels of magical power.

    Among such vessels, some of them even carried spiritual energy transcending simple magical power¡ªdivinity¡ªthereby elevating them to become substitutes for gods.

    This type of "sacred divine artifact" was what Hal and others called Grave Goods.

    Even if Grave Goods underwent changes in form, the divinity and magical power they had acquired would still remain essentially intact.

    Whether processed to make a mirror or melted into a viscous fluid to pour into a mold, divinity would not be lost immediately. Precisely due to these reasons, this white copper mirror was usable in a covenant ritual to Heartmetallize into the leviathan''s heart.

    What was Raak Al Soth thinking about?

    Hal drove while pondering desperately. Had Soth refrained from using flames and magic to avoid damaging the mirror inside the car? Or did he think it was okay to melt the mirror using heat then remold using alchemy?

    The former would be good news. At least it would guarantee his life for the time being and offer a chance to escape successfully.

    But if Soth''s sadistic interest in abusing Hal and his friends prevailed over his desire to seize the mirror, wouldn''t he breathe fire boldly and directly?

    Don''t breathe fire, don''t breathe fire, don''t breathe fire¡ªHal prayed desperately.

    At least, not until he abandoned the car to hide inside this wasteland of a city. With that, Hal would be able to concentrate fully on erasing his own presence or even use magic to barely make his way out alive.

    Although failing to escape was possible, Hal was going to struggle and exhaust all avenues available to him as a human being¡ª

    However, Hal''s hopes and prayers were in vain.

    By the time he realized, the dragon was already discharging blue-white flames from his jaws, engulfing the light motor vehicle.

    Naturally, Hal was plunged into the predicament of bracing his entire body against the heat and the impact.

    ''You''re asking why is it that only girls can establish covenants with serpents?''

    When was it that he had asked his father this question?

    According to Hal''s recollections, it should have been five years ago. Soon after his childhood friend Asya had entered a covenant with her partner Rushalka, this conversation had taken place between Hal and his father.

    ''Well, it''d be very long and boring to give an explanation based on the theory.''

    Confronted with his son''s question, the father had pondered for a while before answering.

    ''But it becomes very simple if I put it this way: because of differences in talent.''

    ''Talent?''

    ''Yes. Jobs and duties related to supernatural phenomena such as gods, magic, monsters, etc have been dominated by women since ancient times. Examples include priestesses, witches and sacrificial maidens... Of course, there are also examples of men taking on the same duties. But in terms of proportion, women still occupy the majority of cases. Talent in this domain is influenced by gender to such an extent.''

    ''I see. So girls are naturally born with greater suitability to become magic users.''

    For a parent-child conversation, one would find the usage of technical jargon a bit too abundant.

    But this was commonplace for them, hence Hal was not concerned and simply nodded in agreement.

    ''You should already know that we humans have cut ties with magic for a number of centuries now. Especially after the Industrial Revolution, those with facetious proclivities who pursue studies in such strange fields of knowledge have mostly been con artists or members of cult organizations.''

    What a father. It never occurred to him to consider whether his explanations were appropriate for a child''s level.

    Speaking of which, Hal seemed to recall someone saying "like father, like son" in exasperation...

    ''Unused abilities will naturally become atrophied, right? Compared to the age of myths in the past and the ambition-filled ancient times, modern humans'' disposition to magic has grown rather dismal.''

    An artificial dragonoid race and massive alchemical undertakings¡ª

    These were reportedly part of grand magic dating back to the ancient past.

    Hal''s father belonged to a SAURU research team that uncovered information from ancient, medieval and early modern times to interpret and decipher in detail. After careful research discovered prospects of new applications for this ancient knowledge, the field finally revived after overcoming numerous hardships and trials.

    ''The result was that the rare talent required to communicate telepathically with serpents, thereby performing high-level magic, only appears in girls with outstanding inborn gifts in the first place.''

    ''So in ancient times, it''s possible that males might have been able to form covenants with serpents?''

    ''Possibly, but that said, living in contemporary times, we have no choice but to shove the danger onto young girls, in order to actualize the magic to oppose dragonkind...''

    While dreaming of a nostalgic conversation with his late father¡ª

    Hal''s consciousness gradually woke up.

    He was quite impressed at his young self who had not disliked such a father at the time, feeling fond nostalgia for his father''s efforts at fulfilling a father''s duty to spend time with his child...

    "Woahhhh!"

    The evening breeze was blowing across the cold surface of the road. Hal screamed and jumped up.

    He had apparently lost consciousness. His last memory was a scene of getting incinerated by the dragon''s flames together with the car.

    But for some reason, he was now lying in a business district in the city center filled with high-rise buildings.

    "Not even.. a single burn."

    Hal muttered to himself.

    Unbelievably, he was completely unharmed. Even his clothing showed no traces of having been singed.

    Checking his shirt pocket, he found the white copper mirror safe and intact.

    Burned by a dragon''s fire, the car must have been incinerated and vaporized early on without leaving a single screw behind. And naturally, the driver would have gotten caught up in it, but why!?

    To confirm his current location, Hal surveyed his surroundings.

    He was in front of a train station. In addition, this was quite a large terminal. As soon as he saw the station''s architecture with antique bricks, Hal immediately realized.

    This was the place people called Tokyo Station in the past.

    Hal had collapsed somewhere near the Marunouchi entrance.

    In this especially conspicuous spot amidst clusters of modern high-rise buildings, the train station''s romantic atmosphere served as an especially grand display.

    Clearly Hal was still racing in the car just earlier, but why was he here now?

    Hal found it strange. Unintentionally looking at the road, he jumped in fright.

    The silver pocket watch¡ªhis father''s memento¡ªhad fallen to the ground, shattered. Among the pocket watch''s fragments was a small black stone.

    A stone covered with sharp edges, virtually without any roundness. It looked similar to quartz.

    Picking up this stone, Hal was surprised.

    "It''s hot...?"

    For some reason, the stone was hot. It felt like he would suffer a low-temperature burn if he held it for long durations.

    In any case, Hal threw it into his waist pouch first. Why had his father placed such an object inside the watch?

    Just as Hal was feeling puzzled, Raak Al Soth''s laughter resounded throughout the sky.

    "Fu... Fufufu. Despite being a close relative of monkeys, you turn out to be quite promising!"

    Very near. Hal jumped in fright.

    Frantically, he rushed into Tokyo Station''s entrance, then taking care not to let the enemy see him from outside, he discreetly checked out the situation in the sky.

    The bronze dragon was flying above Hibiya Street, two blocks away.

    Gazing down on the ground surface, he flew through the air slowly.

    "I see, you dared to embark on this foolhardy quest precisely because you possess means to deceive dragons. Fufufufu, not a bad trick. O nameless youngster, I swear upon my name, Raak Al Soth, to hunt you down and tear you apart!"

    "Th-That''s overestimating me way too much..."

    Hearing Soth''s declaration which seemed to convey his enjoyment of the game, Hal could not help but feel the urge to clutch his head.

    He was simply running around like a cornered rat. But since Soth had come here, it meant that Asya and Orihime were probably fine.

    This was a fortunate result born from Hal''s course of action. A truly great accomplishment.

    Rushalka was very weakened.

    It was probably very difficult for her to muster full strength to defeat Raptors in bulk like she did in her prime. Even so, as long as Soth was absent, Rushalka should be able to win.

    Given it was Asya, she should manage to find a way to victory.

    "If only cellphones worked, then I could ask about the situation on that side."

    In Old Tokyo where antennas were not functioning, ordinary calls could not connect.

    Hal shrugged and peeked outside again.

    Soth was flying leisurely, swirling in the air above this area. He was using a dragon''s sharp eyesight to scan the ground surface.

    Soon enough, he would probably start using search magic in addition to eyesight.

    In that case, trying to disappear into hiding without a trace would become very difficult...

    Hal dumped the entire contents of his waist pouch onto the ground. Then from these various tools of the trade, he picked out those he felt might come in handy. The pocket watch aside¡ªthe backup Clockwork Mage¡ªhis folding knife was probably worthless here.

    There was also the.220 revolver kept in a leather holster.

    Hal had gotten his hands on this handgun via channels similar to those for obtaining the forged driver''s license. Although Hal was untrained in unarmed combat, he occasionally used this gun for self-defense. Against enemies on the level of a grizzly bear, even this type of small caliber firearm could easily shoot them to death when used in conjunction with attack magic¡ª

    Hal sighed. A dragon''s threat level was several hundred million times a grizzly''s, right?

    I guess I''m gonna die here? Just as the gloomy future prediction rushed into his mind, Hal suddenly felt a gaze and jumped in fright. It was not far ahead, from that expanse of darkness occupying the interior of the large abandoned station.

    A pair of golden eyes shining with mysterious light.

    These eyes belonged to someone he had seen before, the girl dressed in the scarlet kimono.

    Part 4

    "On further thought, out of all the people I know, I guess you''re the only one who brings forth miracles. I wouldn''t be too surprised even if you suddenly appeared..."

    The helper who had "taken him out" of the vehicle consumed by flames...

    ...was most likely this spirit who took the form of a kimono-clad girl, Hal deduced while he spoke. At the same time, he secretly guessed that she must have used something akin to Teleportation magic.

    "If you''re responsible for why I was acting weird the last two times, maybe I don''t need to thank you. So what exactly is the truth?"

    "Well, I do admit that I employed some petty tricks to test you."

    Like last time, the girl was speaking in an arrogant tone of voice.

    The station did not even have any electrical lighting but moonlight illuminated the area near the entrance where the two of them were at. Thanks to that, Hal was able to observe carefully.

    Very child-like indeed. However, there was a kind of bewitching quality to that adorable face.

    "The first time we met, I toyed slightly with your eyes and your mind. Fufu, not a bad trick, was it not?"

    "What are you testing by putting me in a state of panic in front of a dragon..."

    Although she was confessing with a proud smile, her true nature was that of a mysterious spirit.

    Too exasperated to get angry, Hal spoke a little helplessly, "If it''s just something like haunting or a curse, I''d actually be able to accept it readily. After all, I''ve had experience with that before."

    "Had I the intention to haunt you, I would have killed you in one breath. After all, I do still possess that level of power. What I wish to see is your ''limit.'' Confronted with a life or death situation against a monster impossible to defeat, do you still have the capacity to struggle in search of survival until the very moment of death..."

    Saying that lightly, the girl pointed to Hal''s feet.

    "Were this bit of minimum capacity absent in you, then even having that thing would be futile."

    Hal looked down at his feet.

    Located there were the possessions he had dumped out of his pouch just now.

    The girl was pointing at the small black stone. The mysterious stone hidden in his father''s pocket watch¡ª

    "You mean this?"

    "Yes, the flint."

    That odd-sounding term was apparently referring to this small black stone.

    "Fufu, the fragment of the flint star pouring flames into the conqueror''s secret runes... All sapient dragons would surely be outraged were they to find out it had fallen into the hands of a human, jealous to the point of insanity. Truly ludicrous."

    Watching the girl''s smile, Hal revisited his memories.

    The conqueror''s secret runes, fragment of the star¡ªShe had mentioned these before.

    "By the way, brat, that dragon seems serious in wanting to hunt you down."

    The girl turned her gaze outside the station.

    Hal peered again at the sky from a dark spot at the Tokyo Station''s entrance. Folding his wings, Soth was landing on the roof of a high-rise building.

    But he was clearly not just taking a simple break.

    There were spheres of white light hovering over his head.

    Not just one or two but hundreds at least. Countless spheres of light were decorating the night sky like a radiant galaxy of stars.

    "I command all ''eyes'' to report back after seeking my prey far and wide!"

    In response to Soth''s incantation, the white lights scattered in all directions.

    They even descended slowly to the ground like snowflakes.

    "Those are all spies for locating you. To think he would go so far as to search every corner for a mere human, he must be mad."

    Facing the girl who was commenting in amusement, Hal suddenly noticed something.

    Despite having a dragon so near, right before his eyes, he was not having any issues at all. He did not see any fiery hallucinations. Neither did his body become paralyzed. Evidently, the girl''s "petty tricks" had already been dispelled.

    But the fact that he was in a hopeless situation still remained the same.

    Sighing deeply, Hal turned to face the girl again.

    "What is your aim in testing me on purpose? But then again, even though I have a ton of complaints about this matter, it is also thanks to you that I didn''t get burned to death, so I guess I still have to thank you¡ª"

    "You need not express your gratitude. I only did it out of ulterior motives."

    Staring at Hal, the girl interrupted Hal''s thanks.

    Unlike her child-like appearance, the girl''s eyes could be described as mysterious and seductive.

    Those eyes were golden and felt reptilian. Then Hal suddenly realized.

    The girl''s eyes greatly resembled those of dragons¡ª

    "Realized finally? Brat. You have now met the devil indeed."

    "D-Devil?"

    "Yes, the devil who will tempt you into the path of carnage. The devil who deliberately rescued you from an instantaneous death of incineration, so as to watch you perish in a more unsightly manner."

    The girl smiled. A malevolent smile.

    "Let us make a deal."

    Then the devil who led people to hell proposed without holding back.

    "I shall confer to you the power of dragonbane¡ªthe conqueror''s runes that dragonkind unquestionably reveres and seeks out. The special privilege of the dragonslayer shall be bestowed upon you."

    Dragonbane. Dragonslayer. Hal could not help but doubt his hearing. In other words, killing dragons.

    Didn''t all such terms mean the slaughtering of dragons?

    "It is a power that can exterminate even that dragon with ease. Hence, you shall now submit that stone and give up on dying respectably."

    "...What did you say?"

    "Abandon living and dying as a mortal. Instead¡ª"

    The girl''s lips twisted from her smile. For some reason, the shape was slightly reminiscent of a crack.

    A smile that not only seemed non-human but even felt a bit reptilian. Hal could not help but stare in mesmerization.

    "You shall become a war god... Or perhaps the devil who will destroy the world. But should you lack the corresponding capacity, then you shall simply die pitifully."

    "Y-Your proposal is way too shady..."

    "Form a covenant with me, brat. You shall become king¡ªthe one to rule over all ''serpents'' in this world and bear the brunt of dragonkind''s fear and hatred."

    Hal felt troubled. This was way too sinister.

    He understood that her invitation was too unusual. Besides, no one could guarantee that things would proceed as smoothly as described by this girl¡ªno, this monster.

    Be that as it may...

    Hal could not completely reject the proposal''s value in taking the gamble.

    Right now, he was indeed cornered. He was backed into a critical situation where death only lay ahead.

    In that case, he could only follow the whims of fate... However¡ª

    "Ah yes, by the way. About the dragon rampaging outside, suppose he proceeded to kill you directly but if that were not enough to sate him, what would then result?"

    "..."

    "If memory serves me correctly, you apparently brought two little ladies with you. Will a bloodthirsty and violent member of the deplorable dragon race let them go free? Hmm, now that would be a gamble."

    Hearing the girl''s pretentious murmurings, Hal really wanted to click his tongue.

    As expected of a self-styled devil would be his sarcastic response. However, Hal''s mind was greatly shaken by the possibility she pointed out that he had overlooked.

    Hal sighed again and took a deep breath. After ten seconds or so of deep thought, Hal let go of his hesitation.

    Mustering his emotions of reckless self-abandonment, he chanted the magical incantation of "whatever, even if it fails."

    "You, self-styled devil or whatever, although there''s a mountain of problems I''d like to point out..."

    Hal glared at the girl and said, "Since a dragon is hunting me anyway, I might as well go all-in and take a gamble. I accept your invitation."

    This decision was enterprising yet passive.

    In a certain sense, it was very much in Haruga Haruomi''s style. Picking up the small black stone again, Hal gripped it tightly. The heat gradually spread in his palm.

    "Very well, brat! In that case, you shall continue to advance!"

    The girl in the scarlet garment nodded emphatically then suddenly vanished like a puff of smoke.

    There was no lighting inside the devastated interior of Tokyo Station. Vast darkness stretched out in front of Hal, making him feel like he was located before the underworld''s entrance that was sealed by darkness.

    But at the same time as the girl''s departure, a light source illuminating this darkness was born.

    A blazing crimson flame appeared in the dark. Thanks to that, the interior of Tokyo Station''s Marunouchi entrance became clearly visible.

    Overhead was a tall dome-shaped ceiling. An old relic made of duralumin.

    The entrance portion was very wide, rather fitting for a terminal that reputedly handled the daily throughput of a million passengers in the past.

    And in the center, an intense flame was burning.

    Hal approached the source of heat and light.

    As a result, the blazing flame burned even more intensely, instantly expanding to a height that almost touched the ceiling.

    Exposed to the powerful gust of hot air, Hal was sweating while he muttered, "So what should I do next...?"

    In that instant, a change occurred.

    The blazing flame suddenly split apart and scattered. Then out of the fire appeared a giant "beast." It was as sudden as the summoning of a "serpent" by a witch.

    Feeling surprised, Hal gave a brief yell.

    "A dragon!?"

    Beautiful, fierce, courageous, a "beast" full of solemnity and divinity.

    It was the widely recognized creature known as the dragon.

    Its physique was as strong and massive as an elite dragon''s. From Hal''s perspective, the nine sharp horns growing out of its head looked almost like a crown.

    The body''s surface was a brilliant red aptly called "crimson."

    The dragon happened to be sitting in a posture that would be called cross-legged for humans, completely motionless.

    Then in the instant Hal faced this dragon head on¡ª

    Held in his hand, the stone exploded and released a flash of light, crumbling!

    "Woah!"

    Then suddenly, Hal''s entire body even started to burn.

    Enveloped by blazing fire, Hal''s whole body turned into a mass of flame, suffering the onslaught of super-high heat that almost drove him insane.

    Hot. Hot hot hot hot hot hot hot.

    Turned into a burning effigy, Hal collapsed and rolled all over the ground!

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Just as Hal was struggling in pain, the girl''s voice could be heard overhead.

    (Come, brat. Let those brand-new flames pour into the sacred seal. But remember to hurry before you incinerate to death. In the event of failure, you will simply burn here until nothing is left.)

    "Uh, I never heard anything about that!"

    Confronted with the sudden ultimatum, Hal roared and complained, rolling randomly all over the place.

    At the same time, Hal saw it. Blue-white light was appearing in front of the red dragon, tracing out a symbol in the air¡ª

    A pictograph resembling a "bow with a nocked arrow" or a "tilted half moon."

    That was the kind of symbol Hal saw.

    "R-Ruruk Soun''s magical symbol...?"

    Despite suffering from the intense heat and pain that almost rendered him unconscious, Hal still muttered.

    The runic symbol felt like it belonged to the same system as the cuneiform gathering the wisdom of dragonkind, but Hal had never seen it before.

    (This is a dragonslaying seal among the secret runes that only conquerors are capable of wielding... I am bestowing upon you my favorite and most trustworthy rune, that of the Bow.)

    It was the girl''s voice again. This time, it came from the dragon''s mouth.

    At the same time, the pictogram of the "bow with a nocked arrow" began to shrink, becoming roughly palm-sized before descending in front of Hal who was rolling around in pain.

    The rune, traced out by light, flashed blue-white as it hovered in the air.

    (With my dying breath, this Rune of the Bow also incinerated to oblivion at one point in time. However, if the flint star''s fragment lights up a flame, the dragonslaying authority should be able to manifest in this world once more¡ª)

    Simply stated, all I need to do is grab hold of this weird symbol?

    Hal screamed while rolling nonstop. Enduring the heat and pain that would drive a person mad, he almost fainted.

    Facing the bow-like magical symbol that hovered just above the floor, Hal reached out with all his strength, almost betting with his life.

    What motivated him to do so was his fighting spirit and the unyielding fiber of his being, as well as the terror of absolutely not wanting to die.

    The usual Hal would probably have given up halfway.

    But when death was lurking around the corner with the tragic situation of his entire body on fire, his willpower would naturally rise to its maximum.

    (Put forth all your strength, brat. So-called power is something that one must seize by their own hand.)

    The crimson dragon incited Hal irresponsibly with the girl''s voice.

    Like I need you to tell me. Hal gritted his teeth and reached out with his right hand.

    At last, he finally reached it¡ª

    In that instant, the Rune of the Bow became enveloped in flame as well and started to burn intensely.

    Having succeeded at the task, Hal immediately felt his consciousness grow hazy. But in the end, his right palm was definitely experiencing astounding heat.

    (Fufu¡ªWhether or not a new Solomon will be born to usher in a new era... As temporary amusement, this is not bad.)

    The girl''s voice was whispering something but by this point, Hal had almost lost consciousness completely.

    Part 5

    Hal probably fainted for several minutes.

    Suddenly coming back to his senses, he discovered that the flames burning his entire body had vanished spontaneously.

    Furthermore, there was not a single burn on his body. His clothing was intact as well. The scene of him turned into a burning human torch almost seemed as though it had been just a nightmare...

    But after getting to his feet and looking up, he saw the crimson dragon sitting upright before his eyes.

    "I never expected I''d encounter two elites in a single night..."

    Just as Hal was muttering to himself, the dragon remained motionless, almost like a statue¡ª

    "It''s already dead!?"

    Realizing that, Hal tried using his finger to touch what would be the dragon''s ankle.

    This resulted in that part of the dragon''s body crumbling to pieces. This was a petrified dragon corpse.

    Hal looked up again at the dragon''s remains. There was a large and deep hole in the chest as though it had been gouged by something sharp. Probably the fatal wound.

    "In other words, you''re not only a ghost¡ªbut also a dragon''s ghost..."

    The girl in the scarlet kimono, the mysterious spirit.

    Hal tried to superimpose that child-like visage with the crimson dragon in his mind. Although the two were totally dissimilar, there was unbelievably no sense of dissonance.

    Fufu... Hal heard the girl''s giggling. His guess was apparently correct.

    However, where had that Rune of the Bow disappeared off to?

    Just as Hal was feeling perplexed, the palm of his right hand suddenly heated up. He opened up his hand and looked, only to find the Bow illustrated on his palm.

    This magical symbol was what the dragon had spoken in the girl''s voice about "bestowing upon you"¡ª

    The unidentified rune was carved on Haruga Haruomi''s palm like a tattoo!

    Hal gasped out of surprise.

    In that instant, the wall of Tokyo Station''s Marunouchi entrance suddenly collapsed, producing a large cloud of debris.

    Then a giant super lifeform intruded from the large hole produced from the destruction.

    "The fleeing game ends here, human child."

    Obviously, that was Raak Al Soth''s staid voice.

    Moonlight was streaming into Tokyo Station''s entrance through the collapsed wall.

    The bronze dragon''s massive body was bathed in moonlight¡ª

    Facing off one-on-one against the most ferocious magic beast, Hal became a fatalist in a rare moment.

    Looking up at the heavens, he cursed fate''s cruelty with a "Goddamnit." But he also noticed something strange at this time. Soth''s eyes and entire body were filled with an intensely emotional quality.

    It was surprise and excitement¡ª

    "Fu... Fufu, never in my wildest dreams would I have expected you to be privy to such a massive secret. Thank you, human. I never thought I would find the queen''s remains in such a place!"

    Laughing with joy, Soth gazed fervently at his petrified kin.

    "Fufufufu, since the queen''s remains are here, it naturally implies the possibility of finding that. O human child, hurry and answer me."

    Without warning, Soth extended his right front limb.

    There were many differences between the body shapes of elite dragons. But for the most part, every one of them had very long front limbs with five fingers, greatly resembling human "hands."

    In other words, Soth had extended his "right arm."

    Hal was grasped inside what corresponded to the super lifeform''s palm.

    "Speaking of the conqueror''s runes held by the Crimson Queen, naturally there is the mighty bow of dragonslaying, renowned far and wide... Was there a seal in her surroundings? Speak now if you know. If you do not know¡ª"

    Hal was raised up to Soth''s eye level.

    He made eye contact with the savage dragon at close range.

    Such an oppressive presence. Simply getting stared at made his body stiff. His throat also became greatly parched and thirsty.

    Furthermore, the dense rows of teeth in the dragon''s jaws were as long and sharp as swords. A mere human would probably get torn to pieces in a single bite.

    In addition, although he was gripping Hal relatively gently, had he the intention¡ª

    Excessive terror turned Hal into a silent puppet.

    "Hmm, you choose to say nothing, is that so? Then it cannot be helped."

    Soth''s tone of voice was very calm.

    But at the same time, he suddenly applied more force in his hand that was gripping Hal.

    Shattering every bone in his body, crushing his flesh, rupturing every internal organ, the instant of exploding with a pop was imminent. Hal screamed shrilly.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

    This time, it really was a death cry. At least, Hal thought so.

    Suffering. Pain. Aching. Crushed. Compressed. Pressure. Force. Force. Force.

    As a giant dragon whose body length measured dozens of meters, Soth''s grip strength ought to be capable of crushing concrete with ease.

    Suffering under this force was Hal as a human. He could not possibly endure.

    Hal was experiencing this intensity of compression and pain for the very first time in his life. He never thought he would pass away normally but did not expect to die in this manner¡ª

    Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww... Hmm?

    While enduring the dragon''s grip with his entire body screaming in pain, Hal noticed something.

    He survived. His body was resisting the strength of Soth''s tightly clenched fist without getting crushed. It was as though his entire body was forged from the world''s hardest material.

    Hal was shocked by his body''s abnormality.

    "Hoh?"

    Soth cast a gaze of curiosity at him.

    Despite reptilian appearances and modes of life, elite dragons were quite rich in emotions. During this brief duration, Hal already fully understood this fact.

    Right now, Raak Al Soth was feeling intrigued by the existence known as Hal.

    However, the dragon''s eyes immediately showed comprehension.

    "I see now... To think a human child has stepped upon the ladder of the dragon kings. Fufu, I heard there was a similar case back in ancient Greece... but never expected a reenactment in the modern world."

    After speaking quietly, Soth tossed Hal away.

    His entire body smashing into the tiled floor of the station''s interior, Hal groaned "Oww."

    It really did hurt. However, his body did not suffer an injury. Despite feeling pain, Haruga Haruomi''s physical body was extremely resilient, completely unharmed.

    Clearly he was thrown at the ground from a height of over ten meters!

    In fact, Hal was able to stand up immediately.

    But looking up at Soth''s massive body, Hal was greatly surprised. The elite dragon was looking down at him with slightly ajar jaws, blue-white flames flickering in the depths of his mouth.

    The dragon was about to exhale a conflagration!

    "O false king, allow me to address you as Tyrannos again after two millennia... Although temporary, you are the conqueror who has inherited the Bow after all. Allow me to offer you a fiery death after I fulfill etiquette."

    After addressing Hal with a strange title, Soth opened his jaws wide.

    However, his voice did not pause. Unlike humans, dragons did not shape their lips to pronounce words. Instead, they allegedly produced their voice from a mysterious organ located in the depths of their throat.

    "Fortunately, the temperature inside my body has warmed up substantially. Given now, the earlier ineptitude should persist no longer¡ªO secret runes of Ruruk Soun!"

    Soth concluded with a magic incantation.

    Seven letters, from the magic alphabet that only dragons knew how to use, manifested above the gigantic body, arranging themselves in a row. These letters were apparently the secret runes of Fire, being surrounded by blazing flames.

    Hal knew that this was magic for increasing the power of flames.

    Although his body had evidently become extremely resilient, Hal was not confident he could withstand Soth''s fire. What should he do!?

    "Allow me to incinerate your hallowed body, thereby toppling the hegemony of the new Tyrannos. Farewell."

    Soth even went as far as to declare an execution.

    In that instant, all hesitation and thoughts were purged from Hal''s mind completely.

    How can I let you kill me like this!?¡ªThis notion was spreading throughout his entire body like fire. Suddenly looking down, he saw the Secret Rune of the Bow appearing on his right palm.

    Instantly, he heard the scarlet girl''s laughing voice in his mind.

    (Fufufufu, are you okay with this, brat? Know that once you shoot him, you can never turn back again.)

    (I don''t care! By this point, stop feeding me that crap!)

    Yelling in the bottom of his heart, Hal faintly understood how to use this weapon.

    Most likely because he was determined to "shoot," the secret rune had transmitted the required image into the wielder''s mind.

    Hal instantly uttered orders to the secret rune in his palm, "Create the Bow¡ªthe dragonslaying bow¡ªAt once!"

    At the same time, Soth spewed out blue-white flames.

    Hal took a great jump to the side then rolled on the ground, escaping in an unsightly manner from his location in front of Soth. This was not to evade the flames because doing so would not prevent the dragon''s conflagration from spreading widely to both sides.

    Instead, he was moving to create a clear passage.

    So as to allow the Bow behind to advance successfully¡ª

    "What!?"

    ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    While breathing fire, Soth was surprised by the other dragon roaring loudly.

    Indeed. The petrified crimson dragon, the dragon that had died and turned into a corpse, the true identity of the scarlet girl¡ªShe was roaring loudly.

    The crimson dragon stood up with swift motions.

    However, stone fragments were crumbling and falling off from various parts of her body.

    At this rate, the whole body would probably collapse in short time. Nevertheless, she still advanced bravely without regret, using her body to block Soth''s flames.

    Then in the next instant, the already deceased crimson dragon was enveloped in white flames.

    Her entire body was burning with platinum-colored flames, giving off great heat at the same time. Seeing that massive incandescent body, Hal instantly pushed his right hand forward¡ªextending it in Soth''s direction.

    A subconscious action. He felt that it was possible to "shoot" by doing so.

    As expected, the secret rune depicted on his palm quickly heated up. Then the Secret Rune of Ruruk Soun suddenly appeared in front of the incandescent red dragon.

    It was the Secret Rune of the Bow, almost as large as the dragon''s upper torso.

    In addition, it was also proof that what remained of this deceased dragon was Hal''s Bow.

    "Ku¡ª!? You have already mastered the power of dragonbane!?"

    Greatly shocked, Soth instantly spread his wings and flew.

    Retreating through the giant hole in Tokyo Station''s outer wall that he had made earlier, Soth flew into Old Tokyo''s night sky once again.

    However, it was too late. Hal issued the intent to attack.

    "Fire!"

    Instantly, the deceased crimson dragon spread her wings wide as though threatening.

    Then the shining Secret Rune of the Bow in front of her released a torrent of flame. The vivid crimson fire was astounding in its raging intensity.

    The fire shot from the secret rune flew into the night sky in a straight line.

    Instead of incinerating human cities to oblivion, it aimed to slaughter a kindred dragon.

    "Ohhhhhhh!?"

    Soth was greatly shocked, devoured completely by the torrent of flame.

    Scorching the bronze dragon, the crimson flames spread upwards, thereby turning into an enormous pillar of fire rushing straight into Old Tokyo''s night sky.

    Amidst the burning flames, Soth''s body gradually vanished.

    He was apparently attempting to escape using the magic of Teleportation.

    Then the crimson dragon expelling this pillar of fire¡ªthat girl''s true body¡ªrapidly collapsed, dissolving inside the platinum flames, gradually disappearing in the form of ash and dust.

    The giant crimson body collapsed completely with astounding speed within a minute or two.

    Just as Hal was staring wide-eyed in surprise, the sky resounded with Soth''s voice.

    "Allow me to say goodbye for now, human! But I swear I shall revisit again, to have you drawn and quartered. I shall undoubtedly kill you, to seize that Bow by force!"

    The voice issued a somber declaration to Haruga Haruomi.

    Hearing that, Hal sighed. Regardless, giving way to fatigue, he bent down and sat cross-legged in a sloppy manner.

    Meanwhile, Asya had remained at Ochanomizu to battle the group of Raptors¡ª

    Together with her injured partner Rushalka, she patiently endured the persistent and ferocious attacks. At the same time, she was surely and steadily killing the Raptors one by one. Then finally, just as she finished off the last enemy...

    At the former university that had been used as the altar for the covenant ritual...

    Its campus and the surrounding streets were littered with Raptor corpses everywhere.

    The dead dragons had all turned into stone as usual. As for the mage candidate Orihime who had witnessed the intense battle''s process and end result¡ª

    Seeing Asya swaying as though feeling dizzy, she frantically rushed over.

    "Asya-san, are you okay!?"

    Supporting the veteran witch''s delicate body, she inquired.

    With great finesse, Rushalka had steadily taken care of all the Raptors.

    Although it took a while, there was virtually no risk throughout the entire process. Rather than a fight, it felt more like "homework."

    "Did you get hurt somewhere!? But I don''t think you got hit¡ª"

    "Don''t worry... I''m just a bit low in blood sugar."

    Leaning on Orihime, Asya looked up into the sky.

    The victorious "serpent" Rushalka had landed on the roof of the university building, resting her wings for now.

    With a nod from Asya, the partner''s blue and heroic figure gradually grew faint and suddenly disappeared soon after. Whether the process of summoning or disappearing, both were equally swift.

    "Summoning a ''serpent'' and maintaining her physical form causes a great deal of strain. Hence, it''s only natural to consume a corresponding amount of energy."

    "Blood sugar...? So you mean you''re hungry?"

    "P-Please don''t say it so bluntly."

    Because the other person was not Haruomi as well as being a girl of the same age, Asya would feel slightly concerned about matters of face.

    However, these thoughts reminded her of the childhood friend with whom she could spend time together without feeling fettered by such details.

    "Never mind me... We have to hurry and find Haruomi. I can''t believe he''s playing hide-and-seek with an elite. That''s totally absurd no matter what."

    During the battle with the Raptors, Soth had not returned even once.

    Hence, Asya wanted to believe that he was still chasing Haruomi.

    Hoping for her childhood friend''s safety, she had to go help him right now.

    "Yes, ''it''s already too late'' is not something I will believe. Isn''t it the same for you, Asya-san?"

    Just as Orihime nodded as well, the dark night sky was suddenly illuminated by red light.

    Jumping in fright, the two girls simultaneously turned their gazes towards that direction in the sky.

    "Eh... What is that!?"

    "Looks quite near here. Perhaps that elite dragon did something!"

    Buildings of various heights could be seen there.

    Standing out was also the towering spire of black¡ªthe Monolith.

    The imposing image of the super-tall structure built by dragonkind in the Concession was visible from here.

    And right now¡ª

    A suddenly generated pillar of crimson flame had rushed into the sky.

    The pillar of fire was a bit slanted. From Asya and Orihime''s location, it looked almost as gigantic as the Monolith.

    Its eerie glow rendered the two girls stunned and speechless.

    Their faces looked as though they were in prayer.

    Although they had no concrete reasons, both girls felt that the towering pillar of fire was related to the boy they should locate.

    Perhaps he was present at the site of the flame pillar¡ª

    This unfounded speculation turned out to match the truth perfectly.

 Volume 1, 4 - Sothâ€™s Counterattack

    Volume 1, Chapter 4 - Soth''s Counterattack

    Part 1

    A triangular prism of pure black, standing over a kilometer tall¡ªthe Monolith.

    A giant structure that dragons always built in concession territories without exception.

    It was said that the construction of a Monolith required high-level magic of the elite dragons. From any wide open space, the Monolith''s imposing appearance could even be seen easily from Tokyo New Town.

    But nighttime was different.

    The pure-black pillar had no lighting.

    Hence, once night fell, it would always disappear from the sight of New Town''s inhabitants. That being said, a mysterious pillar of blazing flame had illuminated the black landmark''s majestic appearance...

    "That flame... must be related to dragons after all."

    After reading the text message she had received on her cellphone, Shirasaka Hazumi sighed.

    Last night at 11pm or so, a pillar of fire had appeared in the sky in Old Tokyo''s direction, adding crimson illumination to the dark sky that only had the moon and the stars as light sources.

    Like the majority of residents, Hazumi was also witnessing the scene from her window at home.

    In the end, the pillar of fire burned for roughly ten minutes or so before vanishing as abruptly as it had appeared.

    Almost like a leviathan, the supernatural "serpent" summoned by Hazumi¡ª

    "Oh, I have to text back... ''Understood, I''ll head over immediately.''"

    Dressed in Kogetsu Academy''s uniform while operating her cellphone, Hazumi was the very image of a middle school girl about to make her way to school. In fact, she was currently at the platform of Ryougoku Station, the rail station closest to the school.

    However, instead of exiting the station, she boarded the train sliding into the platform.

    Her destination was Shin-Kiba where the Mansion was located.

    Whenever dragons flew to Tokyo New Town or various neighboring cities, if authorities concluded that sending her to fight would be "more effective and economical" than mobilizing the police, the Self-Defense Force or the TPDO, they would order her to summon her "serpent."

    That was Shirasaka Hazumi''s mission and responsibility.

    If she wanted, she could probably request for a luxury courtesy car to take her to and from school or the Mansion.

    No, it would be more accurate to say that all the adults around her wanted to do so. Not only to protect her, a little-known but important figure of New Town, but also as a matter of convenience.

    Nevertheless, Hazumi liked to travel by train.

    It never sat well with her to trouble others for matters she could clearly handle on her own.

    After a bumpy train ride, she alighted at Shin-Kiba Station on the New Town Loop Line.

    Then she started walking on foot. Arriving at the Mansion ten minutes later, Hazumi greeted the man at the reception then entered the building to reach the lobby.

    "Good morning, Yukari-san."

    "G''mornin'', Hazumi-san. Then I''ll skip the pleasantries. I''ve heard that things have gotten very strange."

    The woman, whom Hazumi was acquainted with, spoke while sitting on the sofa in the lobby.

    Hiiragi Yukari was the technical consultant belonging to the research organization of SAURU.

    As part of her job, she was in charge of managing all witches active in the region. At the same time, she would "mobilize" witches in response to requests from civilian organizations and government agencies, support and protect witches, and even coordinate matters of training and cultivation.

    Naturally, these duties were extremely important. However, Yukari was still young.

    Although she was wearing a white blouse and a cardigan with a long skirt on the bottom, a high school uniform would probably not look too out of place on her either.

    "Just as written in that text, last night''s ''covenant ritual''... was interrupted due to an attack from an elite dragon. Fortunately, thanks to the active efforts of the bodyguards, the witch candidate seems to be fine."

    "Yes. Orihime-neesama informed me last night that she was safe."

    "Right, you two are cousins after all."

    Nodding elegantly and generously, Yukari smiled.

    Her long black hair and red-framed glasses reinforced her image as an intellectual beauty. Be that as it may, those eyes behind the glasses were slightly lethargic while deeply memorable.

    "The problem is that the whereabouts of both the elite dragon and the Grave Good prepared for Orihime-san are currently unknown. The boy who went along to administer the ritual... Although he is quite clever, I''m a bit worried because he tends to run into misfortune at inopportune occasions."

    "Is he someone you know, Yukari-san!?"

    Hazumi stared wide-eyed after hearing the unexpected news.

    "U-Umm, if you don''t mind, perhaps I could head over to search the ruins...? If I rely on Minadzuki, perhaps I could cast search magic¡ª"

    Hazumi was a Level 2 witch.

    She had yet to achieve full mastery of "serpent" control.

    But even as a fledgling witch, as long as she listened intently to her partner''s voice and offered her prayers sincerely, the leviathan would still exhibit substantial "power."

    "Thank you, but you don''t have to worry. He still seems to be alive. Apparently, the girl who was administering the ritual with him received a text saying ''I made it after all. It''s fine if you retreated first.''"

    "Th-That''s all?"

    "He''s an eccentric with a peculiar personality after all. A bit abnormal in sociability. But he is very capable for his age and accustomed to traveling around the world. A very interesting boy."

    "...Oh."

    Unsure how to respond to this candid character commentary, Hazumi could only nod ambiguously.

    However, her curiosity was slightly piqued. Due to her frail health and the need to be stationed at Tokyo constantly, she had not gone on distant journeys for a number of years now.

    Hence, the word "traveling" held great attraction to her.

    "...If there''s a chance, I would really like to have a brief chat with him."

    "To think you''d ignore the detail about him being an eccentric with a peculiar personality. Nothing less expected of you, Hazumi-san."

    Hazumi paused for a moment then smiled faintly. In the end, Yukari was impressed by her for some reason.

    "True. It might be quite amusing to see your angelic ways breach the barrier the eccentric puts up against others."

    "P-Please don''t say strange things. I''m nothing like that."

    "Relax, you''re definitely qualified. In your case, even if one were to ignore your personality, you''d definitely get certified as a first-rate angel by a comfortable margin based purely on appearance alone."

    Hazumi could not help but feel shy under Yukari''s narrowed and direct gaze.

    Since people would occasionally tell her how greatly she resembled her elder cousin, Hazumi surmised that her own appearance should not be too bad. But even if that was the case, such praises would be too exaggerated...

    Just as Hazumi shrank away, Yukari changed the subject.

    "Until we confirm where the elite dragon that had surfaced in Old Tokyo disappeared to, Hazumi-san, I hope you can remain here on standby for now, just in case of a reappearance¡ª"

    It need not be spelt out. When the time came, Yukari would request for her to head to the scene and fight alongside her "serpent."

    Hazumi had no experience in fighting elites.

    However, no one else in the Kantou region currently had the ability to do.

    "I-I will try my best," declared Hazumi, feeling a surging sense of responsibility.

    But it was quite unbearable to behold her frailty that was the antithesis of a forceful display.

    "Apart from you, Hazumi-san, a master-class witch also happens to be staying in New Town at the moment. I will talk to her and see."

    "Y-Yes. Thank you."

    Yukari left the lobby after speaking briskly.

    Hazumi hastily bowed to her while she was leaving. Despite being born with aptitude to be a witch, Hazumi was absolutely not someone who enjoyed fighting and conflict. Even now, she still did not understand the body of knowledge called "magic."

    That was what Hazumi was like. It would be wonderful if she could receive support from a more accomplished witch by her side.

    After Yukari departed, Hazumi went to put down her schoolbag in the room set aside exclusively for her use.

    Then she made her way to the courtyard. Given her position as what one could call the mistress of this Mansion, there was one fact that she had difficulty voicing openly. Namely, to Hazumi, the building was absolutely not a comfortable place.

    However, the courtyard was a separate matter.

    The lawn was neatly trimmed. A carefully maintained flowerbed. More importantly, it had ample sunlight.

    Lighting inside the Mansion was quite dim and it felt like being shrouded in heavy air.

    In the past, Hazumi had discreetly discussed this with Yukari alone but she ended up smiling in a troubled manner and replying "You really are an angel, Hazumi-san"¡ª

    Arriving at the courtyard, Hazumi took a seat in her usual chair.

    Enjoying the comfort of spring''s gentle breeze, she recalled the school where the new term had just started.

    Due to a witch''s basic duties, it was unavoidable that she often missed school.

    Attendance and various other issues were "adjusted" by those in the school administration who were in the know.

    But compared to receiving special treatment secretly, what would please Hazumi more was being able to attend school normally, to spend time in school normally¡ª

    "What''s the matter, Minadzuki?"

    Even without being summoned, leviathans still protected their witches.

    Hazumi inquired of her "serpent" because a Protection spell for repelling evil magic had suddenly deployed. Immediately, she could sense the magical presence interleaved in the wind.

    This was most likely a coercive force bringing Death. Hazumi shuddered.

    "You seem to have caught my eye, imitation''s covenantee."

    A staid but ominous voice was heard in the courtyard.

    Spontaneously, a figure dressed in a black hooded robe appeared.

    "Pray forgive my breach of etiquette. Naturally, I know that I ought to descend magnificently from the sky to purify these lands in a fiery blaze. A dragon''s style as it should be. However, I must currently store up power no matter what, in preparation for the next adventure."

    The robe was very similar to those worn by sorcerers in fantasy illustrations.

    With very long sleeves and a hem reaching the ankles, it did not resemble modern Japanese clothing at all. In fact, let alone Japanese, this garment''s wearer was not even human.

    Beneath the hood was a reptilian face as ferocious as a dinosaur''s.

    The arm exposed from the long sleeve was covered with scales. A dragon''s hand featuring five fingers with sharp claws.

    "Kyahhhhhh!?"

    Rather than a human, it was an elite dragon that had taken on humanoid form using magic.

    The half-man half-dragon monster spoke to Hazumi who could not help but scream.

    "My name is Raak Al Soth, the wanderer who seeks the Road to Kingship."

    The dragon opened his jaws wide.

    Dense rows of sharp teeth could be seen inside.

    "I wish to rob you of your imitation. To slay the false king and drag him off his throne, I, too, need the power of dragonbane¡ªA dragonslaying weapon!"

    Part 2

    "So it''s already morning..."

    Sparrows were chirping away somewhere. The morning sunlight was hurting Hal''s eyes too.

    Waking up in a refreshed mood, Hal flipped over the blanket covering his body.

    Luckily, his body did not hurt much thanks to having five cushions to use as a mattress. As a side note, what Hal used as a bedroom was the front entrance of a mixed tenant building whose name he did not even know. The building''s automatic door, which was no longer operational, was just before his eyes.

    After a great yawn, Hal stood up.

    It was not long after daybreak. He was on the shore of the Sumida River, in the area that was called Higashi-Nihonbashi in the past.

    A mountain bike was parked near his temporary shelter.

    After Soth disappeared last night, Hal had "searched" all over the place among the buildings in the area. In the end, he discovered this bike that was probably used for commuting in the past.

    Fortunately, Hal had skillful hands and the problem of needing a key could be "resolved" using his tools at hand.

    Having secured a new "pair of legs" to replace the car he had lost, Hal went to the Sumida River shore and decided to camp there.

    After all, it was late at night and he was exhausted. More importantly, he was sleepy.

    Having located bedding through the same methods as the bike, Hal spent the night peacefully like that until morning arrived¡ª

    "That was no dream last night..."

    Hal muttered to himself. His memories of the "night of destiny" were far too vivid and real.

    Hal opened his right hand and discovered that the Secret Rune of the Bow, carved there vividly like a tattoo, had vanished without him knowing when. He frowned.

    Then suddenly coming up with an idea, he took out his knife and tried to stab the back of his left hand.

    Ouch. Droplets of blood seeped out.

    "But I was clearly unharmed by Soth''s attacks... The rune of Ruruk Soun has also disappeared. What the heck is going on?"

    "Fool. That would be because you lack that intent."

    Someone responded to Hal''s mutterings. Rather than a hallucination, it was a real voice.

    Hal looked behind him to see the girl standing there. Dressed in a scarlet kimono, looking only eleven or twelve years old yet excessively arrogant, that girl¡ª

    The self-styled devil, an unidentified dragon''s ghost.

    "That''s so convenient how you can suddenly appear and disappear."

    "Not exactly. After all, the time limit for materializing is not long."

    Confronted with the reappeared girl, Hal said calmly and quietly, "I''m the one who decided to step in the trap on my own, to accept your bizarre invitation, so there''s basically nothing to complain about... But wasn''t that ridiculous physical resilience going way too far? It felt like I''d be fine even if I got trampled by an elephant."

    "Of course you will be fine. In order to kill you when you have that intent, even a dragon must call forth skills beyond breathing fire with full force."

    "Oh my, to think I''ve exceeded the realm of ordinary humans that much..."

    Hearing the girl explain with confidence and composure, Hal could not help but stare out into the distance.

    "By the way, what specifically do you mean by that intent? Is it ''I don''t wanna die!'' or something like that?"

    "Indeed. Nevertheless, brat, that level of effect is nothing more than a bonus for the power you have obtained. You haven''t forgotten the potency of the Bow that sent the dragon retreating, have you?"

    Hal nodded glumly. Of course he could not have forgotten.

    "That was precisely the dragonslaying bow, a weapon of heaven capable of killing dragonkind. By obtaining a top-ranked seal from among the Secret Runes of Ruruk Soun, you have acquired what is tantamount to God''s hammer."

    The girl smiled lightly. It was a very diabolical smile.

    However, Hal deliberately pretended not to notice.

    No matter how he interpreted them, these were what one would call the devil''s honeyed words, with an additional helping of excessive sugar and flattery. It was highly likely that she wanted to entice him.

    Indeed, it was thanks to that whatever secret rune that he had succeeded in repelling the elite dragon.

    But since this tool had dropped into his lap out of the blue, it was highly probable that he could lose it just as suddenly. Neither optimistic nor enterprising in personality, Haruga Haruomi was not one to value such things. And more importantly¡ª

    "I remember ''shooting'' it last night for sure, but the body you used as materials for the Bow at the time... It''s gone now, right? It already crumbled and collapsed, even burning up until nothing was left."

    If the power of the Secret Rune of the Bow was to create the dragonslaying bow¡ª

    Was "a dragon''s body" the required material? Hal could not be certain since he only used it once, but he had a faint feeling that this was so.

    Perhaps as the secret rune''s master, he had subconsciously understood the usage method.

    "Fufu, sufficient cleverness might be considered your strength. But too superficial, your thoughts and considerations are far too superficial."

    The girl jeered while finding fault in Hal''s opinion.

    "How now? If you are willing to kneel down and beg me, I might very well take you by the hand and instruct you personally on a whim of generosity, perhaps?"

    "No thanks. Your instructions aren''t very trustworthy, to be honest."

    Hal cautiously evaded the germinating seed of danger. As long as contact with spirits was avoided, one would naturally avoid getting haunted.

    If he fell headlong into this secret rune business, it felt like there was a high chance of getting involved with "an unusual future."

    This came from the instincts of a treasure hunter who understood magic somewhat.

    "Yesterday too, I was almost burnt to death by the ritual you arranged for me."

    "What words are you speaking? I should have refused you from the start. As said previously, you have met the devil."

    The girl immediately responded to Hal''s accusation with nonchalance.

    "Rather, it would be better to say that a deal with the devil is guaranteed to be a trap."

    "Then let me ask you, self-styled devil. Why did you give this precious treasure to someone like me instead of your fellow dragons?"

    "A noble and beautiful heart founded upon philanthropy and benevolence."

    "Thank you. You''ve given me evidence that your words cannot be trusted."

    Hal began to pack up.

    Either way, he managed to survive, so he should hurry and return to New Town! He was hungry and wanted a shower too. A nap after getting home would be nice as well.

    Pushing the mountain bike, Hal strode ahead.

    At this time, the girl followed and walked beside him with a matter-of-fact expression.

    "Entry is refused to stalkers. House rules."

    "You evidently need a lesson on how to express gratitude to your savior."

    "Aren''t you an extraterrestrial lifeform that only saved me out of ulterior motives? You even made me shoulder a whole load of different risks. Calling yourself my ''savior" is way too unconvincing. However, I don''t care if you follow me."

    This was a dragon''s ghost calling herself the devil. Driving her away was probably impossible.

    In that case, accepting her presence was probably the better choice instead.

    "But you have to hide when others are around. Talking is not my thing and there''s no way I can explain clearly to everyone why I''m being haunted by something like a guardian angel."

    "This wish of yours should probably come to pass."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Not much remains of my energy for interfering with terrestrial phenomena. I am dead after all and even lost my remains in the battle last night, so materializing frivolously is not possible."

    Not much remains. In other words, she meant "there was still some"?

    Reading between the lines, Hal nodded secretly to himself.

    "Oh right. It''s a bit late to ask now, but what''s your name? How should I address you?"

    "In that case... Hinokagutsuchi will suffice."

    The non-human girl answered solemnly in response to this question that could not be more basic.

    It was the name of the fire god in Japanese mythology. Back in the extremely distant age of myths, Hinokagutsuchi''s mother, Izanami, had died after childbirth due to getting burnt by his flames. The father, Izanagi, slew the matricidal child in a fit of rage using his divine sword.

    During that event, Hinokagutsuchi''s blood and corpse gave birth to countless deities¡ª

    "What a meaningful name, even as a choice of alias."

    If Hal''s memory served him correctly, Soth seemed to have called her true form the "Queen"...

    In any case, Hal made his way to the gate leading to New Town, accompanied by the girl who called herself Hinokagutsuchi.

    Hal had no idea that from this point onwards, his life was going to change nonstop like a tumbling rock.

    During the dawn of fantasy RPGs, players were apparently encouraged to enter and ransack people''s homes without permission, engaging in theft of items.

    Hal''s mountain bike was obtained through similar means.

    Having been abandoned for upwards of a decade or more, it was clearly in poor condition.

    However, Hal had taken the previous night as a chance to lubricate the bike and use tape to reinforce damaged parts, applying makeshift maintenance and repairs.

    Thanks to that, the bike was still relatively smooth to ride.

    Furthermore, Hinokagutsuchi disappeared on her own after Hal started riding the bike.

    Abandoning the bike near the Ryougoku Bridge''s gate, Hal then presented his access pass and went through the gate alone.

    Taking the New Town Loop Line, he reached Narihirabashi Station in the Sumida ward by train, finally returning to the station closest to his home.

    Then he continued home on foot.

    (By the way, brat, you had brought companions, yes?)

    Along the way home, Hinokagutsuchi''s whispered lightly in his ear.

    Something so convenient was apparently possible even when in immaterial form¡ªwhen her tangible body had disappeared.

    (Is it fine for you to ignore them?)

    (Before sleeping last night, I already texted them I was safe, so let''s talk about this later. Anyway, I just want to get home first and relax.)

    Hal replied quietly.

    He had spent the night outdoors in the outskirts of Old Tokyo along the Sumida River. Cellphones were usable there due to reception from New Town signal towers.

    Asya had sent three texts to inquire if Hal was safe.

    In addition, there were roughly ten missed calls from Asya.

    Hal had responded with a brief text before going to sleep. Having learnt that Asya and Orihime had returned to New Town safe and sound, he felt a great load lifted from his heart.

    The two girls had probably contacted Kenjou at Mirokudou via satellite phone to have him pick them up, right?

    And now, Hal himself was finally home, however¡ª

    In front of the residence resembling a haunted house, two girls were standing outside the heavy door like imposing temple guardians.

    Asya and Orihime. Casting sharp gazes filled with anger, the two of them eyed Hal from head to foot as though performing an examination.

    (It''s almost like they''re mad at me, scolding me for being insensitive.)

    ("Almost" is redundant, imbecile. As a person, righteous fury is the only proper response to a fool who escaped a dragon''s jaws yet failed to get in touch.)

    Hal could not help but mutter, thus earning a response of exasperation.

    Hearing a non-human spirit discuss behavior "as a person," Hal felt rather indignant.

    Looking at Asya and Orihime''s expressions of serious anger, Hal hunched his neck.

    In the worst case, this self-styled Hinokagutsuchi could very well be right...

    Part 3

    "That should be enough practice by now, shouldn''t it? Haruga-kun, please read out your reflection statement for us."

    "Uh, ''I am truly sorry for worrying everyone. I will refrain from this type of neglect henceforth, always remembering to report back, make contact and discuss with you at all times, to act with self-awareness as a teammate''..."

    "Totally unacceptable. Lacking in both sincerity and ardor."

    "This proves that you still don''t understand your position. Oh, Haruomi, please don''t relax your sitting posture without permission. You''ve been sitting formally in seiza for merely half an hour. How undisciplined."

    Although he finally made it back home, Hal still did not have permission to enter the house.

    He was forced into kneeling outside his own home¡ªin seiza posture in front of the entrance¡ªenduring scolding from both Orihime and Asya, then having to write a reflection statement and recite it.

    According to the girls:

    ''If you were safe and sound, why didn''t you inform us swiftly in detail!?''

    After sending out the brief text to report his survival, Hal had switched off his cellphone and gone to sleep. He was in no mood to talk to anyone because too many things had happened.

    This careless act had apparently offended the girls greatly.

    Hal kept his head down while listening respectfully to the double serving of lecturing. He had no other recourse. In any case, he was constantly urged to reflect on his own behavior.

    Soon after, seeing Hal acting obediently, Orihime sighed deeply.

    "No matter what, I am very glad you''re safe and sound, Haruga-kun. Also, I really must thank you."

    "Huh?"

    "Thank you for yesterday. The fact that I am standing here alive right now is partially thanks to Asya-san while the other half is thanks to you, Haruga-kun."

    Orihime suddenly stopped lecturing and switched to expressing her gratitude. This unexpected attack instantly rendered Hal speechless. To be thanked so directly by someone¡ªIt felt very awkward.

    Unable to come up with a good response, Hal could only scratch his head while pretending not to hear.

    "I''ll only say this here, but actually, I cried a bit once I found out you were safe and sound, Haruga-kun. I really was very worried, so please don''t do something like this again, okay?"

    Orihime''s honest attitude surprised Hal.

    It felt like she was giving him both the carrot and the stick with great finesse. At this moment, even Asya started talking frantically:

    "I-I''ll only say this here as well, okay? Actually, once I found out you were safe and sound, Haruomi, I also cried on the bed until my pillow was completely drenched!"

    "Who are you kidding, Asya? That''s totally impossible for you."

    "Why are you able to respond so calmly to me!?"

    "We go way back. By this point, you''re not going to cry over something like this, right..."

    Hal answered like this precisely because he knew that his childhood friend possessed incomparable courage. However, Asya seemed inexplicably indignant while Orihime chuckled with a smile.

    Hence, the atmosphere relaxed and Hal was finally allowed to enter the house.

    After opening the front door to enter the western mansion that resembled a haunted house, Orihime was the first to frown and remark, "What a messy home you have, Haruga-kun."

    "Really? I''m quite comfortable living here."

    "After all, Haruomi is someone completely foreign to cleaning and tidying..."

    "Just for the record, if that describes me, Asya is not much better either."

    After entering the entrance hall, many stacks of cardboard boxes could be seen.

    This included belongings Hal had sent back when returning home for the first time in three years, his late father''s possessions and collections that he still had not organized, as well as various objects and articles that had accumulated from inhabitants of the Haruga household before his father.

    All such articles were piled up everywhere in the house without any organization.

    Hal made his way to the living room with Orihime and Asya following behind.

    "By the way, Haruomi, how did you escape from that elite dragon called Soth?"

    "I''d like to know too. Everyone says that survival is normally impossible."

    Hal was suddenly confronted with two additional queries pointing straight to the heart of the matter.

    Hal stepped past the mess of cardboard boxes that made the living room look like a storeroom while answering fluently. He had already prepared an explanation beforehand.

    "Another dragon showed up after that. Those two dragons apparently rubbed each other the wrong way and started fighting among themselves. In the end, Soth got injured and fled while the other dragon... died. The giant pillar of fire happened during the battle."

    Hal simply glossed over the details without revealing the entire truth.

    He wanted to conduct an investigation and get more information out of Hinokagutsuchi first before telling others. Also, he did not know if anyone was going to believe him even if he came clean with the truth.

    Asya was shocked after listening to Hal''s convenient explanation.

    "I can''t believe something like that happened!?"

    "I definitely wouldn''t have survived if things weren''t that fortunate."

    Hal commented helplessly on purpose instead of belaboring the point.

    "Indeed that''s true..."

    The childhood friend murmured, perhaps feeling convinced.

    "But I''m really happy to hear that Soth is injured. That means he might have run off to other lands to wait for his wounds to heal."

    Hal secretly recalled in fear: ''I swear I shall revisit again, to have you drawn and quartered!"

    He remembered Soth''s ominous declaration.

    "Actually, Hiiragi-san just called me to make a request. As a precaution against the elite dragon that appeared yesterday, she hopes that I could stay inside the Mansion on standby."

    "I heard that Hazumi is there too."

    Orihime nodded. The trio sat down on the sofa for now.

    The room was covered in dust and things were in an utter mess. Natural lighting was insufficient due to the tightly drawn curtains. Although it was nowhere near comfortable, at least the living room had a sofa to sit on.

    "Hazumi?"

    Hearing the name mentioned by Orihime for the first time, Hal could not help but tilt his head in puzzlement.

    "She''s my younger cousin and the only witch at New Town¡ªor rather, the entire Kantou region. Minadzuki, who saved us last time, is her partner."

    "To give rise to two witches from a single clan, your family line must be particularly blessed with this type of natural aptitude."

    "I don''t really know about that, but Hazumi has been working for the past two years, ever since she was twelve. But she''s a very gentle person with frail health as well, so it seems like she''s not quite suited for ''battle''..."

    "Would she be very similar to you by any chance? I mean in terms of personality."

    From Hal''s perspective, Juujouji Orihime''s temperament was not suitable for a witch.

    Was her cousin one of the same mold? However, Orihime refuted Hal''s speculation with a shake of her head.

    "Completely unalike. Because she''s an angel."

    "...Huh?"

    Hal could not help but question Orihime''s strange description.

    "I said angel. She is a girl with a personality as wonderful as an angel''s. Kind, gentle and not calculating. Although she''s a bit introverted, her smile is very dazzling. A very likable child."

    "Oh."

    "Any old man, no matter how eccentric or obstinate, would treat her tenderly like a beloved grandchild."

    "Juujouji, what you''ve said is physically impossible. In our filthy realm of humans, the creature of fantasy known as ''an angel'' does not exist."

    Hal firmly raised his objections against Orihime''s murmurings.

    "The depths of that girl''s heart must be seething with pitch-black and negative emotions like lava, waiting for a chance to explode. Heed my advice. It''s not good for a girl to suffer during the prime of her teenage years by projecting her own bias onto others through delusional rose-tinted glasses."

    "Let''s see if you can still insist on your twisted logic after you actually meet her."

    Confidently dismissing Hal''s opinion, Orihime took out her cellphone.

    "See, this is Hazumi''s photo. Isn''t she cute?"

    "A-A pretty girl huh..."

    Taking the cellphone to have a look, Asya murmured.

    Displayed on the LCD screen was a young girl smiling demurely with delicate and proper-looking facial features. Her silky hair was shoulder length.

    Her uniform was that of Kogetsu Academy''s. Indeed, she was very cute.

    And that was not all. There was a certain sense of transparency in her facial expression. That vigorous gaze was deeply memorable.

    Hal could not help but feel attracted to her eyes. Hence he nodded vigorously and said, "Later, could you tell me what photo retouching software was used and who did the editing?"

    "This photo was taken by my cellphone without going through any editing at all. My, you''re really on guard, Haruga-kun... Anyway, she is a gentle girl and I don''t want her to do too many dangerous things."

    Orihime made a melancholic look as though worrying.

    "After finding out I had the talent to be a witch, I was thinking I could finally reduce her burden¡ªBut the ritual ended up failing."

    " "Ugh..." "

    Hal and Asya groaned in unison. Seeing as this was a special exception where an elite dragon had shown up, it could not be helped even if the ritual failed.

    But even so, it was still an experience that slightly wounded Hal and Asya''s pride.

    "By the way, Juujouji, let me return this to you."

    Hal handed over the intact white copper mirror which Orihime received using a handkerchief before wrapping it up and putting it away in her bag.

    "Thank you, Haruga-kun. By the way, can this be used again to perform a covenant ritual¡ªto create my ''serpent'' again?"

    "It''s basically possible... But I think it''ll take some time."

    Orihime asked with a solemn expression and Asya replied equally seriously.

    "Because the ritual was interrupted, the leviathan''s ''shadow'' born for you, Orihime-san, was unable to materialize. Searching for that shadow which is wandering the present world in spiritual form and summoning it would require quite a troublesome ritual. It needs a lot of time and patience..."

    "Then after that, you need to wait for an unknown number of months before the new ''serpent'' can be born..."

    Like his childhood friend, Hal''s tone of voice had also become very gloomy.

    The synthesis ritual for creating leviathans required the Grandmother Immortal¡ªnamely, the mysterious magic device kept dormant in the underground of Istanbul.

    But it could only be used every one or two months, so waiting in a queue was necessary.

    "...I understand. I will wait patiently."

    Orihime sighed, perhaps feeling disheartened. However, she immediately looked up.

    "Then let''s shelve that matter for now and decide what we need to do today. Next, I''d like to give this home a thorough cleaning and tidying. May I? Haruga-kun."

    "Why do you want to clean my house, Juujouji?"

    "Although it might sound a bit much coming from myself, I am someone who loves cleanliness and I like to clean... It''d be a true shame to miss out on a home that needs cleaning as much as this."

    Orihime swept her gaze around the Haruga residence''s chaotic and messy living room with heartfelt emotion.

    "Since there''s a bit of time right now, I hope you''ll indulge my cleaning obsession. May I?"

    "We were just talking about how the ritual cannot be held immediately. How did things suddenly lead to cleaning?"

    Also, in Hal''s view, he did not find his home uncomfortable at all.

    As a teenage boy who had no desire to live in a house resembling a model home, Hal felt that leaving things the way they were would be fine¡ªBut Orihime simply said, "Oh, it has nothing to do with the ritual. I just happen to be free today. Haruga-kun, could you tell me the time right now?"

    "It''s currently 10:28am."

    Hal confirmed the time on his cellphone. Orihime smiled deliberately and nodded.

    Only then did Hal realize that Asya was wearing a very short one-piece dress with black leggings. For some reason, she was also wearing a khaki military parka on top, which looked quite out of place.

    However, Orihime was dressed in school uniform. It was clearly past the time for lessons to start...

    "Umm..."

    "I wanted to check on your situation before going to school this morning, Haruga-kun, so I picked a time to meet up with Asya-san. But you still had not returned home then, Haruga-kun, and your cellphone was off. Left without any choice, I decided to skip school to confirm your safety."

    "..."

    "Consequently, I am free for the entire day. It would be a bit strange to go to school at this hour, so allow me to occupy myself here. Thanks for having me."

    As far as Hal could remember, Orihime seemed to have maintained perfect attendance with zero lates and absences.

    In the absence of unexpected events, this perfect attendance would probably have persisted matter-of-factly until the end of the school year. However, the exalted Princess with her exemplary standards of conduct had decided to skip school on account of Haruga Haruomi...

    Orihime had not said anything that resembled complaining.

    However, Hal definitely felt like something was stuck in his throat¡ª

    "...Sure, thanks."

    "Really? Wonderful. This kind of place, which could serve as a gathering venue, really makes me want to clean it up. May I bring stuff over in the future? Like tea or snacks for example."

    "Uh, did you say gathering venue!?"

    "Yes. Haruga-kun, Asya-san and me. Shouldn''t we make effective use of this place to hold the aforementioned gatherings? Also, we don''t have to be concerned about others if we meet here. Oh right, I''ll be bringing Hazumi, the one I mentioned earlier, to visit in the near future."

    Orihime explained her plans with an easygoing rhythm.

    It was a blueprint of the future that Hal would stay away from, given his plans to retreat from Tokyo, but¡ª

    "Right... I believe that it''s better for Haruomi to be assisting us more proactively. Isn''t this a great idea?"

    Asya nodded on her own. Judging by her tone of voice, she seemed to be emphasizing "assisting me" more than "assisting us." This was probably not Hal''s imagination.

    "Then please tell me where the cleaning equipment is kept. If there''s anything missing¡ªalthough this house feels like it''s definitely missing something¡ªI''ll buy it later."

    "Orihime-san, why don''t you leave matters like purchasing to Haruomi?"

    "No, Haruga-kun is probably very tired so we must let him rest. If it''s okay with you, Asya-san, please head over to Hazumi''s side for me."

    Ignoring the master of the house, Orihime and Asya were getting to work harmoniously. The two girls had apparently become good friends after merely one night. This was probably thanks to sharing a battlefield experience together.

    Despite being in his own house, Hal experienced an outsider kind of feeling.

    Part 4

    "Orihime-san seems to know quite well how to handle you, Haruomi."

    Asya spoke up after accompanying Hal to his study that also served as a bedroom.

    Orihime had gone to a nearby supermarket to shop. Although she had told him to rest, Hal still asked ''Need any help?''

    ''It''s okay. Judging from this home''s tragic state, Haruga-kun, you seem more than likely to be someone who''s of no help in cleaning. I can probably handle things on my own, so don''t feel obliged, just rest as much as you can.''

    Hence, Hal decided to standby in his own room.

    That being said, the previous conversation was possibly the manner in which Orihime showed her care for others¡ªFeeling as though someone had persistently shone a dazzling bright light in his eye, Hal replied to Asya with slight displeasure:

    "What do you mean by how to handle me?"

    "Being too meddlesome doesn''t work. Too much laissez-faire doesn''t work either. You''re really troublesome as an opponent, Haruomi."

    Asya giggled with a smile, puffing out her flat chest at the same time.

    It was like she was showing off the fact that she had known such a person for the longest time.

    "I''m not some kind of troublesome opponent. Essentially, I like it best when people leave me alone... However, Juujouji sure is a strange girl for wanting to clean up this house."

    Hal whispered with heartfelt emotion.

    "I''m really quite surprised. I never thought I''d get to know someone who seems to have a very high level of femininity."

    "...Haruomi? Did you just say something?"

    Hal repeated his thought verbatim, resulting in an inexplicable expression of shock on Asya''s face.

    "A very high level of femininity?"

    "Yes, that. What do you mean by saying something like that in front of the girl who is your closest friend!? I-I-I-It''s almost like you''re saying that I''m very low on femininity..."

    "But it''s actually true that you''re very low on femininity. Isn''t that right, Asya?"

    Regarding the issue of being close friends, Hal had no trouble admitting it.

    But he could hardly agree with the latter half of her argument.

    "You never care about accommodation conditions no matter what country you''re staying in. You''re unfazed by total messes, simply dismissing them as something to get used to with time."

    Asya was supposed to be quite wealthy.

    However, she never insisted on living in high-class residential areas or luxury apartments. For the most part, she would choose one-room units in housing complexes with simple furnishings.

    "W-What does that have to do with anything? Whether awake or asleep, a human should not have any problem coping with just a rug-sized area. Also, it''s not like anyone would die if I didn''t clean for half a year... Anyway, femininity is the more important issue at hand."

    The childhood friend coughed to clear her throat.

    "Putting the matter of lifestyle aside for now, I must point out that food is my area of expertise. Surely you must know my cooking skills very well, Haruomi?"

    "Yes, that''s one thing I''ve never forgotten."

    Asya''s cooking was definitely very authentic indeed.

    After all, she was even capable of carrying out the task of "slaughtering live poultry and processing it into meat products" to perfection. Not to mention taking up a hunting rifle personally to shoot down wild birds for ingredients...

    Consequently, compared to femininity, what Hal experienced was more of an exuberant sense of wild vitality.

    If fairies were residents of mountains, forests and other natural habitats, then this childhood friend frequently acted as befitted a child of nature, even appearance included.

    "In that case, give me a moment!"

    Asya spoke with her face tense.

    "It''s almost time for lunch. I''ll prepare delicious food to treat you, so please correct your assessment that my femininity loses out to Orihime-san."

    "Sounds like a very tough challenge..."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll make a show of the dormant abilities I''ve kept hidden!"

    "But don''t you need to head over to the Mansion later?"

    "It''s not like there''s an emergency. Going later should be fine. Then I''m going out to shop for ingredients!"

    Saying that, Asya trotted over to the study''s door.

    But just as she was about to step out into the corridor, she looked back at him again.

    "Oh by the way, j-just to be clear, I''m not trying to act feminine in front of you, Haruomi, just because I''m feeling competitive against Orihime-san. My hand is simply forced as a matter of female pride..."

    "Really? Sure, got it. I almost misunderstood."

    Hal nodded generously in response to his childhood friend''s intentional and supplementary explanation.

    For some reason, this caused Asya''s eyes to look like those of an injured puppy''s. Glaring at Hal, she said "I-I''m heading out" and left the room.

    "...I guess Asya''s still quite concerned about appearances as a girl."

    Muttering, Hal sat down in front of the computer desk.

    After he moved the mouse, the computer was roused from sleep mode and the screen lit up.

    "I really hope there''s something in Pops'' database that could shed light on what happened last night..."

    Although Orihime had asked him to rest, Hal had difficult circumstances of his own that prevented him from heeding her.

    Searching the computer where his father''s book collection and research notes were stored as well as the connected external storage device, Hal started his investigation.

    The transformation of his body into something weird had taken place the previous night.

    Even if just a little, was there any hint existing somewhere that could unravel the mystery?

    Since everything had started with the "stone" in his late father''s memento, Hal felt hopeful.

    Speaking of which, where had the greatest source of information, Hinokagutsuchi run off to? Just as Hal recalled the self-styled devil whom he had neither heard nor seen for quite a while...

    "Kyahhhhhhh!?"

    "Juujouji!?"

    Hearing a scream, Hal instantly stood up.

    There should not be anything dangerous inside the house. However, the matter of Raak Al Soth remained unresolved, so there was no guarantee that the dragon would not devote his full effort towards locating Hal to launch an attack...

    Worrying about the worst scenario, Hal ran towards the sound¡ªHal''s living room.

    "What happened!?"

    Hal asked with intensity. Orihime was standing still in shock with a dazed expression.

    Having taken off her uniform jacket, she had her white shirt sleeves rolled up and a duster in hand. In a corner of the living room, a bucket and a cloth were also lying ready.

    She did not have any obvious external injuries. Orihime looked unharmed all over.

    "Oh, I''m really sorry for screaming so loudly. Did I scare you?"

    "...Not too badly. Did you see a mouse?"

    Although it was a bit anticlimactic, Hal still asked. This home was not only old but had been left neglected until recently.

    It would not be strange for that type of creature to be present but Orihime shook her head. After pondering for a while, she drew herself next to Hal.

    "Umm, Haruga-kun, you previously mentioned curses and hauntings, isn''t that right? I am only asking in light of that... By any chance¡ªWould your home have that?"

    A question without an explicit subject. Orihime seemed to be taking precautions against something.

    Seeing his classmate a little nervous, Hal understood the point of her question. At the same time, another possibility occurred to him.

    "Could it be that you saw a girl in a red kimono?"

    "¡ªIndeed you''re correct! Is that a ghost!?"

    To think she was able to say the word "ghost" so nonchalantly, Orihime certainly belonged to the same generation as Hal.

    After all, they were born and raised during times where dragons were matter-of-fact existences. Even when encountering supernatural phenomena, they were still able to quickly calm themselves.

    "Oh... What is that thing? I''m not too sure either. Besides, I''ve only seen it two or three times, that''s all..."

    Hal glossed over things in a vague answer. On a basic level, he was not lying.

    "I see. But she actually said some strange things to me."

    "Strange things?"

    "Yes. Along the lines of ''Do you want a serpent?'' There was also a whole bunch of other stuff but I was too surprised and failed to take it all in."

    Rather than getting seen by accident, she was approaching Orihime with ulterior motives?

    Suspecting Hinokagutsuchi''s intentions, Hal could not help but frown in deep thought. At this time, he heard a patter of footsteps along the corridor.

    "Haruomi and Orihime-san, Hiiragi-san just sent a notice!"

    Asya rushed in, panting.

    She was supposed to have gone shopping, but Hal did not see any bag in her hand. Asya had probably turned back before she entered the shop.

    With a foreboding feeling in his heart, Hal turned his gaze to the childhood friend. Orihime followed suit.

    "The elite dragon that had appeared in Old Tokyo last night is now located. The Mansion at Shin-Kiba. He apparently attacked the Mansion an hour ago and occupied it. I heard that Orihime-san''s cousin, who happened to be at the scene, was captured along with her ''serpent.''"

    Normally, Asya would probably be in a state of panic and utter confusion.

    But in times like these, the childhood friend never lost her cool. In order to prepare for the imminent battle, she had already entered her "emergency" mode.

    Awe inspiring, fearless, flawless, calm and composed. And as beautiful as a sharp sword.

    On the other hand, Orihime was stunned and at a loss what to do after hearing about her cousin''s misfortune.

    "Hazumi, no way!?"

    She was clearly shocked and had lost her direction.

    But one could hardly blame her. Orihime was not a witch yet. Her only battle experience was last night where she was the one being protected.

    Meanwhile, Hal put on a stiff expression.

    What happened last night could not possibly be unrelated to Soth''s actions. Rather, it would be the opposite.

    Soth''s true target was Hal and Hinokagutsuchi, right? Orihime''s cousin was simply caught up in the affair¡ª

    An hour later, Hal, Orihime and Asya had arrived at the Shin-Kiba area.

    The Mansion''s vicinity, located near Tokyo Bay, was sealed off by the police and riot squads belonging to that jurisdiction.

    Uniformed police officers could be seen all over the place. Judging from their equipment and special vehicles, one could tell that the Metropolitan Police Department had mobilized urban rescue forces.

    Currently, all commoners and vehicles were prohibited from entering the area.

    The only ones allowed access were "experts" like Asya, invited to resolve the situation.

    As soon as they entered the sealed area, a young man immediately walked over to them.

    Amidst the many uniformed police officers, he was the only person dressed in an old business suit, looking like a plainclothes detective.

    "Hi."

    "Kenjou-san? What brings you here?"

    Asya stared with widened eyes. Kenjou Genya, manager of the used bookstore Mirokudou as well as a member of SAURU''s staff, smiled wryly in turn.

    "Under the orders of my boss... Hiiragi-san. She sent me here to support you for now, Asya-san. Let''s walk over there before I explain the situation."

    Asya, Hal and Orihime followed Kenjou, in that order.

    "Let me make this clear first. Don''t delude yourself into thinking you can get closer than one kilometer from the Mansion. Terrifying magical power is spread out there so approaching it is already very dangerous."

    Kenjou pressed the edge of his hand against his own neck to make a chopping gesture.

    What he meant was¡ªDeath would result? Hal and Asya nodded silently whereas Orihime scowled.

    Leading them, Kenjou brought the trio to a temporary tent.

    Placed on the folding table was a map of the area and several pairs of binoculars.

    "Use these to look towards the Mansion."

    Since there were enough to go around, everyone took up their own pair of binoculars.

    Zoned for redevelopment, the area clearly consisted mostly of empty land.

    Extremely sparse in buildings and people, there was excellent visibility. The familiar Mansion could be seen clearly through binoculars.

    Furthermore, at the seashore some distance away, there was an object that could not be ignored.

    Reportedly, the location was reclaimed land that used to be a landfill site.

    "That''s¡ªMinadzuki!?"

    Orihime cried out. A transparent triangular prism was standing on the land next to the sea.

    The triangular prism was much smaller than the Monolith towering over Old Tokyo. Roughly thirty meters in height, it looked like a miniature Monolith.

    A "serpent" that Hal had seen before was coiled around it.

    Her body surface was emerald in color. Serving as the horn counterpart, her right hand and claws were especially large.

    It was Minadzuki, the leviathan shaped like an oriental serpentine dragon.

    Coiled around the transparent equilateral triangular prism, she looked like a snake wrapped around a long rod¡ªIn addition, stabbed in her back was a metal needle, even longer than her body length.

    Piercing Minadzuki, the needle had her pinned firmly to the mini-Monolith.

    "Still alive... Asleep?"

    After death, a leviathan''s body would disappear from the world.

    Seeing Minadzuki''s tightly shut eyes, Hal muttered to himself.

    "She''s been like that all this time, not moving at all. She isn''t going into spiritual form either. The elite that took over the Mansion¡ªthe bastard called Soth, right? That guy seems to have deployed some kind of magic," reported Kenjou.

    Asya also looked intently at the mini-Monolith through binoculars.

    Her gaze was cast on a certain surface of the triangular prism. Carved there were fifteen runes of Ruruk Soun.

    "Asya, do you know what those runes mean?"

    "''Life'' and ''spiritual power''... I think that''s the rough meaning of this arrangement."

    Asya''s gaze and expression were very solemn and stern.

    Her beautiful face like a fairy''s was enhanced by acuity and character. Whenever he witnessed his childhood friend in such a state, Hal would always feel shaken in his heart.

    "I-Is Hazumi okay? Given that Minadzuki is already like this¡ª"

    "I think she should be unharmed. If anything happened to the witch and covenantee, the ''serpent'' would disappear as well," answered Asya with intellect beyond what she usually presented, confronted with the panicking Orihime.

    Leviathans were artificial lifeforms without material bodies to begin with. What allowed them to stay in the present world was the covenant between "serpent" and witch. If a witch were to die, nullifying the covenant, the physical body tying the leviathan to the world would naturally collapse¡ªIn other words, death would result.

    Orihime breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, Kenjou added extra information:

    "Right now, my boss is sending requests to witches and sponsors in various place, asking them to assist in resolving the situation. But since the enemy is elite, everyone seems quite reluctant to step forward."

    "The risk of sending out precious ''serpents'' is too great, is that it?"

    "Oh, Asya-san. Umm..."

    Orihime originally wanted to say something to Asya but broke off halfway.

    Hal''s classmate was considerate of other''s feelings despite her upfront personality.

    If she were to voice her current thoughts and feelings, perhaps her newfound friend might be forced into hopeless peril. However, Asya never failed to live up to expectations.

    She stared at the mini-Monolith and the sleeping "serpent" Minadzuki for quite a while.

    Then after turning her gaze to the Mansion and ruminating repeatedly¡ªShe slowly began to speak:

    "Let this battlefield be Rushalka''s final resting place."

    Asya''s voice was filled with calm determination.

    "Having an elite dragon as her final enemy might be quite fitting. We still haven''t paid Soth back for what he did in Old Tokyo, so let''s show him what Rushalka is like when going all out."

    Asya was the battle hardened veteran with her stalwart and beautiful partner.

    But now, her partner was on the verge of death.

    Releasing her power to the limit would probably speed up the collapse of the body that could not bear the strain. Asya must have understood this fact when she declared her decision to fight.

    However, how much of Rushalka''s "true power" was still retained?

    Five minutes, ten minutes, or even a shorter duration... The childhood friend''s chances of victory ought to be extremely low.

    Part 5

    Then the next day, Hal and Orihime went to school as usual.

    The number of students in the classroom was only half of the usual.

    Due to Soth''s lurking presence, Tokyo New Town''s administration had issued an evacuation order in the area around Shin-Kiba. Many local residents had left New Town temporarily to seek refuge after learning of this news.

    Asya was stationed inside the sealed zone, preparing for a duel against the elite dragon.

    Soth and the imprisoned witch, Shirasaka Hazumi, stayed in the Mansion the whole time without appearing once.

    However, a change was occurring with the mini-Monolith and the leviathan Minadzuki.

    ¡ªA change in color. The mini-Monolith where the "serpent" was pinned was originally a transparent equilateral triangular prism.

    But this morning, the transparent pillar had turned into a shade of red reminiscent of blood. What did the color change imply?

    Hal wanted to ask Hinokagutsuchi but¡ª

    "I''ve seen neither hide nor hair of her since yesterday... Even though now is the most critical time."

    Not long after the lunch break began, Hal was muttering to himself while sitting in his seat in the classroom.

    All they could depend on was Asya''s "serpent" and nothing else. Apparently, none of the witches capable of supporting her had appeared so far. If the attacking enemies were groups of Raptors, it would be possible to request support from the SDF or the police''s urban rescue force, but the opponent this time was an elite dragon.

    Elites were able to use hypnosis incantations to plunge entire armies into deep sleep.

    They were also capable of spreading death curses, obtaining victory with frightening speed.

    When facing such monsters as opponents, commoners would serve as nothing more than sacrifices, being unable to defend against magic. Asya had no choice but to duel the elite dragon alone with her partner¡ª

    "Haruga-kun. Here, take this."

    Hal suddenly heard a voice by his ear. Orihime was handing over a small cloth bag from her seat as his neighbor.

    She had not spoken the whole time since morning. Given what happened to her cousin, it was probably impossible for her to maintain her usual cheerfulness.

    However, Orihime was currently staring at Hal with an intense gaze.

    Her expression was full of solemnity, as though she had made some kind of monumental decision.

    "A packed lunch?"

    "I wanted to give you something with more sincerity than last time''s bun."

    Inside the bag was a lunchbox. Actually, there were two of them.

    Opening one of them, Hal found it filled to the brim with rice.

    The other lunchbox contained side dishes. There were what appeared to be frozen food that had been deep-fried, salt roasted mackerel that seemed to have been prepared by hand, burdock stir-fried in kinpira style, Chikuzen style chicken and carrot stew, pickled cucumbers, etc. Quite a wide selection of dishes.

    "Although I can''t measure the sincerity, the food does look like it''s worth a try."

    "I made it personally, after all, so I''ll have you know that there''s six times more sincerity than convenience store buns. I was thinking that boys have bigger appetites, so I prepared a large amount."

    As a side note, just at this moment...

    The noisy classmates in the room during the lunch break¡ªThey seemed to have quieted down instantly.

    But Hal had more important things to do. Unperturbed, he turned to face Orihime and said, "So what are you apologizing for this time?"

    "Rather than an apology, I have a request for you this time."

    Orihime''s eyes conveyed seriousness on a completely different level from the time when she treated him to a bun.

    "May I visit your home after school today, Haruga-kun? You see, I was interrupted in the middle of the cleaning, while there are many other matters also..."

    Orihime''s choice of words was rather subdued.

    However, Hal understood what she wanted to convey.

    "Could this be related to what that girl said yesterday?"

    "Indeed. Thinking over it after the fact, I noticed she had said many things that are quite concerning. It''s fine if the answer is no given the current circumstances, but if there''s anything I could do to assist¡ª"

    Orihime wanted to contribute. For the sake of rescuing her cousin as well as to avoid shoving all danger upon Asya alone to bear.

    Hal could understand her feelings as though they were his own. He nodded deeply.

    "Juujouji, I don''t think there''s any need to wait until school''s over."

    "Huh?"

    "Let''s go to my house now. Who knows how the situation has changed on the other side? It''s better to act sooner than later."

    Saying that, Hal placed the lunchboxes back into the bag.

    Orihime immediately nodded in agreement. Her decisiveness in this area was truly breathtaking.

    "I understand. Then let''s continue our discussion at your house, Haruga-kun!"

    Orihime instantly stuffed her belongings into her schoolbag and started preparing to leave.

    Hal surveyed the surroundings.

    There were roughly ten classmates in the room. Everyone was looking in his direction with shocked expressions on their faces. In particular, some of the boys were glaring at Hal with piercing stares.

    Crap, the discussion about skipping school was too loud, right?

    Despite feeling regretful, Hal still spoke to the two girls nearby.

    "Mutou-san, Juujouji is suddenly feeling unwell, so could you let the teacher know that we''re leaving early? I''m sending her home."

    "Oh okay, understood. Leave it to me."

    Mutou-san, a member of the UFO Research Club, thumped her chest and promised with a snicker.

    "After all, I''m indebted to Juujouji-san and you fascinate me, Haruga-kun. I will cheer for you, so do your best. In return¡ª"

    "Put my name on the club entry form. You need a fifth member, right?"

    "Fufu, much appreciated!"

    "Haruga-kun, I will help too!"

    The petite girl next to Mutou-san, Funaki-san, declared.

    Staring at Hal and Orihime, her fervent eyes were glimmering brightly.

    "Unable to suppress the intense passion in your hearts, the two of you have decided to escape to the ends of the earth, hand in hand! Don''t worry, everyone in the class understands!"

    "...? Sure, then I''m counting on you two."

    After listening to Funaki-san''s exaggerated speech, Hal cocked his head then picked up his schoolbag.

    Exchanging nods with each other, Hal and Orihime made their way to the classroom''s exit together.

    Thus, Hal was already home despite the fact that lessons were still in progress.

    Arriving at his messy living room together with Orihime, he called out, "You''re over here, right? Or have you been sticking to us all along?"

    Sweeping his gaze across the living room and the ceiling, Hal raised his voice and yelled at the same time, "I don''t care either way, but isn''t it time for you to appear? I also brought the girl who caught your eye."

    "Fufu. Well done, brat, considering it is you."

    Suddenly manifesting, Hinokagutsuchi was smiling.

    She was sitting sloppily on an unused table in a corner of the living room.

    The hem of her kimono was wide open, exposing a young girl''s pale, bare feet.

    Hinokagutsuchi slowly reached out and started to play with the black queen piece from the chess set lying on the table.

    Witnessing this supernatural entry to the stage, Orihime gasped.

    "I knew it, like last time''s..."

    "O girl who ought to have given birth to a serpent, you have arrived at a good time. Have you resolved yourself to accept my proposal?"

    "I can''t believe you''re making a deal with Juujouji."

    Hal scowled.

    "A deal?"

    Orihime asked in puzzlement after hearing Hal.

    "Simply stated, back when Soth was hunting me last time, I was saved thanks to her."

    "Then isn''t she your savior!?"

    "The fact that I cannot assert that is exactly what''s subtle about her. Because she cannot be trusted completely, I can hardly recommend her as the counterparty in a deal."

    "What are you talking about? At the very least, I used to be an existence known to others as the queen."

    Hinokagutsuchi deliberately widened her grin after hearing Hal''s comment about her.

    "Is it that unreasonable to indulge my naturally mischievous character and toy with the counterparty of a deal every now and then? Perhaps I might suggest flawed ideas to innocent children so as to watch with amusement as they run around all over the place. Nevertheless, I have never gone back on a promise."

    "What naturally mischievous character, you''re nowhere innocent enough for that description to apply..."

    Ignoring the muttering Hal, Orihime faced Hinokagutsuchi squarely and stared at her.

    "You... said so yesterday, didn''t you? ''If you want your serpent, I shall summon it in exchange for the pain of childbirth'' or something to that effect."

    "Yes. If you wish, I can lend you my wisdom and power."

    In the Old Testament of the Bible, the serpent had tempted Eve to eat the apple¡ª

    Hinokagutsuchi''s diabolical tone of voice reminded Hal of that scene.

    "The spirit of the imitation that was born for your sake that night... Even now, it still lingers here. It will certainly hurry forth if I were to summon it. However, what follows is the challenge. If the power, the brat''s and mine, were to become depleted, then it is difficult to say whether this imitation can be born in the present world¡ª"

    "A-Are there conditions...?"

    "Yes. Come over here and bring your ear up close."

    The sitting Hinokagutsuchi whispered with her lips by the side of Orihime''s ear, meanwhile displaying charms beyond her apparent age.

    "Eh!?"

    Orihime suddenly cried out with her face turned bright red.

    "O-Of course Haruga-kun must be asked to leave when the time comes, right!?"

    "Do not be silly. If this method is employed to facilitate the new birth, the brat is essential. He must take out the ''child'' from your abdomen."

    "¡ª!?"

    Orihime was holding her breath as though she was about to faint. Let alone her face, even her neck had turned bright red.

    For some reason, Hal could understand why.

    It was a response of embarrassment and shock. Hinokagutsuchi was most likely imparting onto Orihime mad words that resembled sexual harassment. Just as Hal decided to say a few words to reprimand her¡ª

    "Please! L-Let me consider for a while."

    Saying that, Orihime rushed out into the corridor.

    To think she could lose her usual cool¡ªHal turned his gaze to glare intensely at Hinokagutsuchi while chastising her, "Don''t make excessively weird demands from Juujouji, okay?"

    "What are you referring to? To be able to obtain an imitation in exchange for momentary pain, this deal is certainly favorable for the girl. Also, brat¡ª"

    Hinokagutsuchi spoke to Hal.

    "That dragon called Soth apparently intends to seek revenge against you. Invading that whatever Mansion was also for this purpose, yes? That fellow is currently ingesting the blood of the captured imitation."

    "Drinking blood, you say?"

    "For dragonkind, the blood of female dragons or similar lifeforms are akin to a wonder drug with a multitude of uses. Used as a drastic measure, it can temporarily augment their powers. It can also be used as an elixir to cure the heavy injuries you inflicted."

    "..."

    "Although I have no idea whether you intend to enter the fray or not, that girl seems to have resolved herself to fight. Isn''t it only human nature to want to extend a helping hand?"

    Clearly not a human, yet Hinokagutsuchi was talking about "human nature."

    A subtle smile surfaced on her lips as though trying to test Hal''s mettle.

    Damn it. Feeling his sense of oppositional defiance getting provoked, Hal shook his head and decided to forget it.

    This kind of thing did not matter. In comparison, what he ought to care about was the girl who was suffering because of him, as well as the childhood friend who was in danger...

    "Let me ask a question just for reference. How far can that supernatural resilience endure?"

    "What do you mean by how far?"

    "For example, being unaffected even if exposed to a death incantation spread by Soth or something like that."

    Hinokagutsuchi did not answer the question. Instead, she reached for the dust-covered chessboard.

    Picking up the white king, she moved it forward by one square. The square was occupied by the black queen. Putting down the king piece, she picked up the queen instead.

    "Achieving something of that level is not a problem. Probably."

    "That doesn''t count as an answer..."

    "Just as you have discerned, although I am full of wisdom, my disposition can hardly be described as that of an instructor. Besides, I have no obligation to guide you with care and diligence. This is enough."

    Hinokagutsuchi threw something at him.

    Hal caught it reflexively. It was the queen she had just picked up, the most powerful piece in this board game of chess¡ª

    "I don''t suppose you know how chess is played, do you?"

    "All things considered, I consider myself a studious learner at least. I have accumulated a certain level of contemporary knowledge, you know?"

    A dragon''s ghost with a young girl''s appearance but calling herself the devil.

    Was she really centuries or millennia in age? Just as Hal doubted, Orihime returned with her face all red. Then approaching Hal''s chest, she said:

    "Listen carefully, Haruga-kun. What we are going to do next is the same as a medical procedure, got that!?"

    "? What do you mean by that, Juujouji?"

    "The details can wait until we start. In any case, I trust you, Haruga-kun. If you get any indecent thoughts, I will absolutely become disillusioned with you, so be careful!"

    Acting uncharacteristically, Orihime had become very tyrannical.

    This was probably for hiding her embarrassment. Intimidated by her vigor, Hal responded with "O-Okay" in agreement.

    Watching this scene with a teasing gaze, Hinokagutsuchi then whispered quietly, "Then let us depart. Towards the location where all destinies began¡ª"

    Her voice sounded slightly sacred and solemn, unlike the tone of a self-styled devil with a malicious mouth.

 Volume 1, 5 - Akuro-Ou, and the Bow Stars of the Southern Sky

    Volume 1, Chapter 5 - Akuro-Ou, and the Bow Stars of the Southern Sky

    Part 1

    "But Haruga-kun, your preparations turned out to be quite meticulous," commented Orihime from the front passenger seat.

    This prompted Hal to answer "What?" from the driver''s seat.

    Carrying the two of them, the car passed through Ryougoku Bridge''s gate and sped along Yasukuni Street in Old Tokyo. Hal had called Kenjou to borrow his personally owned car.

    "You had this access pass prepared ahead of time even before you decided to go to Old Tokyo, didn''t you? Isn''t it very time consuming to obtain this sort of thing?"

    "Oh... Actually, it''s nothing special."

    It was after Hal and Orihime skipped school and met Hinokagutsuchi at the Haruga residence.

    Picking up the readied car and documents at the Mirokudou that was closed for business in the manager''s absence, the two of them then proceeded directly to Old Tokyo.

    "Forging documents is easy because there''s a replica of the verification stamp and lots of equipment at the SAURU branch we just visited. There are very few people who would want illegal entry into a Concession''s wasteland, so naturally, there are many openings to exploit."

    "So the people of SAURU all operate in a suspicious gray area..."

    Hearing Orihime''s murmuring, Hal retracted his neck.

    After all, Hal was what Hiiragi-san called a "professional treasure hunter." Due to this line of work, he had become acquainted with many people involved with the organized theft of international artwork. As a result, Hal was quite aware of his position in a gray area lying closer to black.

    While they were chatting, the car continued to advance without impediment. The sun was about to set.

    "By the way, about Hinokagutsuchi¡ªKagutsuchi-san..."

    On her own, Orihime had assigned a nickname to the spirit that looked like a young girl.

    Even when facing something non-human, Orihime''s special ability of rapidly getting acquainted still seemed to be intact.

    "Why does she want to help me and you, Haruga-kun?"

    "You should ask her directly. But don''t expect her to give a serious answer."

    (Oh my oh my, you refuse to believe that I am offering assistance out of noble-minded benevolence?)

    Hinokagutsuchi''s voice suddenly interjected into the conversation.

    "After all, there are too many suspicious things about you... I probably would have ignored you if it wasn''t a crisis of life and death."

    Hal''s grumbling elicited laughter of mockery from Hinokagutsuchi.

    (Fufufufu, don''t say it like that. I will be secretly watching over you at least, until the day you die out there in a ditch somewhere.)

    "Rather than a guardian angel who only watches, I''d prefer a numinous spirit that prevents me from dying out in the wild..."

    Soon after, the car arrived near the destination.

    The place where Hal had rolled in pain all over the floor¡ªTokyo Station.

    Hal and Orihime entered the station through the Marunouchi entrance.

    It was the place where Soth had fought against Hinokagutsuchi''s remains last time.

    The dome-shaped ceiling of duralumin towered majestically above, still retaining a style befitting what used to be the entrance of a major terminal station.

    Although there was no illumination, the interior of the station was still relatively bright.

    Light from outside was streaming in due to the damage Soth had inflicted upon the walls using his massive body and powerful strength.

    "My remains only collapsed and scattered not too long ago. Right now, just by gathering the remnants of my power lingering here, it is enough to carry out the birth ritual."

    Materializing, Hinokagutsuchi spoke softly in a solemn tone of voice.

    In the next instant, Hal felt an intense chill down his spine. He could feel a massive amount of magical power flowing here from the depths of the station¡ªflowing towards the vicinity of the girl who called herself the devil.

    This magical power was so dense that it was frightening, even to the point that it felt like one could touch it by hand.

    "W-What is this feeling...?"

    Orihime also felt quite unsettled. As expected of a witch candidate, she was quite sensitive towards magic.

    On the other hand, Hinokagutsuchi nostalgically looked around the space that was overflowing with magical power like miasma.

    "I seem to recall that the imitation created by contemporary humans is called a leviathan? Using that kind of spell to revive it is not a bad idea, but there is a flaw."

    Smiling mysteriously, Hinokagutsuchi proceeded to explain tirelessly.

    Orange sunlight shone into the station. The sun was apparently starting to set.

    "Using contemporary methods, the connection between the ''serpent'' and the sacrifice''s priestess is not strong. Once the priestess falls into darkness and strays from the proper path, she becomes unable to draw out any significant power. That is insufficient. Furthermore, it is a principle of nature that the sacred light of the priestess can be used to bring the demonic ''serpent'' closer to divinity..."

    Compared to the age of myths and ancient times, modern humans'' disposition towards magic was rather dismal.

    Hal recalled what his father had said in the past.

    "This time, I shall edify the two of you on ancient ways¡ªCome, O wandering spirit of the young serpent, the priestess whom you ought to follow is here. Make haste and heed the queen''s summons."

    Mid-sentence, Hinokagutsuchi''s voice turned into a shout. Then immediately¡ª

    A "shadow" started occupying a spot in the station where the setting sun''s rays did not reach.

    It was the silhouette of a giant beast. The outline resembled that of a quadrupedal mammal. Overall, it looked quite slender and seemed to be carrying something huge on its back.

    "Isn''t this the shadow of the ''serpent'' which Asya-san summoned on that night...?"

    "I can''t believe it got called here so easily..."

    Hinokagutsuchi instantly said to the surprised Orihime and Hal, "Very well, it is finally time to begin the final stage. Brat, hold the divine artifact. Girl, hurry and strip."

    " "......" "

    Hal and Orihime fell silent simultaneously. Regarding the "ritual" that was about to take place, they had already heard the explanation during the car trip. Although they had already acquired full understanding of the procedure, whether they were mentally prepared for it or not was a separate matter...

    Orihime fidgeted awkwardly, hesitating for quite a while before suddenly turning to stare at Hal shyly.

    "U-Umm, Haruga-kun, just like you promised, do not look until it starts. Otherwise, I will probably hate you for a lifetime. Before I say ready, you must keep facing the other way!"

    "I-I got it."

    Hal frantically shifted his gaze away from Orihime and turned his head to the side.

    After a while, he could hear the sound of friction from the fabric of clothing. Then there was the sound of light fabric sliding to the ground. She was undressing.

    In order to let the entire body feel and accept the spiritual energy of the "serpent," all unnecessary clothing was probably removed¡ª

    This was what Hinokagutsuchi called the "necessary reason."

    "Hmm. I knew it... Just as I predicted. O priestess, your physical maturation is excellent."

    "K-Kagutsuchi-san, don''t suddenly say such strange things!"

    "Why are you angry? I am praising you earnestly and sincerely. Fufufu, feeding from those spectacular breasts, your babies will undoubtedly grow up healthy and strong. That waist is also the narrow type, my favorite... Yet such a voluptuous posterior... Bearing any number of children will not be a problem like this. Yes."

    "Hold on, this must be sexual harassment! Kagutsuchi-san, there''s a boy listening on the side!"

    "Fufu. Even if you protest against whatever sexual harassment, I have totally no idea what the term means."

    Despite boasting of being a diligent learner and even knowing what chess was, she feigned ignorance, only intent on teasing others.

    As much as he sympathized with Orihime, Hal remained indecisive whether he should cover up his ears. To be honest, his curiosity was extremely piqued, overwhelming him with the desire to transform his entire body into ears to listen carefully.

    "Very well, this level of undressing is sufficient. Turn your head here, brat¡ª"

    "Not yet! I still haven''t prepared myself. Ooh, this level of exposure is similar to a swimsuit''s, relax, relax... Haruga-kun, y-you may look this way now..."

    Having obtained permission, Hal slowly turned his head over.

    The setting sun''s orange rays were shining into the ruins. A maiden with a wonderful figure was currently standing there, instilling in the viewer an irrepressible urge to call her a goddess of beauty. Naturally, she was Orihime.

    Even covered by underwear, her glamorous physique could still be seen clearly.

    In this state of undress, Orihime was standing there frozen in embarrassment.

    She still had her uniform shirt hanging on her shoulders, but it was draped like a cape without any of the buttons fastened. Hence, if anything, the shirt had almost no effect in reducing the nudity level, instead contributing to a slight element of atypical seductiveness.

    Hal almost gave in to the urge to lean forward suddenly. He frantically restrained himself.

    However, Orihime had already seen through the thoughts in his heart.

    "Haruga-kun... Although you are making a serious face, aren''t your eyes glimmering subtly?"

    "No, well¡ªI am a healthy high school boy, after all."

    "S-Shouldn''t you attempt to lie in this kind of situation, even if just going through the motions!?"

    "Hmm, these scraps of fabric might possibly get in the way... O priestess, remove them¡ª"

    "I''m not going to strip, Kagutsuchi-san! I absolutely won''t strip!"

    After a commotion took place...

    Under Hinokagutsuchi''s directions, Orihime obediently lay down with great reluctance.

    In the end, lying in front of Hal was a beautiful girl of the same age with an uncommonly outstanding figure.

    With her left knee raised, Orihime was peering at Hal''s expression. At the same time, her cheeks were scarlet from embarrassment.

    Her bust, very well developed despite her young age of fifteen, was bulging up firmly despite her lying down position. One could feel a kind of tender bursting tension.

    Perhaps¡ªNo, undoubtedly they must be F-cups...

    Hal''s speculation turned into certainty.

    "H-Haruga-kun!? You were just nodding very seriously. You wouldn''t be thinking of something weird by any chance, right!?"

    "Juujouji, I''m sure you should have noticed by now. Despite appearances, I am actually a closet perv¡ª"

    "I don''t want to listen. I already understand fully that you''re a boy, Haruga-kun, so please stop saying things that will make others embarrassed~~!"

    While arguing with Orihime, Hal did not forget to start working dutifully at the same time.

    Held in his left hand was the white copper mirror¡ªthe Grave Good or magical apparatus for enshrined object emulation¡ªthat had caught Soth''s eye.

    It was the divine artifact with historical roots, to be used as the newborn leviathan''s Heartmetal, and was brought by Orihime.

    As soon as the mirror was taken out, the "shadow" in the depths of station instantly shook.

    The leviathan spirit born for Orihime''s sake¡ªthe quadrupedal beast''s silhouette¡ªwas overjoyed to find the divine artifact for it to possess.

    Then Hinokagutsuchi''s delicate hand reached out to touch the mirror of white copper.

    Instantly, the mirror in Hal''s hand began to burn, enveloped in scarlet flames.

    Seeing the mirror burning, Orihime went through a violent shudder while waiting out front. Knowing what was to come in the procedure, she was probably afraid.

    But after drawing in a deep breath, she looked up at Hal with moistened eyes and said, "Y-You may put it in, Haruga-kun... Please..."

    Her voice trembled slightly but carried firm resolution.

    Hal moved the burning mirror towards Orihime''s pale abdomen. Her tight and slender waist was very seductive.

    Together with his left hand, Hal inserted the mirror into her belly.

    "¡ªHoo."

    Orihime''s beautiful face became contorted, displaying an expression of pain. Surely it was very painful.

    Hal recalled the pain he had experienced last time at this same venue. Instantly, he wanted to withdraw his left hand and take out the mirror.

    Although it was unknown whether she had sensed his movement, Orihime reached out and grabbed Hal''s right hand.

    "Don''t worry. I''m okay, so persist until the very end... Haruga-kun."

    "Juujouji!"

    Orihime''s delicate hand was gripping Hal''s right hand with astounding strength.

    She was probably trying to endure the pain in desperation. By the time he noticed, Orihime was covered in sweat, her entire body drenched, glimmering under the red rays of the setting sun.

    She was panting and had hollow eyes out of focus.

    Her grip on Hal''s right hand gradually weakened but her breathing began to slow down. It looked like she was growing accustomed to the pain.

    With glazed eyes, Orihime looked up at Hal.

    Hal nodded at her. Although she was still suffering, Orihime smiled bravely.

    Then¡ª

    The white copper mirror, which Hal had inserted into Orihime''s abdomen, changed in form. The object grasped in his left hand felt completely different from before.

    Hal immediately withdrew his left hand.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Orihime screamed loudly¡ªBut this was supposed to be the last sensation of pain.

    Seeing the object he had taken out with his left hand, Hal nodded. The white copper mirror had transformed completely, turned into a white metallic sphere.

    Despite being only palm-sized, it was quite heavy.

    Altering in shape and properties while within Orihime''s body, it had transformed into the leviathan''s core, the Heartmetal.

    Then the metallic sphere floated up into the air on its own and was gradually absorbed into the quadrupedal beast''s shadow.

    In the next instant, the shadow acquired material form.

    The quadrupedal beast was canid in appearance but impossible to categorize further as either a wolf or a fox. Its massive body was covered entirely in white fur, but under the illumination of light, there was a crimson glow released as well.

    Furthermore, there were nine tails.

    Nine long and thick tails sprouted from the body. Wriggling independently as though they had their own wills, the tails moved like serpents.

    Carrying nine serpentine tails, a vulpine-lupine leviathan.

    This was Orihime''s partner.

    "Are you willing to fight alongside me...?"

    Despite her disheveled state of attire, Orihime got up unsteadily.

    The newly born "serpent" cried out. It was the sound of a puppy begging for the owner''s attention.

    The giant fox-wolf''s affectionate behavior caused Orihime''s lips to smile naturally.

    "Fufu... You must name this little one. O priestess, have you any ideas?"

    Perhaps feeling satisfied by the result, Hinokagutsuchi was smiling.

    "Umm, I can''t think of one on the spot... But I''d prefer a cooler name. This child seems to be a cool beauty, so I think that kind of name would suit her better."

    "A beauty huh... Well, I guess I can''t disagree."

    Hal nodded while agreeing with Orihime and gazing up at the majestic appearance of the "serpent."

    The fox-wolf''s demeanor was proper and dignified, looking very pretty. Indeed, among specimens of this type of beast, she could be considered a "beauty" perhaps.

    Praised so strongly by the girl who was her covenantee, the white beast raised her head proudly, her solemn face brightening up.

    Part 2

    ''In the early hours before dawn, the JMSDF exterminated a group of Raptors.

    ''But one of them escaped at the time and allegedly went north from Tokyo Bay to apparently lurk in the vicinity of Shin-Kiba. Currently, an evacuation order has been issued to the surrounding area¡ª''

    This was publicly announced not long after Soth''s occupation of the Mansion was confirmed.

    Due to the "rule" of concealing information regarding elite dragons as much as possible, New Town''s administration had fabricated this cover story.

    Thanks to that, Shin-Kiba''s redevelopment zone became deserted.

    The sun had already set and the night sky was black.

    Asya was driving a military jeep, heading to the Mansion alone.

    Soth''s curse had spread throughout this area. Commoners would simply die for nothing if they stepped foot into here because they were not witches.

    Hence, Asya had no choice but to take action alone.

    The situation at hand was anxiety inducing. Originally, the plan was to gather all of the few witch-"serpent" pairs in Japan to assemble a team to battle Soth.

    Unlike Europe, where the Black Lightning Emperor lurked, or the relatively nearer North America, which was under Red Hannibal''s rule, witch-related personnel in Japan had not developed a sense of crisis awareness against elite dragons.

    "Were there just a little more time, we could get people from overseas..."

    Asya stopped the car and went outside. The air was frighteningly cold.

    The cold felt like it would freeze one to the very bones. This was not due to chilling wind but being surrounded by a "Death Curse."

    "Rushalka, I''m counting on you," said Asya lightly.

    No sooner had she spoken, faint blue light instantly enveloped her body.

    She had asked her partner to strengthen the power protecting her. This isolated her completely from the curse, to the point that even the coldness in the air could not be felt.

    The sea was nearby.

    Asya walked along the shore that was protected by tetrapod breakwaters.

    A mini-Monolith stood in one corner of the reclaimed land that was reportedly used as a landfill in the past. The leviathan, Minadzuki, was still coiled around it.

    But the originally transparent and colorless triangular prism was now bright red like fresh blood¡ª

    Dressed in a hooded robe, a half-man half-dragon was waiting next to the mini-Monolith.

    Interested parties had tentatively named this form "Draconian." This was probably the form taken by Soth. Asya knew Soth was waiting here because she had heard his call.

    "My apologies for calling you here suddenly, girl of the mortal race," the Draconian said.

    As expected, it was Soth''s voice.

    Two hours prior, a voice had reportedly reached the MPD urban rescue force patrolling the immediate vicinity outside the Death Curse and issued an announcement.

    ''I wish to meet all of your priestesses immediately. If I fail to meet them, I shall descend upon your city at the stroke of dawn to indulge my joy of playing with fire.''

    This was why Asya had made her way to face off against Soth without waiting for backup.

    "You''re welcome. Thanks to you, I was able to personally witness this particular appearance from one of your kind. This is actually my first time seeing an elite dragon away from the front lines."

    "Elite... Is that what humans call one of the Zizou such as I?"

    Due to Soth''s strange reptilian face, it was impossible to tell whether he was smiling or not.

    However, there was clearly an element of mirth in his staid voice.

    "This is nothing much. I am simply taking this rare chance to make a display of the magic I learned out of boredom a long time ago."

    "Frankly speaking, I think it''d be better if you made yourself even more like surface dwellers¡ªmore like humans. Given the magic of your kind, turning completely human should be quite easy."

    "Of course it is possible, but pray forgive me for noncompliance."

    Despite Soth''s polite choice of words, his attitude was quite arrogant.

    "Dragons pride themselves on eschewing primate form in the first place. Although there exist hybrids as exceptions... At least, it is not the style of I, Raak Al Soth."

    "By the way, may I ask why you wanted to see me?" said Asya while smiling fearlessly.

    Elite dragons were very strong. Soth''s combat power was undoubtedly above that of Rushalka and hers. Even so, Asya still smiled. This was to apply self-suggestion of "victory is mine."

    If she admitted defeat in her heart, that would mean the battle had ended before it even started!

    "I basically interpret it as receiving a letter of challenge..."

    "That would not be wrong. But allow me to elaborate further."

    But with leisure and composure, Soth evaded the fighting spirit displayed by Asya.

    "Rather than fighting you, I am currently facing an even more meaningful challenge. For this purpose, I must build up my energy. Hence, the imitation summoned by you shall serve to lend me some blood."

    "That Monolith-like object¡ªIs that your ''power'' too?"

    "Fufufu, you shall understand immediately. Putting that aside, I shall first enjoy the pleasure of battle!"

    Soth''s robe suddenly exploded.

    A xenomorph suddenly appeared. Despite a humanoid shape, the entire body was covered in dragon scales the color of bronze with a small pair of dorsal wings and a short tail attached to the lower back.

    Soth instantly turned from his Draconian form to a gigantic being within the blink of an eye.

    The two wings became large, majestic and ominous while the tail extended in length¡ªWithin the brief duration of ten-odd seconds, Soth had rapidly turned back into a giant bronze dragon.

    However, Asya noticed something.

    The scales covering Soth''s entire body were severely blackened. A pitiful sight to behold.

    It was as though the scales had lost their luster after being scorched by super-high temperature flames.

    "Imitations they may be, but they do closely resemble female dragons of my race. With your blood, my stone tower will be able to acquire enough splendor. I offer you my thanks for this!"

    Soth reached for Minadzuki that was coiled around the blood-red mini-Monolith and violently pulled off the unconscious serpentine dragon''s giant body, tossing the leviathan away casually.

    Then Soth breathed fire at the blood-red mini-Monolith.

    "O blood of a female dragon''s, accomplish my revival!"

    Bathed in dragon flames, the mini-Monolith exploded. The blast engulfed Soth''s massive body as well.

    "Gooooooooooooh!"

    Devoured by the fiery explosion, Soth roared in pain.

    However, the black scorch marks disappeared from his giant body within the blink of an eye and the metallic luster of bronze was gradually restored. His wounds were healed!

    "You imprisoned a leviathan for the purpose of this magic?"

    "Indeed. I shall also drink blood from your summoned imitation as my nourishment!" yelled Soth in the face of the surprised Asya.

    A long metallic rod suddenly appeared in his right hand. Elite dragons were not mere beasts. Like humans, they were capable of using dexterous hands to wield tools.

    Reportedly, they especially loved to use "magic wands" as aids in controlling magic.

    Furthermore, Soth''s wand was no ordinary metallic rod. It was a polearm with a blade affixed to one end of the shaft¡ªIn other words, a "spear."

    Asya looked up resolutely and chanted a song of summoning.

    "I pray to the ancient divine seal of purity! Send the transient blue dragon to the ground!"

    Blue Rushalka instantly materialized in the night sky.

    She was the leviathan in wyvern form, lacking the front limbs corresponding to arms.

    "Rushalka, this might be the final time... Fight by my side!"

    Kyuahhhhhhhhh!

    Rushalka roared in response to Asya''s orders.

    Starting the battle, Soth flew towards Rushalka, wielding the "spear" in one hand.

    At the same time, he launched an attack at Asya to pin her down. Soth cast a glance of magic at the ground, the Evil Eye, a technique allowing magic to be cast with just a look!

    Asya instantly jumped back.

    A small explosion instantly occurred at her former location.

    Soth had mischievously delivered a diversionary attack but Asya evaded by jumping back a number of meters with feline movements. This was possible thanks to swiftly casting Leaping Power Enhancement on herself to augment her physical abilities.

    Since Haruomi and Orihime were not present this night, Asya did not have to worry about needing to use Rushalka as a shield.

    "Let''s make our move too. Full force at maximum speed!" commanded Asya swiftly.

    There was nothing to hold her back anymore.

    Now was the time for a quick and decisive battle with no holds barred¡ªPrepared for a last stand, Asya and Rushalka were at peak morale.

    This was more than mere idealism because in the world of magic, powerful magic could only arise from strong willpower and conviction!

    "Rushalka! Focus your pseudo-divinity on long-range attacks. Fire!"

    The wyvern spread her wings wide and soared through the sky.

    A magic circle appeared in front of her. The pattern of a pentagram was traced inside the circle, its blue light depicting the ancient seal of purification in the night sky.

    A moment later, a large volume of water poured out from the center of the magic circle like a torrential flow.

    Eight torrents shaped themselves into serpentine heads with gaping jaws lined with teeth.

    In the previous battle, Rushalka had used a large volume of water to make a two-headed serpent. This time, there were eight multi-headed serpents. The eight water serpents all flew with astounding speed.

    Then tracing out different trajectories, they attacked Soth with their jaws.

    Rushalka had invoked her pseudo-divinity of Water, turning it into a ranged magical attack of the highest potency.

    "O Secret Runes of Ruruk Soun!"

    Soth chanted briefly, deploying defensive power in an instant.

    Several runes appeared before him, signifying Shield in their arrangement. This was the "magic shield" for defending Raak Al Soth.

    One after another, the giant water serpents pounced at the elite dragon protected by the shield of secret runes.

    It felt like a large waterfall crashing into a plunge pool all at once.

    Every water serpent brought with it a frightening amount of water, pressure and super-high speed.

    Blocking this intense torrent, the runes of the Shield became severely distorted, almost losing to the water pressure and getting washed apart.

    However, Soth pointed the "spear" in his hand at the sky and yelled, "O magic wand, release the beast within me!"

    The magical power surrounding Soth suddenly expanded dramatically.

    At the same time, the runes guarding Soth also glowed white, allowing him to hold his ground motionlessly, rendering the previous scene of almost submitting to the water serpents'' pressure seem like a lie.

    "...I knew it."

    Rushalka''s full-powered attack was blocked, but Asya nodded.

    Since the enemy was elite, this outcome was predictable but Asya still insisted on going head to head with brute force.

    This was for the sake of using strategy and skill to craftily strike at enemy openings after the contest of strength.

    "Rushalka, switch pseudo-divinity to Moon and disappear behind the shadow."

    Asya contained her burgeoning fighting spirit and quietly whispered.

    ¡ª"Pseudo-divinity" referred to the magical affinity of leviathans. Wind pseudo-divinity would allow the use of atmospheric and wind-related spells while Fire pseudo-divinity offered access to flame-type magic. Naturally, Rushalka''s affinity was Water.

    However, "serpents" often developed a second divinity when covenanting with powerful witches.

    Rushalka was the same, holding both pseudo-divinities of Water and Moon as a rare dual-element leviathan.

    Switching to Moon divinity, Asya ordered Rushalka to use a new spell.

    This pseudo-divinity''s base nature was that of faint moonlight, dark nights and disorientation. At Asya''s command, Rushalka''s figure melded into the dark night and vanished.

    "Hmm!?"

    Soth was alarmed to see the enemy disappear.

    At the same time, the eight water serpents finally disappeared along with the last of their momentum. Having fulfilled their job, the defensive runes gradually vanished, leaving Soth alone in the sky.

    In the next instant, Rushalka suddenly appeared behind him.

    Using a mystic technique originating from lunar divinity to erase her appearance and presence, Rushalka successfully teleported from darkness to darkness¡ª

    Soth had apparently focused too much on the grand contest of strength, thus exposing an opening. While he was reacting a moment too slow, Asya gave permission to attack.

    "Rushalka! Bite and sever Soth''s throat!"

    Kyuahhhhhhhh!

    The blue wyvern roared and extended her neck to attack Soth.

    Only then did Soth turn his head with a "Hmm!" and sweep his "spear" horizontally in an attempt to intercept. However, Rushalka dodged skillfully to approach his chest, finally biting the elite dragon''s body. But due to evading the "spear," her aim deviated slightly.

    Rushalka''s sharp teeth sank into Soth''s left shoulder.

    But this was not a problem. So long as the shoulder was ripped off together with the left arm and chest, a severe injury would be inflicted.

    "Laser Breath!"

    At Asya''s directions, a blue-white glow emerged from Rushalka''s mouth.

    The Fire Breath of dragons had incinerated many human cities. Leviathans, too, were able to discharge similar kinds of attacks from their mouths. However, such attacks required a cooldown of roughly ten minutes between consecutive shots.

    Hence, Asya wanted to pour attack power into the enemy''s body without reserve.

    The instant she saw her partner bite Soth''s left shoulder, she ordered the attack.

    "Ohhhhhhhh!?"

    Struck by the blue-white heat beam at zero range, Soth screamed.

    Rushalka instantly released her jaws and pulled back from her target, flying away nimbly.

    A large v-shape was gouged out from Soth''s left shoulder to his chest with mercury-colored blood spurting from the wound.

    Not a critical wound but quite a severe blow at least¡ªbut Soth scoffed and sneered.

    "A splendid job considering your wounded state. Looks like I have no need to show mercy!"

    Right now, Soth''s left shoulder was gouged open but the left arm remained barely attached to his body.

    Using just his right forearm, he swung the "spear."

    "O winged lizards of Jabones, hasten forth to become my sword and my scales of steel!"

    He summoned Raptors¡ªlesser dragons.

    Dozens of lights descended the overhead starry sky like a meteor shower.

    The swarm of Raptors numbered thirty, all flying dragons of a familiar bronze color. The individual strength of Raptors was nothing special, but if one had to handle this many of them while fighting Soth at the same time¡ª

    Furthermore, two of the Raptors had separated from the group to fly rapidly towards Rushalka!

    At this moment, Asya heard a familiar voice issue orders.

    "Akuro-Ou! Eliminate all of them!"

    Asya involuntarily cast her gaze in that direction¡ªAs expected, it was Juujouji Orihime. Dressed in the uniform of the same high school as Haruomi, she was currently charging here.

    Appearing behind her, an infinity symbol was materializing, turning into a quadrupedal beast¡ª

    Before Asya''s eyes, the white-furred vulpine-lupine leviathan manifested. On her back were nine tails resembling great serpents.

    The white nine-tailed fox-wolf responded to her summoner''s orders and jumped high into the air.

    Moving her limbs casually, she started soaring with just a light kick against the ground.

    No longer moving her legs, the flying fox-wolf moved through the air in a straight line like a speeding comet.

    Its flight was powerful and rapid beyond compare. The white fox-wolf rushed over to Rushalka''s side in less than ten seconds, intercepting the two flying Raptors.

    In the next instant, two of the tails on the fox-wolf''s back suddenly moved.

    The long and thick tails reached towards the Raptors.

    Then the ends of the tails struck the lesser dragons in the face like whips, sweeping them away.

    Asya realized that those nine tails were weapons!

    Upon closer examination, each tail had black fur on the end, with symbols resembling Sanskrit glowing mysteriously at the very tip.

    The nine tails apparently served as the white fox-wolf''s "horn counterpart."

    Struck by the tails, both Raptors'' necks were broken and bent.

    Apparently killed, the two winged lizards turned into stone and crashed down.

    "Hoh¡ª" muttered Soth in the air upon seeing the arrival of an unexpected enemy.

    Asya was also staring at Orihime with surprise all over her face. Bringing about the birth of Orihime''s "serpent" was supposed to take much more time, but... Why?

    "Looks like I made it in the nick of time. Reinforcements are here, Asya-san!"

    Meanwhile, Juujouji Orihime was speaking with her naturally cheerful personality.

    Part 3

    In the sky above the Shin-Kiba redevelopment zone¡ª

    Under Soth''s command, there were close to thirty Raptors gathered like a flock of birds.

    In contrast, Asya and Orihime only had two "serpents."

    Rushalka spread her wings wide whereas the wingless fox-wolf hovered lightly through the air using her own peculiar flying powers, thus the two leviathans stood on guard over the witches'' heads.

    Asya said to the junior witch who had arrived by her side, "Akuro-Ou... Is that her name?"

    "Yes. We thought up a number of candidate names together and finally decided on the coolest sounding one."

    Orihime showed great liveliness in voice and expression and was quite composed as well.

    Of course, she also seemed a little nervous with a slightly stiff expression. But for her first time fighting, this was composure beyond normal standards. Where did her calmness come from?

    "Fighting... is probably okay. Although I''m not too sure what to do exactly, that child¡ªAkuro-Ou¡ªwill protect me and she even told me to leave everything to her."

    "But that ''serpent'' is just a newborn!?"

    Asya was shocked after hearing her junior''s report but understood at the same time.

    The protection of a "serpent" was able to defend a witch from fear and uncertainty to a certain extent. However, Orihime should have no more than one day''s experience. Receiving this much protection from a "serpent" required Level 3 power¡ª

    Asya chuckled and decided to forget about this question.

    The most important thing now was simply the arrival of apparently dependable reinforcements.

    "No time to lose. I''m counting on you. Is that okay?"

    "Yes. This is my first time so I don''t know how much I can help... But no matter what, please do not hold back with directions. I will do my best!"

    Orihime voiced her worries honestly but also expressed optimistic sincerity and fervor.

    Hearing an Orihime-style response of honesty, Asya nodded and gave directions.

    "If possible, please awaken the pseudo-divinity of the ''serpent'' to clear out the Raptors. If that''s beyond you, allow my Rushalka to¡ª"

    "No, it''s not a problem. Akuro-Ou is currently all pumped up!"

    Staring at the group of Raptors in the air, the two girls discussed.

    Asya readily gave a great nod. Orihime had apparently succeeded in synchronizing with her "serpent" to establish a deep emotional bond of partnership.

    Next¡ª

    The tips of Akuro-Ou''s nine serpentine tails suddenly started to light on fire.

    A fireball suddenly appeared at the tip of each tail. The blazing flames of red¡ªUnmistakable. Akuro-Ou was a leviathan possessing the pseudo-divinity of Fire!

    In the next instant, the nine fireballs suddenly expanded.

    Each mass of flame had grown to roughly the same size as Akuro-Ou before flying towards the dozens of Raptors.

    They were as fast as shooting stars.

    Like trains smashing little lambs that had accidentally wandered onto railways, the nine fireballs advanced, crushing the Raptors in their path.

    The crushed Raptors instantly combusted all over, enveloped in flames.

    Then burning, they turned into stone and crashed towards the ground.

    Those Raptors were all dead. Not satisfied with killing a single Raptor each, the fireballs continued flying in search of their next prey. Displaying the properties of speed, power and auto-homing, this magical attack was perfect beyond impeccable.

    Witnessing the scene, Asya said to her partner, "Rushalka! Of course, our opponent is¡ª!"

    Kyuahhhhhhhhh!

    The blue wyvern responded to Asya''s call and started to soar.

    Her target was Raak Al Soth, of course. The bronze dragon opened his reptilian mouth and recited an incantation.

    "O Secret Runes of Ruruk Soun, present the arrangement of scorching heat!"

    Hence, an arrangement of runes representing Fire appeared over Soth''s head.

    This was magic for increasing the power of flames, but Asya and Rushalka were already prepared.

    "Rushalka, switch pseudo-divinity to Water!"

    This was Asya''s third time to order her partner to use magic tonight.

    Things resembling gray dust kept flaking off from the blue wyvern''s body.

    The breakdown of her body still persisted. Making Rushalka use magic would speed up the collapse, but even so, Asya had no choice!

    "Turn yourself into holy water!"

    "O imitation, burn to cinders!"

    Rushalka''s massive body turned faint blue. Then the instant this blue color turned even fainter, becoming as transparent as pure water, Soth breathed out blue-white flames.

    The firepower was on a completely different level compared to the previous night''s¡ª

    Even Rushalka would not be able to survive a direct hit.

    But this time, Rushalka received almost no damage despite taking on the conflagration head on. At most, only a slight portion of her body was vaporized into steam.

    "Hmm!?"

    Soth muttered then immediately stabbed with his "spear."

    This attack also struck Rushalka. The spear''s tip penetrated deeply at the location of the heart, but Rushalka still remained completely unharmed.

    This was because Rushalka''s body had already turned into holy water by the time Soth struck her.

    Through the Blessing of Holy Water, the body of the "serpent," composed of scales, flesh and bone, had transmuted into a liquid mass possessing Rushalka''s outline.

    This was no ordinary liquid but holy water capable of extinguishing evil dragon flames¡ª

    Simply stated, Soth''s attack had simply plunged the "spear" into water.

    No matter how great the force, water would not be destroyed by such an attack.

    Once in the form of holy water, Rushalka would not suffer any damage even if Raptors interfered in her duel with Soth. She could simply ignore them.

    Also, turning into water did not mean she was unable to attack.

    "Rushalka!"

    Following Asya''s order, Rushalka instantly accelerated.

    Still maintaining her holy water form, she pounced at Soth. This was a colliding attack using her body. Using such a large volume of water to strike at super-high speed, the water pressure would be quite powerful.

    "Guoh!?"

    Unable to invoke the Shield in time as previously, Soth suffered a direct hit and reeled back greatly.

    However, this did not seem to have inflicted too much damage. The dragon said nonchalantly, "Fufufufu, you fight quite well for a body on death''s door..."

    Soth glared viciously at Rushalka who was now transparent after turning into holy water.

    Then he swung the "spear" lightly with a whoosh. He already knew that the "spear" was useless as a weapon but used in its original purpose¡ªas a magic wand¡ªthat was a separate matter.

    "O Secret Runes of Ruruk Soun, claim the invisible hand!"

    Five runes appeared above Soth''s head and gave off blue light.

    This arrangement of symbols were the runes for Telekinesis. Next, the "spear" in Soth''s hand released a telekinetic pulse from its tip, surging towards Rushalka like a ripple!

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhh!?

    Rushalka was instantly surprised. Having turned liquid, she was not supposed to be affected by physical attacks.

    However, a mysterious attractive force was now trying to pull Rushalka''s massive body towards Soth! That was why the "serpent" cried out.

    "Rushalka!"

    Asya instantly issued a command, ordering her partner to accelerate in flight¡ª

    Hence, the blue wyvern started to fly in a different direction, still in her holy water state, with speed incomparably faster than before. Like water flowing from a ruptured dam, Rushalka flew.

    Fortunately, Asya''s partner escaped the telekinetic pulse and regained her freedom.

    However, how long could she elude capture?

    The runes of Telekinesis continued to flash and glow above Soth''s head.

    Asya was a Level 5 witch, meaning she could invoke pseudo-divinity five times a day. This usage counter was not going to reset until the following night''s arrival.

    She had used divinity thrice tonight already. As the covenantee, Asya felt a premonition.

    Most likely, during the instant when she used it for the fourth or fifth time, the collapse of Rushalka''s body was going to accelerate all at once, resulting in sudden death.

    The trump card equivalent to the value of her partner''s life¡ªShe must absolutely use it at the right moment.

    The true critical moment was coming up next. Asya took a deep breath.

    Meanwhile, retracing time a little further back¡ª

    Hal and Orihime were traveling by car from the Old Tokyo Concession to the vicinity of Shin-Kiba. As a member of SAURU, he was able to pass without any questioning from traffic restrictions. In the distant sky, Rushalka had finally started the battle against Soth.

    Then Hal watched as Orihime hurried over to Asya.

    (That girl has Akuro-Ou following her. At the risk of sounding like I am praising my own handiwork, the little one is amazing and will not let the priestess die so easily.)

    "Even if you say that, I don''t really feel it..." replied Hal to Hinokagutsuchi who was simply whispering without showing herself.

    As a side note, the name of "Akuro-Ou" was one of the suggestions offered by the dragon ghost.

    "By the way, is it really okay for an unfriendly guardian angel like you to be here, making irresponsible comments? But if you really want to help, I don''t mind if you serve as a volunteer."

    (Do not be ridiculous. Compared to taking care of others, I love myself more.)

    "What a great answer, simple and easy to understand. I''ll do as I see fit next."

    Hinokagutsuchi seemed to behave diligently only during "deals."

    Since this type of selfish mindset seemed to fit her style more, Hal could not help but nod.

    (But brat... If assistance were required, you could have taken the opportunity to persuade the priestess to become a vassal when you were parting ways earlier, yes?)

    "Persuade...?"

    (Yes. Or do you mean to say you have not noticed?)

    Hal frowned. This self-styled devil was talking in riddles again...

    (Fufu. After all, you did witness the instant when such massive magical power was employed for a serpent''s birth. To you, this might have been excellent stimulation.)

    "Cut the crap. If you just want to talk shop, shut up."

    Hal started running. A different direction from Orihime''s.

    Soth''s target was said to be Haruga Haruomi. For this purpose, Soth had used strange magic to create a mini-Monolith and captured Orihime''s cousin and her "serpent."

    Of course, since Hinokagutsuchi was the one who said it, total veracity was as yet unconfirmed.

    Even so, Hal was feeling even more unpleasant than if he had an eel stuck in his throat. Also, if a girl younger than himself were to be sacrificed¡ª

    "Asya and Juujouji are fighting so near here. Who knows if the Mansion might get caught up in the destruction at some point..."

    Slightly turning his gaze towards the other end of the sky, Hal saw Soth and Rushalka''s aerial battle enter his view.

    Rushalka had gone as far as to invoke Moon pseudo-divinity. This was truly all-out war and Hal hoped to rescue the girl inside the Mansion before anything unpredictable happened.

    Even if he could not fight Soth, this was something he had to accomplish at least¡ª

    Finally reaching the Mansion''s entrance, Hal exhaled greatly.

    "I managed to survive..."

    Relief, resignation, surprise. These emotions were mixed in his sighing.

    On the way here just now, the air within roughly a kilometer of the Mansion felt extremely cold. His skin also stung as though pricked by needles.

    Even though it was clearly spring, it felt as chilly as midwinter in a cold region because of entering the Death Curse''s area of effect. Also from time to time, he discovered the cold corpses of SDF and police related personnel.

    Nevertheless, Hal still managed to reach the Mansion safely.

    Just as the severe chill felt unbearable and he was convinced that he was destined to become a frozen corpse on the roadside, Hal gritted his teeth and thought, How could I possibly die here just like that?

    Then he immediately stopped feeling the cold air.

    His supernatural resilience(?) had apparently triumphed over the elite dragon''s magic.

    That being said, it was quite a nerve-wracking challenge to sneak into a dangerous place without tangible protection.

    (Sigh, brat. Has anyone ever told you that you are a nice guy to a fault despite your twisted personality? Without any guarantee of safety, why do you need to go so far to rescue this girl whom you have never met before¡ª)

    "Quiet, just shut up..."

    (Fufu, do know that I am praising you. Men need to be a little idiotic in order to be adorable.)

    The girl who called herself the devil was chuckling while exaggerating things on purpose.

    Hal did have some self-awareness of how misfortune gravitated towards him. Frowning, he entered the Mansion.

    Walking inside the building, he took out his pocket watch.

    Not his father''s memento but another Clockwork Mage.

    Hal performed Heat Sensing magic. With the magic of death occupying the indoor environment, objects exceeding a certain temperature were limited. Living humans like Hal, for example.

    Holding the chain, he dangled the pocket watch from his hand, advancing through the building in this manner.

    There was no reaction on the first and second floors. When he reached the third floor, the watch began to swing nonstop.

    It oscillated particularly intensely in front of a certain door. Something with an elevated temperature was apparently inside.

    Hal reached for the door handle¡ªThe door was not locked. He opened the door.

    Inside was a bedroom with a bed, a table and a closet. All household items were expensive without exception. The room was clean without a speck of dust and organized with immaculate attention to detail. For someone like Hal, staying in this kind of room actually felt uncomfortable instead.

    This was most likely the personal room belonging to the witch in charge of this Mansion.

    Hal made his deduction based on the room''s expensive tastes. Then he subconsciously looked at the bed¡ªAnd jumped in surprise.

    "She''s really a girl who''s like an angel..."

    The beautiful girl was so pure and adorable that one could almost mistake her for an angel.

    The witch, whose photo Orihime had shown Hal, was lying asleep on the bed.

    Part 4

    The girl was making light breathing noises through her nose. Hal recalled that her name was something like Shirasaka Hazumi.

    She was wearing the uniform of Kogetsu Academy''s middle school division. Even when Hal was standing next to the pillow, she still showed no signs of waking up. Hal tried to shake her shoulders hard but there was no response at all.

    "Asleep... No, hypnotized?"

    Soth had probably cast sleeping magic on her.

    Deducing that, Hal reached into his waist bag to search among his "tools of the trade." He planned to confirm the situation by putting on a monocle to obtain magical sight¡ª

    However, he stopped before he took it out.

    Shirasaka Hazumi was asleep, lying face up. Her entire body was enveloped in faint white light.

    This was the glow of magic. Clearly he did not see it earlier, but now he was suddenly able to see the light.

    "Magical sight manifested because I wanted to see...?"

    There were apparently more secrets to his special constitution. Hal muttered with heartfelt emotion.

    "But carrying Sleeping Beauty using pure arm strength seems a bit laborious. If only there was a stretcher somewhere."

    The sleeping magic cast by an elite dragon was impossible for someone like Hal to dispel.

    But right now, time was at a premium. Even searching the building would be a waste of time. Besides, the beautiful girl before him was petite in stature and looked quite light. Hence, Hal gave up on the thought but just as he intended to carry her on his back¡ª

    (Why do you believe that you cannot rouse her from slumber?)

    He suddenly heard the whispers of Hinokagutsuchi by his ear.

    (As long as you call out, your voice will surely reach the heart of the priestess¡ªthe girl of the sacrificial serpent.)

    "..."

    Hal could come up with many reasons to refute this baseless proposition.

    However, he found himself wondering "Is that really true?" while beginning to imagine.

    Prompted by Hinokagutsuchi''s reminder, Hal sensed it too. Indeed, this did not seem to be difficult¡ª

    Hal gazed into the girl''s delicate and proper face.

    She was someone who shared her life with a "dragon" or its close relative. In that case, surely she must be able to hear his voice.

    Because for dragonkind, I am¡ªwe are¡ªtheir natural enemy, a tyrant and a hated existence as well as being the target of their fear, loyalty and betrayal.

    Since the girl was listed in the lineage of dragons, there was absolutely no way for her to ignore his call¡ª

    Driven by an inexplicable sense of certainty, Hal reached out lightly to touch the girl''s face. At the same time, he also reached her heart.

    "You... Can you get up?"

    The instant he called out, the girl suddenly opened her eyes. Hal hastily withdrew his hand.

    Just awoken, the witch stared blankly with her sleepy eyes for quite a while. Then she turned her glazed eyes to the male stranger by the bed and froze for ten-odd seconds.

    Then she emitted a brief and sudden scream.

    "Kyah."

    "Umm, I''m not a suspicious person."

    (What are you talking about? You have already sneaked into a young girl''s bedroom and peeked at her unseemly state of slumber...)

    Hinokagutsuchi''s whispers were correct this time.

    But stupid as Hal was to overlook this point until now, he tried his best to put on a harmless look and made an overconfident attempt to pretend to be a "reliable older brother," nodding to the witch who was younger than him.

    Fortunately, the girl¡ªShirasaka Hazumi¡ªcould not hear Hinokagutsuchi''s voice, apparently.

    "O-Okay. Sorry, I screamed too loudly. By the way, why am I here...? I remember going to the courtyard, then... I met a transformed dragon."

    "Yeah, you were captured by an elite dragon named Soth."

    Confronted with Hazumi who seemed to be remembering what happened before she was hypnotized, Hal answered, "I am your cousin Juujouji-san''s... acquaintance. My family name is Haruga."

    "I''ve heard about you."

    After Hal brought up Orihime''s name to reassure her and gain her trust, Hazumi sat up straight in seiza posture.

    She was sitting formally on the bed, gazing at her cousin''s acquaintance. Feeling such an honest gaze, Hal instantly felt a little timid.

    Her eyes were even more vigorous than what the photo showed. Hal felt as though he might get sucked into them involuntarily.

    "I heard that you belong to SAURU and you''re Orihime-neesama''s new friend."

    She brought up the title that Hal had deliberately avoided.

    Hal did not deny it. Somehow, he could not find a reason to deny.

    "Juujouji is busy right now, so I came over to check things out."

    "I understand now... Excuse me, Haruga-san, may I ask you a question?"

    Shirasaka Hazumi seemed like a sheltered classy young lady.

    Her choice of words was very polite but the generous tone of voice made her very approachable.

    "This building should be quite dangerous for ordinary people to enter, but why are you...?"

    The Mansion was still filled with a curse of Death.

    Hal''s magical sight could see this deadly magic swirling in the air as tiny gorgeous silver scales. As a witch, Hazumi should be able to see the same thing.

    However, why was Hal safe and sound? Confronted with this most natural question, Hal replied, "Simply stated, my constitution is a little special."

    "A special constitution!?"

    "But I just don''t have any inclination to use this constitution for secret activities as a masked hero. Since the future is still undecided, I''d like to keep this a secret for now. I''d appreciate it if you could help out with that."

    "Oh..."

    Since he had no intention of explaining in detail and there was no time either, Hal decided to just gloss over things.

    Hazumi tilted her head with an incomprehensible expression but did not question him. Evidently, she was the obedient and reserved type, unlike her cousin.

    Feeling fortunate, Hal was about to end this embarrassing conversation when...

    "I see, so something this unbelievable actually existed..."

    However, Hazumi was murmuring to herself with an impressed expression and kept staring intently at Hal''s face.

    Her gaze was forceful indeed. Perhaps due to a guilty conscience, Hal was unable to avert his eyes. Then Hazumi suddenly chuckled, surprising him.

    "W-What''s wrong?"

    "Oh, nothing much, it''s just that I find this quite interesting. Please do explain in detail next time if you don''t mind. I will be very glad..." said Hazumi with a faint and staid smile.

    Although Orihime was also a girl akin to a "princess," her cousin was no less suited to the same description.

    Hazumi''s generous honesty and distinctive pace made "a princess who grew up in a sheltered boudoir" an apt description of her. Furthermore, her laughter exhibited both cheerfulness and what could be called genuine purity¡ª

    Just as Hal could not help but stare, mesmerized...

    CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

    The sound of rupturing was heard from overhead. An explosion nearby had apparently happened.

    Hal and Hazumi exchanged a glance then went to the balcony together.

    "So many dragons!? And there are two ''serpents''..."

    "Those are the leviathans of Juujouji and Asya¡ªmy friend! They are currently fighting the elite dragon that captured you. But it seems like they''re having a bit of trouble..."

    The night sky above the redevelopment zone had turned into a battlefield between dragons and serpents.

    The Raptors numbered roughly thirty.

    Driving them away was the nine-tailed fox-wolf, Akuro-Ou. Orihime''s leviathan was controlling nine giant fireballs while dashing back and forth freely across the night sky at the same time.

    As soon as Akuro-Ou caught up to a Raptor, she would attack using her horn counterpart.

    Using the nine tails as whips, she inflicted heavy blows on the Raptors'' faces and chests. She also used the claws on her four limbs to tear enemies apart and bit them with her wolf-like jaws.

    The result was that whenever Akuro-Ou or one of the fireballs moved¡ª

    The number of Raptors decreased surely and steadily. The battle was completely one-sided.

    The problem lay on the other side where Rushalka the blue wyvern was dueling Soth.

    The "serpent" had currently turned her body into holy water, rendering flames and physical attacks ineffective.

    But over the head of Soth while he was holding his "spear"¡ª

    Five runes were giving off radiant blue light. Was this also due to his special constitution? Hal was able to decipher the runes'' nature with just a single look.

    "Magic symbols for Telekinesis!"

    Soth was currently releasing telekinetic force that could be described as an invisible hand, trying to capture Rushalka.

    He was probably trying to stop his opponent from escaping before casting Dispel on the holy water transformation.

    "Th-That is magic that only elite dragons can use, isn''t it...?"

    Nodding in response to Hazumi''s question, Hal said, "Yeah. Those are the Secret Runes of Ruruk Soun. Although elites seem to know many different kinds of magic, only these runes are effective against the leviathans and their strong magic resistance."

    Finding Hazumi quite unfamiliar with knowledge in this area, Hal decided to explain.

    Speaking of which, the incidence of the magic-wielding elite dragons was relatively low in East Asia.

    Hence, it was only natural for her not to have crossed paths with such knowledge.

    "The runes of Ruruk Soun are on the same level of power as the pseudo-divinity of ''serpents''¡ªbut differ in the number of times they can be used. Asya is Level 5, meaning she can invoke divinity five times at most, but those elites seem capable of using runes many more times..."

    Then Hal discovered something.

    The mini-Monolith, originally standing on the reclaimed land that had turned into a battlefield, had disappeared at some point!

    "Oh¡ªMinadzuki!?"

    Hazumi cried out, causing Hal to follow her gaze.

    The leviathan in the form of a serpentine dragon, Minadzuki, was currently lying in a corner of the reclaimed land. Possibly affected by the Blood Drinking magic that Hinokagutsuchi mentioned, she was unable to move at all.

    "Since she''s still materialized, she shouldn''t be dead yet, right!?"

    "Y-Yes, but she has become quite feeble at the moment. I must hurry and release her material form...!" said Hazumi with worry as she clasped her hands together before her chest as though in prayer.

    Then closing both eyes, she whispered in a gentle voice, "You don''t need to suffer any longer... Hurry and escape from here!"

    Lying on the ground, several hundred meters away, the serpentine dragon responded to her partner''s prayer.

    Turning into particles of light, she disappeared from the ground surface. Opening her eyes to confirm Minadzuki''s retreat, Hazumi exhaled with relief.

    ¡ªOnce the partner witch issued the order, a leviathan would instantly disappear.

    Fearful of that happening, Soth probably placed Hazumi in deep sleep to prevent that.

    The reason why she was not killed was because the leviathan would perish once the covenantee died. Also, Soth was uninterested in the lives of witches and the like¡ª

    "Was it because that guy wanted to use Minadzuki''s blood...?" whispered Hal softly.

    Soth''s target was Rushalka in holy water form, flying all over the place.

    But at this moment, the bronze-colored elite dragon suddenly turned his back to the blue wyvern as though he had lost interest in the battle and flew in this direction¡ªtowards the Mansion!

    I see. Hal realized.

    Making the "serpent" disappear was the partner''s special right. Then who could have released Hazumi from her unconscious state¡ª?

    Minadzuki''s disappearance would surely alert Soth to the arrival of his "target." As expected, this acquaintance of a dragon landed in the heart of the Mansion''s grounds and stared intently at the balcony.

    "D-Dragon...!" gasped Hazumi next to him, shrinking back in fear.

    Hal stepped forward to shield her behind him. No, of course he knew clearly that as a witch, Hazumi was a million times stronger than him, but this frail girl was completely different from his inordinately durable childhood friend.

    At a time like this, Hal could not possibly hide behind Hazumi''s back, right?

    While Hal made this decision with slight resignation, Soth spoke to him in excitement, "Rousing the priestess from my coffin of slumber¡ªI knew it was you, Tyrannos."

    "Don''t decide on your own to address others by weird names..."

    "Temporarily though it may be, I still wish to express respect towards the wielder of the dragonslaying bow. Although I would have liked to have subjugated those imitations to suck their blood dry first¡ªNow that the two participants of the promised rematch are present, delaying the duel on account of entertainment would be too boorish..."

    Soth snickered to himself.

    "Bathed in the blazing flames ignited from the blood of female dragons, my Heartmetal is currently aroused in excitement. If it is right now, I can even manage to emulate the techniques of dragonbane... Fufu, heaven ordains that I shall become the dragonslayer to challenge you today!"

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhh!

    The white fox-wolf roared and flew over. Akuro-Ou.

    Taking a closer look, Hal discovered that all the Raptors spread out in the night sky had been destroyed. Scattered on the empty land in this redevelopment zone were the remains of the petrified lesser dragons.

    Struck down by Akuro-Ou, they had crashed down at various places.

    Like someone who had defeated swarms of foot soldiers and was finally about to slay the general, Akuro-Ou pounced ferociously at Soth from behind.

    As agile as a wolf, she attempted to bite Soth''s throat.

    With the speed of bestial reflexes, Soth swept the "spear" horizontally. The sharp spear tip slashed open Akuro-Ou''s flank.

    This sent Akuro-Ou''s massive body flying away, causing her attack to end in failure.

    However, the fox-wolf''s fur apparently possessed toughness on the same level as dragon scales. The wound inflicted by the "spear" was not very deep. Moving so rapidly that she did not seem injured, Akuro-Ou began to fly again.

    The sharp lupine eyes displayed the willpower to attack again.

    However, the target did not regard her heroic posture as a threat.

    "O imitation, you are too boorish. I was just starting a revolt by challenging the Tyrannos. This is dragonkind''s most noble crusade, so do not interfere!"

    Roaring arrogantly, Soth''s entire body instantly began to burn.

    As a bronze dragon, his giant body was enveloped in white¡ªplatinum-colored¡ªflames.

    Hal had seen this type of flame before. A few days ago when Hinokagutsuchi had saved Hal in Tokyo Station, these were the same flames that had surrounded her remains.

    Part 5

    "Asya-san, what is with that dragon!?"

    "No idea. This is my first time seeing that kind of phenomenon too!"

    In order to chase after Soth who had suddenly flown away, Asya and Orihime broke into a run.

    Taking off first, Akuro-Ou had attacked the elite dragon next to the Mansion. After that, Raak Al Soth''s entire body had started to burn with platinum-colored flames.

    Like steel that had turned white-hot inside a furnace, he hovered into the air in that state.

    The magic wand in his hand also burned as well.

    "O sacred spirit of the radiant Ruruk Soun in the sky, O rune of runes, confer upon me, Raak Al Soth, the blade of dragonslaying!"

    Soth recited a mantra¡ªan incantation. As a result, the magic wand, burning with platinum flames, changed in appearance, turning into a giant sword.

    With a straight and broad blade, this greatsword was as thick and sturdy as a woodcutter''s hatchet, rather unrefined in craftsmanship.

    However, ten-odd runes of Ruruk Soun were carved beautifully on the blade, giving off airs like some kind of foreign cultural artwork.

    "D-Dragonslaying...?"

    Although shocked by Soth''s perplexing magic, Asya and Orihime still managed to arrive in the Mansion''s vicinity. Orihime instantly yelled, "Akuro-Ou! Can you still use the same magic as just now!?"

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhh! The fox-wolf roared vigorously in response.

    Orihime seemed to have gotten used to controlling a "serpent." The nine serpentine tails began to ignite at their tips. The pseudo-divinity of Fire was releasing fireballs from each tail.

    These fireballs flew towards Soth again, but¡ª

    "Ehhhh!?"

    Orihime was taken aback by surprise. So was Asya despite her veteran experience.

    Soth was confronting the nine flying fireballs without guarding even though he always deployed defensive runes to protect himself against pseudo-divinity attacks in the past.

    After the nine fireballs struck Soth directly¡ªUnbelievably, no damage was inflicted on Soth''s incandescent body.

    Flying leisurely in the air, the bronze dragon''s body did not even flinch. From his perspective, Akuro-Ou''s magical attack probably felt like a breeze.

    "I already said do not interfere."

    Raising the sword in his hand, Soth pointed the blade at Akuro-Ou.

    In that instant, Akuro-Ou halted just as she was about to pounce.

    "Akuro-Ou!? Hurry and move! It''s fine if you don''t attack but at least dodge that sword!"

    Orihime called out in worry but her "serpent" did not respond.

    Soth flapped his wings open and started to fly, making a beeline towards Akuro-Ou.

    "Fufufu. Confronted with the majesty of the dragonslayer, their natural predator, a mere imitation cannot possibly resist at all. Your corpse shall fall here."

    The incandescent Soth casually made a thrust with the sword.

    Akuro-Ou showed no intent to resist, like a traitor kneeling before the former master after challenging the king and unfortunately meeting defeat. Orihime yelled, "Akuro-Ou!?"

    In addition, Asya was also shocked by a new discovery.

    Soth''s left shoulder that Rushalka had gouged earlier had fully recovered!

    Was this thanks to the incandescence as well? Either way, at this rate, Akuro-Ou was facing certain death!

    "Rushalka!"

    Asya ordered her partner to charge in the air, still in the form of holy water.

    Akuro-Ou was the target. The power of water pressure pushed the white fox-wolf away. This was an emergency measure to make her dodge Soth''s sword. In return, Rushalka was pierced by the sword. But being a physical attack after all, it should not pose a problem¡ª

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Rushalka''s roar sounded like a death cry.

    The instant she was pierced by Soth''s sword, the blue wyvern easily reverted back from her holy water form to a material body, resulting in a skewered state. At the same time, she screamed with all her might to express the pain.

    Could that sword be carrying some kind of divine might, capable of severing even holy water¡ª?

    In front of Asya''s eyes, the sword was pulled out.

    Rushalka''s giant body instantly fell to the ground. She no longer had the strength to fly.

    Seeing her partner crash down, Asya stared wide-eyed from just one look.

    "Asya-sa¡ª!"

    "Orihime-san! Can Akuro-Ou still use divinity!?"

    Interrupting Orihime''s voice that was panicking from shock and guilt, Asya asked her own question.

    "Y-Yes. There should be no problem using it one more time..."

    "Just as I thought... But this really doesn''t seem like a beginner''s power."

    As expected, Orihime really did possess Level 3 power. Asya nodded greatly.

    "Then don''t use the final invocation of pseudo-divinity on a direct attack."

    "I-I understand. What about your ''serpent,'' Asya-san...?"

    "Apparently¡ªnot dead yet. But using a human analogy, she seems delirious... She won''t respond even if I call to her."

    The spiritual connection between her and Rushalka was not severed. This proved that her partner was still alive.

    But no matter how Asya communicated telepathically, Rushalka still had no response at all. The situation was clearly quite urgent.

    Hence, Orihime''s face went tense and she said slowly, "In that case, Asya-san, I will do my best for a while. I might not last very long but please take this opportunity to confirm her... confirm Rushalka''s condition!"

    The junior witch''s care and consideration was forcing Asya to think rapidly. She originally intended to give Orihime orders to retreat to the back and provide cover fire.

    But if she could make her way to Rushalka''s side, it might be possible to bring out her last power and invoke pseudo-divinity.

    More importantly¡ª

    "Can I... depend on you?"

    "Yes. I have Akuro-Ou here so we are the same. Since Rushalka is about to die, you must stay by her side, Asya-san!"

    "Thank you!"

    Orihime was a resilient girl at heart and would never say anything like being unable to fight alone.

    Rating her junior highly on her exceptional maturity, Asya ran as fast as she could at the same time¡ª

    Thanks to using Leaping Power Enhancement earlier to improve her agility, Asya could move as fast as a champion Olympic sprinter. Just earlier, she was running normally to accommodate Orihime who was unable to use this magic, but now, Asya was dashing at full speed with all her strength.

    Asya ran towards where her partner, the blue wyvern, had fallen.

    "Rushalka! Please, respond to my voice!"

    When next to Orihime, Asya needed to act calm and composed as the "senior."

    But there was no need for that anymore. She called out desperately to her dying partner.

    Platinum flames suddenly surrounded Soth.

    A spark drifted down from him in the sky. Falling on the balcony, it started to burn.

    Hal and Hazumi hastily rushed out of the Mansion. Thanks to Soth''s attention getting diverted towards Akuro-Ou, the two of them reached the first-floor entrance safely.

    "Was Rushalka taken out!?"

    Arriving outside, Hal instantly yelled out.

    Seeing the wyvern fall after getting skewered by Soth''s sword, Hal clenched his fist tightly. She was his childhood friend''s "serpent" and could be considered the "serpent" closest to him in the entire world. Hal never expected to see her perish in this manner¡ª

    Thinking about Rushalka, Hal instantly felt anger surge in his heart. Then immediately¡ª

    "Eh...?"

    Hal suddenly looked up. He seemed to be hearing calls.

    It was the sound of an injured beast seeking its partner. But the voice was very feeble, unable to reach the recipient no matter what...

    No, wait. Why was Haruga Haruomi able to hear this kind of sound?

    However, Hal became even more certain of something.

    ¡ªRushalka was still alive. But at this rate, it was only a matter of time. The childhood friend''s "serpent" needed more power. Power to resist impending death, power to annihilate the formidable foe named Soth, power to protect the partner who shared her life¡ª

    "Excuse me, Haruga-san...?"

    Perhaps worrying about her cousin''s friend who had fallen silent, Hazumi spoke up.

    Hal quietly looked up and said slowly:

    "I''m sorry but could you walk on your own from here? Anyway, as long as you go in a direction where you can sense the police and the SDF, it''ll be fine."

    Probably due to being forced to sleep for a very long time, Hazumi''s back and legs were a little weak.

    Although she was able to walk by herself, her steps were unsteady. Along the way here, Hal had to support her a number of times.

    Hal felt irresponsible for abandoning her in this state, but he had no choice.

    He committed himself decisively. The one who needed him most right now was somewhere else.

    Staring at Hazumi, Hal was thinking it would be bad if he made her cry. The younger girl nodded lightly. After seeing Hal''s serious expression, she seemed able to sympathize.

    "I-I understand. Then where are you going, Haruga-san...!?"

    "I''ve got somewhere I need to go. I need to give the devil a bit of help."

    Leaving behind the wide-eyed Hazumi, Hal ran as fast as he could.

    His destination was the clearing where Rushalka had crashed down, collapsed. Meanwhile, Akuro-Ou was invoking pseudo-divinity in the air.

    This time, there was a mirage instead of fireballs.

    Mirages were supposed to be illusions occurring in hot deserts.

    Like images of cities and oases wavering on the far side of scorching sand and hot wind¡ªa mirage projecting Akuro-Ou''s image had appeared. And not just one or two.

    Filling up the night sky, there were at least two or three hundred mirages of Akuro-Ou.

    This huge number of mirages were dashing across the sky individually as though every one of them was the real Akuro-Ou, flying nimbly around Soth with wolf-like agility.

    ''Akuro-Ou! Don''t let him figure out which is the real one or else you''ll get taken out in two or three hits!''

    Hal could sense Orihime giving directions from somewhere in the distance.

    Rather than hearing with his ears, he was sensing her words vaguely.

    Hal was the one who had brought Akuro-Ou and Orihime together. It seemed like he might have acquired a spiritual connection of fate to the two of them at the time, hence allowing him to hear.

    However¡ª

    "O Tyrannos, looks like you are about to unsheathe your weapon at last."

    The target that needed to be handled, Soth, ignored the large swarm of mirages and turned his gaze straight towards the ground.

    Hal. Right now, whether in dialogue or battle, Soth only directed his attention to Hal, caring for nothing else.

    "Then I too shall forge a new weapon. Fufu, my ''dragonslayer'' is ultimately just an imitation... But I definitely can''t meet my end here!"

    Yelling loudly, Soth pointed the "sword" in his hand up high towards the sky.

    "O secret ritual of transience, present before me the royal authority of dragonbane once more!"

    Then a dramatic change occurred in the ground.

    The Raptors that Akuro-Ou had wiped out earlier using pseudo-divinity were completely dead, fallen upon the ground as stone remains. Due to the impact of falling, their bodies were virtually all pulverized.

    These remnants of corpses, which could hardly be called remains anymore, suddenly started to burn, enveloped in the same platinum flames as the incandescent Soth!

    A large number of corpses, burning with platinum flames, hovered into the sky, flying to Soth''s location.

    Then the great amount of fine sand, burning with platinum color, instantly transformed.

    Seven giant dragon skulls were formed¡ª

    There was nothing below the heads. Head specimens of giant dragon skeletons, large enough for even Soth to sit on them without problems. Seven of these dragon skulls had manifested in Soth''s surroundings.

    They were like knights or royal guards defending a king or a general!

    The seven dragon heads breathed out fire at the same time.

    Blue-white flames. The sudden blaze turned the entire night sky blue. Burned by these flames, Akuro-Ou''s mirages were blown away and destroyed one after another.

    The hundreds of mirages filling up the sky were gradually decreasing in number.

    (Turning minions into a dragonslaying force then commanding them as the general? This fellow is good. It is unbelievable how he can imitate the grand techniques of dragonbane so convincingly. It seems he has researched the path of unorthodoxy very seriously.)

    Hinokagutsuchi remarked lightly, impressed.

    On the other hand, there was a girl who showed no signs of fear throughout. Namely, Orihime.

    ''Don''t just stand there taking blows, Akuro-Ou, you have to move! Get those fakes moving too and run around as hard as you can!''

    With almost a hundred of them remaining, Akuro-Ou''s mirages started to move rapidly.

    Dashing through the air, they flew all over the place. To evade the flames breathed out by the dragon skulls under Soth''s command, they moved randomly.

    During this time, Hal finally arrived at the clearing where his target was.

    The blue wyvern was lying on the ground, powerless.

    Asya was there too. She was looking at her partner worriedly, looking up to observe the aerial battle every now and then.

    "Haruomi... Why did you come here?"

    Seeing Hal arrive by her side, Asya was surprised.

    One could hardly blame her. After all, this was a "zone of death" that killed commoners as soon as they entered.

    "There''s no time so I''m omitting the explanation. How''s Rushalka?"

    "I-I see. Probably¡ªThis is the end for her."

    Asya''s sorrow probably exceeded her surprise. Obediently, she answered Hal''s question.

    Gazing at Rushalka, Asya''s eyes were misty. Although she had prepared herself for this a long time ago, the thought of parting with her partner still made her sad.

    However, Asya was Asya after all. Immediately, she said, "For now, I''ve strengthened my bond with Rushalka temporarily. She can still use divinity twice so I''m going to use them together to snipe Soth before she passes away..."

    Asya looked into the sky with her slightly moist eyes.

    Leading the seven dragon heads, the elite dragon was rampaging without regard for the "serpent" at all. However, Soth was absurdly strong right now and could do whatever he wanted.

    Then Hal understood Asya''s intent.

    She planned to use the two remaining magical attacks of pseudo-divinity simultaneously. Dual invocation of divinity was known as Double Casting. Although extremely difficult to control, it was said to be absurdly powerful.

    If Asya was the one doing it, she might very well succeed.

    But that required her partner to be in a perfect state of health¡ªHal said, "This won''t do. Even if you go ahead, it might not be enough to defeat Soth."

    "Eh?"

    "That guy seems to be stronger than all the dragons that we know. He could very well be a match for the Caesars¡ªthose on the level of dragon kings."

    Caesar Draconis, in other words, a dragon king.

    These were publicly recognized powerhouses such as Red Hannibal or the Black Lightning Emperor. It was said that just one of these monsters could single-handedly wipe out humanity from the surface of the planet.

    After saying this, Hal felt a greater sense of acknowledgement.

    In fact, Soth had mentioned the same as well. Dragon king. Perhaps Hal''s special constitution was closely related to those super lifeforms and conquerors. But right now¡ª

    "Asya, do you want to beat up that guy together with me... Beat up that bastard Soth? Rushalka needs ''power.'' And I need power from the two of you too!"

    "H-Haruomi?"

    "No matter what, I need Rushalka and you... Asya!"

    Although Hal talked about helping out, he had no intention of carrying out a "diabolical" deal.

    Hence, Hal admitted his thoughts without reserve as a non sequitur and extended his hand towards Asya¡ªHowever, Asya''s reaction to his proposal was unexpectedly dramatic.

    "Y-You mean you want me... You want to claim everything of mine as your own?"

    "Not everything. Rather, I hope you''ll give me what''s the most important."

    "H-Haruomi! Please don''t joke around in this kind of emergency. Y-You need to pick the right timing and location for this type of confession. No common sense at all. You''re such a big jerk!"

    Asya suddenly closed in.

    Clenching her tiny fist hard, she looked like she was about to pummel Hal''s head viciously. Speaking of which, during fights in their childhood, her fists always moved even faster than her mouth.

    However, the childhood friend opened her fist and held Hal''s hand tightly.

    "I-If we get back safely, I will carefully consider the request you just made. Let''s put it on hold for now. I-I will cherish it in the depths of my heart..."

    Blushing red, Asya turned her gaze away while speaking softly.

    Verbally, she was passively refusing. But Hal was certain that Asya had accepted. Although the reason was unknown, that was her wish.

    Just like the time when he had "reached Hazumi''s heart"...

    Hal was able to connect to the minds of those listed in the lineages of dragons!

    ''¡ªAkuro-Ou!?''

    Hal heard Orihime yelling somewhere.

    Looking up, he saw the sky completely covered by the blue-white flames discharged by Soth''s faction.

    The great amount of flames was rampaging unchecked, making it almost impossible to see the darkness of the night sky and the light of the stars. The white fox-wolf descended to the ground from this patch of ominous sky.

    Rather than crashing down uncontrollably, Akuro-Ou was still flying, albeit slowly.

    Reaching the ground, she landed stiffly before collapsing. Hit by the flames just now, she was still heavily injured even though she did not die.

    "Just as you can see! I am ready to start any time!"

    Leading the seven dragon heads, Soth challenged from the sky.

    Having exterminated the interlopers, he intended to press on the attack. Hal nodded.

    "Sorry, because there''s no time, let me do it directly!"

    "Eh, Haruomi!? ¡ªWhat is this power!?"

    Hal embraced Asya in his bosom. This was to get a deeper experience of the bond connecting him with Asya.

    Her body, as delicate as a fairy''s, felt even softer and warmer than imagined. Held in Hal''s arms, Asya changed her expression in alarm.

    "Magical power! Haruomi, why are you able to¡ª"

    A massive amount of magical power was surging from Hal''s scorching right hand.

    Hal did not need to look. That particular rune was probably manifesting in his palm. While Hal and Asya were embracing each other, rays of light traced out a familiar rune underfoot.

    The magical symbol of Ruruk Soun, the Rune of the Bow.

    Instantly, Asya tensed her expression. The rune underfoot constructed a "magical bond" between itself and her, the same kind of bond as between a witch and a leviathan¡ª

    This spiritual union allowed Asya to understand Hal''s intent.

    Shoot Soth down. For this purpose, pour this power into Rushalka and seize victory!

    "I''m counting on you, Asya!"

    "V-Very well. Let''s stand up together again, Rushalka!"

    Despite some hesitation, Asya still issued the order.

    Immediately, Rushalka''s giant body, limp and powerless, began to burn. With platinum flames. The same flames as what Soth controlled and what Hal had used a few days ago.

    While becoming white hot like steel that had been thrown into a furnace, Rushalka lifted her body at the same time¡ª

    Slowly, she spread her blue wings and started flying in the sky towards the heights where Soth was waiting with the seven dragon heads under his command.

    As soon as Rushalka took flight, the platinum flames instantly vanished from her body.

    However, her flying was vigorous and powerful and did not seem affected by her injuries at all.

    "Fufufufu. I have grown impatient, Tyrannos. Now is the moment for the decisive battle!"

    Soth and Rushalka clashed in midair again.

    However, the elite dragon was speaking to Hal who was on the ground. As for the willpower residing in Rushalka, wanting to defeat dragonkind, that came from Hal.

    (Indeed. The technique of dragonbane allowing one''s followers to become "dragonslayers"... The magic of Soth''s ilk is merely an imitation after all. Confirm with your own hands the true power I have entrusted to you!)

    Hinokagutsuchi goaded Hal by the side of his ear.

    (Now issue orders to your rune, the Bow Stars of the Southern Sky, to fire the dragonslaying bow!)

    Bow Stars of the Southern Sky. That seemed to be an unexpectedly majestic name.

    Embracing Asya with his left arm, Hal pushed his other hand forward.

    Compared to last time, Hal understood more clearly the method of usage. Aiming the Rune of the Bow, carved on his right palm, towards Soth in the sky, he prayed silently for Rushalka who served as the medium.

    ¡ªUsing this rune, perform the magic of the Bow.

    Instantly, the Rune of the Bow also appeared in front of Rushalka as she flew through the air.

    The size was almost as large as the leviathan''s body. This was proof that the enchanted armament of the "dragonslaying bow" had conferred magical power to the blue wyvern''s body and soul.

    "Fire!"

    "Rushalka! Frost Breath!"

    While Hal gave his command, Asya also issued an order at the same time.

    The blue wyvern released an attack from her mouth.

    Cold breath for freezing everything in its path¡ªthat was the dragonslaying arrow shot by the Bow this time.

    "Magic for increasing the shooting ability of dragons obeying the master huh..."

    Hal muttered in his mouth.

    What Hinokagutsuchi called the Bow was just a concept after all.

    Simply stated, its true form was combining a supreme Ruruk Soun rune with either a dragon''s overwhelming magical power or a leviathan''s pseudo-divinity, thereby launching magic to annihilate dragons¡ª

    While Hal was finally understanding this, the freezing breath flew, tearing through the air.

    Intercepting it were the blue-white flames expelled simultaneously by the seven dragon heads.

    "O false king, suffer my flames of rebellion!"

    The cold air exhaled by Rushalka collided head on with the flames from Soth''s faction.

    The two attacks not only aimed for their opponents'' lives but also expanded to engulf the entire sky in the area.

    The blue-white flames exhaled by the seven dragon heads turned into torrential flows, scorching the night sky of spring.

    The cold air released by Rushalka was mixed with countless shards of ice, blowing as fiercely as a blizzard, mercilessly freezing the air above Shin-Kiba, recreating the kind of sky situated above permafrost.

    Fiery hot air and freezing cold air were irreconcilable.

    Vying for supremacy, the hot and cold air clashed with each other. Holding onto Hal for support and leaning tightly against him, Asya gripped hard as though trying to suppress her unease.

    At first glance, the two sides seemed equally matched in power.

    (This brat named Soth definitely studied the path of unorthodoxy diligently.)

    Hinokagutsuchi sneered lightly.

    (But ultimately, it is mimicry of limited knowledge without the possession of flint. Although this side is an imitation as well... Thinking that an attack of this level could destroy the Bow would be truly underestimating the Bow''s force of will!)

    Almost at the same time as the queen''s shout, Rushalka finished exhaling her Frost Breath.

    However, the attack did not end there. Instead, it was the opposite. Starting from this instant, the exhaled cold air became even stronger. It was no longer something so gentle as to be called a breath¡ª

    While Hal and Asya watched the sky above, a storm of absolute zero temperature was blowing violently.

    Its cold air and wind strength even surpassed the great blizzards blowing across permafrost.

    The dragonslaying storm could even extinguish the heat and flames residing within the body of dragons.

    "Hmm¡ª!?"

    Strong as Soth may be, even he felt greatly shocked because the sudden ice storm instantly wiped out the flames that he and the seven dragon heads had breathed out.

    Furthermore, Hal''s instincts told him that the Rune of the Bow had yet to exhaust its offensive power.

    That being said, using a bow and arrow analogy, the remaining power was probably on the level of a single arrow.

    In that case, the best option was¡ª

    "Another shot... Aim and fire!"

    Responding to orders, Rushalka''s "horn counterpart"¡ªthe horn on her forehead began to release electricity.

    Erupting from that point, blue-white lightning streaked across the sky in a straight line, intending to pierce the chest of the incandescent Soth¡ªin other words, the equivalent location for a human''s heart!

    It was an arrow shot out as though a sky god had taken aim and fired lightning as a projectile.

    "Guh...! The Bow-wielding Tyrannos doesn''t even have a wand. This Bow is nothing!"

    Soth raised the long and broad sword directly in front of him, intending to strike down the arrow of lightning.

    Then he deployed before himself dozens of Shield runes¡ªthe Secret Runes of Ruruk Soun¡ªwith protective functions, establishing a formation of total defense.

    However, the arrow of lightning pierced this defense to strike the elite dragon''s massive body.

    In that very instant, Raak Al Soth was frozen in midair.

    Instant death¡ªjust as Hal believed with certainty, the storm of cold air rampaging in the sky also devoured the seven skulls that were Soth''s minions. The bodies of the dragon master and servants were shredded by the cold air, raging wind and ice shards, disintegrating and scattering within the blink of an eye.

    Currently, the only super lifeform remaining in the air was Rushalka.

    In the center of the storm, the blue wyvern roared as though boasting of her victory.

 Volume 1, Epilogue

    Volume 1, Epilogue

    Dragons resided on the moon''s surface and satellite orbits.

    Two thousand years ago, the ancient Greeks called this domain "Hyperborea" or in other words, "the country beyond the North Wind."

    In fact, a certain girl was sitting in a corner of the "nest" drifting on a satellite orbit while leaning against a rock face, leisurely looking up at the heavens filled with stars.

    The small dragons known as Raptors in the lower realm apparently made their "nests" on what were similar to so-called asteroids.

    These small astronomical objects could be considered extremely small asteroids.

    ...Except that these lumps of rock on satellite orbits were ultimately created from dragonkind''s magic rather than providence of the universe.

    Currently, the girl was alone in this "nest."

    The original inhabitants seemed to have sortied in full force to attack the ground.

    From this distant height, she enjoyed the pleasure of watching the stars alone¡ª

    "...Bow of the Southern Sky. Is someone using it?"

    Vaguely sensing the pulsation of a nostalgic power, she whispered inadvertently.

    In her resided the power of dragonbane named the "dragonslaying arrow" and just now, someone had apparently fired the weapon which existed as its pair. It was most likely somewhere on earth.

    The bond between the pair of bow and arrow notified her of that fact.

    If the power being used had been the Sword or the Spear, she probably would not have sensed it.

    "Someone has caught the queen''s eye? Or perhaps it was thoroughly plundered...?"

    She tried to voice out various possibilities but did not continue to dwell on the matter.

    After all, she could find out just by locating the user. The corners of her lips twisted into a grin. After a long while, she was thinking about the ground surface again.

    If the Bow''s inheritor were someone ordinary without sufficient capacity, then as the master of the Arrow, she shall simply execute the unworthy.

    Conversely, if the wielder possessed the capacity to become a hero¡ªthen a fight would be nice.

    ...Just like that time in the past when she had personally sent the queen to her grave.

    "If it''s that guy, maybe he might know something."

    She recalled the old acquaintance who supposedly lived in North America.

    He used to frequently show off that Red Whatever nickname the humans had chosen for him. Despite his lofty stature as a dragon king, he was a weird fellow who actively sought contact with the lower realm.

    "I suppose I shall find that guy to question first."

    As fellow dragon kings, even a sudden visit should not cause any problems.

    Optimistically thinking to herself, she smiled. It was a smile filled with childishness and ambition, quite fitting for her young face.

    For a human, her appearance would be that of fifteen years old or so.

    With that form, identical to a human''s, she was the very image of a dignified maiden.

    Worn on her body was what the lower realm called a white one-piece dress. But no matter what, a human could not possibly be hanging out contentedly at this height, dressed in this manner, even twirling the hem of her dress with full liveliness.

    "My minion, bring forth to me the Arrow of Sirius!"

    Responding to her call, a shooting star fell from the myriad stars in the heavens above.

    In order to deliver her, wingless as she may be, to the vast blue land beneath¡ª

    "How could this be even possible? It''s totally unbelievable...!"

    "Oh well, both of us were too careless on this issue. Can''t be helped."

    Hal responded indifferently to the sighing Orihime.

    "But Haruga-kun, this nonsense about me making a packed lunch for you every day, also engaged as your fiancee, even to the point of taking charge of all your domestic affairs...! These completely unfounded rumors have spread throughout the school!?"

    "Juujouji, those rumors actually have some basis behind them."

    It was Saturday morning in the living room of the Haruga residence.

    The master of the house, Hal, was sitting in an armchair.

    Orihime was seated over on the sofa. As a side note, the living room''s former state of pandemonium was now neatly organized and thoroughly cleaned.

    This was all accomplished by the slightly airheaded classmate currently in front of Hal.

    For the last few days, Orihime had visited the Haruga residence diligently, dedicating herself to cleaning and tidying with great focus.

    "B-But I only gave you a lunchbox on that one occasion..."

    "Yes. But looking back now, receiving it in front of everyone in the class was definitely a fatal mistake... Because we left school early that time, it even developed into a soap opera plot of our abortive attempt to elope."

    "Ugh."

    "Besides, if you hate these rumors, just don''t visit this house."

    Hal proposed a simple solution that addressed the root.

    But Orihime readily rejected it.

    "That doesn''t matter, actually. Anyway, after a minimum level of cleaning and tidying, I''ve cleared out a place to stand at least. I will bring Hazumi along next time. As long as we''re not spending time together alone, weird rumors won''t spread, right?"

    "...Uh, is that mage girl coming here too? For real?"

    "Yes, because Hazumi also feels fascinated by you, Haruga-kun. This is perfect."

    After the battle with Soth, Shirasaka Hazumi first went to a hospital to get examined.

    However, Hal had heard that there were no abnormal symptoms with her health and she was safely discharged. There was no real reason for her to come here, so bringing her was pointless, right?

    Still, Hal shelved his doubts for now and first confirmed the matter which concerned him.

    "Her ''serpent,'' Minadzuki, how is she?"

    "Not too good, apparently. Being treated as a live sacrifice seems to have caused severe harm so recovery has been very slow. She needs to rest as much as possible to recuperate properly," said Orihime with worry.

    Fortunately, Akuro-Ou was steadily recovering after getting struck down by Soth. Given just one or two weeks of time, the durable bodies of "serpents" were able to heal from injuries, even very serious ones.

    In other words, this also proved that Minadzuki had suffered extraordinary damage...

    "Speaking of injuries, how is Asya-san''s ''serpent''?"

    "She seems a lot better than before. I''m not sure if it''s an effect of that power but after defeating Soth, she recovered to a slightly healthier state than being on the verge of death."

    Rushalka was originally expected to exhaust her strength and die during the final battle against Soth.

    Although her current condition could not be considered good, at least her life was out of danger.

    Furthermore, Hal had reported to Hiiragi and Kenjou that the victory was due to Asya and Rushalka''s dormant power.

    After all, including Hal himself who was in the middle of it all, no one could explain clearly what had happened.

    To avoid trouble, muddling through with a random lie was the best course of action. However, Hal still explained to Orihime and Asya, who had participated in the battle against Soth, everything from the start since his first encounter with Hinokagutsuchi.

    As a side note, the girl who took on the fire god''s name and called herself the devil had not appeared for quite a while¡ª

    "Still, you should get yourself examined or tested, Haruga-kun, to see how out of ordinary your body has become. This feels so much like those masked characters in American comics. It''s very interesting and exciting."

    "No, I''m not Spiderman. Neither did I come from the planet Krypton," retorted Hal indifferently to Orihime''s giggling.

    Putting aside whether it was good or bad, being able to joke around with this matter could probably be considered adaptability exclusive to the generation born after dragonkind''s return.

    "By the way, Haruga-kun, how about checking out the UFO Research Club next time? Since we are nominally members, after all, and Mutou-san already invited us."

    "But... Although it might sound a bit much to say this, no good can come out of professionals like us showing up at an amateur research club. For either side."

    "Don''t worry. It''s just a high school club activity. You don''t have to be so concerned."

    Orihime swiftly refuted Hal''s reason for not wanting to go.

    "Stop scrounging for excuses. You''re supposed to say yes immediately to a friend''s invitation. After all, for a lazy guy like you who avoids social interactions, Haruga-kun, invitations must be hard to come by, so it''ll work out just right if you accept every last one of them."

    Orihime''s way of putting things was totally tyrannical.

    Nevertheless, given Hal''s abilities in reading people''s words and behavior, he could at least tell that her attitude stemmed from a kind of care and consideration. But to be honest, Hal was very afraid of meddlesome people like her.

    Juujouji Orihime was definitely someone to avoid after all.

    Hal''s old plan to retreat from Tokyo surfaced in his mind again.

    However, issues such as Asya, Hinokagutsuchi as well as his ridiculous body were all popping in and out of his thoughts¡ª

    Hal looked again at Orihime''s face that was cheerful as usual.

    She responded with an innocent smile. Influenced by her, Hal said reflexively, "...Is that so?"

    "Yes, indeed. Then let''s visit within the next few days."

    Just as Hal was about to relent and agree, he received a call on his cellphone.

    It was Asya. He instantly picked up.

    ''Oh Haruomi, I''m going to drop by later. I''ve got something to show you. Also, what happened earlier needs to be redone all over again...''

    "All over again?"

    ''Didn''t I say I was going to cook lunch to prove my femininity? After shopping and getting things ready, I''m heading over to your house, Haruomi.''

    "What a coincidence. Just like last time, Juujouji happens to be here too."

    ''Eh...!?''

    Hal heard a gasp on the other side of the line.

    ''U-Umm, Haruomi, don''t get the wrong idea, okay? The reason why Orihime-san is taking care of you, Haruomi, and even cleaning up your house is because she is extremely friendly and slightly airheaded. Things like seeing you as a boy or wanting to attract your attention¡ªThere isn''t even one billionth of a chance of that, absolutely don''t misunderstand no matter what!''

    "Like anyone would be stupid enough to misunderstand that!"

    ''That better be the case... Oh right. I''m going to impose on your hospitality straight away.''

    "Don''t you need to go shopping first?"

    ''You can take care of that yourself, Haruomi. The maiden in my heart is currently screaming out that you two cannot be left in isolation any longer no matter what!''

    The call was hung up right there.

    Asya was apparently feeling the wildness inside her body warning her with some kind of alarm. What exactly was she taking precautions against?

    "Was that Asya-san calling? Is she coming over later by any chance?"

    Meanwhile, listening to the conversation on the side, Orihime was smiling cheerfully while she spoke.

    Clunk. The sound of entry from the front door. Pitter patter. Then came the sound of frantic footsteps.

    "Th-Thanks for waiting!"

    Hal did not expect Asya to just barge into the living room like that.

    During the phone call just now, Asya seemed to be in the neighborhood. Then seeing her attire, Hal and Orihime both stared wide-eyed.

    "I''ve decided to transfer into your school. As comrades studying in the same school, let''s take care of one another from now on!"

    Panting heavily while she spoke, Asya was dressed in Kogetsu Academy''s uniform.

    The girl, who originally used her position as witch to escape Hal''s fate of being bound by age to attend high school, was now making an unexpected declaration of school enrollment.

    What had compelled Asya to do this? Even as her childhood friend, Hal was baffled.

    But for some reason, he could imagine how ordinary methods were absolutely not going to work in handling his school life from this point onwards.

 Volume 1, Illustratorâ€™s Afterword

    Volume 1, Illustrator''s Afterword

    Hello everyone, nice to meet you. I am Takedzuki Jou.

    Thanks to MF Bunko J this time, I was able to publish this book. Truly a cause for celebration.

    If "hello again" applies to some of you, dear readers, instead of "nice to meet you," then I am truly grateful. The reason why I can squeeze into the edges of this industry and continue working is all thanks to the loving support of every reader. For this I express my utmost thanks.

    Reaching this point took quite a convoluted turn of hardships.

    Most prominent of all was the story content. In the beginning, I said "I''d like to try writing a fantasy work about parallel worlds" just to test the waters, but the editorial side vetoed it, saying "too many people are writing about this subject."

    "Then how about a romantic comedy or a heartwarming slice-of-life?"

    "What are you talking about? Just continue as usual with those battle stories."

    "I''m already writing that type of series elsewhere, one that drains massive energy from the body and mind, so I was thinking I''d like to try to challenge the cliched routes of the light novel industry and write a pure moe-style novel."

    "Can''t you show off your vast knowledge of gods and mythology?"

    "The market only needs one series of that type, right?"

    "Don''t be like that. Anyway, just write a battle story that takes place all over the world."

    After an intense debate, the story concept was finally determined.

    No, apart from this one point, I am truly grateful for the great freedom afforded in my writing environment. But to think that I could do whatever I wanted during the writing process, this actually makes me a little worried (wry smile).

    Next up, I''d like to acknowledge the assistance I''ve received from many people again.

    First comes the editing, designing, proofreading and production etc. I hereby thank everyone who dutifully dedicated their efforts in the process of turning this story into a book.

    Especially Nimura-sama the illustrator, because I caused a lot of trouble for you with my slow writing speed and repeated modifications to the original draft.

    I am truly thankful to you for adding to this book''s visual effects. With so many miraculous colored sketches whose quality were enough to be published directly when all you needed to do was make a quick sketch, you really helped me a lot in the process of conceptualizing characters and fantasy creatures.

    Then there is Kimura Kou-sensei who prompted me to come up with this story''s concept.

    Thanks to you, I finally actualized my wish to join this brand and become your junior. Please continue to edify me with your guidance.

    As a side note, this story has essentially two main heroines.

    While stuck in dilemma to determine who is the number one heroine, as the author, I once suggested "it must be Orihime, I guess. After all, her femininity is so high."

    "Recently there''s a new trend in the industry to let the girl who lacks femininity to become the main heroine."

    But after hearing that from the editor in charge, I finally slapped my thigh in enlightenment. Hence, the "dual heroine" format was officially decided and a certain girl was honored with the cover of Volume 1.

    But losing out in the area of feminine charm, she will definitely face tough trials ahead of her.

    Will she be unable to turn the tides? Or is her dormant potential about to awaken? Or perhaps a third main heroine will arrive, further backing her into a corner? None of this can be known.

    If possible, please confirm for yourself in the next volume.

    Oh my goodness, Takedzuki-sensei''s new series is beginning, my dear wife.

    Although I know that Sensei has written other interesting series, I''m really curious whether this Covenant series will be able to continue as an equal match...

    Nimura Yuji

    Hazumi-san...Expected to be kind of like this?

 Volume 2, Prologue

    Volume 2, Prologue

    New York State, United States of America.

    Then there was the great river flowing slowly across this land, the Hudson River.

    The river island at the Hudson''s mouth was called Manhattan, which used to be New York City''s center and in a certain sense, the world''s center as well.

    A metropolis filled with towering skyscrapers, a central hub for economic and cultural prosperity¡ª

    But now, the buildings, residences and structures distributed throughout this island were all deserted. They were simply empty ruins. Amidst the silence shrouding the current Manhattan, it was hard to believe how bustling it had been in the past.

    Nowadays, this vast collection of ruins was known to mankind as the dragon concession territory of Old Manhattan.

    "Fufu. It has been a while, wind on the ground."

    The devastated city should not have any people, but she made her appearance here.

    This was the place formerly known as the Empire State Building, a high-rise structure standing out particularly from all the other skyscrapers. On top of the roof, which stood at 380m above ground, was the iconic 60m-tall antenna spire.

    Standing on the roof, she was on the very edge where a further step forward would mean stepping onto air.

    Calm and composed, she looked out towards the sky.

    "Hmm. Despite my long absence, I still find my homeland to be the best."

    She half-closed her eyes happily and murmured lightly.

    At the same time, she confirmed the feeling of the wind blowing across her entire body. Her beautiful, long, black hair and the hem of her white one-piece dress fluttered in the wind while she tracked these movements with her gaze.

    This sort of carefree behavior felt truly delightful.

    She spontaneously smiled. However¡ª

    The height of this place was akin to the pinnacle of a super-tall structure. The blowing winds were howling gales. One would expect a young girl''s delicate body to be blown away instantly.

    Nevertheless, she was enjoying the wind while viewing the world below, leisurely observing the scenery of skyscrapers.

    Categorized according to human races on the ground, the girl would be considered oriental. Roughly fifteen years of age. Her face exuded a sense of silent beauty akin to a snow fairy''s...

    Even the strong wind blowing at an altitude of 380m was unable to shake her balance.

    In the past, she had challenged all sorts of mysterious realms, broken out of various predicaments, overcoming dangers among dangers. So long as the "protection" she had trained over this long journey remained, she would continue to stand imperishable and undefeated.

    "That guy hasn''t changed the slightest, still so attention seeking as always."

    Discovering her old friend''s figure on the far end of the sky, she smiled faintly with wryness.

    The weather was quite sunny. One could not help but feel joy from the bottom of the heart just by standing under these clear skies. Out in the far distance, thick clouds could be seen floating leisurely.

    However, a fierce beast, rivaling these clouds in enormity, was also flying majestically through the clouds.

    The creatures known to contemporary humans as dragons.

    The color of the dragon''s scales and wings were crimson. The scales in the chest area were shaped into an armor-like exoskeleton. In addition, his hand was holding a big and long spear.

    A spear that surpassed the giant dragon''s length. The shaft portion was black while the spear tip exhibited a dark steel color¡ª

    This was precisely the majestic figure often sighted in New York State and neighboring areas, the flying dragon king whom the human world nicknamed "Red Hannibal."

    However, the girl called out to him, flying in the distance, using the title known only to their kind.

    "I came to meet my old friend, Flame Emperor!"

    The girl simply exerted her throat a little, but that was already sufficient.

    Thirty seconds later, the Flame Emperor vanished from the distant sky while at the same time, red dragon scales suddenly appeared overhead, blotting the sky above.

    Using teleportation magic to traverse space, he arrived in the sky above Manhattan.

    But his size was outrageous. Her beautiful eyebrows in a frown, she looked up at the massive number of red dragon scales extending across the sky. The red dragon king''s body currently spanned kilometers in length.

    Standing underneath, it was impossible to see the shape of his entire body.

    "I know you like to put on flashy shows, so it doesn''t bother me, but don''t forget you have a guest who came all this way just to see you. It would only be proper manners to show your face."

    ''Hahahahaha! I see you are still shameless as ever, clearly the uninvited guest here!''

    The instant the girl grumbled, the sky began to shake violently.

    The giant red dragon laughed heartily, producing vibrations that shook the entire area. Not just the sky but even Manhattan''s ground and its towering ruins were shaking noisily as well.

    Only the girl''s slender figure remained completely motionless.

    ''Princess! Princess Yukikaze! I shall be there in a moment. No need to be so impatient!''

    Heaven and earth shook again. Then the dragon scales blotting the sky vanished completely.

    Instead, one saw a descending dragon. Covered in red scales, carrying a spear, this figure could only belong to the being known as the Flame Emperor¡ªnicknamed "Red Hannibal."

    However, his body length had now adjusted to twenty meters or so.

    There was not much point for dragons to take on such a gigantic form unless they desired to walk on the ground on their own legs.

    Compared to his earlier appearance, a dragon''s original size would be far more convenient to move around, after all. In spite of that, he was flying around in that ridiculously massive body, most probably intending to intimidate the humans in the lower realm.

    Like the games of children, however...

    This type of prank did not annoy her. She¡ªPrincess Yukikaze¡ªgrinned.

    "Anyway, it''s wonderful that you haven''t changed particularly. I wouldn''t feel like sitting down for a chat if you were swapped with gloomy guys like the Lightning Emperor or the Sea King. Indeed."

    "Hahaha. It is my honor that the princess is satisfied!"

    The girl in the white one-piece dress was sitting on the pinnacle of the Empire State Building.

    Then there was the dragon king face to face with the girl, hovering motionlessly in the air with his giant wings spread out. What a bizarre combination¡ªHowever, the parties involved started to chat nonchalantly.

    "By the way, Flame Emperor."

    "Wait. To be frank, recently, I have grown fond of the name the surface dwellers chose for me."

    "Red whatever... Hannibal, isn''t it?"

    The Black Lightning Emperor lurking in Europe had also announced his title to the people of Earth.

    In contrast, the Flame Emperor had simply introduced his name casually without making a big deal out of it. Hence, the humans had made up a nickname on their own, using this name to address the red dragon king.

    "Flame Emperor is not a bad name, but it''s too similar to that guy''s... that utterly sinister and arrogant piece of work, the Black Lightning Emperor... It feels a bit¡ªno, it feels extremely displeasing. I have felt that way since a long time ago."

    Despite being a great dragon king, he was also a childish warrior.

    Displaying this characteristic subtly, Hannibal aka the Flame Emperor explained sonorously. His voice was an astoundingly rich baritone.

    "Furthermore, I heard that the general who originally bore this name was an amazing character. Burning and laying waste to an entire mighty empire with only one army under his command, his aspirations were ultimately doomed to failure..." muttered Hannibal as though savoring the famous general''s life of hardship on the tip of his tongue.

    "As a man and warrior, one ought to seek the meaning of life along that sort of path. Perpetual invincibility is an inane wish holding absolutely no value at all."

    "Really? But I, Yukikaze, wish to win at all times, you know?"

    Red Hannibal was the great hero who had maintained his position as the strongest in over tens of billions of battlefields.

    In the end, he could no longer derive any attraction from the "mediocre result" of victory. But Princess Yukikaze was still young. It was impossible for her to reach his level of enlightened detachment.

    "To be honest, I really hate losing."

    "What a young little lass you are, Princess! You are no true warrior unless you can enjoy the pleasures of defeat!"

    "Then allow me to ask you a question amidst your blathering. How many times have you met defeat in your life?"

    "Hmm... Twice¡ªNo, probably once. No wait. Although there should be slightly more than that, I cannot quite recall. Allow me to think for a moment, Princess."

    "King Hannibal. Even when compared among the ranks of the dragon kings, it is possible that you are the one closest to the title of the strongest."

    Excessively bold in personality, sometimes overly careless, he was the leader of the dragons.

    Very familiar with his sloppy ways, Princess Yukikaze spoke without mincing words, "The way I see it, you''ve never lost in your entire life, have you?"

    "Hmm. Now that you say it, I think you could be right. Perhaps that really might be the truth. ''Winning without realizing it'' once a battle begins, that is indeed my bad habit."

    Hannibal sighed as though deeply regretful of his misconduct.

    This seemed more like an emotional response coming from a human surface dweller than a member of dragonkind.

    "Is there no one strong enough to pop out somewhere to threaten my hegemony?...By the way, Princess, it is really quite difficult to speak when meeting in this manner."

    After muttering quietly, the giant red dragon''s impressive figure disappeared from the sky.

    Then instead, a man with a massive physique appeared next to the princes on the Empire State Building.

    A human. At least in appearance. Standing at roughly 190cm tall, he was quite muscular in build. A brawny man in his prime. With facial features that could be considered quite well-proportioned, there was an unbelievable sense of charm to him.

    His attire consisted of a red long coat over a shirt and slacks. He would not look out of place walking around on the ground dressed like this.

    "Good. This makes speaking much easier."

    The towering man spoke in an astoundingly rich baritone voice. It was identical to Hannibal''s voice.

    The dragon king had transformed into this appearance by using extraordinary magic.

    "However, Princess, are you still unable to transform into a dragon at will?"

    "Yes, but what does it matter? If I encounter enemies I cannot handle without transforming, my body naturally turns into a dragon. There is no inconvenience at all."

    As the youngest among the dragon kings, Princess Yukikaze was still not mature enough.

    Hence, she had not completely mastered the super magic residing in her body and soul.

    Nevertheless, it did not weigh on her mind. Like Hannibal, she was born as a "hybrid." Unlike those of pure blood, she did not find human appearances to be disgraceful.

    "Let''s talk about something else, King Hannibal. The dragonslaying bow seems to have surfaced."

    "Oh, the power of dragonbane that had disappeared along with the Crimson Queen!"

    "I came to pay you a visit only because I was thinking you might know something."

    "You are very curious as the owner of the arrow standing as its pair, aren''t you? My apologies, but I have no idea. You would best ask a certain human regarding such matters!"

    Originally conversing in the guise of humans, the dragon kings spontaneously turned their gaze to the western sky in unison.

    Because they had noticed the silhouette of a dragon flying from afar.

    "One of the Zizou? How rare for dragonkind to venture into my city."

    The race known to humans as elite dragons was what dragonkind referred to as the "Zizou" among themselves.

    Dragons with intellect, capable of language and magic. The approaching Zizou had dragon scales of metallic silver. Bathed under the sunlight, the scales shone with silver luster.

    Soon, he arrived in the sky above the Empire State Building.

    "O Gildar, those have conquered the Road to Kingship to ascend gloriously to the thrones of true kings."

    With his scales glittering silver-white, the dragon said, "Although I fully understand your vast accomplishments and authority, I still feel compelled to speak my mind. My name is Pavel Galad. Merely one of the Zizou at this moment, but I am also an impudent rebel who intends to defy the kings."

    "Hoh? Did you hear that, Princess? This fellow wishes to challenge two dragon kings."

    "Loud and clear. What an exciting declaration. I am getting all fired up."

    The two dragon kings nodded simultaneously in response to the bold introduction.

    Especially Princess Yukikaze. Realizing her lips were smiling naturally, she grinned even more. Without exception, she loved everything to do with adventure, challenge and conflict. That was her inborn personality.

    Then turning her beautiful face, akin to a snow fairy''s, towards Pavel Galad, she asked him, "Answer me, what is your reason for challenging us?"

    "Nothing beyond ordinary. As one of the Zizou, I, too, am seeking the runes of dragonbane in my attempt to challenge the Road to Kingship, but my Heartmetal was damaged during my journey. Since it is incurable, I fear my life shall be ending soon."

    Pavel Galad discussed his own death with indifference.

    "Then it occurred to me that I should do something as a conclusion to my life. Including myself, all of the Zizou have sworn to become dragon kings, but I no longer have the time to actualize this wish. In that case, I might as well gamble everything to challenge dragon kings, possibly obtaining victory to seize a throne¡ª"

    "You wish to challenge royalty because you are unable to pursue the Road to Kingship to its conclusion, is that so? Silver Dragon!?"

    Galad nodded firmly in response to Princess Yukikaze''s gruff question.

    "Precisely. Please allow me to turn hot blood into blades in this act of traitorous usurpation against the two of you."

    "Haha! What a quick and decisive answer!"

    The princess laughed happily with exhilaration surging in her heart.

    "King Hannibal, leave this guy to me. I wish to personally send him to the underworld with a dragonslaying arrow to pierce his Heartmetal. This kind of man must die in heroic martyrdom, it is my responsibility¡ªYukikaze''s¡ªas a conqueror!"

    "Hmm, Do as you wish if that is what you want. I have no objections."

    The ensuing battle was not worth describing in detail.

    Pavel Galad was an especially powerful member of dragonkind. In addition to expertise in magic, he also possessed an extremely resilient body and mind.

    The princess took on his challenge squarely, even to the point of countering with a devastating blow to him instead.

    It could not be considered a tough battle. Despite her youth, Princess Yukikaze was a dragon king, after all. A Zizou without the power of dragonbane could not possibly cause her any trouble.

    Neither turning her body into a dragon nor summoning minions, she had defeated the silver dragon singlehandedly through her own strength and magic wand.

    The battle lasted no more than a few minutes, probably. Utterly exhausted, Pavel Galad crashed to the ground¡ªCentral Park, the leisure facility for New York citizens in the past.

    The park was quite vast with a number of lakes within its premises.

    In the past, the park had been kept in excellent shape for people to enjoy a simulated form of nature, but now, the area was only occupied by unmaintained mixed forests and overgrown weeds spreading unchecked.

    And above this park, Princess Yukikaze was currently hovering in the sunny sky.

    "You have successfully engraved your valor in my¡ªYukikaze''s¡ªheart. Take this as a parting gift, Silver Dragon. For the sky to be so blue today, it is certainly a good day to die," said Princess Yukikaze as though singing an eulogy.

    She was motionless, roughly ten meters above the ground. What allowed her to hover in midair was a streamlined board underfoot.

    Surface dwellers would probably guess it was a type of surfboard based on its size and shape.

    This was precisely the "magic wand" Prince Yukikaze used habitually.

    Riding her white streamlined magic wand, the princess looked down at the ground below.

    Pavel Galad''s massive body was lying there. One strike from her arrow just now had pierced his silver-white chest to leave a huge gaping hole.

    "I shall ask you once again. If you have any lingering regrets and wish to continue living, then become my possession. A warrior of your caliber is qualified to join my camp."

    Pavel Galad simply lay on the ground without answering.

    He was probably unable to make even a sound. But as though pleading "hurry up and deliver the final blow," he closed his eyes. Without uttering a single word, he conveyed his will clearly.

    "Fufu. What remarkable resolve. What a remarkable final moment. I, Yukikaze, am impressed!"

    The princess focused her thoughts so as to control the streamlined magic wand.

    She wanted to end Galad''s life in as harsh a manner as possible, so as to maximize the magnificence of this man''s death. Hence, she must pour her full strength into the finishing blow¡ª

    The instant Princess Yukikaze swore to herself, her entire body heated up. This was the warning sign prior to turning into a dragon!

    In response to her rising tide of emotion, her body was preparing to explode with the strongest power. Just as Princess Yukikaze intended to simply release her entire body''s heat¡ª

    "Please wait, Lord," spoke a rather hoarse voice, sounding almost rusted.

    It was a familiar male voice. Princess Yukikaze halted her dragon transformation and looked down at the ground again. A human had suddenly stood next to the collapsed silver dragon.

    "What a nostalgic face. You''ve come."

    "I appear anywhere as long as the need arises. This is my destiny. I will go everywhere be it the bottom of the ocean, Hyperborea in the heavens, or even the farthest ends of the universe, the Forgotten Realm beyond the astral gate."

    The male acquaintance''s wording was quite polite. Both his attitude and tone of voice were very respectful.

    However, not the slightest bit of servility could be felt. Like an honest butler in service of a royal palace, he spoke with an aloof tone, carrying himself in an elegant and polite manner.

    "Dedicating himself to the Road to Kingship, he has exhibited potential as a successor."

    "Oh? In other words, this guy is your target today?"

    The man nodded silently in response to Princess Yukikaze''s question.

    In the prime of life with tanned skin, he was dressed in an ordinary black suit that one could buy in any city. Matching his voice, his proper-looking facial features gave an impression of experienced competence.

    "Precisely. During his long search, this dragon has obtained a flint."

    "A fragment of the flint star? That''s quite capable of him, to think he has already satisfied one of the requirements."

    Princess Yukikaze felt satisfied to find out that Pavel Galad was an accomplished figure.

    She had not misjudged him after all. Then she focused her gaze upon the man in the black suit again. Speaking of the devil, Hannibal had just mentioned "a certain human" earlier and now he was here.

    Among those who were not dragon kings, this man was closest to the secrets of Ruruk Soun.

    In other words¡ªPrincess Yukikaze saw through the man''s intentions and smiled with a "hmph." A the same time, she gave up on the thought of delivering a finishing blow. All the excess heat vanished from her body instantly.

    She suddenly jumped off the streamlined board. Landing firmly on the ground, she said, "Which rune do you intend to give this silver dragon?"

    "If he wishes¡ªThis one."

    The man in the black suit opened his hand to instantly reveal a secret rune of Ruruk Soun in the middle of his palm.

    It was a magical symbol composed from three "<" inequality signs stacked in a straight line. Its shape was evocative of a sharp weapon.

    It was undoubtedly a rune of dragonbane, infused with the power of dragonslaying.

    After Princess Yukikaze nodded, the man in the red long coat also approached.

    "Ohoh, how nostalgic. Isn''t this the Rune of the Sword?"

    Hannibal exclaimed in praise. Spontaneously, he landed on the ground in human form.

    "I still remember the dragonslaying sword''s sharpness quite well. Now that is one good rune!"

    "So this is the situation, Pavel Galad."

    The man in the black suit called out to the silver dragon still collapsed on the ground.

    "If you can hear me, muster all strength available to you. If you succeed in grasping this, you will step upon the staircase to kingship. Become the dragonslaying sword''s successor to challenge the Road to Kingship."

    The man invited in a tone of voice that was too sincere to call diabolical.

    Road to Kingship. As soon as these words were heard, the silver dragon instantly opened his tightly shut eyes.

    "Naturally, conferring the power of dragonslaying to you comes with corresponding conditions. I hope you will first face the trial I present to you. If you have no objections to this covenant, extend your hand."

    Pavel Galad''s giant body suddenly shook once.

    With his Heartmetal pierced, this body should not be capable of anything except waiting for the inevitable demise.

    However, he slowly lifted a silver-white left hand stiffly. Bearing five fingers, this dragon palm reached bit by bit towards the man in the black suit.

    This was the instant when the dying silver dragon accepted the covenant.

 Volume 2, 1 - Spending Time After School with Witches

    Volume 2, Chapter 1 - Spending Time After School with Witches

    Part 1

    Entering the latter part of April, spring was hanging in the air everywhere in Tokyo New Town.

    On this spring day, the Kantou region''s warm climate was providing comfortable sunny weather for days on end. However, a certain young beauty was scowling in the classroom of Year 1 Class F.

    Anastasya Rubashvili. Nicknamed Asya.

    The foreign student who had transferred in recently¡ªThat was her cover story. However, she had disassociated herself from "ordinary" schooling for many years already, because she was a witch constantly engaged in research all over Europe and also an expert on magic in the Metaphysical Body of Knowledge.

    She even went through training in the army for a period of time. She was quite adept in close quarters combat and the use of firearms.

    Regarding survival skills in all sorts of environments, her talent was highly acclaimed, even to the point that she was invited to participate in special forces training.

    Indeed, adaptability in every kind of environment was Asya''s special skill.

    Only a few days had passed she started her life as a high school girl, enrolled in the same class as her childhood friend, Haruga Haruomi. Nevertheless, Asya was already making full use of her handy adaptability.

    Despite feeling lost on occasion, she spent her days happily for the most part.

    Hence, feeling unaccustomed to the pressures of school life was not the reason for her unhappiness.

    "Did you know!? I heard that Juujouji-san and Haruga-kun are planning to go on a trip this Golden Week! Of course, it''ll be just the two of them!"

    This. This was precisely the reason for Asya''s agitation.

    The gossip-loving Funaki-san was the female classmate who was striking up conversation with Asya.

    "Th-There''s this kind of rumor going around?"

    Asya smiled artificially while trying hard not to let the displeasure in her heart leak into her voice.

    "B-But even as Haruomi''s childhood friend, I haven''t heard anything about it. Isn''t this kind of rumor too unreliable?"

    "Oh my oh my, but this is a trip with a new girlfriend, you know?"

    The gossip-loving Funaki-san offered her opinion while grinning from ear to ear. She was a petite girl with her hair tied up as twintails on the sides of her head. Furthermore...

    "What kind of boy would actually report back to his childhood friend? I think Haruga-kun will definitely hide this sort of thing."

    Despite her frivolous appearance, Funaki-san was unexpectedly perceptive.

    Indeed, it was highly unlikely that Haruomi would publicize things of such nature. Asya agreed on this point.

    "Since you know that, stop believing rumors that those two are an item..."

    Asya could not help but start grumbling.

    After transferring into Kogetsu Private Academy where her childhood friend and Juujouji Orihime were studying...

    This rumor was the reason why Asya felt shocked and displeased.

    It was also quite infuriating that those two, the subjects of the rumor, did not do anything about it. Haruomi and Orihime''s explanation was "although we denied it outright, it was completely futile." Seeing as that was the case, the newly transferred Asya simply insisted "I don''t know of anything like this. It''s just a rumor!" However¡ª

    "The two of them are very shy, so they won''t admit it publicly no matter what (according to Funaki-san)."

    All Asya got were responses of this sort.

    Today, while Asya was engaging in the Japanese custom of "eating one''s lunchbox early" during break time, Funaki-san had approached her happily to bring the latest news.

    Asya quietly closed her emptied lunchbox and came to a new understanding of one fact.

    This was a type of information warfare. Compared to the truth, people were more inclined to accept rumors matching what they wanted to believe as true. Even lies, once dressed up seriously, could be taken as the truth.

    No amount of denial would work on people who wanted to believe that Haruomi and Orihime were "going out."

    In that case, Asya decided to disclose even more sensational news, to drown out the rumor that had already spread!

    "¡ªActually, there''s something I''ve kept a secret so far."

    Asya feigned a serious expression and lowered her voice.

    "Haruomi isn''t just going out with Orihime-san. In fact, Haruomi also sends flirting glances my way secretly, to his childhood friend. He''s double-timing scum, a terrible good-for-nothing!"

    "You''re so humorous~ Haruga-kun and Asya-san is the one pairing that''s absolutely impossible."

    However, Funaki-san dismissed it simply with a smile. Asya was rendered dumbstruck.

    She thought Funaki-san would be drawn to this news and start spreading rumors without verification!

    "This isn''t a joke. It''s not virtual reality either or something that happened in an online game. It''s honestly the genuine truth, okay? It''s what kids these days would call ''for reals yo''!"

    "Ahaha, you speak excellent Japanese, Asya-san. But your comedy skills aren''t up to par."

    Funaki-san smiled cheerfully, still unconvinced by what Asya said.

    "W-Why do you refuse to believe me!?"

    "This is called a woman''s intuition. A girl''s sixth sense. I totally don''t sense that kind of mood between Haruga-kun and Asya-san, that''s why!"

    "And what kind of mood is that!?"

    "Hmm¡ªthe mood of a possible/imminent/current romantic relationship in progress."

    "Good grief. Here I thought that my trailblazing and innovative tactic would correct people''s erroneous ideas... I''m so disappointed.

    Asya was wolfing down her jumbo-sized S lunch set while remarking poignantly.

    She had gone to the student cafeteria during lunch together with Hal and Orihime. In addition, the "S" designation of the lunch set meant "special," featuring extra large mince cutlets, five pieces of fried chicken, boiled potatoes with butter, Neapolitan pasta whose serving size could hardly be called a side, as well as a massive bowl of rice topped with a huge amount of shredded cabbage.

    "If that so-called innovative tactic were to succeed..."

    Slurping a mouthful of kelp ramen noodles, Hal said:

    "How much do you reckon my reputation would suffer? Asya, can I beg you to choose your battle plans a little more carefully?"

    "But isn''t taking responsibility the manly thing to do in a situation like this one?"

    "However, it seems that Haruga-san is partly to blame for the plan''s failure. After all, Haruga-san never takes initiative to talk to girls because he couldn''t be bothered to take the effort," said Orihime in candor, criticizing Hal nonchalantly.

    Raising her chopsticks to eat grilled pork with ginger sauce lunch set, she offered her opinion.

    Furthermore, it was not coincidence that they were classmates. The school was founded with funding from SAURU and the organization evidently wanted to put all witch-related personnel together in one place.

    "Let''s make this clear first, Juujouji. People do believe that you''re going out with this me you''re describing."

    "Is that so?...Do we really look like such a great match?"

    Orihime tilted her head in curiosity.

    "On the contrary, I find that you get along with Asya-san much better."

    "R-Really? Ahem. Orihime-san, please don''t read anything special from this, but if you don''t mind, have a piece of my fried chicken. My treat."

    "Eh, is that really okay? Fufu, thank you. Then I''ll enjoy the treat."

    "But our situation is more like fate has bound us together for so long that the relationship has gone moldy. It''s only natural for us to get along in one or two areas, so I don''t think there''s anything special here."

    "H-Haruomi, please hand over that piece of braised pork, immediately!

    Thus, lunch at the student cafeteria was spent in this noisy manner. By the time the three of them were almost done eating, Asya showed a complicated expression on her face and suddenly whispered:

    "Sigh, although it''s a shame that people are getting the wrong idea about Haruomi''s relationship with Orihime-san, apart from that, something else displeases me."

    "Oh? How rare."

    Hearing his childhood friend''s grumbling, Hal felt surprised.

    Asya''s special skill was the ability to eat, sleep and live in any country under any environment as comfortably as her homeland, except Islamic regions during Ramadan.

    "When transferring over here, I did prior research on student life in this country. Based on the data I gathered, I learned that Japanese educational institutes would customarily treat beautiful and refined female students as a kind of idol to be praised and worshiped."

    "Did that data come from manga, anime or novels?"

    "All of them. In fact, Orihime-san holds that particular position too."

    "Me? Nothing of that sort. It''s not like I am some sort of popular person."

    "H-How can she make such an oblivious statement so readily again... Fine, forget that for now. Even so, I''ve yet to receive a single love letter in my shoe locker so far. Isn''t that really bizarre?"

    "Asya-san actually has a lovely personality..."

    "Well, I think the problem lies in you, Asya. Like how you finish off two home-packed lunchboxes during the morning, then clean out a full-sized lunch set during lunch, you know? There''s also cooking class last time when you tried to take the gardening club''s rabbit as an ingredient for a stew."

    "I-I thought they were kept at school as emergency rations! And I intended to pay properly for them!"

    "The Gardening Club''s Endou-san was crying that time..."

    Just as Hal ridiculed her, Asya justified herself indignantly and Orihime provided her own innocent comment...

    A very lively looking classmate, the short-haired girl named Mutou-san, was approaching the trio. She was precisely the culprit who had urged Hal and Orihime to join that "UFO Research Club" something or other.

    "Oh, the two of you are here. The transfer student''s with you too."

    Relaxed as ever, Mutou-san spoke to them.

    "Juujouji-san, you said you''d attend the UFO Research Club''s regular meetings, right? There happens to be one today, wanna come? Haruga-kun, please come too if you''re free."

    "Today? Wonderful. I have no other arrangements for today. It''s not a problem at all."

    "Uh, let me see..."

    Just as Hal was trying to find an excuse, Orihime kept staring intently at him and even added a tender smile. Hence, he recalled his earlier promise of "visiting together within the few days."

    "...I happen to be free today too."

    Orihime nodded with satisfaction. Feeling embarrassed, Hal scratched his head as a distraction.

    Seeing that, Asya stood up forcefully for some reason.

    "H-Haruomi, you guys are talking about joining club activities right? Can I come along!?"

    "Wow, the transfer student wants to come too? Of course, I welcome you with open arms."

    "I want to join the club while I''m at it! The numbers aren''t full, right!?"

    "No, of course not. Even if it were full, I''d ignore that fact. I''m so happy. Clearly we were still worrying about a lack of members earlier, but now the sixth member has come knocking on our door automatically."

    Mutou-san grinned from ear to ear after listening to Asya''s request.

    Despite feeling puzzled by his childhood friend''s overly sudden request to join the club, Hal still changed the subject.

    "By the way, are there any boys in the UFO Research Club apart from me? There are three girls already with Mutou-san, Juujouji and Asya, right? It really feels a bit embarrassing if I''m the only boy..."

    "Basically... The boy to girl ratio is a half, I guess."

    After hearing this subtle answer, Hal frowned and repeated "basically?" Hence, Mutou-san added "There are five club members right now. The girls are me and Juujouji-san. The boys are Haruga-kun and someone else. So it happens to be a 2.5 to 2.5 ratio."

    "...Umm, what is that ''.5'' supposed to mean?"

    "To be frank, there''s someone of unknown gender in the club."

    " " "Unknown gender!?" " "

    Hal, Orihime and Asya shouted in surprise simultaneously.

    Part 2

    Kogetsu Academy was situated at Ryougoku in the Sumida Ward. The campus was established roughly ten years ago.

    Before the school''s founding, the Tokyo region''s population was in continual decline due to influences from the Tokyo Concession''s establishment. Furthermore, multiple counts of dragon attacks had laid waste to various places.

    At this rate, depopulation seemed inevitable.

    However, the region was later designated for "redevelopment" as the new capital. During the same period, a new school was established.

    Thanks to that, land was easy to obtain, resulting in a campus much bigger than for most schools.

    Although the academy included middle and high school divisions, both school buildings were located in the same premises. With a mixed forest scattered throughout, the experience was akin to "having a picnic in a vast park" when taking a stroll inside the campus.

    "The sports ground is very large, so the students in athletic clubs are very happy."

    "However, the cultural clubs seem to disagree. The ten-minute-plus walk from the school building to the clubrooms seems like such a pain," replied Hal to Orihime while recalling their journey here.

    One was confronted by a mixed forest immediately after stepping out of the high school division''s building. Only after traversing one of the paths and moving along the baseball field''s edge would one finally arrive at a pair of adjacent school buildings built from steel-reinforced concrete...

    This was the location of the library and the cultural clubs building.

    The former was exactly what its name implied. The latter was a building entirely occupied by rooms for cultural clubs.

    The clubs building had a total of four floors. The UFO Research Club was located on the third floor. Hal, Orihime and Asya had gone out of their way to pay a visit.

    "We''re finally here. The place with the crossdresser of legend..."

    "What are you talking about, Asya? Crossdresser?"

    Hearing his childhood friend''s murmurs, Hal could not help but ask.

    "Didn''t Mutou-san mention it? The UFO Research Club''s president is of unknown gender. I''m thinking that''s a reference to those crossdressers you find in every Japanese school."

    Asya made a knowing look to show off her vast(?) knowledge.

    "Born male but prettier than a girl, surely a creature of such cheating proportions. Perhaps dressed in a maid uniform too."

    "I don''t know whether that should be called cheating or simply belonging to the 2D world..."

    "Mutou-san also mentioned that this person serves as president for five clubs, didn''t she?"

    Orihime also interjected with interest.

    "The UFO Research Club, the Drama Club, the Mass Media Research Club, the Literature Club, the Science Insider Club... A total of five cultural clubs, and a person of unknown gender to boot... It feels quite interesting."

    "Anyway, it''s definitely not someone who lacks individuality," muttered Hal. He recalled Mutou-san''s explanation.

    ''That person¡ªRather than listen to my half-baked description, it''s better if you saw with your own eyes. The president''s family name is Maeda, but because she''s too amazing, everyone calls her President M.''

    ''Why an initial?''

    ''Because no one dares address her by name directly. That''s what you call proof of respect, right?''

    Mutou-san was already waiting at the clubroom. Hal and the others entered the clubs building.

    They climbed up the stairs, advanced along the hallway then knocked on the door labeled "UFO Research"...

    "Oh, you''ve arrived. Come in, come in."

    Just as Hal and the others entered the clubroom, welcomed by Mutou-san, over there was¡ª

    "Great that you have all come, I am M," said the eccentric who referred to herself with an initial.

    President M was dressed in a black female outfit resembling maternity wear. Her figure was quite plump and she looked roughly 140kg.

    Hal was reminded of doguu¡ªearthen figurines dating back to prehistoric Japan''s J¨­mon Period. Some have speculated that the doguu were "maternal" symbols.

    President M had pale skin and round eyes, but was absolutely not someone you would describe as beautiful.

    "You are the newest club members, aren''t you? Please visit me in the future whenever you have time. Even if I am not in this clubroom, I will surely be somewhere within the clubs building."

    A husky and rich voice. It was reminiscent of both a male''s falsetto and a noblewoman''s voice.

    In other words, what was commonly called an effeminate man... Maybe? Besides, was this person actually female? Just as Hal pondered the complexities of gender differences, Orihime inquired:

    "You mentioned you might not be here... Is that due to going to other clubs?"

    Even when confronted with an eccentric, she could still carry a conversation very naturally. This impressive adaptability was truly befitting of Juujouji Orihime.

    "Indeed. As the president, I am obliged to look after everyone belonging to my clubs like a mother. That is why I have to rush all over the place."

    "Mother!? Did you just say mother!?"

    "Yes. The chosen ones in possession of power must take on responsibility commensurate with their abilities. That is why I must protect and guide everyone."

    President M''s statements had too many problems but Hal could not be bothered to nitpick. Orihime nodded in apparent awe and surprise. The president''s sense of presence probably convinced her thoroughly.

    Of the various points of doubt, the greatest was whether President M was an effeminate man or a girl. Since she had described herself as a "mother," Hal decided he might as well treat mother as the gender. After rapidly reaching this realm of enlightenment, Hal greeted:

    "Although I won''t really need you to look after me, I look forward to getting along with you."

    "Oh... Really? So you are that kind of child."

    "Huh?"

    "It seems that you''ve got a troublesome personality and you won''t open your heart to others immediately."

    "......"

    "But no matter. One day, you too shall realize my love and feel grateful to me. Offering silent yet powerful support is a mother''s role, after all."

    President M spoke in an aloof tone of voice. To think that this kind of eccentric also existed in a Japanese high school¡ª

    Just as Hal was feeling deeply impressed, Asya broke her silence.

    "By the way, excuse me. I''d like to join the club too. Is this alright with procedures?"

    She spoke very calmly, completely unfazed by President M''s unusual qualities.

    There were many eccentrics among certified master-class witches, hence Asya was probably accustomed to them.

    "Once I join the club, that will put me in the same position as Haruomi and Orihime-san, which means we can stay together openly and I won''t get excluded just because you two are attending a club. Fufu."

    "Oh, please give me a second."

    President M stopped Asya who was smiling calmly.

    "The UFO Research Club huh... The required five members are already filled. Right now, the Literature Club needs help with the member count. Why don''t you join the Literature Club?"

    "W-What are you talking about? I''m not interested in that kind of club, okay?"

    "It will be more convenient for you too. Well... I shall explain about that side in greater detail. Follow me!

    Like a gigantic whale breaking the surface of the ocean to emerge, President M moved with a whoosh.

    Despite her massive build, her movements were quite fast. Like a flash flood in the mountains after heavy rain, President M charged towards the clubroom''s door with a rumble. And by the time she realized, Asya found herself towed by the hand.

    "Eh? W-Wait up, President!? I don''t need to hear that kind of explanation¡ª!"

    It was futile even if she objected. Thus, Asya was forcibly dragged out of the clubroom.

    Too great a difference in bodyweight. Unless she invoked Muscle Enhancement magic, the childhood friend whose figure was as delicate as a fairy''s had no hope of winning against the president.

    "The rest of you, just kill time as you wish!"

    Leaving this command, President M departed.

    "W-What exactly is this place?''

    "The Literature Club''s room. However, I am the sole member as president."

    Asya had been taken to a room on the far end of the clubs building''s third floor.

    A steel bookcase was against the wall with a great number of novels and manga arranged on it.

    "I have reasons why I must join the UFO Research Club no matter what."

    Although President M was quite a bizarre eccentric, Asya was not afraid at all. In the process of interacting with her fellow witches, Asya had become accustomed to dealing with this type of person.

    "I appreciate your invitation to join, but unfortunately, it doesn''t seem like we were fated to¡ª"

    "If you refuse to join no matter what, I won''t force you... But are you sure? If you stay in the same club as that girl, more than likely, you are going to lose."

    Hearing something so fishy sounding, Asya tilted her head in puzzlement. Going to lose?

    "You don''t want Haruga to be snatched away by that Juujouji girl, do you?"

    "!?"

    Asya was speechless. They had only met President M for less than ten minutes. How did she know all this?

    However, Asya could not bring herself to admit it, hence she desperately searched for words.

    "Nothing of that sort. Please don''t say such nonsense."

    "Fufufu... I know all of it, because I possess a special power that ordinary people lack."

    "Special power!?"

    President M had whispered something that would fit right in a superhero action film.

    On that round and surprisingly charismatic face, Asya could definitely see a seductive smile.

    "Indeed. Using my skill, Feeling Love, reading and interpreting a love situation of that level is a piece of cake!"

    "Even if you call it a love situation or whatever, I completely fail to understand what you mean."

    "To put it bluntly, I am talking about your maidenly feelings that does not want your man, more than a friend but less than a lover, to be snatched away!"

    "Kyahhhhhhh!"

    Her internal thoughts and feelings utterly exposed, Asya could not help but scream in the end.

    Skill¡ªWas that referring to a discerning eye that could spot openings in human relationships through excellent perception? Asya was gradually swallowed by President M''s pressure.

    "I can see many other things too... At your very core, you seem to have a loser''s personality, basically acting very ''forceful'' for the most part but turning into a coward at critical moments..."

    "Ouch! This sharp blade of words is stabbing deeply into my heart!"

    "Even if this sort of half-baked carnivorous cowardly girl were to participate ''forcefully'' in club activities with him, the end result will be no different from before. No, because there is that girl, as bright as the sun, acting as a foil, I fear the result will be even worse."

    "Owwwwwww!"

    "In that case, I will take this opportunity to invoke another skill, Wedding Eye, to predict your future... I see it, your future self twenty years from now."

    "If you''re just going to rub salt into the wound, please keep your words to yourself."

    "...Although the occupation is unknown, you look like you''ll be a overachieving career woman twenty years from now. As a woman with outstanding achievements in her career, you spend each and every day productively. But when you return to the condo you recently bought, there is not a soul waiting at home... Emptiness and loneliness occupies your heart the whole time. Your only distraction is alcohol..."

    "Sob..."

    "Oh dear, your twenty years older self seems to have a great collection of red wine. With a special wine cellar, you must be making bank... Still, rather than marrying a weird man, perhaps ownership of wealth might turn out to be a happier life..."

    "Your realistic descriptions make me feel like it will really happen, so please, have mercy on me!"

    Taking a heavy blow, Asya could not help but collapse on the Literary Club''s floor, clutching her head.

    "I-I can''t help it. It''s not like I know how to express myself fully..."

    With depressed feelings, Asya began to draw circles on the floor tiles with her index finger.

    "Haruomi is a dense blockhead while Orihime-san is able to nurture affection through her naturally airheaded personality. That''s why I wanted to join in club activities together at least..."

    "Your decision is basically sound."

    President M placed her head on Asya''s shoulder and spoke.

    "What you lack is the sensuality, luck, judgment, vitality, acting skills, perceptiveness and self-expression abilities required to bring out your hidden potential..."

    "H-Hold on, that''s going too far. You''re making me sound like I have no merits whatsoever."

    "No helping it, both your feminine charm and romance standard score are too low."

    "Sob sob sob..."

    "However, your arrival here can be considered fate. If you are willing to follow me... I could train you up properly."

    "¡ªPresident! Why are you willing to do so much for me!?"

    Asya forcefully looked up and asked, prompting President M to exhale forcefully through her nose with a "hmm-hmm."

    "Didn''t I say this already? It is my mission to protect and guide all my club members!"

    Unaware that this encounter would end up being a turning point in her life, Asya could only stare in astonishment at President M''s intrepid face.

    Meanwhile, in the UFO Research Club''s room after the president and Asya had left...

    "It suddenly feels so quiet..." muttered Hal with deep feeling.

    "Anyway, I guess the president''s gender can be found out with a bit of investigation."

    "Indeed. After all, the school has physical examinations too."

    Orihime nodded in agreement with Hal, but Mutou-san shook her head.

    "This is what''s strange about this school. The administration provides maximum accommodation if someone wants to hide this type of personal information, keeping it undisclosed as long as the person in question refuses to release it. Haven''t you noticed that there''s even a washroom for a ''third sex'' in school?"

    "Now that you mention it, I remember high schools in Thailand are apparently the same..."

    Hal decided not to pursue the matter. Instead, he started to examine the clubroom again.

    This was a room that could be found in any high school, not particularly spacious, completely devoid of individuality. In the center, six desks were arranged to form rectangle and serve as a conference table.

    However, the room was quite well-equipped.

    There were two desktop PCs and two laptops. There was also a computer commonly used in the publishing industry, manufactured by a certain company whose symbol was a red fruit. In addition, there was an inkjet printer and a laser printer that were capable of printing A3-size documents, camera-type devices, what appeared to be reference books, and many files...

    "How on earth did a high school club get all this stuff?"

    "I heard that they were either donated by generations of club members or obtained through President M''s connections."

    Mutou-san answered Hal''s question.

    Since the president had gone off, she was the only club member present who knew what club activities were about. Hence, Orihime asked:

    "By the way, there is another boy apart from Haruga-kun, right? Is he not around?"

    "Oh, you mean Sakuraba-senpai. I think you won''t have much chance of meeting him."

    "Is he a ghost member?"

    "Exactly the opposite. It''s because he immediately leaves school every day to gather information on dragons as soon as lessons are over."

    The UFO Research Club''s mission was to collect news about UFOs, i.e. dragons, then disseminate widely to the masses.

    Sakuraba-senpai was apparently quite zealous in these activities.

    "From what I''ve heard, he''s the complete opposite of a shut-in and never goes home obediently. But that''s exactly why he''s able to get his hands on the scoop for all kinds of astounding stories. For example¡ª"

    Mutou-san pulled one of the laptops on the table closer.

    Flipping the screen open to activate the system from sleep mode, she presented a certain photo to Hal and Orihime.

    "This is a ''serpent'' that has never been discovered in the Kantou region before, possibly a ''new type.'' That was what Sakuraba-senpai wrote in the activity report."

    It was a photo depicting a wild beast. Hal was greatly surprised. Orihime most likely felt the same.

    Its fur was white but reflective portions were glowing with crimson light. Its appearance was a hybrid between a wolf and a fox. The most striking characteristic consisted of the nine long thick tails¡ª

    It was the mighty visage of the recently born leviathan and Orihime''s partner, Akuro-Ou.

    Part 3

    "That Research Club turns out to be a gathering of many people even stranger than imagined..."

    "Yeah, it''s quite surprising..."

    Hal and Asya exchanged opinions with heartfelt emotion.

    Their visit to the UFO Research Club had taken place a few days earlier. April was finally reaching an end while Golden Week had started. Today was also a holiday, which was why the two of them had been walking in a residential neighborhood within the K¨­t¨­ ward since morning.

    "Right. In the end, Asya, you still joined the Literature Club, but is that really okay?"

    "I have thought over that a lot too. Just watch, I will take this chance to reinvent myself."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Fufufu. Haruomi, you''ll understand sooner or later..."

    The two of them arrived in front of a certain Shinto shrine then passed through a torii gate to enter its premises. The place was quite vast but they did not see the person they were supposed to meet.

    Just as Hal and Asya were looking around next to the worship hall and offering box, someone called out to them:

    "Haruga-kun, over here!"

    Hal looked in the voice''s direction. Some distance away from the worship hall was a wooden building.

    It looked like a dojo. Orihime was leaning out a window and waving to them. Instantly, Hal''s eyes widened in surprise. This was...!

    Today, Orihime was dressed in neither school uniform nor casual clothing.

    Instead, it was what one would call a shrine maiden outfit. Traditional Japanese attire with a white top paired with a scarlet hakama. The fabric was flimsy while her voluptuous figure was highly attractive. Furthermore, Orihime was leaning forward greatly through the window, fully emphasizing her body''s uncontrolled curves. Hal suddenly smiled.

    If Hal were to look into a mirror this moment, perhaps he might find the reflection of a nihilistic smile belonging to a perfect villain.

    "Haruomi...? It''s rare for you to make such an intense expression, what''s the matter?"

    "No, it''s nothing. Juujouji is waiting for us, let''s hurry."

    Asya questioned with a puzzled look but Hal swept the issue under the rug nonchalantly and swiftly made his way to the dojo.

    It was a wooden building with a venerable air of majesty. Its ancient atmosphere nurtured a sense of staid stability. As they entered, the one who came to greet them was not Orihime but another shrine maiden.

    "Nice to see you again. Sorry for causing trouble for you last time..."

    Orihime''s younger cousin, the leviathan Minadzuki''s covenantee, as well as Hal''s underclassman in the middle school division.

    This petite girl, dressed as a shrine maiden, was named Shirasaka Hazumi.

    She hastily lowered her head and bowed. Hazumi had been taken hostage by Soth. After the battle, she had to be hospitalized briefly to be examined. During her stay at the hospital, Hal and Asya had visited her only once, under Orihime''s lead. This was their first time meeting again after that.

    "Is your health fine now?"

    "Yes, I am fine... But Minadzuki is still¡ª"

    In a coma after Soth drank her blood, Minadzuki still showed no signs of recovery as yet.

    Hazumi bowed her head sadly after answering Asya''s question.

    A single glance was enough to tell that Hazumi had a very gentle personality. Hal found himself somehow unable to gaze at her directly, so he turned to face Orihime as though to hide his embarrassment.

    "By the way, why are you dressed as shrine maidens today?"

    "Because I am working here for the morning. Both Hazumi''s and my family are parishioners of this shrine, so we are occasionally asked to take on shrine maiden jobs."

    Hal nodded after listening to her explanation. Orihime and Hazumi''s shrine maiden look definitely did not look like cosplay. He got the feeling that they were very used to wearing such outfits.

    "In fact, the mirror we used in the ritual last time was found thanks to the goodwill of people on the shrine side."

    "Oh I see, you mean what was used for Akuro-Ou''s heartmetal."

    "Since we''re going to discuss witch matters, it''s not like we could sit down and talk over tea in a nearby shop, right? That is why I borrowed this dojo."

    "It feels quite weird for a shrine to have a dojo."

    Hanging on a wall in the dojo was a scroll reading "Katori Daimyojin," very heavy looking wooden swords, staves of various lengths, paginates made of wood, etc, contributing to a very solemn atmosphere.

    "Is this where they hold something like sword training?"

    "Yes. During the late Shogunate period, the shrine''s chief priest was a master of Ono-ha Itt¨­-ry¨±, the Ono school''s one-sword style. It was said that he built this dojo after he had attained full mastery of the art. I also learn kendo here."

    "Eh, you too?"

    "Orihime-neesama has been widely praised for her ability since a long time ago."

    Hazumi smiled demurely.

    Her smiles were still so strikingly memorable.

    Perhaps one could say her smiles were extremely dazzlingly. In particular, the sense of transparency was shocking. Even Hal forgot his earlier embarrassment and could not help but gaze intently.

    Still, he felt a bit uncomfortable. To disguise these feelings, Hal asked a question:

    "Uh... By widely praised, do you mean she entered a competition or something?"

    "Yes, she has also entered those types of competitions. Nee-sama has been training in kendo until she graduated middle school, even emerging victorious in a national competition once."

    Probably happy to discuss Orihime''s excellence, Hazumi was showing a gentle smile.

    It was not a fake smile put on intentionally.

    In terms of purity, it was 100% sincere. Just by reading her expression, one could tell that she truly loved her older cousin.

    Confronted with her dazzling smiling face, Hal scratched his head and was overwhelmed with the urge to look away.

    That being said, there were questionable points to what she had just said.

    "Excuse me, Hazumi-san? There''s something I don''t quite understand," Asya asked, apparently noticing the same issue.

    "Apart from ''those types'' of official competitions, what other matches can determine ability? Sorry, I''m not too familiar with sports in Japan."

    "Ah yes. Actually, I''m not too sure either."

    While Hazumi was answering, Hal turned his gaze to the person in question.

    Orihime took down a wooden sword that was hanging on the wall and said "wow, this sure brings back memories" as though she had not heard their conversation. It was definitely too unnatural.

    Hal''s suspicions turned to certainty. Hazumi''s next words reinforced his notion.

    "But as a child, Nee-sama has always been ''a girl stronger than any boy.'' This was well-known in the neighborhood. I heard that there were even skilled boys who deliberately came from neighboring areas to challenge her."

    "Coming to challenge her... So picking fights, basically?"

    As soon as Hal muttered, Hazumi hastily shook her head.

    "F-Fights!? Nothing of that sort. Nee-sama always called them ''an honest match'' or ''a fair and square contest,'' you know?"

    "Those can all be interpreted as ''fights.''"

    "Ehhh?"

    Nodding at Hazumi, who had jumped in surprise, Hal then looked at Orihime.

    The former kendo girl, who had deliberately altered her image, smiled as though she had been caught red-handed.

    "Oh dear, everyone was so mischievous back in elementary school. Even then, someone like me already graduated from all such affairs by sixth grade, before advancing to middle school."

    "That seems a bit late in terms of graduating."

    "I only took on boys who bullied the weak and I never used a bamboo sword just because I was learning kendo. At most, I only employed judo techniques that Grandfather had taught me personally."

    "In your own way, you were also bullying the weak."

    "In any case, the title of the chivalrous ''Kotengu of Fukakawa'' that circulated around was referring to me. As a hero of justice, I guess I could be called Anba-Tengu too."

    "You picked that nickname yourself, right? Making references to tengu in this day and age, that''s really in your style."

    Speaking of which, Orihime had claimed before that contrary to appearances, she was actually quite good at fighting.

    Her grounds for making such a claim was apparently based on this childhood phase of hers as well as her victory in a national kendo competition.

    "Fine, fine, it''s all in the past anyway. I don''t practice kendo anymore due to working as a witch," Orihime finished lightheartedly then gazed at everyone''s face in turn.

    "By the way, I have something to report to all of you. I met Yukari-san yesterday... and she casually asked about how Akuro-Ou was born."

    " "Ugh." "

    Hiiragi Yukari held an executive position in the research organization SAURU and at the same time, she was also the technical consultant in charge of all witches in the Kantou region.

    There was no way to evade her discerning eye after all? Hal and Asya groaned together.

    "After all, the way Akuro-Ou suddenly joined the battle last time was too unnatural..."

    "In any case, I managed to pull through using the explanation we agreed on: ''By the time I realized, Akuro-Ou''s spirit had come to me. We tried to conduct the ritual and it succeeded.''"

    "Will Hiiragi-san believe it?"

    "Even if we reported the truth, it''s hard to say whether she''ll trust me."

    Hinokagutsuchi, the Rune of the Bow, the special ritual of Akuro-Ou''s birth¡ª

    Too many mysteries. The power of the rune was too great. There was no way to predict how things would unfold if they were to report everything recklessly. All Hal could see in front of him were tricky matters of this sort.

    Before more information was gathered, they should adhere to strict confidentiality for now.

    "However, Hiiragi-san should be busy at the moment, trying to find a new location to move the Mansion, so she probably won''t pursue the matter seriously for now... I hope," Asya said.

    The reclaimed land at Shin-Kiba had turned into a battlefield last time. During the battle, flames discharged by Raak Al Soth had fallen upon the Witch Mansion there.

    In the end, the fire had gone on to incinerate the building completely because it was not extinguished in time.

    Fortunately, the vault was underground so the large number of grimoires and magical apparatus had remained safe.

    Headed by Hiiragi-san, involved personnel were currently busy running all over the place to secure a place to serve as a temporary Mansion and move these items over.

    "Speaking of which, that Hinokagutsuchi hasn''t shown up lately."

    Hal recalled the self-styled devil who had a habit of hiding.

    Despite her ways, she was also a valuable source of information. Hal wanted to talk to her occasionally.

    "First, let''s start by going through Pops'' materials to investigate about that stone."

    The magical stone hidden in his father''s effects. The stone that Hinokagutsuchi had called the flint.

    Through what kind of channels had Hal''s father, Haruga Takafumi, obtained it? Hal decided to begin his investigation from this point.

    Part 4

    "No matter what, meals are the most important. There''s a Japanese proverb that says you can''t fight wars on empty stomachs, so let''s have lunch. I''m famished."

    With extra emphasis added at the end, Asya''s declaration brought an end to the discussion.

    After waiting for Orihime and Hazumi to change into casual clothing, the group went to a nearby park. Taking over a table that happened to be empty in the resting area, they began to have lunch.

    "Today I brought a specially prepared Chinese-style lunch. Chinese cooking is one of my specialties, so please enjoy, everyone!"

    Probably quite confident in the food''s flavor, Asya announced with pride.

    Back when he heard Asya say "I made lunch for today!" earlier, Hal wondered if he should run to the pharmacy to pick up some indigestion medication first.

    In contrast, a fresh face had eyes shining brightly in anticipation.

    "Really? Wow, I''m so excited."

    That was Hazumi. Her clear eyes were truly infused with extremely bright light.

    "Asya-san is really talented in cooking. I am positive it will be very delicious," Orihime further incited Hazumi''s expectations. Despite having eaten Asya''s "home cooking" at the Haruga house once before, Orihime smiled cheerfully. She probably thought the menu and portions just happened to be very "substantial" at the time.

    Then Asya finally unveiled the packed lunch she had brought.

    "These sticky rice dumplings were left over from yesterday. You can choose between fillings of braised pork, sweet potato, mountain vegetables, or braised beef... Anyway, all kinds of flavors."

    "That''s amazing! What a feast!"

    "There''s also youlinji¡ªChinese-style deep-fried chicken. The sweet and spicy sauce is a special recipe I came up with after research and experimenting. Make no mistake, you won''t be able to taste this flavor anywhere else. Ehe."

    "To think you went that far!?"

    "Then there''s huiguo rou¡ªtwice-cooked pork, mapo eggplant, mapo doufu, shrimp and squid stir fry, and pidan¡ªthousand-year-old egg. In addition, there''s very simple stuff like fried beansprouts, fried pea sprouts, fried water spinach. Spring rolls, qingjiao rousi¡ªstir fried pork and green peppers, steamed chicken with chop suey..."

    Wham, wham, wham, Asya brought out food repeatedly.

    The container was a seven-layered stackable box set that had made her so touched that she exclaimed "I can''t believe there''s a lunch box with so many layers!" and instantly purchased it upon seeing it at the food utensil section of a Japanese department store.

    Every vegetable dish was shiny due to her use of the Chinese cooking technique of deep-frying food to partially cook it before subjecting it to further stages of cooking.

    Perfect visual and olfactory presentation, intensely rich flavors, so many dishes that they almost overflowed the table, such was precisely Asya''s Chinese cooking. Orihime widened her eyes.

    Then seemingly with a pensive expression of total comprehension, she nodded.

    "Speaking of which, Asya-san seems to say she''s hungry quite frequently..."

    "Amazing... A-Are we able to finish all of this...?"

    On the other hand, although Hazumi had initially gazed at Asya with touched emotions and respect...

    Confronted with Asya''s portions and variety, even she could not hide her wavering. However, she suddenly looked up with a determined expression and said in strong tone of voice:

    "U-Umm, it looks very delicious. I will try my best!"

    "Fufufufu. Bon appetit. Don''t be shy and start tasting without delay."

    "Y-Yes!"

    Hazumi, nodding firmly, and Asya, who had overestimated other people''s appetites.

    Although they were both petite girls, they stood in stark contrast to each other.

    Still, Hazumi was truly brave. Unlike Hal who had quickly concluded it was impossible to finish, she encouraged herself to eat all the food no matter what.

    Surely, she must think that it would be disrespectful to Asya if there were any leftovers.

    What a good girl¡ªThinking that, Hal started lunch too. During times like these, Hal would limit himself to eating an amount that would not strain his digestive system, but today, he might possibly have to stuff his stomach to the limit.

    "Oh right. I recently heard a rumor about Haruomi and Orihime-san having plans to go on a private trip during Golden Week."

    "Me and Juujouji? When did this kind of rumor start spreading...?"

    "C-Cough."

    "Are you alright, Nee-sama!?"

    Hazumi handed a bottle of green tea to Orihime who had suddenly choked.

    Meanwhile, Asya sharpened her gaze while swallowing a mouthful of deep-fried chicken.

    "This reaction... Is the rumor''s source actually a grave you dug yourself, Orihime-san?"

    "W-What grave? Nothing of that sort. Listen to me, Asya-san¡ª"

    "Oh, I see what caused it. There was one time when Juujouji came to me very suddenly to ask if I could find air tickets for ''a three-day-two-night trip to either Korea or Taiwan'' for the holiday next week. Now that I think back in detail, there were classmates around at the time."

    "I was thinking that I could definitely secure round-trip tickets at least if I relied on Haruga-kun''s shady connections..."

    "Well, if you don''t mind a smuggler''s ship, I could arrange one for you, but please be aware that they don''t set sail on a date and route at your convenience."

    "Y-You know those kinds of people?"

    Hazumi stared wide-eyed, prompting Hal to answer "yeah" ambiguously.

    If one were to use an analogy of black and white, Hal would be living comfortably in the gray area approaching black. He definitely did not dare display his true nature in front of a "good girl" like her.

    On the other hand, Hazumi was impressed for some reason and quietly whispered:

    "Smugglers... I read about them on news occasionally. So I see..."

    "Oh no, that won''t work, Hazumi. I can''t let you cross borders using that kind of method. I was thinking of using this rare chance to take her traveling abroad."

    "Eh!? Take me traveling!?"

    "Yes. Think about it, Minadzuki is currently in convalescence. And you''ve never gone traveling ever since you became a witch, right? That''s why I suddenly got the idea that I might as well make use of this holiday to take you traveling."

    "Nee-sama..."

    "Are you sure you want to take a girl like her on an overseas trip with a densely packed itinerary when she''s not used to long journeys?"

    "Well, I just wanted to try asking first. If you could book an itinerary that seems nice, I would then recommend it to Hazumi¡ªOh, a call from Yukari-san."

    Orihime took out her suddenly ringing cellphone from her bag.

    Then she placed her phone on the center of the table.

    Displayed on the LCD screen was Hiiragi Yukari''s photo. Wearing red-rimmed glasses, her appearance was that of an intellectual beauty. However, that inexplicably weary gaze of hers was very striking.

    "What''s the matter, Yukari-san? Asya-san and Hazumi happen to be here too."

    After picking up the call using speakerphone, Orihime started the conversation.

    Somehow, they had apparently developed a straightforward relationship eschewing the use of polite language.

    Hal was told that prior to becoming a witch, Orihime had sought out Hiiragi-san to talk many times. Especially after Akuro-Ou''s birth, the two of them probably met every three days.

    ''That''s wonderful. It''s quite sudden but I''m afraid it''s bad news, okay?''

    Hiiragi-san cut straight to the chase and dispensed with pleasantries.

    ''Nine Raptors seem to be moving west on the Pacific currently, having broken past the defensive line at Ogasawara Islands. Judging from their route of advance, they are expected to reach the Kantou region. Since the situation could escalate into an emergency, I would like to request Orihime-san to make preparations for interception.''

    "Nee-sama and Asya-san left."

    Hazumi remarked quietly in sadness, because her partner Minadzuki was still in "convalescence."

    In contrast, Asya departed together with Orihime, leaving the half-eaten lunch behind.

    Like Hazumi''s, her partner was also in poor shape. Nevertheless, she was in charge of supporting Orihime who was still inexperienced.

    "It feels so strange now when I still had to mobilize not so long ago..."

    Left in the park together with Hal, Hazumi''s countenance darkened in worry.

    In the middle of tidying up the leftovers of the Chinese lunch, Hal stopped what he was doing and said:

    "Akuro-Ou is a ''serpent'' that''s so strong that it doesn''t resemble a newborn. Also, Asya went with them too. Even if they''re fighting Raptors, I don''t think there''ll be much risk."

    Actually, there was an attached condition of "accidents could happen any time."

    Of course, Hal did not say it out loud. Hence, the younger witch suddenly smiled at him. Her smile was a bit stiff with a reduced sense of transparency compared to usual.

    "I suppose... you are right. Very well. I''ve decided to believe in Nee-sama and Asya-san too. Just like you, Haruga-san."

    Hazumi''s smile seemed a bit forced.

    Apparently noticing Hal''s consideration for her, she tried to comfort him instead, telling him not to worry about her. Caught directly in Hazumi''s candid gaze, Hal really could not get his mind to settle down.

    It felt rather uncanny. Due to Hazumi''s excessive obedience, Hal felt intimidated instead.

    Hal found Hazumi to be someone very difficult to deal with, but in a completely different way compared to Orihime.

    "However, what Hiiragi-san said just now was very concerning. I heard that there are dragons flying into other places apart from the Kantou region..."

    Hazumi showed a slightly solemn expression again. This news was part of what Hiiragi-san had told them.

    ''Although we are currently still gathering information, the various islands are apparently under attack from flocks of Raptors. Simultaneously. All personnel involved in Japan''s domestic defense are apparently bickering fiercely over the matter. If a solution is found to take care of the Raptors flying towards the Kantou region, Orihime-san might need to be dispatched to regions that are lacking manpower.''

    "Dragon Strikes" launched by lesser dragons, Raptors.

    Such attacks were supposed to happen sporadically. It was essentially impossible for flocks of dragons to coordinate with one another in advance to attack predetermined locations in an organized manner.

    The only exception was when elite dragons were involved¡ª

    At this moment, a certain pompous girl suddenly spoke up:

    "Hmm... The flavors are not bad, reaching a passing standard, but I would really like an alcoholic beverage to rinse away the grease in my mouth. The humans who offered tribute to me in the past were never negligent in this aspect."

    Hal looked in the direction of the voice. Without him noticing, a girl in a kimono had sat down next to him.

    The scarlet attire was reminiscent of crimson flames. Her black hair was tied with a red ribbon. Despite her appearance as a cute little girl, her true identity was an elite dragon''s ghost¡ª

    Hinokagutsuchi nimbly delivered qingjiao rousi into her mouth using chopsticks.

    "You... can still eat?"

    "I seldom eat or drink because it is not essential. By the way, brat, I smell a powder keg on earth."

    Meanwhile, meeting the scarlet-clad ghost for the first time, Hazumi stared wide-eyed.

    Even so, she opened her mouth while suppressing her surprise, perhaps intending to greet Hinokagutsuchi. However, Hinokagutsuchi waved her hand with customary arrogance to stop Hazumi.

    "Little shrine maiden, I already know your background and you must have heard about me too. In that case, fresh introductions are unnecessary. Too much of a hassle."

    "Y-Yes. I have heard from Nee-sama and others about you already."

    "Naturally, if you feel compelled to kneel and prostrate yourself in awe of my disposition as a noble queen, I shall not prevent you."

    "!? You are¡ªa queen!?"

    "Fufufufu. It is a thing of the past."

    Hal wondered if Hazumi''s innocence had piqued her interest, but Hinokagutsuchi seemed a bit pleased.

    Then her lips curled malevolently as she threw Hal a slight glance.

    "Brat, an unwelcome guest might be showing up at your doorstep soon. When the time comes, your caliber shall be tested... It is fine for you to chase after mysteries, but do not lower your guard in any event."

    Confronted with this sudden warning, Hal frowned.

    While Hal and company were in Tokyo New Town, listening to news of the incoming Raptors...

    Platinum-colored flames were burning on a small Pacific island.

    The location was in the waters near the Ogasawara Islands, at an unpopulated island where seagulls were the only creatures one could call residents. Scorching and mysterious, platinum flames were burning on this rock-covered remote island.

    These were supernatural flames produced by the magic of dragons.

    And they were identical to the flames that Raak Al Soth had created in the past.

    This time, the flames were burning Pavel Galad, an elite dragon with metallic silver scales.

    Roughly two weeks prior, he had been defeated by the dragon king known as "Princess Yukikaze."

    However, the massive hole in his chest had already healed while his almost destroyed heartmetal was gradually recovering normal functionality.

    The reason for his revival was held in the center of Pavel Galad''s palm. Engraved upon the dragon''s right palm was a runic symbol consisting of three Vs.

    This was precisely the power of dragonbane that Galad had inherited¡ªThe Rune of the Sword.

    "My body''s total recovery is imminent. Soon enough, I will complete preparations for battle... Before that comes to pass, my minions, fly over to that land on my behalf to blow the horns of war declaration. Let the citizens of the land, rightfully mine, Pavel Galad''s, to conquer, bear witness to my burning spirit."

    An elongated series of islands lay further west in the ocean. He was sending his minions there.

    While issuing commands to them, Galad''s body continued to burn with platinum-colored flames. This was a trial imposed upon him as the price for obtaining the Rune of the Sword.

    "To conquer that land and claim it as my territory¡ªThat is precisely the trial bestowed upon me!''

    The silver dragon, Pavel Galad, had acquired the power of dragonbane.

    Unbeknownst to Hal and company, his invasion was going to change the future dramatically¡ª

 Volume 2, 2 - Shadow of the Uninvited Visitor

    Volume 2, Chapter 2 - Shadow of the Uninvited Visitor

    Part 1

    "But aren''t the dragons flying from the Pacific Ocean towards the Miura Peninsula¡ªapproaching Kanagawa!? Is it really okay to land here!?"

    Juujouji Orihime had to yell as hard as she could over the noise of the propeller blades.

    The white helicopter transporting Orihime and Asya had just landed.

    This was the Witch Mansion''s former site at Shin-Kiba''s redevelopment zone. The earlier battle had turned parts of the area into scorched earth.

    "Even if we head straight to the scene, we are not going to make it in time!"

    Asya opened the landed helicopter''s cabin door fiercely while explaining.

    After parting ways with Hal and Hazumi, the two of them had gone to a nearby elementary school. In order to rush to the scene in the shortest time possible, this helicopter had come specifically to "pick them up." Using the school yard as an impromptu helipad, the helicopter took off as soon as the two girls boarded¡ª

    However, inside the cabin, Asya requested a change of destination, hence, in the end, they landed here in Shin-Kiba.

    "By the time we get there, it''s likely the SDF and the TPDO''s intercepting forces will have started engaging the Raptors in battle."

    Asya walked briskly towards the seashore while declaring simply.

    "It would be a pointless waste of military budget and human resources if they have to mobilize with us on the scene."

    "But you just said we won''t make it in time."

    "Let me use this excellent opportunity to tell you about the most effective solution. I want you to use the magic I taught you recently and apply it in actual combat."

    "Y-You want me to use that!?"

    Following behind Asya, Orihime panicked. She had basic understanding on how to use magic and previous successes when testing things out, but whether she had confidence or not¡ª

    "Here''s a question, just in case. Can I say that I am not confident?"

    "Sure, but even without confidence in yourself, you must still present me with success."

    "Understood. I guess this is the sink or swim approach. I never thought you''d turn out to be a coach from hell, Asya-san."

    "It''s all thanks to you being an obedient pupil, Orihime-san. Very good."

    The two of them arrived at the seashore that had breakwaters for coastal defense.

    Along the way, police officers in tactical unit uniforms could be seen from time to time. Reportedly, they belonged to the Metropolitan Police Department''s urban rescue team. They seemed to be monitoring the cordoned area around the Mansion.

    "I thought it was the SDF''s job to assist witches?"

    "It seems that witch support in Japanese urban areas is under police jurisdiction. My impression is that the military¡ªno, the SDF¡ªis more in charge of patrolling, fighting on the frontlines when ''serpents'' are not dispatched, as well as handling aftermaths."

    "Hello."

    A young man in a well-worn suit spoke to them.

    He was Kenjou Genya, a member of SAURU''s Tokyo New Town branch. Were it not for his sloppy appearance, most prominently an unkempt beard, he would more than likely be considered a handsome man.

    "And to think I specially prepared a helicopter in order to transport you two as quickly as possible."

    Kenjou remarked with a completely carefree expression.

    "By choosing to disembark halfway, are you trying to have Juujouji-san do that? Isn''t that asking too much from a newcomer whose career started less than a month ago?"

    "There is no problem in ability. She is supposed to be able to accomplish it for sure."

    "I see. In other words, she has excellent talent that has been approved by Miss Asya, the seasoned veteran."

    Asya answered without any change in expression. Only then did Kenjou nod.

    They did not seem too worried about Juujouji Orihime''s power. Feeling pressure from this, Orihime looked out across Tokyo Bay, which was extending before her eyes.

    The Edomae Sea, a vast stretch of saltwater connecting to the Pacific Ocean afar.

    Then there was the Miura shore where Raptors in flight were approaching¡ª

    "Well then, Orihime-san, please begin the Astral Link."

    Asya spoke the name of the expected magic.

    "Even when separated from your ''serpent'' partner, both sides can still share senses as long as you maintain a link between each other''s spiritual being. You can issue commands from over here and even receive what the ''serpent'' sees and hears in real time."

    "Meaning I can fight by sending just the ''serpent'' into the distance, right...?"

    Orihime pondered Asya''s goal in teaching this technique earlier.

    "Yes. Of course, there are weaknesses. A ''serpent'' is unable to invoke pseudo-divinity without her witch nearby. However, long-distance combat is sufficient if the enemies are only Raptors."

    "But that''s only if I succeed in the magic..."

    Orihime had heard that the SDF at the Yokosuka base would need to deploy their air force if she failed.

    Orihime took a deep breath and braced herself.

    "Most crucial of all is the subtle timing of whether you can arrive at the scene in concert with the enemy. Since you are not familiar yet, Orihime-san, that''s why we came to the seaside where there are fewer obstructions to visibility."

    "S-So things like that have an effect too."

    "Yes. However, there are lazybones among master-class witches who can annihilate twenty Raptors while lying in bed at home, so ultimately, it''s just a question of familiarity."

    "That would be a bit too lazy..."

    After criticizing senior witches whom she had never met, Orihime said candidly:

    "Remember last time when you gave me a magic textbook for novices? Sorry, but to be honest, I can''t understand it at all..."

    The book was filled with circuitous and incomprehensible descriptions lacking in specifics.

    "That''s fine," Asya said in response to Orihime bringing up the matter.

    "Ultimately, the world never deviates from the Bruce Lee principle."

    "That one, right? Don''t think, feel..."

    Orihime embraced the teachings of the great martial artist and action movie star then began to imagine.

    First, it was Akuro-Ou''s figure. Then she imagined countless strands linking herself to the white fox-wolf¡ª

    The important factors were concentration, vividness of imagination, and unshakable pride in your own psyche being the world''s strongest soul. This was the secret trick that Asya had taught Orihime before.

    (To be honest, I''m not confident I''ll succeed without issue!)

    However, this situation with "failure not an option" was pushing her from behind.

    Orihime conjured a mental image in her own distinctive style then opened her eyes wide. Finally, she pressed her left hand into her voluptuous bosom and focused her awareness on her heart.

    A witch''s heart¡ªThat was precisely the mysterious fountain that generated magical power.

    "Akuro-Ou, come forth immediately to fight along my side!"

    At the same time, Orihime released her voice and magical power towards the sky.

    A pentagram of light manifested in the air then transformed into an infinity sign to materialize Akuro-Ou''s body concretely. Then Orihime and her partner''s souls were linked as imagined¡ª

    "Akuro-Ou!"

    The instant she shouted, Orihime''s consciousness was drawn out of her body, pulled by Akuro-Ou''s spiritual body.

    Thus, Orihime''s consciousness flew into the sky, arriving "above" Akuro-Ou''s position, resulting in a so-called "out-of-body" experience to watch over Akuro-Ou from the air.

    "Switching works..."

    When she tried to open her eyes, her consciousness instantly returned to her own body. Standing firmly on the reclaimed land, Orihime saw the image of Tokyo Bay extending before her eyes...

    She closed her eyes again. Hence, her consciousness "separated" again and flew to the position above Akuro-Ou.

    "Orihime-san, please have Akuro-Ou follow Rushalka!"

    The instant she heard Asya''s voice, the blue wyvern had already flown to Akuro-Ou''s side.

    The wyvern-shaped leviathan with a lone horn like a unicorn''s. While Orihime was concentrating, Asya had summoned Rushalka without her noticing.

    "Just follow her, Akuro-Ou. Do as Asya-san said!"

    "Rushalka, continue moving towards the airspace I indicated!"

    In response to her covenantee''s calls, the blue wyvern started to fly away from the land.

    Flying in a straight line, she was exceptionally fast. Akuro-Ou chased her desperately, barely keeping up. Pulled by the link to her partner''s spiritual body, Orihime''s consciousness automatically flew in pursuit.

    Looking to the side, she saw that Asya''s image had also shown up by the time she noticed.

    Apparently, another person''s "out-of-body" consciousness could be seen using magical sight.

    "If it''s simply flying in a straight line, a ''serpent'' can even reach two-thirds the speed of sound," said Asya''s consciousness.

    She, too, was flying at an astounding sped.

    "Let''s head over to the interception point directly like this."

    "But Asya-san, I''m surprised you know which direction to fly!"

    "That''s because I''m using Spatial Perception and Location Information magic. Like Enemy Detection, they are essential spells for long-distance combat. I''ll teach them carefully to you later."

    It looked like there was a mountain of things to learn in order to become a veteran witch.

    Orihime sighed and had Akuro-Ou fly at full speed in this manner for a while. Involuntarily, her consciousness was pulled along.

    After a duration enough to enjoy the pleasure of jogging...

    The two leviathans kept flying over the sea during this time, but before long, steel-colored lesser dragons finally appeared up ahead. As though looking for where to attack, they were staring at the land''s surface.

    Lesser dragons, Raptors¡ªA total of nine as reported earlier.

    After seeing elites up close, Orihime found that Raptors felt more like lizards in comparison.

    "I''ll use Akuro-Ou to intercept them as discussed earlier. Rushalka should take a break!" Orihime said immediately after confirming the enemy.

    Although not as severe as Minadzuki''s case, Rushalka was not in peak condition either. Unless necessary, she should not be forced to enter the fray.

    "Yes, I''m counting on you. This type of enemy should be easily handled as long as you don''t get careless!"

    Orihime nodded to acknowledge Asya''s advice then transmitted thoughts to attack.

    After flying behind Rushalka the whole time, Akuro-Ou changed direction and made a beeline for the nine Raptors at full speed.

    Charging fiercely into the group of Raptors in this manner, she attacked simply with a body collision.

    Raptors were less than half the size of "serpents" in physique. This impact alone was enough to send three Raptors flying like puppies in a car collision. Substantial damage was likely inflicted.

    ¡ªIn a way, this preemptive strike had decided the outcome of the battle.

    A group of lizards thrown into disarray by the attack versus Akuro-Ou who had started the battle with unstoppable momentum from the beginning. With an overwhelming difference in power level on the outset, the ensuing battle was completely one-sided.

    So-called horn counterparts were organs used by "serpents" for attack and intimidation.

    Akuro-Ou''s nine tails, thick and long, served as her horn counterpart. Twisting like lively serpents, they reached out to the enemy Raptors.

    Stretching like rubber and bending, they struck the Raptors brutally like whips.

    The nine tails repeated such attacks again and again. Unable to dodge or block after getting struck by the tails, the winged lizards were blown away.

    Dying in basically two or three hits, the Raptors crashed into the sea one after another.

    By the time Akuro-Ou discharged a heat beam through her breath to kill the final Raptor, Orihime and Asya were certain of victory.

    The two witches released the materialization of their "serpents," allowing them to disappear from the world.

    At the same time, the Astral Links lost effect. Orihime opened her tight shut eyes.

    In the distance was Tokyo Bay''s sea surface. Nearby was Shin-Kiba''s reclaimed land. After confirming Asya, Kenjou and the helicopter with her own eyes, Orihime exhaled.

    "Finally winning the battle, now I can relax... Uh, isn''t this weird?"

    Her knees suddenly lost strength and she collapsed to the ground.

    Her body was so exhausted that it felt like mud. Realizing her condition, Orihime jumped in surprise.

    "The farther we are from our ''serpents,'' the greater the consumption. Reactions to our commands also become delayed. These are the drawbacks to long-distance combat, so please take note. I haven''t done this for a long time and now I''m hungry..."

    Asya seemed tired too, but she did not collapse to the ground.

    What affected the level of fatigue was probably one''s power as a witch rather than physical stamina.

    Regardless, even though she had received full support from Asya, her senior, Orihime still managed to endure an entire battle on her own.

    "Judging from the situation, the battle seems to have finished."

    "Indeed... You are right. Nee-sama and Asya-san seem to be safe and sound. I am relieved."

    After Hal remarked quietly, Hazumi breathed a sigh of relief next to him.

    In the distance, Orihime could be seen sitting collapsed on the ground while Asya''s countenance showed utter exhaustion. However, neither of them looked like they were cornered. In their surroundings, Kenjou and two helicopter pilots were starting preparations to withdraw.

    "I''m glad I brought this over. That girl Asya is most likely complaining about being hungry again. Juujouji looks very tired too."

    Hal was carrying a tote bag that belonged to Asya.

    Inside it was the Chinese packed lunch. Bringing it along, Hal and Hazumi had taken a taxi to Shin-Kiba.

    "Oh, that I can understand. Whenever I make Minadzuki do new things, I feel very exhausted too. Sometimes I even need an intravenous drip¡ª"

    "Drip...?"

    Hal muttered in puzzlement in response to Hazumi''s answer.

    Indeed, summoning and controlling "serpents" took a heavy toll on the bodies and minds of witches.

    But normally speaking, combat against Raptors should not go as far as to require IV drips. Speaking of which, Orihime mentioned before that her cousin had poor health...

    It looked like Shirasaka Hazumi was a girl unsuited to heavy work after all. Hal sighed.

    "W-What''s wrong, Haruga-san?"

    "No, it''s nothing."

    Hal finally began to discover the true nature of his fearful mindset towards Orihime and this docile girl with frail health.

    It was guilt. As a member of SAURU, Hal had started helping witches establish covenants with "serpents" since long ago. However, not all of the girls chosen as candidates were outstandingly talented like Asya, who would develop into master-class witches to take the stage with vitality and magnificence.

    Instead, girls unsuited to this job were more common¡ª

    Hence, Hal''s guilt would involuntarily surge whenever he stayed by Hazumi or Orihime''s side.

    "So you two came too."

    Hal interrupted his thoughts. Hiiragi Yukari was walking over to them.

    She was dressed in a very soft looking woolen sweater with a skirt, still exceedingly feminine in attire.

    "Looks like there''s no need to dispatch Orihime-san and others."

    Hiiragi-san raised the cellphone in her hand lightly and said.

    "The situation with Raptors appearing at various islands across the country has essentially been confirmed. There are a total of six groups of lesser dragons attacking at the same time, flying towards the following locations respectively: Cape Nosappu at Hokkaido''s Nemuro Peninsula, Hachinobe at Aomori Prefecture, near the largest of the Izu Islands, Omaezaki at Shizuoka Prefecture, Tosa Bay at Kochi Prefecture, as well as Nichinan at Miyazaki Prefecture..."

    Hiiragi-san''s cellphone was displaying a map of Japan.

    There were eight spots flashing red, all locations that Hiiragi-san had mentioned.

    "All of them are on the Pacific side..."

    "Then I sent ''serpents'' to five locations and defeated the Raptors at the coasts. The only exception was Miyazaki but the people at the JASDF figured a way to handle it before the attack reached full-tilt."

    Excluding Hazumi and Asya, there were currently seven witches in Japan.

    Tokyo New Town in the Kantou region had Orihime. Apart from that, Hokkaido, Iwate, Gifu, Wakayama, Shimane, Kagawa had one witch each. Although the situation developed to the point that a majority of them had to be mobilized to intercept the dragons, in the end, there were no major repercussions apparently.

    "Still, Orihime-san is doing so well that she doesn''t seem like someone who had just become a witch."

    Hiiragi-san suddenly changed the subject.

    "This is off the record. Frankly speaking, I originally thought that her magical power would be limited even if she entered a covenant with a ''serpent.'' I never expected to guess wrongly."

    "I-I see."

    Confronted with sudden frankness, Hazumi did not know how to react.

    Hal had held the same opinion previously. He did not know if it was due to Hinokagutsuchi''s involvement, but Orihime was exhibiting extraordinarily premature development of her powers. It was only natural for this to raise suspicions.

    However, since Hiiragi-san was currently observing Hal''s reaction, he could not say this aloud...

    As a coworker familiar with her fraudulent personality, Hal tried his best to answer with feigned helplessness:

    "Well, there are times when astoundingly rare talent pops up suddenly in the world."

    "That may be true, but Orihime-san shows none of the stubborn personality commonly found in girls of this sort, which is why it''s so surprising."

    "That makes Juujouji weird enough already, almost on the same level as Asya."

    "That''s one way of looking at it... I never thought of that. Maybe I should admit defeat."

    "U-Umm, I feel that the comment just now was quite rude to Nee-sama and Asya-san..."

    Hazumi politely advised her elders, causing Hiiragi-san to smile wryly.

    "Sorry, I might have gone too far... Oh right. There''s more work for Orihime-san."

    "Ah, it must be that."

    Hazumi apparently guessed it.

    "Yes, that."

    Hiiragi-san nodded and replied.

    "Although it''s very troublesome and unnecessary, it is part of her job. So, Haruomi-kun, I am leaving Hazumi-san in your hands. I still have to take Orihime-san to take care of some regular business."

    Hiiragi-san took her leave. In front of them was the exhausted Orihime and the slightly recovered Asya. Hal''s silver-haired childhood friend was approaching Kenjou, apparently asking for food. Bursting in laughter, Kenjou handed her a piece of chocolate...

    Part 2

    "Yesterday was such a trying experience..." Orihime remarked in utter exhaustion the next day after her first long-distance battle.

    Since today was a normal weekday sandwiched between consecutive holidays, everyone was at school. It was currently lunch time. After finishing lunch in the cafeteria, Hal, Asya and Orihime had gone to a corner in the school next to a flowerbed looked after by the Gardening Club.

    "I''m totally fine with putting effort into the likes of fighting and magic. After all, that''s what I originally envisioned as part of becoming a witch. But..."

    Today, Orihime''s face was showing fatigue that any bystander could see.

    "I was never told that I had to visit sponsors to report my victories..."

    "Nee-sama, it''s thanks to those elderly men that Minadzuki and your Akuro-Ou can take action freely. We''ve got to thank them properly."

    Smiling wryly, Hazumi corrected her cousin.

    Studying in the third year of the middle school section, she had been brought here by Orihime as well.

    "I''m sure you could create an amicable atmosphere by smiling like an angel while calling out ''Grampsy?'' even when faced with what seems like an army of old men with weird tempers. But for a newcomer like me, it''s still quite a heavy burden..."

    "Ah, so what Hiiragi-san meant by ''regular business'' was going over to greet sponsors."

    Hal understood. The sponsors funding Hazumi and Orihime''s activities were businesses, capitalists, NGOs, religious leaders, local authorities, etc stationed in Tokyo New Town and the Kantou region.

    To show up at a gathering of representatives and engage in lengthy dialogue¡ª

    This was indeed a heavy burden for a girl who was still a middle schooler until recently.

    Nevertheless, Orihime was bolder than average, after all. Hal felt that she would rapidly get used to these duties.

    "Don''t worry, Orihime-san. If you find it a pain, just put on diva-like airs and they''ll actively avoid contact with you."

    "Because, witches are irreplaceable human resources, their positions are ultimately much stronger."

    "Start with kicking tables. Then order people to buy drinks, complain about the taste and pour the drinks over them."

    "If anyone raises objections, just hint that you''ll apply to be ''reassigned'' somewhere else."

    "Stop tempting a newcomer with such immoral suggestions!"

    After listening to Asya and Hal''s chattering advice, Orihime could not help but scold them.

    "Good grief. Haruga-kun and Asya-san, seriously you two... But it''s not like I am totally opposed to the devil''s temptation."

    "N-Nee-sama!"

    "In truth, I am supposed to pay my respects at a grave after school today, but Grandfather and the others suddenly announced a dinner party to celebrate yesterday''s victory or something. As a result, I have to attend as the guest of honor."

    Orihime sighed and explained in response to her cousin''s protest.

    "Is it someone''s death anniversary if you''re paying respects at a grave?"

    "No, it''s basically more of a formality. I was going to tell my father, mother and younger brother that I''ve become able to fight dragons."

    Orihime''s attitude was the same as usual, without suppressing or adding extra emphasis in her voice.

    "On a certain Sunday when I happened to be free from kendo competitions, we went out as a family. While our car was passing under a highway, we unfortunately encountered a collapse accident. I was told that a few years ago, Raptors had rampaged in the area, causing the road itself to deteriorate... Oh dear, even though dragons were not fully responsible, I was thinking I should still report to my family."

    Hal was informed that Orihime''s family consisted only of herself and the grandfather.

    Naturally, there must have been a reason for that. Hal, too, had been living alone for a long time now. Native to Georgia, Asya had no family apart from her mother who lived in Istanbul. Although this was not the reason, Hal still tried asking:

    "Hiiragi-san probably owes me a favor or two. Want me to talk to her?"

    "If you count me in, then that''s a debt of three favors, okay?"

    "Thank you both, but it''s fine. I will tell her myself if I really feel opposed to going, so don''t worry about it. However... If by any chance I need you to do something like that in the future, I''ll be counting on you then."

    After replying to Hal and Asya in a joking manner, Orihime nodded at her cousin.

    As soon as this subject was brought up, Hazumi had immediately gone over to Orihime''s side to silently cuddle against her.

    "Oh, that reminds me. I need to talk about something completely unrelated," said Orihime very suddenly.

    Hal and Asya shared a common aversion to depressing topics of conversation. Orihime apparently was the same.

    "Actually, I thought about it after the battle ended yesterday. Haruga-san had Rushalka use the Rune of the Bow last time, right?"

    "Oh, you mean that thing."

    "Wouldn''t it be very handy if Akuro-Ou could make use of that rune too?"

    "Well, that''s definitely true."

    Hal agreed with Orihime so he nodded. But unbelievably, somehow inexplicably, Hal had a feeling that things would not go so smoothly. Why?

    "Indeed, Rushalka and Asya-san were really amazing last time."

    "I know, right? If Minadzuki recovers, I would like her to try using it too."

    "If you put it that way... I guess there''s basically no problem."

    The cousins nodded at each other and Hal expressed agreement. However.

    "N-No! That''s a bond belonging (exclusively) to me and Haruomi (grumble grumble)..."

    For some unknown reason, Asya was the only one objecting. Although there were some mumbled parts that he could not quite catch, Orihime seemed to get the idea, showing an expression that read ''Speaking of which... oh no.''

    Speculating what his childhood friend was saying between the lines, Hal then spoke:

    "I understand Asya''s feelings in wanting to proceed with caution. After all, this power''s origins are unknown so relying on it excessively will definitely be dangerous. Or perhaps side effects caused by the rune might appear."

    "Uwah. As expected, Haruga-san''s line of thought went in that direction..."

    "What are you referring to? Whatever, let''s put this aside for now. Although there''s a risk, I definitely want to find more opportunities to test it out in order to gather more information..."

    After muttering that, Hal stared at Orihime intently.

    The arrival of a collaborator possessing a "serpent" in excellent condition had stimulated his ulterior motives.

    "Now that you''ve suggested it, let''s go test it out."

    "H-Haruomi!"

    "It''s fine even if it doesn''t work out. Let''s see, how did it go last time?"

    Ignoring Asya''s protests, Hal began to search his memories.

    If memory served him correctly, last time he had apparently thought to himself that he needed Asya and Rushalka no matter what, then extended his hand. In turn, his childhood friend had held his hand¡ª

    "Juujouji, hold my hand."

    Hal extended his right hand.

    Orihime nodded vigorously and slowly held Hal''s hand.

    The hand where a rune of Ruruk Soun resided, the location of the mysterious magic symbol¡ªThen Hal thought intensely to himself that he needed Juujouji Orihime no matter what.

    This continued for almost a minute. Hal quietly said:

    "Seems like it''s not working. I guess it looks like I can''t entrust that rune to Juujouji."

    Why was it not working? Hal began to contemplate.

    Then when it was after school, Orihime departed in a hurry to attend that dinner party something or other.

    Declaring "I''ve got something to do!", Asya stepped out of the classroom. As for Hal, instead of going home alone, he walked to a location in front of two concrete school buildings, namely, the library and the cultural clubs building.

    Furthermore, he had brought Orihime''s cousin, Hazumi, with him.

    "But is this okay? Leaving a witch''s equipment and books in school..."

    "Although it''s not ideal, it''s still better than other random places," Hal answered Hazumi''s worried whispers.

    "Our school was built with funding from SAURU and was founded at the same time as another university in New Town. Both schools were apparently founded to serve a certain goal, reportedly to provide magic education to commoners..."

    "Teaching magic to ordinary people!?"

    "Of course that doesn''t mean anyone either. If students with excellent aptitude and a love of learning appeared, SAURU would apparently recruit them for an elite education while they were young."

    Why would a secret organization devoted to researching magic run schools?

    Curious about this question, Hal had tried investigating. Similar schools seemed to exist all over the world.

    "Becoming a witch depends purely on inborn aptitude, but working in research is different. This is perhaps a way of gathering talented people of this sort, which is why the school was designed to prevent the dangers and secrets of magic from leaking out. At the same time, it is also inside Juujouji and your circles."

    Even relocating the Witch Mansion here as a temporary substitute facility would be no problem at all.

    "I heard that the underground spaces here were built in consideration of such situations."

    Hal began to examine the library anew. Just before he was about to leave the campus, Hiiragi-san had called him. She wanted Hal to check out the venue for the new Mansion.

    Along the way, Hal happened to run into Hazumi. Then unintentionally, he revealed what had happened.

    However, Hal did not expect Hazumi to make the following request politely:

    "May... I come along with you? Please allow me to help out."

    Was she quite concerned about the fact that she could not contribute on the battlefield despite being a witch?

    Despite coming up with many excuses to reject her, in the end, Hal decided he might as well agree to let her accompany him¡ª

    Hal brought Hazumi to the first floor underground.

    There was a door at the end of the hallway. He inserted the key that a member of school staff privy to SAURU-related matters had given him. After opening the door, he found a flight of stairs behind it.

    Proceeding from this point, the second to sixth floors underground were to become the temporary Mansion.

    Hal and Hazumi walked through each floor together.

    Every room was empty. They checked whether the air conditioning, locks and lights were functioning normally. There were no problems with any of them.

    "Looks like it''s safe to move the materials at the previous Mansion over here. It''s time to withdraw, I guess."

    After the checking was complete, Hal told his impromptu partner.

    "Fortunately, the checking task was relatively simple. If things always turn out like this, life would be much easier."

    "Oh, I''ve heard. Your job involves traveling all over the world to unearth magic-infused mystical artifacts and magic textbooks... Isn''t that right?"

    "That''s basically correct. But there are various other matters to handle too."

    "Various matters, I see... For example?"

    "Well, such as infiltrating concession territories in various lands for internal investigations or the like."

    "So you even do that sort of thing."

    "There are also ecological studies on dragons as living organisms. Like observing packs of Raptors from close range."

    "That is truly dangerous..."

    "Speaking of the most dangerous missions, that would probably be investigating the trail and whereabouts of elite dragons that had come to earth. Although I experienced it once with Soth last time, there''s nothing worse than having those things target you."

    "That''s for certain. Please be careful!"

    Hal felt intrigued. For a listener, Hazumi seemed too enthusiastic...

    "You''re interested in this kind of stuff?"

    "Oh yes. I love listening to travel stories. Also, although not too many girls share the same interests, I also love adventure and exploration anecdotes."

    "By adventure, do you mean conquering the tallest peaks on every continent or taking a sailboat across the Pacific?"

    "Yes. Stuff like cycling across the European continent is also my favorite."

    Hazumi smiled with a chuckle then added shyly:

    "But I''m sure it''s beyond me, that''s all... Also, I have no choice but to stay in Tokyo, so in fact, I''ve almost never left the Kantou region..."

    "You''re in charge of protecting these lands after all. It can''t be helped."

    Hazumi was the witch tasked specifically with guarding Tokyo New Town and the surrounding region.

    Although she was rewarded with handsome monetary compensation and VIP treatment, a witch shouldering duties as a "protector" could not even leave her assigned region to travel on a whim.

    A "mercenary" like Asya who fought in various places was actually quite rare.

    "It''s not like you''re Juujouji. Why not take this chance while your ''serpent'' is recuperating to go on a trip?"

    "Fufufu, what a lovely idea. However, that won''t work."

    Revealing her highly transparent smile, Hazumi shook her head.

    "Yes, Minadzuki is weak, but not to the point of being impossible to summon. A situation could come up where I might be able to help despite her current condition."

    "That''s so so conscientious of you. But... your judgment is most likely correct."

    Hal scratched his head while agreeing. He felt kind of defeated against her.

    "Although Juujouji and Akuro-Ou are so strong that they don''t resemble newcomers, they''re inexperienced after all. There''s definitely the risk of ''unexpected'' dangers."

    "About what Nee-sama brought up earlier about her family, it occasionally gets me thinking. If only I could''ve become able to summon Minadzuki earlier, to eliminate all the dragons in the area back then, perhaps Nee-sama might still have a complete family¡ªThat''s almost like dreaming, right?"

    "......"

    "I think this type of ''cautiousness'' probably isn''t futile. Fufu."

    Seeing this girl, younger than him, smile cheerfully, Hal thought to himself.

    Although she was a bit reserved and less striking in appearance, this girl might actually be even more reliable than himself or Orihime.

    She had persisted in fighting dragons over the years even though her magic was not particular strong.

    Having experienced all kinds of hardship, many considerations must have crossed her mind. Hal felt himself revise his opinion of Hazumi a little.

    Part 3

    When Hal and Hazumi were underground beneath the library, Asya was actually nearby too.

    She was inside the room of a cultural club on the third floor of the adjacent cultural clubs building. At this moment, she was dressed in neither the school uniform nor a tracksuit.

    Instead¡ªshe was wearing an apron dress.

    In other words, what one would call a monochrome maid outfit. However, it was not the standard style.

    The skirt was exceedingly short. Additionally, the stockings underneath were even attached to a garter belt.

    Someone knocked on the clubroom''s door. After Asya answered "please enter," the peerless eccentric, President M walked in.

    "You have already changed. Well done."

    "But why must I wear this kind of outfit?"

    "Because it is the attire most suited to today''s special lecture. Are you ready?"

    "Of course, President."

    Inside the clubroom that was dim from the drawn curtains, Asya and President M stood face to face.

    The president was not in school uniform today either. She was still dressed in that black female garment resembling a maternity dress. The gravitas stemming from both her personality and physique made her seem like some kind of bar matron.

    "Bluntly stated, the theme of today''s lecture is the ''cafe''!"

    "Dare I ask the purpose!?"

    "A venue for couples on dates where they can lean in mutually and whisper sweet nothings to each other. ''Did you wait for long?'' ''No, I just arrived.'' A venue frequently used no matter how shallow or deep the relationship, that is the cafe. Unless you overcome this, you won''t become a girl with a romance standard score above 70! Let the lesson begin!"

    "Sir, yes sir!"

    Asya could not help but salute in response to President M''s command.

    During her training in the Russian army, an instructor known as "Volk," featuring intimidating upturned eyes, had subjected her to a special course in unarmed combat arts. Her memories of that time were completely reawakened.

    However, President M sighed and said:

    "Hold on."

    "What''s the problem?"

    "Lots of problems. What''s with that salute?"

    "Did I do something wrong? Since this is Japan, considering local customs, I translated the Russian into English on the top of my head. I thought my pronunciation was spot on?"

    "It''s irrelevant whether that was Russian or English. That''s precisely why people secretly call you stuff like ''the female mercenary of steel who returned from the battlefield'' or ''bandit-style female hunter.''"

    "WHAAAT!? I spent no more than six months in the army!"

    Asya objected in full force.

    "That''s baseless slander since I only accepted occasional jobs to provide assistance after that. Besides, I''ve never participated in any bandit-like guerrilla activities."

    "So you have real experience in the army..."

    "I wouldn''t call it experience, just a hobby at most."

    While the president was showing an impressed look, Asya said:

    "If I do say so myself, I believe I''ve perfectly hidden my slightly special experiences, fully integrating myself into life in a Japanese school."

    "Nonsense. Indeed, you have adjusted very well, but those experiences are completely impossible to hide."

    "Eh!?"

    "Never mind, let us shelf that issue for now and cut to the chase."

    As though focusing her mind, President M cleared her voice and said:

    "Today''s theme is the cafe. Now the lesson shall begin in earnest!"

    "I''m all ears!"

    "Here is a question for you. What is your opinion of girls who order a sandwich and cake at a cafe but exclaim ''oh no~ That''s too much for me to finish~''?"

    "That''s so annoying. If you order something, you should finish it all without leaving any scraps behind," Asya answered without a moment''s hesitation.

    "The iron rule of hunting is to only catch as much as you can eat. At least be smart enough to process unfinished food into nonperishable rations."

    "Excellent, minus twenty points to feminine charm!"

    "¡ª!?"

    "Personally, I share the same opinion on not wasting food. However, you just missed out on an excellent opportunity for intimate contact!"

    "Intimate contact...?"

    "''Oh no~ That''s too much for me to finish~~ Help me out here. Say ah and open your mouth~~ How''s that, does it taste good?'' I''m talking about this!"

    Asya was stunned after watching President M''s solo performance, accompanied by exaggerated gestures.

    "S-Such a high-level technique... By doing that, wouldn''t it naturally reenact a scene of ''couples pressing their faces together, leaning against one another, lovingly sharing the same plate of food''...?"

    "Indeed. You are quick on the uptake. Excellent."

    "B-But using this card means offering the food in front of you as a sacrifice... I-I''m capable of eating tons of dessert and cake is my favorite. I can even eat one whole cake at times."

    "For the sake of achieving the strategic goal, isn''t this where you should be applying restraint?"

    "Urghhhhhh..."

    Ordering a chiffon cake specially for herself then sharing half of it with someone...

    Imagining such a scene, Asya took a devastating blow and collapsed in depression on the clubroom''s floor. With eyes like a strict teacher''s, President M looked down at Asya''s current state and said to her:

    "Looks like you have encountered another stumbling block. Teaching you how to overcome this obstacle is exceedingly easy... But that won''t help you grow."

    "President!"

    "Go on and agonize as much as you can. Ponder thoroughly. The answer you reach in the end shall determine whether your feminine charm rises or falls."

    "Falling is not an option!"

    "Indeed. By that time, you will go through a job change from a ''girl with low feminine charm'' to a veritable ''girl who has abandoned love despite her youth.'' You must take care."

    "Ooh. So there''s no chance for growth unless I take a bit of risk..."

    "Yes, that''s the spirit. However... You are not sexy at all."

    Looking downwards at Asya who was sitting helplessly on the floor.

    Her miniskirt was a mess, almost exposing the view beneath. Wrapped tightly in stockings, her legs were laid out on the floor. Her posture looked a bit indecent.

    Furthermore, she was bearing a tearful countenance coupled with a maid outfit.

    Gazing at Asya, President M''s eyes showed pity.

    "Normally speaking, any boy in middle school or older would feel his heart racing at the sight of someone with your face and attire, displaying the current expression and posture. But right now, you are not erotic in the slightest. There is no charm to speak of."

    "Not erotic in the slightest!?"

    Asya was crushed by shock again.

    "D-Don''t judge me by appearance. I''m actually a very generous girl. Although boys in the surroundings are thinking about weird stuff, I deliberately pretend not to notice in consideration of the taxes they pay towards the adorable me!"

    "You probably lack awareness towards scrutiny."

    President M crossed her arms and began to ponder deeply.

    "You are still very mediocre despite dressing up as a maid. You can''t even say things such as ''Look at my getup¡î'' or ''So embarrassing, quit staring!''"

    "After all, it''s my personal philosophy to act my natural self at all times."

    "Isn''t that the problem? Try imagining for a second. Rather than me, the one currently observing you is that Haruga with his wizened eyes."

    "H-Haruomi?"

    "You need to present yourself to him differently from before."

    "How specifically?"

    "''I screwed up slightly, so embarrassing... Please don''t look. Oh no. I''m going red...'' Roughly something like that. Apart from that¡ªOh right, you have to nonchalantly maintain your posture to offer vague glimpses under your skirt. It''d be even better if you could show a ''teasing'' expression as appropriate."

    "A-Aren''t these demands too severe!?"

    "Quit complaining and just do it! At this rate, that blockhead will get snatched away by other girls, you know!?"

    Asya desperately mustered her passion after suffering this harsh reprimand.

    She imagined Haruomi looking at her, thereby increasing her sense of shame.

    Speaking of which, the length of this outfit''s skirt was definitely too short¡ªShe originally did not pay much attention to such matters, but now she started worrying whether the underside of her skirt was visible. Her face finally began to heat up...

    Suddenly aware of her indecent posture, Asya forcefully curled up.

    "Excellent, that''s exactly it. You are showing femininity in your airs and movements!"

    "Really!?"

    "Yes. Since you happen to be sitting, try doing the cougar pose. Even with a lack of breasts, you still have to emphasize them strongly so as to increase your sexiness!"

    "I-I don''t lack breasts, okay!? See, there''s cleavage if I squeeze like this...!"

    "I like this perseverance of yours in taking on challenges..."

    Although this was the room of the Literature Club¡ª

    Asya and President M were immersed in activities completely unrelated to literature. Moreover, it was the club president who had made such suggestions herself, after all.

    "Next, practice your movements while paying attention to other people''s gazes. I will be watching from the side, so go and prepare a cup of tea."

    "But the black tea and coffee supplies are out."

    "Fine, I''ll go buy some. In the meantime, practice on your own."

    "W-What should I do on my own?"

    "Relax, I''ve prepared a script for you. It might be a good idea if you went to work at a real maid cafe to get some practice under male gaze in a few days..."

    "Sob."

    After accomplishing the task of checking the underground levels of the library, Hal and Hazumi returned to the ground floor.

    "U-Umm, if it is convenient, may I chat with you again next time? Actually... There are some matters I would like to discuss with you, Haruga-san."

    "Chat with me? I don''t think I can help much but sure, as long as you don''t mind."

    While talking, they exited the library.

    At this moment, an acquaintance entered the adjacent cultural clubs building. It was President M, the eccentric whose mass was speculated to be 140kg. She was holding a convenience store bag in her hand.

    "Oh my, you came today?"

    "To take care of sundry chores, but I''m about to leave. I also have someone with me."

    Hal glanced at Hazumi while he spoke.

    The girl in his company bowed dutifully, not at all flustered. Even confronted with the clearly suspicious President M, she presented her highly transparent smile as usual.

    Perhaps her tolerance for eccentrics was very high¡ª

    Hal could not help but feel impressed. Meanwhile, President M said:

    "Delay your departure by half an hour and come with me for a visit to the Literature Club. Your friend is there too."

    "You mean Asya?"

    Hal muttered while looking at Hazumi beside him.

    "If it is convenient... May I come along? I wish to learn about the building next door. I''m also interested in the high school division''s club activities..."

    Hearing her ask timidly, Hal nodded. It was definitely the right choice to scout out the place that was going to be the next Mansion.

    Hence, the three of them ascended the stairs in the order of President M, Hal then Hazumi.

    The president''s physique was massive yet her footsteps were light and fast. Following in the rear, Hazumi said:

    "Actually, I''ve always wanted to try joining a cultural club since long ago. After all, I am not good at sports. But the notion always remained as just a thought because I don''t have much free time..."

    "My club is perfect for your case."

    "But I would feel bad if I miss activities often."

    "Don''t worry. Whether ghost members, part-time members who only show up once a month, or even members like Haruga here, I will shower them with love equally!"

    Hazumi was obedient in nature while President M was powerful, but the rhythm of conversation was surprisingly fluid.

    Just as Hal witnessed the birth of an unexpected combo, the trio reached the Literature Club''s door. The instant the president opened the door...

    "W-Welcome back, master and mistress. Umm, a warm welcome to you all today. I shall prepare tea immediately, so please wait a moment¡ª"

    Hal looked at his childhood friend who was cosplaying as a maid.

    Not only that, she was also performing the motions of brewing black tea. However, there was no tea ware of any sort in her hands. Was she practicing a skit? Or was she playing a maid cafe game?

    "...Huh? Haruomi, why are you here? And even Hazumi-san as well!?"

    "I brought them along because I happened to run into them. I wanted to have you serve them tea."

    "Kyahhhhhh!"

    After hearing the president''s explanation, Asya screamed.

    In any case, Hal and company were invited into the Literature Club, taking their seats around the long table.

    "Asya, can I ask what''s the meaning of your cosplay and solo performance just now?"

    "I-I invoke my right to silence and decline further questioning. If anything... Right, it''s that. This is a training uniform!"

    "...What are you training?"

    "This question is banned. Putting that aside, please take a good look at my glamorous appearance!"

    "Oh, it really suits you. Fufu, I really admire you, Asya-san, for looking so good in this type of outfit. It''s marvelous."

    "Hazumi-san, you are such a good girl!"

    "By the way, Haruga, seeing as you brought a new girl, could it be that you''ve reached a phase of popularity?"

    Just as everyone was savoring the black tea prepared by Asya, the president suddenly asked. At the same time, she stared tactlessly straight at Shirasaka Hazumi and Haruga Haruomi.

    "Shirasaka is simply accompanying me. This has nothing to do with my luck in romance."

    "Is that so? Though that may be the case currently, the future could be different."

    President M spoke quietly then slowly nodded.

    "Taking advantage of this excellent opportunity, I shall use my Feeling Love skill to predict your luck in romance."

    "S-Skill?"

    "Stay still. Hah!"

    Under the gaze of the president''s round eyes, Hal felt uneasy.

    This lasted ten-odd seconds before the president quietly cocked her head.

    "How odd, I cannot read your romance situation at all."

    "Of course something like that can''t be read."

    "Nay. A massive and burdensome destiny is gradually devouring you, causing something as insignificant as luck in romance to be swept away to who knows where... That is how I see it."

    Hal could not speak. He was extremely surprised.

    Asya and Hazumi also stared in wide-eyed astonishment at President M. It was as though she knew about the Rune of the Bow.

    In that instant, for the first time, Hal was awed by how unfathomable this person was.

    Part 4

    An icy plain of white as far as the eye could see¡ª

    However, the season was spring rather than winter in this land.

    Princess Yukikaze''s location was at the most northwestern point of the North American continent, at North Slope in Alaska.

    A tundra zone next to the Arctic Ocean. Even though it was spring, the snow was melting rather late this year. Currently, the land was still covered in ice. However, this chilly air was quite ideal for Princess Yukikaze.

    Well, a mild climate would not be bad either.

    However, the sense of fulfillment could not compare to standing inside a vortex of extreme heat and cold.

    A land of extremes where ordinary people had difficulty inhabiting. Standing there sternly to present a conqueror''s majesty, she admired the view of raging wind, the sun and dark clouds¡ª

    This moment was when Princess Yukikaze''s enjoyment peaked.

    Currently, she was still maintaining her human appearance that was as beautiful as a snow fairy. A smile was displayed on the corners of her lips while clad in a white one-piece dress, she regarded the icy plain''s silent beauty with affection.

    After a while, she turned her gaze towards the man who was tainting this land of pure white like a blot of black ink.

    Watching over her silently from behind, the man waited for her to speak first.

    "I''ve been having trouble remembering lately... What is your name again?"

    "O Lord, please call me Sophocles."

    The man was dressed in a black suit with only a flimsy gray coat draped over it.

    He was definitely too lightly dressed for this plain of ice. However, that refined voice of his remained steady without any hint of suffering from the cold.

    "Ah yes, indeed. I heard you mention it a long time ago, but I forgot. By the way¡ª"

    "Are you inquiring about the silver dragon who had inherited the Sword?"

    "Indeed. The island nation that you wanted the silver dragon to annex¡ªIt''s part of the Crimson Queen''s former territories. So the Bow is there after all?"

    "I am afraid so. I intend to head over to search later."

    The man in black, Sophocles, spoke in a sincere tone.

    "However, regardless of whether a seal of dragonslaying is present in those lands, the trial I demanded will not change. The ''wedge'' driven into that island nation is about to mature. Sniffing out the signs, the Jabones and the Zizou are evidently circling around that area."

    "Wedge... Ah, is that the one that the Lightning Emperor and King Hannibal drove into the ground together?"

    Princess Yukikaze looked south across the plain of ice.

    An upright triangular prism of pure black was towering in the distance. A super tall structure exceeding a thousand meters in height. A tower the humans called a Monolith.

    This tundra region was a dragon concession established in Alaska.

    "I never expected this sort of thing to be built during my absence from earth."

    "I originally intended to find a dragon king to advise taking over those lands. But simply because I chanced upon that silver dragon, I entrusted the task to him."

    "Hmph... To establish one''s kingdom as a show of caliber, sallying forth in valor along the Road to Kingship."

    Princess Yukikaze laughed lightly.

    "Haha, the earth has become slightly interesting. With that, the issue becomes the Bow''s controller who might be present in that nation. Like me, Yukikaze, he holds the one half of the bow and arrow pair..."

    She crossed her arms while her beautiful face, pale as snow, grew pensive.

    "If the one who stands as Yukikaze''s peer turns out to be an incompetent buffoon, there is no helping it: He will need to be decapitated and taken care of before anything goes wrong. However..."

    The girl''s delicate body naturally heated up.

    It was the burgeoning fighting spirit and curiosity responding to her, the white dragon king.

    "If his caliber is sufficient to defeat the silver dragon, then I might be inclined to rampage across the earth again after so long. Sophocles, report the results to me afterwards!"

    Then night finally fell.

    The SDF''s air force and navy had respective bases on Miyaka Island of the Izu Islands.

    Stationed here was also a large aircraft carrier fleet belonging to the Trans-Pacific Defense Organization along with patrol units, etc¡ª

    A shining giant beast broke past the defensive line woven by these military forces.

    First, the magic of High-Speed Flight tore through the reconnaissance net. This was extraordinary magic allowing the gigantic body, ten-odd meters long, to break the sound barrier.

    Shining with the luster of metallic silver, the dragon spread his supersonic wings, racing across the sky above the Pacific Ocean.

    With his destination already decided, the trajectory was a straight line. While producing sonic booms, he charged forward with ferocity.

    Naturally, the human side had guards in charge of interception.

    Those were the SDF and TPDO''s air force and interception fleet.

    But having seen that the enemy''s true identity was an elite dragon¡ªscientific name: Eques Draconis¡ªan officer silently shook his head.

    This was because he knew that interception would be futile.

    In fact, the flying silver dragon only took one combat action.

    He simply kept roaring. However, a magic beast''s roar carried overwhelming magical power, drowning out the noise from all artillery and engines to reverberate across the sky. Then the sound turned into a pulse, instantly sweeping across the entire airspace.

    ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    All humans present within this pulse had their hearts ruptured, instantly dying on the spot. Death arrived swiftly and assuredly, whether inside fighter jet cockpits, escort vessels, cruisers or aircraft carriers, no exceptions.

    Then after an extremely brief period of time...

    The elite dragon with metallic silver luster arrived over Yokohama.

    Having shifted to supersonic flight suddenly, the dragon had not given ''serpent''-related personnel in the Kantou region any time or chance to react.

    However, he did not do this for the purpose of avoiding conflict.

    Instead, he was impatient for the imminent battle. He wanted to declare war as early as possible.

    "I hereby decree to the humans of these lands. It is my wish that you record the entirety of my next words to pass onto your friends and neighbors. This announcement concerns your future greatly."

    The words uttered by the silver dragon consisted of easily understood English.

    Then his voice, filled with masculinity and sense of honor, resounded clearly across the night sky of the Yokohama metropolis.

    The silver dragon scales glittered amidst light from the night scenery. Towering next to the dragon hovering motionlessly in the air was the symbol of Yokohama city, the Yokohama Landmark Tower.

    "I shall bear the shame of admitting to my ignorance. Regarding these islands, the system governing your country and the political rulers in charge, I know very little. Perhaps even nothing at all."

    Despite his true nature as a magic beast known as the dragon, he possessed a pleasant voice.

    His voice, dignified and awe-inspiring, had the oratorical qualities capable of moving the audience''s emotions. Filled with masculinity, that voice sounded even cheerful.

    "Nevertheless, I hereby swear. I shall annex these lands, known as the islands of Japan, to place under my rule, to become territory pledging allegiance to me as the one and only monarch."

    The giant silver dragon had declared his intention to make Japan his territory¡ª

    However, the audience was thrown into extreme panic and chaos.

    After receiving news that a dragon had invaded Tokyo Bay''s airspace, relevant ministries issued an emergency evacuation order.

    However, the silver dragon had arrived faster than ordinary lesser dragons. Right now, many citizens in urban Yokohama were still making their way towards shelters.

    A swirling vortex of shouts, laments, screams, despair, weeping, turmoil, chaos...

    The people inside and around the Yokohama Landmark Tower who had yet to escape either ran, stumbled, stood motionless or huddled into a ball, staring blankly at the giant dragon in the sky¡ª

    Most people at the scene were plunged into severe confusion.

    "I swear that I shall not permit any dragons apart from my minions to approach this country after it becomes my territory. The privilege to trample the nation of Japan is reserved solely under the banner of I, Pavel Galad."

    The dragon finally revealed his own name.

    However, almost no one in the audience noticed that.

    "Starting tomorrow, I will wait for a total of five days. O king or ruler unknown to me, if you wish for my invasion to conclude peacefully, come to me during this time and swear fealty to me."

    Satisfied, Pavel Galad looked down upon the chaos on the ground.

    "I shall take to the field at sundown on the fifth day. When that time comes, I will rid this country of all swords and fires, engaging repeatedly in destruction, a thorough show of force until you all submit."

    Galad extended his right hand. Manifested on his palm was a seal consisting of three Vs in a row.

    It was the runic symbol that the dragon king Hannibal had called the Rune of the Sword.

    "Frankly speaking, I don''t want you to submit easily. Rather than accept humbly offered land, winning territory personally would serve as better proof of one''s worth as a warrior¡ª"

    In the next instant, a gigantic longsword appeared suddenly in his palm.

    "And I am a warrior!"

    The sword''s double-edged blade was long and thick. The hilt portion was also very long, enough for Galad to hold with both hands with room to spare.

    The symbol of the Rune of the Sword was engraved near the base of the blade like an inscription.

    Swinging this sword lightly, Galad produced fierce cutting wind.

    "Well then, I, Pavel Galad, shall depart from your view for now. We shall meet again!"

    Carrying the rune-inscribed longsword, the silver dragon flew away from the Yokohama sky.

    However, he did not leave Japan. Instead, he made his way to the wasteland at the Old Tokyo Concession¡ªIts Monolith, the triangular prism of pure black, towering in the center of that area.

    It was the super tall structure that the man in black at Alaska had called the "wedge."

    Pavel Galad hovered motionlessly in front of its pinnacle then raised his longsword high towards the sky.

    "O wedge driven here, I invoke the dragonslaying sword as my seal to serve as the harbinger of my dominance. Acknowledge Pavel Galad as your lord!"

    This was precisely the dragonslaying sword. Also his trump card, the "magic wand" in the shape of a sword.

    Then that night, at a different location¡ª

    Within the Haruga residence located in a quiet corner of the Sumida Ward, Hal and Asya were facing a tower-style PC and monitor in the study.

    "Flint, dragonbane, dragonslaying rune... There''s no information related to these terms after all."

    "But what allowed that rune to revive was the stone in Uncle''s effects..."

    "Yeah. Hinokagutsuchi said something about ''pouring flames'' into the rune."

    The two childhood friends were murmuring at each other.

    They had completed a basic search of the computer''s hard drive and external storage devices. Right now, they had moved on to investigate sources such as digitized books and research notes left behind by Hal''s father.

    Flint. This word meant a "fire-starting stone."

    Where on earth had Hal''s father obtained the magical stone bearing this kind of name?

    Due to heading over to Old Tokyo to handle "sundry chores" whenever he had time, Hal had not made progress in his research on this side recently. It was time that he applied himself to the nitty-gritty work with gusto¡ª

    "Maybe to prevent people from getting information easily, he didn''t leave behind any digital resources... That''s quite common."

    "True. Then we''ll have to search the book collection that Pops did not move to this room."

    Hal sighed, because the matter was extremely troublesome.

    The books and handwritten research notes that his father had not brought here were currently outside of Japan. Furthermore, they were stored in multiple separate locations. Gathering everything together to investigate one by one would be a monumental project, and one that could potentially yield nothing in the end.

    "Then there''s asking SAURU researchers and witches familiar with Uncle."

    "If only there was someone who did research together with Pops."

    While the two of them were immersed in their discussion, a voice suddenly sounded from outside the window.

    "Enough with this nonsensical search. It seems that you no longer have the luxury of wasting effort on such endeavors."

    Hinokagutsuchi''s voice. She had apparently gone to the garden.

    Speaking of which, Asya should not have met this harsh-tongued girl who styled herself as the devil before. Hal motioned to his childhood friend with his eyes. Having a fairly good idea what was going on, she nodded briefly in response.

    The two of them immediately left the study to go to the garden¡ªAs expected she was there.

    In the guise of a young girl dressed in a scarlet kimono, Hinokagutsuchi was standing motionlessly under the illumination of moonlight.

    "Am I supposed to say ''hello, nice to meet you''...?"

    Asya tried asking but Hinokagutsuchi''s reply was very sloppy.

    "A greeting of nice to meet you will suffice. As I have mentioned before, also¡ªMutual introductions are too much of a hassle. Moving on, look over there."

    The self-styled devil''s gaze was directed towards the triangular prism of pure black, towering ahead.

    The Monolith. Although the structure was located at Marunouchi in Old Tokyo, it was visible from Tokyo New Town because its height exceeded a thousand meters. Asya jumped in surprise.

    "Haruomi, please use magical sight."

    "Oh okay."

    Hal involuntarily reached for his monocle for appraising magical power.

    But immediately, he stopped his hand in a hurry, focusing his eyes to stare instead. As before, magical sight activated again without the use of tools. Using his naked eyes, Hal looked out to the tower of pure black¡ªThen reacted in surprise.

    This was due to the rune glowing with platinum radiance in the sky above the Monolith.

    A magic symbol composed of three Vs stacked together. Hal suddenly understood its meaning.

    "Sword...? That word carries the meaning of ''Sword''?"

    "Yes. Like your ''Bow,'' it is also a dragonslaying rune infused with the power of dragonbane," Hinokagutsuchi remarked casually.

    "Since the seal can be seen there, it implies that someone who inherited the power of dragonbane has occupied that ''wedge''¡ªin other words, what you people call a Monolith."

    "Occupied, you say?"

    "In other words, laying claim to complete authority. A declaration that the ''wedge'' driven into this land belongs to him and that the enchanted realm nurtured by this land shall become his territory eventually."

    "Enchanted realm...?"

    "Don''t you contemporary magi already know this? Magical power will gradually strengthen in the land where that black column towers, causing earth, water, fire and wind to deviate from the laws of nature."

    "In other words, the magical power in the Monolith''s vicinity will activate..."

    After listening to Hinokagutsuchi, Asya spoke softly.

    Akuro-Ou''s birthing ritual was chosen to take place in the Old Tokyo Concession precisely because of that.

    "Hmm, this city''s ''wedge'' has matured to an ideal extent. Although a number of dragons have apparently noticed this, I never expected even the Rune of the Sword to make an appearance."

    Hinokagutsuchi''s turned her arrogant gaze from the Monolith back to Hal and said:

    "Judging from the brightness emitted by the rune, the user is not a true king yet. Like you, brat, he is a false king, having acquired nothing more than the eligibility to become king."

    "An imposter ruler... Tyrannos¡ª"

    Hal recalled what Raak Al Soth had said.

    That dragon had mentioned the term "Tyrannos" a number of times. It was an ancient word referring to usurpers, supplanters and tyrants.

    "Fufufu. Make no mistake, this nation shall be ruined if an usurper comes to rule it. After all, sapient dragons hate nothing more than false kings¡ªusurpers aspiring to the position of dragon king. Even in the face of impossible odds, they will still attempt to invade a Tyrannos'' domain to exterminate him."

    "In other words, elite dragons will be attacking Japan one after another...?" Asya asked skeptically.

    This sort of thing was definitely hard to believe.

    However, Hinokagutsuchi nodded lightly without denial. Meanwhile, Hal spoke up to confirm something else:

    "Last time''s elite dragon addressed me with that weird title."

    Hal glared at Hinokagutsuchi in a taunting manner.

    "In other words, the dragon will treat me the same as that ''Tyrannos'' something or other, right? Because I hold a dragonslaying rune."

    The scarlet-attired girl revealed a diabolical smile instead of answering.

    Hal understood that his guess was correct.

 Volume 2, 3 - The Power of Dragonbane

    Volume 2, Chapter 3 - The Power of Dragonbane

    Part 1

    "Yesterday, Yokohama was apparently thrown into chaos because a dragon suddenly flew there."

    "I see..."

    Inside the UFO Research Club''s room, Mutou-san finished speaking while watching the news on a 19-inch flatscreen television, prompting Hal to nod. Shown on the screen were people fleeing from all over urban Yokohama, as well as the silver dragon that happened to be captured on home video.

    Although they were having an extended break, because today was a weekday, they still had to attend half a day of lessons.

    After school, Hal was curious about the situation at the UFO Research Club so he went to the clubroom to have a look.

    "Will internet news have any new scoop? Let''s see, ''Last night at around 9pm, a large dragon attacked urban Yokohama. Fortunately, the dragon ended the attack in roughly ten minutes and flew away''... Hmm, almost every media outlet is writing the same thing. It''s the same as this morning''s."

    Mutou-san checked the laptop browser and several newspapers while murmuring.

    "However, according to people who happened to be on scene at the time, the dragon apparently said something. It was probably speaking in English. Here, listen to this."

    She used the laptop to connect to a certain video uploading website then played an audio-only file.

    Noisy voices could be heard from the speaker. Shouting, yelling, crying, screaming, all at the same time. However, someone definitely was delivering a loud speech in a pleasant voice amidst all the noise.

    "Someone at the scene recorded this. But since the background is too noisy, you can''t make out the words at all."

    "Mutou-san, how did you obtain all this information?"

    "I have many sources. This came from an acquaintance on the net," answered Mutou-san while smiling proudly.

    "I''m going to visit Yokohama later. My plan is to check out the city with my own eyes then meet up with a friend who happened to be at the scene last night."

    "Is there any need to go that far for a high school club...?"

    "Ahaha. Searching stuff on the net doesn''t count as research, you know? After all, lies and wrong information abound and get spread everywhere. You actually need to conduct interviews at the scene."

    "You make a fair point."

    "However, dragons are really visiting the Kantou region a lot lately. It''s already the fourth time this month. It feels a bit too frequent..."

    Hal mentally jumped in alarm, because he was reminded of what Hinokagutsuchi had said. "A number of dragons have apparently noticed this¡ª"

    "By the way, is your family planning to evacuate or leave the metropolitan area?" asked Hal deceptively.

    "Since we''re in the middle of an extended break, more than two-thirds of our class is absent anyway, right?"

    "My family is quite complacent. They all think that ''Dragons could come flying no matter where you are in the world!'' But if the dragon that vanished from Yokohama is lurking near New Town, I guess evacuation would be an option too."

    "......"

    As a member of SAURU, Hal was privy to undisclosed information.

    However, the information obtained from the radio station located at the building and all mass media related personnel who happened to be at the scene was not released to the public. This was because the incident involved an elite dragon and therefore information was kept restricted.

    In front of the silent Hal, Mutou-san picked up her schoolbag.

    "Oh, transfer student. Thanks for the tea you prepared, it''s very good. Then I''m heading out."

    "You''re welcome¡ªOh, she already left."

    The departed Mutou-san was originally sitting with Hal at the long table in the middle of the room.

    With her back towards them, Asya looked up and replied. She was facing a small desk next to the wall, preparing red tea there.

    "Still, Mutou-san really takes a lot of initiative..."

    "The unexpected perk of joining this research club is that it allows me to reconfirm how ordinary people view reports on dragons."

    Asya and Hal made poignant remarks to each other.

    "Especially since we''ve been in SAURU for so long, our perceptions have deviated from the norm. This kind of situation is truly refreshing and interesting. By the way, Asya."

    Hal looked at his childhood friend again and changed the subject.

    "Can I ask why a member of the Literature Club went out of her way to brew tea here?"

    "There''s no special significance. If anything, it''s to train myself."

    Asya responded with an incomprehensible explanation. Just earlier, she had knocked and entered.

    Furthermore, she was pushing a clattering trolley that carried black tea leaves and a set of tea ware.

    "I''ve obtained permission from the president... Rather, I should say that it was her orders. She said something about ''go ahead and visit my various clubs whenever you''re free!''"

    "She''s still so mysterious..."

    Just as Hal muttered quietly, Asya turned back to her task of brewing black tea.

    Her action was filled with a wondrous sense of motion, giving off an impression of distinct rhythm. With her back straight, her standing posture was very proper. Hal could not help but feel his gaze drawn to her. Bemused, Hal cocked his head and went "Hmm?"

    He watched Asya cooking many times before. Usually, she went full steam ahead and it would not be strange to hear accompanied shouts of "Urya!", "Orya!" or "Toryaa!" Using brute force to subjugate a large amount of food, her figure was definitely bold and swift.

    But right now, she was giving off an impression more like a figure skater in pursuit of artistic points.

    Suspiciously, Hal gazed at Asya''s back.

    She was dressed in the Academy''s female uniform. Due to the lower height of the desk where the tea ware was arranged, his childhood friend had to stoop forward slightly. Hal jumped in surprise.

    A faint glimpse of the view under her skirt. Out of sight. No, in sight now¡ªOr not?

    How incredible. Asya was quite nonchalant about matters on this front. Whenever she was wearing a miniskirt, Hal would sometimes think to himself indifferently behind her back: "Oh, so it''s white today..."

    Perhaps because she left herself completely open, he did not feel any excitement at all.

    But this tension of faint glimpses just now was truly refreshing¡ª

    "Excuse me, Haruomi?"

    Hal came to his senses to find Asya looking at him shyly.

    "Could it be... You saw it?"

    "What are you referring to?"

    "Basically, uh... No. N-Nothing."

    During the conversation, the childhood friend suddenly held down the back of her skirt with both hands.

    Hal found it rather curious. Why was he getting this sort of disappointed feeling...?

    "Speaking of which, the president''s absent when clearly an incident of that sort happened the previous day."

    "She went to attend the Drama Club''s rehearsal ''that must not be missed no matter what,'' insisting something like ''I am the only one who can wear the Nurarihyon youkai mask!''"

    "What the heck is that play about? I''m so curious..."

    After having tea in the clubroom, the two of them left the UFO Research Club.

    Asya returned to the Literature Club whereas Hal made his way to the underground floors of the library adjacent to the clubs building.

    Hal was told that the underground space would become the Mansion''s substitute facility within the next few days. Things were supposed to have arrived this morning, which was why Hal came to check.

    Several large racks were transported here for placing books and magic apparatus later on.

    Walking among them, Hal jumped in surprise, because he found a familiar face.

    "Ah, Haruomi-kun. How serendipitous, fancy running into you here."

    "What a big coincidence. I didn''t expect you to be here, Hiiragi-san."

    "After all, the children under my care will be placed here soon, so I was thinking I should come and check."

    Hiiragi Yukari, SAURU''s technical consultant. Despite his surprise at this unexpected encounter, Hal still asked what he wanted to know the most.

    "The silver elite that appeared in Yokohama is lurking in Old Tokyo after all, right?"

    "Rather than lurking, he is gracefully making his temporary residence there. Want to have a look?"

    Hiiragi-san took out a tablet computer from her bag.

    Shown on the LCD screen was a blurred image. It was probably taken by an unmanned drone.

    The overhead view showed what appeared to be somewhere in Old Tokyo. Shining with metallic silver luster, the elite was sitting there with his eyes closed, his body curled up in leisure.

    In addition, the building behind where he was lying down looked very familiar.

    It was the former National Diet Building, a historic site that used to be the center of Japanese politics in the past.

    "Volunteering to conquer Japan and choosing to stay at Nagatach¨­. Now that''s what you call ironic."

    "And openly too, without using magic to hide. However, he seems to detest getting disturbed. Reportedly, every spy plane sent to monitor him was destroyed."

    "If this were a Hollywood movie from the past, the American military would probably fire a nuclear missile in this situation."

    "But past precedent has already shown that nuclear weapons don''t work against the defensive magic of elites."

    Hal and Hiiragi-san exchanged nods.

    The elite dragon''s speech was virtually drowned out by background noise on video upload sites, but Hal and company had already watched the clear and complete version that was not released to the public.

    Likewise undisclosed was news that the elite dragon calling himself Pavel Galad was currently in Old Tokyo...

    "A bronze elite appeared just half a month ago and this time it''s silver? The number of times Raptors flew to the vicinity of the Kantou region in the past two months has been high. Are these two linked after all?"

    Hiiragi-san sighed.

    Although Hal knew the answer, he could not speak it. Instead, he said, "By the way, can I ask a question? Was the dragon''s demand reported to the government?"

    "Yes. Even the government doesn''t dare procrastinate with a leisurely ''Wait and see'' response. Instead, they quickly declared that ''hostile neighbors who threaten our nation''s sovereignty should be firmly asked to leave the country immediately''¡ª"

    "Was this message delivered?"

    "They seem like they really have the intention. But if our battle against Pavel Galad ends in failure, they might very well try to make the most of a hopeless situation and send an emissary."

    Asya and Orihime had already agreed to fight the elite. Hal had heard them talking about it in the classroom, so he tried asking:

    "Although there are a few days left, when are we going to make a move?"

    "The last second until the deadline, when we''ve gathered enough ''serpents'' for reinforcements... But there might be a limit to how long we can wait."

    "Why?"

    "I''m afraid that dragon might get impatient and start going on a rampage before the deadline."

    After pointing out the belligerent personality of elites, Hiiragi-san made a worried expression.

    "Actually, I came here today in hopes of checking on Orihime-san and Hazumi-san. If they''re feeling nervous, I could chat with them too."

    "Shirasaka too? This time, she should be staying on standby at New Town, right?"

    "Yes, but she is that kind of ''good girl'' after all. She probably feels very strongly about her inability to take part in battle."

    After parting ways with Hiiragi-san, Hal left the school. It was already evening.

    Hal went to the nearest train station at Ryougoku to take the Loop Line because he intended to go home directly. Taking out his touchscreen cellphone, he brought up some pictures.

    They were photos of a wasteland. What they depicted was not a Japanese town.

    Instead, it was a view of New York State''s Old Manhattan Concession. Also a Monolith. A triangular prism of pure black was towering over the place previously known as Wall Street.

    These photos had been taken using Visual Reprint, in order words, a spell for printing out images seen through magical sight.

    Above the Monolith at the former Wall Street, a large rune of Ruruk Soun, which humanity still had yet to decipher, was traced out in platinum-colored light.

    A pictograph consisting of a sharp rhombus connected to the tip of a long straight line.

    For a long time, humans still could not understand what it meant, but now, Hal could see it from a single glance.

    This was the dragonslaying runic symbol signifying the Rune of the Spear.

    "I guess the Monolith at Old Warsaw probably has a dragonslaying seal too..."

    A glowing dragonslaying rune on top of a Monolith was a declaration of occupation¡ª

    That was what Hinokagutsuchi had said. And the Old Manhattan Concession was Red Hannibal''s while the Old Warsaw Concession was the territory ruled by the "dragon king-class" Caesar Draconis named the Black Lightning Emperor.

    Due to reaching Narihirabashi Station, which was closest to home, Hal put away his cellphone.

    Then getting off the train, he started on his journey home. Finally reaching his house, he found a girl at his doorstep. It was Shirasaka Hazumi. Why was she here? Just as Hal wondered, Hazumi approached him.

    "Haruga-san, I have a favor to beg of you!"

    Normally very reserved and polite, Hazumi was making a rare display of forcefulness today.

    "Please allow me to meet Hinokagutsuchi-san. Haruga-san, I would like to ask her why the power of your rune could not be entrusted to Nee-sama!"

    "Huh?"

    With serious eyes, Hazumi gazed intently at the troubled Hal.

    Part 2

    The first holiday in May, Golden Week, was finally in full swing.

    On this morning, Hal and Juujouji Orihime agreed to meet up at the cafe in front of Ryougoku Station. Based on this description alone, one might conclude that they were a couple on a date.

    However, there were two additional participants on this occasion.

    "Listen carefully, little lady. Simply stated, both the brat and the priestess are lacking in mutual resolve."

    "R-Resolve is it?"

    A four-person round table in the open-air cafe''s sidewalk area.

    Seated around the table together with Hal and Orihime, Hinokagutsuchi and Hazumi began to converse. After listening to the request Hazumi had visited the Haruga residence the previous night to make, the lazy self-styled devil had given the following reply.

    Get a hold of the priestess named Orihime or whatever she was called. Although it was a pain, she would instruct them this once...

    "I shall cut straight to the chase, brat. Approach the priestess immediately and tell her ''I want you. Give everything of yours to me.''"

    "D-Did you just say everything? Don''t be ridiculous, Kagutsuchi-san!"

    Orihime could not help but protest against the absurd suggestion. However, Hinokagutsuchi remained unfazed.

    "Priestess, I would advise you to read the mood and answer ''I am willing to offer you my body and soul'' in one fell swoop, obediently allowing yourself to be deceived just once. This would allow the matter to be resolved to everyone''s satisfaction."

    "M-More and more ridiculous. Absolutely not!"

    "I don''t think it''s possible for Juujouji and I to do that..."

    "Such a level of mutual resolve is necessary for you two. That is, if you wish to establish a vassal covenant."

    Dressed in a scarlet kimono as usual, Hinokagutsuchi was just a cute little girl in appearance.

    Such a being was arrogantly reclining in her open-air seat. In addition, there was the additional presence of Orihime and Hazumi, two young beauties. Consequently, the group was attracting plenty of attention from customers and staff in the cafe as well as pedestrians passing by outside.

    However, perhaps such a lineup ended up producing an aura of intimidation. Not even a single customer sat near them.

    " "......" "

    Hal only figured it out after listening to the self-styled devil''s sloppy instructions. I see, so that''s why I can''t entrust the Bow''s power to her? Meanwhile, Hazumi seemed quite shocked.

    "H-Hand over everything... To offer one''s body and soul, in other words..."

    Hazumi''s face turned bright red while she huddled her slender body and murmured.

    Seeing her cousin like that, Orihime hastily said, "H-Hazumi, Kagutsuchi-san is simply making an analogy. Don''t get led astray¡ªD-Don''t think of it in romantic terms!"

    "I-Is that how it goes?"

    "Hmm? No, priestess. If you are mentally prepared to go all the way, even at the cost of sharing a bed together, the vassal covenant will be easier to complete."

    "¡ªGo all the way!?"

    "Don''t imagine it. Seriously, don''t do it, Hazumi!"

    "Conversely, if the brat has the mettle to think ''I will surely make this woman mine'' then the matters will be different again. Hmm."

    Hazumi looked feverish, Orihime was flustered, while Hinokagutsuchi was putting on a knowing look.

    After listening to the conversation between the three girls, Hal had no choice but to keep quiet. Helpless, he could only space out and think "so Juujouji will cry out ''don''t'' repeatedly when she gets flustered"¡ªJust at that moment...

    "B-But Haruga-san already has Asya-san as his girlfriend. Even thinking about proceeding with this would be wrong..."

    "Y-You really need to stop thinking about weird things. I''m about to get mad, okay!?"

    Noticing Hazumi''s misconception, Hal quietly interjected:

    "Oh, not at all. That''s not the kind of relationship Asya and I share."

    "Really? S-Sorry, I jumped to conclusions."

    Hazumi bowed her head deeply in response. But the instant she looked up, a puzzled expression appeared on her face that was as cute as an angel''s.

    "E-Excuse me, may I ask a question? How do you feel about Orihime-neesama, Haruga-san? I don''t have any special intentions, but how do you view her as a woman, a member of the opposite sex..."

    "H-Hazumi!?"

    "Nee-sama, I-I really don''t have any special intentions. I''m just a bit curious..."

    After clumsily paying lip service to her troubled cousin, Hazumi gazed unerringly at Hal.

    Was this what one called pure and innocent? Hal somewhat prided himself on his eloquence, but for some reason, he felt no desire to exercise this skill.

    Aware that he was no match for Hazumi''s gaze, Hal said:

    "Hmm... Well, I guess she''s a very attractive person."

    "I-In that case, the rest depends on what Nee-sama thinks... I-I suddenly have something urgent to attend to!"

    Hazumi stood up, causing her chair to screech.

    Frantically with trembling hands, she took out her purse, put down money on the table for the cafe latte she had apparently drunk earlier, then bolted for the exit.

    "N-Now for the youngsters to proceed at their own pace...!"

    Leaving parting words like a marriage agent, Hazumi left.

    "Wait, Hazumi!? Sheesh, she always loves to worry..."

    "Oh my, you are about to fight an elite after all, Juujouji. She probably wants you to gain some more weapons. However, it''s thanks to Shirasaka that we have this excellent chance."

    Just as Orihime was grumbling, Hal finally managed to talk properly.

    This was all due to the decrease in the female fraction. He first stared at Hinokagutsuchi who was sitting across him directly then turned his gaze towards the western sky.

    Their current location at the cafe provided a vantage point with excellent visibility.

    Hence, it was possible to see the tallest structure in the Tokyo area, the pure-black Monolith.

    There was also the Rune of the Sword shining with platinum light above its pinnacle.

    "I believe it''s time for you to spill the beans honestly as a former dragon. It''s perfectly fine to talk here today, right?"

    "Hoo¡ªActually, I am not someone who likes to put on airs."

    Confronted with Hal''s calm questioning, the alleged ghost of an elite dragon, Hinokagutsuchi, spoke.

    "Revealing too much before time is ripe would be a fool''s behavior. Such a mistake would be impossible for one as wise as I am. However, it is almost time indeed¡ª"

    Hinokagutsuchi looked out to the Monolith as well. Orihime seemed to realize what they were looking at. After blinking a few times, she gazed in the same direction and nodded.

    Magical sight was apparently activating successfully. In the next second¡ª

    "Well then, Queen, allow me to make introductions next."

    A voice suddenly spoke. It was a strongly astringent voice that sounded rusted.

    "O young man who inherited the dragonslaying bow, I shall offer you my blessings first of all. I am very happy for your existence. Allow me to congratulate you."

    Without them noticing, a man in a black suit had started standing behind Hal and the others.

    The man was in the prime of life. His well-proportioned face likewise emanated an aura of astringency. He was also tall in stature.

    However, his race was indeterminate. For an oriental, his facial features were too deep-set. His tanned skin was too dark to be Caucasian, but he did not have any negroid features visible either.

    "I am Sophocles, in charge of facilitating the Road to Kingship¡ªthe grand yet barbaric game revolving around dragons, runes and the earth. My work could also be described as running errands."

    While introducing his name, the suspicious man sat down in Hazumi''s former seat.

    Then with a great sense of familiarity, he called for a waitress and ordered a cup of coffee.

    Part 3

    "Contemporary humans refer to sapient dragons as elites... Between dragons, they are known as the Zizou."

    After a sip of coffee, Sophocles began to explain tirelessly.

    "Actually, all of the Zizou share a common objective. Namely, to seek eligibility to enter the Road to Kingship, vowing to reach this road''s endpoint no matter what it takes."

    "All elites?"

    Hal muttered and peered at Hinokagutsuchi''s face. Regarding the explanation given by the man who seemed to be her old acquaintance, the girl who called herself the devil shrugged then crossed her arms. She looked like she intended to listen quietly.

    Meanwhile, the dumbstruck Orihime was listening intently to what Sophocles had to say.

    "Indeed, that is the nature of the creatures known as the Zizou. Following the Road to Kingship to the very end is their ultimate wish. It is for this purpose that they raise their intelligence and hone their magic so as to allow the mysterious power of runes to inhabit their resilient bodies..."

    "This ''kingship'' you speak of... Would that be referring to the dragon kings?"

    In response to Hal''s question, Sophocles looked straight at him and nodded firmly.

    "Correct, becoming dragon kings is precisely the cherished wish of all Zizou. However, the key to the Road to Kingship is not easy to find. For the sake of their quest, the Zizou wander between the earth''s surface and underground, dive to the very depths of the sea, and even fly to the sky to enter the domain of the stars."

    Hal could not help but look at his right hand. The hand where the Rune of the Bow resided.

    At this moment, Sophocles smiled. That being said, it was extremely faint.

    "Your comprehension is very strong, young man. Your imagination is correct. That dragonslaying rune is precisely the key for entering the Road to Kingship¡ªIt is what makes you eligible."

    Sophocles whispered solemnly as though reciting a prayer.

    "That is precisely why the Zizou bear a grudge towards those who inherit the power of dragonbane. In their eyes, these inheritors are beings who could potentially become dragon kings faster than them. To those who have stepped foot into the Road to Kingship, they give the title Tyrannos¡ªfalse kings. Their desire to kill these false kings at every opportunity is completely driven by these feelings of hatred and jealousy."

    "So that''s why Soth saw me as a thorn in his side..."

    "O young man, I know not whether you have the passion for advancing along the Road to Kingship, but you must become strong in order to survive. No matter what kind of dragon comes to challenge you, you must repel them then exterminate them in turn. Since you cannot commit suicide easily, this is your only recourse."

    "C-Can''t commit suicide? What do you mean by that?"

    "The dragonslaying runes are the supreme symbols of Ruruk Soun. Even though their forms have changed, they have endured to this day since the ancient age of myths. A mark of indestructibility. Bearers of such runes cannot possibly die so easily."

    Sophocles stared at Hal with an extremely sincere expression.

    "The runes confer imperishable indestructibility to a certain extent, but of course, not to the point of invincible immortality. It is essentially impossible to die by hanging yourself. If you intend to commit suicide, then be prepared to spend a commensurate number of years to make perfectly thorough preparations."

    Hal gasped. Next to him, Orihime also felt shocked.

    The cheerful classmate, who was always as bright and cheerful as the sun, went pale this time.

    "Be that as it may, young man, if you intend to die, there is no need to worry. Just devote your full effort to fighting powerful dragons. Warriors capable of challenging usurpers should have various mystical techniques in their arsenal to destroy imperishable bodies."

    "......"

    Leaving Hal speechless, Sophocles brought his cup to his lips. Perhaps the coffee had gone cold already, so he finished it in one go. Then he said:

    "Please feel free to summon me any time if you make up your mind to follow the Road to Kingship to become a dragon king."

    "S-Summon you?"

    "Indeed. By conquering water, sky and earth, successors to the power of dragonbane can become even stronger. If you wish for power as befits kingship, do consider what lands you intend to conquer then make a proposal as a trial. The more you increase your territories, the greater your power will grow, while at the same time, the closer you will get to becoming a dragon king..."

    "Y-You''re saying that I can become a dragon king?"

    "It might take years, decades or even centuries before you ascend to the throne. O young man, I hope you will survive well before that day arrives."

    Sophocles made that faint smile of his in the end, thereby ending the explanation.

    However, Hal retorted strongly:

    "Hold on, there''s a decisive point of contention in what you said just now. I''m a human, not a dragon. How can I possibly become a dragon king!?"

    "Racial difference does not constitute any barrier."

    In contrast, Sophocles answered very calmly.

    "In the past, the type of non-dragon creatures known as ''hybrid'' dragons¡ªIn truth, they were unexpectedly commonplace. Of course, pure dragons were very numerous too."

    Hybrids, pure dragons. Getting a vague sense of the meaning of these words, Hal instantly felt his spine run cold.

    "You mean they were humans to begin with but transformed into dragons...?"

    A complete transformation of ordinary humans, reborn as dragons. This was totally unheard of, yet Hal found himself unable to laugh.

    His terrifying experience with the Rune of the Bow prevented him.

    "However, it is fine too if you have no intention of becoming a dragon king."

    "......"

    "Speaking of which, it is rather curious how among the dragon kings, there are many who remain indifferent to the Road to Kingship despite having obtained the power of dragonbane, devoting themselves to single-minded pursuit of their own paths. This includes King Hannibal for instance. The same goes for Princess Yukikaze. Perhaps that approach might suit you more."

    After Sophocles finished, Orihime finally spoke up for the first time in a while. With a fearful expression, she asked:

    "Knowing so much, who on earth are you...? One would think you''re a dragon too...?"

    "No, priestess. He is human."

    Instead of Sophocles, it was Hinokagutsuchi who answered.

    "Like all of you here, this man is human. During the height of heavenly Hyperborea in the past, he was known as an unrivaled sorcerer. He was a priest who served ancient gods. At the same time, he is also an immortal who has obtained eternal life."

    Finally breaking her silence, Hinokagutsuchi spoke with mockery in her tone.

    Hal glared at Sophocles and felt compelled to ask:

    "Why would someone like that side with the dragons...?"

    "Rather than siding with the dragons, I simply play the role of facilitator in the Road to Kingship game where the exceptional existences called dragon kings are born. In other words, I run errands. You can even call it fanning the flames."

    "Fanning the flames?"

    "Yes. I simply wish to watch. Using these eyes to witness the world in flames due to the conflagrations known as dragon kings, the dazzling light given off by life and chaos¡ª"

    These were his last words before he left. A spring breeze blew by.

    Then Sophocles vanished, as suddenly as he had appeared. Hal silently shook his head then sighed.

    Part 4

    After Sophocles'' departure, Hal pulled himself together, only to find that the bill had also vanished from the table.

    He called the waitress to confirm and discovered that everyone''s order had been paid for, apparently the doing of the man in the black suit when he left.

    "He does things quite thoughtfully for someone who''s clearly involved with dragons..."

    Collapsing in his chair in exhaustion, Hal muttered.

    Then he turned his tired eyes towards Hinokagutsuchi who was seated directly opposite him.

    "Personally, I''d really like to think that more than half of what he said was total bullshit."

    "It is your freedom to do so. The truth is that you will experience it personally sooner or later. It is quite unimportant whether the timing is slightly hastened or postponed."

    Hal instantly felt a wave of fatigue from hearing this kind of answer that evaded all responsibility. Hal worried whether the dragonslaying rune''s excessive firepower could entail some kind of troublesome trap¡ª

    "Just for reference, let me ask a question. Does your appearance change into a dragon when you become a dragon king?"

    "It is not entirely uncommon to dragonify even without becoming king, assuming the dragonslaying rune turns into a weapon to make its wielder closer to a dragon."

    "......"

    "But there is no need to be too concerned. Relax."

    Despite asking him to relax, Hinokagutsuchi''s tone of voice was not gentle at all.

    "Whether humans or dragons, the majority of those who obtain the power of dragonbane will die before it matures. A moment''s carelessness during successive challenges from Zizou and they end up slaughtered as usurpers."

    "I see..."

    "I cannot think of even one reason why you will become a rare exception."

    "Thank you for your heartwarming provision of information. It''s definitely a valuable reference."

    Sighing deeply with mixed emotions, Hal muttered:

    "So that''s what you meant when you told me not to thank you for saving my life..."

    "Hmph, if you had burned to death there, you could have died normally."

    After grumbling about something said in the past, Hinokagutsuchi rose from her seat.

    Hal did not know if she was concerned about the gazes of bystanders, but she did not vanish instantaneously. Instead, she walked out of the cafe on her own two feet.

    "Struggle all you like. Ultimately, if you manage to become the greatest hero of the era, perhaps you might even be able to advance ''farther along.''"

    Leaving these words behind, Hinokagutsuchi departed.

    Only Hal and Orihime were left at the cafe''s open-air seating.

    However, Hal had no energy to spare towards attending to the girl sharing his table. He simply sat there, spacing out.

    A human turning into a dragon¡ªHow could there be something so absurd? But that happening to himself was definitely a possibility.

    Things were getting more and more ridiculous.

    Although he was not the type to revel in angst-filled monologue to curse destiny, he still needed plenty of venting. Like ''give me a fucking break.''

    "What a pain..."

    Just as Hal was muttering quietly to himself...

    The girl seated to him, looking at him in worry, suddenly asked:

    "So, Haruga-kun, are you free today?"

    "Huh?"

    "Regardless of whether you''re free or not... Would you like to go on a date with me later?"

    Suddenly making a suggestion, Orihime had recovered her usual cheer.

    "Aren''t we going to be fighting the silver dragon next? I was thinking we should relax a bit before that."

    "I suppose you may have a point..."

    "We ought to be entitled to taking out one day of the break for a change of pace, right?"

    Orihime was probably making this suggestion in concern for Hal''s low spirits. Hal''s ability to read the mood was not so poor that he would fail to notice this¡ª

    Hal smiled faintly. He tried his best to calm his mind and pull himself together.

    After roughly twenty seconds of silence, Hal gave a very uncharacteristic answer.

    "Yes. Indeed, a date every now and then would be nice."

    Thirty minutes later, Hal and Orihime arrived at a cinema''s lobby.

    Hal did not know if the recent "Dragon Appearance in Yokohama!" headline was to blame, but the crowd was rather thin despite the current extended holiday.

    Orihime checked the list of movies available and said:

    "I ask this only because I am convinced the following statement is absolutely impossible."

    "What?"

    "Haruga-kun, you are a seasoned veteran in the battlefield known as the dating scene, having gone on countless dates with the ladies¡ªOh, I mean girls other than Asya-san¡ªHow''s that? If that were the case, I was thinking I could simply leave everything to you as my escort."

    The beautiful classmate looked mischievously at Hal''s face from beside him.

    "Or should I treat you as a recruit who has never seen actual combat?"

    "So you''re belittling my ability?"

    "Rather than belittling, it would be better to say I am trying to analyze your strength as calmly as possible."

    "Don''t underestimate me¡ª"

    "If you have the guts to say ''I want you'' explicitly, Haruga-kun, I will prostrate myself and apologize to you."

    "...You in prostration, now that''s something I''d like to see."

    "Fufu. Your reaction is exactly as I predicted. I guess I should go easy on you with the comments."

    "But wait, Juujouji. If you''re saying that, can I treat you as a seasoned veteran?"

    "Eh, me?"

    "If that''s the case, please offer guidance on how to navigate this battlefield. After all, you totally called my experience level. I''m really looking forward to your exciting stories."

    "Uh, well..."

    "Given our friendship, there''s no need to be shy, right?"

    "Ahem. A novice would do well to find a fellow novice to make plans through detailed discussion, then slowly decide the route to climb the mountain. That is what I believe to be the proper way."

    Orihime waggled her index finger while deliberately putting on a serious face.

    "So, Haruga-kun, let''s discuss which movie we are going to watch. I''m very curious about that Mr. Hawkwood."

    "Let''s see... ''The heroic exploits of a mercenary during the darkness of medieval Europe. A tale of iron, blood and trickery, where betrayal and murderous hostility only serves to make oneself stronger. Fight, Hawkwood. This is the first neighborhood of Hell..." Hmm, there isn''t a single actress among the main cast. I think it''ll be very interesting."

    Orihime was pointing to a poster whose color theme was dark overall, without any glamor to speak of.

    The protagonist depicted in the photo was clad in a matching set of an iron helmet, plate armor and chain mail covering his entire body.

    He had his weapon raised high. A large war hammer, in other words, a steel shaft fitted with a heavy weight on one end. Because blades were ineffective against enemies protected by full-body armor, bludgeoning enemies to death was the solution. How old school to choose such a weapon. Too old school.

    "But is this a movie that should be watched by two people going on their first date together?"

    "Then how about ''My Neighbor Seki 3''? Or ''From a Board Game on a School Desk to a New World. The World Cup this time! Fight on Japan''s behalf!'' That''s what''s written there."

    "I''d watch this one even if I were by myself. I''d most likely buy the DVD too."

    In fact, diabetes-inducing romance movies were also showing.

    However, they did not seem to catch Orihime''s eyes at all. In this regard, one might say that she was truly living up to her past nickname as the "Kotengu of Fukakawa." In any case, after some discussion, Hal and Orihime decided to watch a popular action movie adapted from an American comic.

    Taking out their own money to buy their respective tickets, choosing two neighboring seats.

    After a slight pause to think, Orihime bought a large size popcorn as well.

    Before the movie started, the two of them entered the dimmed interior and took their seats. Orihime immediately proceeded to put down the bucket of popcorn between herself and Hal.

    "Sharing the same bucket of popcorn between the two of us, doesn''t this make it seem like we''re a real couple? In a fashion¡ªNo, since it''s a rare date after all, this is the bare minimum."

    Orihime smiled, leaned over from the adjacent seat and whispered with her face up close.

    Hal felt inexplicably frightened by this. Then the movie finally began.

    After fully enjoying the two-hour show, the two of them went on to have lunch together.

    As befitted their identity as high school students, they went to a fast food joint next to the cinema and ordered from the set menu. Then taking a brief walk towards the Sumida River, they arrived at a riverside park.

    A sunny May afternoon. The gentle breeze blowing across the riverside felt very comfortable.

    "If you''re okay with it, how about I treat you to something as thanks for today?"

    "I can''t think of a reason why you need to treat me... But since you brought it up already, I''ll take you up on the offer."

    Orihime smiled in response when Hal made his suggestion in front of a soft drink vending machine.

    He bought two cans of green tea and passed one to Orihime. Although he felt that this gift was too cheap, at least it counted as a sincere gesture of gratitude.

    Looking out to the Sumida River together, side by side, Hal and Orihime began drinking their tea.

    "Do I actually look that depressed?"

    "A little. Your countenance is haggard and the usual poker face is nowhere to be seen."

    "Oh dear."

    "But now, you look more like the usual Haruga-kun."

    Orihime smiled demurely.

    Haruga Haruomi was not an indomitable tough guy. Consequently, if he looked like he had recovered his vigor, it was probably thanks to her, even though Orihime was clearly the one who was about to fight an elite dragon for the second time. Furthermore, she had entered the world of witches only recently.

    In terms of being in a difficult predicament, she and Hal were not too different.

    Hal took a deep breath and said, "I''ve recalled the magic words that are particularly effective in times like these."

    "What are they?"

    "''We''ll cross that bridge when we get to it.'' Think about it, it''s not like we''re out of options immediately. It''d be more constructive to prioritize weapons that are effective against elites."

    Hal deliberately extolled optimism. However, there was nothing he could do when they reached the "bridge" for real.

    He hoped that his future self would have the ability to evade danger...

    "Given this rare chance, allow me to make thorough and effective use of this burdensome rune. So long as Asya-san, Rushalka and I are together, there will surely be a way to use it."

    "Needless to say, I''ll help out too. That goes without saying."

    After Hal smiled in an intentionally frivolous manner, Orihime added, "I really wish that rune could be used on my Akuro-Ou too."

    "I agree but we can''t help it if it doesn''t work."

    "Yes. Then I''ve decided to stop worrying. No matter how powerful the enemy, Haruga-kun, I believe you will activate that incomprehensible superpower to rescue us with perfect timing just like in manga."

    "Are you sure it''s okay to expect someone like me to turn in a performance like in a hot-blooded shounen manga?" Hal disagreed tactfully in the face of Orihime''s optimism.

    However, she smiled and was not bothered by it.

    "Don''t worry. Although it does feel like a miscast, Haruga-kun, you are a boy after all. Where there is a will, there is a way."

    "Unfounded idealism will only lead to failure, right...?"

    "Is there anything wrong with idealism? The likes of a man''s pride and honor are things that I don''t dislike."

    Hal found it difficult to argue against that.

    Although he was not a witch himself, Hal was her senior in the business. However, all he had done today was cause Orihime to worry about him the whole time. Wasn''t it time for his turn to look after her?

    This concerned "a man''s honor." Hal did his best to speak casually.

    "Got it. I''ll try my best to handle things appropriately."

    "You should act cool in times like these and assert ''I will protect you no matter what'' without any basis or vision. That would be the correct answer in shounen manga, right?"

    Orihime seemed quite familiar with manga aimed at that particular demographic.

    Finding her reading habits quite fitting for a self-styled "tomboy," Hal could not suppress a wry smile.

    "Going along with your line of thinking, I''ll also need narrow vision and excessive narcissism in addition to honor and pride. That''s setting the bar a bit too high¡ªHowever."

    Without averting his eyes away from the especially dazzling Orihime, Hal said, "I will try my hardest to handle things appropriately. Honestly."

    His voice sounded even more serious than he had imagined.

    Part 5

    Hiiragi Yukari had said "it would be best if we don''t wait until the last second before the five-day deadline is up."

    As dictated by these words, it was decided that an offense would be launched ahead of the deadline against the elite dragon currently sitting in the Old Tokyo Concession.

    In other words, the next day after Hal and Orihime''s "date."

    As always, this emergency decision was apparently influenced by the fact that serpents could not be gathered for reinforcements.

    "Since the dragon declared the conquest of Japan, it is only logical that they can''t maintain uninvolvement... But because last time Soth was defeated by relying on New Town''s ''serpents'' alone, the others are taking a ''wait and see'' approach. In truth, Asya and Rushalka''s power is renowned all over the world. Everyone is saying that there will be a solution just by relying on them¡ªThat''s what I heard."

    Hal explained the situation to Orihime.

    Since there was no advantage in waiting, it was pointless to delay the inevitable. Hence, Asya and Orihime quickly got ready to head to Old Tokyo.

    To avoid the elite dragon''s magic, no one escorted them along the way, of course.

    However, Hal alone accompanied them as support personnel. Nominally, he was described as someone possessing abilities useful in this situation.

    Driving a large four-wheel drive vehicle, Hal set off together with the two witches.

    Recently, he had been handling certain "sundry chores" in Old Tokyo whenever he had time to spare. Thanks to that, his grasp of the geography was completely restored. Hal drove steadily for an hour or two.

    Arriving at the Hibiya Park, he stopped the car. They were already very near their destination.

    It was after 2pm. The weather was cloudy.

    "If possible, let''s try launching a surprise attack."

    Before disembarking, they held a final meeting. Asya was the first to speak.

    "We''ll do it without getting our hopes too high. After all, the target is an elite, so whether it succeeds will depend on the enemy''s personality."

    "Personality? What do you mean by that?"

    "In other words, a cautious dragon would deploy meticulous defensive magic, remaining on alert even while sleeping. In such a case, a surprise attack must not be undertaken no matter how impatient you are. However, if the opponent can''t be bothered to take such precautions, you''ll find a way as long as you prepare properly¡ªThat''s what I''ve been told."

    Since this was knowledge learned directly from his childhood friend, Hal repeated it to Orihime in a quoting tone of voice.

    Meanwhile, the veteran witch Asya seemed to be worrying about other matters.

    "I feel very concerned that this elite is too unguarded. I can''t believe he''s brazenly sleeping in a conspicuous location in the wasteland."

    In the past few days, as well as before the New Town invasion, they had been using surveillance drones¡ªsmall autonomous unmanned helicopters¡ªand investigative magic to keep tabs on the dragon.

    "Isn''t he afraid of getting attacked?"

    "Chances are higher that he''s tempting us to attack."

    "In fact, he probably doesn''t care whether anyone listened to his speech at Yokohama asking Japan to surrender! There won''t be a fight if the humans surrender. He probably doesn''t want that."

    "But we have a trump card. Isn''t that right?"

    Orihime finished as though summing up. Hal and Asya nodded.

    Next, they were going to improvise while following a plan.

    As a side note, Hal still had not told his childhood friend about yesterday''s encounter with the man named Sophocles or the content of the conversation that had taken place. Hal and Orihime had decided this together. Since it would only complicate the situation further, they intended to keep quiet until the current incident was resolved...

    "By the way, are you sure you want to be wearing that?" Hal asked, looking at the school uniforms of his childhood friend and Orihime.

    Even though they were clearly going to fight a dragon, both girls were in school uniform.

    "I heard that Japan''s witches don''t have any special combat uniform, so to differentiate from my casual wear, I''d like to fight in something I could consider a victory outfit."

    Orihime answered nonchalantly.

    "Also, a high school''s formal uniform works out perfectly, so I might as well wear our school''s uniform."

    "I decided to follow suit after hearing what Orihime-san intended to wear."

    Asya had put on her frequently worn military jacket over her uniform. As a side note, Hal was dressed totally casually in a denim jacket paired with black jeans.

    As long as they were fine with it, Hal thought to himself irresponsibly then took out a pocket watch.

    Hal''s oft-used Clockwork Mage was a tool for generating magical power.

    Due to his work as what would be called a professional treasure hunter, Hal knew a variety of magic for exploration and stealth movement. He even knew more than Asya, a Level 5 witch.

    Techniques acquired through necessity-driven learning were the best after all¡ª

    "How do you conjure images in your mind when using magic? I totally don''t have a clue."

    "Just use your own approach. There''s not much point in imitating others."

    "Those who can vividly conjure detailed images, imitable by no one, are actually the type of people who become excellent magi."

    Hal offered beginner advice while conjuring an image in his mind. A scene where he, Asya and Orihime were moving as shadows with their sound, appearance and physical form erased¡ª

    Then with the three of them as the target, he cast three types of magic one after another¡ª

    First was Sound Suppression, followed by Visual Interference and finally Olfactory Nullification.

    By using these spells, Hal and company would only cause faint sound even if their bodies or carried objects made large movements, they became as inconspicuous as camouflaged insects, and even creatures with a keen sense of smell would have difficulty detecting their scent.

    (Then let''s go.)

    Asya gestured, urging the group to set off. Due to Sound Suppression being active, even the volume of speech was dampened, so it was impossible to hear one another unless you spoke in the listener''s ear.

    With the Level 5 witch in the lead, Orihime and Hal followed in that order.

    Hibiya Park was very close to their destination. After walking on foot along Uchibori Street for a while, the National Diet Building''s staid appearance came into view. Continuing on would reach the National Diet Building''s main entrance. Nearby was a highway¡ªwhat was formerly the Shuto Expressway.

    The trio stopped at an intersection near Sakurada Gate.

    The next set of traffic lights was located at the National Diet Entrance intersection, in other words, right in front of the National Diet Building.

    And lying at the Diet Building''s doorstep was a dragon. Ten-odd meters in length, an entity covered in dragon scales of metallic silver.

    It was Pavel Galad, the elite that had appeared at Yokohama.

    With his tail against his head and wings folded, the posture was like an oval shape. With eyes completely shut, he looked like he was sleeping. To confirm, Hal invoked Heat Sensing magic.

    Dragons were commonly perceived to be cold-blooded animals similar to reptiles.

    It was unknown if having flames inside their bodies was the explanation, but active dragons clearly had a higher body temperature than when sleeping. Just to be safe, Hal used magic to check but could not confirm the high temperature indicating activity.

    Hal nodded to the two witches in his company.

    Next, it was their turn to enter the stage. Asya and Orihime suddenly tossed out their trump card.

    (O ancient divine seal of purity, let the transient blue dragon manifest over our heads!")

    (Akuro-Ou, come fight by my side!)

    Under the effects of Sound Suppression, their voices only sounded like private whispering.

    However, two glowing pentagrams appeared in the sky above in response to their calls. Turning into infinity symbols at the same time, they ultimately materialized into two leviathans.

    Nine-tailed Akuro-Ou, the fox-wolf bearing white fur and glowing with red light.

    And Rushalka, the faint-blue wyvern. On her forehead was a long and single horn.

    Suddenly appearing, these dragonoid homunculi carried immense magical power within them. The pulsation of this magical power apparently stimulated the senses of the nearby sleeping dragon.

    Pavel Galad''s massive body shuddered violently then his left eyelid slowly rose.

    However, Orihime and Akuro-Ou had already sprung into action.

    "Akuro-Ou! Use Fire magic¡ªpseudo-divinity. Make haste!"

    Responding to her covenantee''s directions, Akuro-Ou extended her nine tails in the air.

    The sight was almost like a giant flower blooming in the sky. Next, a blazing fireball appeared on each tip of the nine tails and were launched to the ground all at once.

    Naturally, the fire was hurtling towards the silver dragon, Pavel Galad.

    Struck directly by the nine fireballs, the giant body of metallic silver began to burn intensely.

    The explosive flames roared fiercely. Lying in a vortex of fire, the dragon should not have enough time to invoke his rune of Ruruk Soun to defend. However¡ª

    "Here at last. I have been waiting ages for you... Waiting for humans who challenge dragons! Has that moment finally arrived now!?"

    A silhouette stood up amidst the explosive flames in front of the National Diet Building.

    Lifting its long neck and spreading its wings, the silhouette had a dragon''s form.

    "Looks like you are in hiding. Please hurry and show yourselves. O brave warriors who dare challenge dragonkind, I shall brand your deaths deeply upon my retinas!"

    Tiny pulses of magic were released together with the voice, spreading out around the explosive flames.

    The three types of magic that Hal had used to hide the three of them were all dispelled.

    "Over there, yes? Your courage and flames have made my blood boil with excitement. Please allow me to use this hot blood to incinerate you all!"

    He looked like he had discovered Hal''s group that was one block away.

    The silver dragon''s voice was stern and dignified, filled with masculinity and even sounded a bit refreshing.

    "The elite dragon this time is a hot-blooded man... I suppose?"

    "But then again, this type of description doesn''t really suit a dragon."

    Hal and Asya conversed, but no longer in whispers caused by Sound Suppression. Judging from the fact that the enemy could leave himself so open, it was predictable that pseudo-divinity would not work.

    The enemy must have used some kind of method to defend¡ª

    "Next, it''s time to see how much of an effect our trump card can make. Asya, I''m counting on you."

    "Got it. Rushalka!"

    Hal focused his awareness in the center of his right palm. Hence, a magic symbol surfaced there.

    The Rune of the Bow, a design depicting an arrow nocked to a bow. When Hal started to think silently about entrusting this rune to Asya, the childhood friend beside him nodded instantly. Next, the Rune of the Bow also appeared on the ground beneath their feet as well as in front of Rushalka in the air.

    "Attack!"

    "Rushalka, Frost Breath!"

    The attack that had defeated Raak Al Soth reappeared.

    Conferring a massively amplified magical shot upon a vassal dragon, that was the Rune of the Bow.

    Under the rune''s blessing, the airborne Rushalka discharged cold air and icy breath, attempting to engulf the elite dragon target along with the explosive flames, thereby freezing them.

    A storm of blue-white ice shards swirled up at the main entrance of the National Diet Building.

    The explosive flames released by Akuro-Ou earlier were quickly scattered by this blizzard. The silver dragon''s massive body, which he had boldly allowed the flames to burn, was once again revealed.

    "Fufu... So this is the power of dragonbane? I see, it is certainly nothing simple¡ª"

    Listening to the dragon''s arrogant voice, Hal''s trio could not believe their eyes for a moment.

    "Completely unharmed, is he...?"

    "Crap. I was hoping to see how much damage the rune''s attack could inflict, but..."

    "Total ineffectiveness is too unexpected, right!?"

    Calm and composed, standing inside the blizzard''s vortex, the enemy remained completely unscathed.

    Whether the cold air or the storm of ice shards, neither could cause the slightest damage to the dragon''s silver scales. Pavel Galad''s massive body was enveloped by a pearl-white glow.

    This light was protecting the silver dragon, blocking the freezing attack from the Rune of the Bow!

    "The light of indestructibility...? Meaning the trait of imperishability...?" Hal murmured blankly, vaguely understanding the magical nature of the pearly radiance.

    "The dragonslaying runes are seals of imperishability. It is said that they have existed since the beginning of the universe."

    Galad''s whispering voice carried faint laughter.

    "By deploying the rune''s imperishable divinity, this body can obtain the protection of imperishable indestructibility... O successor of the dragonslaying bow, do you not know that?"

    The silver dragon''s eyes definitely captured Hal from afar.

    Only then did Hal notice that the dragon''s eyeballs were amethyst in color.

    "Still, I never expected the Bow''s user to actually show up."

    At this point, the storm of cold air finally ceased.

    However, the silver-white dragon scales remained lustrous and dazzling, without the slightest scratch on them...

    "Ever since I was told that a successor was present in this island nation, I have been secretly anticipating. Perhaps there might be a chance to fight a fellow successor of dragonbane."

    "You already said you''re going to conquer Japan, of course I''ve no choice but to resist..."

    Hal''s murmuring was very feeble compared to Galad''s shouting.

    ...Because he did not have any mood to enjoy a conversation. However, the dragon apparently heard him.

    "Fufu. So you are challenging a dragon to protect your country? Bow''s successor!"

    "N-Nothing that grand. I''m just forced to take defensive action because I don''t have a choice!"

    Seeing that a dialogue had been established, Hal grew anxious.

    Meanwhile, Pavel Galad proudly said the following.

    "Since the opponent wields the power of dragonbane, I have no choice but to draw my sword. O trails of the flint star shining in the sky, trace out the secret records of Ruruk Soun!"

    Galad chanted in his beautiful and highly masculine voice.

    Then he extended his right hand, raising his palm high up towards the sky.

    "I offer prayer to the seal in my possession, that of the Divine Sword of the Heavens. Let the dragonslaying sword come to my hand now!"

    Instantly, a beautiful longsword appeared in Galad''s right hand.

    It was a double-edged sword with a long and thick blade. The hilt portion was very long, possible for Galad to use a two-handed grip with room to spare. Hal had seen the same weapon in the Yokohama video.

    Holding the longsword, Pavel Galad rose up into the air.

    "That''s... the dragonslaying sword? The Rune of the Sword?"

    Hal whispered in shock.

    "Unlike me, he can materialize the rune¡ªinto a weapon?"

    "Haruomi! You lose if you get intimidated by the enemy''s weapon. At least resolve yourself to fight back and take the initiative to attack!"

    Asya scolded from beside him. Experienced in battle and possessing a wild beast''s instincts, she evidently realized this moment was the key to deciding the outcome.

    Hal reached out with his right hand to hold his childhood friend''s left hand.

    At the same time, he mentally invoked the Rune of the Bow¡ªto entrust its firepower to Asya and Rushalka.

    "Rushalka, Lightning Bolt!"

    The Rune of the Bow was deployed again in front of Rushalka who was on standby in the air. Immediately, the lone horn on her forehead released blue-white lightning!

    Giving off the distinctive odor of ions, Rushalka''s lightning devoured the gigantic silver body¡ª

    However, Pavel Galad casually swung his longsword horizontally. Just by doing that, he sliced the lightning and erased it.

    He did not even use that pearly glow¡ªimperishable protection¡ªto defend.

    "I would advise you not to underestimate me. Now that I have drawn the Sword, I can eliminate a Bow of this level without even needing to rely on protection."

    From the sky, Galad looked down on the ground¡ªHal''s location¡ªand declared presumptuously.

    The tide of the battle was already fixed by this point in time.

    Seeing the light from the longsword in the silver dragon''s hand, Akuro-Ou turned her face away in extreme discomfort. Speaking of which, the same had happened with Soth last time. After all, this was likewise the power of dragonbane.

    Rushalka too. Her entire body was disintegrating in a gradual process of collapse¡ª

    Furthermore, though it was unclear whether unleashing the Bow twice was the reason, Rushalka seemed utterly exhausted. Glaring at Pavel Galad, her sharp gaze was also much more hollow than in the beginning.

    However, the silver-white dragon said, "O user of the Bow, isn''t it time for you to show your true power? No need to hold back. For the sake of racing along the Road to Kingship, I must become stronger than anyone. Only by withstanding ever fiercer strikes and slaying ever stalwart foes will I become even stronger than I am now!"

    Everyone''s jaw dropped in shock, whether Asya, Hal or Orihime.

    "Please! For the sake of my training, strike with everything you have!"

    "Even if the opponent requests that, an impossible task still remains impossible..."

    The enemy in the air could not possibly have heard Orihime''s murmurings.

    However, perhaps smelling the subtle air between humans, Galad suddenly showed a stunned expression.

    "Impossible¡ªDid you use your full power in the earlier attacks already?"

    Hal could see the color of disappointment in the dragon''s eyes, gazing down on mankind from the sky.

    "This... This is such a disappointment. I was expecting the imminent battle to be the first step along my path of conquest. It was only just now when I swore to absolute victory and slaughter in my heart!"

    Pavel Galad was evidently very hot-blooded in personality.

    "In that case, you leave me no choice. Weak enemies have ways to die as befitting weak enemies¡ª"

    Twelve runes were shining above Galad, but they did not include the Rune of the Sword.

    Naturally, they were also magic symbols of Ruruk Soun. This arrangement of runes carried the dual meanings of "alchemy" and "bestowal of magical power"...

    "Then I shall let my blood boil then turn the hot blood into a minion to butcher all of you. Such weak foes are not worthy of facing the dragonslaying sword that stands as the supreme blade..."

    Surprisingly, Galad''s voice sounded quite dismayed.

    He even slumped his shoulders and showed extreme sorrow towards Hal''s "state of weakness."

    In the next instant, blood spilled out from his¡ªa dragon''s left arm. Surging out like from a fountain, the blood resembled mercury. The bleeding soon stopped but the great volume of blood spilled on the asphalt road began to move.

    It looked like flowing slime or melted metal.

    Furthermore, it was quite humongous. The plaza and road in front of the National Diet Building was covered in mercury color within the blink of an eye. Had protesters been holding a demonstration here, hundreds of people would probably drown in an instant.

    "Compared to that of other dragons, my blood is more vigorous. This is an attempt to turn blood into a minion using magic. Living metal born from my blood as a seedbed... Will you be able to handle it!?"

    "Are you sure that''s what vigorous blood means!?"

    While throwing out a retort, Hal felt stunned at the same time.

    In a RPG situation, this would be the arrival of a monster called "Large Living Metal Slime."

    Resembling the shape, motion and super high temperature of metal melting in a furnace, this liquid metal began to move. Indeed, it was extremely hot. The mercury-like fluid was giving off astounding heat and rushing towards their location like a tsunami.

    In the process, various "things" were gradually swallowed by the liquid metal.

    Trees lining what used to be sidewalks, the remains of street lights, abandoned cars, etc¡ªThe majority melted away. This was only natural since the temperature was similar to a furnace''s after all.

    Just the hot air reaching Hal''s trio was already enough to make them all covered in sweat.

    Swallowed by that thing, a human would probably get annihilated without anything left, not even bones!

    "Since our most powerful move didn''t work, there''s no point in continuing the fight."

    Asya suddenly yelled.

    "In that case, let''s flee as hard as we can! Start retreating at full speed!"

    "The Thirty-Seventh Stratagem? Roger that!"

    "Orihime-san, Rushalka can''t hold out much longer. Please use the method I taught you to shrink Akuro-Ou so that all of us can ride her. Not only will this make her more agile but it''s also easier to hide!"

    "Understood. I''m counting on you, Akuro-Ou!"

    Rushalka had disappeared from the sky already.

    Meanwhile, Orihime closed her eyes and began to concentrate. As a result, the motionlessly hovering Akuro-Ou gradually shrank in size. Originally large enough to rival elite dragons, her massive body now turned into a fox-wolf roughly three meters long¡ª

    Witches Level 3 or above had the ability to shrink their "serpent" to a certain extent.

    The miniaturized Akuro-Ou swiftly landed on the ground and knelt down. Orihime was the first to mount her back. Hal and Asya followed suit.

    As soon as everyone had mounted her back, the white nine-tailed fox-wolf began to run along the ground with her four legs.

    Right in the nick of time. After Akuro-Ou began to sprint, the tsunami of liquid metal reached their former position and the surrounding roads.

    Even on a highway, Akuro-Ou was soon racing comfortably at high speed.

    But due to a lack of safety goggles and shock dampeners, the rider experience was pretty much awful.

    Intense up and down movement. The three riders clung desperately to the white fur with both hands while clamping Akuro-Ou''s body between their thighs, gritting their teeth and trying not to get thrown off.

    Even so, the liquid metal was still closing in from behind while moving like a tsunami!

    "Akuro-Ou, fly!"

    Probably realizing it was impossible to escape on the ground, Orihime issued her command.

    Instantly, Akuro-Ou floated up lightly to the sky, instantly reaching a height overlooking the roofs of five and six-story multi-tenant buildings. At the same time, the riders were spared from the awfully bumpy ride.

    "In any case, first fly towards Western Tokyo. Be careful and don''t drop us!"

    Akuro-Ou flew west as requested. However, the chase was not over.

    This time, part of the liquid metal bulged out, reaching for the sky.

    It had turned a portion of its body into tentacles in an attempt to catch the flying Akuro-Ou. Also, rather than attacking just once, these tentacles launched wave after wave of attacks at Hal''s group!

    Orihime could not help but direct Akuro-Ou to rise higher. The fox-wolf loyally followed orders¡ª

    At this moment, Hal felt his spine suddenly shudder once.

    Because he felt a gaze. Someone was staring at him.

    He looked back to see the dragon hovering motionlessly above Nagatach¨­. Majestically, he spread his silver-white wings and stared at Hal''s fleeing group. Then Hal heard his voice:

    ''How saddening. A rare encounter with a fellow successor of dragonbane yet you turn tail and flee instead of rising to the challenge...''

    Probably delivered directly to Hal''s ear using magic, Galad''s voice sounded full of sorrow.

    ''However, since you lack power, there is no helping it. I will bring the curtain down on this farce while fantasizing about the great and formidable foe I shall encounter next time. Farewell¡ª''

    ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    The mournful howl reverberated across the Old Tokyo sky along with these parting words. Released by Pavel Galad, this atmosphere-shaking shockwave was filled with magical power.

    "Orihime-san, use pseudo-divinity to defend! The impact is coming, hurry!"

    As Asya finished her warning, the surrounding air instantly shook like a heat haze.

    Orihime''s reaction speed was undoubtedly outstanding, but still not fast enough. Akuro-Ou was blown away like a tiny airplane in a sudden storm. Sitting on her back, the trio was thrown into the air.

    Despite the shockwave surrounding them, everyone seemed to be unharmed.

    The activation of Akuro-Ou''s pseudo-divinity had probably protected them. However, Hal, Asya, Orihime and even Akuro-Ou were all getting blown away.

    And they were flying in different directions.

    Separated from the group, the shocked Hal was falling in a parabolic trajectory.

    The wind was roaring noisily in in his ears, striking his entire body mercilessly. Dozens of meters below, he could see the roofs of what seemed to be office buildings.

    The ground was further down. However, regardless where he landed, death was certain...

    Hal thought with a detached outlook.

    A witch with powerful magic reserves might have a chance in surviving. However, Hal did not know any magic that would prove useful in midair. In other words, he was out of options¡ªNo wait.

    While crashing to the ground, Hal remembered.

    ''The dragonslaying runes are seals of imperishability. By deploying the rune''s imperishable divinity, this body can obtain the protection of imperishable indestructibility¡ª''

    This was what the enemy had personally taught him. In addition, Hal had learned the fact that he could not kill himself easily.

    In other words... While falling, Hal imagined Galad''s impervious form that he had witnessed earlier. At the same time, he thought to himself that Haruga Haruomi was supposed to achieve the same.

    Hence, the Rune of the Bow manifested on his right palm while his field of vision was filled with pearly brightness¡ª

    "What kind of gag manga is this...?"

    Hal surveyed his surroundings and muttered in self-deprecation.

    After falling for a duration that seemed long but was actually short, Hal crashed into asphalt.

    However, he was completely unharmed. For an instant, Hal experienced intense pain that felt as though his entire body was breaking apart. Right now, various parts of his body was still aching, but there were no serious injuries at all. The asphalt road surface that had taken Hal''s impact was in a far sorrier state.

    Roughly eight or nine meters in diameter, a crater had formed on the road.

    What created this hole was not a meteor but a human body that had crashed down like a shooting star. Confronted with this absurd situation, Hal sighed before looking around him.

    Based on the road signs and urban landscape, his current position was probably in the vicinity of Yotsuya in the Shinjuku.

    Hal searched the inner pocket of his denim jacket where his satellite phone was kept. He took it out for a look. Luckily, it was not damaged either.

    Although he wanted to confirm the location of his crash, finding out his friends'' situations took priority.

    Hal first phoned Hiiragi-san at Tokyo New Town and get an update on the situation in the process¡ªThe call picked up.

    "Yes. Yes. Hmm, okay, I guess... Huh? Asya''s fine?"

    He felt all energy draining from his body. Involuntarily, Hal almost dropped the phone to the ground.

 Volume 2, 4 - Awakening

    Volume 2, Chapter 4 - Awakening

    Part 1

    Pavel Galad had issued a deadline of five days.

    Akuro-Ou and Rushalka''s defeat had happened on the afternoon of the third day. Despite the battle, the dragon did not break his promise. He apparently curled up and went back to sleep, continuing to stay at Nagatach¨­...

    Not simply hot-blooded, but perhaps he was very rigid and principled in personality too.

    Was the silver dragon a hybrid or pure-blooded? In his hazy mind due to a high fever, Hal pondered such utterly inane questions.

    After the miraculous survival, Hal was rescued personally by Kenjou who had sneaked into Old Tokyo.

    Sitting in the escape vehicle was Asya who had been rescued first. Reportedly, the childhood friend had exhibited her prowess as a Level 5 witch by casting Feather Fall, magic for countering Isaac Newton''s law of gravity to slow down an object''s rate of fall.

    "I don''t think I''d stay in one piece if I had cast my magic thirty seconds later..."

    In the car on the trip back to Tokyo New Town, Asya remarked in exhaustion.

    Even so, she had apparently crashed into the roof of a multi-tenant building at a rate comparable to a speeding bicycle. It was only thanks to her defensive magic and guarding skills acquired from close quarters combat training that she got out with only minor scratches and bruises.

    Back to New Town, Hal was dropped off at his own house. Soon after his crash landing, Hal started suffering from a thirty-eight-degree fever. As a result, he was forced to recuperate¡ª

    Then came the morning of the fourth day after the declaration. Hal opened his eyes while in his own room''s bed.

    "Well, you officially invoked the rune''s power without using a wand after all. Of course there will be a backlash."

    Hinokagutsuchi was whispering by his pillow. As usual, she was acting like she knew everything.

    "Wand... Don''t tell me you''re referring to the ''magic wand'' that last time''s elite also used?"

    "Yes. Whether you have one or not makes a huge difference in strain."

    Hinokagutsuchi explained while leaning against the edge of the bed.

    With her back facing Hal, who was still lying in bed, she started playing with a handheld game console. Whether hardware or software, all were Hal''s possessions. She was currently killing time in a popular game, hunting monsters as a resident in a fantasy world.

    "So what kind of monsters do I need to defeat in order to get the materials for that wand thing?"

    "Find out on your own. That was what I did. Whether in games or in war, those who cannot look after themselves will never follow the road to completion."

    Hinokagutsuchi was controlling a stalwart and brawny swordsman as her player character, "Hinokagutsuchi" spelled in hiragana.

    He was clad in shiny black armor. The massive sword he was swinging with both hands was also a black magic sword with an ominous design. Both the weapon and the defensive gear were clearly rare items.

    The self-styled devil''s finger movements for controlling the character were also exceptionally experienced...

    "Doing what you are taught, taking action when you are told, do you not find this kind of disposition extremely pathetic? If no one has blazed a trail beforehand, just make one yourself. It is that simple."

    How unbelievable. Hinokagutsuchi was clearly just playing a video game¡ª

    Yet from the image of her back, Hal could see haughtiness and sternness forbidding all grumbling and complaints.

    "Is that how you ascended to that throne of the whatever queen?"

    "Hmm? This is how I conduct myself no matter what the task. I am my own lord across heaven and earth, fighting whoever offends my eyes, going wherever I please. Whenever I was worshiped, I would temporarily take on the responsibilities of a goddess. In the past, that was essentially how I spent my life of greatness."

    "In the past huh..."

    Hal repeated softly. Indeed, she was using past tense on purpose?

    Then Hal felt it amidst his fever.

    Helplessness. Emptiness. A sense of loss that he had lost count of how many dozens of times he had experienced it. Indeed. In various ways, this was an era where turmoil was everywhere, but due to his family background and occupation, this type of experience was particularly abundant for Hal.

    "Was returning to Tokyo the wrong choice, just as I thought...?"

    He thought back to Juujouji Orihime''s covenant ritual. He should not have accepted the job after all, right?

    The same thoughts would cross Hal''s mind whenever witches, whose ritual he had taken part in, died in battle.

    Although they had to be present on the frontlines, witches actually had a fairly high survival rate. Presumably, this was because the "serpents" were in charge of the actual fighting. Even so, deaths still occurred and were reported to staff who were acquainted with the deceased during the covenant rituals.

    Had that ritual not taken place, would Orihime have lived longer?

    In that case, she would not be "missing in action, chances of survival: slim" as currently categorized¡ª

    Regret and guilt surged endlessly. Hal could not even muster the strength to sigh. What surprised himself was this intense sense of loss.

    Clearly, he had only known her for a month. How unbelievable.

    Hal clicked his tongue at his body, listless due to the fever, while rising from the bed.

    "What is the matter, brat? Are you tired of the world and wish to commit suicide?"

    "Of course not. I just remembered a promise that I had made uncharacteristically."

    Currently, there was no definite proof of Akuro-Ou and Orihime''s deaths. Furthermore, Hal had promised to try his hardest to handle things appropriately, to use his unfamiliar power to save her.

    However, Haruga Haruomi had not done anything.

    Pushing Hinokagutsuchi away, Hal got off the bed with unsteady footsteps.

    First, he had to infiltrate Old Tokyo and locate Orihime and Akuro-Ou''s whereabouts. Should the enemy show up, then he needed to try his hardest to find clues and see if he could seize a chance to trigger his power''s awakening just like how he acquired protection. In any case, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Taking action was his only recourse...

    At this moment, Haruga Haruomi cocked his head and went "Hmm?"...Because he seemed to be hearing something.

    The instant he thought of Akuro-Ou, a faint cry for help reached his ears¡ª

    "Well, you and the priestess did preside over the birth ritual together. It would come as no surprise if a bond of fate were to arise between it and the officiating priests¡ªakin to parents, hmm."

    Hinokagutsuchi suddenly murmured such words, causing Hal to widen his eyes.

    In that case, could it be that¡ª

    "You are planning to go the Old Tokyo wasteland!?"

    "Yeah. I feel there''s still a shred of hope, so I''m going," Hal told the surprised Asya.

    Their location was the Metropolitan Police Department''s headquarters in the Sumi East area. An area rich in the trappings of Shitamachi, the low-lying and traditional area of Tokyo, prior to the establishment of New Town, the north side of the Sumida Ward had been redeveloped into a modern office district.

    Located at Kanegafuchi, the MPD headquarters was a twenty-story building constructed from steel-reinforced concrete.

    "Haruomi, if a ''magical bond'' really exists between you and Akuro-Ou, then it''s indeed possible..."

    "Doesn''t matter either way. Let me know immediately if the situation changes. I will have you guys meet up before Galad launches a fierce attack."

    The two of them were talking in the lounge on the seventh floor.

    Asya was currently on standby for a rematch against Pavel Galad.

    She was here because the Old Tokyo Concession, now turned into a battlefield, was under the MPD''s jurisdiction. Ever since the return of the dragons, the trend of arming police forces had risen in many countries. Japan was no exception. The drone helicopters sent to monitor Old Tokyo also belonged to the MPD.

    "If only we could fight side by side."

    "I don''t think there are any witches nearby who can nonchalantly ignore the wishes of their sponsors."

    "Perhaps national characteristics play a role in why Japan has so few witches as strong as I am."

    Speaking in a relaxed manner, the two of them were each drinking a coffee-flavored milk carton.

    Whether the sudden disappearance of a well-acquainted comrade or getting stuck in a battlefield due to dragon-related incidents, all of this was commonplace. At most, what differed from the past was a noncombatant, Hal, entering the predetermined battle zone for reasons apart from investigation¡ª

    "Haruomi, I''m not going to give advice like don''t overdo it. If you get caught in danger, find a way to escape from death. Only by moving forward with resolve in the face of certain death will you actually have a chance of surviving."

    "Isn''t this the time when you should be saying ''a real pro doesn''t take risks'' for the sake of mood?"

    "If military experience alone was enough to overcome the situation, I could accommodate... But when magic and dragons are involved, the enemy often transcends the realm of such experiences..."

    "Enemies that don''t follow the manual are so annoying..."

    Hal grumbled poignantly after hearing Asya''s advice.

    "To add to that, make sure you get the timing right when running away."

    "Doesn''t that contradict your advice about ''moving forward with resolve in the face of certain death'' just now?"

    "That''s something you need to be flexible with based on feeling. Knowing the difference naturally is what makes you a full-fledged adult."

    "That''s why you''re described as someone with instincts like a wild beast..."

    While Hal held back the final statement in his mind, the childhood friend suddenly said:

    "In that case, I think it''s better if you took a helper along."

    "A helper?"

    "Yes. Go to the lobby and wait a while. I''ll introduce you presently."

    Hal could already guess the identity of Asya''s aforementioned helper.

    In any case, he went to the lobby first. Before he left, Asya said:

    "If you really manage to find Orihime-san and Akuro-Ou, I will give you a hug, Haruomi. I''m serious. So no matter how much hardship lies ahead, you must find them!"

    Asya, too, hoped for the survival of the Japanese girl who had suddenly become her junior. Finding a supporter, Hal could not help but smile. Then he exited the lounge.

    It was currently after 8am. His fever yesterday had completely subsided.

    The fever''s cause was probably not some kind of flu but what Hinokagutsuchi had said.

    "A magic wand huh?"

    Muttering to himself, Hal took the elevator to the ground floor. As expected, there were many people in uniform. But in addition to police, there were also a few who looked like civilians.

    A young girl approaching him was clearly in that category.

    Just as he thought. Hal nodded. The girl in school uniform was Shirasaka Hazumi.

    "I have already heard Asya-san explain the situation."

    Hazumi looked haggard and her eyes were very red. She must have slept poorly.

    "Why are you here, Shirasaka?"

    "After hearing that Nee-sama went missing, I have been thinking all along about what I could possibly do. Although Yukari-san said I didn''t need to do anything before the dragon battle, it really didn''t sit well with me to stay at home... So I contacted Asya-san¡ª"

    Naturally, Orihime''s family was informed of her missing in action. This included her younger cousin, Hazumi.

    Feeling restless, she had come to the MPD. Hazumi had been a witch fighting on behalf of New Town for a long time now, so entering this place was probably nothing difficult.

    Just as Hal figured things out, the witch in control of an injured ''serpent'' said to him:

    "I beg of you, please take me along! I wish to help in any manner possible!"

    She expressed her will clearly, contrary to her usual air of reserved politeness.

    Part 2

    In fact, Hal had considered refusing Hazumi''s request.

    After all, it was a rare opportunity when she, a middle schooler whose personality was clearly ill-suited to be a witch, was suspended from work.

    Hal believed it would be good for her to continue resting too. However, common logic would dictate that having a witch to accompany him was something to be glad about¡ª

    In the end, Hal still departed with Hazumi. After securing necessary equipment from the used bookstore at Higashikomagata, which also doubled as a SAURU branch, they crossed the Sumida River to enter Old Tokyo through the Asakusa Bridge.

    "Umm, Haruga-san, I believe you are a first-year high school student like Nee-sama... Is that right?"

    "Yes, that''s right."

    "U-Umm, in that case, what about your driver''s license?"

    Sitting in the front passenger seat, Hazumi questioned acutely.

    In contrast to his underclassman who was in school uniform, seated in the driver''s seat was Hal in casual clothing, dressed innocuously in a hooded parka. Although he possessed a "license," it would be far too careless to grip a steering wheel while wearing the school-prescribed uniform.

    Apart from that, he was driving a four-wheel drive wagon, the one that Kenjou was using the previous day.

    "Well, SAURU members receive lots of technical training."

    Let alone training, Hal had not even taken any driving course at all. However, he was merely paying lip service.

    Hazumi seemed to accept his explanation. Glancing sideways at his nodding companion, Hal thought poignantly to himself: Someone who grew up normally would definitely put in a snide comment about this issue.

    Orihime had thrown many a disapproving comment last time.

    Recalling the missing girl, Hal felt a bit unsettled.

    "By the way, I think you probably understand. Although I said something about hearing Akuro-Ou''s ''voice,'' it''s hard to say whether it''s real or not. I''d advise you not to be too optimistic."

    "Y-Yes. About that... I am pretty much prepared."

    Hal had laid down a defensive line against the worst-case scenario. This was essential for both himself and Hazumi. However, the girl with the angelic appearance contemplated for a while then said, "It is just that whenever I feel depressed about Nee-sama''s situation, Minadzuki, who is sleeping in my heart, seems to want to wake up. I get the feeling that she is telling me ''Nee-sama is still alive.''"

    "Your ''serpent''?"

    "Yes. I wish to say that Minadzuki could very well be sensing the same thing as you, Haruga-san."

    "...I see."

    Supposing this was a revelation brought by a witch''s spiritual senses rather than a girl''s sentimentality and optimism...

    Then perhaps there was no reason to reject it. Just as Hal plunged into deep thought...

    "If priestesses are blood-related, then their serpents can sense each other''s bonds between souls. This is nothing uncommon."

    Hearing this comment delivered with a tone of arrogance, Hazumi exclaimed "Eh?" in surprise. Unfazed, Hal simply stopped the car.

    The vehicle just happened to reach a Yasukuni Street intersection in Iwamotomachi.

    Without them noticing, Hinokagutsuchi had appeared in the car''s back seat. She was currently staring curiously at a remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for taking pictures from the sky. In other words, a reconnaissance helicopter. It was fitted with a video camera and GPS.

    Capable of filming and scouting dangerous areas, it was one piece of equipment Hal had loaded onto the car.

    Hinokagutsuchi had been playing with it the whole time ever since she materialized without anyone knowing.

    "Seeing as it can be sensed by a serpent, just use magic to search. Isn''t that much simpler?"

    "M-My apologies, I am not too skilled in magic..."

    In response to what Hinokagutsuchi suggested from the back seat, Hazumi hung her head gloomily, sitting in the front passenger seat.

    Hal had heard that Shirasaka Hazumi was a Level 2 witch. In fact, this level was the most standard among witches across the world. Hazumi was not as incompetent as she had claimed. It was possible that her use of the words "not too skilled" stemmed from her own mindset that she did not deal well with magic.

    Because so-called magic was knowledge belonging to darkness, not light. Meanwhile, Hinokagutsuchi frowned.

    "Contemporary priestesses are still so poorly trained. To think that magic of this level is beyond you."

    "M-My apologies, I did not study hard enough. I am terribly sorry..."

    "My goodness. A halfwit of your likes would never have made it as a priestess serving in my holy precinct, not even as an apprentice."

    "P-Please accept my sincere apologies¡ªOh."

    Hazumi huddled her slender body, looking very ashamed. However, she suddenly realized something.

    "Umm.. I heard about this some time ago. Last time, Nee-sama made a deal with you, Hinokagutsuchi-san, asking you to bring about Akuro-Ou''s birth using magic."

    "Yes. Indeed that is correct."

    "Then may I make the same request to you?"

    "What?"

    "I will fulfill all of your demands, Hinokagutsuchi-san, so please, teach me the magic for finding Nee-sama!"

    Hazumi finished with a very serious look on her face. Hinokagutsuchi smiled and went "Oh..."

    "Now that is what I call spine. Little lady, answer my questions."

    "Y-Yes."

    "Why do you wish to negotiate a deal with me? Have you not thought about kneeling before me to request instruction?"

    Despite the smile of the self-styled devil''s face, it evidently did not stem from delight.

    The smile was brimming with a queen''s haughtiness and nobility. It seemed to convey her intention to personally test the impertinent petitioner, to pass down punishment in the event of an unsatisfactory answer¡ª

    "U-Umm, I simply feel that you might not dislike something of this sort, Hinokagutsuchi-san. There''s no special meaning. I am sorry..."

    "Oh, so it is simply a feeling. Is that how you perceive my temperament?"

    "Y-Yes. I have heard Nee-sama talk about you and there is also how you are reluctant to tell Haruga-san about the rune, so I guessed on my own..."

    "Ha! You are not only humble and honest but also perceptive and resourceful."

    Faced with the huddled Hazumi, Hinokagutsuchi laughed briefly.

    "Very well, I am not opposed to having you as a priestess serving by my side. Little lady, I accept your deal. Be that as it may, do not misunderstand."

    "W-What are you referring to?"

    "As a queen, I shall not extract compensation simply for teaching an insignificant little spell. Should an opportunity arise in the future, I shall pay the rightful price in exchange for your obedience. Wait patiently."

    "Yes."

    While Hinokagutsuchi was listening contentedly to Hazumi''s honest reply, Hal spoke up:

    "Hey, don''t anything weird to this girl."

    "H-Haruga-san..."

    "Unlike Asya and me, this girl has a good upbringing and probably isn''t as strong as Juujouji."

    "Yet conversely, her personality is very docile and she has a good head on her shoulders. Listen carefully, brat. There are occasions when I wish to be flattered by an adorable and considerate girl, thereby deriving brief consolation!"

    "Even if you emphasize that..."

    "Handling an arrogant brat like you who keeps talking back has made my personality sinister lately."

    "You are a sinister person to begin with. That should be indisputable, right?"

    Just as Hal warned against the girl who called herself the devil, Hazumi smiled faintly at him.

    Compared to insincere words of thanks, this better conveyed her feelings of gratitude. Hal felt extremely embarrassed and could not help but look away. At this moment, Hinokagutsuchi opened the door and exited the vehicle.

    Hal and Hazumi exchanged nods and followed her.

    "Summon your serpent, little lady."

    Standing at a crossroad in the former Chiyoda ward''s Iwamotomachi, Hinokagutsuchi crossed her arms and commanded.

    Hazumi nodded then closed her eyes, presumably to focus her mind.

    "Minadzuki... Respond to my voice."

    After Hazumi murmured softly, a glowing pentagram immediately appeared over her head.

    This star instantly turned into an infinity symbol, transforming into a long and stout serpentine dragon emerald in color.

    It was Minadzuki. Its body, long like a snake''s, slithered and twisted in the air. The lizard-like head featured antlers while the leviathan flew in the sky as though swimming. Of the four limbs, the right arm alone was roughly twice the size of the others.

    Sharp as swords, the four claws on her right hand served as her horn counterpart.

    However, the massive body was shrouded in a red mist. Marking her entire body were countless tiny wounds where blood seeped out to produce a mist of blood.

    "She''s really injured all over..."

    "Draw out that thing''s divine power and release it in this city. This magic is nothing noteworthy, so using a bit of divine power is fine. During this time, also think about the person you wish to see."

    Hal was surprised to see Minadzuki''s tragic state. On the other hand, Hinokagutsuchi started giving instructions.

    Meanwhile, Hazumi looked up at her partner with unease.

    "I-I will try, but I am not good at controlling Minadzuki to do my every bidding. It is always a struggle when asking her to fight, so I apologize if I fail..."

    While attempting the task, Hazumi apologized with a heavy conscience.

    Hal began to worry. In order to control a "serpent" skillfully, a witch needed the arrogance of self-confidence bordering on shamelessness without considering the possibility of failure at all. In Hazumi''s case, her reserved personality and lack of confidence were probably reinforcing each other in a vicious cycle.

    Should he advise her to act less nice? Just as Hal was agonizing over this decision...

    "Neither control nor fighting is necessary here. Transmit your feelings directly."

    Hinokagutsuchi explained simply.

    "The ''serpent'' you employ is an ''imitation deity'' after all. But it is still listed under the lineage of the gods despite being considered a fake. Tracing back to the root, its noble spirit towers above mankind."

    "Noble...?"

    "Yet you humans ''control'' them and force them to ''fight,'' such excessive arrogance. Go and pray, little lady. It is enough for you to transmit your wish with humility, piety, sincerity and total dedication of your mind and body. Next, it will respond to you on its own."

    "Y-Yes."

    Hazumi closed her eyes again and clasped her hands together in front of her developing bosom.

    "Please, Minadzuki. If Nee-sama is somewhere in this city, tell me...!"

    As she finished whispering like a prayer, a gust of wind blew.

    A gentle breeze, it felt comfortable brushing against one''s skin. The source of the wind was the gigantic emerald body hovering in the sky.

    Minadzuki was apparently a leviathan bearing the pseudo-divinity of Wind.

    Having received a dragonslaying rune''s blessing, Hal could feel the investigative magic in the breeze.

    "To think such an insecure girl could succeed..."

    "This is the only way for one who lives in the light as her. However¡ª"

    Answering Hal''s muttering, the former dragon queen looked up at Minadzuki in the sky.

    "That sort of girl has been paired with a ''serpent'' born from the seedbed of darkness after all. It is truly impossible to expect great accomplishments from her. The guidance just now was just a petty trick to muddle past the issue."

    Hazumi opened her eyes and reported the result with happiness on her face from the bottom of her heart.

    With Hal''s location as the center, Minadzuki''s wind was gradually spreading out like a wave. Then before long, Hazumi''s desire to locate her cousin had spread throughout the entire Old Tokyo Concession. As a result, the magic in the breeze seemed to stimulate the caster''s spiritual senses.

    "I think... it should be that direction."

    Inside the car traveling along Yasukuni Road, Hazumi pointed towards Shinjuku with her index finger.

    It was like a compass needle pointing accurately at north.

    "Just now, Minadzuki''s wind ''felt'' Nee-sama''s Akuro-Ou somewhere ahead¡ªThat is what I think. It should be right."

    "You are very confident this time..."

    "Yes, because Minadzuki helped."

    As soon as Hal commented from the driver''s seat, sitting beside him, Hazumi immediately expressed her trust in her partner from beside him.

    Meanwhile, Hal could see from the rear-view mirror that Hinokagutsuchi was playing with a dangerous tool.

    "Stop playing with that, even though the ammunition''s not loaded."

    "So you have prepared a weapon, brat. To be honest, I am quite surprised."

    "A weapon...? Ehhhh!?"

    Hazumi looked back and jumped in fright. Hinokagutsuchi was examining a handgun closely.

    Instead of the revolver that Hal had carried before, this was a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, superior in both stopping power and ammunition capacity.

    It was one of the items Hal had taken from the used bookstore earlier.

    "That''s not mine but something from SAURU''s New Town branch. Although it won''t work on dragons, at least it can serve as a bit of self-defense..."

    Hal explained himself as though in response to Hazumi''s massive surprise.

    "By defense, what exactly do you defend yourself against!?"

    "Although Old Tokyo is quite safe, concession territories across the world are still quite dangerous places. They''ve become home to wild animals or pets and livestock that has gone feral. There are even places where such animals have turned into magic beasts. With supernatural phenomena of a magical nature occurring frequently, those are genuinely danger zones."

    "W-Why does that happen?"

    "It seems like it''s due to the massive activation of magical power in the vicinity of these concession territories. Old Manhattan and Old Warsaw are very good examples... No one can guarantee that Tokyo won''t end up like that in the future, right? Shouldn''t we be worrying about this type of danger?"

    Hal was asking the self-styled devil seated in the back.

    Hinokagutsuchi brushed him off with a smile then returned the gun to its proper location¡ªThe waist pouch where Hal kept his work equipment. This bag was made in America and included a holster inside for concealing a handgun.

    The time was just past noon. If they found Orihime just like that, this rescue mission would have proceeded more smoothly than one could hope for.

    In fact, Hal''s prediction was as such: They would start in the vicinity of Nagatach¨­ where the battle had taken place the day before, use investigative magic and the equipment they had brought to start a search, frequently clicking their tongues in frustration from a lack of results, thus leading into the night, finally abandoning the search to welcome the arrival of the following day.

    But while driving the car, Hal was aware that "hope" had increased in his heart.

    Arriving near the west entrance of Shinjuku Station, Hazumi spoke up.

    "Excuse me, could you drive over to that side...!?"

    She requested an amendment to the route. Her tone sounded a bit excited. Perhaps the destination was near.

    The car headed in the direction Hazumi indicated. Passing in front of the no longer bustling train station, they came to the area that used to be known as the heart of Shinjuku.

    There were countless high-rise buildings in modern style, laid out in organized rows.

    Old Tokyo''s city hall was also in the neighborhood. After looking at the state of a certain building, Hal sighed¡ªGood fortune was in short supply.

    From the front passenger seat, Hazumi gasped, seemingly in pain.

    A thirty-story building adjacent to Koushuu Route. A viscous mercury-colored liquid metal was colliding with this building like a tsunami.

    This living metal was like steel that had melted into liquid form inside a furnace.

    It was Pavel Galad''s minion¡ªthe Large Living Metal Slime. As before, it continued to radiate intense heat. Simply being nearby was making one sweat profusely.

    Unbelievably, the surroundings of the targeted building was slowly shimmering like a heat haze.

    The living metal seemed unable to touch the building due to this fluttering air.

    Deflected by the heat haze barrier, the tsunami of liquid metal suddenly broke apart and scattered.

    However, the remains relentlessly gathered together again after turning into fragmentary waves, smashing itself towards the building again. Even after getting scattered, it still repeated the same action stupidly...

    "You said Minadzuki sensed Juujouji''s location, which turns out to be¡ª"

    "Yes. It is inside there..."

    Hazumi''s finger pointed clearly at the building and the mercury-colored liquid metal.

    Part 3

    "Although I''m surviving by the skin of my teeth... This is virtually like defending a besieged castle, right?"

    Orihime reacted uncharacteristically. Namely, she sighed.

    Her current location was the entrance lobby of a high-rise building in west Shinjuku.

    This was actually a ruin without any lighting except for sunlight streaming in from outside.

    Starting yesterday, a bizarre siege battle had been taking place outside the building. A showdown between the liquid metal tsunami that was trying to invade the building versus the heat haze barrier blocking it¡ª

    The heat haze barrier was created by Akuro-Ou using the pseudo-divinity of Fire.

    Thanks to that, the enemy''s invasion was halted and the molten metal''s high temperature did not enter the building. Defenses were impregnable for the time being.

    "It''s very safe right now but I have no idea whether it will be the same three hours later."

    Orihime sighed again. Everyone knew she was an optimist whose favorite catchphrase was "I''ll know when I get to it, no need to hesitate, just do it." But the current circumstances were too harsh.

    When struck down in the air yesterday, Orihime was too shocked, halting her thinking temporarily.

    However, her partner flew desperately after Orihime, catching up to carry Orihime on her back, succeeding to land at least. Then from there, they began to run. Nothing less expected from the Akuro-Ou whom the former dragon, Hinokagutsuchi, had praised as "amazing."

    Nevertheless, Akuro-Ou''s mobility was decreased due to injuries from the shockwave, making it difficult to fight.

    Flying at high altitude might make them a target for another shockwave attack. Left without a choice, Orihime had to order Akuro-Ou to fly low. But they were finally cornered in Shinjuku, so they had to take refuge in this building.

    Then invoking pseudo-divinity to deploy a barrier, they set up the only obstacle.

    "Next, it''s a matter of whether my stamina will last until help arrives..."

    Exhausted, Orihime leaned back against Akuro-Ou''s belly and whispered.

    She no longer had the strength to stand. Her entire body felt lethargic and powerless. Her mind was spacing out. Even sustaining the physical body of the "serpent" would continuously consume a witch''s power, resulting in symptoms akin to anemia.

    Meanwhile, the white fox-wolf cuddled against Orihime, waiting on standby in a crouching position.

    Since the previous day, she had maintained her shrunken size. After turning into a three-meter body, the fox-wolf''s belly and fur served perfectly as bedding.

    "I''ll be taking a quick nap, Akuro-Ou, so don''t disappear. Stay by my side and protect me.

    After hearing her partner bark like a dog in response, Orihime closed her eyes, reassured.

    Keeping a "serpent" continuously materialized would cause a constant drain on stamina even during sleep. She had already experienced that last night. But if Akuro-Ou were to disappear, the barrier would go away as well. Hence, there was no other choice.

    But Orihime had no idea whether anyone would come rescue her even if she waited like this.

    The satellite phone she had taken in advance could not connect anywhere, probably due to the barrier or because she was indoors. Either way, Orihime was unable to contact the outside world.

    What had happened to Hal and Asya who had fallen off at the same time?

    Common logic would dictate that they could not have survived. However, both of them possessed special skills and magic, which lent some hope to her, but dark thoughts still reared their ugly heads.

    Her friends had lost their lives, rescue was not coming, Juujouji Orihime was approaching death all alone like this... Thoughts of this sort. She felt very afraid.

    For the first time, Orihime was experiencing stress and fear.

    Her only consolation consisted of drowsiness and fatigue that prevented her from staying awake. Exhausted, Orihime closed her eyes while praying that she would wake up in safety.

    "This building is protected by Fire pseudo-divinity..."

    The mercury-colored slime smashed itself into pieces against the heat haze barrier repeatedly, but each time, it reformed itself into a tsunami to challenge the heat haze¡ªHal watched this repeating scenario while speaking quietly.

    He had gotten off the car with Hazumi.

    Due to the heat given off by the living molten metal, this place was as hot as a steel mill.

    "If Akuro-Ou has been using magic continuously since yesterday¡ªI am very worried about Nee-sama!"

    Hazumi cried out uncharacteristically. Hal nodded.

    "Even without doing anything strenuous like fighting, she has been sustaining a ''serpent'' for almost a day after all... Her body and mind must be reaching a limit? In that case, there''s only one choice."

    "What is it, Haruga-san?"

    "Summon Minadzuki and swiftly defeat that slimy thing."

    Hazumi jumped in surprise at Hal''s suggestion.

    "However, that elite dragon only seemed to summon his minion at a critical moment, so don''t be too surprised if that thing is harder to handle than a Raptor. Considering Minadzuki''s injuries, I think it''s best to decide the battle instantly."

    "Instantly..."

    "If the enemy counterattacks even a little, I don''t think Minadzuki can withstand at all, right?"

    Like breaking waves, the living metal attacked the heat haze barrier again and again.

    It did not do anything else and showed no signs of attacking Hal and other humans. However, if Minadzuki, a leviathan, appeared, the situation might change.

    "What do you think? Do you have any confidence of success?"

    "Sorry¡ªNone at all..."

    When Hal asked to confirm, Hazumi lowered her eyes.

    "I really am not good at asking a ''serpent'' to attack... Even when I beg her to ''defeat that dragon,'' Minadzuki always moves very slowly. I''m barely able to defeat small dragons slowly, but¡ª"

    Hazumi spoke timidly, never looking up the whole time.

    "H-However, I will try my best. This is for rescuing Nee-sama..."

    Speaking of which, Hal''s first glimpse of Minadzuki was in combat. Hal recalled the battle back then.

    Now that he thought back to it, she had to expend a great deal of effort just to eliminate a single Raptor. If Akuro-Ou were there instead, she would have killed it instantly with a single attack, fast as lightning.

    "Recall what I said previously. There is no need to fight."

    Hinokagutsuchi alighted the vehicle.

    "All you need to do is transmit your prayer. Leave the ''serpent'' to decide on its own how to best bring your wish to fruition. She will come up with better methods than you in your inexperience."

    "No way... But¡ª"

    "You do not need confidence. Do you not understand what I said?"

    "Oh..."

    Comprehension surfaced in Hazumi''s eyes. Looking up stiffly, she stared at the building.

    Then she blinked and took a deep breath. Her facial expression, conveying worry about the person she held dear, immediately switched to a slightly tense countenance. Finally, she said to Hal:

    "A-Although I have no confidence, I have decided to believe. Haruga-san, please step back."

    Seeing Hazumi acting a little different from usual, Hal felt surprised.

    Distancing himself from the girl whose personality was supposed to be reserved and polite, he came over to Hinokagutsuchi.

    (...What a friendly teacher act you''re putting on. How unlike you.)

    (I made a deal¡ªor rather, am going to make one¡ªafter all. Naturally, I will look after her as appropriate.)

    (But all you did was give brief advice? How can things proceed that smoothly...)

    Paying no attention to the pair who were neither benevolent nor honest, Hazumi finally began.

    "Minadzuki, respond to my voice."

    Her summoning voice sounded more forceful.

    The emerald serpentine dragon suddenly manifested over Hazumi''s head in response to her call, taking position behind the metal slime. A bloody mist floated around Minadzuki, dyeing the air red.

    Slosh! Ripples appeared on the liquid metal.

    It seemed to be entering a state of alert upon sensing the arrival of an enemy.

    "I hope you can save Nee-sama. If you need my power for this... Take as much as you need¡ª!"

    Hazumi was not like Asya who controlled her "serpent" using mighty willpower and fighting spirit.

    Instead, she clasped her hands before her chest in prayer, closing her eyes.

    This meant she could not watch the battle situation or issue orders, which was equivalent to giving up on fighting. But conversely, it also meant that she had resolved to entrust her life to Minadzuki''s judgment¡ª

    "I don''t have the confidence to command you with finesse, but I am able to place my trust in you... So I am counting on you!"

    The liquid metal began to move like a tsunami as it did yesterday.

    It rushed towards Minadzuki behind it, trying to swallow her whole. In response, the extensively injured leviathan howled "Kyuahhhh!"

    At the same time, Minadzuki released ultrasonic waves from her mouth.

    Invoking the pseudo-divinity of Wind, she caused the atmosphere to vibrate. This pulse of air easily blew away the liquid metal.

    "Fortunately, that silvery brat is absent."

    Seeing Minadzuki obtain victory, Hinokagutsuchi commented patronizingly.

    "Were that guy present, he would employ dragonslaying skills to confer his minion with the power of the Sword. With that, the battle would not have been won so easily."

    "This world is way too easy..."

    Meanwhile, Hal felt a bit anticlimactic. However, the self-styled devil disagreed defiantly:

    "Are you referring to the fact that I simply gave tiny hints? Foolish fellow. There is no need to waste a thousand words to teach mere tricks of the unorthodoxy."

    Hinokagutsuchi puffed out her prepubescent chest and asserted solemnly.

    "That magic just now was finally brought out by that little lady on her own when cornered without options, after exhausting both her body and mind. That is precisely why it could be used with such ease and naturalness. A thousand words would prevent her from learning the trick. All she needed was a single sentence profound enough to enlighten her."

    "I see..."

    "I will have you know that my greatness as a master is amazing."

    "Well, that might be true this one time..."

    Just as Hal revised his opinion of the smug Hinokagutsuchi for the first time, Minadzuki cried shrilly.

    Ooooooooooooooooooooooommmm¡ª

    Her voice sounded like a call to a faraway companion. At this moment, the heat haze barrier guarding the building suddenly vanished, because Minadzuki had conveyed a message of safety to her kin.

    Then the faint red mist in the air around the hovering Minadzuki grew more and more dense¡ª

    The bleeding had likely increased due to the strain from using pseudo-divinity persistently. Hazumi frantically cried out:

    "Thank you, Minadzuki! It''s okay now, you can rest!"

    The emerald serpentine dragon of a leviathan gradually vanished.

    Meanwhile, Hal entered the building. The damage near the entrance was very severe. Most likely, a giant creature¡ªAkuro-Ou¡ªhad broken through by force.

    As expected, the white fox-wolf was dutifully crouching at the entrance lobby on standby.

    Dressed in uniform, Orihime was sleeping, treating Akuro-Ou''s belly and white fur as bedding.

    Due to the excellent quality of Akuro-Ou''s fur, she seemed to be sleeping quite comfortably. After lowering the sleeping Orihime to the ground, the "serpent" disappeared by her own will, having accomplished her mission. It was possible that she was worried about the strain on Orihime.

    "H-Haruga-kun...?"

    Hal caught a rare glimpse of Orihime''s dazed face as she woke up.

    It was presumably due to her just waking up combined with the her massive exhaustion of stamina. Hal nodded at her.

    "Thanks to Akuro-Ou and Shirasaka''s efforts, I was able to rescue you."

    "Hazumi came too...? I-I must thank her. But can I ask a question...?"

    Orihime gazed in Hal blankly then complained.

    "We clearly made a promise, but aren''t you arriving way too late this time...?"

    "Sorry. After all, I''m still new at this, so getting the timing right is hard."

    "You leave me speechless... Next time, I will lend you the ''Heroes of Justice Reference Collection'' I made in my childhood, so study that well..."

    "It''s getting easier and easier to imagine what kind of childhood you had..."

    "But this time really was awful."

    While Hal was feeling impressed, Orihime sighed in exhaustion.

    "For the first time in my life, I thought I might die..."

    "This is actually quite common in this world. Even without participating in battle, I''ve come close to dying many times. It''s fine once you get used to it¡ªBut whether you can think of things that way varies between individuals."

    Hal tried his best to speak casually as usual.

    "Juujouji, you probably belong on the side that''s fine."

    "I don''t really want to accumulate this type of experience... By the way, would it kill you at all to say a few considerate words to a novice like me?"

    Orihime made a sulking expression but the corners of her lips were smiling.

    "Nevertheless, I am really glad to see you in good spirits as usual, Haruga-kun. After all, it would be too lame if we were wiped out like that yesterday. As for Asya-san¡ª"

    "If I survived, how could she possibly die?"

    "Indeed, one does get a very resilient impression from Asya-san... But if that is the case, I really feel reassured for now. I am so tired, may I sleep?"

    "Yeah. Once we leave this place, you can sleep as much as you want."

    Lending Orihime his shoulder for support, Hal brought her outside. Feeling her body''s seductive warmth through the school uniform, Hal began to blush.

    Noticing his reaction, Orihime whispered "pervert..."

    Despite the embarrassment and turning red to his ears, Hal also felt relieved.

    Despite experiencing a situation of life and death, Orihime did not seem to have suffered much mental trauma. Was it due to her inborn personality of boldness and having Akuro-Ou''s protection by her side that she could dispel her fear?

    "How are you, Nee-sama!? But thank goodness you are safe!"

    Presumably feeling relieved, Hazumi was rushing over with tears in her eyes. Together with Hal, she supported Orihime. At this moment, a giant shadow blotted out the sunlight.

    Hal looked up reflexively at the sunny sky and gasped.

    Pavel Galad was spreading his silver-white wings, descending from the sky.

    Part 4

    "I sensed the demise of my minion and came to have a look¡ªSo it was you."

    Landing on the ground, Galad spoke in his usual beautiful voice.

    "However, I am sorry to say that I have already lost interest in you. Even if we stare at each other like this, I cannot muster the slightest shred of fighting spirit."

    "I don''t want to fight you either..."

    Hal was having a conversation with a dragon for the first time in his life.

    While engaging Soth in combat, he never tried to communicate actively. This was only natural. Dragonkind and Haruga Haruomi belonged to totally different worlds.

    "Is that so? Then I shall show mercy by erasing you instantly."

    "I''d be very grateful if you could quietly let us go."

    "Is that meant to be joke? I am sorry to say that I am a dragon lacking in the talent known as ''humor,'' so a splendid reply truly eludes me¡ªThen regarding the manner of your death, would you prefer fire or lightning?"

    "Forget about no talent, you''re showing a lot of promise in playing the fool..."

    Hal tried his best to run his mouth off while maintaining his "usual attitude."

    However, his throat was very parched due to excessive tension. His heart was also beating rapidly. But right now, Hal was gradually changing his perspective. Despite his reluctance, he had to admit that the world he inhabited was rapidly changing. If he insisted on surviving this moment, he must first alter his mindset thoroughly.

    Otherwise, even the two other people present would get swept into a journey to death¡ª

    Hal entrusted Orihime''s powerless body to Hazumi while motioning with his eyes for them to retreat.

    Although the two girls watched him in worry, Hazumi still tried her hardest to support her stumbling cousin Orihime while leaving.

    The two of them were unable to use "serpents" right now. They were probably worried they would be a liability for Hal.

    "If you do not have any special requests, then I will choose on your behalf."

    "You can choose whatever you want, but I''ve no intention of accepting quietly..."

    Hal and Pavel Galad were separated by a distance of ten-odd meters.

    Just as he looked up to gaze at the dragon''s gigantic body, the enemy opened his jaws wide. A blue-white fire source could be seen lighting up in his mouth. The hot-blooded dragon had apparently chosen to use fire for the finishing blow.

    Hal took a deep breath and thought back to the survival drama last time.

    Obtaining imperishable protection by imagining himself to be an indestructible adversary.

    "Farewell, successor of the Bow!"

    "Screw that! How could I let you kill me so easily!?"

    Hal extended his right palm forward with the Rune of the Bow surfacing on it.

    A pearly glow enveloped his entire body. From above this light, Galad spewed out blue-white flames. Only after releasing blistering flames for a minute or two, he finally closed his mouth¡ª

    But when the flames ended, Hal had not been burned at all.

    "Oh... You have learned imperishable protection in merely a day."

    Seeing Hal unharmed, Galad narrowed his eyes.

    "Then I have no choice but to draw this."

    The silver-white arm reached high towards the sky. It was the right hand whose palm was showing the Rune of the Sword.

    Galad intended to use his trump card! Hal stared wide-eyed. In that case, he intended to imitate all the way. If the enemy deployed protection, he would deploy protection too. If the enemy summoned his magic wand, he would summon a magic wand too¡ª

    Hal watched Galad intently and tried to emulate the whole process, to subject his opponent to the same move.

    "O trails of the flint star shining in the sky, trace out the secret records of Ruruk Soun."

    The instant he activate magical sight, Hal saw.

    Macrocosmic darkness was hanging around Pavel Galad''s surroundings. An uncountable number of stars were twinkling in the distant far beyond, forming an ocean of stars!

    "I offer prayer to the seal in my possession, that of the Divine Sword of the Heavens. Let the dragonslaying sword come to my hand now!"

    The instant Galad called out, a group of stars over his head became more dazzling.

    This was constellation known to Hal and other humans as Orion. Among them, three stars in a series¡ªthe three stars symbolizing the hunter Orion''s belt¡ªgave off platinum-colored radiance.

    Then a beautiful longsword appeared in Galad''s right hand.

    A rune consisting of three Vs descended upon this sword. The Rune of the Sword. The rune came from over Galad''s head¡ªThe Three Stars of Orion.

    The instant the sword merged with the rune, Galad''s longsword radiated platinum-colored light!

    "Is that how that guy''s sword, his magic wand, is created!?"

    "Hmph. The dragonslaying sword versus imperishable protection, allow me to test which is more potent!"

    Galad swung the dragonslaying sword down.

    Hal blocked using the power of protection. The instant the gigantic sword''s blade struck the pearly radiance, the center of the glow shook from the astounding impact. Hal lost balance and fell to his knees.

    However, the pearly radiance displayed excellent defensive power. Hal remained unharmed¡ª

    "Haruga-san...!" "Are you alright!?"

    Orihime and Hazumi cried out from somewhere but Hal could not see them.

    Hal was unsure whether it was due to magical sight but even his own surroundings had turned into the universe. Even though he was standing firmly on the ground, what lay underfoot was a macrocosmic abyss.

    Currently, this universe only contained two surviving existences, Hal and Pavel Galad.

    "Fufufu! As one would expect, crushing imperishable protection is not that easy!"

    Was it the instinct of dragons to delight in the enemy''s strength?

    Galad swung the dragonslaying sword again. This time, it was a diagonal thrust downwards.

    The instant he blocked the attack, Hal felt a powerful impact again but he was not injured. Next, Galad chopped straight, sliced sideways, then slashed as though swinging a golf club.

    Every time it was struck, the pearly protection would shake intensely.

    Hal''s body would shake accordingly, but he did not suffer harm at least. The protection''s power was truly an inviolable barrier of defense¡ªLogically speaking, that was the way it should be, but symptoms began to appear.

    Every time the shaking happened, Hal would feel pain in his heart as though getting pricked by needles.

    "Urgh...!"

    Hal groaned. It looked like he could not rely too much on the protection''s defensive power.

    Suffering blows at this rate, his heart was going to explode sooner or later¡ªHal felt his mind invaded by terrifying certainty. I want a wand. I need a magic wand after all!

    "If the Rune of the Sword is Orion, then what constellation is the Rune of the Bow...?"

    Stars. Speaking of which, didn''t Hinokagutsuchi mention it before?

    "Bow Stars¡ªof the Southern Sky!"

    The instant he chanted this name, a group of stars over Hal''s head became more dazzling.

    Among them, Sirius was without a doubt particularly striking in brightness. It was said that Alpha Canis Majoris in the Canis Major constellation was the brightest among all stars. Was that the Bow Stars of the Southern Sky?...No.

    Diagonally down from it, at the tip of Canis Major, an arched bow could be seen.

    More precisely, there was a series of stars resembling a bow. That constellation was precisely the Bow Stars of the Southern Sky!

    At the same as when he realized that, a magic symbol descended from the bow constellation. It was a runic symbol that seemed to embody a "tilted half moon" as a pictograph, the Rune of the Bow.

    Next, all he needed to do was find a "bow" for it to inhabit¡ª

    Hal instantly reached his right hand into the waist pouch behind his back.

    Then pulling the zipper open, he gripped the heavy sensation of steel. It was the pistol that Hinokagutsuchi had been playing with earlier. Hal pulled the gun out of its holster.

    "Oh...?"

    Hearing a whisper from the self-styled devil from somewhere, Hal saw it.

    After receiving the Rune of the Bow that had descended from the heavens, the gun shone with platinum radiance.

    He raised the glowing gun with one hand. In fact, this gun was not loaded¡ªbut filled with confidence, he pulled the trigger.

    BANG! Accompanied by a loud noise, the recoil was transmitted to his arm instantly.

    The gun shining with sacred platinum light ejected an empty shell that was not supposed to exist in the first place.

    Instantly, Hal switched from magical sight to ordinary vision, returning from the starry macrocosm to the Shinjuku wasteland¡ª

    He did not know if the previous scene was the reason, but the surroundings were filled with astoundingly concentrated magical power.

    Dressed in their school uniforms, Orihime and Hazumi were watching him with tearful expressions. Hinokagutsuchi was not visible, apparently hidden.

    Standing sternly like an intimidating guardian statue, the silver-white dragon was enveloped in pearly light.

    He had deployed imperishable protection to guard himself. While praising "Wow...", he gazed down at Hal¡ªMore precisely, he was looking at the steel-colored gun held in Hal''s right hand.

    It was the weapon that had attacked Galad by firing bullets together with dragonslaying magical power.

    "You have materialized a dragonslaying rune into a ''wand''!"

    "I finally succeeded by using your method as reference..."

    The gun in Hal''s hand was the color of dull steel as before.

    However, its appearance was giving a different impression now. Its basic shape remained as the 9mm semi-automatic pistol but flowing golden lines had been added in certain places as decoration, adding an element of solemn elegance to this vulgar tool of violence.

    A tiny Rune of the Bow was inscribed on the gun''s grip in golden lines.

    Solid and elegant, rugged yet magnificent¡ª

    This was a "magic wand," a handgun capable of shooting even dragons to death with ease. What an absurd object. While muttering mentally, Hal did not forget to pull the trigger.

    And it was four times in succession. Four bullets glowing with red light were fired, all infused with the power of dragonbane.

    If struck in a vital, even an elite dragon would die easily. One would expect them to defend desperately using the runes of Ruruk Soun.

    However, Galad simply swung the dragonslaying sword.

    Just by doing that, pearly radiance enveloped the dragon''s gigantic body. The dragonslaying gunshots were all deflected by the light, but did not fail completely in causing damage.

    "Gah...!"

    This time it was Galad''s turn to groan, clutching his chest with his unoccupied left hand.

    That was precisely the location of a dragon''s heart¡ªon top of the heartmetal. Like Hal just now, his heart, or equivalently, his heartmetal, must have felt a sharp pain.

    "Hoo¡ªSo defense alone is not enough!?"

    Then Galad swung the dragonslaying sword with lightning speed.

    In that instant, Hal guarded his head using his gun, deploying pearly light immediately.

    Imperishable protection once again guarded Hal from the sword''s strike. However, Galad did not stop there. Swinging the dragonslaying sword nonstop, he attacked again and again.

    One slash, two slashes, three slashes. The flurry of attacks did not pause.

    With every impact, Hal''s heart would suffer sharp pain. It felt almost suffocating.

    If this pain were to persist for two or three minutes, Hal feared his heart would rupture and result in his death. Hal gritted his teeth and stared at the gun in his hand.

    "If possible... Increase the firepower a bit!"

    In the next instant, mechanical action could be heard. It came from the interior of the gun¡ªWas it responding to my thoughts!?

    Hal endured the pain and pointed the gun''s muzzle at Galad. Then he pulled the trigger only once.

    As a result, three red glowing bullets were fired consecutively. A triple burst¡ªThe magic wand had switched to burst mode to fire thrice per trigger pull. These three shots sent Galad flying.

    The silver dragon''s massive body landed on its back.

    However, the attack did not succeed in breaching the protection. The enemy remained unharmed too. Galad swiftly got up and raised the dragonslaying sword again.

    Equally ready to fight, Hal pointed the muzzle at Galad.

    With imperishable protection deployed, the two of them glared at each other for dozens of seconds continuously.

    "I see now. Defeating a dragonslayer requires a more powerful sword..."

    "So I guess it''s better if I fire multiple bursts each time...?"

    Dragon and human, the two living beings of different species spoke simultaneously.

    Both sides quietly confirmed the basic abilities of their own weapon.

    Like Hal, Pavel Galad was still learning about how to use the power of dragonbane. Hal could deduce this from his various comments. In that case¡ªHal took a deep breath.

    "How about a proposal from me?"

    "Successor of the Bow, what is it?"

    "It looks like both of us were testing our weapons just now. In order to put this knowledge to practical application, how about we resume this battle later?"

    "Oh...?"

    "You''ve lost that slimy minion while I want to let my friends rest. I think both sides stand to gain if we schedule a rematch..."

    Despite saying that quietly, Hal was secretly in trepidation.

    Galad actually had a winning tactic¡ªJust continue fighting. Although their weapons were equally matched, the original power gap was too wide. Hal was supposed to lose badly.

    However, if the battle could be postponed, Hal could expect to receive Orihime and Asya''s support¡ª

    He was relying on Galad''s "hot-blooded temperament" next. After all, Galad had even felt sorrow because Hal fled.

    This dragon probably liked to fight fair and square. Please act like a whimsical elite dragon, Hal prayed to God whom he had never believed in.

    "Hmm..."

    Galad bowed his head to look at the magic wand in Hal''s hand¡ªa weapon that could be called a magic gun.

    A 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Hal had fired with one hand almost every time today. Given Hal''s arm strength, doing that should result in extremely low accuracy and severe arm pain.

    However, Hal was able to control the magic gun easily despite firing with corresponding recoil.

    ''That magic just now was finally brought out by that little lady on her own when cornered without options, after exhausting both her body and mind. That is precisely why it could be used with such ease and naturalness¡ª''

    Hal recalled what Hinokagutsuchi had said. So that was what happened.

    At the same time, Galad lowered his blade.

    "Very well, successor of the Bow!"

    The silver dragon spoke sonorously in a beautifully masculine voice:

    "Although I was very disappointed with you in the beginning, things have changed now. For a moment, I even felt elated for a showdown against you. I will acknowledge you as a candidate foe formidable enough to make my blood boil in excitement!"

    "Thank you very much..."

    "Then when will the rematch take place?"

    Galad finally asked the decisive question. Hal took care not to reveal his joy on his face while replying:

    "You originally set the deadline for sundown on the fifth day, right? Tomorrow happens to be that day. How about a rematch tomorrow at dusk?"

    "That would be too slow! Much too slow!"

    Galad yelled ferociously in almost a roar.

    "I wish for a duel tomorrow at daybreak. I cannot wait any later than that."

    "...Very well, then it is decided."

    In any case, he had succeeded in buying time. Hal could not have hoped for more. He nodded.

    Then Pavel Galad spread his silver-white wings and flew into the sky again.

    "Let us meet again tomorrow in these parts when the sun rises. Between the successors of the Sword and the Bow, whose valor proves to be greater¡ªIt shall be decided then!"

    Leaving these courageous words as a parting gift, Galad flew away.

    Meanwhile, Hal had no desire for a contest of valor at all. Sighing, he slumped his shoulders greatly.

 Volume 2, 5 - Time for Another Covenant

    Volume 2, Chapter 5 - Time for Another Covenant

    Part 1

    "Anyway, my life is extended by half a day for now..."

    After Pavel Galad departed, Hal collapsed to sit on the ground.

    The magic gun of steel and gold had vanished from his right hand, presumably because the battle had ended. However, it would reappear again when needed. Hal was deeply convinced of this.

    "Haruga-san! Are you hurt!?"

    Hazumi rushed over to him in worry. Although the unfamiliar combat had exhausted Hal, he smiled weakly to help reassure Hazumi.

    "Yeah... I''m unexpectedly fine. That white light of protection is pretty sturdy. Although I get rocked hard as though in a fishing boat sailing through a typhoon..."

    "Then Haruga-kun... Is it possible that you have become able to fight a dragon one on one?" Orihime asked.

    The complexion on her face looked quite poor, possibly because she had spent a great deal of stamina on sustaining Akuro-Ou.

    Gazing at Hal, her eyes could not hide her worry.

    "Like members of a Space Garrison from a certain Land of Light... With a shout of ''DWUAH!'' or something, I transform into a red and silver superhero, even becoming giant-sized¡ª"

    "I don''t think you can wrestle with giant monsters and finally win with a beam attack."

    Despite cracking a joke, Orihime''s expression remained very serious.

    She was probably remembering what Sophocles had said. Hal decided to confess honestly.

    "Although I''m quite sturdy, I still have a fragile human''s body after all. Fighting that guy one on one is too much of a stretch. And right now, there are no signs that I can transform."

    Hal looked up at Orihime''s face and smiled weakly.

    "I''m not lying, honest. I do feel sorry since you like heroes so much."

    "Well... It is a shame that I won''t be seeing a transformation, but..."

    Perhaps feeling a load lifted off her heart for the moment, Orihime finally smiled.

    "I believe you are fine the way you are, Haruga-kun. Doing a pose to transform doesn''t suit you at all."

    "Well, I can agree with that. But with that, the key to victory still lies with Akuro-Ou and Rushalka after all, doesn''t it? They''ll have to wrestle with a giant monster in my stead..."

    Victory. The word coming out of his own mouth was making Hal feel exhausted.

    In terms of games, Hal preferred RPGs and SLGs. He had no interest in fighting games. Then he recalled Sophocles. That man had called the Road to Kingship, which led to the ascension of dragon kings, a "game"...

    "Isn''t it time we got some rest? I am dead tired and it must be the same for you, Haruga-kun, right?" Orihime suddenly asked.

    Hence, Hal nodded immediately.

    She should be the one with greater depletion of stamina. She needed rest as soon as possible.

    "Since I already promised to let you sleep until you wake up naturally, Juujouji, let''s rest here for now. If you''re up for it, we also have food."

    "Of course I want to eat. I haven''t had anything since yesterday!"

    The group could finally rest as much as they wanted at the ruins of Shinjuku Fukutoshin.

    From the supplies on the car, Orihime picked out chocolate, biscuits and a sports drink for instant consumption to begin simple renourishment.

    A long-awaited meal after almost twenty-four hours. If it was Asya instead, she would probably wolf everything down ravenously.

    However, Orihime broke the chocolate bar into small pieces, also splitting the biscuits into halves before savoring her food patiently and thoroughly. Hal wondered if this explained how Orihime was unbelievably giving off an image of politeness despite eating quite quickly.

    Was this the gap in feminine charm? Hal felt deeply impressed.

    Despite hiding many tomboyish hobbies, the impression Juujouji Orihime gave was a girl to the very letter. Perhaps this was the difference between Orihime and Asya.

    After eating, Orihime lay down on a seat in the wagon and wrapped a blanket around herself.

    Her breathing instantly indicated slumber, a display of fortitude so strong that she did not seem like someone who had narrowly missed death. Seeing that, her cousin, Hazumi, suddenly slumped her shoulders.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Oh nothing. I just feel completely inadequate when I compare myself to Nee-sama."

    Hazumi gazed in mesmerization at her cousin who had rapidly fallen into deep sleep.

    "I clearly became a witch first, but I couldn''t protect her. Neither can I teach her anything..."

    "That''s because of unfavorable timing. After all, Minadzuki is currently in that state."

    "But Asya-san still shone in last time''s battle despite Rushalka''s poor condition. And this time, she helped you a lot too. After this experience, I am feeling a desire to get stronger for the first time..."

    Hal originally wanted to tell the depressed Hazumi the following:

    No no no, the fault lies in humans who cultivated gentle girls into witches¡ªpeople like Haruga Haruomi¡ªYou are completely blameless.

    However, he did not think the self-blaming "angel" would find salvation in these words.

    Hal came over to Hazumi and patted her shoulder as gently as possible.

    Spontaneously relying on body language when he had no idea what to say, this was probably a bad habit he had picked up from living abroad for so long. However, there was no choice apart from staying silent in times like these.

    In any case, Hal summarized a thousand thoughts into a few words.

    "How should I put it? You really are a good girl. Like an angel indeed."

    "N-No way!? Nothing of that sort. Although I do not see myself as a bad child, I am nowhere good enough to be described as such..."

    "No no. For some reason, this is the first time in my life I want to adopt a girl from another family as my little sister."

    "L-Little sister? For me to become your sister, Haruga-san!?"

    "Yeah. I never thought I''d be into that sort of thing. In fact, I have a friend in Taiwan called Phillip who''s an authority on this genre of game."

    "By game... Are you referring to ''little sister games''? I cannot imagine what they are about at all."

    Reserved yet more inquisitive than average, Hazumi made an expression approaching a smile, seemingly forgetting her earlier melancholy within the blink of an eye.

    "I would like to try playing one."

    "Really? Then next time a chance comes up¡ª"

    Just as the conversation livened up, Hal and Hazumi looked up at the same time.

    This was due to feeling a chill along their spine. By the time they noticed, concentrated magical power had filled this corner in western Shinjuku. The density was high enough to adhere to skin, producing a feeling as though one could reach out and touch it.

    "This feeling is the same as inside Tokyo Station last time...?"

    "Precisely. Thanks to the silvery brat opening the secret records of Ruruk Soun and your forging of a wand too. I never expected to obtain the essence required for a ritual this quickly."

    Having taken corporeal form at some point, Hinokagutsuchi spoke patronizingly.

    "Energy from the ocean of stars you summoned back then has gathered. Well done."

    "By ritual, don''t tell me you mean¡ª"

    "Yes. O little lady, make haste and prepare yourself if you have yet to do so."

    Hinokagutsuchi stared squarely at Hazumi with her golden eyes.

    "Fulfill the earlier deal. Do as I demand. In exchange, I shall grant you power¡ªor rather, kindling leading to power. Whether you can turn it into a blaze depends entirely on you."

    "Kindling leading to fire...?"

    "I shall have your ''serpent,'' that Minadzuki something or other, undergo a transformational rebirth."

    The self-styled devil smiled mysteriously and extended her hand. This situation prompted Hazumi to gasp in surprise, her entire expression frozen.

    Part 2

    "By ritual, you''re talking about what you made Juujouji go through, right? By the way, what do you mean by rebirth?"

    Hal questioned Hinokagutsuchi in a somewhat displeased tone of voice.

    The self-styled devil looked at Hal in amusement and replied readily.

    "Pouring the abundant essence here into that ''serpent'' so as to bring about the rebirth of its decrepit body and heartmetal. This little lady''s body shall serve as the seedbed. Although it is impossible to predict how far she can go, at the very least, she will find the ''serpent'' easier to handle than before."

    Hinokagutsuchi stared sharply at Hal.

    "Extracting the reborn ''serpent'' will be your job."

    "But will Shirasaka suffer the same pain as Juujouji last time?"

    "That cannot be avoided. After all, one cannot gain mastery over power without paying a price."

    "It seems that Shirasaka''s health isn''t too good and I really can''t condone this kind of coercion using a deal as an excuse. If she says on her own that she wants to do it, then fine..."

    In a rare display, Hal prioritized his true feelings over calculated pros and cons, choosing pessimistic opposition.

    However, Hal realized that at times like these, Shirasaka Hazumi would probably insist:

    "I-I wish to do it. It is a promise after all. If Minadzuki''s health could be recovered, then I want to make an attempt whatever it takes."

    Hazumi gave the predicted response. Despite some slight stiffness, her expression was filled with determination.

    Hal sighed. Hazumi''s decision was correct. Since it could bolster their combat potential to some extent, they should do everything they could to this end. Under the current circumstances, there was no choice more correct than that.

    Even so, Hal still said something in bad grace, uncharacteristically.

    "I really want to stop you as an overprotective older brother..."

    "Please save that for a future opportunity."

    Although a little stiff, that smile of absolute pureness returned.

    "Rather than getting looked after, Haruga-san, I would like you to order me around more."

    "Order around? You want me to order you around?"

    "To be honest, this idea had occurred to me. I think it would be very interesting if I could become your assistant, Haruga-san."

    Hal exclaimed "eh?" in surprise, because the girl most removed from malice in the entire world had smiled mischievously. Lowering her voice, Hazumi said:

    "...In truth, I am different from Nee-sama. My childhood favorites were the likes of gentlemen thieves rather than righteous detectives. I also liked archaeologists who wiped out precious ruins under the pretext of exploration and adventure..."

    "You mean those guys? The Fiend with Twenty Faces or the Jones family, for example."

    "Fufufu, yes. That is why, if you don''t mind, Haruga-san, I hope you could tell me stories about the world¡ª"

    Although Shirasaka Hazumi was undoubtedly an angel, those wings that were meant to be pure white seemed to have a few brown feathers mixed in them.

    Finding out the surprising truth, Hal stared at her intently.

    "I am no good with physical activity and have my duties as a witch, so I cannot become an adventurer like them. But if I could work as an assistant, perhaps I could help out in some small way... So¡ª"

    Hazumi looked up to examine Hal''s demeanor.

    "I know I am asking to be hired as an assistant when you are in dire straits in many ways at the moment, Haruga-san... But if I gain a stronger and livelier Minadzuki... Will it help my case?"

    "Is that the angle you''re going for? Well, that''ll surely add a lot of points."

    After giving that reply, Hal glanced at Hinokagutsuchi.

    The self-styled devil had her arms crossed with a textbook look of smugness on her face.

    "Didn''t I say so? This girl has spine and a good head on her shoulders. Placed by your side, she ought to be useful to a commensurate extent at least, yes?"

    "Cut the ''commensurate extent'' stuff, it''s too presumptuous. By the way..."

    Hal glared sternly at Hinokagutsuchi and said, "It was the same with Juujouji too. You like to leave me to my own devices, yet you''re very diligent in trying to increase my number of comrades¡ªlike witches?"

    "Fool. At times like these, you ought to feel grateful for my benevolence and express your thanks while kneeling."

    "Like anyone would believe benevolence coming from the mouth of a self-styled devil. But I get the feeling that Juujouji will get mad if she finds out... Still, it would be nice to have an assistant''s help once in a while."

    Hal muttered quietly. Hazumi''s unintentional humor and prank had brought salvation to his soul.

    If this girl were to fall into danger, ultimately, he would try his hardest to handle things appropriately, so as to rescue her. Hal thought to himself then said, "Okay¡ªLet''s start that whatever ritual."

    By the time they noticed, it was already dusk. The setting sun was dyeing former Shinjuku Fukutoshin a vivid orange. It was now the same time of the day as Akuro-Ou''s birth.

    An ambiguous time neither night nor day, what was known as the twilight hour.

    The time when monsters and demons were on the prowl. The hours when all sorts of specters materialized to wander the human realm¡ª

    After explaining to Hazumi the steps of the birthing ritual, Hinokagutsuchi arrogantly ordered "Hurry and prepare" so Hazumi entered a building in front of them. Then some time passed.

    "I-I am ready..."

    Hazumi returned. She was speaking in a feeble voice while shrinking in embarrassment.

    "I-I have already followed your instructions of ''undressing as much as possible''..."

    "Hmm. Well, not bad at all."

    Hinokagutsuchi appraised Hazumi''s attire with an air of importance.

    Hazumi had been wearing her school uniform but now she was only wrapped in a flimsy shawl. The knitted shawl was draped over her shoulders, hanging down to the vicinity of her hips.

    Due to the shawl''s large size and Hazumi''s petite figure, virtually all of her upper torso above the hip was covered up.

    But that was all that was covered up.

    Every other part was exposed. Her delicate and slim arms and legs, her pale and slender thighs, and that extraordinarily seductive neck were all clear to see. Possibly due to the unbearable embarrassment, Hazumi was squirming, causing the shawl to sway, exposing pink fabric at her hip.

    On her body was only a large shawl and underwear. This was Hazumi''s current attire.

    "However, little lady, where did you find this piece of cloth?"

    "I brought it, thinking just in case it might be cold..."

    "Hmph. To think I was hoping to view a maiden''s unseemly appearance as much as I pleased."

    "S-Sorry."

    Despite grumbling verbally, Hinokagutsuchi still nodded at the terrified Hazumi and motioned for her to sit down.

    This was in front of a high-rise building. There were stairs leading up to the building''s entrance. Hazumi sat down on the third step from the bottom.

    "First, I shall touch Minadzuki''s soul through your body¡ªthen extract her heartmetal."

    Speaking very absurd words matter-of-factly, Hinokagutsuchi extended her left hand and touched Hazumi''s chest with only the shawl between them!

    Then the self-styled devil''s face tensed up with a "Hmm?"

    "Little lady... You are topless. Did you remove it?"

    "Ah, yes. Because you said to ''undress as much as possible''..."

    Hal did not know if it was because she could not comprehend why Hinokagutsuchi was surprised, but Hazumi was looking lost.

    Meanwhile, Hal began to get flustered. Topless. Removed. So it meant that she had removed her upper torso''s underwear¡ªcommonly known as a bra?

    Hazumi must have been so thorough for the sake of following orders.

    "S-Sorry. Is this no good?"

    "Nay, the opposite. You have done very well. Yes. A developing bust with a sense of indescribable innocence and modesty, truly marvelous."

    "Eh¡ªAhhh!?"

    "Fufufu. The thing I want is inside here. Are you ready?"

    "Ehhh!? H-Hinokagutsuchi-san, why are you touching¡ªthat kind of place!? A-Ahhh!? T-That place is..."

    Reaching her left hand through the shawl''s gap, Hinokagutsuchi played with the young girl''s breast.

    Just as the panicking Hazumi twisted her body, the shawl slid from her shoulders. Since her bare chest was about to be exposed, Hal intended to look away.

    But before he could do that, he saw.

    A part of the body that Hazumi did not emphasize. Rather than twin peaks, they would be better described as hills. Hinokagutsuchi''s hand had reached deep into that pale mound. Even her wrist was sinking in.

    As though performing superpowered surgery, her hand was inserted into Hazumi''s body!

    "It will tickle, so bear with it briefly. Look, it is done."

    "Oh¡ª"

    Hinokagutsuchi swiftly drew out her left hand. Held in that hand was a metal sphere, emerald in color.

    It was very similar to Akuro-Ou''s heartmetal that Hal had seen in last time''s ritual. Hal asked, "Hey, don''t tell me that''s..."

    "Mm-hmm. It is Minadzuki''s heartmetal."

    In other words, a priestess'' heart was connected directly to the heartmetal of her ''serpent''?

    While Hal was stunned at the revelation, Hazumi hastily repositioned the shawl to cover herself. Meanwhile, Hinokagutsuchi handed the heartmetal over.

    Finally? Hal received the emerald heartmetal.

    "The steps are just as he explained... Begin."

    "Y-Yes."

    Sitting on the steps, Hazumi was originally arching her back in embarrassment, leaning forward slightly.

    But now, she was lying down with her back against the step, her slender legs extended straight. Probably in consideration for Hal, she wanted him to perform his task conveniently.

    Due to that, Hazumi''s waist, previously covered by the shawl, was now in full view.

    Her skin was astoundingly pale with very smooth texture. And due to her current posture, even her pink underwear was clear to see. However, the biggest problem was the chest area.

    Although it was covered by the shawl over her shoulders, only the top half of her mildly bulging bosom was covered.

    Even though it was just the bottom half of Hazumi''s breasts, Hal could still see them after all. This was making him lose composure greatly. Be that as it may, faced with the girl who was aspiring to become his assistant, Hal had no choice but to maintain a solemn expression in desperation.

    A superb acting performance of the one in a lifetime sort. However¡ª

    "Sure enough, size is not everything..."

    He murmured to himself at a volume that no one could hear.

    In addition, when he made eye contact by chance with Hinokagutsuchi, who was observing from the sidelines, the two of them nodded as though they were allies and fellow connoisseurs.

    But no matter what, the ritual was the most important right now. Hal focused his attention on the girl before his eyes.

    Holding the emerald heartmetal he had just received, he gazed straight into Hazumi''s eyes.

    "Then I''ll start?"

    "P-Please do."

    In fact, Hal was nervous too, but to reassure her, he pretended to be very experienced. That being said, it was his second time conducting the ritual. This time, he was calmer.

    Thanks to that, Hal could even sense what sort of magic had been cast on the heartmetal in his right hand. No, not just his hand. This place¡ªthere was magic cast on the entire "venue." Hal noticed this for the first time. It was the magic that Hinokagutsuchi had cast before the ritual began.

    Following an altered version of the ancient covenant ritual.

    To complete this aforementioned ritual, Hal slowly reached out.

    Then he thrust Minadzuki''s heartmetal into Hazumi''s abdomen. But rather than all at once, he did it bit by bit. Slowly, he pushed bit by bit.

    Probably starting to feel pain, Hazumi showed suffering on her face.

    When the heartmetal was one-third of the way in, her angelic face became even more distorted.

    "~~~~~~!"

    She finally made a sound, but it was a moan of pain without words.

    Hal could not help but pause and started to pull the heartmetal out.

    "P-Please don''t stop. I beg you, please... go all the way."

    "Yes, I know. However, we''ll slow it down for you to get used to it."

    Faced with Hazumi''s tearful request, Hal consoled her.

    The younger witch was panting heavily with her eyes filled with tears. The pain was most likely that intense. Speaking of which, after Akuro-Ou''s birth, Orihime had commented that her "abdomen felt like it was burning, it was so hot and painful"...

    Hazumi seemed to be suffering more than Orihime last time, was it because of her younger age?

    Although it did not take a long time, it was a ritual to give birth to life after all. Something like this happening would not be strange.

    Hal cautiously inserted his hand into Hazumi''s body.

    "Mm... Mmmm!"

    Hazumi panted painfully. Even so, Hal still slowly pushed the heartmetal inwards.

    In the process of this action repeating between pauses, Hazumi gradually grew accustomed to it. Finally, the emerald heartmetal was buried inside Hazumi''s abdomen together with Hal''s wrist.

    "Are you okay?"

    "Y-Yes, I am still okay..."

    Although Hazumi still seemed to be suffering, at least her condition was stable for now.

    Then the moment arrived at last. The heartmetal held in Hal''s hand began to pulsate.

    Throb, throb. Beating like a heart. Clearly it was just a small sphere, small enough to hold in one''s hand, yet the beating was astoundingly strong.

    "Haruga-san... Minadzuki is¡ª"

    Hazumi probably felt the beating too. She spoke with tears in her eyes.

    Despite her crying, she looked overjoyed. The sense of fulfillment and accomplishment seemed to make her forget the pain within the blink of an eye. When Hal motioned with his eyes, she nodded.

    Having obtained permission, Hal swiftly drew out his right hand from Hazumi''s body.

    "Mm¡ªmmmmmmmmmm!"

    In the end, the pain made Hazumi cry out. However, she stared at Hal''s right hand with happiness on her face.

    Minadzuki''s heartmetal was glowing there. The emerald sphere had turned translucent. Inside was a tiny ring of fire¡ª

    Indeed. Burning inside the interior of the reborn heartmetal was a small red flame.

    Hazumi was sweating all over while she gazed at the sphere with a face of happiness. She had probably tried her best, depleting all her energy. Hal spoke up, "No time to lose. Call out Minadzuki now."

    "Yes!"

    Hazumi looked up in the air. A red spray of blood instantly appeared in the dusk sky.

    However, the gigantic serpentine dragon leviathan was not there. Only an amorphous black shadow was occupying that spot. Due to the extraction of her heartmetal, Minadzuki had presumably lost her physical body.

    The spray of blood in the air became bigger and bigger, gradually increasing in density as well.

    It would turn into a mist of blood at this rate, perishing tragically. However, the new heartmetal floated up from Hal''s hand and rose in the sky, drawn to the blood spray and amorphous shadow.

    The "serpent" in its pitiful form immediately vanished, replaced by¡ª

    "Although it was a difficult delivery, the birth is finished at last."

    Hinokagutsuchi spoke softly. In front of her gaze, the serpentine dragon leviathan was coiled up in the air, adding emerald color to the evening glow in the sky.

    Part 3

    Roughly an hour after the sun had set completely, Orihime woke up.

    "Nee-sama, you''re already able to get up!?"

    "Yes. It somehow feels so incredible. I was clearly so exhausted earlier, yet now I''ve fully recovered my energy."

    Getting off the car, Orihime replied to Hazumi nonchalantly.

    Then she immediately started stretching exercises. Her movements were quite lively. Hal looked around. There was still a portion of magical power remaining from what Hinokagutsuchi had gathered for the ritual.

    The night sky was also very clear. The beautiful waning moon was gradually climbing the sky.

    "Is this why I recovered...?"

    A land with a high concentration of magical power. Moonrise. Night. These were all crucial factors conferring power upon witches.

    The moon and the night were particularly important. The magical power consumed by a leviathan''s invocation of pseudo-divinity was fully replenished with every arrival of night, thus resetting the usage limit.

    "So your body wasn''t low in energy due to injury or illness but just overuse of your ''serpent.''"

    Hal nodded then called to the girls in his company.

    "Since Juujouji seems fine, let''s find a more suitable campsite and prepare to spend the night."

    "Campsite? I''ve never stayed overnight in a wasteland before."

    "Are you sure we shouldn''t return to New Town? That way, we could get some proper rest, right?"

    Confronted with the bold plan for the night, Hazumi brightened up whereas Orihime offered a sensible opinion.

    However, Hal had reasons for not wanting to return to New Town.

    "We could, but I think explaining things to Hiiragi-san and the others will waste a lot of time if we go back after finding Juujouji so easily despite the slim prospects of her survival. They''re already starting to get very suspicious."

    "F-Fair enough."

    "And we have to be back before dawn, so I''d like to put the troublesome stuff aside for now."

    "Understood. I was hoping to go back to New Town for a refreshing bath with hot water¡ªBut I guess I should give up on the notion. It is an emergency after all..."

    Hal only realized upon seeing Orihime''s shoulder slump in dejection. So she wanted to take a bath?

    Deciding it was probably quite a pressing need for girls, Hal offered in a gesture of goodwill:

    "Although a fully automatic hot water supply is out of the question, I guess it''s still possible to prepare a bath."

    Instantly, the two girls'' eyes lit up.

    Then roughly two hours passed¡ª

    The trio began to "camp" on the sports ground of a middle school in the former Chiyoda ward.

    The girls were in charge of cooking dinner. They used a portable gas burner to boil water, heat up bread and thick slices of ham, fry eggs and even prepare instant coffee.

    Simple camping-style food was prepared in succession.

    "Fufufu. It feels like such a long time since I last cooked together with Nee-sama."

    "Because you''ve been busy with your work as a witch, Hazumi."

    Hazumi and Orihime both seemed unaccustomed to cooking outdoors, but they worked very happily.

    Meanwhile, Hal was proceeding smoothly with preparations for a "bath."

    Picking up a number of concrete blocks from rubble in the ruins, he arranged them into two rows with stuff like twigs and scraps paper for kindling in between, thus creating a hearth.

    Then on top of the hearth, he placed a large steel drum. After using a plastic bucket to pour roughly a hundred liters of water into the steel drum, preparations were complete for the most part.

    Hal lit the hearth to begin boiling the water in the steel drum.

    "But Haruga-kun, I can''t believe you had all this stuff stored here?"

    "There''s been recurring trouble in the Concession wasteland lately after all, so I thought I''d make various preparations in case of emergencies. I came over here whenever I had time, transporting water and equipment while I was at it."

    That was Hal''s reply to Orihime when she came over to check thing out.

    These were the "sundry chores" that Hal had been handling in Old Tokyo lately. After selecting ten-odd sites easily accessible by car, he had hidden supplies there.

    The supplies included water, food, medication, wireless transceivers, all sorts of equipment, daily necessities, etc.

    Patrolling these ten-odd sites, he had gathered the necessary supplies.

    "I can understand about keeping water and equipment, but the steel drum truly surprises me..."

    "It''s very handy. You can even light a fire inside and use it as a stove."

    Hal was four the first time he used this simple bathing device. His first attempt to create one himself was when he was seven. Having grown completely accustomed to it, Hal was able to enjoy a Japanese bath anywhere in the world, no matter how remote or undeveloped, so long as he could locate water.

    However, boiling the water would require a hour. Hence, this waiting time was used for dinner.

    The trio moved school desks into the sports ground to serve as a dining table, sitting around it to have dinner. The vicinity was illuminated by LED lighting placed in the center of the dining table formed from an arrangement of four desks.

    Hal instantly tried the fried egg appreciatively. Delicious.

    While enjoying the outdoor dinner, Hal was jolted by a sudden realization. He became aware that there was something more important, slightly later tonight.

    "Hey Haruga-kun, don''t tell me that you are really enjoying yourself right now? It feels like you''re in quite a good mood."

    "Does it seem that way? I think you''re imagining it."

    "Fufufufu. I love this. I''m so happy."

    "Oh my, I''m glad to hear that from you, Shirasaka."

    "...?"

    Just as Hazumi smiled like an angel, Hal responded calmly and Orihime cocked her head in puzzlement, dinner finally came to a conclusion.

    "I''ll clean up."

    Taking up Hazumi''s offer, Hal gratefully made his way to the makeshift bath.

    Sufficiently heated up, the water temperature in the steel drum was perfect. Hal nodded with an expression of mission accomplished. If he looked in the mirror this moment, he would surely be greeted by a steady smile in the reflection. However¡ª

    "Excuse me, Haruga-kun. I''m sorry for interrupting you while you''re busy preparing the bath water, but may I ask why are you looking so happy?" Orihime asked, arriving next to him.

    Hal immediately answered.

    "Not at all. It''s not like I''m happy or anything like that. Yeah."

    "But right now, you''re grinning from ear to ear, you know?"

    "...If anything, I suppose it''s due to my virtues of fraternity and benevolence. I am very happy to help someone out."

    Was Hal reusing a line from the self-styled devil because he had a guilty conscience?

    "But wait, I remember now. Haruga-kun, I think you once described yourself as being a closeted something or other."

    "......"

    "So, when is the friendly Haruga-kun planning to depart from his position in front of the bath?"

    "What are you talking about, Juujouji? If I don''t stay, who''s going to tend to the fire?"

    "Are you simply tending to the fire? Do you dare swear that you won''t engage in any perverted antics like peeking?"

    "How could I possibly commit crimes like those?"

    Seeing that the game was up, Hal decided to come clean with his thoughts.

    "About tending to the fire, I was simply hoping it''d be nice if I ended up catching a good view. In other words, testing my luck. I''m wondering if that friendly old man in the sky might grant good luck or something..."

    "Well then, Haruga-kun, you may tend to the fire on the side, but you must be blindfolded."

    "Ehhh!?"

    Instantly, the smiling Orihime looked almost like a goddess of misfortune.

    Splash, splish, splosh. The sound of water could be heard.

    Then there was the cracking of the wood fire under the steel drum. Hal found himself more sensitive to sound due to the blindfold blocking his vision. Right now, he was sitting next to the fire.

    Next, he heard Juujouji exclaiming in pleasure¡ª

    "Hoo... This hot water is excellent..."

    A much desired bath seemed to help Orihime relax her body and mind.

    "I''d love to continue soaking here forever... It''s almost like paradise~"

    "Fufufu, you seem very comfortable, Nee-sama."

    "Of course, this is truly the cleansing of life itself."

    Hazumi commented while watching from the side and Orihime answered in a very relaxed voice. Right now, she was probably enjoying this Japanese-style bliss.

    One should not find this surprising. After all, she was having a bath after experiencing a state of utter exhaustion of that sort.

    Surely she must be showing a countenance of extreme bliss. Hal really wanted to have a look, even if it was just her face. Although he tried to forget his desire for the view below the neck, Hal still could not help but imagine Orihime''s entire body.

    To eliminate his evil thoughts, Hal asked:

    "Umm... Juujouji, how''s the fire?"

    "No problem~ The temperature is perfect. Very comfortable. It''s all thanks to you, Haruga-kun."

    "That''s wonderful. Just so you know, I won''t be able to adjust the fire even if you made a request."

    "Fufufu, your eyes are totally covered after all. But this isn''t bad. Now you can easily prevail over your evil thoughts, right?"

    "But I''m now left with nothing to do. Isn''t it time for me to do something at your service?"

    "Now that you''ve said that, I suppose it''s fine for you to take off the blindfold. But please put it on again when I exit the bath, okay?"

    Orihime finally smiled with generosity and open-mindedness as per her usual style.

    Hal gratefully untied the knot behind his head and took off the blindfold. In front of him was the makeshift hearth and steel drum bath. Soaking in the hot water, Orihime was showing a blissful looking face.

    Right now, she was sitting in the drum with her knees drawn up to her chest. The hot water reached up to her shoulders.

    Hazumi was sitting next to the makeshift bath, watching her older cousin.

    "Oh Haruga-kun, you''ll have to keep crouching and not stand up. This is a promise, okay?"

    "Got it. I will stoop low, keep my head down and focus on the fire."

    This steel drum, used as a bath tub, was almost 90cm in height.

    If he were to stand up, Hal would be able to see Orihime''s naked body sitting in the hot water just by gazing downwards. Hal obediently submitted to the orders she had given to prevent such a situation from happening. Then Hazumi said with a slightly wry smile, "But Nee-sama, I feel that Haruga-san probably won''t do things like peeking..."

    "Did you hear that, Haruga-kun? Can you assert in front of Hazumi that she is right?"

    "Fufufu, of course."

    "..."

    "H-Haruga-san?"

    "Listen carefully, Shirasaka. In this world, all men can be divided into the two categories of ''perverts'' and ''closet perverts.'' By the way, I belong to the closeted type."

    "Is that true!?"

    "To think you could confess without hesitation in such a situation, I''m begging to feel that you are some kind of big shot, Haruga-kun..."

    "So this is what''s known as a man... I-I''m learning so much here..."

    "H-Hazumi, stop feeling emotional over weird things!"

    "Sorry, Nee-sama... But in that case, Haruga-san, was it the same during that time too...?"

    "Uh... I''d be lying if I claimed that no evil thoughts crossed my mind."

    "!? U-Umm, but I felt that... Haruga-san, you were quite gentlemanly?"

    "Thank you for saying that..."

    "Uh, excuse me. What time was ''that time''?"

    Orihime''s extremely relaxed voice changed back to her usual tone.

    Hal secretly jumped in surprise. Speaking of which, he had yet to report to Orihime about Minadzuki''s rebirth. This was because they had been busy preparing the camp ever since Orihime woke up.

    And the honest Hazumi instantly answered.

    "U-Umm, I haven''t brought it up yet, Nee-sama, but actually, we conducted a ritual while you were sleeping. In other words, the ritual for bestowing a ''serpent'' with new life, in the same manner as your Akuro-Ou''s case."

    "A ritual in the same manner as my case? You did that too¡ªEhhh!?"

    Orihime seemed quite taken aback. She was so surprised that she stood up in the bath.

    Hot water splashed out while her pale and naked body became exposed.

    Indeed. Naked body. Just to repeat, the steel drum''s height was roughly 90cm.

    Furthermore, to avoid burns, a thick piece of wood had been placed at the bottom of the drum for insulation like in a Goemon bath where an iron cauldron was heated directly.

    With a height little more than 160cm, if Orihime stood up in such a situation, naturally, her entire upper body would come into view¡ª

    Not wearing a blindfold, Hal looked up and saw at close range.

    A supreme figure with a very tight waist and voluptuous in all the right places.

    Shaped like small cantaloupes, two bulges visually estimated to be F-cups¡ªHal not only watched the two round shapes quiver and bounce, but caught a thorough glimpse of the pink parts in the front as well.

    Furthermore, he also witnessed the instant when Orihime''s entire body turned bright red due to shame rather than heat.

    Fortunately, everything below the seductive navel was hidden inside the steel drum...

    "KYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

    The one who had brought unexpected good fortune was not the unfriendly goddess.

    Instead, it was the girl who had been careless to the point of airheadedness. Hal came to a clear realization of that.

    Part 4

    "Ooooooooh! I can''t believe I made such a major blunder..."

    "Not really, I think it''s exactly the kind of blunder you''d make."

    "S-Stop twisting the knife in the wound! You''re supposed to console others gently in times like these!"

    The depressed Orihime was sitting on the lawn in a corner of the sports ground, hugging her knees to her chest.

    She sounded energetic enough when she replied to Hal who was sitting next to her. However, getting seen naked seemed to have dealt quite a severe blow to her. Orihime kept her head down the whole time.

    The time was approaching 10pm. Everyone had taken a bath and gotten changed.

    All that remained was getting some rest, but Orihime was still sitting in depression on the school grounds.

    As the prime culprit, Hal could not go to sleep first, so he came over to check out her condition. As a side note, he had already asked Hazumi to go to bed since they had to rise early the next morning.

    "B-But I couldn''t help it. I jumped in surprise when I heard that Hazumi had gone through that ritual."

    "She really worked hard for Minadzuki''s revival."

    "Y-Yes, I would think so. She is a very good girl after all. However, that painful ritual was quite an ordeal even for me, combined with the fact that you''re such a pervert, Haruga-kun, it must have been rough for her..."

    "Umm, I do count as a gentleman of sorts, you know?"

    "Gentleman, I''ll give you that, but an impostor gentleman who openly confessed to being a closet..."

    "Oh my, that''s indeed true."

    "You were also staring at me continuously in the bath without averting your gaze the slightest."

    "Sorry, because it was too sudden, I totally didn''t know what to do."

    "Ooooooooh. Haruga-kun, you pervert and king of lust. You should smash your head against tofu and simply die¡ªWait, that sounds too pitiful, so just get a head bump!"

    "Sure, I can do something of that level any time. After all, I saw something really awesome."

    "Q-Quit saying it was awesome or something!"

    Orihime would apparently speak childishly when overwhelmed by embarrassment.

    Hugging her legs with her face pressed against her lap, she refused to look in his direction. Hal felt his heart skip a beat. The flustered Orihime was so adorable¡ªHe could not help but think that even though it was rude.

    Meanwhile, Orihime finally lifted her head in front of the disconcerted Hal.

    "Ooh, f-forget it. This is part of the price for Minadzuki''s revival... I''ve decided to think of it that way. Getting my entire body ogled by Haruga-kun''s lecherous gaze was a necessary sacrifice!"

    "Ahhh, yes. Back there, I was really treated to an extremely wonderful¡ª"

    "I told you to stop saying that! R-Right, listen here."

    Finally recovering, Orihime asked him:

    "Do you think... there''s any chance for victory tomorrow?"

    "Probably not."

    "Hold on, Haruga-kun."

    "No, it''s just that the more I think about it calmly, the less I feel that there''s a chance of victory. I even considered simply running away from the battle, but if we did that, he''ll definitely become furious."

    Pavel Galad''s personality was very easy to grasp.

    Hal said with certainty, "Flying into a terrible rage, he''ll rampage violently all over Japan... I really don''t want to imagine how much destruction he''ll cause."

    "Indeed... Having caused such a terrible tragedy, Haruga-kun, would you start wandering the burning streets, overwhelmed by a guilty conscience?"

    "Although I confess to being thick-skinned enough, I might actually consider suicide."

    "In the end, all we can do is fight. Not just you, Haruga-kun, but also us, the witches¡ªincluding Hazumi and Asya-san."

    Hal and Orihime exchanged nods then smiled faintly with wryness in unison.

    Pessimism would not help the situation at all, so all they could do was smile. After smiling, they would sigh helplessly and continue to struggle relentlessly with all their strength.

    "Compared to fleeing without a fight, attempting a battle but failing is much more acceptable."

    "Losing is only natural, while a draw or better outcome would be profit. There''s no choice but to confront the enemy with that kind of mindset."

    After listening to Orihime''s description, Hal could not help but feel intrigued.

    Among those involved in resisting dragons, there were many who styled themselves as villains, and Orihime was gradually picking up the same vibes. Perhaps Hal and Asya were guilty as her source of influence.

    "After learning about elite dragons recently, I''ve had this kind of feeling... If a full-scale war were to break out, we humans would probably lose utterly to the dragons, right?"

    "Yeah. That''s why humanity grudgingly accepted the unequal treaty and even offered tribute under the name of relief supplies."

    "In that case, Haruga-kun, having obtained a legendary weapon, you have no choice but to become the hero. Asya-san and I can serve as your comrades, you know?"

    "A hero''s tiny group is not enough to oppose the demon king''s forces. We need an army at least."

    After saying that, Hal stared intently at the classmate who was sitting next to him.

    Then he scratched his head. He originally wanted to say something but could not. Hesitating, he was unable to muster the resolve.

    "What''s the matter, Haruga-kun? You''re showing a solemn expression all of a sudden."

    "Nothing much, I''m just feeling how wonderful it is that you survived, safe and sound... Back when you were missing, I was so depressed that I even surprised myself."

    "Y-You, Haruga-kun? Stop lying."

    "Do I look like I''m lying? Besides, I failed to keep my promise, the one about trying my hardest to handle things appropriately."

    "Didn''t you handle it very well? You definitely came running to save me. And today, you worked hard too to resist that silver dragon."

    "But had I used that ability sooner, Juujouji, you''d¡ª"

    "Stop there and avoid the hypotheticals, okay? Since we''re both novices, all we need is to help each other and discuss things together. Just like when we were watching a movie."

    "Help each other eh..."

    "Yes."

    "Then Juujouji, can I ask you for a favor?"

    Hal tried to put on a poker face as much as possible, staring straight into Orihime''s eyes while he spoke.

    "I want you. Will you give everything of yours to me?"

    "Ehhhh?"

    For the next minute or two, Orihime reacted unexpectedly.

    Her entire body was completely frozen. Her gaze wandered left and right. Her mouth gaped open, unable to answer. Then staring intently, she gazed at Hal''s face, her prim and proper face tense from surprise and loss of composure.

    To think Orihime could act this flustered, how unexpected.

    "S-So, Haruga-kun, were you serious just now?"

    "Of course."

    "But you''ve already got Asya-san. T-This is too sudden. I''ve never thought about this sort of thing in my entire life!"

    Finishing with a torrent of words, Orihime then added hastily:

    "However, it''s not like I dislike you, Haruga-kun!"

    "I think Asya is irrelevant to this. It''s this sudden because we''re out of time. I''m really sorry about that. Well then, even if you''ve never thought about it, I hope you can start thinking immediately. Also¡ª"

    After responding to every point raised by Orihime, Hal finally nodded.

    "I''m really happy to hear that you don''t dislike me."

    "H-How could I possibly dislike you?"

    This time, Orihime blushed and looked down as though evading Hal''s gaze.

    "Although we haven''t been acquainted for long, we have experienced so much together already. And I''d consider our personalities quite compatible, don''t you agree? H-However, it''s still too fast no matter what!"

    "It''s definitely fast, but I still hope for an immediate answer. Otherwise, we won''t make it in time."

    "I-Is it because we might die in the battle tomorrow...?"

    "Rather, I should say that we won''t make it in time for the battle itself. But if I can''t entrust power to your Akuro-Ou, chances of dying will be very high, so I guess you could put it that way."

    "Eh... Akuro-Ou?"

    "Yeah. A vassal covenant."

    "!?"

    In that instant, Orihime stared wide-eyed, then hung her head helplessly.

    "I-I thought you were confessing for sure..."

    "Uh, why?"

    "B-B-B-Because you said that sort of thing suddenly, I couldn''t help but interpret it in that direction."

    "Since I directly plagiarized the invitation method previously suggested by Hinokagutsuchi after all, I thought you''d notice."

    "I totally didn''t notice your obscure foreshadowing!"

    Orihime suddenly felt drained of energy, possibly due to finding liberation from nervousness.

    "My goodness... Don''t scare me. Since you clearly said that in the past, this really surprised me. I thought my heart would jump out of my chest."

    "I said what?"

    "You said I''d be ''a girl who is very troublesome to get into a relationship with.''"

    "Oh I see, that comment, but I think I''m in the wrong now."

    "W-What do you mean by that?"

    "Nothing much. Many things did happen after that, so even someone like me has started to feel your charm. Or rather, I''ve come to realize that I was blind."

    "M-My charm?"

    "Yeah. Although there are still some troublesome aspects, I think that if you and I were to enter that kind of relationship, many awesome things will probably happen."

    "~~~~~~. S-Stop saying such weird things. This is totally unlike you, Haruga-kun!"

    A sports ground at night, the ruins of a middle school inside a wasteland.

    Sitting side by side on the lawn, the two of them started looking up at the sky at some point in time.

    The waning moon was shining with white light while the starry sky stretched infinitely. Since there was no artificial lighting inside this wasteland of a dragon concession territory, the stars were astoundingly beautiful. But having visited places all over the globe, Hal had seen equally beautiful starry skies so many times that he was tired of them.

    Although by this point, there was absolutely no sense of novelty, the stars tonight felt surprisingly dazzling.

    Was it because Juujouji Orihime was beside him? Hal inadvertently looked to the side and happened to meet Orihime''s gaze.

    Her face was a bit red, possibly feeling embarrassed about her loss of composure earlier. Classmate. Comrade. She had called the two of them friends and said that all they needed to do was help each other.

    A smile was blooming naturally on her face. Whether Hal or her, the two of them laughed together.

    In that very instant, Hal felt as though Orihime had opened her heart to him.

    "Juujouji...?"

    "Haruga-kun...?"

    The two of them called each other''s name and gazed at each other. Right now, she was feeling the same thing.

    Certain of this, Hal extended his right hand. Orihime extended her left hand in response. With their hands overlapping, their hearts also came together¡ª

    "Although I don''t know how far I can go... Are you willing to follow me?"

    "Although I don''t know how far I can follow you... I intend to fight alongside you to the very end, Haruga-kun. I will devote all effort in my attempt."

    After their verbal promise, the Rune of the Bow immediately appeared in the center of Hal''s right palm.

    The same symbol also surfaced on the back of Orihime''s left hand. The vassal covenant was established.

    "Only after trying it... did I realize it was this simple."

    "Because too much happened, in the end, we didn''t figure out what was actually the success factor."

    "Y-Yeah."

    The two of them released their hands. With that, they had accomplished what they needed to do that night.

    Hurrying to sleep and saving up energy was probably what they should be doing next. However, neither of them wanted to stand up. Somehow, they felt a little reluctant to part.

    "B-By the way, Haruga-kun, going out with me... Is it really okay with you?"

    "Sure. There''s no point in lying about this sort of thing, Juujouji, but you wouldn''t say yes, would you? After all, you described this sort of thing as impossible before."

    "Did I...?"

    Saying that, Hal placed his left hand on the grass.

    But spontaneously, Orihime also placed her left hand next to his hand. Just by moving one or two centimeters closers, the pair''s hands would touch again.

    This sense of distance made Hal feel embarrassed yet happy at the same time.

    Oddly enough, for some unknown reason, Hal was certain that Orihime was feeling the same way¡ª

    In the shadows of the school building, out of Hal and Orihime''s sight, Shirasaka Hazumi pressed her hand on her unsettled chest, trying to calm herself. It was because she had accidentally witnessed the scene of her cousin establishing a covenant with Hal.

    It was not on purpose. She had come looking for them because she could not sleep.

    Sensing that Orihime and Hal seemed to be in a world of their own, Hazumi hastily hid.

    The rapid beating in her chest finally calmed down. Committing herself to some kind of decision, Hazumi looked up then nodded firmly.

    Part 5

    "In the end, the enemy has been quiet all the way to the fourth day of the deadline period? That''s quite rule-abiding for a dragon."

    "But then again, it''s also weird to call a dragon honest in personality."

    Hiiragi Yukari shrugged after her assistant, Kenjou, offered his opinion.

    Racing along the Tokyo New Town Expressway¡ªcommonly called the New Expressway¡ªwas a classy domestic car with Kenjou as the driver and Yukari sitting alone in the back seat.

    It was late at night. In one more hour, the date was going to change.

    "Or does the dragon have ulterior motives?"

    "There''s probably no need to be concerned about that. After all, there''s nothing we could do apart from slight adjustments in combat forces to support Asya-san''s group."

    "Your description is definitely over the top, but you''re very right."

    Listening to Yukari''s overly perfunctory comment, Kenjou smiled wryly while driving.

    "With that, Miss Shirasaka will be excluded from actual combat forces. Now that''s really painful. If I recall correctly, she''s still on standby at the MPD, right?"

    "No. She went with Haruomi-kun this morning to Old Tokyo. To search for Orihime-san."

    "Is her ''serpent'' in such poor condition that you permitted her to leave?"

    "If Minadzuki is forced to fight at full strength for three minutes, her body will break down even faster... That is what Istanbul headquarters concluded. By the way, Rushalka''s time limit for activity is fifteen minutes."

    "And Miss Orihime''s survival is unlikely... Should we prepare a white flag first?"

    "Dragonkind surely won''t know what that means. The only remaining hope is to gather helpers from abroad by sundown tomorrow."

    "Every domestic group is refusing to heed the summons. It''s getting increasingly harder to get by in this world."

    Continuing a conversation that was neither grumbling nor chatting, they awaited the arrival of the next day.

    Then the night deepened. It was midnight just before the date changed.

    Asya was at her assigned hotel room with arms crossed.

    Despite being on standby at the MPD, she was a certified master-class witch. Even under such circumstances, she was still guaranteed VIP treatment. Hence, a room was arranged for her at a nearby luxury hotel instead of having her spend the night at MPD headquarters.

    However, Asya did not sleep. She only sat in front of the table without moving an inch.

    On the table was a cellphone. Asya had been staring at it for a good long while.

    "Anyway, I have to score a hit on that dragon first... That''s my job¡ª"

    She had already received a call from her childhood friend.

    For the sake of the decisive battle tomorrow, Asya was currently focusing her mind so as to bring out her inborn aggression completely. Singlemindedly, she wished to make herself more ferocious and greedy.

    Time elapsed again. The date changed. Late night passed away, second by second, minute by minute.

    Then just as the rosy glow of dawn started to color the eastern sky...

    "It''s almost time..."

    Driving the station wagon, Hal was moving along Koushuu Route in the direction of Sasatsuka.

    Sitting in the back seat were Orihime and Hazumi. Both girls were wearing their school uniforms, predominantly white, their expressions tense from nervousness.

    Hinokagutsuchi''s absence was nothing uncommon, so Hal did not let that worry him.

    Soon after, Hal''s group arrived at Shinjuku Fukutoshin.

    Old Tokyo''s city hall could be seen up ahead. Standing 243m tall, the massive U-shaped forty-eight-story building was highly conspicuous even amidst the forest of high-rise buildings in Fukutoshin.

    Was it going to be Pavel Galad? Or Hal and his friends?

    This historical landmark could very well end up as a tombstone for one of the two sides.

 Volume 2, 6 - Sword or Bow

    Volume 2, Chapter 6 - Sword or Bow

    Part 1

    The location was in front of the former Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, in a corner of western Shinjuku. In addition, what used to be Tokyo Metropolitan Main building No.1 was one block away. Hal and Hazumi were bathed under the morning glow together.

    The girl next to him clearly had a stiff expression. Hal could not help but speak to her.

    "Actually, I don''t want you to accompany me on such a dangerous task..."

    "No, not at all, please allow me to come along. Minadzuki should be protecting me."

    Hazumi looked extremely nervous but she still insisted firmly.

    "U-Umm, if the battle goes well, I-I''d like to ask you for a favor..."

    "I''ll accept it no matter what you ask, but can you save that for later?"

    Hazumi instantly stopped talking. She noticed it too.

    Over in the eastern sky that had been dyed pink by the rays of dawn, there was a black dot. And it was expanding nonstop. It was the shadow of the dragon flying towards them.

    "Successor of the Bow, thank you for waiting!"

    Pavel Galad descended, accompanied by his energetic and beautiful voice.

    Instantly, the ground shook from the impact. Hal and Hazumi almost lost balance.

    "I didn''t wait for long. In truth, I only just arrived."

    Hal shielded the nervous Hazumi behind his back.

    His throat was parched from nervousness as before. His heart was also pounding like a drum. Even so, Hal still reminded himself not to forget to speak in his usual tone of voice, as much as possible.

    The silver-white dragon was standing very straight at a crossroad ten-odd meters away.

    "I will listen if you have any words before the battle."

    "No, I''ve got nothing to say. By this point, what benefit is there in wasting more effort on words?"

    The dragonslaying sword appeared in Pavel Galad''s right hand. In preparation for battle, Hal summoned the magic gun of steel and gold into his right hand as well. Both sides had prepared by materializing their respective "wands."

    Then Pavel raised his sword up high.

    "O secret runes of Ruruk Soun, purify this land with an explosive baptism!"

    Five magic symbols manifested over the silver-white head.

    The arrangement of "heat and explosion"! Just as Hal rapidly deployed imperishable protection, his surroundings were instantly engulfed in conflagration with a massive explosion. An attack caused by the runes just now.

    "Kyahhhh!"

    "Trying to use his sword with magic at the same time huh..."

    Hazumi screamed while under the protection of the pearly radiance. On the other hand, Hal muttered to himself.

    Even when struck by an attack of Ruruk Soun''s magic, imperishable protection remained solid as a mountain and definitely protected the girl beside him. In fact, Hal only brought her along because he trusted this defense.

    Unsure of her sense of control over her "serpent," Hazumi had made the offer on her own.

    I''d like to be closer to Minadzuki, which will make it easier for our souls to commune¡ª

    Defense-wise, there was nothing to worry about for now. However, flames and wind from the explosion were raging outside the protection. Concrete blocks and metal fragments were flying around. It was almost like a scene from hell.

    Hal took a deep breath then pointed his gun''s muzzle at the sky¡ªdiagonally above.

    "So he fled to the sky because even he himself will be swallowed by the explosion..."

    Due to the explosion''s wind and flames, Hal could not see what was outside at all. However, he could imagine the enemy''s location. Thus after firing two shots, Hal felt certainty rise in his heart.

    Despite capturing Galad, who had fled to the sky, the two shots just now were deflected by imperishable protection...

    Hal was wielding a gun-shaped "wand," in other words, a magic bow in the form of a handgun.

    The gun could aim automatically to a certain extent, allowing Hal to know where he ought to shoot.

    "Fufufufu... So you have started to grow accustomed to controlling the Bow."

    As laughter rose, the explosion''s wind and flames finally dissipated.

    The asphalt of the road was cracked while street lights were bent. A large part of the former Metropolitan Assembly and the lower floors of office buildings were swept away in the explosion''s wake.

    As expected, Galad was in the air with his silver wings spread and his entire body enveloped in the light of protection.

    Naturally, he was unharmed. Next, the silver dragon''s left arm suddenly split open to bleed mercury-colored blood. Thus, the blood fell to the ground.

    "I have taken last night as an opportunity to create a new minion. Now that things have come to this, I shall summon my own forces to add splendor to the battlefield!"

    Nine runes of Ruruk Soun appeared over Galad''s head and shone radiantly.

    A dual arrangement implying "alchemy" and "bestowal of magical power." Instead of turning into molten metal as last time, the mercury-colored blood came together to form a different shape.

    A metallic solid instead of a liquid. However, this shape was¡ª

    "A T-Rex!?"

    Hal exclaimed loudly. He had some impression of Galad''s new minion.

    It was the most symbolic carnivorous dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period. However, what had appeared here was just a tyrannosaurus rex''s complete skeletal model.

    The mercury-colored metal had recreated a T-Rex skeleton perfectly.

    The metallic skull opened its jaws, roaring like a living beast.

    RAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWR!

    The body, made of bones only, started to move. Walking on the ground on its hind legs, bending down its skeleton of a body, it swung its long tail like a metal chain.

    This skeletal model was a metal golem created by alchemical magic.

    After all, Pavel Galad was an alchemist specializing in metal transformations and an enchanter who strengthened his creations by bestowing magical power upon them!

    "Of course, things do not end here. By my privilege as a Zizou, I summon the winged lizards of Jabones from the realm of the sky!"

    Galad swung the dragonslaying sword at the air above him while shouting at the same time.

    Immediately, dozens of shooting stars descended from the sky. Hal had seen this scene many times before, the summoning of lesser dragons, Raptors, by elites.

    This time, there were roughly forty of them. This many Raptors were descending at the same time, flying at maximum speed just for the sake of slaughtering tiny Haruga Haruomi.

    Then the T-Rex''s metallic skeleton finally started to sprint.

    Needless to say, it was running towards Hal and Hazumi, of course. The ensuing impact was astounding, causing them to fall on their bottoms. This was because the T-Rex had collided into them in spite of the deployed protection of imperishability.

    "Kyahhh!"

    "Uwah!"

    Hazumi and Hal were unharmed. They immediately stood up. However, the T-Rex skeleton was climbing over the pearly protective shield, biting down with its massive jaws!

    However, the protection remained. Unlike last time when struck by the dragonslaying sword, Hal did not feel any pain in his heart.

    Against attacks not powered by dragonbane, perhaps imperishable protection really was absolutely inviolable.

    "But the enemy isn''t kind enough to fight unarmed... Anyway, the next part seems to be key."

    "Y-Yes. I will try my very best...!"

    Hazumi replied bravely and spoke to their comrade that was watching the battle from a distance.

    "Akuro-Ou¡ªCome and help us now!"

    Words of summoning. Immediately, a white silhouette came running over. It was the nine-tailed fox-wolf, Akuro-Ou.

    Dashing rapidly, Akuro-Ou used her momentum to collide into the T-Rex skeleton. Hassling Hal''s protection relentlessly, the monster was blown away!

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Akuro-Ou roared with fighting spirit in abundance. Meanwhile, the forty-something Raptors finally flooded the sky. But just at that moment...

    Hazumi, who had been shielded behind Hal so far, stepped forward and cried out in an adorable voice:

    "Respond to my voice, Minadzuki!"

    New words of summoning. Hazumi closed her eyes and clasped her hands together as though in prayer.

    A glowing pentagram appeared in the air above then turned into an infinity symbol before transforming into the emerald leviathan whose form was a serpentine dragon. The reborn Minadzuki materialized.

    Raaaaaaaaaa raaaaaaaaa raaaaaaaaaaaaa...

    Minadzuki called out as though singing a song, spreading her pair of wings at the same time.

    Shining with golden brilliance, the wings had sprouted from Minadzuki''s back. In the past, Minadzuki''s right forelimb and four claws had served as her horn counterpart and were unusually long, but now, they had shrunk.

    Currently, Minadzuki''s left and right forelimbs were equally long.

    Raaaaaaaaaa raaaaaaaaa raaaaaaaaaaaaa...

    When Minadzuki sang again, the Raptors rapidly descending to the ground suddenly halted. Then as though losing their bearing, they rushed about randomly in the air above Shinjuku Fukutoshin.

    The forty-odd Raptors seemed quite afraid of Minadzuki.

    "Successor of the Bow, you are human and yet you employ the kin of dragons to do your bidding?"

    In contrast, their master, Pavel Galad, remained confident and composed.

    Despite seeing two leviathans show up, he only focused his attention on Hal alone. He even said the following:

    "Fufufufu. Indeed, battles cannot be limited to weapons and runes alone. As seekers of the dragon king''s throne, we successors are obliged to lead armies and exhibit our talent as generals!"

    "That''s really not my intention at all..."

    Starting now was the key moment. Galad seemed to think so too.

    While sighing in response to his opponent''s unchanging temperament of hot blood, Hal glared at the silver dragon.

    Part 2

    Created using alchemical magic, the T-Rex skeleton was roughly the same size as Akuro-Ou.

    However, its standing and running postures were completely different. Akuro-Ou would run along the ground on four legs like a fox or a wolf. In contrast, the T-Rex had pitifully short front limbs and relied only on its tough and well-developed hind legs to walk.

    However, both were equal in speed.

    Possibly due to her quadrupedal movement, Akuro-Ou was more agile, but the T-Rex held the upper hand in strength.

    Right now, the T-Rex was charging with reckless abandon, trying to bite its opponent. Fortunately, Akuro-Ou dodged in the nick of time.

    As a result, the T-Rex smashed into a building, pulverizing a wall of steel-reinforced concrete.

    "Akuro-Ou! Try not to stand directly in front of the enemy!"

    Acting separately from her cousin and Hal, Orihime issued orders to her partner.

    The white fox-wolf was facing off against the dinosaur skeleton specimen next to the former Metropolitan Assembly. Both sides had moved to this place while fighting. A slight distance away, Orihime was watching the battle from a sidewalk.

    "My minions."

    Meanwhile, Pavel Galad was majestically overlooking the battlefield from the air above the former National Diet Building.

    Furthermore, his dragon scales were glowing with sacred silver-white light, causing his appearance to brim with solemnity.

    "As the successor to the dragonslaying sword, I shall try a dragonbane technique. I entrust this sword''s sharpness to you all¡ªTurn into my blades!"

    Galad raised the dragonslaying sword up high, pointing the blade at the sky.

    Then everything he summoned became enveloped in platinum-colored flames.

    Whether the T-Rex skeleton facing off against Akuro-Ou or the Raptors in the sky, flying aimlessly in disarray ever since Minadzuki made her appearance¡ª

    The flames disappeared within seconds. In return, the Rune of the Sword appeared on forehead of the T-Rex''s skull.

    Next, the tip of its tail took on the shape of a cutting edge, resulting in a longsword''s blade!

    "Arming up with a sword, so that''s what''s going on..."

    Orihime suddenly gasped. Her side was going to meet defeat unless they pulled out a weapon too.

    In that case¡ªOrihime pressed her left hand upon her voluptuous bosom.

    Last night, this hand had obtained the mark of a rune, accompanied by an unexpected shock. At the time, he had something like that, causing her heart to race inexplicably. Even now, her heart was still pounding nonstop.

    Unable to accept these feelings, Orihime frowned.

    After all, he was a weirdo. In addition to being extremely insistent on doing things at his own pace, he was flawed in sociability.

    Furthermore, they had not known each other for long. The girl whom Orihime had recently made friends with also seemed to be in love with him. However, clearly contrary to his usual style, this boy would often engage in inexplicable heroics.

    That was the case yesterday as well as last time when he acted as a diversion to lead an elite dragon away¡ª

    "N-No. Never mind this, I must concentrate right now!"

    Orihime shook her head forcefully and chastised herself.

    "Haruga-kun, entrust the rune''s power to me too. Please...!"

    Logically speaking, her voice could not possibly reach his ears. However, the magical bond would surely transmit the message to him.

    Sure enough, the Rune of the Bow appeared on the back of her left hand, then on Akuro-Ou''s nine tails. A black arrowhead manifested near the tip of each tail.

    These were stone arrowheads formed from a sharpened material resembling obsidian.

    The nine arrowheads were all hovering in midair, their sharp tips aimed at the T-Rex skeleton.

    "Very well... Let us decide the match, fair and square!"

    Like the enemy''s Sword, these arrowheads were enchanted weapons and also the Bow that Akuro-Ou had obtained.

    At the same time, Hal and Hazumi were preparing to launch a fast assault.

    The forty or so Raptors were originally wandering the sky aimlessly in fear of Minadzuki. However, they were now enveloped in platinum-colored flames.

    "This is bad. Can you defeat them before the Sword''s rune strengthens them?"

    "V-Very well. I will try and ask Minadzuki!"

    Hazumi clasped her hands together, looked at her partner in the sky and began to pray.

    During this time, Hal randomly chose a Raptor as a target and aimed the magic gun at it.

    The Raptor was flying roughly a hundred meters above in the air. It was not a range one could snipe using a handgun. Nevertheless, Hal still shot without concern. With the ejection of an empty shell from the handgun, a red bullet of light flew into the sky at the same time.

    The excessively sloppy shot from the dragonslaying gun was slightly off target.

    Although at first glance, it looked like the bullet would only graze the Raptor that was burning with platinum-colored flames¡ªalong the way, the bullet corrected its trajectory to strike the enemy directly. Thus, the bullet of light pierced its prey''s heart.

    "Sure enough, rather than a gun, it''d be better to call it an outrageous magic projectile."

    Hal muttered while watching the Raptor crash somewhere in the wasteland.

    An exclusive weapon that only Haruga Haruomi could operate freely. As the one who facilitated its birth, he ought to feel satisfied with such a perfect result. However, the one issue of remaining ammunition troubled him.

    "Take as much of my power as you need... Hence, Minadzuki, I am counting on you!"

    At this moment, Hazumi cried out. Then Minadzuki responded to her call.

    Having obtained a pair of golden wings, the leviathan in the form of a serpentine dragon was originally overhead protecting Hal and Hazumi like a guardian deity, but now, she spread her wings wide.

    In addition, a white orb appeared in the palm of her right front limb, giving off dazzling radiance.

    Raaaaaaaaaaaa... Raaaaaaaaaaa...

    Minadzuki''s singing was heard once more. The voice was reminiscent of a choir''s solemn singing of hymns.

    However, her voice also carried immense destructive power. While the song spread in the air, Raptors were disintegrating one after another.

    It was a scene resembling the collapse of sand sculptures in the wind.

    Raptors lost their form without warning, turning into white sand to be carried away by the wind.

    "So amazing. I can''t believe Minadzuki is capable of doing this..."

    "That''s the pseudo-divinity of Wind, I guess? But this is really over the top..."

    Hazumi and Hal whispered in conversation while listening to the singing.

    Raaaaaaa... Raaaaaaaa... Raaaaaaaaaa...

    The dozens of Raptors in the air were beginning to disintegrate at the same time.

    This was wind¡ªin other words, ultrasonic waves produced from vibrations in the air. And it was strongly directional, allowing Minadzuki to disintegrate only the targeted enemies.

    Having obtained new life, Minadzuki''s powers had clearly improved greatly from before.

    In merely a minute or two after she began singing, close to twenty Raptors had already been destroyed, turned into sand. The remainder would probably get wiped out in the same manner¡ªBut just as that thought crossed Hal''s mind...

    "O secret runes of Ruruk Soun! Grant my minions a brand new form!"

    Pavel Galad chanted a mantra.

    Four magic symbols were lined up over his head. This arrangement was "metal manipulation." Next, the remaining Raptors all disintegrated and Minadzuki stopped singing.

    However, bones flew out of the corpses that had turned to sand then started descending towards the ground.

    All bones were the color of dull steel. Like the T-Rex skeleton, these bones were also made of metal.

    "Even the Raptors¡ªeven the bones of minions can turn into metal too!?"

    The contents could be recycled even after defeat. Hal groaned.

    Should one feel impressed with the metal specialist and alchemist? Turned into bone specimens, the Raptors flew in the air and landed.

    Furthermore, the tips of their bone-only wings were fitted with dagger blades!

    "Minadzuki, protect us!"

    Hazumi instantly made her request, prompting Minadzuki to release lightning from the orb in her hand.

    However, the targeted Raptor skeleton dodged at the last second and even flew past Minadzuki instead, slicing the emerald serpentine body using the dagger affixed to its right wing.

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhh. The leviathan cried out in pain.

    "Minadzuki!"

    Hazumi screamed loudly too. The bone-only Raptors swarmed towards Hal''s imperishable protection. Ten skeletons harassed the shield, using the daggers on their wings to stab the protection repeatedly.

    With every stab, Hal''s heart would convulse in pain.

    "Ku¡ªUrgh."

    "H-Haruga-san, are you alright!?"

    "C-Compared to me, I''m afraid Minadzuki is probably in much greater pain..."

    After answering Hazumi who was worrying about him, Hal pointed his magic gun at the sky.

    The remaining Raptor skeletons had surrounded Minadzuki in the air, subjecting her to a flurry of frenzied slashes with the daggers on their wings. At this rate, Hal, Hazumi and her "serpent" were simply going to end up chopped to death together.

    "Looks like... I''ll need to use a special move now."

    Hal made his decision. The magic gun responded with clicking sounds of operation.

    Hal pulled the trigger without aiming because it was not needed. In the next instant, all the bullets rushed out the muzzle of the magic gun of steel and gold.

    The sky shook from the rumble of consecutive shots, fired at super high speed. The twenty-seven bullets were meant to be emptied in an instant.

    Fully automatic fire. This was the mode where bullets would be shot continuously while the trigger was depressed.

    If single shots or triple bursts could be considered normal moves in a fighting game, then this was undoubtedly a special move. Twenty-seven bullets of red light chased his targets, flying autonomously all over the sky.

    Thanks to that, all Raptor skeletons were instantly shot to death.

    Whether those harassing the light of protection or surrounding Minadzuki, all of them were eliminated. Although Hal even wanted to target Galad in the air as well, in the end, he cancelled the notion.

    Such fierce firepower was only possible due to firing continuously all at once. Random isolated shots were meaningless.

    "The dragonslaying bow you created is truly peculiar."

    After his subordinates were eliminated, Galad landed on the ground.

    He looked very stately, even giving an impression like the general leading a great army.

    "A weapon unknown to dragons... A bow that spits out fiery stones? Magnificently done. You humans have not neglected to advance war research, thus creating new power."

    "I think this type of weapon is frequently used against your kind, actually..."

    "I stand corrected. My apologies, I never noticed."

    It looked like the cannons and missiles fired by mankind so far had failed to catch Galad''s eye.

    Hal sighed despite his magic gun receiving approval even from a valorous warrior among dragons.

    "It''s clearly a magic weapon, yet it runs out of bullets..."

    While Hal was muttering to himself, the magazine was ejected from the gun''s grip.

    Having started using the magic gun since yesterday, Hal had pretty much mastered its basic functionality.

    He could select between single shots, triple bursts or full auto. The bullet capacity was thirty shots. The magazines were automatically generated by strange magic and reloaded. However, it required several minutes to do so¡ª

    Using this amount of bullets for fully automatic fire would mean running out of ammo in an instant.

    "I guess I can only rely on this barrier and Minadzuki for the time being..."

    Guarded by imperishable protection, Hal and Galad glared at each other amidst their respective glow.

    Meanwhile, the underclassman aspiring to become Hal''s assistant spoke up, "D-Don''t worry. Minadzuki says she can endure!"

    "Well actually, I just thought of something annoying."

    Indeed, Minadzuki was currently keeping Galad restrained with a proud and threatening pose. Although the serpentine dragon had over ten lacerations distributed over her body, she could still fight.

    Galad raised the dragonslaying sword towards Minadzuki in her current state.

    "Intervening in a fight between successors would require a soul that refuses to bow down to the might of dragonbane. O imitation, do you have what it takes?"

    Minadzuki''s entire body suddenly went stiff, immobilized. She had been bound by the dragonslaying weapon.

    Akuro-Ou had suffered at Raak Al Soth''s hands previously. Ordinary leviathans were unable to resist that sort of pressure.

    "Thus, we have plunged into a hopeless crisis..."

    Although his choice of words sounded like a joke, Hal''s tone was very serious.

    Once again, he shielded Hazumi behind him and waited for the enemy to announce his intentions. Rather, that was all he could do.

    "Shirasaka, tell Minadzuki to retreat first. She''ll get taken out at this rate!"

    "Y-Yes! Take a break for a while, Minadzuki!"

    Responding to instructions from humans, the serpentine dragon leviathan vanished.

    In response, Galad pointed the dragonslaying sword''s blade straight at the sky.

    "Since you have exhibited a technique of assured annihilation, I must respond with magic of equal standing..."

    "So the enemy really has this kind of thing too..."

    If the magic gun had a special move, then of course, the dragonslaying sword would have a trump card too.

    This was totally logical. While Hal concentrated with bated breath, Galad yelled ferociously.

    "O secret runes of Ruruk Soun, lend me the power to bring about annihilation!"

    Nineteen magic symbols manifested right next to the sword''s blade. This arrangement meant "I summon the thunder god''s sword to unsheathe in haste"¡ª

    Then the sky was suddenly covered in dark clouds while lightning began to strike the land.

    "O dragonslaying sword! Summon lightning from the sky to constitute the thunder god''s sword!"

    Lightning surrounded the longsword infused with dragonslaying magical power.

    Next, the white lightning congealed behind Pavel Galad to form a great serpent.

    A serpent of lightning was born. And this serpent continued to absorb lightning falling from the sky, gradually growing in size!

    "Fufu, the dragonslaying bow seems to have exhausted its arrows. In that case, I shall summon lightning without fear."

    "Yeah, without bullets, I can''t stop you either..."

    The lightning serpent had grown to a length of a hundred meters.

    Hal grumbled while Hazumi gasped in suffering. Could imperishable protection withstand the "thunder god''s sword" used by Galad? Probably not was Hal''s conclusion.

    He glanced at the magic gun. The magazine had not reloaded yet.

    In that case, he could only rely on aid from comrades¡ª

    Galad''s minion, the T-Rex skeleton.

    After fitting a dragonslaying sword on its tail bone, it instantly became several times more dangerous because the chain-like tail was swinging with speed and agility rivaling a master swordsman, controlling the longsword splendidly.

    Even a kendo practitioner such as Orihime was feeling impressed by the fierce swordsmanship.

    "Hurry and dodge, Akuro-Ou!"

    Despite her command, even the nimble Akuro-Ou could not evade entirely.

    It happened again. Despite jumping back to dodge the T-Rex skeleton''s sword in a horizontal sweep of its tail, Akuro-Ou suffered a slight cut in the area of her right shoulder. Some of Akuro-Ou''s white fur fell on the asphalt road surface.

    "We should use a weapon too¡ªUse that Bow!"

    Nine black arrowheads were hovering at the tips of Akuro-Ou''s nine tails.

    One arrowhead''s tip fired a red flash of light akin to an arrow. Struck by the flash, the T-Rex skeleton was blown away, tilting backwards, but not to the point of falling over.

    Despite a dent in the ribs area, it continued to move with agility.

    Rushing into point blank range in front of Akuro-Ou''s chest, the skeleton swung the longsword on its tail.

    "So resilient... Is this also thanks to the Rune of the Sword?"

    A tough opponent as expected. Orihime did not know if the vassal covenant was the reason, but she spontaneously learned how to use the Rune of the Bow. She even sensed that she could achieve total victory just by using a trump card.

    Because vassals were able to use special moves too¡ªIn the case of Haruga Haruomi''s magic gun, it was fully automatic fire.

    "Fire magic... I''ve already used pseudo-divinity once, which means I can''t be too wasteful with it. But right now, it would be best to be more decisive."

    Akuro-Ou was currently dodging sword attacks using a quadrupedal beast''s agility.

    But judging from the enemy''s skill with the sword, it would come as no surprise if Akuro-Ou''s defenses were to fall any moment.

    "Akuro-Ou, blow that thing away with massive flames!"

    Orihime commanded with determination.

    The black arrowheads on the tips of Akuro-Ou''s nine tails glowed, releasing flames at the same time. The nine flames swallowed the T-Rex skeleton.

    Her next instruction was to attack continuously while magical power from divinity lasted, using the same principle as fully automatic fire¡ª

    Orihime intended to shoot flames nonstop until the metal skeleton was incinerated to nothing.

    This went on for dozens of seconds. Inside the flames, the T-Rex sank to its knees. Its front limbs fell off its body while it fell over forwards. But not long after she felt certain of victory, Orihime was suddenly stunned.

    "Ehhh!?"

    The skull of the T-Rex skeleton flew out of the flames.

    More precisely, it was the skull with the spine, together with the attached tail and the longsword¡ªOrihime understood. This skeleton was not living to begin with. Instead, it was an imitation lifeform created by magic.

    Even if the absurd phenomenon of a skull and spine moving on its own would be nothing to be surprised about!

    "Akuro-Ou!?"

    The T-Rex skeleton bit the white fox-wolf fiercely in the left shoulder. In such a state, it even swung its tail bone with lightning speed, producing a flash of the sword.

    Such aggressive swordsmanship. This attack severed one of the nine tails.

    Kuohhhhhhhhh!

    Akuro-Ou screamed in pain but her eyes continued to burn with fighting spirit!

    "We''ll strike back, Akuro-Ou!"

    Orihime yelled. Likewise, the enemy was within close combat range.

    Akuro-Ou lifted a tail. Long to begin with, the tail stretched further like rubber, delivering a devastating blow to the T-Rex''s skull like a left hook from a human boxer.

    Things did not end with just one attack. The remaining seven tails launched seven hooks in succession!

    Unable to the withstand the attacks, the T-Rex skeleton tilted back.

    Then its jaws loosened, thus freeing Akuro-Ou. The white fox-wolf immediately lifted her head and bit the T-Rex''s neck¡ªor rather, its neck bone¡ªsinking her fangs deeply!

    "Release hot breath just like that!"

    A breath attack released while biting the enemy, pouring all destructive power into the enemy''s body.

    Asya had used the same tactic before. Akuro-Ou immediately discharged a heat beam, scorching the T-Rex skeleton''s neck bone like a burner.

    Seeing that the resilient skeleton specimen had finally stopped moving, Orihime breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Phew..."

    However, there was no time to rest.

    By the time anyone noticed, the sky was filled with dark clouds while lightning descended repeatedly.

    Orihime looked towards the Diet Building, only to see Pavel Galad raising the dragonslaying sword up high. Then a gigantic lightning serpent appeared behind him, raising its scythe-like neck.

    The lightning serpent''s head was almost as tall as the roof of a nearby high-rise building!

    "Hurry, Akuro-Ou! Go and help Hazumi and Haruga-kun!"

    The instant Orihime yelled, Pavel Galad swung his dragonslaying sword downwards.

    Enveloped in lightning, the blade attacked the protection guarding Haruga Haruomi and her cousin. At first glance, the pearly radiance managed to withstand the sword strike, but...

    The long and stout lightning serpent''s lower jaw descended like lightning together with the sword.

    CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

    The rumbling resounded across the sky. The immense lightning released light that dyed western Shinjuku white.

    "Wahhhhhhhhhh!"

    Haruga Haruomi proceeded to scream inside his imperishable protection.

    Then he fell over forwards. Although he seemed unharmed from a distance, the lightning slash just now seemed to carry a mysterious power that inflicted a severe blow to him. Lying on the ground, his body was shaking slightly as though electrically shocked. He also seemed unconscious.

    "H-Haruga-san!"

    Hazumi cried out from beside him. Orihime''s cousin was safe and sound, but the imperishable protection guarding the pair had vanished. Was it because Haruomi fainted?

    "Akuro-Ou!"

    She must not let her cousin and friend die. Despite feeling her heart invaded by despair, Orihime still urged Akuro-Ou to take action. Just at that moment¡ª

    A giant blue shadow descended rapidly from the distant sky above, accompanied by supersonic shockwaves.

    Part 3

    "Still, for a foreign helper to arrive in Japan on the day of the battle, that''s far too last minute."

    "On the other hand, do note that she is a powerful master-class witch. Cut the grumbling when the Trans-Pacific''s most powerful ace has agreed to come over."

    On the final morning of the deadline period set by the silver-white elite dragon, two members of SAURU''s Kantou branch were having this conversation.

    Kenjou Genya was full of complaints while his boss, Hiiragi Yukari answered him.

    They were currently at a hotel lobby, sitting on a sofa, having coffee.

    "The Trans-Pacific''s ace... In other words¡ª"

    "Yes, the one whom Asya-san knows."

    "Isn''t she the veritable Shootdown Ace as well as an executive in the organization? I''m impressed that you were able to hire someone of this caliber."

    "Actually¡ªI can''t claim the credit. Because dragons have showed up in Japan unusually frequently these past few months, she had already made plans to visit Japan to carry out an investigation."

    "Even so, it''s still something to celebrate."

    Kenjou rubbed his bearded chin and whispered. His suit was heavily wrinkled, looking even more uncouth than usual, presumably because he had been busy with the elite dragon incident these past few days.

    "She is expected to land in Haneda Airport at 10am via a special plane prepared by the American military."

    "Understood. By the way, is Europe''s former Shootdown Ace still not ready?"

    "Should be soon? She apparently woke up in hunger at five or six this morning."

    This hotel was where Asya Rubashvili was staying.

    Kenjou and Yukari had come here early in the morning to pick her up, holding a meeting while having breakfast. At this moment, a member of the hotel''s front desk staff came over to them, carrying a cute yet solemn brown envelop on a tray.

    Yukari took the envelop and read the contents. It was a letter.

    "It''s common for master-class witches to ignore collaborative relationships and take action on their own... But this is really too sudden."

    Written concisely, the letter explained that the battle had to start ahead of time due to tactical reasons. In addition, there was also a brief note that Orihime and Akuro-Ou had been rescued, but without details.

    This unexpected development caused Yukari to frown.

    Asya entered Old Tokyo before daybreak. Instead of meeting with her comrades, she went to western Shinjuku on her own first then silently observed the battle flow.

    Late last night, she had already discussed battle preparations over a satellite phone.

    "Haruomi seemed inexplicably thrilled yesterday... His voice sounded a bit excited."

    An hour before the date changed at midnight, she had received a call from Haruomi. But after the conversation, the subtle sense of dissonance was arousing Asya''s suspicions.

    (Haruga Haruomi''s emotional changes were caused by the unexpected accident during Orihime''s bath, but of course, there was no way for Asya to know.)

    Regardless, the problem at hand was the showdown against Pavel Galad.

    Asya looked at the back of her left hand, where the Rune of the Bow was currently visible. The Rune of the Bow would naturally appear to accompany heightened intent to fight dragons. Then she looked down at the world below.

    Asya''s current location was a roof of some building near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building¡ª

    Holding binoculars, she watched the battlefield and wasteland of western Shinjuku from the edge.

    "It''s about time to enter the fray..."

    She had been told that her childhood friend could now use the Rune of the Bow skillfully.

    Presumably due to this, Asya also felt fully confident. She was convinced that she could use that rune of Ruruk Soun even more viciously. By applying the rune''s power to a "gun" framework, it became easier to control.

    As she was right now¡ªShe could do it! With unshakable confidence, Asya watched the battle before her eyes.

    Pavel Galad finally swung down the most powerful blade strike.

    The lightning serpent also lifted its head and twisted its long and stout body. Seeing that, Asya nodded. The instant Galad was about to swing his sword, she summoned her partner.

    "O ancient divine seal of purity, send the transient blue dragon to the ground!"

    Amidst the dark thunderclouds in the sky above, a light shone. Right now, the pentagram was probably transforming in an infinity symbol inside the clouds, then turning into a blue wyvern.

    "Rushalka, get it done in one go."

    In fact, there was the option of sniping from the stratosphere but Asya did not choose that approach.

    To obtain far greater destructive power, she launched a double attack.

    "Use pseudo-divinity to change forms. Begin to accelerate!"

    The injured "serpent" responded to her covenantee''s orders with a roar.

    Kyuahhhhhhhhh!

    In the next instant, Rushalka flew out from the thunderclouds.

    But instead of moving towards the ground, she flew higher up in the sky. Her body exhibited blue transparency.

    Water¡ªShe had invoked pseudo-divinity to turn her body into a mass of water.

    In this manner, Rushalka began to accelerate and descend. Flying above the thunderclouds was for securing the necessary distance for acceleration.

    Accelerating nonstop, she finally broke the sound barrier.

    A living body of flesh could not withstand this level of acceleration, but as a wyvern-shaped mass of water, it was a different matter. The mass of water, measured in tons, released shockwaves while descending rapidly at supersonic speed. Then she crashed violently into Pavel Galad''s back.

    Indeed, she crashed into the dragon who was about to chop Haruomi with the most powerful and biggest slash.

    When swinging his thunder god''s sword, his back and wings were exposed and completely unguarded.

    Rushalka crashed violently there. A thunderous roar, impact and explosive wind ensued¡ª

    "Nu, ohhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Despite getting struck in the back by Rushalka''s supersonic charge, Galad still withstood it.

    Keeping him unscathed in spite of such a hit, imperishable protection was truly terrifying. However, the protection could not dissipate the pressure from the supersonic collision. The silver dragon''s gigantic body was sent flying in an instant.

    Together with Rushalka, he rolled towards a certain high-rise building''s spacious parking lot.

    However, Asya''s blue partner immediately stood up, prepared to fight.

    "Rushalka, use pseudo-divinity to attack¡ªIce Storm!"

    The real attack was next. Asya immediately issued orders.

    Rushalka dispelled her transformation, returning to a wyvern''s physical body as usual. Furthermore, dozens of white arrowheads of stone appeared behind her.

    An enchanted weapon similar in appearance to Akuro-Ou''s arrowheads, this was Rushalka''s "Bow."

    "Also use the rune''s magical power for full burst!"

    Asya ordered Rushalka to perform what was equivalent to the full auto attack of Haruomi''s magic gun.

    Dozens of white arrowheads flew towards the dragon. However, they rushed about in a flurry to generate a tornado instead of striking directly.

    An ice tornado with ice, snow and cold air in a swirling vortex.

    The arrowhead''s tips repeatedly fired blue-white flashes of light at Galad in the center of the tornado.

    These were dragonslaying lasers that could puncture even elite dragons. The lasers attacked Pavel Galad from all directions like fully automatic gunfire from heavy machine guns.

    "O blue imitation, I was thinking you would make your appearance sooner or later..."

    Bathed in the full burst attack of ice, Galad groaned.

    He was unharmed thanks to imperishable protection. However, he was down on one knee with his left hand clutching his chest. Just as Asya had heard from Haruomi, his heartmetal was currently under immense strain.

    In that state, it should be difficult for him to counterattack. But in spite of that, Galad still roared ferociously.

    "Do you think I would not make preparations for an ambush!?"

    "A rune of Ruruk Soun!?"

    A magic symbol appeared in front of Galad.

    A rune implying "swift execution of instructions." Watching the battle from a rooftop, Asya jumped in surprise. Galad was not holding the dragonslaying sword in his hand!

    By the time she noticed, the sword had floated up into the air. It was also accompanied by white lightning.

    Next, the dragonslaying sword turned into the thunder god''s sword and flew rapidly at Rushalka!

    "Akuro-Ou!"

    However, the white fox-wolf rushed out, guided by Orihime''s voice.

    Indeed, she rushed to Rushalka''s side. At the last moment, Akuro-Ou curled one of her extended tails around Asya''s partner and dragged her away.

    Consequently, the dragonslaying sword missed its target and stabbed into the ground instead...

    "In that case!"

    This time, Galad opened his jaws wide and expelled blue-white flames.

    Naturally, the conflagration''s target was Rushalka. Unless Asya invoked pseudo-divinity to defend, her partner would face certain death¡ª

    However, what came out of Asya''s mouth were completely opposite instructions.

    "Rushalka, using the pseudo-divinity you''re currently using¡ªPerform a Double Cast!"

    Ignoring the advice of rationality, Asya followed instinct to abandon defense.

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The blue wyvern howled. Repeatedly launching attacks from the arrowheads and pseudo-divinity, she further strengthened the barrage of blue-white lasers.

    "Ooh¡ªGahhhhh!"

    Asya felt entirely drained of strength. Her body felt as cold as ice.

    These symptoms resembled anemia. Witches would suffer from frightening consumption when performing a Double Cast of pseudo-divinity. Control of the "serpent" also became difficult.

    Even so, Asya still gritted her teeth and forced herself to sustain the full burst attack.

    The frontal showdown between the flames and the laser barrage ended in a draw.

    "Gahhhhhhh!"

    Galad roared loudly and collapsed. The pearly radiance vanished suddenly while lasers descending from all directions viciously sliced his gigantic silver-white body.

    However, Rushalka also fell down with a cry of "kyuahhhhhhhhhh!"

    With both sides collapsing on the ground, the lasers, blizzard and conflagration all vanished.

    "Rushalka!"

    Spurring her staggering body, Asya made her way to the roof''s exit.

    "A-Are you really alright? Haruga-san!?"

    "Yeah, well enough... Urgh. How many minutes was my heart actually stopped...?"

    Back when Pavel Galad had swung the thunder god''s sword...

    Despite withstanding the direct strike from the sword itself, the massive lightning had severely damaged the imperishable protection, causing its user, Hal, to collapse from cardiac paralysis.

    Even so, he was still hazily conscious and did not faint. This was truly absurd.

    Having witnessed everything at close range, Hazumi cried and ran over to hug him tightly. But during this time, Hal was still able to watch the entire process with glazed eyes despite his immobile body.

    Once he was finally capable of speaking, he opened his mouth to comfort Hazumi.

    "B-Because you stopped breathing all this time, I thought it was over for you¡ª"

    "Me too. I''m surprised I survived..."

    Under Hazumi''s tearful gaze, Hal finally got up.

    Meanwhile, the silver-white dragon and the blue wyvern were collapsed on the ground. Asya had come to Hal''s aid the moment before he was going to be struck by a fatal blow.

    "It was worth being bait to serve retribution to that Galad..."

    Hal exhaled in relief because the plan went off without a hitch.

    Using the most durable unit to lure the enemy away first, then flanking the enemy using units with excellent mobility and striking power to ambush, surround and attack the enemy''s side and back¡ªThese were tactics that humans had already developed since the time of the ancient Greeks and reportedly put to good use by Alexander the Great and Hannibal, the famed Carthaginian general.

    Usually in ancient times, infantry was used as bait while cavalry forces were in charge of assault.

    "The protection is clearly more durable than ''serpents'' after all, so I guess this is playing to strengths... But it''s really bad for the heart, in various ways..."

    "Yes... My lifespan has been shortened too..."

    Having shared the role as bait, Hazumi nodded as well.

    It was truly wonderful that she was safe and sound. Hal thought that from the bottom of his heart and exhaled deeply.

    Then driven by a certain sense of premonition, he turned his gaze to the enemy. During the battle just now, Rushalka was knocked out completely. But the other side was about to push up his upper body now.

    Next to Hal, Hazumi gasped "!?"

    Indeed, Pavel Galad was gradually recovering like Hal.

    Part 4

    "Akuro-Ou! Use the Bow again with fire magic!"

    Seeing Pavel Galad still surviving, Orihime swiftly issued orders. Acting separately from Hal''s group, she was currently running towards them.

    Responding to Orihime''s command, Akuro-Ou''s Bow, namely, the nine arrowheads, released flames at the same time.

    "Nu, guohhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Swallowed by the vortex of nine flames, Galad suffered in pain.

    The pearly light¡ªimperishable protection¡ªwas defending him, but it had become very dim, almost about to vanish. At this moment, Hal made a discovery.

    Due to Rushalka''s attack weakening his heart, or equivalently, his heartmetal, it had also diminished the protection''s power.

    But before the pearly light disappeared completely, Galad pounced towards Akuro-Ou.

    And his right hand was wielding the dragonslaying sword he had called back!

    "Flames of this level cannot burn me to death!"

    Shouting valorously, he raised the dragonslaying sword for a downward swing. His target was Akuro-Ou''s head. The white fox-wolf barely dodged but her left shoulder¡ªthe base of her front limb¡ªwas slashed viciously.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Akuro-Ou screamed in pain. Galad used this opportunity to swing his long tail as a dragon, pummeling the fox-wolf''s body with a horizontal blow like using a log.

    Then when his opponent shrank back as a result, he made a forward thrust with his sword.

    The blade brushed past Akuro-Ou''s neck. Red blood splattered out.

    Next, Galad spewed out blue-white flames to burn the white fox-wolf''s entire body. Burning and burning, he tried to burn his target to oblivion.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    "Disappear for now, Akuro-Ou! You''ll die at this rate...!"

    The fox-wolf''s gigantic body vanished from the earth at Orihime''s command.

    Galad ended the discharge of flames then turned his eyes, filled with fighting spirit¡ªto Hal on the ground.

    "Successor of the Bow, we have both lost subordinates and now it is finally time for a one-on-one duel. How elating."

    "I don''t share that kind of mood. Get lost."

    While cursing his enemy, Hal mentally thanked Orihime and Akuro-Ou.

    Thanks to them, he had made it in the nick of time. With a mechanical click, the magic gun''s magazine was finally reloaded. Hal immediately started shooting.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Galad had escaped in the air. The bullets missed their mark.

    However, the three bullets of red light chased after the target that was rising in the air. This was homing functionality resembling that of air-to-air missiles.

    "Fufu, the Bow is truly hard to handle without protection!"

    In contrast to what he was saying, Galad''s voice was filled with joy.

    The silver dragon swerved in flight to disrupt the homing bullets while raising an index finger from his dragon hand. On that fingertip, a magic symbol was flashing brightly.

    "O rune of Ruruk Soun, grant me more powerful wings!''

    The gigantic silver body accelerated dramatically, instantly leaving western Shinjuku''s sky.

    "S-So this is the magic of High-Speed Flight...?"

    Asya''s voice. Panting heavily, she was approaching. Spurring her body that had been severely drained by Double Casting, she was running over here.

    "He couldn''t possibly have fled. Is he planning to withdraw temporarily and regroup?"

    "It''s called protection, right? How long does it take to recover?"

    "Hmm... Well."

    Hal stared at his magic gun, the gun-shaped "magic wand."

    It was a guide to controlling the power of dragonbane. Whenever Hal wanted to learn about the Rune of the Bow''s powers, it would provide him with instinctive understanding. Hal had taken action after becoming aware of this.

    "A full recovery after giving the heart half a day''s rest, apparently."

    "In that case, we have to end things here. Considering that dragon''s personality¡ª"

    "He''ll likely return immediately. But it would be great if he had fled for real."

    Hal nodded and agreed with Asya''s speculation. Then he said, "Everyone, I will try fighting alone for the next part."

    "Haruga-kun!?" "Haruga-san!?"

    "Indeed, that might be for the best..."

    In contrast to the surprised Orihime and Hazumi, Asya was the only one who nodded in agreement.

    "Our ''serpents'' have already reached their limits. Given the current situation, it''s very hard for us to support Haruomi. Fighting alone might turn out to be easier."

    Hal smiled wryly. As expected of the childhood friend, bound to him by rotten fate. It was great that they reached consensus so quickly.

    "B-But my Minadzuki can still move!"

    "She gets frozen just from the sight of the sword, right?"

    That was Hal''s reply to Hazumi''s protest. Judging from the fact that Rushalka and Akuro-Ou were fine in this regard, establishing a vassal covenant probably conferred the ability to withstand it.

    However, Minadzuki had not been involved with that covenant.

    "Haruga-kun..."

    "I have no intention of dying or committing suicide, so don''t worry, Juujouji. Also¡ª"

    Confronted with Orihime who was unsure whether she should stop him or encourage him, Hal said, "Starting last night, I''ve felt that my luck has been riding on a peak. What happened last night was definitely more effective than praying to a goddess of fortune."

    "W-Wait, what are you referring to by ''what happened''¡ª!?"

    "Anyway, that''s that. I''ll be back."

    Finishing in as relaxed a tone as possible, Hal turned his back to the witches.

    He decided to advance towards the north side of the former Metropolitan Government Building first. Concentrated there were luxury hotels, university hospitals, etc.

    Indulging himself in a sense of martyrdom while heading to his death, that was totally behavior unlike himself. Besides, he had no interest of that sort. Hal hoped as much as possible to stick to his usual attitude.

    Even so, he still could not help but run uncontrollably.

    "Orihime-san, we still have things to try."

    Hearing what Asya said, Orihime jumped in fright, because she had sunk into deep thought while staring at Haruga Haruomi''s back as he left.

    "W-What kind of plan do you have?"

    "Let''s talk about the details while we walk. We need to hurry over to Rushalka."

    The senior witch''s gaze was cast towards her partner who was all covered in wounds. The blue wyvern was lying on the asphalt, collapsed in exhaustion.

    Her body was not in peak condition to begin with. Then there was overuse of pseudo-divinity and Pavel Galad''s flames.

    The combined effect of these factors had pushed Rushalka to the limit. However, Asya seemed like she still intended to have Rushalka do something. For the sake of victory, such mercilessness was surely necessary¡ª

    As a swordswoman with nation-wide renown, Orihime nodded strongly.

    "...Yes. Boys resembling the Black Ranger or the Blue Ranger shouldn''t be my cup of tea, but this no longer matters now..."

    To hide the worry in her heart when watching Hal leave, Orihime whispered softly.

    "? Orihime-san, did you just say something?"

    "N-No, nothing!"

    "The same goes for you, Hazumi-san. Even if Minadzuki can''t fight the enemy directly, there might still be things she could do."

    "Y-Yes. Please give the order no matter what it is!"

    Hazumi answered with strong morale in response to Asya. The cousin with the quiet personality was showing a dignified and determined countenance in a rare display.

    The battle was not over yet. The three girls hurried over to the "serpent" that was collapsed on the ground.

    Hal sneaked into a certain office building''s top floor.

    With only eight floors, it was definitely no high-rise building. Climbing sixty floors or something when elevators were not in service? Hal would never do that.

    "But trying to snipe through a building''s ceiling is pretty absurd too."

    This floor seemed like it used to be some sort of company. While lying on what appeared to be the reception sofa, Hal toyed with the magic gun of steel and gold in his right hand.

    If Galad flew towards Hal, Hal would fire his gun to snipe him¡ªThis was fairly simple as a plan.

    Hal was relying on the magic gun''s firepower and ability to search for the enemy. Shooting through the ceiling was not a problem. Capturing the enemy, who was out of sight, to launch a sniping attack did not count as hard either.

    "What''s next is to see which of us can land a preemptive strike..."

    Galad was probably going to use investigative magic to target Hal who was out of sight.

    Whose ability to search the enemy was stronger¡ªUnknown so far. Impossible to predict.

    This was a gamble. Hal only had one source of hope. Last time, Raak Al Soth did not have an easy time locating Hal after losing his trail. Conversely, the magic gun of steel and gold allowed Hal to effortlessly locate Galad even when out of sight...

    "But this alone would be totally unreliable."

    Hal felt his shirt pocket to confirm the pocket watch''s tactile sensation.

    This was the Clockwork Mage that he had just used to perform magic. Hal had used Sound Suppression, Visual Interference, Olfactory Nullification as well as Enemy Detection magic together.

    Having exhausted all methods at his disposal, Hal was currently waiting for his gamble to bear fruit.

    "I hope fortune will favor me..."

    The instant he whispered, Hal felt the enemy''s presence.

    He closed his eyes. Thanks to Enemy Detection magic working in conjunction with the magic gun, his senses were even sharper than when his vision was obscured by explosive flames.

    Pavel Galad''s massive body was flying back and forth at high speed over western Shinjuku.

    He was probably swerving greatly as a precaution against Hal''s long-distance shooting.

    He was currently trying to disrupt Hal''s aim. Stalling for time in this manner so as to seek out the location where Hal was hiding...

    However, given this level of speed and aerial mobility¡ªHal pointed his magic gun at the ceiling.

    Some elite dragons were able to survive even when their heads were destroyed.

    Hence, Hal aimed for the chest. This was to pierce a dragon''s greatest vulnerability, the heartmetal.

    While lying on the sofa, Hal proceeded to pull the trigger thrice in succession. Three bullets of red light were shot from the muzzle, opening a large hole in the building''s ceiling before flying out.

    Then the bullets struck their target. All three shots had hit. That was the feeling Hal received.

    "I won...?"

    For an instant, Hal felt troubled by his inability to confirm victory.

    The target suddenly accelerated to descend towards the ground. And straight towards him, rapidly descending towards the top of the building where Hal was hiding. Hal instantly deployed imperishable protection.

    Next, a thunderous crash resounded in all directions.

    The building''s ceiling easily collapsed with a large amount of rubble falling down. When the blue sky and the silver dragon''s massive body appeared before his eyes, blue-white flames instantly surged into Hal''s floor.

    "Wahhhhhhh!"

    Thanks to protection, Hal was unhurt. However, he was buried alive by the collapsed ceiling. Debris of varying sizes was piled on top of the pearly light. Apart from that, he could not see anything.

    And the light of protection was about to vanish.

    Hal''s heart had taken quite a lot of damage too. He immediately raised the magic gun to fire in triple burst mode.

    The surrounding debris was blown away in one go, clearing out his field of vision.

    The blue sky and Galad''s gigantic body, hovering motionlessly in the air, entered his view. Galad had pulled back slightly from the building, holding the dragonslaying sword in one hand. Despite clearly being a dragon, he was using a fencing pose.

    "Take this¡ª!"

    Hal used the magic gun to attack in burst mode. Three bullets of light were fired at the same time¡ª

    "O dragonslaying sword! Carrying the sword god''s favored affection, bring victory to me!"

    However, Galad used the dragonslaying sword to deflect all three bullets of light in the air.

    Fast as lightning. His masterful swordsmanship had reached the realm of divine skills. Seventeen glowing runes of Ruruk Soun also surrounded the dragonslaying sword.

    The runes meant "O blue sky, I beseech you to grant the sword god''s favored affection unto my blade."

    "A technique of assured annihilation, hidden within the dragonslaying sword... Do not think that the thunder god''s sword is the only one."

    "No, no, even as a special move, using a sword to defend against a gun is too much of a cheat..."

    Realizing that the earlier sniping attack had been cut down in the same manner, Hal sighed.

    Living up to its name as a trump card of dragonslaying power, its absurdity knew no bounds.

    "However, my gun is also convenient to the point of cheating a little too."

    "Indeed you are right. Putting aside the various dragon kings, one probably could not find among the dragons an opponent as troublesome as you."

    Hovering in the air, Galad opened his jaws wide. He looked like he intended to breathe fire.

    How much longer could Hal''s protection last when it was about to vanish? Several seconds or ten-odd seconds...?

    "Ugh...!"

    Hal reflexively fired a shot. However, it was deflected by the dragonslaying sword.

    This was why the enemy did not approach. At extremely close distances, it would be hard to defend against gunshots.

    Hal began to feel anxious. If he fired with full auto, he could probably get past that sword to attack a dragon''s greatest vulnerability¡ªthe heart. However, Galad would probably prioritize defense. Chances of success were likely to be quite low.

    However, there was no chance of victory unless Hal tried his luck...

    Hal realized this was the devil''s temptation. He could not possibly obtain a good outcome even if he risked everything on a gamble. But if he surrendered here, the outcome was undoubtedly certain death¡ª

    At this moment, Akuro-Ou pounced.

    She bit Galad''s neck without warning. Orihime''s "serpent" had one of her tails severed, leaving eight. In addition, the fox-wolf''s expression was unprecedentedly violent.

    Part 5

    Collapsed on the ground, Rushalka had reached her limit.

    However, Asya ordered her to invoke the pseudo-divinity of the Moon. This was an affinity governing faint moonlight, dark nights and disorientation. To put it further, even insanity was also¡ª

    Ever since ancient times, moonlight was something that induced madness in people. The night of the full moon was also what turned ordinary people into werewolves.

    "Among our ''serpents,'' Akuro-Ou is the only one who can fight right now."

    "But the injury suffered earlier is causing Akuro-Ou terrible pain... I don''t think she can fight without issue."

    Confronted with Orihime''s opinion, Asya replied.

    "I will use Rushalka''s pseudo-divinity to bring about madness, to make Akuro-Ou go berserk temporarily."

    "G-Go berserk?"

    "Yes. Although it becomes impossible for her to obey trivial commands, at least it''ll help her forget the pain, to charge with greater vigor than before."

    After Rushalka released her physical form, Asya stood on the ground, looking up at the sky.

    Because she had concluded that she and the other witch were going to become burdens.

    "Will Nee-sama and Akuro-Ou be fine...?"

    "The most we can do is pray for our friends'' good fortune. We will now watch quietly to see how things wrap up."

    Asya nodded and replied to Hazumi next to her, who was murmuring to herself in worry.

    "M-Making Akuro-Ou go berserk huh..."

    Realizing this was his childhood friend''s idea, Hal muttered.

    The berserk Akuro-Ou was astounding in horsepower. No sooner had she ascended rapidly like a rocket than she seized an opening to bite Pavel Galad''s throat and even chewed on his neck.

    In an attempt to tear Akuro-Ou off him, Galad grabbed the fox-wolf''s lower jaw with his left hand that was not wielding the sword.

    "Guh...! Stop interfering!"

    "I''ve got to thank Asya and Juujouji," Hal whispered. Now was an opportunity to snipe successfully.

    He raised the magic gun and pointed at the silver dragon that was wrestling with the fox-wolf in the air. The target was the heart. Although there was interference from Akuro-Ou on top of Galad''s body, that was not a problem.

    "Go!"

    Hal imagined the ballistic trajectory while firing the magic gun.

    A bullet of red light shot out from the muzzle. Its trajectory swerved greatly when flying past the dragon, tracing out a U-shape to attack Galad''s back!

    However, the valorous warrior of the dragons was no pushover.

    "O dragonslaying sword, receiving the sword god''s favored affection, become my clone!"

    He suddenly tossed away the dragonslaying sword in his hand.

    Unbelievably, a technique of assured annihilation, "the sword god''s favored affection," was controlling the blade like an invisible swordsman, swatting the dragonslaying gunshot away!

    Next, the sword made a rapid descent like a bolt of lightning, aiming for the building''s top floor¡ªaiming for the floor that had become the roof after the ceiling vanished¡ªto attack Hal from above.

    It looked like Galad intended to kill Hal off before dealing with the vassals. Hal instantly pointed the magic gun at the sky. Now was the time to take a gamble. Hal had already prepared himself.

    Instantly, he fired all his bullets in full auto mode. The target¡ªthe dragonslaying sword!

    "If the weapons of both sides are on the same level...!"

    Rather than a collision of spear and shield, this was a clash between two ultimate spears.

    However, the dragonslaying sword itself¡ªthe Rune of the Sword¡ªhad left Galad''s hand.

    This meant that its magical power should have diminished. In that case¡ªHal prayed while watching where the bullets went and knew he had made the right gamble.

    Shot in the blade by full auto gunfire of assured annihilation, the dragonslaying sword shattered over Hal''s head.

    Hal exhaled deeply. He had managed to survive, some way or another.

    However, his ammunition was completely depleted. Right now, his destiny was in Akuro-Ou''s hands. Hal looked up at the aerial battle between giant beasts, only to see that the tide was gradually shifting to one side.

    The silver dragon held the advantage while the eight-tailed fox-wolf had fallen into an unfavorable predicament.

    Due to casting away the dragonslaying sword, Galad could use both hands to grab Akuro-Ou''s lower jaw and pull her off his neck.

    Akuro-Ou was trying her best to recover her original posture.

    The fox-wolf was pushing her face near the enemy by any means possible, trying to bite and sever Galad''s neck.

    "Haruga-kun, are you alright!?"

    Hal jumped in surprise to hear Orihime''s voice. Right now, he was on the top floor of a building that had lost its roof. The serpentine dragon leviathan that had acquired golden wings, Minadzuki, was flying towards him.

    Equivalent to arms, the two front limbs had Orihime carefully cradled in her hands.

    "I asked Hazumi to send me here!"

    After telling Minadzuki to let her off, Orihime finally arrived at the building''s top floor.

    "I''m safe and sound, although I''m out of bullets again. By the way, what happened to Akuro-Ou?"

    "You mean going berserk? Rushalka used magic to put her in that state so that she could forcibly pounce on that dragon... But she won''t listen to me at all now."

    Orihime sighed.

    "I was thinking I''d have a better shot if I went nearer... But it''s still no good."

    "Figures. But even in a berserk state, you can''t really expect a ''serpent'' to have the ability to take care of elites like Galad."

    Hal sighed and looked at Akuro-Ou and Galad.

    Galad had detached the eight-tailed fox-wolf from himself completely.

    Thus the two of them continued to fight in the air. Galad swung his silver-white arms and tore through Akuro-Ou''s pelt with his sharp claws. Using his long tail as a log, he pummeled Akuro-Ou''s body. He even used his dragon jaws to bite back savagely.

    With every attack, Akuro-Ou''s crimson blood would splatter in the air.

    "Akuro-Ou! At least use the Bow to attack!"

    Hal did not know if Orihime''s thoughts had gotten through, but nine arrowheads appeared above Akuro-Ou.

    But before they attacked, Galad swung his five-clawed right hand. The instant the claws lacerated Akuro-Ou''s face, the nine arrowheads were dispelled.

    "Fufufufu, I cannot allow you to use that. Once I take care of this accursed minion, there will be nothing to bar me from victory!"

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    In response to Galad''s bold declaration and cutting claws, Akuro-Ou roared in wrath.

    Hal now noticed. The Rune of the Sword was visible on Galad''s right palm¡ªThat hand and its claws had turned into a substitute for the dragonslaying sword!

    Speaking of which, Minadzuki had been staying quietly by Hal and Orihime''s side since just now.

    The serpentine dragon with golden wings had her head bowed towards Galad, probably intimidated by the Rune of the Sword.

    "Although it''s probably not as sharp as the true dragonslaying sword... at this rate, Akuro-Ou can''t win."

    "If only I could give Akuro-Ou more power..."

    "Sigh, if only I could further increase the Bow''s firepower..."

    Seeing Akuro-Ou at a disadvantage, Hal and Orihime both sounded gloomy.

    Power, strength, output, destructive power. Just as both of them sincerely desired the factors that Akuro-Ou needed the most¡ªA thought suddenly occurred to Hal and he stared at the magic gun in his right hand.

    As before, the gun-shaped "magic wand" allowed him to understand the method instinctively.

    "Eh...!?"

    Orihime was surprised probably because the magic gun had also told her how to accommodate Hal.

    Then Hal recalled last evening''s events.

    Touching Hazumi''s heart, Hinokagutsuchi had extracted Minadzuki''s heartmetal from there.

    A witch''s heart was possibly the part most intimately linked to her leviathan''s heartmetal. In that case, all he needed to do was follow the method told to him by the magic gun¡ª

    "H-Haruga-kun..."

    "Juujouji..."

    This extremely inappropriate method was making both of them blush and look down at the same time.

    "W-What should I say...? I guess we''d better give up..."

    "H-How unexpected. I was thinking that as a closeted something or other, Haruga-kun, you''d use this as an excuse."

    "Don''t be silly. Despite how closeted I am, I still have a gentleman''s pride."

    "B-But now isn''t the time for such idle chatter, right?"

    This time, they gazed at each other with blushing faces.

    Surprisingly, Orihime seemed to be actively saying what could be construed as hurrying words. However, Hal did not have the kind of carnivorous personality that would allow him to accept readily. As a side note, he was completely inexperienced. What a conundrum.

    Just as Hal''s entire body froze, hesitating over what he should do, Orihime yelled:

    "W-Woman is judged by her courage, man by his charm! Haruga-kun, stop thinking and just do it!"

    "Y-You''ve gotten the proverb backwards, Juujouji."

    "Quit yammering! Make it quick!"

    Orihime suddenly leaned her back against Hal, entrusting her weight to him.

    Hal and Juujouji Orihime were in close contact. Feeling her warmth through his body, smelling an abundantly feminine fragrance from her hair and uniform, Hal became extremely flustered.

    At the same time, he felt troubled¡ªTo go further, even his emotions were getting excited.

    "Right now... Only in times like these am I willing to offer you my body and soul. Hence, Haruga-kun, let''s defeat that dragon together, okay...?"

    Leaning her back against Hal, Orihime spoke with sadness.

    She was quoting words that Hinokagutsuchi had used before. Hal could not see her face but he could imagine that it had most likely turned as red as a tomato.

    "A-Also, just between you and me here."

    "Huh?"

    "I-I also feel that going out with you might not be bad. Although it''s just a tiny feeling. N-No, just slightly more than tiny."

    "Huh!?"

    "I worry immensely whenever you take risks, Haruga-kun, but my heart keeps pounding the whole time. My chest feels tight with a slightly painful feeling... Oh, forget what I just said. R-Regardless, I hope the two of us will be victorious together. Together with you, Haruga-kun!"

    "Juujouji!"

    Listening to Orihime murmur in a voice that could not be more adorable, Hal could no longer think about anything.

    He lost his hesitation and embraced Orihime tightly from behind. Then he maneuvered his right hand¡ªthe palm where the Rune of the Bow surfaced¡ªin front of her and grabbed fiercely.

    What he grabbed was her breast, the left side of Orihime''s voluptuous bust¡ªthe place near the heart.

    This was the softest and most elastic sensation Hal had ever known in the world.

    "Mm... Mmmmmm!"

    Orihime began to moan. Unlike during Akuro-Ou''s birth, she did not sound like she was in pain.

    Instead, it sounded slightly bittersweet. This further ignited Hal''s emotions that were heightened to begin with. Riding on rising feelings, the rune in his right hand began to output astounding magical power.

    The magical power was sent into Orihime''s heart, transmitting to the heartmetal of Akuro-Ou who was fighting desperately in the air¡ª

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    The white eight-tailed fox-wolf roared with unprecedented intensity.

    While Hal and Orihime were having their little argument, the silver-white dragon had vicious tore into Akuro-Ou''s body repeatedly, covering her with slash wounds. However, the fox-wolf''s ferocity now increased explosively.

    A gigantic Rune of the Bow appeared in front of Akuro-Ou.

    Naturally, Pavel Galad instantly swung his right hand and the Rune of the Sword, to rip apart the bow''s enchanted crest¡ªOr rather, he attempted to rip it apart.

    However, the Rune of the Bow deflected Galad''s claws this time.

    "What?"

    The silver dragon stared in wide-eyed shock.

    Because Akuro-Ou was currently shrouded in crimson flames. The flames burned all at once then exploded greatly. At point blank range, even Galad was blown away by the explosion''s power and fell towards the wasteland.

    "Those are... runes of Ruruk Soun?"

    Amidst flames and the explosion, Hal saw twenty-one glowing magic symbols.

    This arrangement implied "I will fire the sun-shooting divine bow at the sky, to exterminate the sun." A technique of assured annihilation infused with the dragonslaying bow, the sun-shooting divine bow¡ª

    "Use my vassal... Turn Akuro-Ou into an arrow to be fired...!?"

    The instant Hal realized this, arrowheads appeared around the burning Akuro-Ou in the air.

    Nine black arrowheads. Previously, they were each roughly the size of the fox-wolf''s head, but now, they were almost as large as Akuro-Ou''s own body¡ª

    Thus leading nine arrowheads, Akuro-Ou rapidly descended upon the wasteland, charging at the massive body of Galad who was trying to get up.

    "Nu, guooooooooooooh!"

    Then the flames rose. A gigantic pillar of fire appeared in a corner of western Shinjuku.

    It was as gigantic as this area''s landmark, the former Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

    A pillar of fire exceeding two hundred meters in length. The intrepid silver dragon was burning inside it, helpless before the divine might of fire. His entire body was ravaged by the conflagration.

    Currently, Pavel Galad was like a piece of iron that had been thrown into a furnace.

    The crimson flames swirled in a vortex, incinerating the silver dragon''s gigantic body with temperatures almost high enough to drive one insane.

    "Ohhhhhhhhhh!"

    In the end, the silver dragon exploded, leaving a parting scream¡ªHe literally met his demise in a glorious death.

    But after witnessing this scene, Hal and Orihime did not even have excess energy remaining to rejoice.

    "We won...?"

    "Probably. But since the enemy was crazy strong, it doesn''t feel real to me at all..."

    "Me too. That dragon was a bit too strong, too troublesome..."

    Orihime was resting her weight on Hal. Hal was embracing Orihime from behind.

    In this posture, the two of them collapsed on the floor together.

    This was because they were utterly drained, unable to stand. These were symptoms similar to anemia, which appeared whenever witches severely depleted their stamina. In addition, the two of them were panting heavily.

    Both of them were completely exhausted, as though they had completed an intense athletic competition as partners.

    Then there was Orihime''s supple body. Hal knew that her weight and warmth were surprisingly pleasurable, but if he did not hurry and get away...

    Just as Hal felt anxious because his body could not move, Orihime suddenly apologized.

    "Sorry, Haruga-kun. Umm... I-I''m very heavy, right?"

    "O-Of course not. You''re amazingly light. Yeah, I''m speaking the truth."

    "B-But I''m not as slender as Asya-san. All over my body, uh, I suppose there''s a lot of meat...? Anyway, there ought to be a certain level of weight..."

    "No no, it''s the opposite. Isn''t this great?"

    "Hey¡ªHaruga-kun, you are a pervert after all!"

    Despite the argument, their dialogue finally started to become familiar.

    Just as the two of them found it inexplicably funny and laughed at the same time...

    "You two won a great battle!"

    "So amazing. I''m so touched!"

    Asya and Hazumi''s voices. The two of them were panting heavily.

    They must have gone out of their way to climb the building''s staircase to arrive, happy about the victory. However, Hal and Orihime received them with embarrassed feelings.

    After all, for a boy and a girl to be lying lethargically on the ground in such a posture¡ª

    As expected, Hazumi''s gaze wandered left and right while she spoke, "Eh? Haruga-san, Nee-sama, what on earth is this...?"

    She was completely flustered, unsure what to do.

    Then the veteran witch and Europe''s former Shootdown Ace glared and yelled, "H-H-H-Haruomi and Orihime-san, what are you doing heeeeeere!?"

    "N-No, it is not what you think, Asya-san. Hazumi too, calm down and listen to me. This was a necessary evil, unavoidable for the sake of fighting dragonkind...!"

    Orihime desperately tried to explain.

    On the other hand, Hal simply looked up at the clear blue sky as though escaping reality.

    A helicopter rose into the air, accompanied by the noise of propeller blades. More than likely, it was carrying personnel involved with the MPD or the SDF, or possibly Hiiragi-san and her men.

    Regardless, these organizations had probably monitored the battle.

    "Explaining to them will be such a pain too..."

    Hal could not help but grumble. However, this was all because he had survived.

    As this thought crossed his mind, feelings of joy finally surged in his heart.

 Volume 2, Epilogue

    Volume 2, Epilogue

    "However, to think that humans could use the runes of Ruruk Soun..."

    "This new fact is completely unexpected."

    After Kenjou exclaimed in amazement, Hiiragi Yukari immediately offered her comment.

    The two of them were at the Kanagawa''s prefectural government at Yokohama City. A brick building dating back to the early Showa period, it was full of retro ambiance. Yukari''s office was located somewhere inside.

    SAURU was a research organization devoted to the promotion and usage of the knowledge system called magic.

    Yukari''s job as a member of the organization was to command all witches in the Kanto region. Since everything was convenient in close proximity to state agencies, she had borrowed some space from the prefectural government''s Supernatural Creatures Countermeasures Bureau.

    "That boy has gotten himself into some troublesome things, poor him," remarked Kenjou, reading a printed report.

    Haruga Haruomi and Asya Rubashvili. This report was jointly written by the two parties who had gotten involved with the magic symbol called the Rune of the Bow.

    Four days had passed since the conclusion of the battle against the elite dragon, Pavel Galad.

    "How about we simply put him in a skintight costume emblazoned with an ''S'' then treat him as the Superman who protects Japan and peace? Headquarters has also reported that his true identity is completely unknown."

    "Indeed, that would save a lot of trouble, but..."

    "Not gonna work, right?"

    "Not gonna work. After all, the organization''s executives already know."

    Kenjou smiled wryly when Yukari made the proposal in a half joking manner.

    Unmanned spy planes had taken images of the battle against Pavel Galad. They were already seen by the person who had arrived to aid Japan on that day. She was the strongest witch in the Trans-Pacific area, in other words, the beloved daughter of Master Gregory, one of SAURU''s founders.

    "I have a bad feeling about today''s meeting."

    "This matter will definitely be pursued relentlessly."

    While the boss and subordinate were sharing the same feelings, someone knocked at the door.

    Yukari shrugged and called out "please enter" to invite the visitor. The one who entered the room was the person they had been discussing, a blonde Caucasian girl who was dressed in a black one-piece dress.

    "Eh? Master Gregory''s daughter came to Japan?"

    Hal was shocked to hear the news. Beside him, Hazumi''s eyes brightened with curiosity. Hal and his friends were sitting on a bench in school, chatting enthusiastically about topics in their circle.

    "Would she be a member of SAURU?"

    "Yes. She''s the daughter of one of the main leaders at the Istanbul headquarters, and also a master-class witch. She''s apparently some kind of chief researcher chairing the Trans-Pacific area as well."

    After explaining that, Hal shifted his gaze to the one who had told him that.

    "Although I''ve never met her, Asya, you know her, right?"

    "Yes, but she''s the type of acquaintance that makes you want to stay away from her as much as possible."

    Rather than friend, Asya called her an acquaintance. Hal could get a slight sense of caustic spite from Asya''s murmuring.

    Although Hal nodded in understanding, Hazumi showed a puzzled expression as befitted her angelic nature.

    "To put it in simpler terms, she''s your polar opposite, Hazumi-san."

    "My polar opposite? What do you mean by that?"

    "Namely, a demon..."

    "She''s surely hiding a fox''s tail under her skirt. After all, she''s a Machiavellian villain. Also, I''ve heard that she seems to be gathering information about Haruomi and the Rune of the Bow."

    Hal could not help but look up at the sky after hearing what Asya said.

    "Will I be treated as a research subject like lab animals?"

    "This possibility should be quite unlikely. You are a super dangerous character who keeps such an absurd weapon on your person."

    "If anything happens, I''ll follow the footsteps of Galad and try my hand at the conquest of Japan."

    "C-Conquest!?"

    "Oh my, that was a joke. Anyway, bridges will be crossed when I get to them."

    After adding an explanation for the surprised Hazumi, Hal suddenly switched his attitude.

    His situation was changing at a frightening rate. The die had already been cast.

    Rather than agonize with clumsy seriousness, it would be better to leave the worrying for when things came up. Seeing Hal like that, the childhood friend smiled faintly.

    However, she instantly scowled and changed the topic all of a sudden.

    "By the way... I recently heard some negative rumors about Haruomi and Hazumi-san."

    "Uh, about us?"

    "Haruomi not only made a move on Orihime-san but even played around with her younger cousin, Hazumi-san. You are two-timing scum, a bastard of the worst sort¡ªHearsay along those lines, in other words, rumors."

    After Asya finished, Hal and Hazumi went "...", falling silent.

    "Fufu. Do you two have any ideas?"

    "Not really, just that I''ve been spending time with Shirasaka quite often lately."

    "Th-Then when classmates asked what my relationship was with Haruga-san... I gave this answer: ''Senpai is like an older brother to me.''"

    "Then before you knew it, weird rumors starting flying around."

    "Rumors are so scary... Oh, but they don''t bother me. It''s true that I spend a lot of time together with Senpai. Moreover, we haven''t done anything bad."

    "Shirasaka is such a good girl. Don''t you agree, Asya?"

    "Please wait! There are too many problems to point out, I don''t even know where to start!"

    During the conversation, Asya suddenly yelled.

    "First of all, what''s with that ''Senpai?''!?"

    "That was my request. I had a hunch that being addressed that way would immerse myself in the bittersweet ambiance of youth. Sure enough, I tried it and it felt great. So that''s what happened."

    "Then what''s with ''a lot of time together''!?"

    "Oh, that was my request. There are many things I wish to learn from Senpai''s work, so I asked him to let me be his assistant."

    "W-When did something like this happen...? He''s clearly just Haruomi!"

    Seeing Asya grumble inexplicably, Hal frowned. Next to him, Hazumi was staring at Asya curiously.

    "What''s the problem? It''s not like I''m bullying her."

    "Yes, I think Senpai looks after me a lot. Oh right, regarding the ''request'' I was in the middle of talking about in Shinjuku the other day..."

    Hearing Hazumi speak timidly, Hal remembered.

    "Ah yes. In the event that you survive that battle¡ªIs that the one, Shirasaka?"

    "Y-Yes, Senpai. Please allow me... to use that rune''s power too. I hope to help Senpai, Asya-san and Nee-sama even more!"

    Hazumi was speaking with a very serious expression on her face, putting Hal at a loss how to answer.

    His changing situation seemed to have spread its influence even to this kind of place.

    While Haruomi and company were engaged in lively chatter, Orihime was standing in front of the cultural clubs building.

    Just earlier, she had spotted her cousin, Asya and Haruga Haruomi sitting on that bench, engrossed in their conversation. Although she could have joined them...

    She felt embarrassed to confront the only boy in that group, so she came to this place instead.

    "Haruga-kun hasn''t changed at all after that..."

    Orihime grumbled in a murmur.

    During the battle, the conversation before the final attack...

    Its contents were such that a change in their relationship would not come as a surprise. However, the key figure, Haruga Haruomi, apparently interpreted it this way:

    "Going out might not be bad" = "No promise was made."

    It was unknown whether this was the reason, but Hal''s attitude towards Orihime remained no different from before the battle.

    "And since there''s Asya-san too, this is fine, this is fine..."

    Experiencing these feelings for the first time in her life, Orihime felt quite troubled.

    Something felt stuck in her chest, it was very unpleasant. She felt an urge to complain to the young man who stood as the main culprit, to say something like "you don''t understand my feelings"¡ª

    Just as Orihime, who was seldom prone to sighing, finally sighed...

    "Oh my, you came today?"

    The eccentric giant who happened to pass by, President M of the UFO Research Club, spoke to her.

    "It''s not like I can''t afford the tea to serve you, so come on over if you have time. There are many things to be done."

    "Oh okay. Yes, I am free today," Orihime replied, brought back to her senses by the sudden instructions.

    Thus, the two of them climbed the stairs to enter the clubroom. There was no one at the room before them, so they were alone.

    At this moment, Orihime remembered. Now that she thought about it, Asya apparently discussed many private matters with this president. The silver-haired witch had said:

    ''That person is very broad in both body and mind.''

    Indeed, President M carried herself with solemnity and magnanimity that one would not find in a high school student.

    Was that the reason? Orihime found herself saying involuntarily, "U-Umm, I would like to discuss some matters with you... Is that okay?"

    "It''s quite sudden, but no problem. I have never refused anyone''s request for my counsel."

    "Then I shall take you up on that. Oh, but this is not about me, it''s just my friend''s troubles."

    "......"

    Orihime swiftly denied all personal relevance. After staring at her for a good while, President M started speaking slowly:

    "Your situation is truly tricky to handle..."

    Meanwhile, inside the Old Tokyo wasteland, in a clearing that used to be the Shinjuku Imperial Gardens¡ª

    Particles of light were coming together to form a mass of shining silver luster. This light slowly increased in size, gradually constituting a certain shape.

    The shape was a dragon¡ªthe super lifeform known as an elite dragon.

    And his name was Pavel Galad. In other words, the dragonslaying sword''s successor.

    "Urgh... At least I managed to survive..."

    Indeed, he had been torn apart by dragonslaying flames.

    However, probably thanks to arranging the runes of Ruruk Soun before the battle in the meaning of "fire of resurrection," he finally revived with difficulty, although it took quite some time.

    That being said, this was a secret ritual of extreme difficulty, rumored to succeed only one-twentieth of the time.

    What had guided the ritual to success was probably luck¡ªand the Rune of the Sword appearing on his palm. Even without invoking protection, inheritors of dragonslaying runes were also blessed with unnatural resilience.

    "Before I conquer the Road to Kingship and ascend to the dragon king''s throne... I must not die!"

    Galad vowed with obsession and passion. However, his body was covered in wounds after resurrection, merely sustaining a "dragon-like" shape at best.

    With every pulsation, his heartmetal would produce excruciating pain. Simply lifting a finger exhausted him utterly.

    This was due to deficiency in blood, magical power and nutrients. He must replenish these substances and give his body sufficient rest¡ª

    To use his remaining power with maximum efficiency, Galad came up with a plan. Namely, to use magic to shrink his body.

    From ten-odd meters in length to the level of 180cm.

    Furthermore, he also used transfiguration magic. This was necessary in order to hide in a human city.

    Right now, Pavel Galad was a pale-skinned and handsome young man with a head of silver hair and a human face. Although his muscular body was completely nude, that appearance was completely human.

    "This humiliation¡ªI shall undoubtedly purge it by achieving conquest!"

    As a pure-blooded dragon, transforming into a human was unprecedented humiliation for Galad.

    Then in the land of Alaska was Sophocles.

    The man who sacrificed everything for the Road to Kingship despite being a human. Listening to the report he delivered after returning to the white plains of snow, Princess Yukikaze laughed lightly.

    "So that silver dragon met defeat. Hahaha, this bow user is pretty good!"

    Princess Yukikaze looked up at the azure sky.

    This was to transmit her thoughts to the moon''s surface far away. To summon the minions residing on the other side.

    "Well, this alone is not enough to tell if his caliber is sufficient to win my approval."

    Come, come. She called to her golden minions while issuing orders.

    Come to the ground to serve me¡ªYukikaze.

    "However, my interest is piqued. Fufu, although I have no territory on earth, this might be nice once in a while. I have not had a chance to rampage as I please for so long!"

    Thus declared Princess Yukikaze to her minions and Sophocles, who was watching over her back.

    The hem of the gallant Princess Yukikaze''s white one-piece dress fluttered in the wind.

 Volume 2, Afterword

    Volume 2, Afterword

    It''s been a while, I am Takedzuki Jou. The second volume is finally released.

    This is all thanks to your loving support, dear readers, for which I hereby express my solemn gratitude.

    ''A human-sized pseudo-Ul¡ñ¡ñ¡ñman, aided by girls who control monsters, fighting against the authentic Ul¡ñ¡ñ¡ñ Space Garrison that''s trying to take over the Earth.''

    That''s the kind of concept where this story originated.

    After various amendments, the result was the current form.

    "One volume can''t fit in that much, so would it be possible to sell a duology of volumes together, or make it as thick as a dictionary?" Although something so unreasonable crossed my mind in the early stages of writing, I still finished Volume 1 then started writing Volume 2 to achieve my goal.

    Although I totally haven''t decided how many volumes to write, if possible, please accompany me for the rest of the ride.

    ...That being said, there is the possibility of the third volume ending with a "And our fight goes on!" (sweat drop)

    Speaking of the problematic next volume, the main heroine (tentative) is apparently warming up in anticipation while saying "It''s about time for me to shine!" However, it feels like the new heroine will clash with Orihime-san and the others with a violent shower of sparks. What will be the outcome?

    Following Volume 1, Volume 2 has enjoyed many people''s help as well.

    First, allow me to express my gratitude to everyone involved in the whole process including editing, proofreading, graphic design, bookbinding, printing, sales, etc.

    Despite their busy schedules, illustrator Nimura-sama and everyone at ALcot have added a lot of exquisite color to the visuals and character designs, so let me express my undying appreciation for them.

    This time''s Princess Yukikaze and the slightly wild oyaji-style Hannibal are very much to my liking.

    Also, Pavel Galad looks truly awesome in the design sketches.

    Finally, a private message from me. Kimura Kou-sensei, I will definitely offer you the book this time, so please don''t buy it before I deliver it over to you (wry smile).

 Volume 3, 1 - The World Where There Are Dragons

    Volume 3, Chapter 1 - The World Where There Are Dragons

    Part 1

    It was taking place in a dream.

    However, Haruga Haruomi aka Hal already knew.

    Rather than a simple dream, this was a battle to the death that had actually happened. It was in the past, centuries or millennia ago, decisive battles that had taken place repeatedly with the stratosphere as the stage.

    Down below, the blue ocean and the earthen-colored land stretched afar.

    The altitude was approximately forty thousand meters.

    A mere glimpse into the distance and one would easily see the horizon''s curvature. The fact of the Earth''s round shape could be confirmed as soon as one reached such a height.

    At this superlative elevation that human fighter jets had yet to make their battlefield, two super lifeforms were currently facing off.

    "How exciting. Long have I waited for this moment, Queen!"

    "Hooh... As someone only worthy of running errands for me, you are displaying too much vitality."

    The challenger was colored as white as snow, her voice filled with acuity.

    The challenged bore the color of crimson, magnanimously smiling with faint wryness.

    This was a showdown between dragons, adorned by the contrasting colors of white and red respectively. Both dragons had massive bodies on the order of twenty meters in length.

    However, the white dragon was more slender, giving an overall impression that was more agile.

    The outspread pair of large wings on her back was displaying the grandeur befitting one who dominated the skies. The skin over her chest and arms had ossified, looking like armor forged from blue crystals.

    In contrast, the red dragon''s physique looked stronger.

    Not only a size bigger than the white dragon, she was also more built more muscularly. Similarly, the chest was ossified into golden armor. Furthermore, the nine horns on her head were also gold in color.

    Like their contrasting appearances, the two dragons'' stances were also polar opposites.

    "I hereby decree to my emblem, the Arrow of Sirius, I, Yukikaze, will now transform into the dragonslaying arrow!"

    "My emblem, the Bow Stars of the Southern Sky, manifest the dragonslaying bow in my hand immediately!"

    The white dragon held the Rune of the Arrow whereas the red dragon possessed the Rune of the Bow.

    Both parties chanted their respective mantras to issue orders to the runes of dragonbane residing in their right palms. In the next instant, the Arrow user''s entire body glowed with blue-white radiance as she started flying upwards. At the same time, the Bow user summoned a golden longbow in her red left hand.

    Hence, a supernatural battle began.

    Just as the white dragon flying above had attained sufficient altitude and distance¡ª

    She flew straight at her enemy in a straight line. Accelerating fiercely and relentlessly, she easily broke the sound barrier, hurtling towards the target with speed faster than the eye could follow.

    Flying like an arrow, the white dragon''s body, glowing blue-white, had turned into the Arrow!

    Confronted with this supersonic assault, the red dragon counterattacked with the Bow.

    Placing the golden arrow that had manifested in her right hand onto the golden bow held in her left, she fired it. Simultaneously, a meteor rain¡ªor rather, thousands of lights resembling meteors¡ªdescended from the sky. This rain of light was a barrage intended to pierce the white dragon.

    Having turned into an arrow, the white dragon effortlessly evaded the golden barrage.

    But in order to dodge the downpour of a thousand lights while flying at supersonic speed, she had to make split-second decisions in the air to perform all kinds of maneuvers, zigzagging left and right, swerving at high speed and moving up and down.

    Her speed had reached the realm of lightning.

    Continuing to evade with lightning speed, the white dragon soared through the sky, trying to penetrate her target.

    Meanwhile, the targeted red dragon fired a second arrow.

    As soon as it left the bowstring, this arrow turned into flames in the form of a nine-headed dragon, flying to incinerate the white lightning.

    The flame dragon extended its necks fiercely, closing on the enemy from nine directions.

    The white lightning flew circuitously so as to evade this attack.

    ¡ªThis was the showdown between the white dragon, who turned herself into a projectile weapon, versus the red dragon, the archer wielding the divine bow. Even among the runes of dragonbane, the bow and the arrow formed a special pair of runes.

    Perhaps due to this reason, the successors of these two runes would tend to be more conscious of each other than necessary.

    Hence, this battle was special for both of them.

    Hal had no way of knowing this, but the mastermind causing him to experience this dream¡ªthe "magic wand" leading Haruga Haruomi the mortal along the path of unorthodoxy¡ªhad informed him.

    However, this battle, supposed to be an extremely special occasion, ended up concluding in an exceedingly anticlimactic manner.

    Because just as the two combatants were locked in an intense aerial battle with the stratosphere as the backdrop, the red dragon suddenly stopped moving.

    The golden bow and arrow vanished from her crimson hands. Even the "imperishable protection" guarding her body disappeared as well.

    Then the white dragon charged in a straight line like lightning. Enveloped in blue-white light, that massive white body was like an artillery shell.

    Then came a violent impact. The crimson dragon was knocked away forcefully.

    Perhaps due to the massive damage inflicted, the golden exoskeleton protecting her chest shattered, exposing what lay beneath. A huge hole had opened up on the red dragon''s chest.

    In truth, she was already heavily injured even before the battle began.

    The red dragon managed to stop herself from crashing to the ground. Remaining hovering in the air, she stared at the white assailant with determined eyes. However, the magical power residing within her massive body had diminished greatly. Simply to remain hovering was already taxing her limit.

    "So my path of conquest has reached an end here..."

    The red dragon murmured, her tone of voice conveying self-deprecation and wryness.

    She already knew this outcome before the battle. Due to the excessive damage accumulated in her heartmetal over her long life as a dragon king, she had already reached what was equivalent to the endpoint of longevity.

    On the other hand, Hal was quite impressed that she could fight to such an extent using this body that was on the verge of death¡ª

    "My apologies, little lady. I cannot play with you any longer. Do not blame me for heartlessly passing away first. After all, it would be an insufferable insult to me as the great queen."

    Confronted with assured death, the Crimson Queen was joking nonchalantly.

    This fortitude made the white dragon pause. Originally intending to follow up the attack, the Arrow user murmured "hmm" and silently gazed at the enemy''s majestic figure.

    "Whether handing this head of mine to you or leaving my remains to lowly scum, I am loath to accept either outcome. If you desire it no matter what, find it using your own strength. This is my parting gift as the Crimson Queen!"

    Smiling, the red dragon plunged her right hand into the hole in her chest.

    What she drew out was a glowing red jewel. Roughly the size of a dragon''s fist, it had a massive crack in it. This was the heartmetal belonging to an elite dragon¡ªno, a great dragon king.

    "Farewell, Princess Yukikaze, youngest of the dragon kings, wielder of the dragonslaying arrow!"

    The red queen threw the red jewel downwards. Like a meteor, the red jewel fell straight down.

    Ahead of it was a blue ocean and earthen-colored land. Having abandoned her most important organ, the dragon king''s gigantic body began to gradually collapse and scatter like sand...

    The instant the battle between fellow successors of the bow and the arrow concluded in an unexpected manner¡ª

    Hal suddenly woke up.

    He was on the driver''s seat of a light vehicle. Due to staying up the previous night, he could not hold back his drowsiness, so he said "I''ll sleep for twenty minutes," and parked the car on the roadside to take a brief nap.

    From the front passenger seat, the underclassman serving as Haruga Haruomi''s "assistant" smiled.

    "Have you slept your fill, Senpai? It has not even been ten minutes, you know?"

    "Hmm... Yeah, I''m okay now. I already feel much more awake."

    Hal suppressed a yawn and answered.

    In fact, thanks to this brief nap, he had completely recovered the ability to think. More importantly, there was Shirasaka Hazumi''s angelic smile.

    Ahhh, she is so cute today too. Such inexplicably rude thoughts were making his mind operate at a higher speed.

    Hal nodded firmly then gripped the steering wheel again. After lessons at school ended today, he had gotten changed at SAURU''s New Town branch, Mirokudou, then set off on an "expedition" to the Old Tokyo Concession.

    Currently, the two of them had passed the checkpoint at Ryougoku Bridge to reach the neighborhood of Kodenma inside the concession territory.

    Half a month had elapsed since the battle against Pavel Galad.

    It was now the latter part of May. Humidity was increasing in the air, heralding the arrival of the plum rain season. For Hal who had lived abroad over such an extended period of time, Japan''s plum rain season was something he had not experienced in a long time.

    "So all I need to do is fill these bags with the sand here?"

    "Yeah. Don''t bother sorting it out, just fill the bags up. By doing something akin to gold panning, we''ll find what we need after we get back."

    The place where he had brought Hazumi was the entrance to what was formerly Tokyo Station.

    This was both the location where he had obtained the rune of dragonbane as well as the venue of Akuro-Ou''s birth ritual. Activating magical sight, Hal took out the Clockwork Mage. Then invoking a spell to search for magical power, he gazed intently, capturing even the slightest of magical power.

    Finally, he targeted a large pile of white sand in a corner and began to gather the sand.

    While opening the vinyl bag he had handed to her, Hazumi asked, "Umm, how are we going to carry out the gold panning you speak of...?"

    "By sifting with a fine filter. The ancient Greeks even had a method using sheep. Ever since ancient times, the sheep has been a creature that symbolized wealth and gold."

    "U-Using sheep to find gold!?"

    "First they use fleece to line the riverbeds of rivers where gold sand can be found. Then they gather the gold sand that adheres to the wool, thereby amassing a fortune of gold. And sheep are easy to raise. That''s why the more livestock you have, the wealthier you''ll naturally be."

    Whenever he imparted trivia to her, Hazumi would keep nodding, feeling very touched.

    She looked so cute that it would inevitably bring a smile to one''s face. Hence, Hal would spontaneously bring up knowledge he had acquired as a "treasure hunter" whenever an opportunity presented itself.

    Then for a long while, the two of them gathered "sand" using the same method.

    After securing a sufficient amount, Hal and Hazumi left the former Tokyo Station and returned to the light vehicle.

    "Are we going back directly to carry out the filtering you mentioned just now?"

    Hazumi looked like she really wanted to say "Please allow me to accompany you." However, Hal offered a different suggestion to the underclassman who was sitting in the front passenger seat.

    "If you don''t mind, do you want to practice ''that'' first?"

    "M-May I...?"

    "Of course. And it won''t cause anyone trouble either."

    "Then please allow me to practice!"

    Hazumi''s eyes glimmered with joy.

    Recently, Hal had been taking her frequently to Old Tokyo¡ª

    There was one time when sitting next to her upperclassman, a high school student who gripped the steering wheel and did whatever he wanted, Hazumi had murmured "I''d like to get a driving license when I grow up. It must be very fun, being able to go anywhere you want."

    Immediately, Hal had invited Hazumi to take the driver''s seat, then started to "instruct" her.

    It was like how rural families would let their children drive on private farmland. Precisely because this was a dragon concession territory where there were no pedestrians or vehicles driving on the road, they were able to practice like this. Although Hal had indulged her in such an impulsive act simply because he wanted to see Hazumi''s happy face, driving was something that needed as much practice as possible.

    Besides¡ª

    In the case of an emergency, this skill might save Hazumi''s life perhaps.

    While this inauspicious thought secretly went through Hal''s mind, the "training" ended and they returned to Tokyo New Town. Hal drove her home directly because Hazumi wanted to be back for dinner, then they parted ways.

    Then the next day arrived. Hal went to school as usual because it was a weekday.

    While eating his lunch of rice cakes and udon noodles at the cafeteria, Hal suddenly noticed.

    "Now that I think more deeply about it, I''ve spent my time after school with Shirasaka for ten-odd days already."

    " "......" "

    As soon as he muttered that, two gazes shot at him from girls who looked like they had something to say.

    Sharing the same table as him, these two girls were Anastasya Rubashvili, aka Asya, and Juujouji Orihime.

    "Y-You''ve been quite close to Hazumi-san. That''s so unlike you, Haruomi."

    Asya spoke in a slightly vicious tone of voice.

    "I thought it was basically your policy to avoid troublesome human relationships as much as possible, wasn''t it, Haruomi?"

    "You''re right, but Shirasaka is just so cute."

    "C-Cute¡ªhow can the likes of Haruomi sound so much like a normal person with a fulfilling social life..."

    "Moreover, she''s obedient and doesn''t cause any trouble. That''s why I''ve decided to indulge her as much as possible."

    "And a 180-degree change in personality to boot!?"

    Next to the shocked Asya, Orihime sighed.

    "Then Haruga-kun, I have something to say as Hazumi''s ''elder sister.''"

    After finishing the special of the day, a grilled fish set lunch, she put down her chopsticks and spoke.

    "Isn''t it time for you to show some restraint in teaching Hazumi weird things...? Guess what? Every night, she writes down your teachings as notes, Haruga-kun, to study over and over again."

    "That''s Shirasaka for you. She really is a wonderful and hardworking child."

    "I asked her to give me a brief look. I can''t believe I saw stuff including the likes of cosmetic surgery and Botox injections..."

    "Oh that. We were watching television together a couple days ago when Shirasaka was curious about why a certain female artiste''s facial expression was unnaturally stiff, so I gave her a brief explanation of the technique''s pros and cons."

    "S-Stop deliberately pouring that kind of evil knowledge into Hazumi''s pure soul!"

    "No no no, it''d be more worrying if she were completely ignorant of things like that."

    "You might have a point but she almost finished an entire notebook in merely half a month. Isn''t it time you held back a little!?"

    Hearing Orihime''s honest warning, Hal scratched his head and went "Oh I see."

    Perhaps he might be teaching Hazumi too many random things on whim. Since he never had an assistant or apprentice before, Hal had no idea how to keep things in moderation either.

    "Got it. I''ll try my best to be careful."

    "H-Hmm. I am really grateful to hear that from you."

    Despite thanking him, Orihime continued to show a gloomy expression.

    "Is there anything else worrying you, Juujouji?"

    "N-No, it''s nothing, just that¡ªOh right, because Asya-san''s lunchbox is such a rare sight, I am quite curious where it was bought!"

    For some reason, Orihime changed the subject in a joking manner.

    Despite finding it strange, Hal still turned his gaze to his childhood friend''s lunchbox. Creative Japanese cuisine. Inside the plastic container were all sorts of fried food that seemed to be vegetable tempura, Japanese-style rolled omelet, California rolls, yellow-colored rice that looked like it had been cooked with turmeric, etc.

    "Nothing less expected of you, Orihime-san. How observant."

    Asya finally calmed down, possibly because the discussion had turned to the topic of food.

    "I bought this at the Little Buddha, my top recommendation among all the shops near the school."

    "Huh? Isn''t that an Indian curry shop?"

    "It is, but the head chef is actually a Nepalese who learned his craft at a Japanese restaurant in India. More so than curry, his specialty is ''imitation Japanese food.'' It''s only because curry sells better that he started his business with a curry shop as the main draw. This is something I found out after frequenting the shop for about a week continuously."

    "So you ordered a custom-made lunchbox..."

    Since this was very much something that Asya would do, given her obsession with food, Hal could not help but nod in acknowledgement.

    On the other hand, Orihime made a look as though she had difficulty accepting the idea.

    "Advertising Indian curry when the head chef is clearly Nepalese, is that really okay...?"

    "But not all Indian curry shops in Japan are opened by Indians either."

    "From what I can see, there are many chefs who originated from Nepal or Pakistan."

    "This actually involves all kinds of issues related to brokering Japanese work visas for these people, so it''s unexpectedly complicated."

    "Both of you are at fault for always bringing up this kind of trivia and being a bad influence for Hazumi..."

    After Hal and Asya commented one after another, Orihime expressed her opinion.

    Judging from her look of mixed feelings, she seemed to be having trouble deciding whether to feel surprised or impressed.

    Part 2

    After school today, Hal planned to go to SAURU''s branch at Mirokudou as usual.

    But prior to leaving school, he made a visit to the underground of the library building.

    All books and enchanted artifacts from the previous Mansion had been moved over.

    Hal came here because he wanted to make a quick confirmation. As usual, he brought Hazumi along.

    The floor being used as a substitute storeroom was as large as four classrooms. There was already a line of steel shelves set up in place. Placed haphazardly on the shelves were old swords and various weapons, metallic objects, ornaments, ancient texts and scrolls, etc. At a casual glance, one could easily mistake them for piles of junk.

    In fact, the value of these objects was probably no different from junk for people with no interest in antiques and ancient artifacts.

    Without exception, they were either filthy, damaged or covered in rust. Esthetically, they were quite poor in appearance. Holding a catalog in his hand, Hal looked at these odds and ends.

    "I''m told that there was originally a plan to assign someone like a curator to manage these things properly."

    "Why didn''t it happen?"

    Hazumi asked while following Hal closely. Hal shrugged.

    "The collection apparently includes ''certain cursed objects.'' Two curators, who were not easy to hire, I tell you, died inexplicably one after another."

    "I-I see..."

    "Although SAURU has disposed of the cursed objects afterwards, the position of curator has remained vacant ever since. And the collection has been left neglected in storage without anyone to care for them."

    "I had no idea of this at all..."

    "Simply locating a specific item here is already a ton of work."

    "U-Umm, please go ahead and tell me if there''s any way I can help, no matter how."

    The aspiring assistant and underclassman declared firmly, but Hal shook his head.

    "This job requires knowledge and appraisal-type magic. It''s too soon for you, Shirasaka."

    "I see... In that case, please at least allow me to make coffee for you."

    "Yeah. Thanks in advance."

    As soon as Hal finished speaking, Hazumi smiled and answered "Yes!"

    That radiant smile on its own was already enough to make him feel as though the dim lighting had brightened by 30%.

    If this pure-hearted underclassman were to pour tea for him, the soothing effect could very well increase his work efficiency to 120% or more.

    Hal nodded secretly to himself, but on the side, Hazumi''s expression turned slightly gloomy.

    "By the way, Senpai, may I ask a question?"

    "Oh sure. Why are you asking like this all of a sudden?"

    "This time, it''s about what is within my power. Senpai, I asked you last time, hoping you could make me and Minadzuki able to use the rune''s power..."

    "Well¡ªUh, that''s also too soon for you, Shirasaka."

    "B-But it''s just trying it out once like in Nee-sama''s case."

    After the battle against Pavel Galad, Hazumi had been zealously requesting Hal to entrust the rune''s power to her as well.

    Hal had declined her, citing the reason that "it was a power that must not be recklessly passed onto others."

    However, Hal felt certain in his mind. In Hazumi''s case, she would most likely be fine.

    Perhaps this underclassman also had a faint feeling that she would succeed? Hence, she was persistent in pestering him regarding the issue, contrary to her characteristic tact...

    "For better or worse, that rune''s power is far too strong. But right now, there''s no pressing need to fight, so it''s best not to mess around with it for no reason."

    In any case, Hal glossed over the issue and refused her.

    One day, he would still need to make a decision, but wouldn''t it be nice to enjoy the remaining time until then? Hal thought to himself.

    Towering next to the library, the clubs building was a conglomeration of rooms for cultural clubs.

    Inside the Literature Club on the third floor, Asya was face to face with her "teacher." Amazingly, this was the exact same moment when Haruga Haruomi and Shirasaka Hazumi were entering the underground of the library.

    "Hmph, to think that Haruga guy is getting so close to a middle school girl..."

    President M was the mysterious character who commanded more solemnity in her presence than a teacher despite being a mere high school student.

    Leading all members of the Literature Club, the UFO Research Club, the Drama Club, the Mass Media Research Club and the Science Insider Club as their president, she was the eccentric, a hundred and forty kilograms by visual estimates, and "mother."

    As a side note, she was dressed like a housewife today in a cooking apron with a white kerchief.

    "Y-Yeah. I can''t believe a pure and innocent girl with a promising future is addressing Haruomi as her ''Senpai''!"

    "It would be dangerous if that is the case. The girl could very well have fallen to Haruga''s paws."

    "Eh? But in my view, I don''t think Haruomi, a textbook case of a herbivorous personality, would have the guts to do that."

    "Fool. Once you strip off the veneer of skin, his body is a mass of lust inside. I dare guarantee you that he is surprisingly lustful to the core despite appearances."

    "Huh, lust? Is that the portal into his body!?"

    Asya instantly panicked after listening to President M''s profound warning.

    "W-What should I do at a time like this? From a humane perspective, it''d be wrong to put drawing pins in Hazumi-san''s indoor shoes, so doesn''t that mean I have to bash Haruomi''s head with a board eraser!?"

    "Hmm, the issue of having a rival is truly a tricky matter."

    "Please give me some advice on this front."

    "You have no other recourse but to spend time alone with Haruga as much as possible, right? Besides, as you are now, you don''t have a snowball''s chance in hell of winning even if you confront that Hazumi girl in a direct duel."

    "Oww!"

    After dealing the killing blow to Asya, President M added as an afterthought, "Next up, you will have to accept that course, right? The lecture on the dark techniques of love that will enable you to overtake your rivals and strike the target accurately like a sniper."

    "There''s that kind of course? Why didn''t you teach me earlier?"

    "Because you can''t even manage the basics of the basics. Even if you learned these skills at the current stage, you won''t be able to apply them flexibly. Wouldn''t they end up causing you to self-destruct instead?"

    Despite President M''s tireless lecturing, Asya smiled coolly with a "hmph."

    Asya felt touched by President M''s care and concern, but she was a girl who had fought on various battlefields all over the world after all. A trial of this level should be possible to surmount no matter what.

    "Please don''t belittle me. Compared to the month of harsh training I endured at a Nevada military camp, this sort of thing is nothing."

    "Here you go again~ Confessing that sort of depressing past... Whatever. Then I shall let you have a go."

    After sighing deeply, President M spoke up, "You are currently attending a group date. With equally balanced genders, there are a total of ten participants."

    "Okay."

    "However, among the men, only one of them can be considered outstanding. Right now, the five women are vying viciously in secret for the seat beside him. Very well, what are you going to do!?"

    "I get it. This is a simulation exercise the same as usual."

    "Indeed. However, you may not poison the other women."

    "Like hell anyone''d do that."

    Once the question''s intent was figured out, there was nothing to be afraid of.

    Asya instantly thought of the best tactical choice.

    "I will drug the male target, using a muscle relaxant to render him weak and powerless. Swiftly approaching him while he is unable to resist, I will take him outside under the pretext of looking after him. I am free to do with him as I please from that point onwards. With that, victory is all but guaranteed!"

    "Great, you fail~~ Looks like it''s still too soon for you to graduate from the basics lecture."

    "Ehhh!?"

    After school, Juujouji Orihime visited the cultural clubs building.

    Although she came to the UFO Research Club on the third floor, there was no one in the room. However, she already knew her classmate Haruga Haruomi would be absent. She had heard that he was apparently going with her cousin Hazumi somewhere to do something...

    Orihime sat down on a pipe chair in the clubroom and sighed.

    She had never experienced this type of despondency before. She found it difficult to accept no matter what.

    Just as Orihime was fully occupied, dealing with the "despondency" in her heart, the clubroom''s door opened. Dressed in a cooking apron, President M walked in.

    "Oh my, you have come. If you are looking for the famished foreign student, she already left fifteen minutes ago or so."

    "No, I did not come to find Asya-san. There is something I would like to discuss with you today... Oh, it''s not about me, but something troubling a friend of mine."

    Orihime hastily added the last explanation in an attempt to misdirect.

    As a result, President M went "hmm," exhaled through her nose, shrugged and said, "Oh I see, I see. So it is your female friend who is caught in the dilemma of a love triangle."

    "You are correct, but lately, it has actually evolved into a four-sided relationship... My friend''s cousin and the boy have gotten close."

    "...Oh?"

    "My friend thinks there is nothing wrong here, per se, but every time she hears about her cousin''s intimacy with the boy, she feels very despondent inside."

    "Despondency stemming from jealousy."

    "Y-Yes. Hence she could not help but gripe unnecessarily, yet loathe herself for behaving this way..."

    Taking this chance to vent her frustrations, Orihime did something uncharacteristic of her.

    In other words, she slumped her shoulders in dejection. Seeing that, President M said, "In that case, how about this? Doesn''t she have two choices before her? Either swallow all this ''despondency'' and stay silent or step up to defeat the enemy."

    "T-There is no enemy here!"

    "What are you talking about? Whether cousins or friends, the truth of being romantic rivals is not going to change. If you are up for it, would you like me to provide you with a lecture course? A lecture on the dark techniques of love to seize initiative from multiple rivals."

    Orihime widened her eyes upon hearing this unexpected offer.

    "D-Dark?"

    "A so-called good man or quality man refers to someone with a stable partner early on. In the vast majority of cases, those who remain single, despite what they have to offer, turn out to be poor choices."

    "S-Sorry, but I dislike your way of putting things."

    "To think you would make a ''good girl'' response so naturally... Moving on, as the saying goes, you won''t know unless you try it. Regardless whether you take my advice to heart, would you like to listen to my lectures? There are a variety to topics and settings, including the classroom, group outings, dates, the bedroom, traveling, marriage preparations, etc."

    "Uh... I appreciate your kind gesture, but no thanks."

    To be frank, Orihime was not entirely opposed to listening to the lectures for information''s sake.

    After brief contemplation, Orihime looked up with resolve and answered in no uncertain terms.

    "Whether the boy or the cousin, both of them are important to me. Although such a notion might be excessively wishful thinking... Ultimately, it would be best if everyone could get along well."

    Everyone getting along well. After speaking these words as a test, she found the despondency in her heart had eased slightly¡ª

    The surprisingly refreshing feeling compelled Orihime to nod firmly.

    "Nothing less expected from the girl who is like the sun. A rather magnanimous speech."

    Pulled back to reality, Orihime noticed that President M was gazing at her with eyes of wise resignation more than kindness, like a mother who would shrug and remark "no helping it" after listening to a child''s willful fancies.

    "But in your case, perhaps this sort of magnanimity might be the correct method. Simply by radiating light on its own, the sun is already the brightest existence."

    "S-Sorry, but I am not that amazing¡ª"

    Just as Orihime was about to express her humility, she suddenly jumped in realization and hastily corrected herself.

    "Umm, what we were just discussing is my friend, not my personal matter..."

    "Oh¡ªright right right. Indeed that is the case. However, since you, or rather, your friend is in possession of such outstanding power to begin with, yielding this level of compromise might be an appropriate arrangement."

    "Arrangement?"

    "Indeed indeed... After all, there exists an overwhelming gap in power between the few of you. All you need to do is maintain the status quo and no one else would have a chance. However, if the cousin were to go through a super awakening, perhaps it might evolve to a one-on-one duel..."

    Halfway through, President M began to mutter ambiguously to herself.

    "???"

    Unable to hear what she was saying clearly, Orihime could not help but cock her head. Even so, the conversation just now had helped lift her spirits by an unbelievable degree.

    Thanking President M while exiting the clubroom, Orihime then left the clubs building.

    For the first time in a while, she walked with springing footsteps on her way out of the school. While making her way to the school gates, she saw Asya sitting on a bench. This senior witch, who was also a slightly awkward Georgian girl, had her head lowered with contemplative expression. Muttering to herself, she was uttering bizarre things.

    "In that case, how about abducting Haruomi to imprison him in a lakeside mansion...? Using physical means to cut off his ties to society, thereby preventing Hazumi-san''s interference, perhaps this might be a good method¡ª"

    Orihime repeated President M''s earlier response.

    In other words, she shrugged helplessly while gazing at Asya with eyes of leniency.

    Then Orihime showed a faintly wry smile, approached the bench and said to her, "Asya-san, I will be heading over later to Haruga-san and Hazumi to help out with worked that was planned for today. If you are free, would you like to come along?"

    "!? Are you serious, Orihime-san?"

    After nodding at Asya, who had looked up in surprise, Orihime immediately took out her cellphone.

    This was to call Hazumi to inform her that she was going to meet up with them presently.

    Part 3

    After visiting the library''s underground level, Hal took Hazumi to ride the New Town Loop Line.

    Their aim was to make an appearance at SAURU''s branch office, Mirokudou, at Higashikomagata. Despite the shop''s appearance as a used bookstore, the manager, who also served as the organization''s contact, was frequently absent.

    But today was different. Rare as it was, Kenjou Genya was present in the shop located on the fourth floor of a mixed tenant building.

    "Hello, youngster. You arrived really soon, even though I only just texted you in the daytime."

    This was a young man who could be described as handsome without exaggeration. But for some reason, there was no "wildness" in his demeanor despite his stubble, crumpled shirt and tie, etc.

    Rather, it would be better to describe him as giving off a first impression of "carefreeness."

    Kenjou placed a small, A4-sized corrugated cardboard box on the checkout counter. This box was made of pH-neutral cardboard used for storing ancient texts. The object Haru had ordered was inside it.

    During the daytime today, Hal had received a text on his cellphone informing him of his order''s arrival.

    "Because I''m a high schooler, I''m basically free after classes."

    "Isn''t that nice? I''d like to stay cooped up in this unfrequented used bookstore every day to enjoy times of leisure as much as possible in a celebration of sloth."

    "E-Excuse me... Are you usually handling SAURU''s work outside?"

    The one who interjected with a question was the middle schooler, the youngest person present.

    Although Kenjou and Hazumi were mutually acquainted, they were not intimate at all. Since the middle schooler witch who had defended Tokyo New Town for many years was a VIP, her interactions with SAURU''s members were limited to technical consultants at most.

    However, despite her reserved and polite personality, Hazumi was also highly inquisitive and bold.

    Timidly yet clearly, she asked what she wanted to find out. Hal did not know if Kenjou was impressed with this attitude of hers, but he grinned and nodded.

    "Yeah. Within SAURU, this New Town branch of ours is relatively small in scale. Since I''m the only staff stationed permanently here, I have to go out to handle all sorts of miscellaneous tasks.... However, things seem to have started to change in this area."

    "Change? What do you mean by that, Kenjou-san?"

    Ignoring Hal''s impolite tone of voice, the part-time used bookstore manager replied, "You see, didn''t the Trans-Pacific Area''s Shootdown Ace arrive half a month ago?"

    "You mean the daughter of Greg-sensei¡ªMaster Gregory?"

    "In fact, she is still at New Town and also nonchalantly~ interfering in the organization''s affairs. Currently, she has become SAURU''s highest authority in eastern Japan. Furthermore, she is skillfully scheming to increase the New Town branch''s manpower."

    "Then what about Hiiragi-san?"

    "Hiiragi-neesan has become Miss Gregory''s direct subordinate of sorts. Oh dear, thanks to this black ship, it looks like I''ll be able to tend to the shop full-time in the future."

    "Yes, because of increased manpower..."

    "Miss Gregory apparently intends to turn New Town into Japan''s¡ªno, the entire Trans-Pacific Area''s¡ªfrontline against the dragons. These preparations are probably made in anticipation of that."

    "..."

    After receiving his goods together with the unexpected news, Hal left the shop together with Hazumi.

    Along the way to Higashikomagata Station, Hazumi''s cellphone received a call.

    "That''s a wrap for today''s work."

    "Then it''s all good. Let''s all have dinner together."

    In the end, the four of them, Hal, Orihime, Asya and Hazumi met up in front of Higashikomagata Station.

    Although the only item left on today''s itinerary was going home, due to the rare opportunity, the entire group entered a nearby family restaurant to have dinner.

    Hal had heard that Hazumi rarely ate out except when working as a witch. However, after phoning home to tell them she was accompanied by her cousin Orihime, she obtained her family''s consent to join in.

    Perhaps because such experiences were rare for her, Hazumi was smiling more radiantly than usual.

    "Fufufufu. I am overjoyed to be eating out with friends like this."

    "After this, let''s head over to my most recommended Chinese restaurant nearby. It''s a great place where you can eat authentic Cantonese cuisine imported from Hong Kong, and very few people know of it."

    "Oh, that''s the shop where they sell deep-fried scorpions."

    Just as Hal nodded and concurred with Asya''s suggestion, Hazumi widened her eyes.

    "Scorpions are edible!?"

    "They''re crunchy and taste great. Many people like to use them as snacks to go along with beer. It''s very popular."

    "A-Although it sounds a bit scary, I''m quite curious..."

    "However, that might be setting the hurdle too high for a Japanese girl who''s just trying out Cantonese cuisine. As for Juujouji, anything goes."

    "W-Why am I dismissed like that!? Haruga-kun!"

    "Because you are strong and brave, Juujouji. You look like the type who''ll eat anything."

    "Although I know that you are probably praising me, I still feel a bit indignant about being described that way..."

    Possibly due to gathering together without a purpose, the four of them chatted about inconsequential topics.

    This made Hal feel surprisingly delighted. Perhaps it was a reaction to the past half a month of thoughts occupied by dragons, runes of Ruruk Soun and the like.

    In addition, Hal could also sense that Orihime and Asya''s smiles were more cheerful than usual.

    Hal could not help but feel a bit worried due to seeing the two girls show gloomy expressions on a frequent basis lately. However, they both seemed very happy tonight.

    After that, the four of them parted ways at the station.

    Orihime and Hazumi were taking the Loop Line in the Shin-Kiba direction, so they went through the turnstiles together.

    On the other hand, Hal and Asya were headed in the opposite direction towards Kanegafuchi. Hastily, just as they were about to pass through the turnstiles, Asya pulled Hal by the sleeve of his uniform.

    "H-Haruomi, w-would you like to visit a restaurant later to see beautiful night scenery!?"

    "...We just had dinner, after all. Making me accompany you for a second meal would be asking too much."

    It looked like his childhood friend had not eaten her fill yet.

    After the cautious rejection, Asya suddenly realized something in alarm and changed her tune.

    "D-Do over, forget what I just said. How about going on an evening spin, just the two of us¡ª"

    "I''d like to read the book I bought from Kenjou-san, so give me a break tonight, okay..."

    "Do over again! Uh, right. Yeah, it''s about Rushalka. I''d like to have a proper discussion with you about her, so could you come with me?"

    In the end, Hal and Asya went to Kogetsu Academy at Ryougoku.

    Since they needed a wide area to do their "work," the school was an excellent choice. Having passed 9pm, chances of encountering anyone in school were very low as well.

    Hal and Asya climbed over a wall together and successfully sneaked into the school''s premises.

    No lights were on apart from the staff room in the school building. Hal took out a flashlight from his bag. It was a stick-shaped flashlight the size of a ballpoint pen with the advantage of taking up little space.

    Hal always carried handy tools of this sort purely due to his nature as a treasure hunter.

    Relying on the faint light, Hal and Asya reached the sports ground. Just by looking up at the night sky, the 70% waxing gibbous moon could be seen glowing faintly between the clouds.

    "Then I''ll summon her."

    Asya suddenly extended her right hand with her palm facing the ground.

    Next, the figure of a blue-white magic beast was projected on the sports ground''s white sand. The wyvern leviathan whose body measured dozens of meters long. Naturally, this was Rushalka.

    Despite some fuzziness, it was a vivid image akin to a photo taken by a camera.

    Curled into a ball, Rushalka was in deep slumber. What Asya was trying to present visually was not the blue leviathan''s physical body but her soul¡ªThe state of the serpent''s spiritual body.

    Bathed under moonlight, the ground was substituting for a screen.

    "It''s already impossible to wake her up by calling quietly. Recently, Rushalka''s mind has remained in deep sleep the whole time. In the near future, I fear she will enter eternal slumber."

    "And earlier, her state of health had improved slightly..."

    Through the infusion of dragonslaying power, Rushalka had exhibited a brief but temporary recovery.

    But after the battle against Pavel Galad, her condition had worsened again. Presumably, fighting a successor of dragonslaying power would take such a massive toll on her health, right?

    "But unlike back in early spring, we now have hope for a cure."

    "The birth ritual, right?"

    "Yes. Since Hazumi-san''s Minadzuki¡ªeven a ''serpent'' that heavily injured¡ªcould be revived, surely Rushalka can also be restored. You must lend a hand, Haruomi."

    "Sure, as long as that weird self-styled devil agrees."

    "Making her agree is your job, Haruomi."

    "Besides, the magical power needed by the ritual also needs to be secured. Since it apparently has high requirements in both quantity and concentration, it''s not a ritual that can be done at a moment''s notice."

    "...Haruomi, don''t tell me you''re reluctant to do it?"

    As expected of the childhood friend, her perceptiveness was truly sharp. Asya narrowed her eyes with suspicion.

    This was because she had sensed Haruga Haruomi''s feelings on the matter through his subtle wording and indifferent attitude. Hal shrugged and voiced his thoughts.

    "I want to do it. If Rushalka could recover successfully, that''d be very encouraging. But with that, the life in seclusion I''ve always wanted to live will become very distant..."

    "Life in seclusion¡ªAhhh, Haruomi, you still haven''t given up on that plan?"

    Asya widened her eyes in surprise.

    "You''re clearly someone in possession of a dragonslaying rune, you know? It might be a bit much coming from me, but let alone living a peaceful life in retirement, there''s a very high chance you won''t die a natural death at the end of a long life..."

    "You are so correct that it''s not even funny."

    "No helping it. This is what it means to be chosen for a hero''s destiny."

    Hearing Hal''s calm murmurings, Asya smiled faintly.

    There would be no end to it once they started worrying seriously about somber matters. Hence, since a long time ago, the two of them would deliberately make jokes out of similar issues and take the chance to engage in frivolity.

    More than likely, his childhood friend intended to do the same this time too.

    Treating it as conversational fuel was probably in consideration of maintaining Hal''s mental balance.

    "Never mind. If that''s the case, I''ll shelve this for now. After all, it''s a problem that needs to be confronted sooner or later, no matter how unwilling, besides¡ª"

    At this moment, Asya glanced at Hal as though she had something to say.

    "It looks like you''ve been pulling all-nighters lately."

    "I discovered an RPG dating back to the era of 8-bit CPUs that has been re-released on the cellphone, so playing it has been addictive. It''s the kind of game with only blocks of pixels moving around, lacking not only movies but even sound effects."

    Hal explained with a random excuse while suppressing a yawn.

    Due to having too many things to do lately, he was only getting three hours or so of sleep a day.

    "Like stripping all money and items from a newly created character then kicking him out of the party, or going to the casino to make a killing using secret skills, or amassing enough gold to overflow the bank and using it to buy the strongest equipment, or buying out all stat-raising potions, I''ve tried out many things that can''t be done in modern games."

    "A hero''s party that''s out to save the world shouldn''t be doing those kinds of things!"

    "Oh dear, that''s because there''s no hero in my party. Besides, asking this mere group of four or five to save the world is an overly ambitious quest in the first place."

    "That''s because the people who work hard seriously in these areas are the ones who become heroes."

    While chatting, Asya casually waved her hand.

    Rushalka''s figure vanished from the ground. Then Asya remained by Hal''s side as though nothing had happened. With a calm and composed expression on her face, she did not bring up topics related to "serpents" again.

    Sure enough, this ease of getting along was achievable only by the childhood friend whose fate was inexplicably entwined with his.

    There was the sense of comfort that the other party would still be able to sense one''s thoughts even without spelling everything out. A relaxing atmosphere without worry. Hal was truly grateful for all this.

    However, at this moment, an unfamiliar girl approached the chatting duo.

    A blonde Caucasian, roughly sixteen or seventeen in age. Despite the location of a school sports ground, she was in casual attire.

    She was dressed in a low-cut black one-piece dress with a loose-fitting silhouette. Her hands were clad in gloves of white lace.

    The combination of white and black gave an extremely mysterious impression.

    "Greetings, Asya. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Haruga-san."

    The girl in the dress greeted them then bowed gracefully.

    In terms of facial features, she was very pretty too. A young beauty with a slender oval face. On her delicate and beautiful face, like an antique doll''s, a gentle smile surfaced.

    A sheltered young lady, raised in an aristocratic household¡ª

    That was the kind of airs the girl exuded just by smiling. In truth, her earlier greeting was also elegant and gracious.

    "My apologies for my tardy greeting, but please listen to my explanation. Ever since arriving in Japan, I have been buried in work. I almost thought I was going to die from overwork. However, my dear friend Asya would be saying to me with a smile, ''I don''t mind at all. You''ve worked hard, Luna?'', wouldn''t you?"

    "H-Here you go again with this sort of act, even after such a long absence..."

    Asya frowned and stared at the blonde girl.

    Then in an extremely reluctant tone of voice, she said to Hal gloomily, "Let me introduce her. This is Luna Francois Gregory, a master mage under SAURU as well as being Chief Researcher of the Trans-Pacific Area. We''re acquaintances."

    "My goodness, Asya. I shan''t accept anything less than the description of friend with the word ''great'' in front of it."

    Luna Francois smiled tenderly while chiding her fellow witch.

    Part 4

    "In any case, this is my current title."

    Saying that, Luna Francois extended her business card.

    This was an official business card that Hal and Asya seldom used. On white paper, the SAURU logo was printed. Above the row of Latin alphabetic characters reading "Luna Francois Gregory" were the words "Acting Branch Chief, Kantou Branch."

    "Acting... Branch Chief?"

    "Indeed. The former branch chief expressed the intent to retire yesterday, citing family and health reasons. Consequently, I was nominated to take over the duties for now, inexperienced as I am. Fufu."

    "Hold~ it right there!"

    In front of Hal, whose face was filled with doubt, Asya retorted against the smiling Acting Branch Chief.

    "Why would you be nominated for that kind of post, Luna!? You''re clearly an outsider who just came over from America, without any connections to Japan at all!"

    "Well, that is because no one surpasses both my rank in SAURU and my level as a witch."

    "Going with that line of reasoning, I''m at the same level as you, Luna."

    "Then it is probably a matter of character¡ªOh, excuse me. I certainly do not mean to say that your character is inferior to mine, Asya. Nevertheless, there is ultimately a difference between commoners and those who are born with leadership potential..."

    "Y-You haven''t changed at all, always blowing your own horn surreptitiously."

    Luna Francois delivered her words as though with great compassion, but Asya scowled with displeasure.

    "Either way, there''s no doubt that you were acting on your own as usual, making under-the-table deals or exerting pressure to enact ploys to make your own work easier..."

    "You keep doing this, Asya, unilaterally denigrating others with such baseless judgments."

    Luna Francois lowered her eyelids mournfully.

    The side view of her melancholic face conveyed a sense of martyrdom like that of a heroine in a tragedy. Seeing her like that, Hal''s silver-haired childhood friend scoffed in defiance. So that was how things were.

    Hal nodded. He now understood the kind of relationship between them.

    Apparently, Luna Francois'' personality was diametrically opposite to that of Asya, the feral prodigy.

    "Haruga-san, I came over to speak to you as the organization''s representative¡ªas SAURU''s representative. Bluntly stated, the main agenda here is to amend your contract."

    "By contract, don''t tell me you mean my contract with SAURU?"

    Luna Francois suddenly turned the conversation over to him, stunning Hal for a moment.

    His current relationship with SAURU was very simple. Apart from obligations of secrecy, jobs were all piecewise assigned on short-term contracts. Using business organization as an analogy, it would correspond to something like a contract employee.

    "Indeed. Haruga-san, you are currently in an extremely special position, aren''t you?"

    "Well, after all, I''ve had this weird rune foisted on me..."

    "In light of that, I have prepared contract money, long-term contracts, high annual salary, preferential treatment and various other conditions to negotiate with you. Since the situation could evolve to a very complicated state, I have made arrangements in advance to silence various Japanese entities, New Town''s government agencies first and foremost. As a result, we should be able to sit down quietly to have a proper discussion."

    "Don''t tell me that you secured the branch chief title to facilitate this sort of thing?"

    "Fufufu, you are free to exercise your imagination in this regard."

    Her smile, more calm than necessary, convinced Hal of his suspicions.

    With this, Hal figured it out. He had found things unbelievable for a while now. In the roughly half a month since the battle against Galad, no one had contacted him, whether SAURU or influential people in New Town. Thanks to that, he was able to focus his full attention on handling sundry chores and spending time with Hazumi¡ªHowever, countless bargaining had likely taken place behind the scenes.

    It was probably because these matters had settled down that Luna Francois finally made her appearance.

    "Naturally, I won''t pull out a contract immediately for you to sign. Today is merely for me to deliver a brief greeting. Besides, you also have the option of treating your acquired power as an asset to enter negotiations with the anti-dragon organizations of various nations."

    "An option huh?"

    "Furthermore, through flexible application of your power, capable even of striking dragons dead, you could try setting a goal of conquering the world or some such."

    "I haven''t gotten to the point of having such notions."

    "Fufufu. In other words, you have considered everything apart from that."

    "..."

    "Well, you do have the freedom to cut off all ties and live as a hermit, after all. It is a decision that ought to be made by you. However, SAURU will do everything it can to prepare a tempting offer. This is what I came to tell you tonight."

    Winking seductively, Luna Francois delivered the above speech.

    "So she''s currently SAURU''s highest authority in the Kantou region?"

    "Someone else will probably take over soon as the new branch chief. However, developments will surely unfold such that no opposition should come to Miss Gregory''s will."

    It was the following day after the encounter with Luna Francois on Kogetsu Academy''s sports ground.

    After school, Hal had gone straight home without loitering elsewhere. Since his plan for today was reading, Hazumi was not by his side either. However, Orihime came to visit him alone when evening arrived.

    This conversation was taking place after Hal had invited his classmate, who had already changed into casual wear, into his living room.

    Incidentally, Orihime was dressed in a white blouse with a loose and frilly hem paired with light-gray pants, a simple choice of wardrobe. However, due to her natural gifts, this level of attire was beautiful enough already. This followed the same principle as how professional models could look good in clothing sold by major retailers.

    "By the way, Juujouji, why did you come to my house today?"

    "Shouldn''t you be asking this question before revealing a secret association''s latest personnel news? Whatever."

    Nonchalantly expressing her expectations for Hal''s social sense, Orihime put down a hand-carried paper bag on the table. Speaking of which, she had been holding the bag the whole time since entering the front door.

    "Here you go. If you could express exaggerated joy towards these things, I would be very pleased as the one who provided them to you."

    "Golden bean-jam wafers?"

    "Wrong. Just ordinary refreshments. My domestic helper, Granny Yamamoto, made them together with me. Roughly half-half in proportion, I guess."

    What Orihime took out from the bag were a number of tupperware containers.

    Urged by Orihime''s gaze to open them, Hal did as instructed. The contents included octopus, turnip, boiled ganmodoki, fried egg, burdock cooked kinpura style, tsukudani, pickled turnip, rice balls, etc. Overall, they were simple yet delicious dishes.

    "What I''ve brought are practically all pre-made food that can be kept, so don''t be shy and accept everything. Please, you really need to replenish your nutrients."

    "I''m quite touched, but why so suddenly...?"

    After puzzling over Orihime''s sudden gesture of care, Hal was suddenly struck by the light of inspiration.

    "Juujouji, could it be that our close proximity lately has caused you to fall for me, which is why you''re showing concern for my health with that type of maidenly airs¡ª!?"

    "D-Don''t be ridiculous! I am simply concerned for you as a friend!"

    "Darn, I knew it. What a shame."

    "..."

    "That''s odd? Did I say something wrong?"

    "No, it''s nothing. Haruga-kun, you are functioning normally as usual."

    Although Orihime looked a bit offended, she had personally insisted that Hal had gotten the wrong idea.

    Since there was no need to dwell further on this question, Hal used his fingers to pick up a piece of ganmodoki and popped it into his mouth. Juices flowed out as soon as he bit down. Richly flavored to the core, it was very delicious.

    "Mm, it''s very delicious. Thank you."

    "This type of comment from you won''t be winning any invitations to cooking shows, but I''m glad you like it. Besides, Haruga-kun, I doubt you have had chances to offer compliments like now."

    "..."

    "Listen up, even if just going through the motions, I think you should deny it at least."

    "Maybe you''re right. By the way, I''ll ask you this again. Why did you suddenly visit with refreshments?"

    "It''s because of what you said yesterday, don''t you remember? When eating that failure of a hamburg steak at the family restaurant, you whispered ''It''s been so long since I last ate proper food like this.''"

    "Now that you mention it, I really could''ve said that."

    "Let me ask a question for reference. What did you have for dinner the day before yesterday?"

    "Bread from a convenience store, it''s right over there. I opened it and ate it directly without toasting it. If memory serves me right, I ate two slices?"

    Hal was the kind of person who lost his appetite when busy.

    Recently, even at the school cafeteria, he would often order just a bowl of udon or ramen noodles. The Japanese-style hamburg steak meal set last night was "normal food" he had not eaten for quite a while.

    Meanwhile, after listening to Hal''s confession, Orihime sighed and said softly, "You are more undisciplined than I imagined..."

    "No no no. Japanese bread has cream and salt added, so it''s good enough."

    "It feels like your intake will be just right only if yours and Asya-san''s are added together and divided by three... I can''t believe you''re living on this kind of diet. Bringing refreshments over really turned out to be the right choice."

    "Sorry, it looks like I''ve worried you."

    "It''s okay. We''re friends after all. But Haruga-kun, I heard from Hazumi that you''ve been busy with this and that lately. You''re not getting much sleep at night either, right? You need to watch your health."

    "..."

    Suddenly confronted with such advice, Hal did not know how to respond. Having lived alone for such a long time, he was unused to receiving care and concern over this sort of issue.

    As though reading the troubled thoughts in his mind, Orihime casually changed the subject.

    "Lately, Haruga-kun, I''ve begun to understand the differences between you and Asya-san."

    "Differences?"

    "Yes. Asya-san is actually someone who does things without any planning, isn''t she? I don''t know if I can call it going with the flow, but it feels like she is very good at adapting to changing situations."

    "Yeah... You finally noticed?"

    During battle situations, Asya always remained calm, issuing orders decisively.

    However, if one were to ask whether she had carefully considered the big picture, the answer was actually no. Hal''s childhood friend lived on mottos such as "fights are organic" or "think about what will happen ten minutes later when those ten minutes are up." This would be rare talent for a warrior or the captain of a combat unit, but it meant she would never be strategist material.

    "What''s amazing about Asya is her ability to come up with the most suitable solution through that kind of method. I don''t know if I should call it a beast''s sixth sense? Or a genius'' intuition that no one can imitate?"

    "But I was surprised that you are someone who works diligently on prior preparation and training!"

    "Really? If possible, I want things to be easy all the way."

    Hal shrugged after listening to Orihime''s candid comment.

    He did not have the aspirations to be the kind of behind-the-scenes worker who enjoyed preparatory work in a grounded and modest manner. If possible, given Hal''s personality, he would rather be the grasshopper than the ant. However, Orihime continued unfazed.

    "I don''t know what you are doing, but no matter what, you have to pay attention to getting enough nutrition and sleep, because not just me but even Hazumi is very worried about you too."

    "..."

    "By the way, how about asking Kagutsuchi-san for help?"

    After hearing Orihime''s suggestion, Hal summoned his "magic wand" to his right hand.

    It was the magic gun of steel decorated with gold and also the personalized weapon that had shown Hal a certain dream multiple times, thereby warning him.

    "Although that is what she suggested, what do you think?"

    Hal stroked the gun''s body while concentrating.

    This was for the sake of seeking spiritual energy while guided by the magic wand¡ªGot it. A non-human presence occupying a corner of the living room. It belonged to the former queen of the dragons, a little girl who called herself the devil.

    She probably noticed Hal searching for her.

    The air began to drift and a girl dressed in a red kimono appeared in a corner of the living room.

    "Hmph. You have apparently started to engage in bizarre behavior recently."

    Her haughty manner unchanged, Hinokagutsuchi said in taunting manner, "Then I shall ask you in return, do you intend to beg for my pity?"

    "If it''s a yes or no question, then the answer is no. You''re the kind of self-styled devil that only helps out on whim without even demanding payment, right? The consequences are too frightening, so I can''t ask you for favors. However¡ª"

    Using this excellent chance, Hal probed the summoned ghost for information.

    "I''ve got something to confirm with you."

    "What is it? If it were to interest me, it is not like I could not answer you."

    "The Witch Mansion at Shin-Kiba was where I met you. I was wondering if there might be any other factors involved apart from chance?"

    "Oh...?"

    "I''ll be blunt, even though you might get the wrong idea. It seems more like¡ªan encounter by design rather than chance."

    "What an uncharacteristic comment given your personality. It also sounds like a lunatic''s delusions. Have you grown fond of believing in fated encounters?"

    "Of course not. If anything, it''s more like theoretical inevitability."

    Instead of answering, Hinokagutsuchi sneered "hmph" and disappeared.

    Hal nodded. During the moment of Hinokagutsuchi''s ambiguous response, Hal had realized the answer instead.

    "Thank you, Juujouji. It''s all thanks to you that I remembered her. I now feel slightly confident in what I''m currently doing."

    "W-What did you figure out from just now?"

    Just as Orihime was taken aback by unfolding developments...

    Her bag began to ring from an incoming call on her cellphone. She instantly took out her phone, only to see a young woman''s face displayed on the LCD screen.

    It was a photo of SAURU''s technical consultant whom Hal also recognized, Hiiragi Yukari.

    "Juujouji speaking. What''s the matter, Yukari-san?"

    ''Bad news as usual. Orihime-san, where are you right now?''

    "Haruga-kun''s home."

    ''...''

    That was how Orihime replied after setting the cellphone to speaker mode and putting it on a table.

    From other side of the call, Hiiragi-san calmed down obviously.

    ''Haruomi-kun, don''t tell me you''ve finally entered puberty and so you''re trying to get close to Orihime-san or something...? I am truly touched...''

    "Although I''ve no idea why you''re touched, can I ask a question?"

    Interrupted by Hal, Hiiragi-san answered, "Yes, go ahead."

    "Regarding SAURU''s personnel matters, Hiiragi-san, are you really going to be the next chief of the Kantou branch?"

    ''¡ª!? Where did you hear this news from!?''

    "It simply occurred to me in a moment of brilliance. I heard from Kenjou-san that you''ve been getting along with Miss Gregory lately, so I tried to fish for confirmation. I''m the one who jumped in surprise to find out my guess was correct."

    ''Well, it is just as you imagined, thanks to her connections.''

    After saying that candidly, Hiiragi-san sighed.

    ''A major increase in monthly salary is good and all, but it''s really a pain now that I can''t visit the scenes of incidents at will ever again. By the way, may I continue and finish delivering the bad news? Not long from now, a flock of Raptors will be invading Tokyo Bay. Numbers are estimated to be two hundred at least.''

    At least three digits! Hal and Orihime looked at each other. Flocks of flying Raptors attacking the earth in "dragon strikes" normally did not exceed twenty.

    "The scale is quite shocking... Why did the TPDO allow such a massive number of Raptors to approach Japanese soil?"

    Actually, Hal could already guess a certain answer. Nevertheless, he still sought confirmation on purpose.

    As expected, Hal received the answer just as he had predicted.

    ''Reasons are unknown. However, it is highly likely that some sort of magic was used by elites to interfere with reconnaissance. Involved parties all share the same opinion.''

    Next, Hiiragi-san added, ''In fact, I was just about to call Haruomi-kun too. This is a message from Miss Gregory: "If possible, could you accompany me to watch ''our friends'' in battle?"''

    Raptors numbering three digits at least, combined with foreseeable intervention from elite dragons.

    It looked like the grace period for Hal and friends was gradually heading to an end.

 Volume 3, 2 - The Girl of White Descends

    Volume 3, Chapter 2 - The Girl of White Descends

    Part 1

    There was a faint smell of burning in the air.

    Pavel Galad could detect the presence of flames mixed in the atmosphere.

    Those were no ordinary flames. Instead, this foul odor belonged to discharged flames that were stored within the bodies of dragons. Were there others of his kind lurking in these lands?

    Galad scanned his surroundings with a sharp gaze. This was a city belonging to humans, very close to the sea.

    Indeed¡ª

    Unbeknownst to Galad as a dragon, his current location was actually the residential district of Gasai in Tokyo New Town''s Edogawa Ward.

    He was currently walking along the sidewalk of a wide four-lane road.

    "Hmm..."

    The residential district was very quiet. Pedestrians and passing cars were few, without the slightest shadow that could resemble a dragon.

    However, he could not lower his guard simply because of that. Currently, he was hunted prey. Prior to becoming dragon kings, inheritors of dragonslaying power were known as "Tyrannos" and would face hostility from other dragons. Galad hope to avoid encountering fellow dragons as much as possible.

    Still, there were probably very few dragons capable of seeing through his disguise...

    Pavel Galad was originally a giant silver-white dragon, but currently, he had taken the form of a human young man.

    This was in order to hide among human settlements. He was even dressed in human shoes and clothing including a black open-collared shirt and chino pants. All this was to avoid attracting attention. Using a Hypnosis spell to put a man of similar build to sleep, he had stolen these articles of clothing. However¡ª

    "This again huh..."

    Sensing gazes from young women, Galad frowned. Although he had taken human form to avoid attracting attention, for some reason, he still remained the focus of many gazes, especially from young human women.

    ¡ªActually, the reason was exceedingly simple.

    He had transformed into a silver-haired handsome young man featuring a pale complexion with a tall and slim build.

    This appearance was not only extremely conspicuous but also particularly prone to drawing female gazes.

    Be that as it may, such a principle would not exist within the realm of a warrior dragon''s imagination. Galad spurred his feeble body to quicken his pace. Simply doing that was making him pant and his heart¡ªor rather, his heartmetal¡ªto throb painfully.

    "Has that girl noticed the power of dragonbane here...?"

    Despite passing by him, the girl continued to follow Galad''s back with her gaze.

    This harassing gaze was causing Galad''s thoughts to run wild. The Rune of the Sword residing in his right palm was precisely why other dragons were targeting him.

    Elite dragons devoted their lives to seek the power of dragonbane.

    As soon as they found out the Sword''s whereabouts, they would either kill Galad or simply take away that right hand, wouldn''t they? They would then proceed to conduct a magic ritual in an attempt to "transplant" the power of dragonbane.

    It was said that this magic was extremely difficult, with a success rate less than 40%...

    However, if he wanted to avoid that kind of fate, he really should get away from here as quickly as possible.

    "But right now, I cannot leave this city..."

    Galad gritted his teeth and stared at the western sky.

    In the distance, the streets of the Old Tokyo Concession could be seen. Most imposing of all was the triangular prism of pure black, towering at over a height of a thousand meters.

    It was the gigantic structure called a Monolith by humans and known to dragonkind as a "wedge."

    "Were this city not filled with miasma, this body of mine would not be able to walk freely or even perform magic at all..."

    At this moment, loudspeakers in the streets began a broadcast.

    ''Emergency evacuation order. Lesser dragons are invading Tokyo Bay''s airspace. All residents, please remain calm and head to your designated shelter as quickly as possible¡ª''

    "Do-ra-go-n... Their word referring to the race of dragons, I suppose."

    The female announcer''s broadcast was replayed again and again.

    A commotion began in the surroundings. Many vehicles driving on the road suddenly accelerated.

    In contrast, many people also parked their cars on the roadside and began to head to shelter on foot. They were probably worried of traffic congestion later.

    In addition, a large flood of humans surged out of houses, buildings and housing complexes in the residential district.

    Thanks to regularly held evacuation exercises, the local residents were very familiar with escape routes. The people swiftly moved in the same direction without hesitation in their footsteps.

    People of this era were already accustomed to the arrival of dragons.

    Not only did they avoid panicking pointlessly, but they also evacuated in an organized and disciplined manner instead.

    Even the children coming out of kindergartens were obediently following their teachers'' directions.

    ¡ªEntering the nearest elementary school like this, then returning to their rightful places after two or three hours when the evacuation order was lifted¡ª

    Although Galad had no idea, this was actually a common scene in lands where Raptors flew.

    While residents in the vicinity were hiding, "serpents" serving as defenders would defeat the Raptors and eliminate threats to humanity. However, this preordained outcome was eventually going to be overturned¡ª

    And in the case of these lands, that would be today.

    GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

    A Raptor roared while flying over the residential district.

    "Kyahhhhhhhh!"

    Just as a woman screamed, panic erupted within the crowd.

    The people began to scramble and run as fast as they could, scattering in all directions. Some of the slower people found themselves helpless.

    Even if people got knocked away, people fell down, people got stepped on, no one had the luxury of tending to others anymore.

    Children in kindergarten uniforms cried and wailed as teachers tried everything they could to comfort them.

    Meanwhile, the Raptor landed, ignoring the people in chaos.

    Descending on the roofs of mixed tenant buildings, it spewed blue-white flames from its mouth. Once, twice, thrice, the fire kept coming. Within a blink of the eye, the residential district had turned into a sea of flames.

    Looking down at this fiery blaze from atop the building, the Raptor called as loud as it could.

    GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

    It was thoroughly reveling in the joys of destruction. Furthermore, its heart was filled with sadistic impulses to massacre the moving organisms below.

    Tsk. Galad clicked his tongue, because he noticed that the winged lizard had also targeted him.

    Clearly fighting would be a monumental burden for this currently feeble body¡ª

    But even so, he still could not stop the smile surfacing on the corners of his lips.

    Due to persisting in a lifestyle of hiding and disguise, which did not suit his true nature, he had accumulated rage and frustration in his heart.

    Finally a battle to enjoy after so long. Galad pressed his right hand against his chest, extracting magical power from his extremely frail heartmetal. The depths of his chest ached convulsively.

    If a person were to stab an icepick into their heart, they might possibly experience the same kind of agony.

    "O Jabones, curse your misfortune of appearing before me!"

    The instant he yelled loudly, Galad extended his right palm towards the Raptor.

    The center of his palm flashed with light. The brightness formed a rune consisting of a series of three Vs¡ªthe Rune of the Sword. This dragonslaying rune was fired in the form of a beam.

    Unerringly, the Rune of the Sword pierced the winged lizard''s chest.

    This attack killed the Raptor instantly without even giving it the chance to scream. Immediately, it turned into stone, resulting in a silent statue on the roof a building.

    For dragons, their corpses turning into stone was equivalent to rigor mortis in humans after death.

    Having emerged victorious, Galad smiled but he immediately fell to his knees, unable to bear the pain in his heart.

    "However, the quantity of winged lizards seems unusual this time..."

    Despite panting heavily, Galad still whispered quietly.

    Wind was blowing from the sea''s direction. Mixed within it were flames, the abnormally intense scent of unruly Jabones. Surely, an intense battle was taking place over there.

    While feeling a sense of certainty, Galad groaned "urgh!"

    His consciousness faded away gradually. This was the price he paid for using the Rune of the Sword in the current state of his body.

    Part 2

    Hal''s home was located at Narihira Bridge in the Sumida Ward. The nearest helipad was on the Sumida River''s shore, an airfield used in the event of disasters.

    Hurrying there together with Orihime, Hal boarded the helicopter sent to pick them up.

    As a large helicopter designed for naval minesweeping, it probably belonged to the JMSDF. The space in the fuselage was meant for transporting supplies. Despite being guests, Hal and Orihime had to sit in small seats akin to auxiliary seating on buses.

    Hal and Orihime took their seats there, becoming part of the not so numerous cargo.

    Amidst the thunderous roaring of the rotors, the helicopter flew swiftly, finally reaching the destination.

    Offshore of Haneda in the Tokyo Bay¡ªThis was a stretch of ocean only ten-odd kilometers away from Haneda Airport.

    Hal looked at Orihime who was sitting beside him. During the flight so far, the novice witch had kept her eyes closed to concentrate, because she was using Astral Link magic to send her partner Akuro-Ou to the scene while controlling remotely.

    Roughly one kilometer ahead of them, the white fox-wolf was engaging in an aerial battle against dragons numbering in three digits at least.

    Furthermore, neither Hazumi nor Minadzuki were present at Haneda''s offshore waters.

    This was because they were on standby at New Town''s shore, prepared to handle Raptors at the water''s edge.

    "Juujouji, it''s almost time for you to cancel remote control."

    "Y-Yes..."

    Orihime whispered in response to Hal''s quiet reminder. Due to using Astral Link, she was in too deep of a trance.

    At this moment, the helicopter lowered its altitude and landed on the deck of a large destroyer.

    This ship class had a displacement of fifteen thousand tons. The deck was very spacious, allowing many helicopters to take off and land without issue. Waiting nearby, two JSMDF crew members rushed over.

    Since the door was already opened from outside, Hal took Orihime''s hand and jumped off the helicopter.

    Orihime slowly looked up and watched the aerial battle from the destroyers deck with a dazed look.

    "Akuro-Ou...?"

    Orihime''s partner was jumping around strongly.

    The nine-tailed fox-wolf, Akuro-Ou. Although her beautiful fur was white, it reflected red light when bathed under the sun''s rays.

    Akuro-Ou flew with agility as though swimming through the atmosphere. She was currently flying in a straight line, biting a certain Raptor''s neck firmly.

    The enemies were Raptors, commonly known as lesser dragons. They were about seven meters long in size.

    In comparison, leviathans, most notably Akuro-Ou, only approached double the size of Raptors. If the situation evolved into a one-against-many melee mess, one would reason there was no way for her to win against Raptors.

    Akuro-Ou''s large and strong jaws easily crushed the Raptors'' delicate necks.

    However, the number of Raptors was estimated to be two hundred at least. Even taking them out one at a time like this, there would not be enough time.

    Furthermore, many Raptors were ignoring Akuro-Ou, flying towards Tokyo on their own.

    In order to strike down these Raptors, fighter jet squadrons belonging to the SDF and the TPDO were flying back and forth in the sky. An interception fleet was also firing artillery from the sea surface.

    Surveying the chaotic battle offshore of Haneda, Orihime''s gaze grew sharp.

    Presumably fully recovered from her trance, she immediately yelled, "Akuro-Ou! Use fire magic to blow them all away!"

    Akuro-Ou roared in response to her covenantee''s call.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Soaring through the sky, the white fox-wolf''s entire body lit on fire, enveloped in crimson flames.

    The flames exploded directly like fireworks, scattering in all directions from Akuro-Ou to incinerate everything. This was the result of her using the pseudo-divinity of Fire.

    The shotgun blast created by Akuro-Ou rained down as sparks.

    Even if hit by merely one spark, each Raptor was immediately swallowed by exploding fire, burning like a torch while crashing down into Tokyo Bay.

    Such a spectacular display of mass extermination. However, only thirty or forty Raptors were taken out. Complete extermination was still far from achieved.

    "Haruga-kun, try letting her use the Bow''s power this time!"

    "Okay, I got it!"

    After half a month''s absence, the Rune of the Bow was going to be used again to enhance pseudo-divinity to unleash a dragonslaying blast¡ª

    Orihime and Hal exchanged nods. However, they heard a voice from behind at this moment.

    "Don''t worry. I think there''s no need to use the rune yet."

    "Asya-san!?"

    They looked back to see that Asya had arrived behind them.

    Hal''s childhood friend was dressed in her recent getup consisting of the school uniform with a military jacket on top. Asya swiftly motioned to the side with a glance. Her gaze was directed towards another witch.

    A patrol helicopter happened to be landing on the deck.

    The rotors continued to spin slowly and had yet to stop completely. Luna Francois Gregory jumped out from the fuselage nimbly.

    She landed on the deck with something like a skip.

    Noticing the gazes of Hal''s group, Luna smiled and waved lightly to them, looking calm and confident.

    Paired with that frilly black one-piece dress, she looked like an heiress out on a tour. However, that slender yet mature body of hers, brimming with feminine charm, was conveying her absolutely unshakable confidence as a master mage.

    "Orihime-san, please take a good look at how potent the powers of a master-class ''serpent'' are when in peak condition rather than on the verge of death. Although she has serious problems in personality and disposition, Luna is blessed with rare gifts as a witch."

    "She is Luna-san...?"

    Watched by Hal and the others, Luna Francois chanted a song of summoning.

    "O stars! Bring forth my magic from the far end of the rainbow!"

    A gigantic and ferocious beast gradually materialized on the destroyer''s deck.

    It was a lion ten-odd meters in length. No less impressive than Akuro-Ou in physique, she also had a beautiful mane. Her fur featured a vivid orange color.

    And on the right shoulder¡ªwas a green dragon head.

    There was even a black goat head on the left shoulder!

    In addition, the tail was in the form of a black snake. Its scythe-like neck was raised like a vigorous snake''s.

    "Is that Glinda... Miss Gregory''s ''serpent''!?"

    The Trans-Pacific Area''s Shootdown Ace, of equal renown as Blue Rushalka who used to be called Europe''s strongest.

    Hal recalled this rumor. Asya''s partner was rare and precious dual-element leviathan possessing pseudo-divinities of Water and Moon. Glinda the "Good Witch of the South" was the same.

    Her affinities were Illusion as well as¡ª

    "Glinda, exhibit your magic to everyone."

    As soon as the order was issued, the three-headed "serpent" instantly cried out with all three mouths.

    Ruooooooooooooooooooooo...

    Immediately, a magic circle appeared over the destroyer where Glinda and Hal''s group were riding. Illustrated in the center of the magic circle was the evil-exorcising pentagram adorned by complex surrounding patterns forming a circle.

    Furthermore, this magic circle was traced out with ominous black light.

    Seeing that, Asya instantly issued directions on the destroyer''s deck.

    "Orihime-san, please tell Akuro-Ou to stand down! It will be dangerous!"

    "U-Understood!"

    Hal looked up to see that all fighter jets¡ªfriendly aircraft¡ªhad vanished from the sky.

    They had already sought refuge when Akuro-Ou was invoking pseudo-divinity. This was to allow the "serpent" to unleash wide-area attacks without reservation. Furthermore, this was to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

    Similarly, the nine-tailed fox-wolf retreated away from the black magic circle''s vicinity¡ª

    "Scatter them!"

    Luna Francois immediately issued the command.

    As a result, the magic circle suddenly expanded. Furthermore, it began to expand spherically, finally turning into a gigantic sphere roughly a kilometer in diameter.

    Undoubtedly, at least a hundred Raptors became trapped inside¡ª

    "Gravity Control!"

    With a vigorous shout from Luna, the black sphere vanished without trace.

    What happened next was exceedingly simple. All the Raptors that had been trapped inside the sphere fell into Tokyo Bay. However, the winged lizards'' bodies had suffered tragic damage.

    Wings, necks, limbs, torsos, spines, tails¡ª

    Various parts of their bodies had been broken and twisted, forcibly compressed, even flattened.

    This was the damage caused by Glinda''s pseudo-divinity of Gravity.

    The lion leviathan had applied supergravity to crush these dragons to death!

    "Gravity manipulation... I had heard rumors, but this is totally absurd."

    "Rushalka and I follow the creed of elegance in battle, but Luna and Glinda rely on brute force. Yet she''s always defaming me, calling me a savage or whatever..."

    "Haruga-kun, there are lingering stragglers. Let us move out!"

    Although Hal was hesitating whether or not to launch a witty retort against Asya''s mutterings...

    Since Orihime had invited him, Hal decided to forget about making witty comebacks. There were roughly forty or fifty Raptors remaining in the air. The elite dragon controlling them should be hiding somewhere.

    To try using the Bow to snipe the hidden dragon huh?

    While calculating in his mind, Hal decided to summon his magic gun first.

    (Right now... Refrain from making a move.)

    "Huh?"

    Suddenly hearing a whisper, Hal interrupted what he was doing.

    It was a thought transmitted from Hinokagutsuchi. Why did she raise this kind of warning? While Hal was feeling doubt, an unexpected phenomenon occurred. The Rune of the Bow appeared on his right palm.

    Hal instinctively knew the dragonslaying bow was trying to tell him something.

    The weapon paired with it was nearby¡ªUnmistakably.

    (Feel free to continue if you have tired of the mundane world and wish to commit suicide. Do not summon your "wand" to provoke her pointlessly. That girl is a hundred times more belligerent than you...)

    Listening to Hinokagutsuchi''s voice, Hal looked up at the sky again.

    It was here. Golden radiance was descending from the far end of the sky. Although only a small dot was visible in the beginning, it was gradually becoming bigger.

    "W-What is that...?"

    Orihime''s whispered murmur was probably a question weighing on the minds of everyone present.

    The sky was quite clear today. The golden radiance¡ªno, a terrifying gigantic creature¡ªswept away the few clouds in the blue sky, descending upon Tokyo Bay like a meteor.

    More bluntly stated, it was a super enormous turtle a hundred meters long.

    Furthermore, the giant turtle''s massive body was enveloped in golden light. This surreal creature was descending to Tokyo Bay.

    Only mere minutes had elapsed since he had noticed the light. It was falling rather fast.

    However, as it neared the sea surface, the gigantic golden chelonian creature decelerated with astounding smoothness. Then quietly, it landed on Tokyo Bay''s surface.

    Despite its super large body, it was equipped with amazingly agile aerial mobility.

    "I-Is that a dragon too!?"

    "It''s possible. There have been past reports pointing out examples of elite dragons using magic to transform themselves into bizarre forms. However¡ª"

    "However, that size and magical strength would be a bit too extraordinary..."

    Asya replied to the inexperienced Orihime. Arriving by their side without anyone noticing, Luna Francois also interjected. The two master-class witches exchanged glances.

    "Has a dragon king of legend arrived?"

    "Red Hannibal, the Black Lightning Emperor... That term refers to the world''s strongest dragons like them."

    "Your guess is probably half wrong."

    Hal''s quiet comment made the three witches jump in fright.

    At this moment, the golden brightness had vanished. In other words, the light surrounding the bizarre chelonian creature hovering in the air. Right now, the massive body''s surface and shell looked greenish black.

    Surprisingly, the giant black turtle landed on the water surface near the destroyer.

    They were only ten meters apart. Observed from close range, the giant turtle''s visage exhibited sacred dignity befitting a humongous monster.

    In addition, a black-haired girl was standing on the giant turtle''s wide forehead.

    She was dressed in a white one-piece dress with her arms crossed in confidence, standing sternly upright with her feet apart. Her appearance was as adorable as a snow fairy with a sense of serene beauty.

    However, Hal pointed at the beautiful maiden and warned his companions.

    "According to what my rune and wand are telling me, the dragon king seems to be there¡ªIt''s that girl."

    The surviving Raptors howled shrilly in the air.

    Terrified by the arrival of a sovereign standing at the pinnacle of their race, they were flying aimlessly all over the place in disarray.

    "That insanely huge turtle is her minion... It''s just a flunkie..."

    Part 3

    "You''re saying that''s a dragon king¡ªBut she looks human in appearance!?"

    As though speaking on everyone''s behalf, Asya yelled out the biggest question.

    But before Hal could prepare an answer, the girl standing on her minion''s forehead took action. She shot a stern gaze at the noisy Raptors in the sky.

    "These winged lizards are making such a racket..."

    The young beauty parted his lips lightly and remarked quietly in displeasure. Then she shouted acutely.

    "I have no idea who your owner is, but get lost. Disappear from Yukikaze''s sight!"

    The girl''s intimidating effect was very shocking.

    With one shout from her, the dozens of Raptors flew away, scattering like monkeys from a fallen tree, escaping as fast as they could in different directions.

    "...Asya, did you feel that? All she did was give a shout¡ª"

    "...Yeah. The magical power controlling the Raptors has vanished completely."

    Witnessing the scene, Asya and Luna Francois whispered quietly in each other''s ear.

    They no longer brought up any comments that could be construed as doubting the title of the dragon king. As expected of master magi, without relying on theory, they were able to clearly discern the absurdity of the girl called Yukikaze.

    At the same time, Orihime murmured in shock.

    "Eh, Haruga-kun, that girl... Doesn''t she resemble Kagutsuchi-san a little?"

    "Yeah, rather than appearance, it''s the impression she gives off. After all, they''re both queens..."

    Recalling his dream of the battle between red and white dragon kings, Hal replied.

    In his dream, the white dragon was called "Princess Yukikaze." And right now, the black-haired beauty standing there had also invoked the name of Yukikaze. Both presumably referred to the same being, although they did not resemble each other in face or figure at all¡ª

    Meanwhile, Princess Yukikaze looked at the sky, cleared of Raptors, nodding in satisfaction.

    Her face seemed to read "scared ya, right?", making this dragon king of a girl seem especially childish. This was completely the opposite of Hinokagutsuchi who looked like a young girl but did not act like a child at all.

    "Very well, it''s the owner''s turn next."

    Princess Yukikaze shot a glance at Tokyo Bay''s sea surface.

    "I won''t repeat myself. Come out if you intend to kneel and prostrate yourself before me."

    ''Since Your Highness has commanded as one of the Gildar, I am in no position to refuse.'' fuse.'' fuse.''

    Emerging from the sea was a monster with a strange voice and appearance.

    It definitely had the size and figure of an elite dragon''s, but there was nothing more than bones. No skin, no flesh, no dragon scales either. It was merely a dragon skeleton.

    And the voice coming from his mouth seemed like it was echoing from the depths of the earth.

    ''The winged lizards earlier were undoubtedly this old man''s minions. Regarding their transgressions, I offer Your Highness my deepest apologies.'' gies.'' gies.''

    This old man¡ªHal realized the meaning of these words.

    The majority of the body had decayed, leaving only white bones. But even so, this old dragon must have lived for a long time.

    Furthermore, Hal discovered that parts of the body were not made of white bones.

    Namely, the wings on the back. The only part made of steel, a pair of steel wings.

    (Perhaps some kind of magic was used to extend life. The strangeness of that voice is probably a side effect of the magic.)

    (Is it possible to use Necromancy magic to reanimate a long dead dragon? I shall bet 100 USD on this possibility.)

    (As expected of you, Luna, a lowly and vulgar idea.)

    (B-But it''s just bones. Indeed, it''s very similar to zombies rising out of coffins...)

    Looking horrified, Orihime joined in the conversation between the two master-class witches.

    During this time, Princess Yukikaze announced sonorously.

    "Elder, Yukikaze shall proceed to annex these islands¡ªthe country of Japan. If you happen to share the same objective, please make your choice between dying or escaping."

    ''In that case, I choose a third option¡ªsubservience under you.'' you.'' you.''

    "Oh? Do you mean to become my lapdog?

    ''Precisely. The prey we seek exists only in this land.'' land.'' land.''

    Confronted with Princess Yukikaze who had nonchalantly declared her intention to invade Japan, the old dragon skeleton expressed his wish to serve under her.

    Hence, the princess snorted "hmph" in mockery and murmured haughtily.

    "The silver dragon who inherited the sword rune? He is apparently hiding in that city."

    ''You are most correct.'' rect.'' rect.''

    The silver dragon who inherited the sword. Hal, Orihime and Asya exchanged glances.

    That meant Pavel Galad. Was he still alive!?

    ''Although he seems to have barely survived, this Tyrannos is most likely in no state to move around freely. He would become weak and powerless as soon as he transferred to land where miasma is low in concentration, rendered so destitute that even the crudest of magic will be beyond him¡ª'' '' ''

    "Well, I suppose you might be correct."

    Listening to the princess express agreement haughtily. Hal remembered.

    Hinokagutsuchi had said something about this before. The Old Tokyo Concession''s Monolith was gradually maturing, causing magical power in its vicinity to activate smoothly¡ª

    And right now, Galad was so weak that he had no choice but to remain in such a land.

    "He did survive a massive explosion after all..."

    Ignoring Hal, who was muttering to himself, the old dragon that was all bones proceeded to plead.

    ''Using some unknown means, he is hiding on the ground like a rat. The winged lizards and I are willing to take on the task of rat hunting on your behalf, Your Highness.'' ness.'' ness.''

    "Yes, I do feel that it would be quite a chore."

    Princess Yukikaze chuckled and smiled with a fifteen-year-old beauty''s face.

    However, that smile would be better described as beautiful rather than adorable, belonging more to a warrior than a young girl. At this moment, Hal jumped in surprise.

    The princess who had confidently faced off with royal dignity against the old dragon¡ª

    For that instant, he could see her figure superimposed with the solemn and awe-inspiring appearance of the white dragon king.

    "Very well, I approve your offer. You will complete your mission as my army''s vanguard."

    ''Your consent is much appreciated. I, Ra Exhos, shall fulfill my duty.'' ty.'' ty.''

    "So, Elder Exhos, once you have successfully taken care of the sword''s successor¡ªDo you intend to become the new wielder of the sword?"

    The princess laughed mischievously while testing him. The old dragon immediately answered.

    ''Well, it is said that transplanting the power of dragonbane is very difficult... But if that were to proceed smoothly¡ªIt might not be a bad development.'' ment.'' ment.''

    "Oh?"

    ''If that time should come to pass, please permit my act of betrayal.'' yal.'' yal.''

    "Ha! Excellent, I permit it. Do your best to become the next Tyrannos. It would be a different kind of fun to crush this skinny body of yours that only has bones remaining!"

    After listening to the old dragon, Exhos, request politely for permission to rebel, the princess agreed with laughter.

    This dialogue between non-humans were truly exemplary of a warrior race''s culture. Just as Hal was frowning at this conversation that he could not empathize with at all, Princess Yukikaze looked up without warning.

    "Next... Thank you for waiting, humans."

    Princess Yukikaze puffed out her flat chest proudly and slowly swept her gaze across her surroundings in a circle.

    What entered her view was probably the assortment of military forces gathered on this sea on the human side.

    Closest to her was the ship carrying Hal''s group. In addition, there were almost twenty escort vessels and roughly ten squadrons of fighter jets from bases at Kisarazu, Yokota, Iou Island and others. Then there were the "serpents," Akuro-Ou and Glinda the Good Witch of the South¡ª

    "Dragon king, Princess Yukikaze, will speak to you directly. Listen carefully."

    Despite her solemn tone as a dragon king, her voice was definitely not loud.

    But even though that was clearly the case, her magically infused voice easily reached the ears of Hal and the others. Assuredly, it also reached the interior of the ships and fighter jets.

    Because her intended audience consisted of all the humans gathered upon this sea.

    "The country of Japan where you reside... The nation of the eastern sun shall become Yukikaze''s territory before long. Comprehend my intent without fail and convey it clearly to the rest of the people."

    Pavel Galad had made a similar declaration last time. However, the princess'' decree was even more casual and open¡ªIn other words, it was filled with confidence.

    Unmistakably. She was quite used to this sort of thing.

    "First of all, I shall take over the area of the city around the towering black wedge."

    Black wedge. That was probably a reference to the Monolith standing in the Old Tokyo Concession.

    Hinokagutsuchi had also called it a ''wedge.'' Hal remembered.

    "I might arbitrarily order things differently, but please indulge me on this aspect. Because I, Princess Yukikaze, easily change my mind. Besides, the great general capable of accomplishing this feat of conquest is unquestionably me. And just now, I already decided to send that elder to that land as my vanguard."

    The princess casually announced as though she had already conquered Japan.

    Her beautiful face, brimming with confidence, was not only filled with ambition but also conveyed a vague hint of childishness. Hal believed it was part of her unique charm.

    "Also, I must inform you all. My direct vassal, Genbu-Ou, will be standing by here."

    GOAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH...

    Carrying Princess Yukikaze on its forehead, the gigantic chelonian creature gave a low growl. Although the sound was not fervent enough to call roar, it spread far and wide like the rumbling of the ground.

    This giant black turtle, a hundred meters long, was precisely "Genbu-Ou."

    "Thus concludes Yukikaze''s declaration. Should there be any objections, express them directly with a show of force instead of wasting words. Feeble rebellions have no value to speak of, this is a dragon king''s way of conducting business. Even I, Yukikaze, am no exception!"

    Having finished what she wanted to say, Princess Yukikaze suddenly swung her right arm.

    As a result, a streamlined white board flew over from the far end of the sky with speed too fast to capture with the eye. This object greatly resembled the surfboards of the human realm.

    The princess took a mighty leap and jumped off the forehead of the Genbu-Ou the giant turtle.

    Then before she fell straight into the sea, she landed safely on the incoming surfboard-like object.

    The instant he saw that streamlined white object, the Rune of the Bow in Hal''s right palm heated up. The magic gun residing inside told him it was also a magic wand.

    In addition, that unidentified flying object was also part of the "dragonslaying arrow."

    "See you later. Do not forget the name of Yukikaze. It is the name of the lord you will all eventually serve!"

    Riding the streamlined white object, Princess Yukikaze asserted loudly and flew away.

    She was rising straight as though aiming for the far end of the clouds. However, just before the princess disappeared from sight, Hal experienced bone-chilling terror.

    This was because for one brief instant, he felt as though Princess Yukikaze had glanced at him.

    Before he could shake off that sense of terror, someone spoke up.

    ''Next it is my turn to speak. The region the White Princess expressed her wish to occupy is the city you call "Tokyo," is that correct?'' rect?'' rect?''

    Despite being a member of dragonkind, the old dragon, Ra Exhos, had used a Japanese geographic name.

    Princess Yukikaze had done the same. Among dragonkind, there existed dragons who were well-versed in the state of affairs on the human side.

    ''In order to hunt down my compatriot hiding in that place¡ªnamely, the holder of the Rune of the Sword, I shall swiftly occupy "Tokyo." It is my wish that you remain silent and cooperate obediently with non-resistance. This is fait accompli.'' pli.'' pli.''

    The old dragon even proceeded to make such a demand.

    While Hal and the others were confronting the "dragon king faction" offshore of Haneda...

    Shirasaka Hazumi was present at Shin-Kiba''s region of reclaimed land. Her purpose there was interception and defense.

    Considering the scale of the enemy invasion as well as the battle''s location offshore of Haneda, the Raptors were guaranteed to show up here, trying to break through.

    In order to strike them down at the water''s edge as much as possible, she was on standby at the reclaimed land by the sea.

    For the same reason, the ground, maritime and air forces of the SDF had mobilized with urgency from various bases of the Kantou region¡ªKisarazu, Matsudo, Narashino, Oomiya, Asaka, Nerima, Shinakawa, Yokosuka, Yokota, etc to form a defensive line. However, Hazumi''s partner still stood out in terms of combat power.

    Naturally, Hazumi and Minadzuki were obliged to take center stage.

    "But in terms of operation, this is as simple as ''an easy job of pushing a button.'' Feel free to relax, okay?"

    "I-I don''t think I can do that..."

    Receiving her at the scene, Kenjou Genya spoke nonsense, putting Hazumi in fluster.

    This joke in poor taste was typical of SAURU staff.

    In any case, surrounded by Kenjou and tactical units sent by the Metropolitan Police Department as support, Hazumi summoned the reborn Minadzuki from a pier with excellent visibility.

    Then news of the dragons'' arrival finally reached them.

    Straight away, she clumsily invoked Enemy Detection and Spatial Perception, which were magic spells for locating enemies afar and obtaining a top-down view of the situation like a map. Then she sent Minadzuki to places where Raptors were already invading, engaging in remote-controlled battles with single-minded focus.

    Whether Hazumi or the reborn Minadzuki, neither were the same as before.

    No longer having trouble, even when fighting multiple Raptors, they kept winning in place after place.

    Just as Kenjou had said, these battles were definitely quite "easy."

    Rather, it was the use of magic that proved more taxing. Once the fighting came to a close, Hazumi was already about to collapse from exhaustion.

    This was the price paid for having Minadzuki fight successively in coastal areas of Tokyo New Town, Kanagawa and Chiba.

    Still, she was not drained to the point of needing an intravenous drip. Although this was one area she had shown growth compared to before¡ª

    Hazumi lay down weakly, not making a sound.

    Kenjou borrowed a patrol car from the MPD then put down the front passenger seat for her to lie down.

    "If I could do even better, it would decrease the damage slightly..."

    Wherever she had sent Minadzuki, she would witness devastated urban areas.

    Damage was unavoidable once Raptors invaded. This could not be helped.

    Besides, even if that rune had been at her disposal, today''s outcome probably would not change. The reason why long-distance combat drained her so much was because her strength as a witch was insufficient...

    Hazumi was well aware that this could not be helped. But even so¡ª

    The moment she sighed, Hazumi suddenly felt a leviathan''s protection deployed in her surroundings. This was magic for repelling evil.

    "W-What''s wrong? Minadzuki..."

    Her "serpent" partner seemed to be worrying about her. Hazumi jumped in surprise.

    The same had happened before when an elite dragon attacked. Was it happening again? Forcing her feeble body to move, she desperately got up and left the police car.

    "E-Everyone! Please be careful, the dragons are planning to launch wide-scale magic! Minadzuki, don''t focus on me alone, you have to protect everyone¡ª!"

    Gathered at the reclaimed land of Shin-Kiba were people including the MPD''s tactical units and Kenjou.

    Wanting to protect them, Hazumi tried as hard as she could to summon her partner who had dematerialized.

    However, her entire body was limp and could not exert any strength. She was showing signs similar to anemia. Suffering from such a severe case of exhaustion, it was impossible to materialize her "serpent."

    Massive magical power was surging forth from the sea¡ªthe other side of Tokyo Bay!

    Feeling this presence, Hazumi began to shiver all over.

    Meanwhile offshore of Haneda¡ª

    ''O runes of Ruruk Soun! Lend me the power to accomplish the mystic rite!''

    The old dragon, Exhos, spread his steel wings and flew into the air.

    His skull''s gaze was directed towards Tokyo. In addition, almost thirty runes of Ruruk Soun had manifested as though to encircle his body.

    Was he planning to cast some kind of big spell on Tokyo¡ª!?

    "Glinda, stop him from casting!"

    As Luna Francois gave the order, Glinda kicked off forcefully from the escort ship''s deck.

    Despite possessing heads of a dragon and a goat, she jumped with feline agility like a lion. Then she started to fly towards Exhos in the air, accelerating all at once.

    "We''ll move out too! Please, Juujouji, hurry and call Akuro-Ou!"

    "Yes! Leave it to me, Haruga-kun!"

    Hal swiftly summoned his magic gun while calling to his companion.

    Orihime responded immediately in return, ordering Akuro-Ou, who was on standby in the air afar, to fly in pursuit of Glinda. They intended to use the Rune of the Bow to blast the old dragon.

    But at this moment, the escort ship began to shake violently.

    This was because the nearby giant turtle minion, Genbu-Ou, had crashed over lightly.

    "Kyah!?"

    Orihime screamed loudly and fell over.

    Hal, Asya, Luna Francois and all member of the crew on deck were met with the same fate. Even the helicopter fuselages were shaking intensely.

    Using its body to collide, Genbu-Ou was a hundred meters in length.

    The ship carrying Hal and company was two hundred meters long. In terms of size, the ship held an overwhelming upper hand.

    However, there was no way for a ship to wrestle with this kind of giant monster. Although the gatling cannons on the ship''s aft were already firing continuously, Genbu-Ou remained unshaken regardless how much gunfire it was under.

    Furthermore, the giant turtle was emitting terrifying growls from its mouth.

    GOAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATH!

    Immediately, four runes of Ruruk Soun, signifying "shield," suddenly appeared in the air, blocking Glinda and Akuro-Ou''s path in flight.

    The two "serpents" collided violently with these runes and were immediately deflected, crashing towards the sea.

    "I can''t believe this guy can even use the runes of Ruruk Soun!"

    Despite his surprise Hal still raised his magic gun and fired in triple-burst mode. Three consecutive shots. However, the moment the bullets struck, Genbu-Ou''s entire body shone with golden luster, giving off sacred light.

    Hence, the three dragonslaying bullets were all deflected by the light.

    "Don''t tell me this is the Arrow''s power of dragonbane!?"

    At this moment, the old dragon in the air completed his mysterious ritual of Ruruk Soun.

    The almost thirty runes summoned by Exhos flew inland with astounding speed. This was Shinonome and Ariake¡ªthe direction of Tokyo New Town and the Old Tokyo Concession.

    Then in the following instant...

    From the sea surface in the distance, Hal and company witnessed an unprecedented scene.

    Thick white mist shrouded New and Old Tokyo with horrifying speed, covering the entire land within the blink of an eye¡ª

    Part 4

    Her full name was Mutou Natsumi.

    Haruga Haruomi aka Hal called her "Mutou-san." She was Hal''s classmate and fellow club member. Another classmate, addressed similarly as "Funaki-san," had a full name of Funaki Kyouka, actually.

    What these two girls shared in common was their school, year level and homeroom.

    In fact, they also lived near each other. Both of them were residents of Gasai in the Edogawa Ward.

    However, their homes were separated by a fair distance. Even so, the two of them would often run into each other at the station or on the streets. Like this chance encounter while all residents were heading to the local designated shelter or some such would be very likely to happen.

    "Dear me, isn''t this Funaki-san? What a coincidence."

    "Oh my, this must be what they call destined neighbors."

    The short-haired girl with the outgoing personality, Mutou-san, greeted "Hi," prompting the twintailed girl who always greeted everyone cheerfully, Funaki-san, to respond with a smile.

    This encounter was taking place in an elementary school''s gym that served as the local designated shelter.

    Serendipitously finding an acquaintance nearby due to a crowd of over a thousand gathered in one place, this was probably thanks to luck and living in the same area. Contributing factors probably included the fact that it was after 6pm when it would not be unusual for students to have returned home, right?

    "The dragons are probably nearing Kantou by now, right?"

    Despite being in the middle of an evacuation, Funaki-san spoke with an extraordinarily laid back air.

    The Kantou region had been protected by the "emerald serpent" for many years. There were also many SDF bases nearby. Even if lesser dragons attacked, it had been a long while since the last time it evolved into a major tragedy. Consequently, the residents were not very tense.

    But as an informed member of the UFO Research Club, Mutou-san shook her head.

    "Hmm... Since they issued an evacuation order like this, I''m thinking that Tokyo Bay has already been breached. Rather than nearing Kantou, it''s probably better to say that they''re nearing Tokyo."

    "Uh, how near is this ''near'' you''re talking about!?"

    "I fear they might have reached Shin-Kiba or the Ariake area."

    However, Mutou-san was not god.

    She did not know that the dragons had not only breached Tokyo Bay but also reached the interior of New Town. Instead, she was just joking around to scare her classmate. Probably due to suddenly getting scared, Funaki-san''s eyes began to well up with tears.

    At this moment, a stretcher was lifted into the gym, startling the two girls.

    "M-Mutou-san, he''s so handsome! That guy is so handsome!"

    "Uh, that''s what surprised you? But yeah, that''s definitely surprising too."

    Funaki-san pointed at the young man lying on the stretcher.

    A handsome silver-haired man. The deep-set features and pale complexion of his face were clearly not Japanese. Furthermore, his build was tall and slim.

    It was unknown whether he was injured or not, but a pained expression surfaced on his face. His consciousness also seemed hazy.

    Carrying the stretcher were not paramedics but two ordinary men. They were tirelessly speaking to people nearby, looking quite helpless.

    ¡ªI heard that Gasai has been attacked by dragons. Yeah, this guy apparently got hurt there and so was sent here for treatment. Can someone have a look at him¡ª?

    After listening to the situation, nearby adults all gathered around a middle-aged man.

    Mutou-san originally wanted to follow the crowd but gave up because there were too many people. Instead, she approached the stretcher that was placed on the gym''s floor.

    Funaki-san had already gone over there. Worriedly, she stared at the handsome silver-haired man.

    "I-Is he hurting somewhere? But at a glance, I don''t see any bleeding..."

    "Well, it could be a fracture, internal damage, concussion or a pre-existing disease. Hmm, then all we can do is ask around to see if there''s a doctor¡ª"

    The classmate was right, the young man definitely showed no external injuries.

    Although Mutou-san herself was quite flustered herself, she still tried to handle the urgent situation. However, she noticed the young man was muttering something.

    "Urgh... Although I know not where you came from, Zizou¡ªDon''t expect things to go your way...!"

    After listening to this bizarre statement, Mutou-san went "eh?" in puzzlement.

    At this moment, the young man pressed his right palm over his heart, causing a "bzzzt!" sound to emit from his body. Next to him, Mutou-san and Funaki-san trembled slightly, feeling as though their entire body had been electrified.

    "W-Was that static electricity just now...?"

    Just as Funaki-san cocked her head in doubt, a bizarre phenomenon happened, far beyond the realm of mysterious static electricity.

    People around them suddenly collapsed one after another. And not just a few or a couple dozen. All the people in the gym, hundreds of them¡ª

    "W-What''s with everyone...?"

    The sudden calamity caused Mutou-san to jump in surprise from the bottom of her heart.

    But even so, she still approached the nearest old man and pressed her hand against his neck.

    "So cold!?"

    Mutou-san could not help but feel shocked because the old man''s skin felt icy cold.

    She hastily checked the pulse on his wrist and brought her ear against his lips¡ªOnly then did she breathe a sigh of relief. Although it was frighteningly weak, the pulse was beating at least. There was also slight breathing.

    "B-But at this rate, it''s still bad. Are you okay!?"

    Mutou-san tried to shake the old man by the shoulders. He did not wake up.

    She also tried to pat his cheeks lightly. Still did not wake up. She then tried to shake him even harder. The man showed no signs of waking up at all.

    With inexplicable unease surging in her heart, Mutou-san slowly looked around her in the gym.

    Not everyone had fainted. Funaki-san was fine. Although the handsome young man was still tormented by unknown pain, his eyes still glinted with the light of consciousness.

    There were six or seven more people like Mutou-san who were surprised by the sudden calamity¡ª

    Apart from that, everyone else had collapsed. Mutou-san''s family, who had come to take shelter with her, had all fallen unconscious. Out of roughly a thousand people, to think that no more than ten remained fine...

    "I-I will look outside!"

    "Mutou-san!?''

    Ignoring Funaki-san''s call, Mutou-san ran out of the gym without looking back.

    It was already night outside. Furthermore, white mist was hanging in the air. The mist was frighteningly dense, limiting visibility beyond five meters.

    However, she stared intently amidst this vision-obscuring mist.

    The hundreds of people over on the sports ground had all collapsed, rendered unconscious.

    Mutou-san tried to wake several of them, but the result was the same as before. No one woke up.

    "What on earth is going on...?"

    Although well-informed, Mutou-san was not an expert in handling dragons.

    Shocked and helpless, there was no way for her to reach the conclusion that "an elite''s high-level magic" was responsible.

    "Senpai, Nee-sama, Asya-san! Are you all okay!?"

    "Although it''s not quite correct to say we almost lost our lives, we survived at least..."

    "Seeing you in good health too, Hazumi, I can finally stop worrying."

    After meeting up with the unharmed Hazumi, Hal and Orihime remarked respectively.

    Getting off the large escort ship that had arrived at the Shin-Kiba pier, the group immediately made their way to the reclaimed land.

    Whether the harbor or this place, thick white mist was hanging everywhere. Dozens of policemen in tactical unit uniforms were collapsed on the ground in deep slumber.

    "Because Minadzuki protected me... But Kenjou-san and the police¡ª"

    Hazumi tearfully reported to her cousin.

    "I failed to protect everyone properly..."

    "This can''t be helped. Even if Luna and I were here, we probably wouldn''t have been able to do anything."

    Asya patted her junior on the shoulder to comfort her.

    The runes of Ruruk Soun released by the old dragon, Exhos, had summoned thick white mist.

    Almost all humans within range of the dense mist would fall into an unconscious state.

    The MPD tactical teams and Kenjou stationed here to support Hazumi and Minadzuki had mostly fallen victim, rendered unconscious. Currently, the ones giving them aid were members of the JMSDF and JASDF who had entered port together with Hal''s group.

    Shin-Kiba''s reclaimed land suddenly became noisy.

    Meanwhile, Luna Francois said with a laid back expression, "It seems that the area swallowed by this dense mist is almost fully investigated."

    She announced while confirming on her cellphone. Telephone lines were still operating normally, hence it was possible to contact the outside world and aggregate information.

    In particular, as the Shootdown Ace, Luna had no ordinary relationship with the TPDO.

    Added to that was her position as a cadre of SAURU. She ought to have powerful information gathering abilities at her disposal.

    "From what I hear, it practically covers the entire Old Tokyo Concession, all of Tokyo New Town except for the all areas north of the Arakawa in the Adachi Ward, as well as parts of Ichikawa City and Urayasu City in Chiba Prefecture. Since I am not familiar with the geographic layout here, I don''t know the scope of the white mist''s effects at all."

    "Oh my, in other words, it''s quite far reaching."

    "In addition, the majority of humans under its effects are ''frozen.''"

    "Frozen, you say?"

    "Yes. Complete loss of consciousness, extremely weak vital signs, a state of suspended animation akin to cold sleep. That is why I used the word frozen. By the way, not just humans but even cats, dogs, birds, cattle, horses, reptiles and fish have ostensibly fallen victim too."

    "I see. Magic to force living organisms into suspended animation huh..."

    "But it seems that a number of people were fortunately spared¡ªThey were not attacked by the magic."

    "Isn''t Tokyo New Town''s population roughly seven hundred thousand?"

    After listening to the information provided by Luna Francois, Asya murmured.

    Tokyo''s population had decreased substantially from over ten million in the past.

    "I suppose it is because the magic is cast over an extremely wide area upon nonspecific targets? This follows the same principle as how there are always people who escape infection no matter how virulent a disease."

    "T-Then how many people are unaffected!?"

    "The precise number is obviously unknown but from what I hear, it doesn''t seem to exceed 20%."

    After replying readily to Hazumi, whose face was filled with worry, Luna continued.

    "We will be of little help even if we were to stay here. Why not head over to where information is pooled? Oh dear? What is that place called, Harry? This city''s police headquarters."

    "Are you perhaps referring to the MPD at Kanegafuchi?"

    "Yes, that one. True to the name of Harry, your reply truly hit the spot."

    Incidentally, the vicinity of Kanegafuchi had been redeveloped into modernized commercial and office zones.

    This district, rich in the trappings of Shitamachi, the low-lying and traditional part of Tokyo, from the previous century was no more, transformed into an urban space similar to Shinjuku Fukutoshin in the past.

    Hal shrugged and asked Luna Francois.

    "Let me ask about something else. Is that totally sudden nickname actually referring to me?"

    "Of course. Haruga Haruomi shortens to Harry. Don''t you like it?"

    "As long as it doesn''t pop up without warning like just now. By the way, that nickname reminds me of a certain wizard who rose to prominence thanks to the clout of a father with strong asshole tendencies. That feels a bit annoying."

    "Ah yes, Mr. Potter''s son is a bit garbage, isn''t he? But please rest assured."

    Luna smiled tenderly.

    "The Harry I am picturing is the dirty one."

    "Although that guy isn''t garbage, he''s a sorry excuse of a human being with serious behavioral issues, right?"

    "Who cares? I didn''t have an easy time coming up with that one."

    "As expected of you, Luna. How frivolous can you get? I can''t believe you''re still cracking these jokes in this emergency situation..."

    "However, Asya, I saw it. Fifteen minutes prior, you were hiding away, wolfing down seven cans of beef stroganoff taken from military rations."

    "W-When did you uncover a maiden''s secret¡ª!?"

    "Fufufufu. Know that walls have ears?"

    "Umm, I understand that despite acting like this, all of you are actually thinking seriously about many matters¡ªBecause I believe that, I don''t mind at all."

    After listening to the conversation between Hal and the senior witches, Orihime sighed lightly.

    At the same time, she hugged Hazumi who clearly had no idea how to react towards her elders'' frivolous behavior.

    "But I do hope you could stop saying things in front of Hazumi that could be a bad influence..."

    "Don''t worry. The current situation could be considered fortunate, actually, almost enough to hold a celebration party. After all, in a situation where an elite has cast high-level magic, the victims are merely sleeping as result. Instantly massacring all residents would be the worst-case scenario."

    This comment, extreme yet to the point, was very much in the style of a master-class witch with serious personality flaws.

    However, Luna Francois spoke softly with a pensive expression.

    "The elite probably wanted to enchant the entire area of New Town and Old Tokyo, hence the level of the magic had to be decreased. Thus what resulted was not a death curse but something half-baked like cold sleep."

    As one would expect, Luna Francois was evidently a very capable person.

    No wonder Hal''s childhood friend called her a "villain." In that case, communicating with her was easy. Hal spoke up.

    "Can I make a request? I think the next course of action is to start assessing the damage or deploy rescue operations¡ªBut my hope is that first priority is given to searching and protecting Juujouji and Shirasaka''s family."

    "Understood. Leave it to me."

    Luna replied very readily without even asking for reasons.

    Listening to the above conversation, Hazumi panicked instead.

    "N-No, we can''t be the only ones to receive preferential treatment."

    "You are so honest. But don''t worry, this level of privilege is nothing special."

    "Fair... enough. We will accept their kind gesture, Hazumi."

    "N-Nee-sama!?"

    "We are not like Asya-san and Luna-san, capable of staying calm at all times. Since worrying about family will divert our attention, we should make use of privilege to eliminate uncertain factors."

    Concern for family versus sense of public duty. Justice versus responsibility.

    Orihime weighed all of this then declared firmly. To think that she could display such open-minded mental strength, sure enough, she was no ordinary character.

    Seeing his companion was so reliable, even Hal nodded at Hazumi himself.

    The law-abiding junior fell silent, lost in thought. Finally, she nodded vigorously in agreement.

    "Hazumi-san, as witches risking your lives, this sort of trivial thing is part and parcel of your rightful privileges. No need to let this weigh on your mind. By the way, there is something slightly problematic about what Orihime-san said just now..."

    "Eh? Did I say something wrong?"

    Confronted with her puzzled junior witch, Asya began to complain.

    "Basically, lumping me together with Luna. Compared to Luna''s villainous heart and evil, even the four devas of Buddhism become insignificant characters, let alone someone like me? I am just a frail and gentle girl. That''s why¡ª"

    "U-Umm, Haruga-kun, what do you think...?"

    "Don''t ask for my opinion. Go ahead and speak your mind."

    "I-In that case, I still think that my impressions of Asya-san and Luna-san are locked in close race."

    "Haruomi! Please stop giving advice that could fracture friendship between girls!"

    Just as they were chatting intensely, Hazumi suddenly pointed at the sky.

    "E-Everyone look¡ª!"

    A blue Raptor was soaring through heavy mist in the night sky.

    Raptors were normally the color of steel. However, the surface of this Raptor''s body was coated with quite a striking color, resembling a brilliant sapphire.

    After observing the ground''s situation with its head down, the blue Raptor flew away.

    "In other words, Tokyo has been occupied by the dragons..."

    Hal recalled the final scene that had taken place at sea.

    This had happened not long after white mist appeared at New and Old Tokyo¡ª

    ''Confirm with your own eyes what mysterious phenomena the mist will cause. What I wish to tell your ape-like race is actually very simple.'' ple.'' ple.''

    The old dragon, Exhos, had returned to the side of the escort ship carrying Hal and the others.

    Hovering motionlessly in the air with his steel wings spread out, he said, ''No one may leave this "Tokyo" that is sealed by the mist. If you abide by this rule, I will respond with appropriate action.'' tion.'' tion.''

    Exhos'' head was a dragon skull.

    Where eyeballs originally resided, there were the depressions of eye sockets, merely empty caves remaining. However, the two eye sockets were directed at the escort ship''s deck¡ªHaruga Haruomi with magic gun in hand.

    ''Because it seems there are others to be wary of apart from the Tyrannos of the Sword! I will neither belittle nor underestimate the authority of dragonslaying power. Allow me to uphold the rightful level of respect.'' pect.'' pect.''

    At this moment, the old dragon, who had turned into white bones, began to snicker as though the situation was unfolding satisfactorily.

    ''Fufu. Naturally, I could also choose to dispose of you lot first¡ª'' '' ''

    GOAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATH.

    Genbu-Ou suddenly growled at this moment as though warning its compatriot. As a result, the old dragon, Exhos, suddenly switched to a solemn tone of voice.

    ''I understand, vassal of black. Let the jokes cease here. Well then, goodbye for now.'' now.'' now.''

    After saying that, Exhos invoked Teleportation magic to disappear suddenly.

    Then Genbu-Ou vanished together.

    However, the whole time before vanishing, the gigantic and imposing turtle''s eyes were watching the movements of Hal''s magic gun intently as though keeping him under scrutiny. This too was the undeniable truth¡ª

    Part 5

    The next morning after the battle, offshore of Haneda and Tokyo was shrouded under a mist of suspended animation...

    At roughly 9am, Hal drove a passenger car to the area of Adachi Ward and downtown Kitasenju. Asya was sitting in the front passenger seat while Luna Francois was also seated in the back.

    "After one night, the mist has dispersed quite a bit."

    Just as Luna pointed out, the thick mist hanging over all of Tokyo had thinned out greatly.

    Currently, it was just a layer of light mist. Hence, visibility was not compromised and he could drive smoothly. However.

    Tokyo New Town''s appearance had changed dramatically overnight.

    Cars and people had completely vanished off the streets, turning the city into a ghost town. Right now, Hal''s passenger car was the only vehicle driving on the road. (Incidentally, this car belonged to Kenjou Genya. Since the owner was in a coma, Hal had borrowed it without asking.)

    "Another Raptor flying over..."

    "These are only tentative numbers but currently, visual estimates suggest that there are sixty Raptors circling the skies of New Town."

    After Asya looked out to the sky from the passenger seat window and commented, Luna added supplementary information.

    Just as Hal''s childhood friend pointed out, Hal also saw the blue Raptors flying leisurely in Tokyo New Town''s sky at the Adachi Ward.

    Taking the place of the vanished people and cars, they had become the masters of the ghost town.

    "Until yesterday, this was clearly a human city."

    Hal gripped the steering wheel and muttered to himself. At this moment, he noticed something.

    Although his car was driving along a national highway, there was a wrecked passenger vehicle abandoned on the side of the road. The vehicle had smashed violently into the guardrail, rendering its front end unrecognizable. No one was in the car.

    In any case, the passengers inside the car had probably been rescued last night. Whether they were alive or dead, naturally, was an unknown...

    "Looks like they were unfortunate enough to be driving when the mist rose."

    "If only they had found shelter earlier..."

    For better or worse, this type of accident was rare, probably thanks to the emergency evacuation order issued when the dragons attacked.

    "It appears that an interim report has arrived. It says that citizens who remain unfrozen number less than 10%."

    "Since local residents are virtually all gathered at shelters, counting them is a very quick job...?"

    "Either way, the fact that the taking in and observation of victims can be carried out directly at the shelters means that plenty of labor was saved in rescue efforts. Ironically, this is all thanks to the dragons."

    "But the people in charge of this line of work are also down to one tenth as well. Wouldn''t the shortage of manpower immediately result in a hopeless situation?"

    "Then how about pulling manpower from outside¡ªBut that would be impossible."

    "After all, now that Tokyo has become the demon city occupied by dragons, attitudes everywhere else have become ambivalent and passive..."

    Despite the deluge of headache-inducing news, there were good developments too.

    Orihime''s grandfather and Hazumi''s parents were located last night and delivered to the MPD headquarters at Kanegafuchi. Although they were in a state of suspended animation, at least they would remain safe and sound no matter what.

    The two witches of New Town were currently by their family''s side.

    Hence, only the SAURU trio headed out to scout this time.

    "By the way, Luna, have you contacted Hiiragi-san who is at Yokohama?"

    "Yes, so let her work to her heart''s content outside on our behalf!"

    Having arrived near the Arakawa, Hal drove the car onto the river bank.

    The trio alighted the vehicle and climbed up the Arakawa''s embankment. This wide shore area was home to many sports arenas and cycling roads.

    On their way here, Hal''s group had driven along the south side of the Arakawa, in other words, what was known as the right bank.

    By crossing this river, one would escape the "freeze" effect''s scope.

    However, the major bridge located dozens of meters away, New Senjuu Bridge, had been destroyed. Although it looked like it had been bombed, Raptors were undoubtedly responsible.

    Furthermore, near the river shore where this bridge was situated¡ª

    A crushed light truck had sunk in the Arakawa.

    "This is probably that. Late last night, a truck carrying thirteen people left the shelter at Adachi Ward on their own without permission. Sure enough, they were trying to escape New Town..."

    "So in the end, no one may leave Tokyo..."

    After Luna Francois explained quietly, Asya quoted what the old dragon, Exhos, had said.

    "The residents were clearly warned by public announcement not to act recklessly..."

    "But you can''t blame them for feeling anxious. After all, those things are flying everywhere."

    Hal pointed at the sky.

    Two Raptors had flown over here by the time they noticed. Slowly circling in the air to watch the ground¡ªThey were most likely watching Hal and company''s movements. They were conducting surveillance.

    "I heard that something similar happened at Tabata and Kameari last night."

    "Regarding the current calamity, the government and the media have announced that ''investigations are currently underway in earnest.'' However, the unsubstantiated report of ''Tokyo has been taken over by the dragons!?'' already started spreading around early on as a hot rumor."

    Luna Francois and Asya checked their cellphones and commented.

    Hal also activated magical sight and looked in a certain direction.

    Namely, the Old Tokyo Concession¡ªthe direction of what was formerly Ginza in the Ch¨±¨­ Ward. The towering triangular prism of pure black, the Monolith standing over a kilometer tall.

    It was clearly visible from the wide-open Arakawa shore. Thus Hal stared intently.

    Soon, he saw something. Namely, hovering over the Monolith was a rune consisting of three Vs in a series¡ªThe Rune of the Sword. Since the rune was gradually fading away, it was impossible to see unless he concentrated.

    However, the dragonslaying sword''s emblem was surviving, just barely.

    "Not noticing it earlier... Was it our oversight?"

    "Although you say that, I really want to object and say ''Like anyone would notice that kind of trick!''"

    Hal summoned his magic gun. Rather than firing it, he wanted to check the rules of the game that the mysterious man named Sophocles had called the "Road to Kingship."

    "...I, Galad and the other dragon kings must engrave one''s dragonslaying rune in that manner in order to obtain the right to rule over a particular piece of land. And that right is lost only upon death. The stronger the magical power in the land being ruled, the greater the power of dragonbane..."

    Hal realized after reciting the words surfacing in his mind.

    "I get it now. As long as Galad still lives, that dragon king who''s called Yukikaze won''t be able to become Tokyo''s ruler. That''s why she''s trying to find and eliminate him."

    "But she''s already the de facto ruler."

    Asya shrugged with a weary look.

    "With this many Raptors flying around with impunity, you won''t find another city like this in the entire world."

    "Although there is the option of using Glinda to take them out one at a time, I''d rather not resort to this solution. I feel that it seems to be some kind of trap. Were our positions reversed, I would definitely do the same."

    "As expected of you, Luna. That sounds like the opinion from a famed master of traps."

    "Is trap really the right word¡ª?"

    After listening to Luna Francois'' murmuring, Hal spoke up.

    "My gun detected from those things¡ªthe blue Raptors¡ªthe presence of dragonslaying power. By using that so-called techniques of dragonbane, they''re able to confer dragonslaying power to their minions. A while back, the elite called Soth also did it, so more than likely..."

    Although Raak Al Soth was not a successor of dragonslaying power, he was able to create an imitation to temporarily bestow his minion Raptors with the authority of dragonbane.

    Probably recalling the battle against the bronze dragon, Asya sighed.

    "What you mean is... That bones-only elite might be able to emulate dragonslaying power?"

    "In that case, it would be best to avoid letting Glinda and Minadzuki engage those blue variants directly. If Harry''s report is correct, the leviathans'' movements will be sealed."

    Just as Luna Francois nodded in agreement...

    A blue Raptor immediately flew towards them and descended. However, killing it in a single shot would be an effortless task for the magic gun held in Hal''s hand. Just as the group decided to observe the Raptor''s movements for now¡ª

    ''We meet again, Lord Tyrannos.'' nos.'' nos.''

    Descending gracefully, the Raptor spoke with the voice of the old dragon, Exhos.

    Hal came to a realization. This was also the magic of dragons. Employing a lesser dragon while taking control of its eyes, ears, nose and mouth to serve one''s own purpose¡ª

    "Are you looking for Pavel Galad by any chance?"

    ''How astute of you, Lord Tyrannos. Precisely. If His Highness the Sword Tyrannos could be hypnotized successfully, it would probably take merely a night''s duration to locate him.'' him.'' him.''

    The Exhos-Raptor laughed while answering Hal''s question.

    ''He appears to be valiantly holding on by the skin of his teeth, leaving me no recourse but to send out pursuers. Still, a hunt once in a while might not be so bad after all. Hahahaha.'' ha.'' ha.''

    English nobles and hunting dogs shared the pleasures of the hunt. From Exhos'' perspective, all this was probably like playing a game.

    With a "hmph," Hal dismissed this sadistic hobby, typical of dragons.

    ''Your Highness the Bow Tyrannos, if you are willing to stand back and watch my hunt, I shall adhere to my earlier promise and respond with appropriate action.'' tion.'' tion.''

    "Appropriate action means taking over this city like a gentleman would?"

    ''Hahahaha, precisely. I will have the winged lizards refrain from unnecessary destruction and slaughter. However, no one is allowed to leave this city. Those who violate this rule¡ª'' rule¡ª'' rule¡ª''

    The Raptor''s eyes turned to the destroyed New Senjuu Bridge.

    This meant extermination. Then without waiting for Hal''s reply, the Raptor responsible for bearing the message flew away.

    "That''s why I always say these dragon bastards are..."

    Just as Hal cursed dragonkind for their belligerence...

    Hal and Asya''s cellphones rang at the same time. Had text messages arrived? The two of them took out their phones to check¡ªBut were greatly surprised.

    "I''m relieved you''re fine."

    "You took the same words out of our mouths..."

    "Likewise, I can''t believe you''re both okay, President and Mutou-san..."

    "It''s not just me. Funaki-san from our class is with me at the same shelter and she''s fine too."

    The location was the cultural clubs building on Kogetsu Academy''s premises.

    This conversation was taking place between those present in the UFO Research Club''s room on the third floor¡ªPresident M, Asya, Hal and Mutou-san.

    ''Those who are unaffected, gather at school if possible! President''s orders!''

    Responding to the president''s text, the group had rushed over as fast as they could.

    Furthermore, Kogetsu Academy was not designated as a shelter because it was a SAURU facility. These four should be the only people in school right now.

    "Among the people we know, there''s also Juujouji and her cousin who are both safe and sound too."

    "Wow¡ªWonderful, wonderful. We''re actually blessed with amazing luck, right?"

    After hearing the news from Hal, Mutou-san clapped her hands happily.

    However, the witches were guarded by their "serpents" while Hal had protection from the Rune of the Bow. Mutou-san was probably the only one enjoying amazing luck for real. As for President M, surely she had defeated the freezing curse with her inborn vitality. Probably.

    "By the way, is the bike outside yours, Mutou-san?"

    "Yeah. After all, the trains aren''t running. I had to rush over to Ryougoku here all the way from west Gasai. But since there were no cars driving in the roads, it was a surprisingly easy ride~~"

    Asya asked for confirmation, prompting Mutou-san to bring up encouraging exploits.

    The hybrid bicycle parked outside the clubs building turned out to be hers after all.

    "Well, although this incomprehensible situation is quite tricky, it''s good to have companions. What are your plans next?"

    "I''m going back to my original shelter first."

    Mutou-san was the first to answer President M''s question.

    "I heard the rescuers from the SDF say that they were going to gather all the unaffected people from each area together to establish a new shelter. I plan on heading over in a bit. What about you, Prez?"

    "I am going to¡ªtrain."

    The president suddenly announced. The three ordinary club members went "eh?" at the same time.

    "I said train. It appears that Tokyo has fallen to the dragons. I know not whether this is the reason but a voice inside me is quietly telling me ''Now is the precisely the time for new power to awaken.''"

    Perhaps President M was receiving a message from something like the cosmic consciousness or Gaia. Normally, such absurd nonsense would only cause spit-takes but coming from her, it sounded unexpectedly convincing. How unbelievable, although it was still totally surreal.

    Encouraged by President M''s words, Hal could not help but feel an impulse to make a similar declaration.

    "I have some usual business¡ªno, sundry chores to handle, so I''ll be living at school in the meantime."

    "Eh? You''re going to live at school?"

    "Yeah, all the things I need happen to be here."

    Hal nodded at the surprised Asya.

    The blue Raptors were circling all over Tokyo New Town with impunity. But perhaps wary of the dragonslaying bow, they had strictly reined in their behavior the whole time.

    In that case, there was still a grace period. Hal wanted to use it to do something.

    "You look like you have considerations. Very well, you and I shall live here to hold an emergency upgrade camp!"

    Ignoring Hal''s incredulous childhood friend and Mutou-san, President M declared solemnly.

    However, Hal shook his head and apologized, "Sorry, I will be camping next door."

    Then he pointed at the library adjacent to the clubs building. It was the structure serving as the temporary Witch Mansion.

    Ordinary logic would dictate that he should assist Asya and Luna to focus on retaking Tokyo in this situation.

    However, Hal still had unfinished work that had to be handled first.

 Volume 3, 3 - Treasure Hunting and Cohabitation

    Volume 3, Chapter 3 - Treasure Hunting and Cohabitation

    Part 1

    "Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu~~~~~!"

    President M pursed her lips and blew vigorously.

    Her massive body, a hundred and forty kilograms by estimates, was clad in the Academy''s designated tracksuit. The location was the roof of the cultural clubs building.

    The declaration of the camp''s commencement had taken place yesterday afternoon. Twenty-four hours had elapsed already.

    When Asya came to visit while bringing refreshments, President M happened to be doing bizarre exercises that one might doubtfully call gymnastics.

    ...Because she was twisting her body left and right while simultaneously repeating intense breaths that were far deeper than necessary.

    "Is this what they call deep-breathing weight loss?"

    "Fool. This is a special breathing technique for drawing out unknown powers dormant inside the body."

    Asya''s question instantly prompted the president to refute her readily.

    "So it''s like qigong or yoga?"

    "Indeed. I was taught by an old master I met at a community center taiji class. He claimed that he had trained at Chenjiagou in China''s Hubei province. I heard it''s also effective for losing weight."

    "You sure he''s not some old guy from somewhere who''s simply boasting about what he learned from watching television?"

    "You are truly lacking in dreams. As the saying goes, ''believe well and have well,'' right?"

    "In that case, you definitely got conned."

    After that, President M continued her mysterious training for a while before stopping to rest.

    With large beads of sweat appearing on her body, President M picked up a two-liter bottle and gulped down the water in a matter of seconds.

    Asya handed over the basket of sandwiches she had brought.

    "How considerate. By the way, Haruga''s side¡ª"

    "I didn''t forget. Just now, I already made my way over there to give him the same thing."

    "Way to go. Delivering food at opportune moments to emphasize your existence. To think you were able to realize this point, it looks like your feminine charm has grown slightly."

    "Yes. I heard that Orihime-san had done this sort of thing earlier, so I immediately followed her example!"

    "......I see."

    "To distinguish myself from her, I even added something special."

    "Oh? What did you put in?"

    "A reinvigorating remedy of my own creation. Using the snake I caught at Mount Olympus in Greece, I steeped it in distilled alcohol for roughly half a year to result in a base, finished by adding a secret formula, spices and other things. It can instantly sweep away the fatigue and drowsiness from an all-nighter. Also, it helps with mental clarity."

    "By the way, does that Haruga guy know its ingredients?"

    "Yes. He was with me when I caught the snake¡ªa European tiger keelback two meters long¡ªand saw the entire process."

    "...What a worrisome future I see ahead of you."

    Swallowing a cucumber and egg sandwich whole, the president said, "Given the way you are, I think you might as well resort to a woman''s ultimate weapon to force a change in the current situation. It might be easier that way..."

    "Th-That kind of decisive weapon exists!? Tell me the specifics!"

    In response to Asya''s question, President M placed a sandwich containing Camembert cheese with three types of ham on her left hand then swung her right palm with a mighty shout.

    Compressed between her left and right hands, the sandwich was flattened even more.

    President M ingested this panini-like object in one breath as though downing a drink.

    "Like this."

    "What do you mean!?"

    "Pin him down, enjoy... Thereby forcing the conclusion of a carnal relationship!"

    "C-Carnal¡ª!? B-But there was one time when we worked late throughout the night and the next morning, I woke up to find the two of us sleeping in the same bed. However, that Haruomi simply got out of bed nonchalantly and left the room..."

    "In other words, nothing happened at all despite sharing a bed for a night?"

    Listening to Asya recount the past, the president frowned and pondered "Hmm..."

    "In terms of a romantic relationship, you two haven''t even gotten started in truth..."

    "I''m sure it''s the same for others if a healthy nubile girl like me isn''t getting anywhere! H-Haruomi must be suffering from ED at a young age!"

    "But in case of a one in a million¡ªno, a million million million million¡ªchance, it would be best to try it."

    "Please don''t repeat the word four times!"

    "I see, I see. Why don''t you go along with this current surge of vigor and try to cast away your usual timid mindset? Perhaps you might change something?"

    "Urgh..."

    As for Haruga Haruomi, the subject of the intense discussion...

    At this very moment, he was in the adjacent building, immersed in his work.

    Inside Kogetsu Academy''s library next to the cultural clubs building¡ª

    The second to sixth underground floors currently served as the temporary Witch Mansion. Hal was on the fourth underground floor where the entire level was being used a storage facility.

    Steel shelves were lined up densely in a close-packed display.

    Accumulated haphazardly on the shelves were antiques and ancient artifacts of all kinds. Piled on top of one another endlessly, they looked like junk or odds and ends. This was probably the reason why...

    Despite the entire space covering as much as four classrooms, it felt especially cramped.

    ''Simply locating a specific item here is already a ton of work.''

    Hal had made this comment before. Currently, he was in the middle of actualizing it.

    He was looking for five types of objects. Iron swords, bronze pots, bronze mirrors, great blades of gilt bronze, red agate¡ª

    "But having said that, I''ve already found six orbs of red agate. Even in the case of iron swords, four have turned up so far."

    Hal muttered to himself as though grumbling.

    Although interspersed with naps and breaks, he had been working continually since the previous night.

    Whenever he found a matching sword, pot, mirror, great blade or red agate, he would pick it out for safekeeping.

    Visiting with refreshments earlier, Asya had told him that one night had passed. Without checking the time and being underground, he had lost all sense of time.

    The childhood friend had offered to help but Hal refused her.

    This was because Hal hoped that as master magi, she and Luna cold track down Galad''s whereabouts. Besides¡ª

    "What I''m currently doing might not turn out to be useful."

    In fact, it was more likely to be wasted effort... That being said, it would not be "treasure hunting" if he omitted this type of down-to-earth grunt work.

    Just as Hal silently continued his task of filtering and selection¡ª

    "You appear to be looking for that, brat... But what do you intend to do after finding it?"

    The voice belonged to a little girl but its tone was that of a haughty queen.

    Hal looked in the voice''s direction. The former dragon dressed in a scarlet kimono, Hinokagutsuchi, had materialized behind him without anyone noticing.

    Hal did not answer her question. After pondering for a moment, he changed the subject.

    "My wand¡ªAfter that gun came into being, I''ve had the same dream many times."

    "Hmph. You witnessed my final act of going all-out¡ªthat scene with the little lass, Yukikaze? The magic wand presumably wishes to help you understand the greatness and strength of the dragon kings."

    "You already know the dream''s contents, right? I was wondering whether it was your idea to show me that."

    "Do I look friendly enough to actively help out like this?"

    "Fair point. But you two really were crazy strong in that dream. Still, there''s something else that I''m more curious about."

    "Oh?"

    "I''m a treasure hunter after all. In the end, that thing you discarded as though refusing to hand over to anyone¡ªI''m curious to no end. In other words, that object is worth you doing that."

    "Indeed, that thing has its uses for those seeking to understand the secrets of Ruruk Soun''s runes."

    Hinokagutsuchi jeered in mockery.

    "Be that as it may, brat, that thing is beyond the capacity of the likes of you and contemporary witches."

    "That''s why I have a suggestion. Would you like to enter an alliance with us humans¡ªor rather, me?"

    "An alliance? With you, brat?"

    "Yeah. Establishing a clear position rather than taking things a step at a time like before. There''s no need to talk about respect or putting faith in each other''s moral character, so why not think of it as business partners and build a relationship of trust from the ground up?"

    Confronted with Hal''s suggestion, Hinokagutsuchi replied with undisguised laughter.

    "Ha! To think a brat like you who became a Tyrannos by chance is trying to force the queen into an alliance!"

    "That''s right. After getting a hold of that thing of yours, I want to do an experiment, but regardless of the outcome, it won''t go smoothly unless I have your cooperation, which is why I want an alliance. Let''s build an amicable relationship of mutual benefit."

    "Experiment...? What exactly have you thought up?"

    Hinokagutsuchi frowned and glared at Hal. Then she suddenly jumped in surprise.

    The color of comprehension began to spread slowly across the self-styled devil''s child-like face. She had apparently figured it out. Due to discussing "that" just now, she immediately made the association.

    "Since you are harboring such intents, my refusal is even more adamant. I have no intention of agreeing to your request."

    "Then it can''t be helped. Let''s talk about the alternative."

    Having predicted Hinokagutsuchi would answer like this, Hal quickly continued.

    "Let me use that as a precious research sample! Our forefathers had devoted everything they had to gather ancient knowledge and dragon specimens to study repeatedly, finally establishing the method to synthesize leviathans."

    Those involved in this accomplishment included Hal''s father, Asya''s grandmother and mother, as well as Luna Francois'' father, Master Gregory.

    Having watched his father''s life of work from up close, Hal declared firmly.

    "Even if it doesn''t come in handy straight away, in five, ten years'' time, it could very well become some sort of trump card."

    "My remains... Do you mean to desecrate the queen''s remains, peasant?"

    Instead of scolding him, Hinokagutsuchi spoke calmly.

    However, her tone of voice conveyed a queen''s pride and dignity of such gravity it was impossible to describe. Still, Hal pretended not to notice and deliberately shrugged mischievously.

    "Because that''s the proper way to use a ''treasure.''"

    Then Hal stared straight at Hinokagutsuchi and said, "I''m sorry to say this but so-called treasure hunting is the same as grave robbery. Those in my line of work have repeatedly done the same to kings and emperors across the world for the past millennia. You''re no exception."

    "Hmph. Be that as it may, do you believe that by giving this speech..."

    After listening to Hal, the former queen of the dragons crossed her arms arrogantly.

    "...I would sympathize with you lot? How do you intend to repay the debt from the birth rituals?"

    "Since there''s no other way, I''ll have to find solutions using my own power. Luckily, this thing seems to be 100% loyal to me, unlike you."

    Hal summoned the magic gun to his right hand and said, "Last time I asked whether this tool could take your place, you answered that chances of success were very low unless the conditions were all fulfilled. In other words, it is possible for it to replace you."

    "Oh...?"

    After looking at Hal and the magic gun, Hinokagutsuchi narrowed her eyes.

    "Well, the wand is not just an ordinary weapon, after all. It also serves as the guide along the path of unorthodoxy..."

    "My hand is forced if you want to keep playing mysterious mastermind. Let''s cut our suspicious ties right here and now. Even though it''ll be a pain, I''ll find more comrades by my own power."

    "You realized it, brat?"

    Hearing Hal''s declaration, Hinokagutsuchi reacted unexpectedly.

    For the first time, the dragon queen in a young girl''s guise smiled without arrogance. It was as though she was acknowledging Haruga Haruomi''s caliber for the first time.

    "That does imply you shall become the devil in my stead, yes?"

    Leaving this question behind, Hinokagutsuchi vanished.

    Hal put away his magic gun and sighed. Next, he carefully examined his right hand, where the Rune of the Bow resided, and raised his palm towards the fluorescent light on the ceiling¡ª

    "The queen keeps bringing up annoying things repeatedly... As expected of the incumbent devil."

    After muttering quietly to himself, Hal returned to his task of sorting through odds and ends.

    While eating the sandwiches Asya had personally made, he continued to work.

    As for the reinvigorating remedy amidst the refreshments, Hal decided to keep it in reserve for when he actually felt "I seriously... can''t go on!" Although he knew of the reinvigorating remedy''s mysterious potency, he was also painfully aware of how it was made. This was not something that could be swallowed carelessly.

    Then after roughly two more hours¡ª

    The door to the storeroom suddenly opened and a junior female student entered.

    It was Shirasaka Hazumi. Like Hal, she was dressed in the Academy''s uniform, probably conscious of being in school.

    And in her hands, Hazumi was carrying a large travel bag.

    "Isn''t this Shirasaka? I can''t believe you came to school with all the trains stopped."

    "I-I asked Luna-san to drive me here..."

    Besides Hazumi, every New Town witch was supposed to be at Kanegafuchi.

    This was a matter of precaution. They were using a hotel next to the MPD headquarters as accommodates while on standby.

    Incidentally, the Juujouji grandfather and the Shirasaka parents, who had been rescued in their unconscious state, were also housed inside a nearby police hospital. This was also to allow the two girls to be able to visit them any time.

    "By the way, why did you come here today?"

    "I... I came to help."

    Faced with his question, Hazumi hesitated a while then said resolutely, "Please allow me to stay here and help out with your ''camp,'' Senpai. It is fine even if you do not have work I can do. Whether cooking or laundry, I will work my hardest regardless!"

    "Eh...?"

    Hearing the adorable junior student announcing her decision to join in, Hal was instantly rendered speechless. But this also meant two members of opposite gender were going to live under one roof¡ª

    Confronted with unexpected trouble, Hal kept blinking in surprise.

    Part 2

    ''I am terribly sorry to say that we have yet to locate the dragon that bears the Rune of the Sword.''

    "It seems that the elite dragon called Exhos hasn''t found him either... But if possible, I''d like us to beat them to the punch. I''m counting on you."

    Hal was calling Luna Francois from the underground storeroom.

    ''Looks you have a plan. Understood, I will try to handle things appropriately.''

    "Thanks for your troubles. By the way, is it really okay for Shirasaka to stay here?"

    ''Her power as a witch is insufficient to participate in the search for the sword dragon. Don''t you like having her standby over there? Besides, the Witch Mansion is inside the school too.''

    "As long as you say it''s okay... But it''s just me and Shirasaka staying here alone together, you know?"

    ''Are you afraid, Mr. Herbivore?''

    "No, I quite welcome it, actually. After all, she''s so cute."

    ''You are truly honest to a fault sometimes, Harry... Oh right, the cabinet just made an official request to us, hoping we could defeat and expel the dragons that have invaded New Town.''

    "Sure enough, they''ve dumped all the work on us."

    By "us," Luna Francois was referring to the four witches on standby at New Town, which included Hazumi, Orihime and Asya.

    ''Indeed. Apart from elites, a new dragon king-class opponent has appeared, after all. The SDF and TPDO will not dispatch forces recklessly.''

    "What happened to the people who remained unfrozen?"

    ''Everyone has been extremely cooperative. They have accepted life in the shelters with rationality and courage. Furthermore, they have not made willful demands to leave New Town. The Japanese people''s high moral standards are truly cool and touching.''

    "The entire New Senjuu Bridge incident''s details were made into a report including a video of what happened then transmitted thoroughly to inform all shelters, after all. Of course the people will behave."

    Security cameras installed near the bridge had captured footage at the scene¡ª

    Luna Francois was the one who had given orders to use the video after editing. Regarding this matter, this diabolical and capable administrator as well as SAURU cadre had commented "Not like it matters."

    ''Only by summing up with "morals" would it become a laudable tale of brilliance. Besides, this eliminates the need to divert personnel for surveillance and security, shorthanded as we are to begin with. Let us conclude here for now. See you later, Harry.''

    Luna cheerfully said goodbye before hanging up.

    Hal looked at his cellphone screen to see that the time was approaching 1pm. Hazumi had asked him to visit upstairs at 1pm...

    Recalling this, Hal left the library''s underground storage.

    Since there was no elevator, Hal climbed up the stairs and arrived at the library''s entrance.

    Hazumi was not there. Exiting the building to have a look, Hal found his nose instantly stimulated by an aroma. This spicy fragrance undoubtedly came from curry.

    "Oh, I was just thinking of going down to call you."

    Naturally, this voice, as clear as a bell, belonged to Hazumi.

    Arranged in front of the library were four chairs and a foldable table used for camping, set up as an impromptu dining table.

    "I tried making lunch... though I''m not confident it is good..."

    Reporting demurely, Hazumi was holding a lidded pot in her hands.

    The aroma of curry was drifting out from the pot. She had probably carried it over after cooking at the cafeteria kitchen. Furthermore, Hazumi was wearing a yellow apron over her school uniform.

    ¡ªUniform x Apron = Infinite Power of Devastation

    Witnessing this truth of the universe with his own eyes, Hal could not help but nod in approval. Truly fabulous.

    "Here, Senpai, please come over."

    After setting the pot on the table, Hazumi pulled out a chair.

    She was urging him to sit down. Just as Hal took his seat, Hazumi brought over a tray with two portions of rice, cups filled with mineral water, as well as a plate of salad¡ª

    Judging from her slightly unsteady movements, she was not very used to doing this sort of thing.

    However, this gesture of Hazumi''s earnest care was causing Hal''s face to tense up solemnly. Then he smiled and secretly muttered to himself, "Underaged bride... A middle schooler for a wife... This is truly wonderful..."

    "...? Did you say something, Senpai?"

    "I was just savoring some phrases that surfaced in my mind just now."

    "Wow, Senpai, you''re a poet!"

    "No no no, that''d be too much of an exaggeration."

    Faced with Hazumi''s highly transparent smile, Hal acted reacted with modesty. However, it really would be "too much of an exaggeration" to call his musings poetic.

    "If the food is not to your taste, I apologize in advance..."

    "My mouth is probably defective if that actually happened!"

    Listening to the reserved and polite junior student offer a warning very much in her style, Hal instantly replied and ate a mouthful of the curry rice. Although Hal always tried his best to dote on Hazumi, this time, he spoke seriously without any intent to flatter, "Yes, it''s good."

    "Honest!?"

    The simple praise elicited a blooming smile in return.

    Hal could not help but feel an urge to smile, so he made a serious face and answered "Of course." Thus, Hazumi sat down opposite Hal and the two of them started lunch face to face.

    "Since the flavor itself comes from curry roux available on the market, strictly speaking, this is like a joint product between you and a food company, but let''s totally disregard that for now. Yeah!"

    "Fufufufu. Senpai, you went with the flow and revealed your true thoughts!"

    Although Hal had made a slip of the tongue, the generous Hazumi remained smiling.

    "In truth, I was hoping you''d enjoy the curry rice even if it turned out to be a bit of a miss... If only I could make something better tasting, sorry."

    "No no, that''s the kind of mindset which breeds success. By the way, where did this table come from?"

    "Luna-san transported it by car when she was driving me here."

    "Huh? She''s nearby?"

    She clearly had not made any mention of it on the phone earlier.

    Confronted with the stunned Hal, Hazumi added to explain, "Yes. She is apparently quite interested in your plan, Senpai, and even told me, ''Assist him as much as possible.''"

    "I see now..."

    Rather than waste time on inquiring at a stage of uncertainty, it would be better to let Hal focus on his task and speed up progress. Was that what Luna thought?

    Luna Francois Gregory was not only bold but very meticulous as well.

    If Asya was a ferocious beast of the wild, Luna would be the girl equipped with courage and the devil''s mastery of details.

    "By the way, it''s been a while since I last ate at a dining table."

    "Oh¡ªSorry. Would it be better if you could work while you ate!?"

    "Nah, although that is better in many cases and that''s how I''ve always done things. However, I think it''s nice to eat like this for a change of pace every now and then."

    Hal candidly explained to the apologizing Hazumi.

    Since Asya was also the type to immerse herself completely when serious, she had departed swiftly after dropping off sandwiches, knowing that staying longer would be pointless. Hal was well aware of this too. That being said, Hal definitely felt relaxed, basking in Hazumi''s very feminine care and warmth.

    In this manner, Hal finished lunch and breathed a sigh of relief.

    After relaxing fully, a sense of intense fatigue suddenly surged.

    He had been cutting back on sleep for almost half a month now, clocking in mundane work without pause. All this was for the sake of that¡ª"treasure hunting."

    The goal was right before his eyes. He was one step away.

    "Woah."

    Hal jumped in surprise because someone suddenly touched his shoulders.

    Without him noticing, Hazumi had circled around behind him and started to massage Hal''s shoulders.

    "Senpai, this is shocking. You''re so stiff."

    "Stiff¡ª!?"

    Hearing Hazumi''s smiling voice from behind, Hal forcefully opened his eyes wide.

    "I-Is something the matter?"

    "Those words seemed to light a fire inside my heart¡ªNo wait, Hazumi. You don''t have to go this far. After all, I''m still young..."

    Hal disguised his lewd reaction and declined Hazumi''s kind offer.

    However, the unfazed Hazumi continued to massage his shoulders. Although her delicate fingers were not very strong, she accurately brought relief to the aching parts with skill and thoughtfulness.

    "Please don''t be shy. Contrary to appearances, I am actually used to doing this because I frequently offer massages to my grandfather and father. Senpai, your shoulders are really stiff."

    "...I guess you''re right."

    "May I ask what you have been working on the whole time lately?"

    "...Failure will be scary if I carelessly put up your hopes. But things will come to a conclusion either tonight or tomorrow, so let''s wait until after that if possible..."

    "Very well. Then I shall be patient and not hurry you. Oh, by the way, Senpai."

    "What is it?"

    "Since you look very tired, I have prepared something nice for you tonight. So please hang in there a little longer until things reach a conclusion."

    After massaging his shoulders for a while, Hazumi left with these parting words.

    Hal pondered when he returned to the library''s underground level.

    Although Hazumi probably did not go as far as to conspire secretly, she would always help Hal catch a break at appropriate moments, encouraging him while refraining from pestering him with incessant questions¡ª

    Perhaps Hazumi was unexpectedly adept at getting along with someone in Hal''s line of work.

    While feeling impressed at how Hazumi was surprisingly suitable as an assistant, Hal resumed his work. Namely¡ªFiltering through the piles of ancient artifacts and antiques to select his targets.

    After spending four hours underground like this, Hal returned to the surface again.

    It was past six in the evening. Hal left the library to look for Hazumi. The setting sun was dyeing the school building and sports ground an orange color.

    "Senpai! Are you done already!?"

    Hazumi happened to be walking towards him.

    Confronted with a junior student who had changed into the school''s PE uniform for some reason, Hal said, "Yeah. The task is over in a way, so I was thinking of taking a break."

    "Then please come over with me. I have prepared ''something nice'' as promised."

    Hazumi pulled Hal by the hand towards where she had come from.

    If memory served Hal correct, ahead of them was¡ªThree minutes later, Hal confirmed that his memory was correct. This was the building where the rooms of the athletic clubs were gathered.

    The cultural clubs building was four stories, but the athletic clubs building was wide and single story.

    Hazumi entered the building and began to walk into its depths. Soon, the two of them arrived at the girls changing room. Ahead was the holy sanctuary protected by a glass door¡ªin other words, the female bathroom.

    Fully equipped with showers and a bath for students of athletic clubs to wash their sweat away, this was a space of soothing.

    "Please come here, Senpai."

    "Huh!? In other words, you''re asking me to enter the female bathroom!?"

    "Yes. There isn''t a single soul in the school apart from us. I think there shouldn''t be a problem."

    Hazumi smiled tenderly and said, "A student from the track and field team showed me before how to use this place. I heard that putting hot water in the bath was a job for underclassmen, so everyone seems to know how it''s done."

    "So this is what they call the tradition of athletic clubs..."

    "I prepared this specially, hoping it could help alleviate your fatigue somewhat," said Hazumi cheerfully.

    In recent days, Hal had not even bothered to take baths properly, always opting for quick showers instead. Indeed, such a gift might be more fitting than any other.

    ¡ªHence, ten minutes passed.

    "Hooooooo..."

    Enjoying a hot soak in a large bath for the first time in a long while, Hal relaxed greatly.

    "...Oh dear, although this is normally a female bath, it''d be too ungentlemanly to engage in obscene delusions here. I''ve got to be careful."

    Despite his self-awareness as a closet pervert, Hal still wanted to exercise gentlemanly restraint. Due to the vast amount of imagined scenes surfacing in his mind, Hal had to convince himself in this manner.

    Then just as he was getting out of the bath, Hal heard an unexpected voice.

    "Excuse me, Senpai... Please pardon my intrusion."

    It was Hazumi. She was speaking politely from outside the bathroom.

    Furthermore, what came next was the sound of the glass door sliding open.

    "!?"

    Hal grabbed a towel and frantically wrapped it around his waist.

    He looked back, only to be greeted by the unbelievable sight of Hazumi entering the bathroom in her PE uniform.

    Witnessing the exposed sight of his underclassman''s delicate limbs and those dazzlingly pale thighs, Hal was greatly shaken.

    "Shirasaka, why did you come in here!?"

    "U-Umm, I was thinking of washing your back for you..."

    "This is clearly an unnecessary show of concern, indeed!"

    "R-Really? In the past, I washed my father''s back when he was fatigued from work and he was very happy..."

    "Probably because you were only in kindergarten or elementary school at the time, right?"

    "¡ª! Senpai, you''re so amazing. How did you know!?"

    "A deduction most elementary, my dear Watson. Putting that aside, it''s time for you to leave."

    "A-As you wish..."

    For some reason, Hazumi was walking out of the bathroom with a hurt expression. Although the sadness shown on side of the junior student''s face was causing Hal''s heart to tremble, at least he was left on his own now. Relieved for now, Hal returned to the bathtub.

    Soaking himself in hot water up to his shoulders, he intended to count up to a hundred to calm his mind¡ª

    However, the glass door clattered again as it slid open.

    Hal looked behind him in trepidation and was immediately stunned. Hazumi had entered the bathroom again.

    This time, she was not in her PE uniform. Instead, her slender body was wrapped in nothing more than a bath towel.

    "E-Excuse me..."

    After issuing a greeting first, Hazumi entered the bathroom and came to Hal''s side.

    Her entire body was bright red in addition to her face, most likely due to embarrassment more than the heat of the water. Compared to the PE uniform earlier, there was not much difference in terms of the area of exposed skin.

    However, those smooth shoulders were completely laid bare and even the area around the base of the thighs could be seen¡ª

    Hence, the shocking impact was almost double compared to before.

    "S-Shirasaka? What the heck are you...?"

    "U-Umm, Senpai, please take a bath with me!"

    "Huh!?"

    "I have given it plenty of thought. The reason why you can entrust the rune''s power to Nee-sama... but not me, is ultimately due to this sort of difference..."

    "Huh?"

    "Because Nee-sama became able to use the rune''s power... Senpai, after you saw that."

    Hazumi brought up "that" in embarrassment, prompting Hal to remember.

    Half a month earlier, there was an accident when Juujouji Orihime was taking a bath. Blessed with unexpected good fortune at the time, Hal had been treated to an eyeful of heaven.

    "T-That is why I wondered if this sort of experience might be what is lacking between us, Senpai. I-If I could bare my body and soul to you like Nee-sama, to go as far as to wash your back, Senpai, I believe our hearts can surely become connected...!"

    "T-Taking a bath together for this kind of a reason, that''s way too extreme!"

    "I want to become stronger... to be able to use the rune''s power by winning your trust like Nee-sama and Asya-san, to help even more people¡ªI must do this."

    Within the same tub of hot water, Hazumi leaned against Hal.

    Thanks to that, Hal was able to see her maturing figure clearly. Nothing less expected from Orihime''s cousin. At the tender age of an eighth grader, she had already developed ample volume.

    Although one could not be certain whether she would grow to match Orihime''s size, she would probably mature into a voluptuous figure at this rate.

    Despite his state of confusion arising from Hazumi''s behavior, Hal still suppressed the embarrassment in his heart.

    Wanting to become stronger for the sake of helping others. The benevolent and responsible girl had expressed resolve that matched her character. Sure enough, Hal wanted to respond to these feelings of hers.

    "To be honest, if you''re the recipient, Shirasaka... I think the rune''s power can probably be entrusted to you."

    "Ehhhh!?"

    "I''m ashamed to say this, but my own resolve is the reason why I''ve neglected the matter all this time. It looks like I''ve caused you a lot of unease, so I''m really sorry."

    "Resolve... What do you mean by that?"

    "In Asya and Juujouji''s cases, I desperately wanted to avoid casualties at the time, so I went with the flow and did it."

    Hal confessed while sighing lightly.

    "But after being entrusted with a rune of Ruruk Soun, a witch''s life will become even more chaotic than before. Like this time, getting caught up in conflicts caused by monsters beyond the elites, things like that might become ''commonplace'' in the future."

    "......"

    "That''s why I haven''t been able to muster my resolve, but¡ª"

    Hal muttered quietly.

    "I fear the time I have for hesitation is running out soon... Shirasaka, I will give you a clear answer within the near future. Could you wait a bit longer for me?"

    "V-Very well... But I am relieved now."

    Hazumi pressed her hand against the towel over her chest and spoke softly.

    "Actually, I had been agonizing over how I could earn your trust, Senpai."

    "What are you talking about? Aren''t we friends already?"

    "Really? Fufu, I''m so happy to hear that¡ªOh, then allow me to ask you once again... Would you like me to wash your back?"

    "W-Why are you still bringing this up!?"

    "Because... Senpai, we are friends, aren''t we? Right now, we have already laid our thoughts bare to each other without hiding anything¡ªAnd it''s a rare chance too..."

    Thinking about it calmly, Hal knew that this was not an issue of rareness at all, but he could not help but nod.

    Influenced by the current circumstances, he and Hazumi were probably in a state of excitement.

    "I-I see. So ''this is a rare chance'' is one way to look at it..."

    "Y-Yes! I will do my very best!"

    "Actually, I''ve never had anyone wash my back, but I guess there''s a first time for everything¡ª"

    Despite his fear of what would happen if Juujouji were to find out, Hal still found himself wavering in the face of temptation.

    At that moment, a ringtone could be heard coming from the changing room.

    It was Hal''s cellphone. Clearly he could ignore it, but a guilty conscience was tormenting him. Hence, he rushed out of the bath while leaving behind words of "I-I''m going to have a look!"

    Hal dashed straight into the changing room and checked his cellphone. The caller''s name happened to be displayed on the screen.

    "......Hello, Haruga speaking."

    ''Ah, Haruga-kun. I''ve arrived in school now. Is Hazumi there too? I brought food, so let us have dinner together. By the way, Haruga-kun, where are you right now and what are you doing?''

    "I-I was just taking a bath, yeah."

    ''Is it the athletic clubs building by any chance? They have showers and baths there too. In that case, let me head that way too. I am already in front of the library.''

    "N-No, you don''t need to come over, Juujouji!"

    Hazumi''s cousin, Juujouji Orihime was apparently talking on the phone while walking. Although Hal tried his hardest to persuade his observant classmate...

    ''Don''t worry, walking over from here won''t take five minutes. See you later.''

    However, she simply hung up.

    Hal hastily rushed into the bathroom and yelled to his underclassman, "Oh no! Juujouji is coming over. We''ve got to hurry!"

    "Eh, Nee-sama!?"

    Part 3

    "Even so, where on earth has the dragon bearing the Rune of the Sword disappeared to?"

    Luna Francois was speaking from the driver''s seat while steering boldly.

    The domestic luxury sports car entered a sharp corner of the New Town Highway''s Tatsumi Junction without losing speed at all, making the turn by following an ideal out-in-out line.

    Despite her young age of sixteen years, Luna was an incurable speed demon.

    Looking at the speedometer which read 200 km/h, Asya frowned from the front passenger seat.

    "Please don''t race wantonly just because it''s an emergency situation."

    "Who cares? There are no other cars driving after all. Besides, I haven''t even broke 300 km/h."

    Tokyo New Town had essentially turned into a ghost town.

    There were almost no pedestrians or vehicles on the road. However, rare exceptions like Asya and Luna should still be present somewhere.

    "I attempted to use Detection magic all around New Town for the past two days, but could not find any signs of an elite-size dragon in hiding..." said Asya.

    She was replying to her fellow witch''s earlier murmuring.

    "I believe it is extremely likely that he has shrunk his size to take on a Draconian form to hide."

    "Oh actually, I have an unfavorable conjecture."

    Hearing Luna speak as though a sudden thought had occurred to her, Asya frowned.

    Luna Francois'' so-called "unfavorable conjectures" often came true with very high probabilities.

    "The girl who called herself a dragon king earlier was in human form, yes? If elite dragons were able to cast magic to turn themselves into humans, then..."

    "Right! The elite we fought some time ago also said it was possible but undesirable!"

    "Disguising as a human and hiding among New Town''s refugees would be highly probable. The dragons forbade us humans to leave Tokyo because they are worried of this possibility, right?"

    "True, it''d make sense if that''s the case..."

    With that, the search for Pavel Galad escalated greatly in difficulty.

    Furthermore, the Raptors in search of Galad would even attack the people remaining in New Town¡ªThe risk of this happening probably increased in likelihood too.

    "It looks like it''ll be increasingly necessary to rely on Haruomi''s rune."

    "Indeed. I wonder if Hazumi-san and Orihime-san are assisting him well?"

    "¡ª!? L-Luna, what did you just say!?"

    Carrying the two worried master magi, the race car sped in Kiba''s direction.

    At the makeshift dining table that Hazumi had set up before the library...

    Orihime, Hal and Hazumi, the three of them were seated around the foldable table. The main dish for tonight was the curry rice cooked during lunch time by the youngest girl present.

    Hal did not know if the school location was the reason, but Orihime was also dutifully dressed in uniform.

    "Hazumi and Haruga-kun, you both seem a bit unsettled. Did something happen?"

    "N-Nothing, it''s just that the curry''s a bit spicy."

    "T-That''s right. It really is a tad too spicy, Senpai."

    "...Really? On the contrary, I find it to be medium spicy to an exceedingly ordinary level."

    Hal and Hazumi''s bathroom episode had taken place roughly an hour earlier.

    After that, Hal had dried himself and gotten dressed with lightning speed before heading out of the club building to greet Orihime. During that time, Hazumi also made herself presentable then met up with them with feigned composure.

    Thanks to that, their problematic behavior had not come to light. Thus, dinner started without issue.

    However, Hal and Hazumi had yet to dispel the uneasiness in their hearts. They were still far from returning to normal.

    "B-By the way, Juujouji, why did you suddenly come over?"

    "Well, of course I am here to assist and monitor you, Haruga-kun."

    "''Monitor''!?"

    "Yes. Since Hazumi is staying over here too, I was thinking someone needs to monitor you, Haruga-kun, so as to prevent the dark side of the Force manifesting within you. As such, this humble Juujouji Orihime has volunteered to shoulder this responsibility."

    "No no no, I can''t possibly do such unspeakable things to Shirasaka. That''s what I believe. Essentially. Probably."

    "See? Although your assertions cannot be trusted seeing as you are the self-styled closet pervert, the case is even more evident now that you have failed to make an assertion. Don''t you agree, Hazumi?"

    "I-I think that... S-Senpai is the one person who won''t do such things, Nee-sama!"

    "See that, Haruga-kun? Even Hazumi cannot believe in her own words with full conviction, which is why her gaze is currently this unsteady. As such, my coming to monitor you is not entirely meaningless, is it?"

    " "......" "

    Hal and Hazumi could not help but fall silent in response to Orihime''s words.

    Due to the vividness of their most recent memories, they could not muster a strong rebuttal.

    However, Hal remembered something just as the trio were essentially done with dinner.

    "Come to think of it, I forgot to call President M over."

    "Oh, about the president, she already ate five bowls of curry at dusk. She said she had to eat dinner early because she was going to the pool for butterfly stroke training."

    "Swimming immediately after eating so much, that''s quite amazing of her. Nothing less expected of the president."

    "That really is quite astounding, but isn''t she engaged in training for some kind of unknown superpower?"

    Hal muttered while imagining President M swimming the butterfly stroke.

    That massive body, estimated to weigh 140 kg, propelled along the water surface. Such a sight, the embodiment of mystery and horror, would probably rival that of the famous White Whale, Moby Dick.

    Despite his burning curiosity to witness the president''s swimming appearance, Hal decided he still had work to take care of.

    "I''m about to start wrapping up my task. How about you two come along? I could tell you what I''ve been doing all this time."

    Possibly because this was the first time for Hal to willingly explain his undertaking¡ª

    Hazumi and Orihime looked up abruptly and immediately nodded. Taking the two girls, Hal returned to the library''s underground storage level.

    A number of selected items were placed on a blue tarp laid out in a corner of the floor.

    Six rusted fragments of iron swords, four slightly filthy bronze pots, two Gabuntai divine beast mirrors of bronze, one blade of gilt bronze, and nine orbs of red agate.

    "I believe that out of all these things, one of them is a former dragon king''s heartmetal... Hinokagutsuchi''s."

    The words Hal finally uttered caused Orihime and Hazumi to stare wide-eyed.

    Late at night. It was after 10pm...

    Hal was still in the library''s underground storeroom. He was rapidly browsing through reference materials spread out on a table. At this moment, the door opened and Orihime entered alone.

    "How''s Shirasaka?"

    "Presumably exhausted. She already went to bed."

    The girls were staying in an office on the library''s ground floor.

    Hazumi had apparently retired for the night there, probably tired out by cooking and preparing the bath, tasks which she was unused to. Frail in health to begin with, she was definitely not a girl with abundant energy.

    However, while the two of them were alone, Orihime said with some displeasure in her expression, "Hazumi loves you inexplicably, Haruga-kun..."

    "L-Love!?"

    "Although she is very kind with a personality like an angel''s, this is still my first time seeing her go such lengths for someone other than me or family."

    "What? So by love you were referring to the likes of familial love."

    "...Are you by any chance confident that she would offer you another kind of love?"

    "O-Of course not. We''re senior and junior students, my conscience is clear."

    "Oh? But lately, it seems that there have been many opportunities for you two to spend time together alone."

    Orihime was usually cheerful, lively and caring, but right now, her stinging words were frequently mocking Hal. What on earth was going on?

    And today, Hal was also harboring a guilty conscience about the bathroom episode.

    If she were to continue pursuing the matter, perhaps he might let slip unnecessary information.

    "It feels like you''re acting jealous today, Juujouji. Even if I''ve snatched your cousin away from you..."

    Hal tried to strike back in a somewhat contrived manner. He had a feeling that his position would progressively worsen if he stayed on defense the whole time. However, this ended up eliciting an unexpected reaction.

    Orihime was sudden stunned, looking quite shocked.

    "J-Jealous¡ª!? D-Do I really sound like that!?"

    "Well, umm, just a personal opinion, I guess? I''m the only one who got this impression."

    Although Hal asked Orihime not to worry, she did not take his words to heart. Murmuring softly, she was saying things that were hard to make out.

    "I am jealous¡ªjealous over Hazumi. To think I unintentionally... this sort of matter that has no need to be brought up..."

    "J-Juujouji?"

    "Forget about the conversation just now, Haruga-kun! Never mind, I have something else to talk about!"

    Forcibly changing the subject, Orihime said, "You''re not hiding something from us by any chance, are you?"

    "Uh, recently I''ve been occupied with trying to locate Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal¡ª"

    "I already heard about that. I''m asking if there is anything else. For example, about your body, Haruga-kun, or the like."

    "I''ve written about runes and dragon kings in the report, so there''s nothing I need to hide particularly."

    "I already read that report too. You wrote plenty about Kagutsuchi-san and the encounter with the man in black... but you omitted the most important part."

    The man in the black suit, Sophocles, was a mysterious being who claimed to be a human instead of a dragon.

    Taking a "believe it or not" mindset, Hal had candidly included in his report an organized account regarding the Road to Kingship and the encounter with that man. However¡ª

    "The possibility that you might turn into a dragon¡ªThis was not mentioned anywhere at all."

    "Oh my, that''s too far-fetched and ridiculous after all."

    "Please allow me to confirm one matter tactfully. You haven''t mentioned this to Asya-san either, have you?"

    "......"

    "I somehow feel that you wouldn''t have concealed it if you were truly not worried, Haruga-kun."

    "...Well, I don''t deny taking various measures due to this reason. Even disregarding various issues such as possibly turning into a dragon, I''m apparently destined to die out in the streets at some point in time."

    By the time he noticed, Orihime''s worried gaze was already focused on him.

    After looking into her eyes and nodding, Hal turned his gaze to a corner of the storeroom. This was the location of the enchanted artifacts and antiques that could potentially be Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal.

    "Although I''ve no right to say this, I still want to help future generations a bit."

    "F-Future generations?"

    "Yeah. Well, a dragon would probably say something like ''fighting is my duty.'' But as it so happens, I''m human and a treasure hunter to boot."

    The conflict revolving around the dragonslaying runes was apparently known as the Road to Kingship.

    The mysterious man, Sophocles, had called it a type of quest and described it as a game. It was surely a great adventure involving numerous battles like an epic RPG.

    "Even if those guys prefer authentic orthodox RPGs, I''m not obliged to humor them. I''ll ignore the proper script and focus on finding loopholes in the system or mini-games to play. Then I''ll take all of my gathered gold to redeem somewhere else."

    "Indeed... Haruga-kun, you''re still a mortal."

    After listening to Hal''s explanation, Orihime smiled faintly.

    "Then as the only friend privy to your secret, let me make myself clear. If anything happened to make you suffer so much that you''d want to cry during the night, call me. I will listen to you as long as I have time and visit you if I have the opportunity to do so."

    "...I''m not that fragile."

    "Hard to say. You may find yourself cornered in the future."

    "I see. Then I''ll gratefully remember your offer."

    "Yes, it''s a promise. In addition, please call me without reserve when you need a comrade-in-arms. Let''s work together and give it our best like last time."

    "Last time huh..."

    "...Haruga-kun, are you having indecent thoughts by any chance?"

    "Of course not. I''m just remembering the intense battle."

    "But you always act especially serious whenever you''re having lustful thoughts, you know?"

    "Have I been seen through!?"

    Hal''s tense and proper expression was exposed by Orihime with a single comment.

    In truth, Hal was definitely recalling that particular instant. The five fingers of his right hand had sunk into Orihime''s soft body part that was about the size of a small cantaloupe, enjoying the excellent suppleness.

    "Next time, you are not allowed to touch me in such an obscene manner!"

    Orihime scolded angrily.

    "Back then, Haruga-kun, you were squeezing my breast as hard as you could, refusing to let go no matter what..."

    "Juujouji, it''s probably because your breasts are too majestic, that''s why I accidentally¡ª"

    "This kind of dirty talk is not allowed!"

    "S-Sorry..."

    As a side note, he had not written about the "action for transmitting power" undertaken at the time either, for no special reason except that Hal himself judged that it was not definitely something to be disclosed.

    While bowing his head to apologize, Hal realized.

    Orihime apparently said "next time" just now... Hal stared at her face in surprise.

    Although his classmate and novice witch was still showing an offended expression, she had turned her gaze away in embarrassment to murmur, "I-It cannot be helped either. The next battle will surely be a tough ordeal and even a queen of the dragons has appeared... B-But don''t you get the wrong idea!"

    Orihime''s tone of voice turned feeble mid-sentence as though in an attempt to argue, only turning into what seemed a little like anger at the end.

    "It happened only because I had no choice, ultimately necessitated by battle!"

    "O-Of course. I''ll carve this in my heart."

    "It is absolutely not because I enjoy it..."

    "I figured. I absolutely won''t have any weird misunderstandings."

    "B-But putting this aside, I mentioned earlier as well, since fate has brought us together so much, I think I would be totally fine with dating you."

    "Oh, okay."

    "That is what I think..."

    For some reason, towards the end, Orihime kept staring into Hal''s eyes as though trying to tell him something.

    Orihime''s eyes were a bit moist. Her gaze caused Hal''s heart to race. He even felt that if he were to say certain "magic words" this instant, it would decisively change something.

    But would that be okay? Clearly she had told him not to get the wrong idea.

    Just as Hal found himself in a conundrum, Orihime suddenly reacted with surprise. As though chastising herself "What am I saying!?", she shook her head forcefully and suddenly shouted, "R-Right, Haruga-kun! Next, let us talk about what is over here!"

    Orihime pointed at the materials laid out on the table.

    Photocopies of ancient Japanese texts. These had been ordered recently by the used bookstore, Mirokudou, a special purchase Hal had asked Kenjou Genya to make.

    At the same time, this was information about Hinokagutsuchi¡ªthe red dragon queen.

    This was what Hal had originally intended to discuss with Orihime and Hazumi tonight.

    Part 4

    The materials Hal had prepared was a certain shrine''s historical record.

    A so-called historical record referred to a document recording a shrine or temple''s roots and origins. This particular shrine was located in the Tokai region of Honshu on the Pacific shore. Established during the early Kamakura period, its history stretched quite far back.

    Every generation of the chief priest left behind diaries and notes. All related documents that could be obtained were all gathered here.

    "Tracing back to the root, my encounter with Hinokagutsuchi at the Witch Mansion was the beginning of everything."

    Hal renewed his vigor and began to recount tirelessly.

    "However, can my encounter with her be explained simply by coincidence?"

    "Haruga-kun, do you believe there was a reason why you two met?"

    A question from the audience, Orihime, prompted Hal to nod.

    "Yes. In the beginning, I thought she was a ghost attracted by the Mansion''s spiritual energy, but lately, I''ve thought of other possibilities."

    That dream was the clue that had inspired Hal.

    The Crimson Queen had committed suicide to decide the battle between dragon kings. At the time, the queen i.e. Hinokagutsuchi had dug out her own heartmetal and cast it down to the earth.

    After repeatedly experiencing the dream, Hal had confirmed clearly.

    The heartmetal had undoubtedly fallen somewhere along a series of curved islands¡ªJapan.

    "These all come from the collection at Shin-Kiba''s Witch Mansion... Books and objects related to magic and collected from all over Japan."

    "Speaking of which, the library there was also where I met you, Haruga-kun."

    "And then, rather than Hinokagutsuchi¡ªa dragon''s ghost¡ªshowing up in the Mansion for no reason, I believe it''d be more convincing to say that she was haunting an enchanted artifact related to her."

    "What you mean, Haruga-kun... is that artifact has been moved here together with the Mansion?"

    "Yeah, that''s what I''m trying to say."

    Saying that, Hal looked at Orihime squarely.

    "Banking on this idea, which is more like a whim than a hypothesis, I tried to search through the Mansion''s catalog. Among the densely written list of items, I ended up discovering the ''five types of divine treasures related to Goddess Hinokagutsuchi.''"

    Iron sword, bronze pot, Gamontai divine beast mirror, great blade of gilt bronze and red agate.

    These were itemized as the "five divine treasures."

    Hal had picked out everything matching the description and placed them in this corner.

    "This so-called Hinokagutsuchi was the name of the fire god appearing in Japanese mythology, right? But rather than a goddess, he was genuinely a male deity. But here, it''s written as goddess on purpose."

    Hal was quite well-versed in fields such as mythology, history, archaeology and folkloristics.

    In order to gather the Grave Goods used in covenant rituals between "serpents" and witches¡ªmagical apparatus for enshrined object emulation¡ªHal had learnt a great deal of knowledge.

    "There is one theory that the sun goddess Amaterasu was actually a male god. However, this is my first time seeing Hinokagutsuchi in gender reversal. This really bothered me, so I tried to investigate the shrine that venerated Goddess Hinokagutsuchi''s divine treasures... I investigated its origins."

    Hence, Hal had made a request to Kenjou, asking him to delegate to a certain SAURU branch in the Tokai region the task of gathering information about the shrine in question.

    "During the Ken''ei era¡ªin other words, the early Kamakura period¡ªthe ''fire god''s fragment'' fell from the sky. Reportedly, ''a goddess that looked like a child'' appeared beside the pillow of a villager who had collected the fragment."

    "Looked like a child... That''s the same as Kagutsuchi-san."

    "Thereafter, the fire god''s fragment was venerated as divine treasures for which a shrine was built."

    "But concluding that Kagutsuchi-san''s heartmetal comprises those treasures based on this... Aren''t you overthinking things?"

    "Responding to your point, I saw it in a dream."

    "D-Dream!?"

    Confronted with the surprised Orihime, Hal explained the magic gun''s guidance and Hinokagutsuchi''s last moments.

    In particular, "the heartmetal dropped by the red dragon king from the stratosphere" was related to "the origins of the shrine worshiping Goddess Hinokagutsuchi."

    "Hinokagutsuchi had said something that could be construed as an admission to this, so I think it''s surprisingly probable that my hunch is correct. But it also depends on whether she was lying or not."

    "Kagutsuchi-san... probably wouldn''t lie, right? After all, she has so much pride."

    Orihime commented on the personality of the self-styled devil who was nowhere to be seen.

    "As if anyone would stoop as low as lying to you, that''s what I feel she''d say."

    "I agree. That''s why I tried to pick out all the artifacts whose appearance match the five types of divine treasures related to Goddess Hinokagutsuchi. The heartmetals of dragons and ''serpents'' are mostly precious metals in spherical form, so the red agate¡ªone of them¡ªshould be the most likely."

    Just red agate alone, there were already nine pieces. Every orb was chipped or cracked.

    Then there were six iron swords, four bronze pots, two divine beast mirrors made of bronze and a blade of gilt bronze. Looking at these selected objects, Hal crossed his arms.

    "It''s also possible that rocks or metals fallen from the sky were melted down and processed, so I can''t jump to conclusions. How should I confirm...?"

    "Can''t you use a treasure hunter''s intuition or experience to find a solution?"

    "Unfortunately, a dragon''s heartmetal isn''t part of my professional expertise."

    Hal shrugged and muttered, "Although I tried reading a part of the collected information, hoping there might be clues... It was futile. I''m guessing nothing essential will be found in the unread remainder too."

    The gathered ancient texts were laid out on the table.

    Hal had hastily read through the shrine''s historical record, which the chief priest had recompiled during the Meiji period, as well as the chief priest''s diary that had recorded shrine related matters.

    The remainder consisted of materials dating earlier back to the Edo period and even the Muromachi period.

    However, he would have to be prepared to spend a great deal of time if he wanted to read these materials in detail. And he was not optimistic regarding whether corresponding rewards could be reaped.

    "Even if I used magical methods to check¡ª"

    Hal stared intently and activated magical sight.

    The majority of the various artifacts selected as heartmetal candidates glowed faintly. The rest of them were shrouded in dim mist instead. However, enchanted artifacts carried magical or mystical energies to begin with, which was why they were housed in the Witch Mansion. This was an expected and logical result.

    "It doesn''t seem particularly meaningful..."

    "How difficult..."

    "I might as well bring a police dog and have it look for things with Hinokagutsuchi''s scent, how about that?"

    "But she is a ghost without a scent to begin with, right?"

    "Since she''s able to eat and touch things, she should have a tangible body of sorts. I''ve also gathered a portion of her remains."

    Hal picked up a flask kept on the side of the table.

    "Back when I received the Rune of the Bow, Hinokagutsuchi had briefly and temporarily revived her past body¡ªthe one she had as a dragon¡ªto drive away the pursuing dragon."

    "Ahhh! It was when the dragons were targeting us in Old Tokyo!"

    "Yeah. Back then, Hinokagutsuchi''s body quickly crumbled into dust and was blown away by the wind... But I gathered some of it from the scene at Tokyo Station. After thoroughly eliminating sand and dust, this remaining powder is what used to be part of a dragon''s body."

    The flask in Hal''s hand was filled with white powder.

    The dragon king known as the Crimson Queen in the past¡ªpart of the scattered remains when her body collapsed. Hal had gathered it as a sample.

    Looking at the flash and the white powder, Orihime exhaled.

    "How astounding, to think you went to such lengths... It''s a bit beyond my imagination."

    "Rather, it''s better to say this is my field of expertise in the first place. Brandishing a weird gun to fight dragons in massive battles is the special exception instead. However¡ª"

    Hal sighed, naturally because of gloom.

    "What comes next is hard to say."

    "Eh? Haruga-kun, don''t tell me you intend to switch careers to become a hero!?"

    "I know I''m not cut out for it, at least. If I''m going to switch careers, I''d most likely change to something even more useless."

    After chuckling ironically, Hal looked up above him.

    "Sigh, let''s get back on topic. The current problem is finding the heartmetal. It''s probably pointless even if I bring a police dog or a drug detection dog. What to do?"

    "Speaking of dogs... Isn''t Akuro-Ou similar to a dog?"

    Hal could not help but smile wryly because Orihime was speaking with a serious expression.

    "No no, no matter the resemblance, she''s ultimately just a dog-like non-living creature¡ª"

    "But if it''s her, she should be quite sensitive towards magic-related things and dragon presences, shouldn''t she?"

    Hal wanted to dismiss the notion with a laugh, but immediately changed his mind.

    The leviathan named Akuro-Ou possessed a form intermediate between a fox and a wolf. But regardless, nothing changed the fact that she belonged in the canid family.

    And just as Orihime had pointed out, one might place their hopes on her superior senses to surpass what could be achieved by smell¡ª

    "So this is what Akuro-Ou selected."

    Hal pointed at an orb of red agate, seven centimeters or so in diameter. Roughly a third of it was missing and the surface was covered with tiny cracks.

    Next to the outdoor dining table in front of the library, Hal was explaining to Asya and Luna Francois.

    As a side note, the two girls were dressed identically in the Academy''s uniform.

    "A former dragon king''s heartmetal. The ''fire god''s fragment'' that had fallen from the sky roughly eight hundred years ago. Hinokagutsuchi''s spirit dwells within this thing."

    A night had passed since Akuro-Ou finished appraising.

    This was already the fourth morning after the dragon king''s army had "occupied" Tokyo.

    Last night, Hal and Orihime had moved the various artifacts, heartmetal candidates, out to the sports ground then summoned Akuro-Ou. As before when they summoned her in Old Tokyo, she was shrunk down to roughly three meters in body length.

    Then Akuro-Ou examined these artifacts like a drug detection dog.

    The result of the appraisal was now reflecting the sun''s morning rays on the table. It was one of the nine orbs of red agate.

    "...But we still can''t be 100% certain."

    "However, judging from your description, this possibility seems to be highly likely."

    Luna Francois nodded while Asya murmured on the side, "R-Right. Thanks to Haruomi and Orihime-san, the dragon king''s heartmetal was found... But come to think of it, I can''t believe you were happily flirting away with a girl under the same roof..."

    "Fufu. This is also an outcome of camping together~~"

    Asya was making a sour face for some reason. In contrast, Luna Francois was beaming on purpose.

    "After thoroughly enjoying a camping life served by two young beauties, commonly known as having a lady on each arm, Harry''s motivation must have risen to the highest point, yes?"

    "Haruomi! You''re better off acting like a herbivore and doing nothing as always!"

    "But actually, I enjoyed it quite a bit... It''s also true that they helped out a lot..."

    "Fufu. If it pleases you, I could arrange another one next time, how about that?"

    "...If a chance comes up, please do lend your assistance."

    "Gah, you traitor!"

    "It''s clearly just camping together in harmony, why am I getting scolded...?"

    Denounced by Asya, Hal tilted his head in puzzlement.

    Meanwhile, Orihime and Hazumi had gone over to the cultural clubs building next door to deliver breakfast to President M.

    Hal looked at the table again. Apart from the heartmetal of red agate, there was also the flask of white powder gathered from the remains of Hinokagutsuchi''s collapsed body.

    "We need to gather samples of this type in vast quantities for research. The ultimate goal is to create ''new imitations,'' I guess."

    "New imitations?"

    "Different from the current leviathans?"

    "Yeah. Instead of imitation dragons, imitation dragon kings."

    Hearing Hal, the master witches jumped in surprise.

    The "serpents" they controlled were precisely "imitation dragons," but compared to elites and dragon kings, "serpents" were undoubtedly feeble beings.

    "Think about it for a second. Didn''t our parents'' generation discover within arctic ice the creation of ancient magi, a homunculus in dragon form¡ªa goddess of antiquity¡ªthereby using them as a reference to synthesize leviathans?"

    "Yes. That goddess is Grandmother Immortal."

    "And right now, she continues to live in Istanbul''s underground, the grandmother and archetype of all ''serpents.''"

    Since the trio had been involved with SAURU starting from their parents'' generation, communication was particularly easy.

    The two girls immediately understood what Hal was implying.

    "Anyway, after securing this heartmetal¡ª"

    Looking at the red agate on the table, Hal whispered quietly, "As the first modern human to discover ''the power of dragonbane,'' I wish to fulfill my obligations to future generations. Even if I were to perish in the immediate future, resulting in the loss of the Rune of the Bow... My intent is to leave something like a sapling of hope for future generations by securing this heartmetal."

    "Haruomi, it''s time for¡ª"

    Just by listening to this introduction, Asya understood.

    Completely setting aside her earlier expression of bitterness, she nodded solemnly.

    "Yeah, Rushalka''s rebirth. Apart from that, I guess we''ve got to attempt the challenge of retaking Tokyo New Town. Still, it feels like ''there''s nothing to lose'' in trying to retake New Town."

    Hal chanted a magic incantation. In truth, it was an exceedingly difficult mission.

    "An elite alone would be fine, but this time, there is a dragon king and her minion backing him."

    "If we were to fail, New Town would be abandoned immediately, scrapping the city¡ªIsn''t that right?"

    Luna Francois and Asya concurred rather irresponsibly.

    Precisely because they knew best how formidable were the enemies that had shown up at New Town, they did not recklessly speak in optimistic tones.

    In any case, the master-class witches and Hal nodded at one another.

    "By the way, can I ask a question, Luna?"

    Once the discussion reached a conclusion, Hal changed the subject.

    At the same time, he stared at this American girl who had inexplicably changed into the Academy''s female uniform like Asya. Starting from the moment he saw her this morning, Hal had been very curious.

    "Why are you in uniform today?"

    "Do as the Romans do, so the saying goes. Besides, wearing the same attire allows my physical traits to be more clearly contrasted against Asya''s?"

    "W-What do you mean by contrast!? Sure, it''s true that Luna''s slightly more curvy!"

    "Not slightly but far more voluptuous, yes? However, I might possibly lose out to Orihime-san. Japanese figures are marvelous these days."

    At this moment, Hal''s cellphone rang.

    It happened to be the subject of their conversation. The owner of an outstanding figure was calling.

    "What''s up, Juujouji?"

    ''Ah, Haruga-kun? President M has issued emergency summons. Hurry over now!''

    Reportedly, President M was apparently on the clubs building''s roof when breakfast was delivered.

    Ignoring the arrival of Orihime and Hazumi, she kept her eyes closed and meditated for thirty minutes. Then without warning, she opened her eyes wide and emitted a mighty shout.

    Emergency breakfast time followed immediately.

    After finishing an entire rice cooker''s worth of white rice, cooked from four cups of raw rice, President M said, "Get me everyone involved in my clubs! I shall show you the fruits of my training!"

    Consequently, Hal and Asya rushed over in haste.

    Under the gazes of four people including Hazumi and Orihime, President M slowly began to speak, "Two full days of training has led to my ascension to a new realm. The way I am now, I feel that I can even oppose the Great Old Ones and phantasmal demons from the macrocosm''s abyss..."

    "A-Amazing..."

    "Although it''s worth pointing out that training duration was only two days..."

    Ignoring the whispers between Hazumi and Orihime, President M shouted "Hah!" loudly.

    Expecting a massive explosion, Hal entered a precautionary stance but surprisingly, nothing happened at all. On everyone''s behalf, Asya asked skeptically, "...Are you trying to do something like a transformation?"

    "Don''t be ludicrous, it''s not like I have some kind of hyperbolic whatever chamber. Two mere days of training won''t amount to monumental changes. Nevertheless, I still achieved distinct results. Am I right, Haruga?"

    Stared at by President M''s round eyes, Hal could not help but feel a pang of fright.

    "When I ''looked'' at you last time, I could not see anything resembling a proper destiny. But as I am now, I might be able to see something. Would you like a try?"

    "Uh, my destiny?"

    "Indeed. The high-level skill of Life Consultant is an ultimate finishing move. Even a boy as irregular as you would surely beg me for life coaching out of admiration. You are welcome."

    "Sure... Then I''ll try it out."

    The instant Hal made his request, President M leaned over without warning.

    Her flowing steps were surprisingly agile, By the time he realized, the president had already struck Hal in the chest with her palm.

    "Hah!"

    "Uwah!?"

    Hal''s body was sent flying spectacularly by the sudden palm strike.

    Then he fell on his bottom just like that. Meanwhile, President M gazed down at Hal aloofly and said with solemnity, "...Your guiding light has been in your hand since a long time ago. Please remember it when you find yourself cornered and unsure what do do..."

    "I-In my hand?"

    However, President M did not answer his question.

    Her massive body, estimated to weigh 140kg approximately, swayed left and right before collapsing limply. The eccentric, whom Hal and the others ought to call their leader, remained lying on the floor like that.

    "She fell asleep...?"

    Regular breathing sounds could be heard from the president''s mouth. Her eyes were closed.

    Had she used up her energy? Next, Hal noticed that his chest was stinging dully even though it was just a light strike.

    "As always, anything is possible with her..."

    Watching the sleeping president, Hal felt impressed from the bottom of his heart. However, he totally could not comprehend the meaning of the advice she had just offered him¡ª

 Volume 3, 4 - Queen of the Arrow

    Volume 3, Chapter 4 - Queen of the Arrow

    Part 1

    Four days had already elapsed since the dragons occupied Tokyo New Town.

    During this period, Mutou Natsumi aka Mutou-san stayed at a shelter the whole time. That particular facility was originally a large community center located at Minamikasai in the Edogawa ward. As a venue for theater performances, orchestra concerts and the like, it was quite spacious.

    "I really don''t know when I''ll be able to leave this place..."

    At around 11am on the fourth day, Mutou-san murmured quietly to herself.

    She happened to be in the dining hall at the time, casually watching television.

    For the past four days, all channels without exception were broadcasting special reports about "What on earth happened to Tokyo New Town?" The same went for this moment. There were roughly twenty other people watching the same program, paying various levels of attention. They were all residents from the neighborhood.

    The male newscaster was summarizing information on television.

    Content consisted of headlines such as "a dragon attack threatening human minds has rendered the majority of residents unconscious," "New Town residents are unable to escape," "citizens fortunate enough to be unaffected are living in shelters within New Town," "thoughts from various evacuees," "calling for all residents in Tokyo''s outskirts to evacuate as quickly as possible" etc.

    "But since phones and the internet are not blocked, at least information can still be exchanged..."

    However, humans could not leave New Town to go "outside."

    Since food and water were plentiful, living was not a problem as long as one ignored the dragons circling all over the place.

    However, this situation was tantamount to torment with no end in sight.

    Mutou-san sighed. Including her, evacuees who remained "unfrozen" had all dutifully accepted the current situation, living obediently in the shelter.

    This was probably the incident had happened less than a week ago. Their stress had yet to build up seriously. Furthermore, there was the shocking video of dragons mercilessly killing people who were willfully escaping.

    Sure enough, the reason was the intense impression the video left on people?

    There were also rumors that the dragons flying in the air were monitoring the people who walked outside.

    "Since there''s nothing else to do anyway, I guess I''ll do some volunteer work."

    Due to the mental attack from the dragons, 90% of the citizens were "frozen."

    In that state, they were being kept directly at the shelters where they were present when the dragons attacked. However, they were laid out like goods at spacious venues such as school gyms or the like, lying down packed together tightly, literally "kept"¡ª

    This task was still in progress. Volunteers were also being recruited with great gusto.

    Most of the unaffected people like Mutou-san were participating, using the chance to secure a "slightly better bedspace" for their family and friends while they were at it.

    But at this moment, her classmate Funaki-san walked over. She was also a resident in the neighborhood, which was why she was living in the same shelter as Mutou-san.

    "Mutou-san! The handsome guy''s fever finally subsided!"

    "Oh, finally. Then let''s go check on him."

    Informed by Funaki-san, Mutou-san replied.

    The silver-haired handsome young man had been carried into this elementary school gym four days earlier. Since then, his high fever had persisted, keeping him in a state of delirium. However, there were very few hospitals in normal operation because the majority of medical professionals had fallen unconscious.

    A patient with no diseases or external injuries apart from a fever would not be allowed to be hospitalized, which ended up causing him to be sent here directly.

    "Besides, he can basically speak now, although he doesn''t really like to talk."

    "Where is he from? He''s probably not Japanese."

    Passport, foreigner registration, wallet, credit card.

    The mysterious and handsome man with none of these articles on his person was a silver-haired Caucasian. Ever since four days ago, Mutou-san had been curious about his identity.

    "Well, he''s been keeping a poker face the whole time. Let alone where he''s from, he won''t even reveal his name. But that''s what makes him cool. Handsome guys have it so good."

    Listening to her classmate''s report, Mutou-san smiled wryly.

    Funaki-san had been diligently checking on the "mysterious handsome guy" in this manner.

    She had even applied cooling gel pads to his forehead and even prepared ice packs.

    This sort of care was the result of plain hospitality and a fan girl mindset of wanting to look after a handsome man, combined with a situation lacking in entertainment. Mutou-san would occasionally go along with her too.

    The pair made their way to a large Japanese-style room on the second floor of the community center.

    This place seemed to be frequently used for flower arrangement and other classes offered by the community. Moving a futon over, they had turned it into a sickroom for the silver-haired man.

    "Ah, you''re trying to go out again!? You can''t!"

    Arriving in front of the Japanese-style room, Funaki-san suddenly yelled.

    Leaning unsteadily against the wall for support, the mysterious silver-haired man was trying to leave the room.

    "It''s very dangerous outside and you can''t leave Tokyo either. Haven''t you heard?"

    While Mutou-san was offering a honest advice, Funaki-san rushed over to support his body.

    The silver-haired handsome man''s expression darkened while he coldly tried to shove Funaki-san away, but all he could manage was bump against her shoulder. It looked like he could not exert any strength.

    "See, you can''t do anything with your body like this, right?"

    "Although hiding is not my preference, it is still acceptable... But I absolutely cannot tolerate being sheltered by the likes of humans. This is a taint to my pride!"

    Warned by Mutou-san, the handsome man argued back in fluent Japanese. Furthermore, his voice was extremely pleasant to the ear. Although Mutou-san felt as though she might have heard his voice somewhere recently, it was probably her imagination.

    Next to her, Funaki-san commented emotionally, "This guy is too amazing. Even when he''s just speaking, it feels like an acting performance."

    "Because he''s a foreigner after all. Cultural sensibilities are different."

    It looked like they had picked up a weird man to care for.

    For the first time, Mutou-san was struck by this fact.

    Part 2

    Hal and Asya arrived at the school''s infirmary, taking one other person with them.

    "Anyway, let her lie down here for now."

    "Then I''m putting her down. Heave-ho!"

    In one go, Asya unloaded the weight on her back to the bed Hal had indicated.

    President M. After delivering the oracle at the cultural clubs building, this massive 140kg creature had suddenly fallen asleep. Using Muscle Enhancement magic to increase her physical strength, Asya had carried her here. Meanwhile, Hal followed along to assist from behind to maintain balance.

    "Let''s check on her two hours later."

    After saying that, Hal left the infirmary with Asya.

    Although they could return straight to the library, Hal motioned to his childhood friend with his eyes when they were passing the cafeteria. This alone was enough for Asya to understand.

    "Do you have something to say?"

    "Yeah, about Rushalka."

    The two of them entered the cafeteria and bought milk coffee at the vending machine.

    Then choosing a nearby table, they sat down face to face.

    "I''ll cut straight to the chase. Since Rushalka''s birth ritual will be held in Hinokagutsuchi''s absence, I hope you''ll assist me by taking over her share."

    "...Yes, after all, you took her heartmetal to use as a research sample."

    As expected of Asya, her comprehension was instant. She immediately understood what Hal meant.

    "You can''t ask her for help as before?"

    "I can''t. So that''s the situation."

    "You could''ve completed the birth ritual first before making a move to secure the heartmetal, right?"

    "But she''s a seasoned warrior and exalted queen. I doubt she''d be deceived. And how should I put it? After all, she''s..."

    "After all, she saved your life, so you can''t bring yourself to deceive her¡ªRight?"

    "No no no, I''m just slightly hesitant because I''m still indebted to her."

    "Very well, I''ll take your word for it."

    "That''s why I''m planning to have my gun preside over the ritual. As a partner who has entered into a covenant with me, Asya, you''re also linked to that gun. Can you help me to check the ritual procedure?"

    "Of course."

    The two of them gulped down milk coffee while chatting casually. The ability to swiftly resolve business under this kind of ambiance was precisely the advantage of being stuck with an inseparable friendship.

    Next, Asya closed her eyes after receiving the magic gun Hal summoned.

    Giving up on words and language, she meditated, so as to facilitate comprehension of magical guidance through imagery.

    "...I think I understand it mostly."

    After roughly ten minutes, Asya finally opened her eyes and placed the magic gun on the table.

    Then sighing, she reported, "The principles behind this ritual magic. Its intent. The technique''s key points. Also, what happened during the past two rituals, recorded in the Rune of the Bow in your possession..."

    "If the conditions are not fulfilled completely, chances of success seem to be very low, right?"

    "Correct. It doesn''t work unless a great deal of magical power is prepared in advance. And it must be similar to what''s generated by those dragon heartmetals... Indeed, magical power heavily steeped in the attribute of fire."

    "I knew it, so that''s what''s missing. Just as I suspected."

    Because the two previous rituals were also conducted under conditions of frighteningly concentrated magical power.

    Hal instantly took out the piece of red agate from his uniform''s pocket. Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal. Looking at its scarred surface, he whispered softly, "Juujouji had given birth to Akuro-Ou''s body in one go back then, whereas Shirasaka was bringing about Minadzuki''s rebirth together with her heartmetal. I''d like to revive Rushalka no matter what..."

    "Yes, that''s what I hope for too. But that being said¡ª"

    Asya suddenly changed the subject.

    "Thanks to my link with that gun, the mystery is finally solved."

    "Mystery?"

    "Yes. It''s the reason why you''ve steadfastly refused to give details about the birth ritual''s procedure."

    Hal jumped in fright in response to Asya''s direct stare.

    Speaking of which, he had completely forgotten to tell Asya about what he had done with Orihime, Hazumi and Hinokagutsuchi. Neither had he written it into the report!

    Hal hastily returned the heartmetal to his pocket, coughed lightly and cleared his throat.

    "I can''t believe you cleverly deceived Orihime-san and Hazumi-san, making them undress to that extent, and even placed your paws on their tender skin... This behavior is virtually no different from that of a brutal and conniving little pervert. Obscene."

    "No, it''s supposed to be something like faith healing."

    "A-And this time, you''re even trying to do the same to me¡ª!"

    Spontaneously, Asya''s face turned bright red and she glared at him viciously.

    Hal muttered "eh?" to himself. Indeed, Asya had a point. Since a birth ritual was going to be held, he would have to subject Asya to the same treatment as Orihime and Hazumi. However, he had completely failed to realize this the whole time. Why?

    "Uh, umm, what can I say...?"

    "I-I really don''t get you, Haruomi. I originally thought you were 100% herbivorous, completely unaroused even when you have a lively young beauty like me by your side."

    "W-Well, I am a healthy boy after all."

    "Looks like that''s definitely true. So that''s why you''re trying to make me a target of your lustful impulses... That''s so indecent, so dirty."

    "I-It''s a long story. H-How can I explain it?"

    From Hal''s perspective, Asya was something like a blood sister.

    Hal almost never saw her as a member of the opposite sex. Wasn''t this precisely the reason why he had directly declared Rushalka''s rebirth without anticipating this development to unfold naturally?

    Just as he was about to spill the result of his impromptu self-analysis, Hal suddenly noticed.

    He originally thought his childhood friend would surely feel anger and disgust at his lust.

    "So perverted¡ªI-I-It makes me unsure what to do."

    But for some reason, Asya was staring at Hal with moistened eyes.

    Somehow, he felt that there was no anger in her eyes. Instead, he could catch faint glimpses of reassurance and hesitation, as well as some kind of overjoyed emotion...

    In addition, she even said with a bit of a dilemma, "B-But I''m slightly relieved. Before, I''ve always thought Haruomi was harboring a fatal flaw as a living creature, a boy who''d simply live a wasted life just like that..."

    "Is that how far your imagination has gone...?"

    "S-Since you''re spending your days in frustration, secretly harboring irrepressible desires for me as a woman... In that case, I''ll do everything I can to help you as your childhood friend..."

    "Huh!?"

    With her blush expanding from her face to her neck, Asya was speaking softly.

    In that moment, while he was stunned by her words, the childhood friend''s fairy-like countenance drew near Hal''s face. Asya was a flawless beauty in appearance, after all. Hal could not help but feel his heart racing.

    "I-I have a suggestion."

    "S-Sure."

    "Uh, umm... Oooooooooh~~~~~~~!"

    "W-What''s wrong!? Asya!"

    "I! I''m bound by duty to correct you, Haruomi, to prevent you from becoming a notorious pervert! And this is necessary for reviving Rushalka too... S-So, let''s practice!"

    "Practice!?"

    "Y-Yes. Let''s rehearse first for Rushalka''s birth ritual!"

    Asya suddenly sat down next to Hal.

    "Come! Like what you did to Orihime-san and Hazumi-san, please ravage me with your bestial lust¡ªI mean, please do the same thing as what you did during the ritual!"

    "Ehhhh!?"

    "I-If you don''t have the guts, Haruomi, then I''ll take the lead!"

    Asya brought her fingers to her uniform¡ªthe buttons on her shirt¡ªand prepared to unfasten them.

    Despite her assertive words, her fingers moved very slowly. But even so, she still undid her buttons one by one.

    Finally all unbuttoned, she then pulled her shirt hem out from her skirt¡ª

    The clothing covering Asya''s upper body was parted left and right down the middle. From the gap, Hal could see skin as white as milk.

    Naturally, Hal knew of her pale complexion. Nevertheless, he never imagined it would be to this extent¡ª

    Like white porcelain, her delicate skin was so beautiful that it was overwhelming. Furthermore, that narrow waist was also making his heart pound. All Hal needed to do was wrap his arms around her and Asya''s slender waist would be drawn entirely into his embrace.

    The little navel exuded shyness and cuteness. Also, looking upwards¡ª

    From the gap in the shirt, he could even catch a faint glimpse of the blue underwear covering her petite bust. At that very moment, Hal realized he had made a cognitive mistake.

    Compared to Orihime, Asya''s bust size was definitely inferior.

    However, his silver-haired childhood friend was very svelte after all.

    Yet in spite of that, her chest, hips and buttocks were somewhat fleshy, tracing out unexpected curves¡ª

    Petite though it may be, this well-proportioned figure was full of feminine charm.

    Hal gulped down a gasp. As though reaching perfection through a maiden''s form directly, this body was definitely equipped with a fairy''s dangerous charm.

    "S-So, Haruomi, please put your hand here..."

    "Ehhh!?"

    Asya took Hal''s right hand and moved it to the surface of her abdomen.

    Although Hal was greatly surprised by the tender smoothness of the pale skin, he immediately realized. Conducting a birth ritual necessitated touching the abdomen of the witch who served as the medium. This was a dry run.

    Using his right palm where the Rune of the Bow resided, Hal stroked that delicate abdomen.

    Such a slender waist might perhaps elicit jealous sighs from fellow ladies. Was it really okay to entrust the heartmetal of "serpent" to such a thin and frail body?

    Despite his worries, Hal still kept stroking Asya''s belly, allowing his fingertips and palm to wander all over the place.

    "Mm... Mmmmmm¡ª"

    Suddenly, Asya showed a painful expression. Clearly, he had not done anything violent, right?

    "W-What''s the matter?"

    "I don''t know if I should say it''s tickling... or a bit embarrassing..."

    Asya was evidently suffering¡ªNo, Hal noticed.

    Instead of pain, she was enduring the faint ticklish feeling caused by skin contact.

    Perhaps his childhood friend was very sensitive to this sort of tactile contact. However, Asya did not try to escape from Hal''s right hand despite feeling ticklish.

    Not only that, she partially closed her eyes as though feeling pleasure, allowing Hal to do as he pleased.

    "It feels so warm... So comfortable."

    Probably due to the continuous rubbing, Asya''s abdomen heated up.

    Hal had felt a cold sensation initially. Realizing this was because female body temperatures were lower than male''s, he secretly nodded to himself.

    "Mm¡ªGuh... Mmmm."

    Asya made another expression of endurance. It looked surprisingly seductive.

    Hal was confident that he knew everything to know about his childhood friend. However, to think there were this many facial expressions to see for the first time and things to learn for the first time¡ªHal''s heart kept pounding furiously.

    Soon after, Asya whispered, "U-Umm, over here... Do you want to practice a bit too?"

    "Huh?"

    "I-If the procedure is the same as for Hazumi-san, then you need to extract Rushalka''s heartmetal through my heart... In that case, you need to touch this part too¡ª!"

    Hal recalled the ritual last time.

    Indeed, so-called touching the heart¡ªHal could not help but look up and meet Asya''s gaze. With moistened eyes, his childhood friend nodded.

    Then taking Hal''s hand again, she moved it over to her breast.

    Hal''s right hand finally reached the body part clad in the blue underwear. Petite yet soft, there was a comfortable sense of elasticity. More importantly, it could be held in one''s palm like a lovely little flower from the wild. This stunned and moved Hal as though he had been electrically shocked.

    Just as the beating in his heart reached its highest point...

    Hal and Asya both jumped in surprise at the same time. This was due to a sudden surge in magical power.

    Furthermore, it was coming from Haruga Haruomi''s heart, when clearly magical power could only be generated in the human realm from a witch''s heart or the Clockwork Mage!

    "What is going on here...?"

    "Did practicing the ritual with me trigger an awakening...?"

    Perplexed, Hal muttered together with Asya.

    Bit by bit, the magical power was flowing out endlessly like from an inexhaustible spring.

    "S-Seems like a lot more will flow out... Magical power rich in the fire attribute¡ªIt''s almost like it were generated from a dragon''s heartmetal..."

    After saying these words quietly in amazement, Asya suddenly fell into deep thought.

    Furthermore, Hal also thought back earlier. Just now, President M had struck his chest lightly. Wasn''t that location right above the heart? The president''s oracle flashed through his mind.

    ''Your guiding light has been in your hand since a long time ago...''

    So long as they had this magical power generated from the heart, perhaps¡ª

    "What the birth ritual lacks is a great volume of magical power..."

    "Haruomi! Let''s revive Rushalka right away!"

    Hal''s right palm immediately began to heat up. The Rune of the Bow surfaced.

    Thump. Thump. Thump. The dragonslaying rune was throbbing in his hand like a heart''s pulsation, hot and powerful.

    This heat was alerting Hal. The rune paired with the bow had arrived.

    "Asya, hurry and tell everyone to hide! She''s here!"

    "She? Who do you mean?"

    "Last time''s dragon king...! The one that looks like a girl!"

    Grabbing his magic gun from the table, Hal rushed outside.

    ¡ªIn order to receive the dragon king, Princess Yukikaze.

    Part 3

    Hal was heading to the sports ground on campus.

    This was because he believed that a wide-open place would be better. That way, even if anything unexpected happened¡ªeven if a dragon king went on a rampage¡ªdamage could be minimized.

    Standing in the center of the field where the baseball team frequently practiced, Hal looked up into the sky.

    It was quite sunny today. Isolated white clouds were scattered across the clear blue sky. However, something was tearing through this beautiful contrast.

    A flash of white, flying from the far end of the sky.

    In merely ten-odd seconds after Hal confirmed with the naked eye, the flying flash of light arrived in the air above the school. Seemingly lightning speed, it was supersonic flight.

    "The queen finally arrives..."

    What had only appeared to be a flash of light moments earlier was landing at Hal''s sports ground.

    Clad in a white one-piece dress, the girl was standing sternly on her surfboard of a "wand." She was the dragon king whom Hal had witnessed offshore of Haneda three days earlier, Princess Yukikaze.

    The "wand" carrying the princess descended before Hal''s eyes, hovering motionlessly in the air.

    "What a face, totally lacking in ambition..."

    The white dragon king was the first to murmur poignantly.

    "Hearing that the human who inherited the bow was here, I came here to pay a special visit. Forgive me for the delay since our last encounter. I went on a tour to look around because it''s been a long time since I last visited this country."

    Despite the haughty attitude, her tone of voice was quite relaxed and cute.

    "By the way, your face¡ªNeither dignified nor manly at all. But taking an alternative viewpoint, it could be described as ''an interesting face.'' Yes."

    "Thanks for the praise..."

    Princess Yukikaze was gazing down, examining Hal as though appraising him.

    Never expecting her to judge his appearance, Hal squirmed with displeasure.

    "Not at all, no need for gratitude. A man''s caliber cannot be judged from appearance. I, Yukikaze, am not a bumbling ruler who fails to understand such a principle. However, it''s true that there''s no harm in comporting oneself with greater poise."

    "If it''s about my appearance, I hope you''ll complain directly to my parents instead."

    Hal never expected to be conversing with a dragon king like this one day.

    The situation was supposed to be terrifying, but Hal felt rather composed.

    The fall from a great height last time, equivalent to jumping off the top of a high-rise building, as well as the experience of fighting a giant dragon head on must have affected him greatly. Both his body and mind were gradually growing accustomed to shocking incidents.

    Meanwhile, the dragon king who looked like a girl answered cheerfully.

    "What are you talking about? Although appearances are inborn, one''s demeanor will convey the owner''s mind and way of life. Don''t blame your parents, clumsy brat."

    "I see. Perhaps you''re right."

    "Yes. By the way, your face does not look like a warrior''s, no matter what."

    The "wand" carrying the princess was hovering roughly three meters above the ground.

    Whether physically or mentally, the "lofty" girl scoffed with a chuckle.

    "However, I heard of your splendid victory against a warrior whom I, Yukikaze, had approved¡ªThat silver dragon. Fufu, after learning of this illustrious battle achievement, I find your silly facial expression even more amusing. There''s an air of nonchalance."

    "Don''t be ridiculous. I''m not a piece of tea ware or antique..."

    "Hmm, are you referring to the tea ceremony? You know of that art too? Very well, I, Yukikaze, shall serve you tea in the future. However, it also rests upon you surviving until then."

    The princess responded to Hal''s throwaway comment in this manner, prompting him to stare wide-eyed.

    "Can I ask where exactly did you learn about the tea ceremony?"

    Unlike Hinokagutsuchi, the way Princess Yukikaze spoke and acted seemed quite young.

    Hence, Hal deliberately used the "kimi" form of second person reference to address her. Although he had no idea how many centuries she had lived as dragon, her mental age felt similar to his.

    "A long long time ago. I don''t remember much but it should be when I last visited this nation of Japan. Back then, the people''s clothing and buildings were totally different from now."

    In that case, she must have toured Japan back in the Edo or Warring States periods!

    Hal thought swiftly. The super ancient creatures known as dragons had returned to earth at the end of the twentieth century, most likely after an absence of two or three thousand years. That was why it was called the "return of the dragons."

    Prior to their return, the dragons were supposed to have slept deep under the sea beyond the reach of humans.

    However, the battle where Hinokagutsuchi cast away her heartmetal had taken place roughly eight centuries ago. Furthermore, Princess Yukikaze had witnessed early modern Japanese culture and even learned the tea ceremony.

    "Both you... and the Crimson Queen have a long history with humans."

    Facing the beautiful maiden of pure white, Hal said softly, "Taking human form to go traveling around the world, sometimes worshiped as a goddess by humans¡ªI''m starting to feel interested in how you dragon kings have lived for the past two thousand years. At least, you don''t enter hibernation like the other dragons, right?"

    "That goes without saying. We dragon kings sleep whenever we want to sleep, getting up whenever it suits us. There are also dragon kings who establish their territory underground or at the bottom of the sea, happily partaking in the pleasures of a nap¡ª"

    Princess Yukikaze answered proudly in a quiet voice then pointed straight at the sky.

    "However, that''s not my style. The wind is something that flows in the air, isn''t it? From the start, I, Yukikaze, have spread my wings to ride the wind and soar across the distant sky. Flying past the moon and the red planet, I reached the ocean of stars. Occasionally, I returned to earth... But the majority of my journeys all took place in the ocean of stars."

    Listening the princess'' casual explanation, Hal sighed.

    Speaking of which, dragons were capable of breaking past the atmosphere nonchalantly, establishing colonies on satellite orbits or the moon. The "ocean of stars" was apparently what they called the universe.

    If one became a dragon king, would going on one or two space journeys be a matter of fact too¡ª?

    "Fufu, I''m seeing a fresh expression on your face, bow user."

    Due to the princess smiling suddenly and commenting, Hal could not help but exclaim "Eh?"

    "It looks like you have exercised your mind much during this short duration. That silly face of yours has taken on some measure of a sage''s appearance. I see, so that''s the kind of person you are."

    "I''m nowhere worthy of being called a sage. And this is the first time anyone has said something like that to me."

    "People will say this eventually. I, Yukikaze, guarantee it."

    After asserting that, the princess smirked.

    "Seeing that you are this knowledgeable, I will ask you this. Different from you, the silver dragon that inherited the Rune of the Sword is a warrior whom I, Yukikaze, approved. Even among the dragons, he is a most excellent hero."

    The elite dragon, Pavel Galad. Successor of the Rune of the Sword.

    Hearing Yukikaze bring up the dragon he wanted to find the most, Hal jumped in surprise.

    "Compare yourself to him. In what area do you think you''ve surpassed him?"

    "Not even a single one. I won last time simply because my comrades are stronger... However, I believe he deserved to lose."

    "Oh?"

    Using this excellent opportunity, Hal intentionally asserted an unnecessary claim.

    Because he wanted to see how an incumbent dragon king would react to his viewpoint.

    "Even if he hadn''t lost to us, in the process of following this Road to Kingship game, he''ll surely meet defeat and setback somewhere. He... I don''t know if I should call him too brave? As a beginner in that game, he overdid things in my opinion."

    "Ha, hahahahaha!"

    After hearing Hal''s view, Princess Yukikaze laughed heartily.

    "Impressive, bow user! I never expected something like that from you! However¡ªFufu, I definitely agree with part of what you said."

    Seeing the maiden dragon king express agreement, Hal jumped in surprise.

    This meant that Hal''s impression of the monumental trial known as the Road to Kingship was not incorrect. But in the next instant, Hal trembled all over in terror.

    Because Princess Yukikaze scoffed with a conceited smile while glaring sharply at him.

    "Isn''t it time for you to introduce yourself?"

    "My name is... Haruga Haruomi."

    "Very well, whatever Haruomi. Your intelligence is definitely amusing. However, it is all in vain unless you possess valor matching your intelligence. Next up, show me your martial prowess and valor."

    Carrying the princess who was standing sternly, the surfboard "wand" slowly ascended.

    "Naturally, as a dragon king, I, Yukikaze, surpass you greatly in martial prowess! Nevertheless, Haruomi, I shall test you to see if you have the caliber to overcome this trial!"

    "Huh!?"

    "Fufu, you could try your best to escape. I, Yukikaze, shall turn into the dragonslaying arrow that pierces all prey, chasing after you relentlessly!"

    "I-I can''t possibly dodge an arrow flying at Mach speed!"

    As one might expect, developments unfolded in this manner¡ªWithout even time for grumbling, Hal immediately summoned his "wand" too.

    A magic gun of steel and gold. The weapon from materializing the Rune of the Bow. Then without hesitation, Hal selected his firing mode. Click, click.

    Accompanied by two operating sounds, the magic gun adjusted to fully automatic fire.

    "I''m counting on you!"

    Hal pulled the trigger, causing thirty bullets of red light to fire continuously from the muzzle.

    This was a technique of assured annihilation, instantly depleting all bullets in the magazine. Since triple bursts were ineffective against the princess'' minion, his only choice against the master was an even stronger trump card. Nevertheless, Hal still harbored doubts secretly.

    Unless he used his most powerful attack, perhaps he might not even achieve a restraining effect?

    Believing his worries while firing continuously was probably the right decision. However¡ª

    "Hahahahaha! Excellent, Haruomi. This vicious vigor is exactly to my liking!"

    The maiden dragon king''s method of defense was unexpected.

    When the thirty bullets of red light approached, the surfboard "wand" carrying her instantly accelerated.

    Then turning into a flash of white light, it rapidly ascended the vast blue sky that was adorned by scattered white clouds.

    The princess gradually increased her lead over the thirty bullets of light.

    "She doesn''t even need to turn back into a dragon huh... Chase faster!"

    At Hal''s orders, the thirty bullets of light chasing Princess Yukikaze all sped up in order to pursue and pierce the target that had accelerated first.

    "Ha! Trying to match me in flying skills, are you!?"

    The princess laughed in apparent joy in the air. Then her "wand" changed trajectory.

    Previously, it had been flying straight through the sky, but now, it suddenly made a U-turn and doubled back towards the ground.

    Also, it seemed like¡ªShe was charging headlong into the thirty bullets of light aimed at her.

    Naturally, the princess would be mercilessly riddled with holes in a head-on collision with fully automatic fire of assured annihilation. However, she managed to dodge them. Hal could not help but feel stunned by surprise.

    "I-Is this possible?"

    Using aerial mobility with skill, the princess had completely dodged the approaching rain of thirty bullets.

    As though controlling a flying surfboard, she moved between the bullets, making minor adjustments in position with sudden lefts, rights, ups and downs, evading every attack.

    However, the thirty bullets of light truly lived up to the name of assured annihilation.

    Even after missing their target, the bullets immediately changed directions to attack the princess again. Nevertheless, the princess and the magic surfboard dodged them repeatedly.

    "Hahahahaha! You have much to learn, Haruomi!"

    Repeatedly dodging the rain of annihilation bullets, the princess was like a surfer riding on wind and waves.

    Her soaring form was refined and elegant. Laughing cheerfully, her beautiful face was filled with child-like airs as though frolicking between ocean waves.

    However, two beasts suddenly appeared, interrupting her enjoyment.

    "Akuro-Ou! Attack with fire magic¡ªYou must use a finishing move!"

    "Rushalka! Invoke the rune and pseudo-divinity simultaneously, full burst!"

    The white nine-tailed fox-wolf, Akuro-Ou.

    The crumbling wyvern with wounds all over, Blue Rushalka.

    Two leviathans materialized in a pincer attack to catch Princess Yukikaze while she was surfing in the air.

    Furthermore, each leviathan was accompanied by multiple flying "arrowheads." Like Hal''s magic gun, they were weapons materialized from the Rune of the Bow.

    The nine black arrowheads led by Akuro-Ou shot explosive flame from their tips.

    The fourteen white arrowheads led by Rushalka shot freezing wind from their tips.

    Fully automatic fire combined with a leviathan''s pseudo-divinity, this was a technique of assured annihilation. As a result, the sky above the school turned into a storm zone covered by flames, hot air, ice shards and freezing wind.

    "Hmm¡ªReinforcements!?"

    Caught by surprise before she could dodge, Princess Yukikaze was swallowed by the swirling vortex of flame and freezing air.

    This was because she had focused wholly on Hal and the magic gun, only noticing the ambush a step too late.

    "As expected of Asya and Juujouji..."

    If one were to launch a surprise attack, this would be the only opportunity.

    His childhood friend had probably spearheaded this initiative. As her follower, Juujouji was also very courageous. Furthermore, Hal could hear other voices.

    "Senpai! We''re over here!"

    "Harry! It''s time to conclude the diversionary task!"

    Taking a closer look, he saw Hazumi and Luna Francois arriving at the side of the sports ground.

    Presumably they had been observing the entire process while hiding earlier. Asya and Orihime were also next to them, worriedly watching their partners in the sky.

    While rushing towards the girls, Hal also glanced at Rushalka.

    Particles of light kept falling from all over Rushalka''s body. This summoning could very well be her last time to materialize. Rushalka''s physical body was reaching its limit.

    Even so, the blue wyvern still hung on to invoke the Rune of the Bow.

    However, just as Hal reached the witches¡ª

    "I hereby decree to my emblem, the Arrow of Sirius..."

    Listening to the voice descending from the sky, Hal instantly shouted loudly, "Asya, Juujouji! Make your ''serpents'' disappear. Otherwise, it''ll be too late!"

    "I, Yukikaze¡ªwill now transform into the dragonslaying arrow!"

    The white dragon king had invoked the incantation for a technique of assured annihilation. Hal had heard this mantra many times in his dreams.

    The instant her voice resounded in all directions, an orb releasing pure white lightning manifested in the air above the swirling vortex of explosive flame and freezing air.

    Riding the magic surfboard, Princess Yukikaze was standing sternly in the center of the light.

    Completely unscathed as though it was matter-of-fact, she also showed quite a delighted smile.

    "Although in sloppy manner, you went out of your way to use a trump card, after all. In that case, manners dictate that I must respond with an equally worthy technique. O imitations, pay attention and take on the dragonslaying arrow!"

    "Rushalka, emergency dispel of material form!"

    "A-Akuro-Ou, same for you! Please hurry and¡ª!"

    The instant the witches yelled, the princess and the surfboard flew, shrouded in lightning.

    The pure-white lightning traced out two lines in the air.

    The first line ran from Princess Yukikaze''s hovering position to Rushalka''s chest while the other line went towards Akuro-Ou''s chest, resulting in V-shaped symbol.

    Immediately, the raging storm of fire and ice in the air was completely dispelled.

    Deep wounds were inflicted on Rushalka and Akuro-Ou''s chests. Scorched black, the wounds exhibited the shape of an oval enclosed inside a slender isosceles triangle¡ªHal recognized it on sight.

    That emblem was precisely the Rune of the Arrow!

    In addition, after being struck by the dragonslaying arrow''s attack, the two leviathans gradually turned black, starting from extremities such as the tips of feet or wings. Parts that turned black were immediately weathered away.

    Probably thanks to the earlier orders for them to "disappear"...

    Before the blackening weathering effect could spread to their torsos, Rushalka and Akuro-Ou vanished.

    They had released their material forms in the nick of time, thus avoiding fatal injuries. However, pure-white lightning proceeded to descend towards Hal''s group from overhead.

    This was to strike the true target, Haruga Haruomi. Hal immediately commanded his magic gun.

    "Deploy protection!"

    The pearly light enveloped Hal and the four witches next to him.

    At that moment, pure-white lightning¡ªthe dragonslaying arrow¡ªstruck them.

    Part 4

    In a violent collision, the dragonslaying arrow finally struck the imperishable protection guarding Hal and his friends.

    In that instant, the erupting lightning lit up the sports ground and the surroundings as though it was daytime, meanwhile producing explosive wind and an intense shockwave.

    Hal had withstood Galad''s technique of assured annihilation before, the "thunder god''s sword." This attack was many times stronger than that.

    However, the imperishable protection was able to defend Hal''s group well. Although everyone inside the pearly light lost balance and fell on the ground due to the severe impact, they did not suffer anything worse than bruises or concussions.

    But just like that time against Galad, Haruga Haruomi''s heart stopped again.

    Hal collapsed on the ground, his body limp and immobilized. His consciousness was also hazy, gathering only a weak sense of the surroundings.

    "Hmm... Only this much martial prowess and valor. I''m a bit disappointed."

    Riding the surfboard "wand," the princess descended near the ground again. Bored, the white dragon king stared at the unconscious Hal.

    "In that case, it can''t be helped. I''ll hurry up and end everything with a beheading..."

    "I-I won''t let you do that!"

    Listening to Princess Yukikaze''s murmuring, Hazumi yelled out, unbelievably.

    She was still lying on the ground, perhaps unable to stand after getting hit by the earlier shockwave. But even so, she still mustered all her strength to sit up.

    "Please, Minadzuki... Save Senpai!"

    "O priestess, please do not make such an unreasonable demand."

    Looking up at the emerald serpentine dragon leviathan materializing in the air above the school, Princess Yukikaze said quietly in pity.

    "Even an imitation goddess has no choice but to bow down in submission before a dragon king¡ªO goddess, you have done enough. Take a break."

    "Ah..."

    Hearing that voice which could even be described as gentle, Hazumi could not find words to speak.

    After appearing once in the air, Minadzuki immediately vanished, her massive emerald body disappearing within the blink of an eye. This was due to dispelling her material form.

    Princess Yukikaze was wielding stronger control over a "serpent" than the partner she was actually contracted to¡ª

    A dragon king''s authority was undoubtedly horrifying. Although Hal already knew this before the battle, the massive gap in power was huge, to the point of despairing. No matter how he thought about it, there was no chance of winning.

    He looked around him, only to see Orihime currently lying on the ground.

    She looked like she had lost consciousness. Or perhaps, she was suffering from a concussion.

    In contrast, Luna Francois and Asya were trying to get up, albeit stiffly. They looked like they had only suffered bruises, probably because they had deployed defensive magic to protect themselves momentarily.

    The American witch sighed with a troubled expression.

    But even so, Luna Francois still prepared herself a weapon. From under her skirt, she took out a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Apparently, she kept the holster strapped to her thigh.

    Meanwhile¡ª

    Despite heavy injuries, Asya still looked at Princess Yukikaze with eyes of unwavering fighting spirit.

    She had not given up hope on seeking victory... Or rather. Hal understood. Asya had already banished all notion of winning and losing, instead putting her determination into fighting their way out of this severe predicament.

    At this rate, perhaps they might be able to find a way to survive.

    Hal¡ªor more precisely, Hal''s consciousness¡ªsighed.

    "But that''s all we could do. After all, we had no chance of winning from the start."

    Modern humans were stuck in quite a despairing situation.

    Although the media and the governments of various countries had put in touching amounts of effort to hide this fact, so long as the dragon kings and elite dragons exerted themselves seriously, humanity as a race could very well go extinct within two years.

    The dragons had not done so only because they were the ones doing the hunting and exploiting.

    It was advantageous for them to allow their targets, the humans, to survive. Coexisting with such unfriendly neighbors, humanity had not choice but to struggle desperately.

    Hal mentally committed his resolve. Rushalka must undergo rebirth.

    However, even the grand combination of a dragonslaying rune with top-class leviathans had ended up disappointingly ineffective before a dragon king. He needed a little something extra as a trump card...

    "I''ve got no choice but to resolve myself."

    "Resolve, is that it...?"

    Just as Hal was muttering to himself, Hinokagutsuchi''s voice responded.

    "Have you resolved yourself to coexist with the dragonslaying bow, to advance along the Road to Kingship?"

    "No, I''ve simply resolved myself to feign participation in that ridiculous game with the ostentatious name, meanwhile devoting myself to researching secret techniques and clever ways to exploit loopholes in the system."

    By the time he knew it, Hal''s consciousness had fallen into dense mist, obscuring the surrounding scenery completely.

    Princess Yukikaze and his companions had vanished too. However, the young girl in the scarlet kimono, Hinokagutsuchi, was nearby.

    This was because the former queen of dragons had now invaded Hal''s consciousness.

    "Hmph. You are uttering bizarre things as usual."

    "Say, the more I understand the situation, the more I''ve become convinced of this... From an RPG perspective, that Road to Kingship has really piss-poor balance. If you dutifully resolve matters in sequence, you''ll surely die somewhere in the early or middle stages, right?"

    Hal glared viciously at Hinokagutsuchi while he spoke.

    This was an exchange between minds. If one were to calculate the actual duration in physical terms, one or two seconds probably elapsed at most. Hence, they were able to converse like this while disregarding what was happening "outside the mist."

    Guided by the magic gun¡ªhis "magic wand"¡ªHal understood this as well.

    "Judging from Galad''s and my strength, it seems like we''re at a level where we could still get taken out by elite dragons no matter how much we rack our brains, right? Like running into a dragon king this time where the enemy is insanely strong. It''s impossible to beat the boss no matter how I think about it."

    "Fufu. Disregarding this while aiming to become "king" is precisely what it means to be a dragon."

    "Unfortunately, I''m a human."

    Hal grumbled at the snickering Hinokagutsuchi.

    However, the man in black, Sophocles, had given out the biggest hint. There were indifferent participants who had unintentionally become dragon kings.

    In other words, didn''t that stand as evidence that making a serious attempt would be a shortcut to death?

    "That elite named Galad really should rein in his hot-blooded fervor. He clearly understands better than me what the game is about, so why does he still want to take the challenge head on like a hero...?"

    "That is because he is capable to begin with. According to your theory¡ª"

    Hinokagutsuchi''s face revealed a diabolical smile that suited her extremely well.

    "His caliber probably allows him to survive until the midgame. So long as his luck holds out."

    "Then it''s even more impossible for someone like me. I knew it, taking the secret techniques route is my only choice."

    Hal looked up at the sky. Then he recalled the matter of the red agate.

    At that moment, the divine treasure that was formerly Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal appeared in the right hand of Hal''s conscious entity. As expected of the mental world, things could be conjured by imagination alone. How convenient.

    "Sorry, but I''m going to use this thing now."

    This was the only thing he could use as the ace up his sleeve. Hal declared firmly, "As the representative of weak humans, I''m got no choice but to become the proverbial fox that borrows the tiger''s¡ªor rather, the dragon''s¡ªclout."

    "So this is your intention after all."

    Hinokagutsuchi shrugged haughtily.

    "Because you saw ''my past self''..."

    "It suddenly occurred to me when I was making detailed inquiries to my gun about whether the birth ritual could be held without you. What would happen if I tried to use this to conduct the ritual?"

    It had been half a month since he had obtained this "magic wand" of a magic gun.

    Although this tool included many uses including combat and ability control, what Hal held in greatest regard was actually its function as a "guide to the unorthodox path." Thanks to that, he found the space to ponder secret techniques.

    The likes of Pavel Galad probably would never think of this.

    But as a weak human, Hal had no choice but to ponder how to survive beyond today.

    "But even if the ritual were to succeed... Will you be able to command the ''queen''? That red heartmetal remains intimately linked to my soul¡ªthe soul of the former sovereign."

    "......"

    She had a point. Hal silently nodded.

    This could be foreseen based on the fact that after he obtained the rune, Hinokagutsuchi had immediately resurrected that in the ruins of Tokyo Station¡ªa place where her heartmetal was not at hand.

    "If I were to interfere... What would you do?"

    "It''s already a gamble. But no matter how stacked the odds are against me, my only choice is to keep gambling," Hal replied while looking straight at the ghost of the former dragon king.

    If that situation were to arise, they would probably need to confront Hinokagutsuchi before facing off against Princess Yukikaze. He must exhaust the limits of his wits and magical power and use every means possible to stop the self-styled devil from interfering.

    "Then go ahead and try."

    Hinokagutsuchi responded with something like a taunt. However, she was smiling.

    This was not her usual smile of arrogance. Rather it seemed like the expression of a sacred guardian, watching from up high while powerless humans struggled in desperation. It was a smile belonging to a goddess with a young girl''s appearance.

    "I already know that you are craftier than I can imagine. Show me your caliber by taking action next!"

    Hal nodded and gripped the heartmetal of red agate harder.

    At the same time, he focused more attention on his own heart. Magical power began to pour from his heart like flames, spilling out of his body. Furthermore, it seemed endless like an eternal spring.

    The intense magical power was in no way inferior to what was present at Akuro-Ou and Minadzuki''s births.

    Under such conditions, platinum-colored flames surrounded the heartmetal in his hand.

    "Please, use this... use Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal¡ªto perform the birth ritual!"

    Hal instructed the Rune of the Bow residing in his right palm as well as its manifestation, the magic gun.

    Indeed¡ªHe had considered this before. By putting her heartmetal through rebirth, Minadzuki''s physical body was also resurrected. In that case, what if he did the same thing using Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal?

    Back then, Akuro-Ou and Minadzuki had borrowed the wombs of witches to undergo birth.

    But as a man, Haruga Haruomi did not have the ability to conceive and bear a child. Then what could he use as a substitute?

    Taking the heartmetal that was burning with platinum flames, Hal pressed it hard against his own chest.

    The objective was to merge it with Haruga Haruomi''s heart.

    Without any resistance, the heartmetal entered his chest swiftly.

    Indeed. Since he was unable to give birth to life, his only recourse was to share out his own life!

    Hal''s heart absorbed Hinokagutsuchi''s deceased heartmetal. Furthermore, it began to beat anew. At the same time, blood, life and magical power flowed into the dead heartmetal.

    This also meant that Hal''s body was starting to meld with Hinokagutsuchi''s remains.

    The living heart and the dead heartmetal merged into one, resulting in a transformative rebirth of new life¡ª

    Hal literally experienced the miracle occurring in his body. At the same time, he also tasted excruciating agony. Perhaps this was the so-called pain of childbirth when a baby was pushed out of its mother''s body.

    this pain caused Hal to scream as loud as he could.

    "Uwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Hal did not know how long his pain lasted.

    This was inside his mind, where the passage of time differed from that in the real world. Regardless, Hal''s heart and Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal were slowly taking on a new form, turning into one life.

    Thump. This was the beating of the new heart, and equivalently, heartmetal.

    Next, the surrounding mist suddenly dispersed, because Hal had recovered consciousness.

    By the time he regained his senses, Hal found himself lying on the school sports ground.

    Orihime and Hazumi were lying collapsed nearby. Asya and Luna Francois had forced themselves on their feet in preparation to fight. Their gazes were directed towards Princess Yukikaze.

    Riding the surfboard "wand," she was hovering above ground at a height of roughly four meters.

    "Luna! Buy me a bit of time no matter how little!"

    Despite getting up quite stiffly, Hal still yelled as hard as he could.

    His body still could not move in full accordance with his will. But he had no choice but to say those words. Next, the witch carrying the 9mm semi-automatic pistol responded just as he predicted.

    "Affirmative! Glinda, Invisible Walk!"

    Luna Francois released astounding magical power from her entire body.

    A witch''s heart could not possibly generate magical power of this magnitude. It was almost as great as the magical power released when a "serpent" activated pseudo-divinity.

    Clearly, her partner, Glinda the Good Witch of the South had yet to materialize!

    "Gravity Cannon!"

    Luna Francois called out while invoking the pseudo-divinity of Gravity.

    After pouring in magic for gravity manipulation, Luna fired her pistol consecutively. Instead of 9mm Parabellum bullets, spheres resembling concentrated darkness were fired from the gun''s muzzle.

    Numbering seven in total, the dark spheres all flew towards Princess Yukikaze in the air.

    "Hmm¡ª!"

    Pearly radiance manifested around the princess in the white dress.

    Imperishable protection. Almost at the same time as the appearance of the light, the seven spheres fired by Luna¡ªmagic bullets for compressing targets through gravity control, thereby crushing them¡ªarrived en masse.

    However, even as many as seven shots of gravity bullets still could not crush imperishable protection, simply squeezing the pearly defensive field.

    However, Princess Yukikaze frowned from behind her power of protection. She probably found it incredible for a witch to suddenly use pseudo-divinity.

    Then the princess glared sharply behind Luna and Hal''s group.

    "Hiding over there, are you...? Show yourself."

    At the dragon king''s command, the gigantic body of a "serpent" instantly appeared in the school sports ground.

    It was a fierce lion with orange fur. However, there was also a green dragon head on her right shoulder and a black goat head on her left¡ª

    Naturally, she was Glinda the Good Witch of the South.

    By using the Invisible Walk command, master mage Luna Francois had summoned her partner while maintaining invisibility.

    Secretly, she had used Glinda''s second pseudo-divinity, Illusion.

    This was probably a trick she thought up after witnessing Hazumi''s failure. Nothing less expected from the abilities of someone certified as master-class.

    "No need to hide yourself anymore, Glinda, go all-out¡ªGravity Wall!"

    Ruooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

    The lion, dragon and black goat heads all roared simultaneously from behind Hal and company.

    Hence, four black magic circles¡ªeach roughly Glinda''s size¡ªsuddenly appeared above, before, behind and below the maiden dragon king who was standing in midair, applying pressure from four directions.

    The four magic circles were precisely walls of gravity for crushing Princess Yukikaze!

    Apart from that, the seven gravity bullets released earlier also applied pressure on the princess at full force.

    Nevertheless, none of these deadly sources of gravity were able to touch Princess Yukikaze.

    "Now that I know the method, it''s nothing to be concerned about. Disappear."

    While shielding herself with imperishable protection, the princess casually issued the order.

    In that instant, Glinda''s massive body, the seven gravity bullets and the four black magic circles all instantly vanished without trace matter-of-factly.

    Even a Level 5 master-class witch could not prevail against a dragon king''s authority.

    However, Luna Francois had succeeded in stalling for a minute or two. This duration was as precious as gemstones. Back when the gravity bullets were fired, Hal was already taking action.

    Hal focused his awareness on his heart¡ªor rather, the heartmetal.

    Abundant magical power instantly surged from his heart and began to fill up the school sports ground.

    Thus, the conditions were fulfilled. Next, Asya looked at Hal.

    From the moment Hal had spoken, his childhood friend had been like this. She instantly rushed to him, but not to celebrate each other''s safety.

    During the practice ritual earlier, their minds intents had already become one.

    "Haruomi! Rushalka and I are ready any time!"

    "Thanks, Asya!"

    Asya arrived behind him and Hal reached his right hand into her chest.

    Instead of grabbing her petite breast, his hand was sucked into his childhood friend''s body to grab her strong and vigorous little heart. In that instant, as a mysterious effect of birth magic, the interior of Asya''s body became linked to that of her partner Rushalka''s.

    At the same time, Asya''s heart was switched with Rushalka''s heartmetal.

    Holding the heartmetal, Hal moved it downwards towards his childhood friend''s lower abdomen.

    "Mm... Mm, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Asya could not help but scream loudly. It was probably quite painful.

    Since Orihime and Hazumi had experienced overwhelming pain in the past, the ritual needed to be conducted with utmost care. However, there was no time now. He had to swiftly and urgently finish everything.

    "I''m okay... So hurry...!"

    Tearful from the pain, Asya panted while she spoke.

    Using human birth as an analogy, this situation would be akin to an emergency Caesarean surgical operation. Although Hal seemed to hesitate out of consideration for his suffering childhood friend¡ªHe must not stop now.

    Instead, Hal used his free hand, his left, to hold Asya''s left hand.

    Asya gripped his hand tightly as though seeking help, to the point of hurting him.

    Then in the next instant...

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    The instant he drew his hand out of her body, Asya screamed loudly.

    Instantly, she collapsed, utterly drained. After all, the ritual was extremely harsh despite its short length. Sitting limply on the ground, exhausted, his childhood friend''s shoulders shook while she panted heavily.

    However, her eyes were staring proudly at the object held in Hal''s right hand.

    A blue sphere¡ªthe heartmetal of the reborn Rushalka.

    Burning inside was a tiny flame.

    Leaving Hal''s hand, the heartmetal floated into the air on its own.

    At this moment, Princess Yukikaze had just eliminated Glinda from the sports ground. As though taking her spot in line, the blue heartmetal showed up and ascended towards the sky.

    With flame residing inside it, Rushalka''s heartmetal was glowing with dazzling radiance in the air.

    This light turned into a wyvern''s strong and massive body. The wings sprouting from the two shoulders were long and majestic, the head was adorned by a blue mane, while a long horn protruded from the forehead¡ª

    The wyvern with a single horn like a unicorn''s, Blue Rushalka.

    Finally, she was reborn in a perfect state of health. However¡ª

    "The imitation from earlier? Although it looks slightly more lively, it''s ultimately still a loser. You''ll only repeat the same mistake, you know?"

    Standing on the flying surfboard, the dragon king spoke with boredom.

    Of course, Hal understood her logic. Rushalka and Akuro-Ou were both vassals of dragonslaying power, which prevented them from submitting even if the princess commanded. However, that was all as far as differences went.

    There was an unbridgeable gulf between a dragon king and "imitation dragons."

    Nevertheless, Haruga Haruomi''s heart had now absorbed a former dragon king''s heartmetal¡ªHinokagutsuchi''s. Hal focused his consciousness on this new internal organ of his.

    Immediately, a giant crimson appeared in front of him.

    "¡ªThe Crimson Queen!?"

    For the very first time, the dragon king on the magic surfboard showed an expression of surprise.

    Part 5

    If Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal was used in a birth ritual, the Crimson Queen would resurrect¡ª

    That was how the magic gun had replied to Hal''s whim of an idea.

    On further thought, Hal remembered how the dragon king''s ghost had suddenly resurrected her past self during Raak Al Soth''s attack on the Old Tokyo Concession.

    By doing the same thing, Hal resurrected the red dragon king before his eyes right now.

    Twenty meters in body length. Featuring dragon scales of vivid crimson, this dragon had the most strongly built physique he had seen so far. Long and large, the wings stretched out wide.

    Nine golden horns were growing on the head. The chest region was ossified into an exoskeleton while shining with golden luster.

    "O Haruomi... I never expected you to hold such a hidden ace."

    From the air, Princess Yukikaze murmured softly.

    Her beautiful face, resembling a snow fairy''s, clearly expressed her surprised and impressed thoughts.

    "Fufufu. Perhaps you intend to use this trump card and allow me to enjoy myself for a while? To allow me, Yukikaze, to fight the Crimson Queen again as the arrow''s successor¡ª!?"

    Riding the magic surfboard, the princess looked straight down at the ground.

    Not only did she ignore the reborn Rushalka, but she even showed no intention to attack the newly revived Crimson Queen. She wanted to see what move the other side would make.

    Clearly, Princess Yukikaze''s obsession with the Crimson Queen was extraordinary.

    "Drive away the queen of the arrow like how you got rid of Soth last time...!"

    Seizing the opportunity, Hal stared at the giant red dragon''s back and whispered.

    But no matter how he tried to transmit his thoughts, the queen remained motionless.

    ''But even if the ritual were to succeed... Will you be able to command the "queen"? That red heartmetal remains intimately linked to my soul¡ªthe soul of the former sovereign.''

    During the mental conversation earlier, that was what Hinokagutsuchi had said.

    Right now, the invisible queen''s voice was also ringing in his ear.

    ''You are the bow''s successor, after all, and even claimed my heartmetal. It should be possible to resonate with the queen''s body, the former wielder of the bow, and control it after all. Just like how that puny Soth or whatever was driven away. However¡ª''

    Standing between Hal''s mental communication with the queen was a more powerful "mind." Namely, the spiritual entity of the ghost, Hinokagutsuchi, who called herself the devil.

    ''If I interfered in this manner, what are you going to do!?''

    "Nothing in particular! I''ll cross that bridge when I come to it!"

    Out of secret techniques and clever tricks, Hal yelled loudly.

    From here on, all he could do was struggle to the very end. Hal summoned the magic gun to his right hand where the Rune of the Bow resided then pointed the muzzle at the Crimson Queen ahead and Hinokagutsuchi.

    "Sorry, but I''m taking both your heartmetal and former body! Ghosts should act like ghosts and obediently yield to living people!"

    Increasing Hal''s magical power, the magic gun amplified his thoughts.

    Encouraged by the magic gun, Hal used a tiny weapon shared by all of humanity. With every last ounce of "spirit and spine," he yelled loudly, "The queen''s body¡ªis mine!"

    As a member of SAURU, Hal had experienced many difficult jobs.

    Hence, he could safely assert the following. Under conditions of great adversity, what finally decided everything was "spirit and spine." He believed that a difficult job that could not be overcome in this way did not exist in this world.

    However, was a mere human''s meager spine enough to prevail against a dragon king''s ghost?

    Hinokagutsuchi''s "mind" dispersed with astounding ease. The scattered remains of the spiritual body were then sucked into Hal''s magic gun.

    Hal immediately pulled the magic gun''s trigger.

    Due to firing all the bullets just now, the magazine was empty. But conversely, the Crimson Queen opened her gigantic jaws and discharged flames towards Princess Yukikaze who was standing in the air!

    "Finally awake! However!"

    Her mortal enemy''s revival made Princess Yukikaze''s eyes shine. A dragon''s style as one would expect.

    Pearly light¡ªimperishable protection¡ªenveloped the fiercely belligerent maiden dragon king, blocking the Crimson Queen''s flames completely.

    "Truly powerless, a body carrying the regrets of past death!"

    "R-Rushalka! Engage in close quarters combat!"

    Kneeling the whole time, Asya yelled.

    One look at the side of her pained face was enough for Hal to know that she had not recovered from the birth ritual''s ordeal. However, she had issued orders to her partner because she instinctively knew that things would be bad at this rate.

    On standby in the air, Rushalka flew towards Princess Yukikaze.

    Her flying was as smooth as water flowing downstream. Using her vigorous momentum, the blue wyvern aimed the horn on her forehead at the princess!

    However, Rushalka''s horn was also blocked by the princess'' protection.

    "Hmm... Looks like I won''t get a tough battle even when it''s two against one. Too bad, I''ll just have to take care of them straight away."

    After exhibiting impregnable defenses, the princess commented with a face of boredom.

    Despite his short time facing her, it had already become readily apparent how she would react when she deemed her opponents weak. Fearfully, Hal looked up at the princess in the air.

    "I hereby decree to my emblem, the Arrow of Sirius... I, Yukikaze, will now transform into the dragonslaying arrow!"

    Carrying the princess, the magic surfboard began to ascend rapidly.

    Rising fiercely like a rocket, they passed through the cloud layer within the blink of an eye, hurtling towards even greater heights in the sky. Her target was probably the stratosphere.

    Naturally, she was not running away.

    Hal knew as the successor of the bow, the weapon paired with hers. The queen of the arrow intended to accelerate continuously while descending from a great height, crashing down with unprecedented power.

    Turning into what could erase everything without trace in a single attack¡ªThe ultimate arrow.

    As though to prove Hal''s certainty, an ominous emblem appeared in the distant sky.

    A horizontal oval stretching a kilometer long. Inside it was a sharp isosceles triangle. This was the dragonslaying rune he had just witnessed earlier.

    "The Rune of the Arrow..."

    And under that arrow emblem, twenty-one runes of Ruruk Soun also manifested.

    This arrangement signified "Obtaining divine signs of lightning, I descend from heaven, turning into a whistling arrow to pierce the ground." Hal committed his determination. He was going to control the Crimson Queen to block that arrow.

    Using the dragon''s gigantic body¡ªand himself¡ªas a shield, he could at least reduce the arrow''s destructive power.

    "Luna, take everyone who can''t move and escape. I''ll try to use myself and the red dragon to stop the falling dragon king."

    "Haruomi!?" "H-Haruga-kun...?" "Senpai!"

    Asya, kneeling on the ground, Orihime, finally regaining consciousness, and Hazumi, still unable to get up, all exclaimed in surprise. However, Luna Francois, the only one still mobile, shook her head.

    "In that case, I believe it would be best for Rushalka and my Glinda to assist together."

    "No. That firepower is no joke. That''s why..."

    The fewer victims the better¡ªJust as Hal suppressed these words and prepared to answer...

    A truly feeble voice whispered "hmph" by his ear.

    Then the magic gun in his right hand informed Hal about "a certain method." It was apparently transmitted to Asya and Orihime as well, those who were bound by vassal covenants.

    "Haruomi! If we''re going to do it, we should gamble on this method!"

    "Indeed, you are not allowed to fight on your own like last time! Didn''t you kneel down to promise me!?"

    "I-I wasn''t kneeling, it was just seiza, Juujouji..."

    After a quick rebuttal, Hal made his decision. There was no time for hesitation.

    "Since I don''t know if escaping is possible, I might as well use this move. Fly!"

    In response to his direction, the Crimson Queen flew into the air.

    Fragments of stone crumbled and fell from the dragon''s gigantic body. In addition, the color spontaneously turned faint with the crimson dragon scales, the golden horns and chest armor gaining translucence.

    This was due to the weak link between this unstable body and the mortal realm. Perhaps it might even collapse it a matter of minutes. However¡ªThere was apparently a way to compensate.

    "L-Look out! It''s like a shooting star!"

    Finally able to stand up, Hazumi pointed at the sky and cried out.

    Just as she had pointed out, a shooting star enveloped in white lightning was falling towards the ground.

    The estimated crash site was of course the school''s sports ground, namely, the location of Hal and company. And amid the white lightning descending from the sky was a dragon.

    It was not Princess Yukikaze racing gallantly on a magic surfboard.

    Instead, it was a white dragon whose physique looked slender and agile. The chest and shoulder areas were covered by an exoskeleton of blue crystalline material. Flying downwards majestically, the long and large wings were spread out. This was Princess Yukikaze''s transformed appearance that Hal had seen before in his dreams.

    The snow fairy-like beautiful maiden was finally unleashing a serious strike!

    "Rushalka! Receive... the queen''s power!"

    Then Asya yelled loudly.

    In that instant, the Crimson Queen happened to be flying next to the blue wyvern.

    So fast. The red dragon lunged towards Rushalka as though colliding¡ªThen the dragon king and the imitation dragon merged together.

    The queen''s translucent body was gradually absorbed into Rushalka.

    Next, the blue wyvern''s massive body gained ruby-colored plating¡ªarmor for protecting the chest and torso. Furthermore, this armored portion even sprouted two arms.

    Indeed, two arms, left and right. Arms for holding tools and wielding weapons.

    These arms were forged from ruby-colored metal and even came equipped with joints. Five fingers were on each hand, tipped with sharp claws. Identical to the forelimbs of dragons.

    "Almost like a dragon..."

    No wonder Orihime murmured in response. Rushalka was originally a wyvern, i.e. a dragon with no forelimbs, but currently, her appearance was astoundingly similar to dragon kings and elites.

    "Rushalka, use the Rune of the Bow!"

    This time, it was Hal''s turn to yell. As a result, a weapon appeared in the ruby left arm.

    A crimson bow. An item carrying the same firepower as the Bow used by the Crimson Queen of past. The dragonslaying bow. The true power of dragonbane, only usable by dragon kings.

    Then an arrow of light appeared in Rushalka''s glowing right hand.

    Next, twenty-one runes of Ruruk Soun manifested behind her. This arrangement signified¡ª

    "I will fire the sun-shooting divine bow at the sky, to exterminate the sun... O little girl Yukikaze, after a thousand-year absence, you shall taste my divine bow again!"

    "Hahaha! You''re over there, still not dead yet, queen!"

    Hal''s magic gun roared using a girl''s voice. After seeing Rushalka and the bow, the dragon that was falling like a shooting star laughed happily.

    The estimated time until the violent impact between the shooting star in dragon form and the school''s sports ground was a hundred seconds.

    "I can''t believe you became that guy''s minion!"

    "Nonsense. This is¡ªan alliance!"

    Counting to the impact on the sports ground. Ninety seconds, eighty seconds, seventy... At that moment...

    The arrow of light, wrapped in blazing flames, was shot from the divine bow to clash directly against the white dragon king who was descending upon the school, enveloped in flashing light.

    The dragonslaying bow and the dragonslaying arrow clashed violently again after eight hundred odd years.

    A blinding light erupted, turning the school¡ªno, the area of the Sumida ward around the school¡ªwhite. Shockwaves and explosive wind rampaged, smashing all glass on buildings and vehicles.

    "Glinda, Gravity Wall!"

    "Minadzuki! Please, protect us!"

    Luna Francois and Hazumi instantly summoned their "serpents."

    The massive lion-like and serpentine-dragon beasts hovered overhead above Hal and the witches, using their own bodies as shields. Next, Glinda deployed a gravity barrier while Minadzuki created a wall of reverse wind to consolidate their defenses.

    Thanks to that, despite being in extremely close proximity, the school and Hal''s group were spared...

    Indeed. The dragonslaying arrow did not fall on Hal and company.

    Then the explosive flash of light finally subsided and the field of vision gradually recovered in clarity.

    Holding the crimson bow, Rushalka was the first to land on the school''s sports ground. A single look at her exhausted appearance was enough to tell that she had depleted all her stamina and magical power.

    Then there was the other one.

    The white dragon, Princess Yukikaze''s transformation, also descended slowly on the sports ground.

    Hal jumped in fright. On that blue crystalline exoskeleton on the chest¡ªthe armor for protecting the heartmetal¡ªthere was a large hole. The fearsome queen of the arrow had been injured during the clash with the dragonslaying bow!

    "I, Yukikaze, was too careless... I suppose¡ª"

    The princess'' adorable voice came out of the white dragon king''s mouth.

    Despite the element of mirth, this dark voice would only come from someone reveling in the pleasures of battle.

    "Fufufufu... After learning you had recruited the former queen to your side, I couldn''t help but feel overjoyed, so I recklessly launched an attack. What I got in exchange was a serious wound..."

    Turning her giant eyeballs, the princess stared at the ground sharply.

    It was very clear that she was staring at Haruga Haruomi. Feeling the fighting spirit and bloodthirst conveyed in her gaze, Hal instant felt his back run cold. Even so, he still took on the princess'' gaze squarely.

    He totally had no idea how his life would change from here on.

    Nevertheless, quaking in fear every time something similar happened would not be an option.

    "Hoo¡ªI suppose it might be fun to continue the battle while ignoring this serious wound."

    Hal noticed that the princess'' tone had recovered in cheerfulness.

    "However, I never expected that a rematch with the bow user would be possible after a thousand years... It would be boorish to succumb to momentary impatience. Fufu, Haruomi."

    Her voice was very lively now, even producing an impression of calm composure.

    "I, Yukikaze, intend to take my time to enjoy our contest. Let us pit our wits and valor against each other, I as a sovereign and you as the Tyrannos, in a bid for hegemony."

    "M-Me and you...?"

    "Indeed. First, take out the silver dragon that''s in hiding, to claim the ''wedge'' in this so-called ''Toukyou'' city, shall we?"

    "If possible, I hope you won''t involve the residents of New Town..."

    "Fufu. If you have any objections, don''t waste your breath on words. Just fight back with force. I, Yukikaze, welcome a fight any time. Bye for now, Haruomi. As well as the former Crimson Queen!''

    Leaving behind these words, the white dragon king spread her wings and slowly rose up in the sky.

    Her flying speed was quite slow, completely different from the princess who flew as swiftly as an arrow earlier. Perhaps damage to the heartmetal was a consideration.

    However, from Hal''s viewpoint, it looked like the following.

    Perhaps she was wistfully bidding goodbye to her new mortal enemy¡ª

    Part 6

    In any case, Hal and company managed to survive a dragon king''s attack.

    No one spoke for five minutes after the white dragon''s exit. Not a single word.

    Instead, they all stared blankly at the sky¡ªwhere Princess Yukikaze had flown away. Whether Hal, Asya, Orihime or Hazumi. Even Luna Francois.

    The encounter and battle was this shocking.

    But soon after, Orihime finally spoke up.

    "Although so much has happened, I''m glad we survived."

    Phew~~ She expressed her opinion while sighing deeply. Then sweeping her gaze across everyone''s face, she seemed to inquire "Are you okay?" with a carefree smile. Influenced by her, Hal smiled wryly in return.

    "Yeah. I guess that''s right, Juujouji."

    "Thank goodness. Seeing such depressed looks on everyone, I was thinking someone might raise an objection."

    Orihime winked and joked.

    She was deliberately being humorous to ease the atmosphere. At times like these, Orihime would always be the first to show care for others, trying to change the ambiance. To Hal, this aspect of hers was very dazzling.

    "I-I''m not depressed at all..." Asya concurred. She had her head lowered limply.

    "A technique of assured annihilation, right? When firing the queen''s divine bow, Rushalka needed to Double Cast pseudo-divinity to pour in magical power..."

    Hal''s childhood friend murmured, looking utterly drained.

    To think she tasked her "serpent" with such a challenging job in that instant, Asya was impressive as always. And Hal also knew what she was going to say next.

    "Due to the aforementioned reason, I''m completely famished..."

    An expected confession. Hal smiled wryly again.

    Orihime smiled cheerfully as well. On closer examination, the corners of Hazumi''s lips finally curled up too. As for Luna Francois, she was shrugging in a somewhat exaggerated manner.

    Hal concluded he had to make things clear sooner after all. He walked over to Hazumi.

    "Shirasaka, can I have a word with you?"

    "Y-Yes. Is something the matter!? Senpai."

    "About what we talked about last time... I want to entrust the rune''s power to you."

    "¡ª!?"

    "But let''s be blunt, this is something like the devil''s temptation. If you continue to follow me, I''m guessing there will be repeated encounters with monsters like earlier. Monsters that think nothing of elites. You might even shoulder unnecessary burdens."

    "S-Senpai..."

    "Since that''s the kind of invitation it is, I won''t force you. The same goes for Asya and Juujouji. If you don''t think you can follow me to the bitter end, I don''t mind if you stop assisting me."

    "Haruga-kun..."

    Hazumi and Orihime showed surprise in their eyes while staring at the shrugging Hal.

    Perhaps the number of comrades to entrust the power of dragonbane might increase from now on.

    However, Hal believed that this type of behavior was tantamount to the devil''s temptation. The exact same as when Hinokagutsuchi had invited Haruga Haruomi in the past. Nevertheless, Hal was also a SAURU agent who had cultivated many witches.

    The self-styled devil and Hal''s positions were very similar to begin with¡ª

    One could perhaps assert that. Meanwhile, Asya sighed and cast a warm gaze¡ªmore precisely, it was lukewarm at a somewhat low temperature¡ªtowards him.

    "You intend to seriously confront this matter¡ªinvolving stuff like dragon kings and the power of dragonbane, etc... Is that what''s going on?"

    "Yeah. For the moment now, I''ll work on a rental basis per offer."

    "Like lending the power of dragonbane to the TPDO or autonomous entities like Tokyo New Town, then exacting a reward for every contract?"

    After Hal voiced a roughly conceptualized plan that had been sitting in the back of his mind, his childhood friend swiftly understood and nodded in response.

    This sort of mercenary-like system was precisely Asya''s business model.

    Namely, signing contracts that specified the compensation amount per sortie to provide Asya''s outstanding power as a witch and Rushalka''s services to local authorities, government agencies, military organizations, NPOs, etc around the world.

    "This is not a bad idea. But since the rune''s power can only be conferred upon specific ''serpents''... Wanna operate the business together?"

    "Yeah. Come to think of it, that''s no different from before."

    Hal had returned to New Town originally because of Asya''s invitation.

    Like the two of them accepting the job of making Juujouji Orihime a witch, they had also worked together in the past to handle jobs referred to them from SAURU.

    "...Since it''s decided, I''d like to make a suggestion to Luna."

    "Is it something interesting? I love under-the-table deals where I can profit without lifting a finger."

    Seeing Luna answer so confidently, Hal wondered if she might have already guessed what he was going to say.

    While feeling a sense of camaraderie as "birds of a feather" towards Luna Francois'' excellent perception, Hal said, "Basically, I''d like to invite you to serve as something like a representative for me."

    "Oh my, you mean handling requests coming from various places then negotiating with the other parties?"

    "Yeah. You''ve got a wide network and an excellent way with words, so there shouldn''t be any problem... But this will have to wait until the current mess gets settled."

    Hal looked west. The other witches followed suit.

    In the distance, the imposing Monolith could be seen. A triangular prism of pure black, over a thousand meters in height. It was a terrifying landmark in the Tokyo area.

    If one were to stare intently using magical sight, the Rune of the Sword would be faintly visible in the air over the Monolith.

    Pavel Galad was currently hiding somewhere. Tokyo still remained under his "occupation."

    Evening at the Academy¡ª

    In order to deliver the still unconscious President M to a police hospital, Luna Francois had summoned a police officer from the MPD. The witches all went over to help.

    Meanwhile, Hal went to the sports ground on his own.

    Under the setting sun that was dyeing everything bright red, Hal spoke aloud on purpose, "...In the end, you still accepted my proposal."

    "Nothing noteworthy. After all, there seems to be more value in using you than I originally thought. Rather than squeezing you dry, it would be better to extend a helping hand as your benefactor."

    The girl dressed in the scarlet kimono appeared next to Hal and bragged.

    Naturally, it was Hinokagutsuchi, the one whose resume included titles such as former dragon queen, ghost and self-styled devil.

    "Although you''re currently taking residence in my gun... Is that really okay?"

    "I am guarding your wand, fool. Now that my wisdom is added to it, this wand houses supreme power that is in no way inferior to the wands of dragon kings."

    When Hal attempted to control the Crimson Queen, the interfering Hinokagutsuchi had been dispersed by Hal''s fighting spirit, causing her spiritual body to enter the magic gun.

    "Be that as it may, I am exhausted from using too much power recently. I might very well vanish if I did not find something to possess. This happens to work out perfectly, yes."

    "No option to move on obediently to the afterlife huh..."

    Despite exchanging annoying words with each other, the atmosphere between them had changed greatly from before.

    Perhaps because during that moment in the contest for control over the queen, Hinokagutsuchi had compromised on purpose.

    Then again, it was also possible that Hinokagutsuchi had revised her opinion of Hal slightly in a favorable direction.

    "Listen here, brat. I would like to have the man named ''Solomon'' resurrected in the modern era."

    "By Solomon... Are you referring to the ancient king of Israel? The one who controlled seventy-two demons?"

    King Solomon was a legendary sage as well as a great mage. The son of the hero, King David.

    Hal was taken aback by the unexpected name.

    "You sure know some weird stuff even though you''re clearly a dragon... Why the heck?"

    "Well, it''s just for fun. After all, I am dead with nothing else to do. And it was a request from someone long ago in the past. If memory serves me correctly, it might have been a human little girl¡ªfrom somewhere."

    "That''s really crazy. Who would make such a ridiculous request?"

    "Hmph. To think you would pry into a lady''s past. How tactless of you, brat?"

    "Technically speaking, you''re a female dragon, not a lady."

    "Rein in your twisted logic. It seems that we still need to get along for a period of time. Never forget that kneeling in worship is necessary to appease me."

    "Come on, change it to ''a show of care'' instead."

    "Furthermore, allow me to continue in assisting birth rituals. It is too dangerous relying on you alone."

    "...Somehow, I get the feeling that you''re harboring impure motives."

    "...Then I shall try a different description. Give me some perks. Excellent opportunities for enjoying the tender skin of young ladies should not be wasted, after all."

    "You''re honest only during times like these. How unreliable."

    Regardless, with the subject concluded, Hinokagutsuchi disappeared again.

    By the time he noticed, the setting sun had sunk far in the west. Just as he was about to return to the school building, Hal noticed Orihime waiting for him there.

    "...Have you finished talking to Kagutsuchi-san?"

    "I guess. It feels like we''re slowly going back to normal."

    "Isn''t that great? She is our comrade after all. Oh right, by the way, about what you said earlier regarding working with Asya-san..."

    Orihime smiled mischievously and pointed at herself.

    "The prior assumption is that I will be participating too, right?"

    "Are you sure? Although it seems like you''ll be handsomely rewarded, life will most likely be tough. And the effort demanded might rival sweatshop labor. There''s so much work to do that it even feels like I''ve got no choice but to revise the plan I''ve been brewing for many years, ''saving up a huge sum of money so as to retire in leisure at the age of thirty,'' postponing my retirement to the age of forty instead."

    "Haruga-kun, your plan is so dull and lifeless even though you''re only in your teens right now..."

    After expressing her poignant opinion, Orihime said cheerfully, "Although I''m not one to go looking for hardship, I believe it is a good thing for work to be busier. Besides, it''s not like I can keep foisting troublesome tasks on you and the others, Haruga-kun."

    Smiling in a carefree manner, Orihime looked dazzling as always to Hal.

    Whether the former dragon of shady origins or a human like Hal with a suspicious business for a career, she considered both of them "comrades" whom she could confide fully in.

    "...Wait a sec, this is about kings, right? Wouldn''t it be fun if we simply made Juujouji the figurehead sovereign while I serve as the regent or archbishop? Asya lacks charisma as a leader, so she''s not suited to be the sovereign..."

    "What was that, Haruga-kun? Look at you, muttering to yourself over there alone."

    "Nothing much, a thought just occurred to me."

    This was a notion brought about by Hinokagutsuchi''s mention of "King Solomon."

    However, what they currently needed to think about was the unknown whereabouts of Pavel Galad as well as the possible upcoming battle. As it happened, night was soon about to fall. With the rising of the moon, the consumed usage counts of pseudo-divinity by Rushalka and the others would be reset.

    Side by side, Hal and Orihime walked into the school building.

    Part 7

    On the fourth night after the mystic spell of Ruruk Soun had been cast on Tokyo New Town...

    Pavel Galad was scowling inside his sickroom, a Japanese-style room in a community center that had been converted into a shelter. The futon, which had remained laid out until this morning, was folded and set aside in a corner.

    Galad was still maintaining human form. Also, there were two visitors present.

    They were the two girls who had remained unaffected back when the magic spell known as "Freeze" to those in the anti-dragon field was cast, thanks to the barrier deployed by Galad.

    "Aren''t you going to eat dinner, Mr. Handsome? It''s pretty good, actually."

    "The people from the SDF helped cook it. Although I''ve heard rumors before, it really is much tastier than the retort pouches and instant food distributed by police and fire department personnel."

    "...No thanks."

    With a stiff expression, Galad refused the food brought by the two high school girls, Funaki-san and Mutou-san.

    The menu consisted of hamburger steak with vegetables minced into it, stew, coleslaw salad and white rice. The girls were chattering away while eating.

    However, human food was unnecessary for Galad.

    Had he the intention, eating was possible too. Be that as it may, this human body was created using the magic of dragons, hence it did not require nourishment. On the other hand, the girls in front of him¡ª

    Absorbing their blood and essence might replenish his energy, actually.

    However, these two were humans, after all, which meant their blood volume was limited. Unless he greedily ingested blood from female serpents, the "imitations" assisting the successor of the bow last time, it was probably impossible to heal his original massive body of a dragon.

    Still, speaking of users of dragonslaying power¡ª

    Galad left the girls and walked over to the window.

    He looked up at the night sky where only stars could be seen. However, he had definitely spotted the Rune of the Arrow shining in the sky during the daytime. The white dragon king, Princess Yukikaze, had arrived in this city!

    "Urgh..."

    Currently, fighting at full strength was beyond him, filling Galad with abject regret.

    According to the rules of dragons, this city was currently under Galad''s authority. Whether intercepting the princess who had invaded willfully or negotiating with her, both were supposed to be his responsibilities.

    "But to think I am this incompetent¡ª!"

    For the past few days, his body had been extremely weak, to the extent that he could not move as he wished.

    And the whole time, he was being sheltered by humans, by these girls before him. With a human face, Galad began to gnash his teeth.

    To think that a dragon was accepting charity from primates, the side being exploited and preyed on¡ª

    This was unprecedented humiliation. However, there was gratifying news. Probably thanks to lying down quietly for a number of days, Galad''s human body had recovered some energy. He felt that he was now able to move around and use magic slightly.

    He had to leave this place as soon as possible¡ªJust as Galad was thinking that...

    "Could it be that you want to get some outside air?"

    "You''ve been sleeping in the room the whole time, after all. Want us to take you outside?"

    Mutou-san and Funaki-san suggested to him.

    Twenty minutes later, led by the two girls, Galad arrived outside of the community center.

    Since this center was also a large facility used for events such as public speeches, the parking lot at the front entrance was quite spacious. The three of them walked here.

    Keeping their pace slow, Mutou-san and Funaki-san walked in front.

    This was out of consideration for the semi-patient who was sometimes not too steady on his feet. However, Galad followed them silently without noticing this.

    "...Hmm?"

    "Oh, they''ve been flying around a lot lately. It''s scary."

    "I overheard a conversation between SDF members. Those things are currently searching for something extremely dangerous¡ªThat''s the gist, I think. But what on earth is it?"

    Galad frowned and stared at the sky, causing Funaki-san to cower uncomfortably. Meanwhile, Mutou-san revealed this piece of inside information.

    The trio were looking at a blue Raptor soaring in the night sky.

    This area was Minamikasai in the Edogawa ward. The blue Raptor seemed to be flying at low speed in a large circle over this neighborhood, meanwhile gazing at the ground with a dragon''s sharp gaze.

    Then Galad noticed.

    There was magic residing in the winged lizard''s gaze¡ª

    An elite somewhere had probably cast detection magic. Even when the target was using Transformation magic to hide his appearance, those eyes would still be able to see the dragon flames hidden inside his body.

    Circling in the sky over Minamikasai, the blue Raptor suddenly began to cry out.

    Kuahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Kuahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    It was a call for its comrades to gather, because that winged lizard had discovered its prey, Pavel Galad, the successor to the Rune of the Sword.

    "W-What is going on!?"

    "I-I-I''ve never seen this kind of situation before, what do we do~~!?"

    "This place is about to turn into a battlefield¡ªSimple as that."

    Feeling the warning signs of war, Galad clicked his tongue.

    Normally, he would happily prepare for battle even when injured. This was a dragon''s nature and instinct. However, to be discovered and attacked by the enemy simply because he went out for a brief stroll¡ªGalad finally realized now.

    The only reason why he could spend the last few days in peace was undoubtedly thanks to the humans hiding him.

    He became aware of this fact. For Galad, a pure-blooded dragon, this was ultimate humiliation and a irredeemable stain on his reputation.

    Gritting his teeth hard with emotion, Galad glared angrily at the girls beside him.

 Volume 3, 5 - Bow and Arrow, as well as...

    Volume 3, Chapter 5 - Bow and Arrow, as well as...

    Part 1

    ''Aren''t the majority of New Town''s administrative departments and the city council "frozen"?''

    On the car''s navigation screen, Hiiragi-san was speaking somewhat casually. She was SAURU''s technical consultant as well as being the female executive on the inside track to become the next Kantou branch chief.

    Currently at Yokohama, she was speaking through a video call over the internet.

    ''The cabinet and the national assembly have convened on their behalf for a number of days already. The main agenda was how to handle this "illegal occupation of Tokyo New Town by dragonkind." Anyway, since the Minister of State on the countermeasures committee has stepped down due to a public gaffe, a new minister will be taking over today.''

    "Countermeasures have been delayed for too long, I suppose."

    Seated as the driver, Hal gripped the steering wheel and commented quietly.

    He had borrowed a 4WD military vehicle from the JGSDF and was speeding along a new highway on the coast. Orihime was in the front passenger seat while Asya sat in the back.

    ''There are a number of reasons. Firstly, no elites have appeared in the East Asian region including Japan for the past fifteen years. Secondly, a somewhat stable situation has been maintained during this period, ignoring Raptor appearances. Thirdly, people have grown complacent due to these reasons... Rather, they lack a sense of crisis.''

    "Unlike the major war zones of Europe and North America, people here can''t deal with sudden calamities."

    ''That''s indeed the case. By the way, have you received the aid supplies I sent over?''

    "Yes. However... Eating this many mooncakes will make me overweight."

    Orihime was the one who answered. On her lap was a paper bag.

    An unmanned remote-controlled helicopter belonging to the JMSDF had delivered a small quantity of supplies to the Shin-Kiba reclaimed land, including a package for Hal''s group from Hiiragi-san.

    It was a paper bag filled with dozens of mooncakes from a famous Chinese restaurant.

    "Despite their small size, each mooncake contains a large amount of sugar with abundant fat and calories..."

    ''That''s why they''re good. Portable food with high calories will definitely come in handy. I went out of my way to buy them from Chinatown, so make good use of them.''

    Waving goodbye from the screen, Hiiragi-san ended the call.

    Hal muttered "I see" while Orihime looked at the back seat with a nod. Asya was currently meditating with her eyes closed, apparently oblivious to the conversation just now. At the moment, she was remotely controlling her partner that had finally gone through rebirth.

    "I understand now. So virtually all of them are for Asya-san."

    The 4WD vehicle was racing at maximum speed along the coastal highway, passing the vicinity of Shin-Kiba then successfully crossing the Arakawa to advance towards Gasai. Since there were no other cars driving on the road, Hal could drive as fast as possible without worry.

    All the Raptors in New Town had started gathering in the Edogawa ward¡ª

    After receiving this news, Hal and company were hurrying to the scene. Using remote control, his childhood friend had sent Rushalka ahead first.

    "By the way, Haruga-kun... It seems that Asya-san cannot hear us."

    "Yeah, that''s right, because she''s concentrating hard, probably tuning herself to the revived Rushalka to carefully check the situation."

    "Then allow me to change the subject... It suddenly occurred to me after getting in the car, actually."

    Orihime looked like she was having trouble bringing up the subject. With some embarrassment, she said, "Didn''t Rushalka use a finishing move against Princess Yukikaze¡ªthat dragon king of a girl?"

    "Yeah, except that she was in the form of a dragon, that''s all."

    "Haruga-kun, you didn''t touch... Asya-san there, did you?"

    "Oh right!"

    "C-Could it be that it is not an essential action...? In my case, the gun was actually lying back then to accommodate your dirty thoughts, Haruga-kun¡ªThat shouldn''t be the case... Right?"

    "O-Of course not, Juujouji."

    Although Hal had admitted to being a closet pervert, he still asserted instantly with his honor on the line.

    "Let''s speculate. I think Asya did a Double Cast of pseudo-divinity when firing the bow. Perhaps that''s why she didn''t need my assistance?"

    "I-Indeed, that might be true. After all, Asya-san and I are on different levels!"

    Blushing to their ears, the two of them tried to ponder the reason.

    Then silently, they stared ahead at where they were going, enduring the slightly embarrassing atmosphere.

    "Say... Supposing that speculation were to be correct..."

    "S-Sure."

    "When the time comes, will we have no choice but to do that again...? Besides, this time''s enemy is very strong too."

    "Better to call her a super formidable foe far surpassing the last."

    "So ultimately, there''s no way around it... Let us do our best just as we decided together yesterday, Haruga-kun. I-I believe it is our obligation!"

    "......Yeah, s-since it''s an obligation, it definitely can''t be helped..."

    "B-But to do that to another girl apart from me¡ªwhen fighting alongside witches who are not as strong as Asya-san, I suppose I''d like to say that I don''t want you to do that sort of thing? I would be very happy if you could exercise greater prudence. M-My wish is that you''ll only do it to me¡ª"

    "U-Umm, Juujouji... What exactly are you trying to say...?"

    Juujouji Orihime kept murmuring softly, which was quite rare for her.

    However, this uncharacteristic behavior of hers, murmuring emphatically nonstop, felt inexplicably adorable, even to the point of troubling Hal. But actually, somewhere in the bottom of his heart, Hal seemed to understand what Orihime was implying, but was it right to interpret it that way? The hesitation in his heart was making Hal unsure.

    Hence, he asked timidly, causing Orihime to blush and bow her head.

    "T-Take Hazumi for example. If you could restrain yourself and not do that to her, I would be very hap¡ª"

    Suddenly, Orihime jumped in fright.

    "Ah... A-As her elder sister, I forbid you from doing anything sleazy to her. I was speaking out of duty just now without implying anything else."

    "Oh okay."

    Hal did not know if it was because she was already plunged into confusion or not, but Orihime was inexplicably speaking in polite forms.

    "B-Besides, other than me, no girl could possibly be generous enough to accept a closet pervert such as you, Haruga-kun."

    "Well... That''s certainly true."

    "I-In any case, let us do our best together!"

    With many things still ambiguous, the topic of conversation reached an end by the time Hal noticed.

    At this moment, a call was received through the internet on the cellphone that was connected to the navigation screen. It was Luna Francois. Operating the navigation system, Hal started the video call.

    ''Preparations are complete on my side.''

    Luna Francois'' face was displayed on the screen. Hazumi was there too.

    "We''re almost done too."

    ''Then let us begin as previously agreed. I shall pray for all of you to receive fortune''s blessings... But frankly speaking, my true specialty is praying for misfortune.''

    "Your confession really doesn''t make me feel touched."

    Listening to the girl who was called a "demon" by her fellow witch, Hal could not help but grumble. Then he spoke to his comrade in the screen while Orihime also nodded at the same person.

    "Shirasaka, I''m counting on you."

    "Don''t make things out to be too complicated. Just cut loose and do it."

    ''I-I understand, Senpai. N-Nee-sama, watch me carefully. I will do my very best.''

    Shirasaka Hazumi''s angelic visage was displayed on the car''s navigation screen.

    Anyone could see that she was extremely nervous.

    "Then let us begin. Although Hazumi-san will be chiefly responsible, our first objective is to clear a path¡ªIn other words, exterminate the Raptors gathered in that airspace as quickly as possible, so as to reduce Rushalka and Akuro-Ou''s burdens."

    "Y-Yes... But is this really okay?"

    Facing Luna Francois who could be considered the commander, Hazumi asked.

    The two of them were located at Shin-Kiba''s pier. In front of them was the vast Tokyo Bay. In their surroundings, roughly fifteen police officers were on standby as support.

    "We''re not heading to the scene with Senpai and company..."

    "Don''t worry, it will be fine. Biding our time as reserve forces is also an important mission. Besides, it''s not every day that we have handy projectiles at our disposal. Let us fight the battle with efficiency."

    "Y-Yes."

    Hazumi nodded then looked east.

    Reportedly, all the dragons circling around New Town had gathered towards Gasai. With determination, Hazumi called out to the air, "Respond to my summon, Minadzuki!"

    A glowing pentagram appeared over the pier, then transformed into the shape of an infinity symbol before turning into a winged serpent.

    It was Minadzuki, the emerald leviathan in the form of a serpentine dragon. Hazumi touched the back of her right hand. Appearing there was a pictograph reminiscent of a "tilted half moon"¡ª

    The Ruruk Soun symbol signifying the dragonslaying bow, the Rune of the Bow.

    It was what Haruomi-senpai had entrusted to her before setting off.

    "I want to be helpful to Senpai. And I also have to assist Nee-sama and Asya-san... So lend your strength to me!"

    In a rare moment, Hazumi yelled shrilly at her partner.

    Then Hazumi started controlling magic power herself. Three days ago, Hazumi had performed Enemy Detection and Spatial Awareness magic unfamiliarly, but this time, she was not controlling Minadzuki remotely.

    Hence, magic control was much easier than last time.

    As though looking down on a map, Hazumi scouted out the distribution of blue Raptors over the Minamikasai sky in the Edogawa ward.

    Near the mouth of the Kyuedogawa river mouth connected to Tokyo Bay...

    Dozens of Raptors were flying back and forth in excitement, surrounding the community center located there. The precise number was¡ªsixty-seven of them.

    The battle had already started on the ground next to the community center.

    As though cheering for this fight, the sixty-seven Raptors opened their mouths and howled nonstop. It was probably crazy noisy at the scene itself.

    Even the Raptors were concerned about the lineup of participants in the fight¡ª

    This unusual scene was rendering Hazumi dumbstruck but she had to prioritize the completion of her own mission first.

    Hazumi took a deep breath.

    Raptors were normally the color of steel, but the sixty-seven Raptors gathered here were blue. According to Haruomi-senpai, this type of Raptor was imbued with imitation dragonslaying power.

    They were formidable enemies that even the Shootdown Ace''s partner, Glinda, must not take lightly if she were to mobilize.

    Not only that, the risk of getting killed by the enemy was not low. And this type of mission had been entrusted to her. Entrusted to her whom had been conferred the power of dragonbane, the Rune of the Bow¡ª!

    "Please... Will you lend me your strength?"

    Again, Hazumi touched the seal on her right hand, the Rune of the Bow.

    Instantly, Minadzuki called out gracefully as though singing a victorious song of triumph.

    Raaaaa raaaaa raaaaa raaaaa...

    ¡ªIn the past, Minadzuki''s right forelimb was extraordinarily developed and equipped with sharp claws. After all, that was the so-called horn counterpart. But after her rebirth, both the left and right forelimbs became the same size while a white jewel was added to the right hand to replace the long and sharp claws.

    When Minadzuki opened her emerald right palm, the jewel floated up.

    The jewel transformed into a "long white tube" on its master''s shoulder. From Hazumi''s perspective, it looked like a rifle. Both the barrel and the stock were long. It even featured a trigger.

    "Eh!?"

    "My goodness, it resembles a musket greatly."

    Hearing Luna Francois'' quiet remark, Hazumi could not help but nod in agreement. The "gun" transformed from the jewel was simple in design and as elegant as an antique.

    Indeed, an arquebus or a musket would be an apt description for this type of antiquated firearm.

    Hazumi was informed by instinct that this gun was the "bow" created by Minadzuki.

    Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

    The instant Minadzuki''s voice sounded out, the musket discharged a white flash of light. This light flew east into the distance¡ªthe sky above Minamikasai.

    Traversing ward boundaries, it shot from Shin-Kiba in the K¨­t¨­ ward to the river mouth of the Edogawa.

    At the same time, it accurately pierced the chest of a Raptor flying in the air at the scene. What a splendid long-distance sniper shot. After shooting down one Raptor, it immediately changed direction and angle to penetrate the next Raptor in the chest. Then it flew towards the subsequent Raptor¡ª

    This white flash of light repeated this change of direction and auto-homing for nearly sixty times in total.

    The white light traced out lines in the sky above the Edogawa River''s mouth like a pen in a frenzied dance. It was clearly visible even from Hazumi and Luna''s location at the Shin-Kiba pier, almost like a night of fireworks.

    Then, the Raptors with their chest pierced¡ª

    Their entire bodies broke down and crumbled, gradually collapsing into tiny particles.

    Through magically amplified vision, Hazumi witnessed this scene unerringly. This was the power of the Rune of the Bow!

    Gathered in the sky over Minamikasai, the Raptors were instantly whittled down to less than ten.

    "Glinda, charge in deep! Long Ride!"

    Luna Francois instantly commanded, summoning Glinda to the air.

    The leviathan, bearing the appearance of a lion with additional heads of a green dragon and a black goat, flew towards the battlefield. Her mission was to restrain the remaining Raptors while remotely controlled by Luna.

    "Gravity Shield!"

    Luna Francois yelled, producing a black magic circle behind Glinda.

    Rivaling a the gigantic body of a "serpent," the large circle had a pentagram symbol inscribed within it. Like a carriage drawn by a horse, it flew in pursuit of the three-headed lion. Since it was not possible to invoke pseudo-divinity while controlling a "serpent" remotely, anything to entrust had to be done now.

    Regardless, the mission was accomplished for now.

    "Th-Thank goodness..."

    Just as Hazumi breathed a sigh of relief and was about to disengage vision amplification magic...

    In a corner of her vision, a blue wyvern was rapidly descending towards the ground. Naturally, that was Rushalka, but her flying form was surging with unprecedented power.

    Part 2

    "Target discovered. Developments are unfolding as predicted."

    From the back seat, Asya suddenly opened her eyes and spoke.

    She had kept her eyes shut all this time, focused on controlling Rushalka remotely. At this moment, Minadzuki had just used the Rune of the Bow to snipe from long distance, clearing out the almost sixty Raptors all at once.

    The 4WD vehicle driven by Hal exited the coastal road and entered the Loop 7 main route.

    They had already reached Minamikasai. From the front passenger seat, Orihime asked Asya in the back, "The shelter is nearby, isn''t it? What is the damage situation over there?"

    "I was worried about the same thing, which is why I sent Rushalka ahead of us... But it seems fine for now."

    A blue wyvern descended gracefully in front of the speeding 4WD vehicle.

    This was Rushalka, returning after being sent ahead to scout and rescue lives if necessary. Her flying form was agile yet powerful. Having worked with her for so long, Hal knew very well.

    The "serpent" on the verge of death had completely recovered the speed and agility of her peak condition.

    Rushalka was flying slightly above the Loop 7 route, so as to lead the way. Driving the 4WD vehicle, Hal followed the blue wyvern. Soon after, they arrived in front of the community center.

    This facility was located near the Edogawa river mouth.

    Just by crossing the road, one would immediately reach the river''s wide and grassy shore.

    Currently, the sky above had turned into a battlefield where two dragons were locked in a duel. As one would expect, one of them was the silver dragon, Pavel Galad.

    Bathed under the illumination of starlight and street lamps, his gigantic body of metallic silver shone with luster.

    The other side was the old dragon, Exhos. Having pledged allegiance to Princess Yukikaze four days earlier, this dragon was all bones except for a pair of steel wings.

    ''Hahahaha. Lord Tyrannos of the Sword, as I suspected, that body of yours cannot fight to your heart''s content, can it?'' it?'' it?''

    "Curse you¡ª!"

    Mocked by the old dragon Exhos, the young Galad angered immensely.

    Resembling a bone specimen, Exhos was riding a bronze discus hovering in the sky. This discus suddenly accelerated, flying towards the silver dragon.

    With the wings on his back spread out, Galad was motionless in the air.

    In his right hand, he was holding the dragonslaying sword¡ªa longsword materialized from the Rune of the Sword. Galad swung this sword in an attempt to chop apart Exhos'' discus that was approaching at high speed.

    However, the dragonslaying sword shattered, accompanied by an acute sound akin to breaking glass.

    Then Galad''s damaged gigantic body was blown away violently, crashing to the ground.

    He fell next to the shore of the Kyuedogawa. As a clearing consisting of a large stretch of lawn laid with pedestrian trails, it was able to withstand the impact from an elite dragon''s massive body.

    Seeing the silver dragon putting up a pathetic fight, unworthy of the formidable foe he once was, Hal muttered quietly, "So his wounds haven''t healed yet...?"

    "Not only that. What the old emaciated bag of bones is riding is also ''the power of dragonbane.'' Of course, it is an imitation and not the real thing¡ªBut I do concede that it is quite well done."

    "An imitation of dragonslaying power. So that guy really can use it too."

    Listening to Hinokagutsuchi''s voice echoing in the car, Hal nodded. Compared to before when she would only offer vague hints, she was providing guidance at opportune moments now.

    This was probably the way the self-styled devil showed her care after merging with the magic gun and entering an alliance.

    Hal stopped the car at the bus terminus in front of the community center.

    There were three microbuses parked there as well. Furthermore, Rushalka was currently circling in the air slowly, waiting for her partner''s instructions.

    Just as Hal, Asya and Orihime disembarked together, planning to head to the shore...

    "O-Oh my? Why are all of you here?"

    "Uh, Haruga-kun, why can you drive!?"

    Hal looked back, only to see his classmate Funaki-san in shock. Mutou-san was also staring wide-eyed.

    Twenty or thirty apparently ordinary people, encompassing both genders and a range of ages, were standing in front of the community center aimlessly. Orihime spoke to her classmates, "You two... were taking shelter here, I guess?"

    "Y-Yeah. Along with others, we''re holed up in the main hall here, discussing stuff like when to escape. There are still a lot of people inside the building."

    "With so many flying dragons gathered here, going outside is scary too. But¡ª"

    Compared to the distraught Funaki-san, Mutou-san was evidently far more calm. Pointing at the sky, she said, "A beam of light flew in from somewhere and took care of a whole load of dragons... That''s why we took the chance to go outside to check out the situation. Besides, someone''s gone missing."

    "Missing, you say?"

    "Yeah. But more precisely, that''s not quite the right description..."

    Confronted with Hal''s question, Mutou-san hesitated, so Funaki-san interrupted, "U-Umm, there was a handsome guy who transformed right before our eyes. Transforming instantly like those red and silver giants in children''s shows. That''s right, he turned into that dragon!"

    " " "......" " "

    Hal, Orihime and Asya could not help but fall silent.

    Funaki-san was pointing at the shore where the silver dragon was trying to get up. Compared to a Giant of Light, Pavel Galad ran out of strength and fell on his knees.

    In the end, the dragon glared viciously at Exhos and the dragonslaying discus with seething rage in his eyes.

    Meanwhile, Mutou-san shook her head with an expression of disbelief.

    "Well, I''d like to say it was our imagination or mistake, but both Funaki-san and I saw it happen clearly. Our memories are definitely not mistaken... Although he had been glaring at us with a very scary look, as soon as that bone specimen monster showed up, he transformed..."

    "Say, was that guy someone in the shelter with an unknown identity by any chance?"

    "Wow, you''re amazing, Haruga-kun. Right on the money!"

    As suspected, he had taken on human form after all. Hal nodded.

    Then Asya shrugged and said, "I get the basic gist of things now. Since there''s no time, I''m going to give simple instructions. You two, please return to the building over there and tell everyone to evacuate. As for the Raptors¡ªdragons¡ªIt''s fine to ignore them."

    At this moment, the three-headed leviathan happened to be flying overhead.

    Luna Francois had sent her as agreed in advance. To fight the few Raptors remaining in this airspace, Glinda pounced with claws and teeth ready.

    However, the blue variant Raptors were supposed to carry emulated power of dragonbane.

    Wouldn''t that put Glinda in a difficult fight or even a risk of dying?

    Hal could not help but worry¡ªBut it turned out to be unnecessary paranoia. The orange-furred lion leviathan was leading a pentagram magic circle behind her as though drawing a carriage.

    This magic circle suddenly jumped in front of Glinda.

    It was almost like a shield. The blue Raptors spewed bronze-colored flames at the approaching lion. Hal could tell from sight that these were dragonslaying flames. However, the black pentagram blocked these flames reliably. This was a gravity shield that blocked physical attacks completely.

    The power of dragonbane infused in the bronze-colored flames seemed to be relatively weak.

    The gravity shield proved fully effective, protecting Glinda''s massive body properly.

    "Since pseudo-divinity cannot be invoked while controlling remotely, I sent her along with this first..."

    Effortlessly defusing arduous situations, she obtained victory single-handedly.

    Hal was thoroughly awed and impressed with Luna Francois'' brilliance, worthy of her title as the Shootdown Ace, as well as her underlying strength as a master mage.

    Protected by the gravity barrier, the hovering Glinda opened the jaws of the green dragon and black goat heads. Then she breathed out scarlet flames, incinerating the bodies of Raptors.

    Inflicted with fatal injuries from the flame breath attack, blue winged dragons kept crashing down.

    It looked like there was no need to worry about things on that front. Hal turned to face his classmates anew.

    "Then I''m counting on you two to handle things on the shelter side. We still have business to attend to."

    "See you in school. Bye!"

    Hal made his request briefly and Orihime cheerfully bid them goodbye.

    The two female classmates nodded in response with stunned looks. Seeing that, Hal and company immediately started to sprint, advancing towards the riverside.

    "Rushalka, come to me. Prepare to fight!"

    "Akuro-Ou, we will be starting a decisive battle too. Arrive instantly!"

    Asya ran while summoning her partner. Orihime also raised her voice to chant a song of summoning.

    The blue wyvern instantly responded to Asya''s summon and went on the move. The white nine-tailed fox-wolf also appeared in the air suddenly. Witnessing the witches controlling "serpents," Mutou-san and Funaki-san were dumbfounded in surprise.

    However, these matters would have to be dealt with later¡ª

    Hal and company arrived at the spacious lawn on the river bank.

    In the air, the old dragon Exhos had summoned eleven runes of Ruruk Soun over his head, signifying "false weapon."

    ''Come, royal authority of dragonslaying. Give me even more power¡ª!''!''!''

    Exhos was riding the bronze discus and hovering in the air.

    Eight identical discuses suddenly appeared behind him. Were they all made of dragonslaying power? Hal immediately summoned the magic gun to his right hand. Aiming at the old dragon skeleton, he fired.

    One of the new discuses swiftly moved as a shield and deflected the magic gun''s bullet of red light.

    ''Hohohoho... I was thinking it was about time for you to arrive, now that the winged lizards are all gone.'' gone.'' gone.''

    Riding a discus, Exhos rotated his skull, pointing his empty eye sockets at the river bank. He was staring at Hal.

    ''Welcome, Lord Tyrannos of the Bow.'' Bow.'' Bow.''

    "Sorry, I need the guy with the sword for something, so I''ve got nothing to say to you."

    "W-What did you say...?"

    Hearing Hal''s declaration, Pavel Galad groaned.

    The silver dragon was still kneeling on the ground, only turning his eyes to look at Hal. However, that already seemed to be taxing his limit. His gigantic body suddenly shrank.

    Ten-odd seconds later, the silver-white dragon turned into a handsome human young man.

    He was kneeling on the riverside lawn, a pained expression on his face while holding his hand against his heart.

    "Hmph, to think you are weakened to the point of being unable to move a dragon''s massive body. A body forcibly revived without using a secret ritual of resurrection will not heal so easily."

    The magic gun whispered in mockery with Hinokagutsuchi''s voice.

    "Listen up, brat and priestesses. Hurry up and take care of this old geezer of a curtain raiser who has been a nuisance, making noise nonstop. It should take no more than a single arrow."

    "Don''t make it sound so easy just because you don''t need to do the work yourself."

    "And it feels a bit disrespectful to the elderly..."

    Hal and Orihime bore serious expressions, joking only in speech only.

    The enemy was an elite dragon and controlling emulated dragonslaying power to boot. Although his physical body was quite fragile, being bones only, he was probably the most experienced in magic out of all the enemies they had encountered so far. There were probably very few elites capable of controlling such a massive number of Raptors.

    However, of Hal, Orihime and Asya, not one of them was afraid of Exhos.

    They were vigilant, of course, but remained calm and composed. They knew that they had already obtained power surpassing the elite in front of them.

    This was probably thanks to their mutual link to the Rune of the Bow through the bonds of their covenants.

    "Putting questions of morality aside, Hinokagutsuchi''s opinion definitely cannot be more right. Then let''s eliminate him quickly. Use me¡ªand Rushalka."

    Asya delivered her words with stern dignity.

    At merely the age of fifteen, she was already a seasoned veteran of a witch. Having suffered hardship countless times in the face of the elite dragons'' overwhelming power, this girl had finally obtained the privilege to strike back.

    This time, they were the ones in a position to trample the dragons¡ª

    However, Asya did not get carried away or lose herself to rapture. She simply maintained a warrior''s calm and issued a declaration as though the enemy''s defeat was set in stone.

    This was Europe''s former Shootdown Ace. Hal nodded greatly and shouted sonorously, "Then Asya, I entrust the queen''s power to you!"

    "Leave it to me. Rushalka!"

    The instant they breathed in unison, a giant red body appeared in the air.

    A translucent dragon king¡ªThe Crimson Queen. Thus, the queen merged with the blue wyvern in midair again.

    Rushalka became equipped with chest armor and a pair of arms made of ruby material.

    Speaking of which, this was the "Queen Form," right? Witnessing this sight, Pavel Galad''s human appearance panicked noticeably.

    "To think an imitation could... transform? What is that power¡ª!?"

    ''Hmm, it seems that some bizarre little trick is being played.'' played. played.''

    Skeptically, Exhos stared at the "serpent" in Queen Form.

    However, he still continued to attack, probably driven by a dragon''s nature. Of the eight discuses summoned by the old dragon, two flew towards Rushalka at super high speed.

    However, this attack did not work. It was deflected with futility.

    The blue wyvern''s entire body was enveloped and protected by pearly radiance. Identical to what surrounded Hal and Princess Yukikaze, this was imperishable protection.

    ''Hmm¡ª!? But that is the protection only dragon kings and usurpers can use!'' use!'' use!''

    "Rushalka, high speed flight!"

    At Asya''s command, the wyvern in Queen Form instantly took flight.

    Her target was above the scattered clouds in the night sky. With astounding acceleration, she reached sonic speed in merely a few short seconds.

    Breaking past the cloud layer, she ascended rapidly with momentum to reach the heavens.

    However, Exhos'' eight discuses also sped up violently, rising rapidly to chase after Rushalka.

    The discuses also showed amazing speed. Looking absolutely determined to catch the blue wyvern, they finally arrived right behind her.

    However, Asya issued commands at this point.

    "Accelerate further! Pull ahead, Rushalka!"

    The wyvern in Queen Form responded to these commands in calm composure¡ªOr rather.

    She broke the sound barrier matter-of-factly, emitting sonic booms while she flew, easily shaking off the eight discuses'' pursuit behind her.

    After creating a certain level of distance, Rushalka turned around with a twist of her body and stared at the arriving discuses with calm eyes.

    Her left arm of ruby was holding a crimson bow with a blue-white arrow of light in her right.

    Soaring the sky with her back turned, she nocked the arrow to the bow at the same time.

    "Freeze and Crack!"

    The arrow released by the ruby arms immediately split into eight to intercept the approaching discuses.

    The attacks met their marks completely. Struck by the arrows, the discuses were all frozen, then shattered like ice sculptures. They exploded.

    This battle, taking place in the far end of the sky¡ªHal was cognizant of it as though it was happening right before his eyes.

    This was thanks to his link to Rushalka through the vassal covenant.

    ''Tsk! A mere imitation!'' tion!'' tion!''

    This time, Exhos attacked using the discus he was riding.

    Instead of Rushalka, his target was Hal''s group on the riverside.

    Hal calmly deployed imperishable protection. The pearly light enveloped not only himself but also Orihime and Asya.

    Colliding with this layer of protection, Exhos was sent flying together with his bronze discus.

    Furthermore, Hal fired his magic gun thrice¡ªin triple burst mode. Struck by the bullets, the skull of the old dragon Exhos shattered.

    But the all-bones dragon remained impressive as ever. He was still capable of speaking from his rib cage.

    ''Curse you. Do not believe that this is over!'' over!'' over!''

    "Akuro-Ou, finish him!"

    Responding to Orihime''s command, Akuro-Ou descended rapidly from her standby position in the air.

    Then using this momentum, she pounced with reckless abandon, knocking the bronze discus away. Riding on it, Exhos¡ªthe skeleton specimen with the missing skull¡ªwas sent flying too.

    Without a moment''s pause, Akuro-Ou instantly lunged at the ancient specimen, thoroughly crushing the rib cage within her jaws.

    In addition, Rushalka flew back with lightning speed¡ª

    And swung her right forelimb at Exhos'' back, stabbing dragon claws of ruby into his spine.

    ''GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'' '' ''

    Ra Exhos'' bones screamed in a deathcry, crumbling and scattering.

    One could say that an old dragon had finally met his nihilistic demise. This was the moment of complete victory for Hal and company.

    Part 3

    With the eccentric old dragon''s demise, two inheritors of dragonslaying power were reunited.

    At the shore of the Kyuedogawa, Hal and Pavel Galad were finally face to face. Two witches watched them from a slight distance away.

    "Conferring the ancient sovereign''s appearance upon imitations, thereby allowing temporary ascension to the throne¡ªTruly a fearsome power. This ought to be named the secret ritual of imperial election..."

    "Imperial election? Oh, you mean electing an emperor? Like what those prince-electors did."

    Hal understood what Galad had implied.

    Prince-electors. A name given to powerful princes of the Holy Roman Empire in medieval Europe who held the exclusive privilege of electing the "king." This authority was shared between high-ranking nobles and Catholic archbishops.

    "I never expected such a massive gap to arise between us in such short time."

    "Well, you were heavily injured, after all."

    Galad muttered, unable to conceal his disappointment, hence Hal shrugged.

    What was formerly such a powerful silver dragon was now kneeling on the ground in human form, because he did not even have the strength to stand up. The silver-haired and handsome young man looked extremely disheartened in demeanor.

    However, Galad shook his head and refuted Hal''s words in chagrin.

    "That is not what I mean. The ''secret ritual of imperial election'' you have acquired is but a mere step from reaching the lofty heights of the dragon kings¡ªThat is how potent a power it is. You are now the Tyrannos closest to the throne."

    "......"

    That being said, Hal totally had no wish to increase his ranking on that front.

    He sighed lightly and decided to change the subject. After all, there were more urgent matters to attend to.

    "Let''s put the long-winded discussion aside for now. Anyway, do you want to join forces with me?"

    "What did you say?"

    "It''s fine if you want to stay in Tokyo for a brief while. We''ll reach an agreement to coexist temporarily without letting the Japanese populace know. Compared to having Princess Yukikaze as a neighbor, we¡ªno, I¡ªwould rather accept you."

    "You wish... to join forces with me?"

    Facing Galad''s handsome but dumbfounded face, Hal nodded.

    The dragon before him was an extremely dangerous monster, having killed many humans personally in the past. If one were to seek the entire nation''s opinion through a referendum, opposition would most likely be overwhelming.

    However, Hal currently wanted to secure "another faction" even if it meant going against public consensus.

    "Please. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? Besides, both of us are weak and powerless in the face of the dragon kings. Instead of killing ourselves through infighting, taking arms together is how we can come out in a win-win scenario."

    "Do not be ridiculous. As a pure-blooded dragon, how could I possibly join forces with the likes of a human¡ª"

    "Oh my, what''s wrong with doing it once in a while? Besides, you''re currently in human form right now."

    "......"

    "Also, the reason why Exhos failed to find you for the past few days was thanks to hiding among humans. I heard it from the girls who were with you."

    "Ugh..."

    It looked like Hal had exposed what Galad hated to touch upon. His gaze turned dark and vicious.

    However, it only lasted for an instant. The dragon warrior''s handsome face, full of manliness, showed an impressed look as he narrowed his eyes slightly to stare at Hal.

    "More than just the power of imperial selection huh...? You have changed greatly within short time."

    "Too much happened, after all. If possible, I''d rather live ordinary days as an ordinary citizen."

    Hal never expected he would be making private deals with a dragon like this one day¡ª

    Right now, Hal was in a situation he never would have imagined in the past. However, he wanted to avoid death and also hoped to retire at the age of forty to live the rest of his life in leisure. And in order to achieve this goal, the world needed to become more peaceful than its current state.

    Both active and passive, that was the nature of Hal''s motives.

    "Bow user... I recall your name being Haruomi."

    "Yeah. I''m honored you remember me."

    "Fighting side by side... If that is the case, naturally, I must confront that."

    Galad glanced at the Kyuedogawa river mouth¡ªTokyo Bay''s starting point.

    He must have noticed too. A new enemy was approaching. However, the dragon betrayed Hal''s expectations despite the beginning collapse of his obstinacy, rooted in his hot-blooded character, in a mere instant.

    "Nevertheless, it is impossible. I have exhausted my powers in the earlier battle. I do not have any remaining strength to fight alongside you."

    "Sigh, I was guessing this might be the case."

    Hal sighed again, having lost count how many times he had sighed today.

    Concerned about this point, He had discussed with Luna Francois beforehand to see if they could locate Pavel Galad before the Yukikaze faction did. The result of this negotiation also turned out as expected.

    "I might make the same request if an opportunity arises in the future. Lend me your aid when the time comes."

    "...Are you not going to kill me? Haruomi."

    "The enemy''s enemy could turn into a friend. I won''t kill you off pointlessly."

    After saying this on purpose in a casual tone of voice, Hal returned to his companions.

    Since Galad could not be used, he should be shot and killed on the spot to eliminate a future threat. Hal had deliberately pretended to have overlooked this option.

    "No good, I guess? Looks like I''ll have to call negotiations a wrap for today."

    "No helping it. It''s our turn next."

    "¡ªSo last time''s giant turtle really is the princess'' servant!"

    Asya nodded after listening to Hal''s report. Looking through binoculars, Orihime cried out. The Japanese girl was currently looking in Tokyo Bay''s direction at the river mouth.

    A "black dot" could be seen on the horizon. It was gradually approaching.

    Facing Hal who was nodding in response, Asya said, "While Haruomi and Galad were talking, Luna brought news. The remaining Raptors have been completely destroyed by her Glinda."

    "As expected of the Shootdown Ace from America."

    "However, It seems that the JMSDF has also issued a report."

    After the complete annihilation of the Raptors at Minamikasai¡ª

    Having summoned Glinda back to Shin-Kiba, the American witch had received a report. The dragon king''s minion that had appeared offshore of Haneda four days prior, Genbu-Ou¡ªthat giant turtle¡ªhad apparently floated up from the sea in Tokyo Bay and was heading towards the Kyuedogawa river mouth.

    The star performer was finally arriving on stage. Asya immediately announced, "We''ll first have Rushalka fight as much as possible. Once she reaches her limit, entrust the queen''s power to Akuro-Ou¡ªI''m counting on you, Orihime-san."

    "Yes, leave it to me!"

    What Pavel Galad called the "secret ritual of imperial election" was the trump card of Hal and the others.

    It did not equate to unlimited power. Only one vassal could take on Queen Form, which was why they decided to have Rushalka, whose capabilities were top-notch, to transform into the queen while relegating Akuro-Ou to support.

    As for Glinda and Minadzuki, who had received the Rune of the Bow, they were in the back on standby.

    Hal''s magic gun also had remaining ammunition. There was probably no other city in the world with an anti-dragon lineup comparable to this.

    "Unfortunately, this still won''t be enough, but all we can do is try."

    "Yes. Times like these could be described as having ''nothing to lose in trying,'' right?"

    "Even Orihime-san has learned these magic words at last..."

    The three of them chatted while jogging over to the bank near the river mouth.

    Genbu-Ou, the gigantic minion almost a hundred meters in length, was gradually approaching from Tokyo Bay. Its supermassive body was charging over the sea, probably two or three kilometers from the river mouth.

    "Should I have Rushalka snipe with the bow first...?"

    Just as Asya was murmuring to herself...

    ''Fufufufu. The time for a rematch has arrived so soon, Haruomi!''

    Adorable laughter resounded across the night sky. It was Princess Yukikaze''s announcement. She was watching Hal from somewhere up high.

    ''That being said, my earlier injury has yet to heal... For the time being, my minion, Genbu-Ou, shall serve as your opponent. Please do not underestimate Genbu-Ou.''

    Backing up the princess'' casual voice, Genbu-Ou vocalized loudly while approaching on the sea.

    GOAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATH!

    ''Just as you are able to entrust the dragonslaying bow to subordinates, I, Yukikaze, can also turn my servant into a dragonslaying arrow. Fufu, although nowhere as light and agile as I, Yukikaze, Genbu-Ou is still a force to be reckoned with once turned into an arrow. Let''s fight fair and square, Haruomi!''

    The challenge she issued was dignified as a king''s yet playful and innocent like a child''s.

    Perhaps Princess Yukikaze was treating Hal as a "rare playmate." Even Hinokagutsuchi whispered from inside the magic gun, "Hmm. The little lady seems to like you very much."

    "It really doesn''t make me happy to be liked in this manner..."

    The instant Hal muttered quietly, Genbu-Ou underwent a transformation over the sea.

    The gigantic body, a hundred meters in length, began to emit golden light. This was the same phenomenon as witnessed offshore of Haneda previously. Genbu-Ou''s glowing brawny body was closing in on the river mouth.

    Several hundred meters away from landing. Asya instantly yelled, "Rushalka, equip the queen''s bow! And use pseudo-divinity!"

    "Akuro-Ou, you use fire magic too! And with the Rune of the Bow!"

    Orihime commanded immediately as well.

    Using pseudo-divinity and the Rune of the Bow simultaneously, the two girls intended to attack with a technique of assured annihilation.

    However, it seemed like they were not using the "sun-shooting divine bow," right? Being their greatest trump card, but extremely costly in consumption, it was imperative to wait for the right moment before using it.

    Tasked with their orders, the two "serpents" happened to be hovering overhead, biding their time to act.

    Rushalka in Queen Form first summoned the crimson bow to her left hand.

    Then her right hand conjured an ice arrow¡ªfrom arrowhead to the fletchings, the arrow was sculpted from ice¡ªthen shot it swiftly. As soon as the arrow left the bow, almost a hundred identical ice arrows appeared behind the blue wyvern''s back.

    The scene of a large amount of arrows in the air was both magnificent and fearsome.

    "Rushalka, Magic Missile!"

    Responding to Asya''s command, the remaining arrows all shot at Genbu-Ou simultaneously.

    It was like heavy machine gunfire. Meanwhile, Orihime also took the opportunity to yell, "Now is the time, fire!"

    Akuro-Ou summoned nine black arrowheads.

    These arrowheads flew to a position above the approaching Genbu-Ou before releasing flames together. Nine beams of flame attempted to incinerate the gigantic turtle minion. At this moment, the ice arrows rained down like a sudden downpour. However, none of this worked.

    Enveloped in golden light, Genbu-Ou''s gigantic body remained completely unharmed.

    "Last time it didn''t work either when I shot my gun..."

    "Well, that humongous mass itself seems to be the ''arrow''..."

    Hinokagutsuchi''s voice whispered privately to Hal after he gasped.

    "In all likelihood, that thing should be sluggish in reaction with substantial limits on speed too. However, stopping its advance will be as much of a hassle as preventing Yukikaze from flying, brat!"

    "That''s why it''s best not to have a frontal clash, right!?"

    "Let''s shift locations first! Orihime-san, counting on you!"

    "Yes. Akuro-Ou, please!"

    Shining with golden light, Genbu-Ou invaded the river mouth.

    Genbu-Ou was only dozens of meters away from Hal''s group. However, Akuro-Ou descended from the sky at this moment, then shrank her body upon landing, becoming roughly three meters long.

    Orihime, Hal and Asya climbed onto the white fox-wolf''s back desperately.

    After all of them had mounted, Akuro-Ou immediately took a leap, using the momentum to start flying. Suddenly, Hal looked down at the ground in sudden realization.

    Mutou-san and Funaki-san might still be inside the community center.

    No signs of people could be seen in that area. The three microbuses parked at the bus terminus had disappeared, so presumably, they ought to have evacuated swiftly. After all, with giant monsters battling nearby, it would be only logical¡ª

    Just as Hal felt relieved, the enormous monster from the sea reached the river shore.

    Instantly, the golden light surrounding Genbu-Ou''s entire body exploded. It was like some kind of gigantic detonation. Asya immediately yelled, "Rushalka, deploy imperishable protection...!"

    The blue wyvern flew next to Akuro-Ou and deployed a pearl-colored defensive field.

    Hal also ordered the Rune of the Bow to guard himself and his companions using the same power of protection. Next, the golden light''s explosion devoured the surroundings¡ª

    Two minutes later, the field of view, dyed golden by the explosion of light, gradually returned to clarity.

    Looking down at the ground from Akuro-Ou''s back in their aerial escape, Hal and the others could not help but fall speechless in surprise.

    The whole vicinity had been cleared out to become a new stretch of empty land. The vast lawn on the riverside, roads, houses in Minamikasai, towns and neighborhoods¡ªEverything had been swept away cleanly.

    On closer examination, one could see a crater near the river mouth with a radius of two kilometers.

    Furthermore, the area five or six kilometers surrounding the crater had been flattened by the light''s explosion, completely destroying everything above ground.

    Within this vast plain, the only moving living creature was the gigantic Genbu-Ou.

    "Haruga-kun, look at that!"

    Orihime pointed in the air from atop Akuro-Ou''s back.

    Flying there was a steel-colored Raptor. Held by its hind limb was a handsome young man, Pavel Galad in human form.

    The Raptor released Galad after landing on the plain, then took flight again.

    "By exhausting his last strength, he managed to summon one... Looks like that''s what happened."

    "But since the Raptor immediately left... I suppose Galad really doesn''t have any remaining energy to sustain the summon."

    Similarly, Asya and Hal nodded at each other on top of Akuro-Ou''s back.

    Incidentally, there was roughly a kilometer of distance between Genbu-Ou and Galad on the plain.

    ''Oh, what is this? Isn''t it the silver dragon who had inherited the sword?''

    Naturally, the voice echoing in the air was Princess Yukikaze''s.

    ''Speaking of which, I received news that you were hiding in these lands. This is perfect. I shall take care of you while I am at it¡ªGenbu-Ou, attack again. Do it more thoroughly this time.''

    On the ground, Galad did not respond to the princess'' voice.

    Lying on the barren plain, he was squirming in pain. Literally as one might describe in an insult, he did not even have the strength to retort.

    But judging from his personality, it was possible that his heart was shaking precisely due to the shame.

    And having received the master''s orders, Genbu-Ou¡ªstood up, surprisingly. The gigantic turtle, a hundred meters long, had originally been crawling on all fours after landing.

    But suddenly, Genbu-Ou stood upright on stubby hind legs.

    Then glowing golden again, Genbu-Ou took flight, flying up in the sky like a rocket¡ªtowards the night sky where fleecy clouds were floating scattered. Hal gasped.

    "Since that big thing is also a ''dragonslaying arrow''... Won''t it take the same action as Princess Yukikaze last time?"

    "¡ª! You mean the finishing move of descending from a great height!"

    Orihime had apparently pictured the same thing. Her expression was very stiff.

    "If that thing crashes down, let alone a street... I fear the entire region will be wiped out, right?"

    "That would be least of it. Although it''s ultimately just an intuitive hunch of mine, had we failed to stop the princess'' rapid descent, around 80% of New Town would''ve been pulverized."

    Adding an even worse prediction to Hal''s estimation, Asya said quietly, "In that case, we''ll just have to stop it the same way."

    "Asya-san will resist with a finishing move too, like earlier!" said Orihime. However, Hal''s childhood friend murmured with a gloomy expression, "Frankly speaking... I''m not confident I can achieve the same outcome as last time. As Princess Yukikaze pointed out, it was probably because she had been careless. She can''t possibly repeat the same mistake twice¡ªBut I''ll try my best."

    With a determined look, Asya said, "We are not fighting in solitude. Let''s gamble on this fact."

    The giant minion, Genbu-Ou, was rapidly descending from an extreme height estimated to be ten thousand meters.

    Rushalka, Akuro-Ou and the three humans landed on the ground, preparing to intercept. Although Pavel Galad''s human body was also quite nearby, they did not have the luxury to tend to him.

    In Queen Form, Rushalka nocked an arrow of light on the crimson bow, aiming it at the sky.

    Akuro-Ou returned to her normal size and waited on standby some distance away. After Hal and the witches exchanged nods with one another, Asya cried out fiercely, "Rushalka, Double Cast pseudo-divinity of the Moon! Receive the power of the moon!"

    Leviathans were heaven-sent children of the moon and night.

    In order to receive magical power from the brightly shining full moon in the sky, Asya commanded the invocation of divinity, thereby pouring the obtained power into the crimson bow. Then twenty-one runes of Ruruk Soun appeared behind Rushalka''s back, signifying "I will fire the sun-shooting divine bow at the sky, to exterminate the sun."

    Shining with golden light, Genbu-Ou was currently falling from the sky, belly exposed.

    Like a meteor, hurtling straight at Hal''s group from overhead!

    "Now is the time¡ª!"

    At Asya''s command, Rushalka drew the bow and shot.

    The arrow of light released from the crimson bow flew in a straight line and was about to pierce Genbu-Ou''s abdomen¡ªHowever, the runes of Ruruk Soun for "shield" manifested at that moment to block the arrow of light!

    Nevertheless, the sun-shooting divine bow lived up to its name as a technique of assured annihilation.

    Blowing apart the fifteen-rune arrangement of "shield," it pierced Genbu-Ou magnificently.

    However, this did not mean that things were over. Enveloped in blazing flame, the turtle''s supermassive body began to burn intensely¡ª

    Neither exploding nor stopping, Genbu-Ou continued to fall while burning intensely.

    The divine bow''s firepower was not enough to destroy Genbu-Ou completely!

    ''I just experienced that move not too long ago! Don''t think that the same attack will work twice on I, Yukikaze!''

    "Well... Of course we thought of that already!"

    Despite replying to the princess'' echoing voice with stalwart dignity, Asya found her legs refusing to obey her.

    The Double Cast for firing the sun-shooting divine bow had robbed her of stamina. However, a girl caught the exhausted senior witch in her arms. It was Orihime.

    "Akuro-Ou, it''s your turn next!"

    The white fox-wolf answered the command with a howl.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    In that instant, armor appeared to protect Akuro-Ou''s back and flanks. Sparkling and magnificent as though made of ruby, it was a set of beautiful armor.

    At the same time, Rushalka''s chest armor and arms vanished as though it had been passed along¡ª

    "Use the queen''s power to blow that big enemy away! We must succeed this time!"

    A large-caliber cannon suddenly appeared on the armor protecting Akuro-Ou''s back.

    It was almost as though a tank''s main cannon had been stolen and grafted onto her directly. However, the weapon was made of shining and lustrous gold. Indeed¡ª

    Orihime and Akuro-Ou had inherited the Queen Form from the heavily exhausted Asya.

    Meanwhile, the gigantic Genbu-Ou continued to descend. It was now roughly a hundred meters from the ground.

    Aiming at the target, Akuro-Ou fired the cannon of gold on her back.

    A red flash of light exited the barrel and ascended the sky, piercing Genbu-Ou''s massive abdomen.

    In a addition, a white beam came flying in from the northwest. On standby at Shin-Kiba, Minadzuki had fired the dragonslaying bow again. This attack utterly tore apart Genbu-Ou''s shell.

    Then unleashing the final blow was¡ª

    "Rushalka, Frost Breath!"

    Asya, whom Orihime was supporting, and her partner.

    The breath attack of ice shards and freezing air shot from the blue wyvern''s mouth towards Genbu-Ou.

    Although Double Casting had almost depleted her power fully, the reborn Rushalka still had enough remaining to launch one more invocation of pseudo-divinity.

    Struck by a concentrated attack from three different leviathans¡ª

    The golden light surrounding Genbu-Ou finally vanished. The giant black turtle''s massive body shifted slightly in its trajectory of descent, finally falling a hundred meters away from Hal''s group instead of right on top of their heads.

    CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

    The impact''s heavy rumbling resounded in all directions.

    However, there was no explosion of light. Hal and his team had successfully stopped the dragonslaying arrow.

    Witnessing the sight while leaning on Orihime, the master-class witch said quietly, "Looks like we took out the enemy relatively painlessly..."

    "Asya!" "Asya-san!?"

    Hal''s childhood friend closed her eyes, falling asleep directly in exhaustion. Forcing her weakened body to launch the deathblow after a Double Cast¡ªShe had presumably reached her limit.

    Tonight, Rushalka had used pseudo-divinity five times.

    As a Level 5 witch, Asya could order her "serpent" to invoke divinity five times.

    In other words, she had fully exhausted her power. While feeling grateful to his childhood friend, Hal inquired of the magic gun in his right hand, i.e. Hinokagutsuchi.

    "Is that big thing dead?"

    After crashing to the ground, Genbu-Ou''s massive body had not budged an inch.

    Not only that, the pitch-black body was gradually turning gray. The discolored portions immediately began to weather away, crumbling in collapse.

    "Yes. After all, it suffered such a harsh blow. Due to the excessive body size, it had no other method of fighting apart from charging using momentum."

    "At that kind of size, simply charging is already enough to cause extraordinary devastation..."

    Despite muttering that, Hal also felt relieved. At this moment, Hinokagutsuchi whispered "Hmm?"

    After putting down the sleeping Asya on the ground, Orihime asked, "What is the matter, Kagutsuchi-san?"

    "Well... I stand corrected. The little lady, Yukikaze, has made an interesting move."

    The magic gun''s guardian spoke ominous words.

    The meaning of her words immediately came clear. Genbu-Ou''s massive body kept weathering away before Hal''s eyes, turning into dust. Finally losing all semblance of its original form, the body collapsed completely.

    However, a large serpent was hiding within the debris.

    It was twenty meters or so in body length with a black surface and even featured what seemed to be a pair of bat wings on its back. No limbs.

    A black serpent with wings. Hal was doubting his eyes. Somehow, he found this monster''s airs quite similar to one of his absent comrades, namely, the reborn Minadzuki.

    "In other words, That Genbu-Ou, or whatever it was called, was being controlled from inside."

    Hinokagutsuchi commented gravely.

    Part 4

    ''Bravo, Haruomi! I am impressed that you were able to strip away Genbu-Ou''s armor to pull out the Huashe''s true appearance. Fufufu, I, Yukikaze, approve of your capability!''

    "H-Huashe...?"

    After listening absent-mindedly to Princess Yukikaze''s praise coming from the sky, Hal searched his memories.

    Huashe. This was the name of a monster featured in the ancient Classic of Mountains and Seas, an unusual Chinese text and illustrated bestiary of famous monsters. If memory served him correctly, it was a winged snake.

    Hal examined the Genbu-Ou''s contents again.

    A winged serpent somewhat reminiscent of Shirasaka Hazumi''s partner, Minadzuki. Hal figured out why. It was the lack of savage ferocity.

    Whether leviathans or dragons, both were lifeforms whose purpose in life was to fight.

    It was unknown whether this was the reason, but no matter which individual, they would exhibit savagery to various degrees within and without. In other words, one could call it a sense of wildness. However, the reborn Minadzuki did not produce this kind of impression.

    Even in battle, she remained calm throughout, to the point that she was not equipped with an inborn weapon, i.e. a horn counterpart.

    Hal thought it was due to influence from her partner with the gentle disposition, but...

    ''True Genbu-Ou, you were originally a merciful goddess. Although it pains me to issue such an order... Still, you must exterminate my enemy Haruomi and his followers.''

    Meanwhile, Princess Yukikaze was announcing in what could even be called a gentle tone of voice.

    ''Choose your means as you wish. I shall entrust the arrow to you, so use it to your heart''s content.''

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª

    True Genbu-Ou called out shrilly yet elegantly in response to the princess'' command.

    Then a magic symbol appeared behind True Genbu-Ou. The horizontal oval had an isosceles triangle inscribed within it¡ªThe Rune of the Arrow, almost reaching the size of the serpent''s body.

    "Hmph. Forcing an ancient goddess to don armor and enter the battlefield? Well, those beings are all gentle souls for the most part, after all..."

    "K-Kagutsuchi-san, what do you mean by an ancient goddess!?"

    The murmuring voice of the consultant in the magic gun made Orihime react.

    "It''s very reminiscent of Hazumi''s Minadzuki to me. Is there some kind of relationship between them!?"

    "Certainly. The imitations employed by you lot are made in reference to goddesses created by human hands during antiquity, are they not?"

    Listening to Hinokagutsuchi, Hal jumped in surprise.

    Ancient magi had created artificial lifeforms¡ªimitations of dragons. The parent generation of Hal and the others had discovered the sample, Grandmother Immortal.

    In other words, was the grandmother of the "serpents" the same kind of creature as True Genbu-Ou!?

    "This is really bothering me, so you must tell me the details, but wait until later. Right now, that thing is our opponent!"

    "I-I agree. Akuro-Ou, I am counting on you!"

    After Hal extended his finger to point in the sky, Orihime nodded hastily.

    True Genbu-Ou had spread her wings and flown into the sky. Then hovering motionlessly there, she gazed down upon Hal''s group and Akuro-Ou with cold and stern eyes. She was practically like a cruel goddess.

    Akuro-Ou fired her artillery against this solemn black serpent with wings.

    The golden cannon on her back, acquired through Queen Form, fired a red beam.

    "Juujouji, be careful with the timing for using pseudo-divinity!"

    "Good point. After all, it''s my final shot!"

    By pouring magical power using pseudo-divinity, the golden cannon would be able to fire a technique of assured annihilation.

    However, Orihime was a Level 3 witch, meaning she could only order the use of divinity thrice a day. And tonight, she had already used it twice.

    Hence, Akuro-Ou fired five blasts in succession, but without the use of assured annihilation.

    Meanwhile, True Genbu-Ou was using the "shield" runes of Ruruk Soun. Fifteen magic symbols were arranged to protect the winged serpent, deflecting the cannon blasts.

    However, Akuro-Ou in Queen Form did not stop. She fired another three shots consecutively

    The "shield" protecting True Genbu-Ou began to blink, weakening progressively. Under the Queen Form''s blessing, even the firepower of normal shots were raised dramatically without invoking assured annihilation.

    "Continue with this and defeat her, Akuro-Ou!"

    However, Hal suddenly reacted in alarm upon hearing his classmate.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª

    The divine beast cried out shrilly as before.

    Immediately, the Rune of the Arrow behind True Genbu-Ou moved, arriving in front of its bearer who was gradually getting overwhelmed by Akuro-Ou. Then something unbelievable happened.

    "Huh!?"

    "What''s wrong, Akuro-Ou?"

    When the Rune of the Arrow moved in front of True Genbu-Ou, Akuro-Ou stopped firing at the same time.

    The golden cannon, which had been firing nonstop, vanished suddenly. Taking its place, a symbol of a "tilted half-moon" appeared on the white fox-wolf''s back¡ªThe Rune of the Bow.

    Also, in True Genbu-Ou''s surroundings, twenty runes of Ruruk Soun manifested.

    It signified "ceasefire and quelled conflict." In other words, the lowering of arms and the cessation of hostilities. With the appearance of this arrangement, both runes, the Bow and the Arrow, disappeared at the same time.

    "Th-The power of dragonbane was erased!?"

    "Well, it should only be temporary..."

    Just as Hal was taken aback in shock, Hinokagutsuchi sighed from within the magic gun.

    "Although the enemy''s power of dragonslaying is sealed, one''s own power of dragonslaying must also be sealed away as well. As sons of conflict, dragons are incapable of accomplishing this. Only the race of goddesses with their gentle natures are able to perform such a miracle."

    "Magic for preventing each other from using weapons huh..."

    Orihime was quite stunned too, but she did not forget to instruct her partner.

    "Akuro-Ou, the field is level for both sides, so don''t lose. Even without the bow, you can punch and bite!"

    Responding to Orihime''s shout, the white nine-tailed fox-wolf howled sonorously.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Despite losing the golden cannon, Akuro-Ou was still clad in the queen''s armor. In this manner, she flew with agility and rushed at True Genbu-Ou head on. This was close quarters combat distance.

    One of Akuro-Ou''s nine tails extended like an elastic band, performing a pummeling strike akin to a right hook.

    True Genbu-Ou deflected the attack by using a runic arrangement of the "shield" again. However, Akuro-Ou did not give up. The nine tails extended one after another, launching a flurry of strikes like fists.

    A total of twenty attacks, it was like a raging wave.

    Then finally, Akuro-Ou released a heat beam from her mouth as a finisher.

    ¡ªHowever, none of it worked. Akuro-Ou''s various attacks were all blocked by "shield" runes, unable to inflict any damage on True Genbu-Ou''s body.

    In addition, just as Akuro-Ou paused from exertion, the black serpent suddenly cried out shrilly.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª

    "Akuro-Ou, hurry and defend!"

    At Orihime''s command, imperishable protection instantly enveloped the white fox-wolf.

    Then seven runes of Ruruk Soun appeared over True Genbu-Ou''s head. The meaning of that arrangement¡ªHal was rendered speechless. It was Magical Attraction.

    Immediately, Akuro-Ou howled in surprise.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?

    The pearly radiance signifying imperishable protection¡ªits particles of light¡ªwas gradually sucked into the runic arrangement of Magical Attraction, almost like how iron sand was attracted and would stick to a magnet.

    The result was the gradual erasure of imperishable protection!

    Confronted with this phenomenon, Hinokagutsuchi whispered inside the magic gun, "Imperishable protection is impenetrable... However, goddesses may choose to eliminate it in a circuitous manner instead of breaching it. This is magic usable only by their race."

    "I-It''s really a different lifeform from the dragons..."

    Hal muttered and gulped.

    All the theory accumulated over time was useless. This was truly a difficult predicament.

    Meanwhile, Akuro-Ou attacked again. Extending her nine tails, she tried every way she could to pummel True Genbu-Ou. However, the "shield" still blocked everything.

    Furthermore, True Genbu-Ou was biding her time to counterattack.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª

    With a cry from True Genbu-Ou, four gigantic runes of Ruruk Soun instantly appeared in the night sky.

    They meant "divine punishment." This arrangement brought a gathering of dark clouds, blotting out the starry sky. Deep rumbling shook the heavens¡ªAnd lightning descended.

    "Akuro-Ou!"

    Worried about her partner, Orihime cried out. Guarded by protection, the white fox-wolf remained unharmed.

    However, the imperishable protection was gradually disappearing due to the absorption spell. Instead of dispersing, the dark clouds above kept aiming lightning to strike Akuro-Ou.

    At this rate, defeat would be inevitable¡ªHal raised his magic gun.

    He had remaining ammunition. There was no choice but for him to personally step into the forefront now.

    However, True Genbu-Ou''s sharp gaze glanced at Hal while at the same time, she used the "shield" to block Akuro-Ou''s attacks as before.

    She was clearly aware of whom to watch out for the most in this situation!

    "What a difficult enemy..."

    It would get blocked even if he used the magic gun to attack? Hal sighed.

    He had to find a way. How could he ambush True Genbu-Ou in a surprise attack? Ambushing that monster that was unlike a monster, overwhelmingly sacred, calm and composed with powerful magic at her disposal¡ª

    If Princess Yukikaze were in this situation, she would probably rely on her own powerful strength to charge like an arrow.

    Then she would probably defeat the enemy magnificently. How envious. As a powerless human, Haruga Haruomi would not be able to carry out such a tactic to fruition no matter how hard he tried...

    At this moment, Hal made eye contact with a non-human existence. Speaking of which, that guy was nearby too.

    "You mentioned joining forces earlier, didn''t you¡ª"

    From that deep and dark voice, he could sense all sorts of emotions.

    Humiliation, competitiveness, pride, anger, misgivings, defiance and loyalty. He was an overly rigid and hot-blooded man. The current situation was probably forcing his hand.

    "O Tyrannos of imperial selection. Just as you can see, my blade is chipped and my sword is broken... Nevertheless, if I were to say there is still something I could do, what would you do?"

    My enemy''s enemy could become a friend¡ªHal recalled what he had said before.

    In fact, Hal had contemplated this earlier. He should not falter just because the enemy had a human appearance. Mustering courage to shoot and kill him to prevent future threats would not be a bad choice. However, Hal did not choose to do so.

    From a realist standpoint on the battlefield, this should have been a good choice.

    However, Hal could not do it. No matter what, he could not do it.

    Hence, he decided to take a gamble. That guy''s presence might end up affecting the battle''s final outcome after all. It would be nice to gamble on this possible future.

    And now, that man was relying on his last strength to get up unsteadily and extend his right hand.

    Hal nodded and approached him, extending the magic gun.

    He¡ªPavel Galad''s human body¡ªreached out with his right hand to hold the handgun of steel and gold. Gnashing his teeth, he said, "I entrust the last of my remaining strength to you... You must defeat the queen''s servant!"

    Thus, Galad collapsed powerlessly and lost consciousness.

    Then Hal sensed Hinokagutsuchi''s consciousness in the magic gun fall into deep slumber. She had gone out of her way to seal away her own existence in order to allow the magic wand''s magical power to be fully used on combat.

    With that, all that remained was for him to do his best. Hal immediately yelled, "Do it, Juujouji! Now is the time to struggle desperately using this thing!"

    "Leave it to me! Haruga-kun, we will defeat that snake together, whatever it takes!"

    After Hal and Orihime exchanged nods, the two of them began to sprint.

    Their destination was Akuro-Ou''s side. Attacked by lightning descending from the sky nonstop, the white fox-wolf had been pressured to land on the ground. Standing firmly on four legs, she maintained a low stance with imperishable protection deployed, enduring the lightning of divine punishment in this manner.

    The winged black serpent was gazing down at the one-sidedly enduring Akuro-Ou from the air with aloofness.

    It was evidently an unfavorable situation, but Orihime clenched her right fist and presented the back of her hand to her partner. Manifesting there clearly was the Rune of the Sword.

    The magic symbol formed from a series of three inequality signs of "<"¡ª

    The same rune surfaced on Hal''s right palm. Furthermore, the magic gun held in this hand also changed. A roughly fifteen-centimeter blade was fitted under the grip as a bayonet.

    "Akuro-Ou! Here you go, use the dragonslaying sword too!"

    A silver-white longsword was equipped onto Akuro-Ou''s back.

    An extra metallic arm of ruby from the back armor was holding this sword. Using a human arm as an analogy, it would be equivalent to everything below the elbow.

    The entrusted trump card¡ªthe dragonslaying sword. The metallic arm was raising this sword horizontally.

    At first glance, it seemed as though Akuro-Ou had sprouted a wing on her right side.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Having obtained a new weapon, Akuro-Ou howled powerfully. Orihime immediately shouted, "Cut her down with the sword!"

    The metallic arm on the fox-wolf''s back moved, gripping the raised dragonslaying sword vertically.

    In terms of kendo, it would be the upper-level stance. Immediately, lightning fell from the sky. However, the longsword on Akuro-Ou''s back deflected it, thus dispelling the lightning of divine punishment.

    This dragonslaying sword, exhibiting a remarkable feat immediately upon its introduction¡ª

    Its blade was almost as long as Akuro-Ou''s body. The sword was also quite rugged and broad.

    The white fox-wolf raised the steel sword again as though spreading a wing and jumped up high, flying towards True Genbu-Ou which was staring down at her from ten-odd meters in the air.

    Then the moment she passed by her target, she attacked using the dragonslaying sword with a horizontal slash.

    Naturally, the winged black serpent continued to defend using Ruruk Soun''s "shield"¡ªHowever, the dragonslaying sword sliced through True Genbu-Ou together with the fifteen runic symbols!

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª!?

    This was the first time for True Genbu-Ou to emit something like a scream.

    The central part of the long and stout serpentine body was sliced open, spurting red blood.

    "Success? Juujouji!?"

    "No, not yet. Not enough damage!"

    Although True Genbu-Ou was undoubtedly inflicted with a heavy injury, she was definitely still not neutralized.

    This time, two "shields" formed from runes of Ruruk Soun appeared around the serpent, putting up a more sturdy defense.

    Furthermore, seven new symbols manifested over the bleeding wound.

    The meaning was "healing hand." Tragically sliced open by the dragonslaying sword, the wound stopped bleeding and slowly closed up... Hal groaned.

    "She''s like an RPG cleric. Now that''s what I call a durable tank."

    The majority of magic wielded by elite dragons were terrifying and offensive.

    In contrast, this super lifeform, called a "goddess" by Princess Yukikaze and Hinokagutsuchi, was applying magical power towards defense. Moreover, she seemed even more skilled in this area than the elites.

    "We need an even more powerful attack to overwhelm the enemy..."

    By the time he knew it, Orihime was already leaning close against Hal.

    She¡ªJuujouji Orihime¡ªwould be akin to the joystick for controlling the vassal, Akuro-Ou, more effectively. Hal embraced his extremely attractive comrade.

    "I''m counting on you, Juujouji!"

    "Yes. Akuro-Ou, please!"

    Orihime shouted out while entrusting herself to Haruga Haruomi.

    Hal pulled her towards him and held her tightly in his arms. The sensation of her voluptuous bust was pressed against Hal. The potent magical power generated in Hal''s heart was poured into Orihime''s heart through intimate contact with her bosom and skin, finally flowing into Akuro-Ou''s heartmetal¡ª

    Orihime had previously forbidden him from touching her in an obscene manner, so this result was the compromise.

    However, this kind of tight hug was actually even more passionate than before. Furthermore, Hal also took this opportunity to use his left hand, which was not holding the magic gun, to squeeze her bottom hard.

    Thanks to that, he was able to confirm that highly elastic feeling, accompanied by a sense of volume surpassing the bust.

    "Mm... Mmmm. Th-This time, let us¡ªdo what we did last time!"

    Despite squirming in discomfort from the scorching magical power flowing into her body, Orihime still gave instructions.

    Her voice sounded more bittersweet than last time, causing Hal''s spine to tremble in waves. He could not help but embrace Orihime even more tightly.

    "J-Juujouji!"

    "Haruga-kun!"

    Locked in mutual embrace, the two of them witnessed the phenomenon. Nineteen runes of Ruruk Soun had appeared on the dragonslaying sword held in Akuro-Ou''s arm.

    It signified "I summon the thunder god''s sword to unsheathe in haste¡ª"

    The technique of assured annihilation exhibited by Pavel Galad last time was being launched by Akuro-Ou this time.

    The sky was filled with dark clouds. The white fox-wolf immediately summoned a rain of lightning to bathe herself, storing it as energy. Then howling, she flew.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Her entire body enveloped in white lightning, Akuro-Ou pounced at True Genbu-Ou and stabbed the longsword on her back deeply into the black serpent''s throat.

    In addition, Hal raised the magic gun while hugging Orihime.

    Naturally, the muzzle was aimed at True Genbu-Ou. Activating assured annihilation, the magic gun fired in full auto. All twenty-odd bullets remaining in Hal''s magic gun flew at the winged black serpent in the form of red flashes of light, repeatedly chipping away at the long and stout serpentine body.

    Then True Genbu-Ou''s body exploded, releasing intense light¡ª

    Thus she met her glorious demise in battle.

    However, the black winged serpent had been hovering in the air close by. Less than twenty meters away, it was an explosion at point blank range.

    Hal hugged Orihime tightly and used himself together with imperishable protection to defend her.

    Hence, Orihime hugged him tightly in return.

    Maintaining this posture¡ªthat of mutual embrace¡ªthey waited for the explosion and shockwave to subside. All they could lean on during this time was each other''s sensation, temperature and supple bodies.

    Then the explosion and shockwave finally dissipated.

    "W-We survived..."

    "Not only that, I think we won..."

    After saying that, the two of them released each other and smiled radiantly.

    Then Orihime threw herself into Hal''s arms again. Hal caught and her body strongly in return.

    In the end, they were locked in a passionate embrace again.

    "We succeeded, Haruga-kun!"

    "It''s all thanks to you, Juujouji!"

    However, using "that method" to perform a technique of assured annihilation was severely draining, as one might expect.

    Hal''s legs suddenly stopped obeying him due to sudden fatigue. Since he was currently embracing Orihime, she hastily tried to catch and support him¡ªbut failed. Japan''s former kendo champion girl did not even have the strength to do so.

    As a result, Hal pushed Orihime down unintentionally, helplessly pinning all his weight on her.

    "S-Sorry. If I don''t hurry and move..."

    "D-Don''t worry. Haruga-kun, you don''t have any strength either, do you?"

    Hal apologized in embarrassment, so Orihime replied in a gentle tone of voice.

    "I-It is the same for me... So how about we rest like this for a while, shall we?"

    Despite being pinned to the ground, Orihime did not utter a single complaint. Instead, she hugged Hal while displaying a gentle gaze.

    "I''m very grateful to hear that from you... But sure enough, this is still bad."

    "Why?"

    "Because it''s you and we''re pressed so tightly together, I''ll definitely have dirty thoughts."

    "Seriously... You''re as lewd as always..."

    Despite voicing her displeasure, Orihime continued to gaze at him gently. Wrapping her arms around Hal''s back, she hugged tightly.

    With Orihime under him, exhaling hot breath, Hal could feel a vivid sensation of her body.

    Thanks to that, Hal finally experienced a real sense of "lucky survival" as a strong surge. He could not help but exhale deeply.

 Volume 3, Epilogue

    Volume 3, Epilogue

    A few days had passed after the battle against the dragons occupying Tokyo New Town.

    New Town was back to normal, in a way. After Exhos died, all affected New Town residents began to wake up naturally. The "freeze" magic had probably been sustained by the old dragon''s magical power.

    However, there were many problems.

    Four days of frozen hibernation had caused temporary memory confusion and reduction in muscle strength¡ªRescued citizens were plagued by such symptoms to various extents in the immediate term.

    That being said, it was quite fortunate that side effects only went as far as this.

    "But the number of times for dragons to appear at New Town in the past few months... has been truly unusual. Even laymen can probably feel that something is amiss," said the shrugging Luna Francois, dressed in the Academy''s uniform.

    Classes had finally resumed at Kogetsu Academy today. After school, Hal''s group was gathered at an open-air cafe''s sidewalk seating. Hal, Orihime, Asya and Hazumi were all present.

    "I heard that many people are taking this occupation incident as an opportunity to move out of New Town."

    "I think almost ten people in our homeroom transferred schools too."

    After listening to Luna''s news, Hazumi concurred with a sad expression. Hearing that, Asya sighed.

    "But even from the viewpoint of experts such as us, the current Tokyo is a dangerous land too."

    "Bluntly stated, it''s turned into an amphitheater where dragons gather to battle it out."

    Hal looked in the southwest direction after whispering calmly.

    From this off-campus outdoor seating, one could see the pure-black Monolith towering in the direction of what was formerly Ginza. As expected of a landmark a kilometer tall.

    The Rune of the Sword in the air above the Monolith had vanished.

    Hal recalled his conversation with Pavel Galad that had taken place after the battle.

    Supporting each other, Hal and Orihime had returned to Galad''s position.

    Still in human form, sitting motionlessly on the ground, the silver dragon did not congratulate them on their victory. Not only that, but he also extended his hand with a bitter expression. As a result, the Rune of the Sword vanished from the center of Hal''s palm.

    In return, a longsword stained with fresh blood appeared in the dragon''s right hand. Naturally, it was the dragonslaying sword.

    Stabbing the sword into the ground, Galad ran his finger over the blade that had been dyed bright red from True Genbu-Ou''s blood, then licked off the blood sticking to his fingertip.

    Instantly, the extremely weakened Galad began to show vigor in his gaze. He suddenly stood up.

    "Sure enough, a female serpent''s blood is an elixir more potent than anything..."

    "The dragon called Soth also did something similar. By the way, I never knew that dragonslaying runes could be lent out."

    "However, it ultimately requires the owner''s permission."

    A dragon and a human. Two men of different races yet encountering similar situations.

    Nevertheless, Galad turned his back to Hal and began to walk away, holding the dragonslaying sword in his hand.

    "Where are you going?"

    "I have no intention of telling you. However, We will probably meet again in the near future. As compatriots bearing the power of dragonbane, it is inevitable."

    Without pausing in his steps or turning to face Hal, Galad said to him, "I shall say this in advance. When the time comes, I will not show mercy at all. The debt I owe to you¡ªno, to you humans¡ªhas already been repaid by my lending out of the sword. That is how I think of it."

    Parting words.

    Only after Galad had disappeared from view did Hal finally notice. The Rune of the Sword had vanished from above the Monolith. The dragon warrior had abandoned the conquest of Tokyo for now.

    Perhaps he had also given up on the Road to Kingship?

    No. Hal rejected this line of speculation. Most likely, he would learn from this failure and focus on conquering the game in a different manner compared to before. That was a dragon''s true nature.

    "Is that Galad guy still in Tokyo?"

    "It''s not impossible, I guess. By the way, Haruomi and Orihime-san too..."

    Amidst a peaceful atmosphere, Asya suddenly acted aggressively.

    She was staring suspiciously straight at Hal and Orihime.

    "Is something the matter, Asya-san? You are making a strange expression."

    "There''s something really bothering me. Listen carefully, Hazumi-san has been sticking to Haruomi for the past half a month. Like right now."

    Round tables were used for the cafe''s sidewalk seating. Hal''s group was seated around the table.

    Sitting on Hal''s right was Hazumi. Suddenly confronted with Asya''s intent stare, the girl, who was as benevolent as an angel, smiled tenderly.

    "Now that you mention it, indeed, that has been the case. Yes. Just as you say, Asya-san, lately I''ve been sticking to Senpai almost the whole time."

    "Th-That''s exactly it. Seriously, Hazumi-san, I can''t believe you''re hanging around Haruomi as naturally as air!"

    With shoulders shaking, Asya then looked at Orihime.

    "And the new problem is that someone else has mastered the same special skill before I knew it. That''s right, Orihime-san¡ªYou!"

    "Uh, may I ask what do you mean by that?"

    Asya pointed her name out as though she were a master detective solving a homicide case. Orihime was instantly stunned.

    "Did I do anything unusual?"

    "Yes! Why do you keep hanging around Haruomi for the past few days!?"

    " "Huh?" "

    Hal and Orihime, who was sitting on his left, exchanged looks.

    Speaking of which, although Hal had been running all over the place to handle the aftermath, there were also many opportunities for him to be with Orihime. Since the two of them had been on the frontline to the very end in resolving the incident, it was less of a hassle to do it this way. Furthermore, whenever they were together in the same space¡ª

    Hal would subconsciously move closer to Orihime.

    Meanwhile, Orihime would immediately lean close whenever she saw Hal''s face.

    Ever since the two of them overcame the final trial, the instant when they had returned in triumph locked in mutual embrace, Hal and Orihime had been acting like this.

    However, Hal could not explain why things developed this way.

    "Well, think about it. Being together makes it more convenient to handle many things."

    "I-Indeed. It''s better with two people going to the same place together."

    "And after launching the final blow, Juujouji was totally exhausted. I was worrying whether there might be aftereffects or the like."

    "Haruga-kun, you''ve been very tired lately... I am worried about you too."

    "No way. There''s no need to worry about me. Despite how I may look, I''m actually quite tough."

    "If anything, I am the one who is stronger than I look. Hence, Haruga-kun, you are still the more worrying case. Are you still sleeping insufficiently? Have you been eating properly?"

    "Those areas are fine. Juujouji, you''re really acting like a mother who loves to worry."

    "H-Hold on, at least use ''older sister'' instead!"

    "Fufu. Asya-san is right. Lately, Nee-sama and Senpai have definitely gotten along much better. I''d really like to join in too."

    Sometimes worrying about each other, sometimes joking with each other, sometimes caring deeply for each other.

    Seeing Hal and her cousin so close, Hazumi seemed quite gratified.

    Her smile conveyed pure joy celebrating the fact that two people close to her were getting along in harmony. Hazumi was definitely quite adorable in this regard.

    Hal and Orihime smiled and looked at Hazumi in spontaneous simultaneity.

    "Oh right. Since you need proper nutrition, Haruga-kun, why don''t you come to my house for hotpot tonight? I''ll call home to tell them to make preparations, so Hazumi, you can come along too."

    "Really!? Fufu, I feel like it will be joyful meal, Senpai."

    "But that grandfather of yours is also at the Juujouji house."

    "Not like it matters. If it''s you, Haruga-kun, even when confronted with my grandfather, you will still succeed in handling him tactfully, won''t you? Oh, if you are free, Asya-san and Luna-san, please join us too."

    "I-I don''t really mind, but can we get a little bit back to the original topic...?" Asya replied in a trembling voice after accepting the joyful invitation stiffly.

    With shoulders shaking, she was glaring angrily at Hal as though she were looking at a sex offender.

    "Th-This is what I''m talking about! You''re just Haruomi, what''s with this playboy behavior!? I can''t believe you''re living the good life with a lady on each arm! G-G-G-Go back and reflect properly!"

    "W-Who cares? It''s way better than being on poor terms, right?"

    "It''s a matter of degree!"

    "Fufufufu. It feels quite awesome and exciting to see Asya brandishing her fangs and claws like a wild beast. This sort of entertainment suits my tastes perfectly."

    "You over there! Stop treating other people''s stress as entertainment material!"

    Despite Asya''s forceful retort, Luna Francois ignored her with a completely nonchalant expression

    Speaking of which¡ªHal looked at Luna''s uniformed attire and asked, "By the way, Luna, why are you wearing a uniform again today?"

    "So that I can frequent the school openly, right? I still have to complete transfer procedures."

    "Transfer!?"

    Not just Hal but all the others stared wide-eyed at the American witch.

    "Didn''t you say this earlier, Harry? Right now, Tokyo is the amphitheater where dragons gather. As the Trans-Pacific Shootdown Ace, after all, it goes without saying that I cannot sit back and do nothing."

    "Well, you do have a point..."

    "Besides, there is that other job, isn''t there? Naturally, I have made all possible preparations to handle all personal requests in addition to this one. As Harry''s representative," said Luna Francois with a wink.

    Hearing her give an official answer to his request from several days earlier, Hal nodded gratefully.

    "Then there''s no time to lose. I''d like to find out how Pops got his hands on that weird rock."

    "In that case, I shall first investigate the research materials your father left abroad."

    "That''d be great. Also... After surviving the last incident, I''ve come to learn that it''s not a bad idea to get my hands on another one. I hope you can help in searching for it."

    "Searching for what?"

    "Something that''s the same as my bow and Galad''s sword¡ªnamely, dragonslaying runes."

    Just as everyone jumped in surprise by his statement, Hal''s cellphone rang.

    Hal looked at the screen to see that it was a call from Mutou-san, presumably to invite them to visit the UFO Research Club.

    She and Funaki-san were quite anxious to hear Hal''s group explain about "what happened last time." As expected, it looked like things were about to get very busy in the near term.

    Hal sighed lightly and pressed the button on the screen to pick up the call.

    Then night arrived.

    After ending a rushed and eventful day, Hal came to the shore of the Sumida River. He had parted ways with the unexpected group of friends he had acquired since returning to Tokyo. Right now, he was alone.

    Just by summoning with his voice, the gun-shaped magic wand and its guardian would appear.

    However, there was nothing urgent requiring her presence. Hence, Hal strolled along the river embankment under the night sky, fully enjoying the relaxing solitude. However, once the situation settled a bit more, he still needed to find that former dragon king to hold a "strategy conference"¡ª

    "Still, assembling a team to go searching the world to gather items or find new weapons, etc... This is getting more and more like an RPG."

    This type of poignant impression instantly surged in his heart as soon as he looked back at Haruga Haruomi''s current state of affairs.

    Hal extended his right hand towards the starry sky. This was the hand where the dragonslaying rune resided. Then he focused his consciousness¡ªAs a result, his right hand began to reflect sparkling starlight as though it were made of glass.

    This transformation had started from his right wrist.

    It was as though the surface was covered by a thin layer of glass.

    However, all the joints in his fingers and wrist could still bend and move as he pleased. Hal had unintentionally discovered this change after his victory over Pavel Galad. At the time, it was only his fingertips, but now it had spread to his palm and the back of his hand.

    "Sigh, my heart is no longer normal after all..."

    Hal sighed and allowed his focused attention to scatter. The glow of his right hand disappeared as a result.

    How long was the current situation going to persist for? No amount of contemplation would help the matter, hence Hal shrugged and stopped walking. Surely, a slightly weary expression must be showing on his face right now.

    Hal shook his head and started walking again.

    It was time to go home¡ªJust as Hal spontaneously thought that...

    On the Sumida River''s embankment, it was possible to see the glowing emblem clearly above the Monolith in the Old Tokyo Concession. The design of a horizontal oval surrounding a narrow isosceles triangle... It was the Rune of the Arrow.

    Princess Yukikaze had declared her occupation of Tokyo in Pavel Galad''s stead!

    Then Hal''s right palm heated up. This feeling was¡ªHe immediately summoned the magic gun.

    "Brat, she is coming."

    The magic gun warned him discreetly in Hinokagutsuchi''s voice.

    Soon after, the girl in the white one-piece dress descended from the sky. In addition, she turned her body elegantly as though to deliver a spinning kick at Hal''s face from midair¡ª

    Hal immediately deployed imperishable protection.

    However, the snow fairy-like black-haired young beauty nonchalantly allowed her kick to connect. Although Hal was unharmed thanks to the protection, he was sent flying by the impact. Next, the girl landed on top of Hal.

    Descending from the sky, the girl sat on Hal''s waist, resulting in what was known as a "mounted position" in mixed martial arts.

    "Fufufufu, I commend you for not being careless. I shall praise you, Haruomi."

    Speaking from a higher position whether mentally or physically, this was Princess Yukikaze, of course.

    Presumably, she was praising Hal for extending his right hand to point the magic gun at Princess Yukikaze''s lovely visage despite being pinned down. Nevertheless, she also had her right hand position against Hal''s throat in a karate chop stance. Both sides had drawn their weapons at each other.

    "I''m truly embarrassed by your praise. But given this rare event of a girl falling from the sky, I''d rather wish for an unexpected romantic comedy to unfold instead..."

    "What profound words, incomprehensible to me they may be."

    "Yeah. I''m thinking every Japanese who loves rom-coms will agree with me."

    Despite being straddled by a girl who had descended from the sky, Hal was having a friendly conversation with her.

    Nevertheless, Hal kept the gun aimed at her whereas she was gazing down at Hal calmly. What an unbelievable situation.

    After this posture persisted for a while, the princess suddenly laughed before standing up.

    "Haruomi, do you know why I have come to find you tonight?"

    "A declaration of war, I guess?"

    "Not quite. It is to declare my victory, Yukikaze''s."

    Considering the literal words only, this was definitely quite an arrogant declaration of victory. However, it sounded unbelievably refreshing coming from Princess Yukikaze. Surely this must the result of personal character.

    A paragon of regal style, the beautiful maiden smiled cheerfully.

    Hal sighed and stared at her while slowly standing up.

    "Starting from this moment, this city and all of Japan belongs to me. Oh my, even though I don''t intend to abuse the citizens, I, Yukikaze, am quite whimsical after all. When the time comes, I might be causing trouble for the populace. You, tell them to be accommodating."

    "But I''m not your spokesperson, Your Highness."

    "Fufu. That might not be such a bad idea. I, Yukikaze, like you very much. There is no man like you among the dragons."

    "Of course. I''m a human, after all."

    Hal did not insert the word "still" in his direct response. The princess smiled even more.

    "Haruomi, ours is a relationship where a decisive duel between us is inevitable. If I defeat you and you''re fortunate enough to survive, I, Yukikaze will offer you a chance."

    "A chance?"

    "Yes. You can become my minion."

    After saying this fluently, the princess stared at Hal with a conceited and strict expression.

    "If you turn out to be a warrior capable of surviving an encounter against me on the battlefield... A reward of this level would be richly deserved. Do your best, Haruomi!"

    Certain death to those who fight her¡ªThe princess was subtly making such a declaration.

    Parting with words very much in her style, Princess Yukikaze left Hal. Although she was walking with her unguarded back exposed to him, Hal had no intention of shooting her, of course. Because it could not possibly work.

    Soon after, the magic surfboard flew over from somewhere.

    Jumping vigorously onto the surfboard, Princess Yukikaze flew away lightly in the night sky.

    Her destination was the Old Tokyo Concession¡ªtowards the bizarre presence of the pure-black triangular prism of a Monolith and the ostentatious Rune of the Arrow.

    "In other words, the demon lord''s castle has been built right next to our city? Described in RPG terms..."

    Starting this night, the Old Tokyo wasteland had become territory under the beautiful dragon king.

    Watching the princess flying away, Hal understood that a new adventure had already begun.

 Volume 3, Afterword

    Volume 3, Afterword

    Hello again, everyone. I am Takedzuki Jou.

    Although it''s been a number of years since I started writing novels for a living, I still haven''t been able to fix my habit of playing while I work. Inevitably, I add fun elements and descriptions subconsciously everywhere in my works.

    Of course, Leviathan of the Covenant is no exception in this regard. However, I don''t know whether it''s because some of my references are too obscure or not, it''s quite common for no one to discover them (wry smile). It would be my honor if those who find them can smile knowingly to themselves, dear readers.

    Thanks to your loving support, dear readers, this fun-filled series has passed the milestone of three volumes. For this, I express my deep gratitude.

    Then there is everyone involved in editing, printing, sales and distribution, as well as Nimura-sama who is in charge of illustrations, and everyone at ALcot. Thank you for looking after me every time.

    Next up...

    Actually, this series is based on the concept where the main characters, with the protagonist first and foremost, are playing an RPG, thereby building the worldview and setting.

    In this third volume, they finally enter the game''s main route.

    ...To be honest, when someone asked me whether or not to end the series while it still had few volumes, I even thought up an "And our fight goes on!" kind of ending for the earlier content (wry smile).

    Fortunately, the end is not here yet.

    Starting next volume, expect various incidents such as searching for weapons, synthesizing items, learning incantations, exploring dungeons, wilderness adventures, numerous battles, various events, etc and new scenarios.

    If the previous adventures was the basics arc, then what follows is the expert arc.

    My sincere wish is for everyone to keep enjoying the story.

    Furthermore, the manga adaptation drawn by Tachitsu Teto-san is also about to start serializing.

    Tachitsu-san was able to draw the characters with abundant charm. As the original author, I find Hazumi particularly cute. Please support the manga version, everyone.

    As for the rom-com side, main heroine Orihime-san has successfully taken the lead while the real heroine of Princess Yukikaze has entered the fray officially, while Hazumi-san is steadily catching up to the leading pack at her own pace.

    If it pleases you, please pay attention to developments on this front¡ª

    "Wait a sec! What are you doing there, misdirecting the public!?"

    Oh dear oh dear, isn''t this Miss Main Heroine (tentative)?

    I can''t believe you ran out to this kind of place. How may I help you today?

    "It''s not like this is the kind of show where you randomly have a stopover, why are you going "oh dear oh dear"? Back in Volume 2, you clearly said you''ll make me the main heroine, yet this time, I can''t believe you nonchalantly pushed someone else instead!"

    You''ve misunderstood, A¡ñ¡ña-san.

    In the previous afterword, didn''t I put in the word (tentative) for sure?

    "Th-That''s right, that (tentative) is totally problematic too!"

    Hmm¡ªSo that''s what you''re asking about. This seems like it''ll be a long story, but it''s actually quite short. I heard that the author originally conceived of someone else as the main heroine...

    "...W-What did you say?"

    Nothing, what I mean is that the initial draft outline had a character similar to Orihime-san, but there was no character corresponding to you.

    "Heeeee!?"

    Next to come into existence was the princess in the dragon faction. Actually, she''s the first character to crystallize among all the characters that have appeared. From the very start, I had already decided to make her the demon lord and rival.

    "Jejeje!?"

    Before writing the story, I had already thought in my heart that she was the heroine, or rather, the true heroine. And in fact, it is also gradually becoming the case.

    "Th-Then what kind of concept brought about my existence?"

    Uh¡ªIf memory serves me right, before I wrote Volume 1, you were designed to be the "beautiful maiden who is unapproachable and cool."

    "Eh... (blush)? Although I don''t like being flattered excessively, this can''t be helped, I guess. Speaking of which, I definitely am a cool beauty, even more so, a beautiful maiden with an air of mystery..."

    But when I actually wrote the story, it became this kind of character starting from the first page.

    "Do you have anything to say about my personality (glare)?"

    No, I really like the way you are?

    It''s just that inside the light novel industry where competition is so intense, is it really okay to be so low in feminine charm? Hence, in the process of writing the first volume, I tried a bit of magical remodeling.

    "Magical remodeling?"

    I modified your words and behavior so that readers would find you moe all at once.

    However, when I continued to write further, your character somehow returned to its initial state by the time I noticed. Making the judgment call that remodeling was impossible, I decided to liberate your original self in the story, thus resulting in the current state of affairs.

    "..E-Even the way I am now, I''m still a perfectly moe character full of moe elements, okay!?"

    Credit in this area goes to the illustrator, Nimura-san, I guess.

    In fact, after looking at Nimura-san''s character designs, the editing side agreed to use you as Volume 1''s cover. And I was struck by "Oh, so she could be regarded as a proper main," so naturally, it developed into the double heroine situation...

    Anyway, since you''re an irregular existence after all, I think the (tentative) still needs to be added.

    "W-Wait a sec, editorial department people! Now isn''t the time to be saying stuff like "what a shame for A¡ñ¡ña-san again this time"! Please demand that the author put more effort in promoting me. Also, Nimura-sensei, please give me more maidenly power¡ª!"

    Oops, someone''s sudden intrusion totally derailed the topic.

    I was just talking about rom-coms, right?

    About she who is the main heroine (tentative), I''m hoping to treat this series as a kind of Bildungsroman, to observe her development and personality changes over the long term. However, it feels like a certain female character introduced in Volume 3 won''t quietly wait for the day for her to leap to center stage...

    So who among the heroines will be the main in the next volume? Is it time for the black ship from America to get serious? Or is the lineup of girls just for show? While pondering questions on this front, I''m making preparations for Volume 4.

    Regardless, it would be my honor if all of you could continue to offer your support.

 Volume 4, Prologue

    Volume 4, Prologue

    After concluding a long period of wandering and fighting, he returned to earth once more.

    Using units of time from the residents of the earth''s surface, it was a long journey stretching over centuries. Not only that, but the process even transcended paranormal conflicts impossible for the human mind and body to overcome, as well as supernatural threats too numerous to count.

    Among his race, few could match him in valor and magical power.

    Nevertheless, it had been a most dangerous journey for him. The price he paid was a plethora of horrific wounds all over his body, leaving him on the verge of death like a candle in the wind.

    Especially the most important organ¡ªhis heartmetal¡ªhad suffered extremely severe damage.

    What propelled him was no longer the power of the physical body.

    Instead, it was the resilient mental strength and competitiveness residing inside him, the pride and soul of a strong veteran warrior.

    However, the world he lived in was not so easygoing as to be one where all problems could be resolved through mental vigor. It was imperative for him to find a place to recuperate in peace despite his heavily damaged body and mind¡ªAn enchanted realm filled with high-quality and dense magical power.

    Fortunately, he found a suitable location at last.

    It was a sanctuary formerly claimed as a stronghold by a powerful fighter who used to be renowned as his equal.

    That land was not only rich in magical power but also ruled by no one at the moment. There was no need to for a battle of annexation. Having found a place to rest peacefully, he decided to enter hibernation for the time being.

    In order to wait for a new war to unfold, he conserved what little power remained inside his body.

    Then as years and months passed by¡ªHe heard faint summons that shook his soul awake from deep slumber.

    This was precisely the trigger to awaken the gray warrior as well as the beginning of a new upheaval on the earth where humans and dragons coexisted.

 Volume 4, 1 - For that Inevitable Day in the Future

    Volume 4, Chapter 1 - For that Inevitable Day in the Future

    Part 1

    "Senpai, it''s already morning, you know? Time to get up."

    An adorable voice called to him, quite an excellent match for the refreshing morning.

    It was the voice of Shirasaka Hazumi, the unique underclassman of Haruga Haruomi aka Hal. Her cute voice stimulated his auditory senses, rousing Hal¡¯s consciousness gradually from slumber.

    But in the end, he still wanted to say those cliched words.

    "Hmm... Please, give me five more minutes..."

    "Not allowed. You''ll be late if you don''t rise from bed and get prepared."

    Even without a prior agreement, Hazumi was waking him gently as though upholding a promise.

    What a perfect underaged bride. No, what she was achieving in the "childhood friend character" realm was perhaps transcendence beyond perfection... While refusing to get up, Hal was struck by a sudden impact of bliss, instantly opening his eyes.

    Perhaps interacting with Hazumi had caused some kind of secretion in his brain matter.

    But this was only natural¡ªAs soon as he opened his eyes, he was greeted with an innocent smiling face by his pillow that caused him to believe so.

    "Fufufu. Good morning, Senpai."

    "Yeah, mornin''. I''m sorry you have to go to all this trouble to wake me up."

    "Of course not. Since I am your assistant, Senpai, this trivial task is more than warranted."

    Lying on the bed under the thin blanket, Hal was having this morning conversation with Hazumi.

    Sunlight streaming in through the window was illuminating Hal''s bedroom. However, there was an even brighter light source in the room¡ªnamely, Hazumi''s angelic smile.

    Beaming tenderly, the girl was exhibiting purity that was even more dazzling than sunlight to Hal.

    "Starting tomorrow, just go with a morning call by cellphone, okay?"

    "Yes. But if time permits... May I still intrude?"

    "Of course."

    Confronted with Hazumi''s polite request for indulgence, Hal replied without thinking.

    The pure-minded junior student nodded happily, even though the unreliable upperclassman¡ªHaruga Haruomi¡ªwas supposed to be the one expressing gratitude no matter how you thought about it.

    Once again, Hal found his heart filled up with bliss.

    If life continued with Hazumi waking him up every morning, his body might suffer from side effects of excessive happiness, perhaps even leading to an early demise just like that.

    Just as Hal was indulging in his delusions, Hazumi exited the room.

    She was probably expecting Hal to get dressed next. Hence, he removed his pajamas decisively and put on his school uniform while reviewing all kinds of recent events in his mind.

    Almost a month had passed since Princess Yukikaze''s invasion.

    It was now July after final exams and the students of the Academy were waiting for the summer vacation. During this period, Haruga Haruomi regressed into an oversleeper.

    Perhaps it was an aftereffect of the various commotions in June.

    Sacrificing sleep to investigate clues, encountering Princess Yukikaze and the ensuing battles, establishing a new covenant with Hinokagutsuchi, defeating True Genbu-Ou and handling all kinds of aftermath business...

    Now that he was finally done with all this, Hal''s wake up time had been postponed greatly.

    Still soundly asleep at 8 or 9am, he remained in bed in spite of the ringing alarm clock.

    Overexhaustion¡ªespecially a severe case of accumulated mental fatigue¡ªwas Hal''s self-diagnosis.

    Speaking of Haruga Haruomi, naturally, he was not the kind of person to put in any effort towards rising early.

    Instead, he had forged a document, intending to submit to the school a diagnosis report of primary hypersomnia so that he could sleep as much as he wanted.

    What foiled this plan was Hazumi''s comment after hearing about it.

    "In that case, Senpai, let me be responsible for waking you up every morning from now on!"

    And this morning was the first occasion.

    After getting dressed, Hal went to the living room to meet up with Hazumi.

    "Fufufufu. You won''t be late to school today as long as you leave the house at this time."

    "Yeah, then let''s set off quickly," answered Hal to Hazumi who was likewise dressed in Kogetsu Academy''s uniform.

    Then he reached for the table in the living room and grabbed a silver-colored pack of energy jelly and a chocolate bar just enough to fill his stomach.

    Even if one was about to be late, it would be too illogical to head off to school with a piece of toast in one''s mouth to stave off hunger¡ª

    Hence, the food laid out here was what Hal had purchased in advance according to this judgment. Not only were these items good enough to handle a competitive cyclist''s daily requirement of five or six thousand calories, but they could also be consumed while on the move.

    However, Hal''s logical breakfast choice was overruled.

    "Oh Senpai, if it''s okay with you, could you leave the food there?"

    "Sure, but why?"

    "Fufufu. It''s a secret."

    Now that Hazumi had displayed such a smile, Hal had no choice but to comply obediently.

    He returned the food to the table then picked up his schoolbag. Then exiting the entrance of the Haruga residence, known locally as a haunted house, he set off for school.

    The first part of the journey was a walk to the nearest station¡ªNarihirabashi.

    Taking the New Town Loop Line, they got off two stations later at Ryougoku.

    Then walking on foot from Ryougoku Station, they would reach Kogetsu Academy. As a side note, one would need to continue three stations down the line in order to reach Monzennamachi, the closest station to Hazumi and Juujouji Orihime''s homes.

    The underclassman had gotten up early on purpose to visit Hal''s home in the morning.

    "Hmm, you''re such a cute underclassman, Shirasaka."

    "P-Please don''t make such a weird comment so suddenly."

    While conversing, the two of them went though Ryougoku Station''s turnstile. Their friend was already waiting for them nearby in uniform.

    A female student with a head of long and beautiful hair. This was precisely Juujouji Orihime.

    Dressed in the short-sleeved summer uniform, Orihime was plenty striking even amid the crowded train station.

    "Good morning, Haruga-kun. It would seem that letting Hazumi go out of her way to pick you up has been highly effective."

    Orihime spoke while waving to her cousin Hazumi.

    Then from a tote bag she was carrying in addition to her schoolbag, she took out a cylindrical package, roughly twenty-five centimeters in length.

    The wrapping paper featured patterns emulating English newsprint.

    After handing the package to Hal, Orihime used her gaze to urge him to open it.

    "Don''t tell me this is my breakfast?"

    "Indeed it is. As agreed previously. I also prepared Hazumi''s portion too."

    "Fufu. Thank you, Nee-sama!"

    Hal opened the package to find a submarine sandwich.

    A small piece of French bread had been sliced through the middle to put in a filling of ham, bacon, cheese, lettuce, diced pimento, tomato slices, olives, etc.

    In addition to Hal, Orihime handed an identical package to Hazumi and smiled.

    "Since Hazumi said she was getting up early to go your house, Haruga-kun, I suggested I would prepared breakfast."

    "Such care and consideration really puts me to shame."

    "You have been working extremely hard recently, Haruga-kun. This bit of reward is nothing in comparison. Besides¡ª"

    Orihime winked suggestively.

    "It seems that you are still preparing something, but please don''t let your sleep deprivation get out of hand."

    "......"

    "If you continue to act with imprudence, Hazumi and I will have to impose ourselves on your hospitality. To stop you from burning the midnight oil, we will supervise you every night."

    "I will commit these gratifying words to memory."

    "More than committing to memory, you must put words into action properly. Sleep deprivation will reduce work efficiency instead. Didn''t you say that?"

    "Well, that''s true..."

    Unless there was a true emergency, staying up all night for days in a row was definitely more harm than good.

    Speaking of which, Hal''s nature was a bit lazy to begin with. Consequently, he wholeheartedly agreed with this enthusiastically helpful classmate. While chatting about this topic, the trio made their way towards Kogetsu Academy.

    A peaceful morning commute.

    Apart from Hal, Hazumi and Orihime, many other students were walking along the same route.

    However, compared to a month earlier, student numbers were definitely lower from Hal''s impression. This was not baseless speculation.

    Currently, Kogetsu Academy''s overall enrollment had gone down by roughly 10%.

    In the twenty-first century, humans were threatened by "Dragon Strikes."

    However, the initial attacks did not happen too frequently. Even if one were to use the islands of Japan as a reference area, it was only two or three Raptor attacks a year.

    But recently, Kantou region had become extremely anomalous¡ªTokyo in particular.

    Ever since early spring, dragons kept showing up frequently. Raak Al Soth, Pavel Galad, Ra Exhos, together with the large numbers of Raptors summoned by them, and even Genbu-Ou and Princess Yukikaze...

    The ordinary populace was not privy to the details of the attacks.

    This was due to the Japanese government imposing information control. Information regarding elite dragons, dragon kings and leviathans was generally undisclosed. This was no exception.

    But conceivably, the populace would gradually start feeling wary of the excessively anomalous increase in dragon appearances.

    It was at this juncture that the New Town Occupation incident happened in June. Triggered by this, people assessing whether they should move away from the Tokyo area were not in the minority, rather, one should say they were the majority.

    With the advent of early July now, residents committed to moving to other regions were rapidly surfacing.

    "As long as the dragon princess remains stationed at Old Tokyo, perhaps it might not be a bad idea to simply evacuate the residents of New Town and western Tokyo completely," Hal remarked while walking along a corridor in the high school division.

    A student in the middle school division, Hazumi had parted ways from them earlier. Hal was walking alone with Orihime now.

    "Sure enough, even more battles are coming than ever before?"

    "Well, it could be the opposite too."

    "The opposite?"

    Hal and Orihime chatted while they arrived in front of the classroom''s door.

    They both belonged to Year 1 Class F. The master mage who used to be active in Europe, Asya¡ªAnastasya Rubashvili¡ªwas also in the same class.

    "Good morning, Orihime-san. Good morning to you too, Harry. You finally came to school properly today."

    Another master mage was already waiting in front of the classroom.

    Luna Francois Gregory.

    Born in America''s Oklahoma State, she was the talented lady whose control of the leviathan, Glinda the "Good Witch of the South," made her the Trans-Pacific Shootdown Ace.

    The blonde girl with doll-like beauty was dressed in the school''s summer uniform.

    "Good morning, Luna-san. What business brings you to a first-year homeroom?"

    "Having tidied up the proposal and reference materials, I merely intend to deliver them to Harry," replied Luna Francois to Orihime''s question.

    Transferred into Kogetsu Academy last month, she was wearing the school badge for second-years on the collar of her uniform. In fact, she was a year older than Hal and the others.

    Incidentally, the two girls were simply conversing in the corridor.

    But that alone was enough to gather the gazes of passing students. Like Orihime, Luna Francois was an equally striking presence too.

    All things considered, she was a blonde Caucasian beauty seldom seen in Japanese high schools.

    Besides, for a transfer student to arrive gracefully given the current situation, this attracted even more gossip and speculation than Orihime.

    "So Harry, this is the first step to our ambition."

    Luna Francois handed over a thick A4-size envelop.

    Inside was a stack of printed documents. Hal expected the competent and meticulous Luna to have already sent an electronic copy to his email. He nodded deeply.

    "How efficient. It''s only been a week since I asked you."

    "In any case, here is the first stage. Afterwards, I shall be reading the Japanese comic you lent me as a reference, Harry, while gradually advancing the plan."

    "How reliable."

    "Haruga-kun, what did you lend to Luna-san?"

    "I don''t know if you''ve heard of it, but it''s called The Kingdom of Ambition."

    "...What is that?"

    "A manga from decades ago. It''s a story about two Tokyo University students who started their careers in a yakuza gang in order to realize their ambition of conquering Japan through violence. In the past, it was only after reading this manga that I figured things out¡ªthe process of how to control others and ways to grab power."

    "This story shall surely serve as our bible for we are fated to discern the mechanisms of society''s power hierarchy, realizing our ambition at the end of conflict to welcome a new dawn."

    "...Haruga-kun and Luna-san, do you have some kind of ambition?"

    "Well, it''s nothing amazing if I really had to say it."

    "One could consider it as something a step away from ambition, perhaps a blueprint for tomorrow or a plan for the future?"

    "Summing up, you two are up to some kind of prank¡ªIs that what you mean?"

    Getting a vague sense of the truth, Orihime smiled wryly and shrugged.

    Haruga Haruomi was in the first year of high school. As a member of the research organization SAURU, he had been traveling all over the world to recover Grave Goods and was responsible for forging covenants between witches and leviathans.

    And now, Hal had become the only human in possession of a dragonslaying rune.

    Currently, he was feeling his way around to see how he could make effective use of this new skill, to build a new career.

    Orihime was lending her assistance as a friend. In addition, Hazumi and Luna Francois were also reliable helpers. With the addition of his childhood friend Asya and that lazy former dragon, Hinokagutsuchi¡ª

    All this was still not enough.

    "As the first step towards realizing ambition, shouldn''t I hire a few more people? At an hourly wage of 1200 yen, I suppose."

    Despite the absurdity of his words, Hal''s mutterings sounded quite leisurely in tone.

    Part 2

    There were still fifteen minutes before morning homeroom.

    It was currently early July with finals already over, leaving only the end-of-term ceremony and summer vacation ahead. Consequently, Year 1 Class F was filled with a lethargic atmosphere. Hal''s classmates were chatting, passing manga around, playing with cellphones and even napping this early in the morning.

    However, Asya was not present. Hal muttered quietly, "Maybe she''s having breakfast at a fast food joint or beef bowl shop somewhere?"

    "I also prepared the same breakfast for Asya-san as for you... I guess it will have to become a break time snack."

    "There''s also the option of secretly eating it during class."

    While talking to Orihime, Hal went to sit down.

    His seat was located in the last row next to the window with Juujouji Orihime seated on his right. Thinking about it now, compared to their first conversation in early spring, Hal realized that the situation had changed completely...

    While reminiscing poignantly, Hal searched his schoolbag.

    Then he took out two packs of cafe au lait that he had bought at a vending machine earlier.

    "This is a return gift for breakfast."

    "You''re very welcome. Then I''ll graciously accept your gift."

    After accepting the cafe au lait, Orihime smiled mischievously.

    Hal could not help but feel his heart pounding at the sight of her smile. Recently, although he did not know why, this rise in heart rate had been commonplace whenever he spent time with the cheerful, considerate and understanding Juujouji Orihime with her topnotch beauty and talent, outstanding figure and boundless initiative.

    It was the same right now. Although this heart racing phenomenon left him completely baffled, he did not find it uncomfortable at all.

    Still with his heart rate elevated, Hal took out the breakfast Orihime had prepared for him.

    "Then I''m digging in."

    "Yes, please enjoy... How''s the taste?"

    "Mmm. It''s just as tasty as a normal BLT. Thanks."

    "What a perfunctory comment as usual."

    "Or perhaps to express my maximum gratitude for your personal cooking, how about I perform a prostration rite? I learned the formal method in Tibet before."

    Hal began to recall his childhood memories.

    "First put the palms together then raise them overhead. Then hit the ground as though performing a head sliding maneuver in baseball. It makes even more of an impact if the forehead strikes the ground spectacularly with bleeding."

    "It''s fine. You don''t have to go that far."

    Orihime smiled lightly while she spoke.

    "I''ll still prepare breakfast for you next time even without bloodshed. Although you won''t end up starving, Haruga-kun, if I leave you alone, you certainly won''t eat three meals normally."

    "I''d rather you call it a lifestyle prioritizing efficiency... Eh?"

    At this moment, Hal noticed. Several classmates nearby had pushed their chairs back in succession, stood up in a clatter and left their seats in a hurry.

    The first to move was Takayama, the male student sitting in front of Hal.

    The five or six classmates to get up next were also boys. Some of them walked to the blackboard while others left the classroom directly, distancing themselves from Hal and Orihime rapidly.

    And for some reason, all of them kept clicking their tongue, their faces filled with anger and frustration...

    "I wonder what''s the matter with them?"

    "Now that you mention it, I think something similar happened before. What the heck is going on?"

    Orihime tilted her head in puzzlement and Hal fell silent too.

    But before the answer surfaced, a certain girl burst out laughing "ahaha."

    "Oh my, it''s because the mood between you two was perfect¡ª"

    "Seeing the ever popular Juujouji-san getting lovey dovey with a boy next to them, of course they''re going to be mad."

    " "Lovey dovey?" "

    The bearers of this shocking news to Hal and Orihime were two girls in the same class. One was the short-haired Mutou-san who sat in front of Orihime while the other was the twintailed Funaki-san adjacent to her.

    Their full names were Mutou Natsumi and Funaki Kyouka respectively.

    Due to the opportunity created by the June incident, Hal had gotten much closer to them than before.

    "Really? So like before, everyone still thinks I''m going out with Juujouji."

    Hal nodded with a sigh.

    "It''s really been too busy lately, so much I completely forgot this... The rumors still haven''t fizzed out? It should be more interesting to follow gossip news on celebrities than us, right?"

    "I thought it would last no more than seventy-five days. What unexpected longevity..."

    "Because you two keep adding new fuel regularly."

    In response to Orihime''s puzzled countenance, Funaki-san offered her opinion, apparently knowledgeable of the reason. She was not only a classroom gossip enthusiast but also very informed and connected.

    "Listen to what I heard¡ªThis morning, Juujouji-san proposed a plan about living at Haruga-kun''s home, isn''t that right?"

    "Th-That isn''t a plan, I was just bringing it up as a possibility!"

    "In terms of scandal, there''s no difference between the two¡ª"

    "Even when it was clearly just a joke?!"

    Funaki-san''s viewpoint brought shock to the unexpectedly careless school idol.

    It looked like Juujouji Orihime had dug her own grave again. That being said, she deserved pity for the fact that a throwaway comment on the way to school had been overheard by nearby students.

    Meanwhile, fellow UFO Research Club member Mutou-san spoke up and asked Hal, "Can I ask a question? But I''m directing this at Haruga-sensei, the expert in that field, rather than Haruga-kun the classmate."

    "Sure, but do note that my three sizes are top secret, okay?"

    "No problem. I''d use forceful measures if I wanted your three sizes. Putting that aside, this is an unfounded worry from the Mutou family''s pair of slightly happy-go-lucky parents¡ªSomething about whether this Tokyo New Town is actually still livable despite the recent surge in incidents."

    Originally smiling, Mutou-san gradually suppressed her expression and lowered her voice.

    Indeed¡ªThe Tokyo Occupation incident had happened in June.

    Back then, Mutou and Funaki had escaped the "cold sleep" curse and consequently witnessed the silver dragon Pavel Galad''s "transformation" as well as the scene of Orihime and Asya summoning "serpents" as witches.

    After that, Hal had partially disclosed the situation to the two girls on his own accord.

    (But since the truth related to Hal''s identity as a dragonslayer was a hassle, he had omitted it.)

    Her inquiry was being made in consideration of Haruga Haruomi''s status as an "expert" in that field.

    The adjacent Orihime turned to look at Hal in interest. The talkative Funaki-san also quieted down with eyes of anticipation. Everyone was waiting for Hal''s answer.

    "Good question. I''ve mentioned it a bit before, lately several dragons have launched invasions in a contest to rule over the Tokyo area... This counts as the truth, I guess."

    After thinking briefly, Hal continued, "Of course, it''s possible that Tokyo might be attacked again by new dragons. However, Tokyo and its vicinity is currently the turf of someone considered quite powerful, even among the dragons. Depending on the situation, it might become more peaceful than before, actually."

    Last month, Old Tokyo''s "wedge" had fallen into the white dragon king''s hands.

    Princess Yukikaze. The bearer of the Rune of the Arrow, an adorable yet violent conqueror.

    "Did you know? You can say that Dragon Strikes never happen in the New York area¡ªthe sphere of influence belonging to Red Hannibal, the representative of dragonkind."

    "Hannibal... You mean the King of Dragons that appeared in July 1999!"

    "That''s him alright. Presumably, low-ranked dragons fear Hannibal, which is why they don''t enter his territory lightly."

    "Perhaps the same situation might happen in Tokyo¡ªIs that what you mean, Haruga-kun?"

    Impressive as always, the UFO Research Club''s upcoming ace, one might say?

    Mutou-san was able to put two and two together despite Hal''s crude explanation. Orihime and Funaki-san both looked at her with impressed expressions.

    "Of course, I can''t promise you 100%. After all, dragons could descend from the sky no matter where on Earth you go," added Hal somewhat helplessly.

    "If you look back in a few years'' time¡ªYou might end up concluding it was safer to stay in Tokyo in the first place. So whether staying behind or moving away immediately, either''s fine. Given the current situation, that''s all I can say."

    In fact, Hal had given the same explanation to Orihime not too long ago.

    No sooner had Hal finished than Mutou-san nodded firmly.

    "Since there''s no way to reach an immediate conclusion, you might as well wait and see a bit longer huh..."

    "Well, it''s only my personal opinion. Depending on how the situation changes, you should make preparations to move any moment."

    Hal reached into his schoolbag and took out his cellphone.

    "By the way, my answer is ''okay'' for what you requested of me earlier, with conditions attached. Regarding the ''serpents''¡ªwhat we call leviathans in technical jargon¡ªused to intercept unruly dragons, which you wanted to learn about in detail."

    "Eh? Really?"

    "Yes. As long as you agree, Mutou-san, I will send the file of this compilation, titled ''The Artificial Lifeform Known as the Leviathan and the Ultimate Truth of the World, an Introduction,'' to your cellphone and computer."

    "...How thoughtful. So what conditions do you intend to propose?"

    Hearing Hal''s suggestion, Mutou-san smiled malevolently.

    "Haruga-san, you guys belong to an organization named SAURU, right? Are you asking me to join this secret association too? Or will you threaten me with men in black who''ll abduct me if I leak this secret?"

    "The exact opposite, Mutou-san. Do you want to work at my private firm?"

    An hourly wage of 1200 yen for now, with additional hazard pay.

    Of course, there was a nondisclosure clause whose violation would bring legal and magical retribution, but with it came the chance to fully learn so-called "world secrets." This did not rule out the possibility of aiding in future publications of knowledge obtained as a result.

    With the atmosphere of a chat taking place in a classroom, Hal explained these conditions.

    Since there were no boys nearby, only Orihime, Mutou-san and Funaki-san, this was a very promising recruitment.

    The sudden proposal took Orihime and Mutou-san aback in surprise.

    Meanwhile, the third girl present, Funaki-san, raised her hand with frightening vigor.

    "Y-Yes yes! I want to apply for this job too! Hiring a high school girl for an hourly wage of 1200 yen is very generous. It''s only around 800 at most for other places!"

    "I happen to need a few helpers to aid in keeping details organized, so your help is very welcomed."

    "Awesome!"

    "H-Haruga-kun, are you really certain?"

    "Don''t worry, Juujouji. Since a while ago, I''ve intended to hire personnel to a certain extent."

    Hal nodded readily at Orihime''s confirmation.

    Hence, the first recruitment target¡ªMutou-san¡ªalso raised a question.

    "S-Since you''re recruiting me, I suppose you also plan on inviting the other members of the UFO Research Club?"

    "Yeah. The only male member apart from me is Sakuraba-senpai, right? I''d like to rope him in too. President M goes without saying, but she isn''t really the employee type. I might as well put up all the capital and have her in charge of an entire shop."

    Hal remarked enthusiastically in front of the three girls.

    "Depending on the line of business, sales figures might turn out to be quite astounding."

    "True, if she were to run a life coaching consultancy, business will definitely be booming... "

    "A small tavern or bar might be a good fit... Although the president is still a minor despite appearances."

    After Orihime and Mutou-san expressed agreement, the warning bell for class immediately rang.

    Homeroom would start in five minutes. Orihime looked around the classroom.

    "Asya-san is still not here. Is she oversleeping on Haruga-kun''s behalf?"

    "Oh, you guys didn''t know? Lately, she''s been coming to school early, looking like she''s plenty busy. I saw her this morning too."

    Funaki-san the gossip-lover told the two of them readily.

    This was news not only to Orihime but Hal too.

    "What is she doing so early in the morning at school?"

    "Practice¡ªNo, I think she called it special training. It looks like she''ll be late to class today, I guess?"

    "Special training!?"

    The unexpected description made Hal widen his eyes.

    Part 3

    "A-Amenbo akai na aiueo! Kitsutsuki kotsu kotsu kare keya ki! Tote tote tatta to tobitatta! Namekuji noro noro naninuneno!"

    This was happening an hour prior to Haruga Haruomi and Juujouji Orihime arriving at the classroom.

    Today, Asya¡ªnamely, Anastasya Rubashvili¡ªwas dedicating herself to vocal exercises again. This was a basic lesson familiar to people in theater troupes and drama clubs.

    Naturally, a certain person remained standing on the side with arms crossed¡ª

    "Enunciate your words more... Sigh, but let''s conclude here this morning."

    With an estimated bodyweight of 140kg, President M commented gravely.

    She was dressed in a plain white t-shirt with a white toga like those of ancient Roman sages. This type of ancient attire could only be seen nowadays in movies about gladiators or bath houses set in that particular era.

    Producing an effect akin to cosplay, President M had ample presence today too.

    Inside the forest on campus, the two of them were having a one-to-one special training session.

    "After calisthenics and vocal exercises, read out the script as usual. Ready to begin?"

    "Affirmative... But President, why do I have to take lessons related to acting?"

    Asya replied decisively but suddenly tilted her head.

    "Isn''t there a saying that ''women are naturals as actresses''? Even without learning acting skills deliberately, I already have the good looks to become a movie star. Aren''t I plenty talented already? Ehe."

    "What shameless bragging coming from someone who completely lacks the skills to make effective use of this talent."

    "No way! President, aren''t you the one who kept praising my acting skills during these five days of special training!?"

    Asya reacted to the accusation indignantly but President M shook her head.

    "That is because so far, I only selected characters and scripts to accommodate your qualities. Tarzan the King of the Jungle, Gladiator Spartacus, A Princess of Mars, and Lobo the Wolf King all fall in this category."

    "Eh? Really!?"

    Asya reacted in surprise, unaware that the president had considerations on such a level.

    "President, I thought you picked these extreme scripts only because you wanted to test if my acting skills could overcome barriers of gender, profession and even species!"

    "Well, some of the roles were definitely more suited to you than I imagined, however..."

    President M reached for the trunk case on the ground.

    It opened with a click to show dozens of scripts inside. President M, whose gender and true identity were indeterminate, served simultaneously as the leader of five different cultural clubs, the UFO Research Club, the Literature Club, the Mass Media Research Club, the Science Insider Club and the Drama Club.

    This pile of scripts were brought from the Drama Club''s room.

    Today, President M''s selection was Romeo and Juliet.

    "Honing your acting skills will improve your feminine charm¡ªThe plan is finally entering the second stage. Let this classic be our challenge today."

    "Sir, yes sir!"

    "...May I make one correction? Strictly speaking, shouldn''t you be answering ''yes ma''am'' at this time?"

    Sir was a respectful form of addressing a man in English while ma''am was the female equivalent. To answer a female superior affirmatively, "yes ma''am" would be the proper choice, of course. However, Asya argued, "but saying it this way is easier to understand for people who aren''t military enthusiasts. Besides, speaking of your gender, President, whether you''re actually male or female..."

    "I am the mother! Having said I''m the mother for all of you, of course I am the mother!"

    "Yes, ma''am!"

    While chatting, Asya also started to memorize the script. Observing quietly from the side, President M suddenly changed the subject and said, "By the way, you lot apparently survived many trials."

    "Did Mutou-san tell you, President?"

    "I heard a bit from her, but it is mainly my personal intuition. While I was sleeping during the camp at school last time, something big apparently happened in school."

    "Hmm, actually, it was just a battle to be relished..."

    Last month, a dragon king¡ªPrincess Yukikaze¡ªattacked and targeted Haruga Haruomi.

    The battlefield where the gang intercepted the white dragon king was precisely this Kogetsu Academy.

    The shockwave and fiery explosion at the time had caused massive damage to much of the Sumida ward, the school included. Although unconscious at the time, President M had been right in the heart of it.

    The president''s frightening aspects were not limited to her shocking appearance or personality.

    Apart from lucidity in thought, she also had a keen intuition like a possessed spirit medium. It was only foreseeable that she would realize the truth about Asya and the others.

    But being a broad-minded person, President M was never prone to acting rashly. This fact was very reassuring.

    I might as well rope the president into SAURU to have her(?) research weird techniques... While Asya was pondering this seriously, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

    While reading the script, she suddenly noticed points of weirdness.

    "This Romeo and Juliet, don''t you find it strange?"

    "Oh really?"

    "Romeo is seventeen but Juliet is only thirteen? The two of them fell in love at first sight, betrothed themselves to each other that very night and decided to elope. After that, Juliet feigned her death, Romeo commits suicide in despair by poison and she follows him in death after waking up..."

    "Nothing strange, is there? This story has been like that since four centuries ago."

    "Isn''t this tragedy avoidable if both of them had been slightly more careful? The circumstances leading to elopement were also very reckless. To be honest, both of them feel quite deplorable to me..."

    "Such harsh criticism would be far too unromantic."

    "Isn''t this similar to that? Instances of fixed form beauty like how you can untie a sash automatically by having a lady-in-waiting spin around in period dramas. But once you notice details like that, it''s very hard to immerse yourself in the show. Can we switch to a different script?"

    "You''re too much of a nitpicker," President M grumbled in a huff.

    "Speaking of characters appearing in love stories, they have to be a little foolish at least¡ªrather, I should say it''s easier to move the plot if they''re more simpleminded and flustered. This is what is called the principle of ''love is blind.'' Isn''t it quite similar to the messiness of love in the real world?"

    "Oh come on, this is the first step towards my becoming an award-winning actress after all. Can''t you give me a bit of preferential treatment?"

    "Seriously... Then how about this one?"

    President M handed over another script and Asya began to browse through it.

    "Oh... The stage is set in a certain country inside a school that combines middle and high school together. The main heroine is a second-year student in the middle school division. Introvert that she is, a certain incident allowed her to start getting to know an upperclassman in the high school division. As they grew closer and closer, they began to feel an attraction for each other..."

    There was a plot summary included with the beginning part, so Asya read on.

    "However, a shocking truth was soon uncovered¡ªThe two of them were actually siblings separated since birth. After learning that this was a taboo romance, the brother and sister decide to sever their feelings for each other. However, the flames of love not only failed to be extinguished but the two of them finally developed a forbidden relationship¡ª''I don''t care about anything as long as I can be with Onii-chan''... Damn it!"

    Asya was so emotional that she threw the script against the ground. President M frowned matter-of-factly.

    "Hey you, what on earth is going on?"

    "S-Sorry. This story is causing indescribable stress on my heart and soul, so I accidentally... Can I have another change of script?"

    Asya used to roam battlefields as Europe''s Shootdown Ace.

    This powerful witch and seasoned veteran now had her mind stuck in numerous delusions.

    ''Haruomi-senpai, we are actually siblings.''

    ''From now on, can you love me as a real little sister...?''

    ''No, we''re blood siblings, how can it turn into this kind of relationship!?''

    ''B-But truth be told, I also feel... towards you, Senpai¡ªno, Onii-chan¡ª!''

    ''Even if it''s Onii-chan, as long as there''s love, there will be no prob¡ª''

    To break out of all kinds of silly delusions, Asya shook her head violently and screamed "ngahhhhhhh!" Panting heavily, she whispered, "...H-Hazumi isn''t this type of character and there''s no reason for her to make a mad dash down the road of forbidden love with that idiot Haruomi. Although I know that very well, this script is still too harmful for my mental health, that''s why I want another script!"

    "You''re surprisingly fragile on the mental side. Nothing less expected from a useless girl who is a complete novice in the ways of love."

    "Gah¡ª"

    "How about this? Just for reference, what kind of story would fit your tastes?"

    "Hmm... I guess it has to be the kind of love story involving fashionable and stylish metropolitan romance, full of realism targeted for adults. I believe I''m a very good fit for this kind of story."

    "Impossible. You''re still dreaming even while uttering delusions with your eyes open, so please accept reality."

    "H-How do you know unless we try!?"

    "If you say so, then try we shall."

    President M went through her trunk case again. Hence, the third script made an appearance.

    "This is probably the script that fits your demands best."

    "Mm-hmm... Uh, the beginning part is already concerning."

    Asya pointed at where in the script she had an issue with.

    "Two career women in the forties, drinking red wine at a Spanish bar¡ªSuch a lame scene appearing so suddenly..."

    "Really? Two independent and self-determined women drinking wine while talking about love matters, isn''t that a great scene?"

    "More accurately, it seems more like they''re binge drinking while complaining about their lack of luck in love. Not only that, speaking of these two women''s prospective partners¡ª"

    Kazumi (age 39, single), an office worker who sees her purpose in life as paying for male company at host clubs.

    Her best friend, Kyouko (age 40, single), who bought her apartment on a thirty-year loan and shares it with her sponger boyfriend who spends all his time at pachinko arcades and refuses to work.

    Flipping through the pages noisily and reading on, Asya found additional points of contention.

    "In addition, the third main character¡ªKentarou (age 35, divorced once)¡ªis a criminal who spent every day at cabaret clubs, thus spending thirty million of his workplace''s funds!? This is totally lame!"

    "Fufufufu. Now here is the essence of today''s lesson."

    President M smiled suspiciously.

    "Why don''t you try acting out a character from this script, any character of your choosing. From that, you shall learn the spirit of self-sacrificing for love, even to the point of self-destruction!"

    "A-And the purpose is!?"

    "Although I''ve given you many lessons to boost your feminine charm and romance standard score... But to be honest, this education project is still twenty years from completion."

    "That long!? I''ll be an old lady by then!"

    "That''s why I tried to think in reverse. How about putting on hold your training to become an orthodox beauty, instead making your goal to become a girl with a love dependency constitution who pursues romance with reckless abandon? Something of that sort."

    "Love dependency constitution!"

    "Indeed. This lesson should be able to teach you what you lack most. On the battlefield of love, ''charging forward without thinking'' is the most important!"

    "E-Even though you already said it out personally."

    "Listening alone isn''t enough. Only by learning through inference, like carving this concept deeply into your soul, will it work. If your pathetic personality could be cured by listening to a few lectures, you would have become an otome game heroine with one or two handsome men captured a long time ago."

    "You''re extremely right..."

    "Back to the subject, which character do you intend to choose? In your case, I recommend the clothing store owner, Kyouko, who supports that human scum of a sponger. Don''t you feel that it suits you quite well¡ª"

    "At least recommend a teenager role!"

    Asya grumbled, almost about to break into tears.

    "Then Juliet! I''ll take Juliet, okay? I won''t call her a slightly deplorable girl anymore!"

    "Be my guest. Well then, begin the script reading."

    "...Oh~ Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo~!?"

    "No good. Completely no good. You have totally failed to express the feelings of having fallen deeply in love. I shall let it slide for now, so continue."

    "S-Swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circled orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable~"

    Morning in a mixed forest, the drama lesson continued today as well. By the time President M announced the end of the training session, it was already after the warning bell five minutes before homeroom was heard.

    Early July had arrived.

    Tokyo New Town was under occupation for almost a month.

    After that, Princess Yukikaze had not made any new moves. Everyone was able to maintain peaceful lives for now.

    This applied to Asya and President M, as well as Haruga Haruomi and Juujouji Orihime alike. All of them were savoring this serenity and peace without exception.

 Volume 4, 2 - Towards the World Outside

    Volume 4, Chapter 2 - Towards the World Outside

    Part 1

    Tokyo New Town had returned to a life of peace and stability for now. Although Hal and company knew that the situation would certainly not last indefinitely, for now, things were still in a rather relaxed state.

    However, a certain person was injecting into their peaceful lives the poison known as "irregularity."

    Namely, one of Hal''s companions, Luna Francois Gregory.

    "Welcome, Harry. Likewise to you, Asya, welcome to my office."

    "W-What on earth made the school prepare this for you, a mere student..."

    Asya grumbled with displeasure at the smug Luna Francois.

    This was a small room somewhere in school. All the furniture including tables, chairs, cupboards and bookshelves were made of mahogany, resulting in a classic ambiance of elegance.

    Thanks to the decor, the room had a solemn atmosphere almost like a principal''s office.

    However, the one sitting before the desk as the owner of the office was Luna Francois. Yet not only was she a student but she had only transferred in less than a month ago.

    Luna went tsk-tsk and waggled her right index finger.

    "Please allow me to make a correction. I am no ordinary student. In fact, as early as a week ago, I had been offered a position as a non-executive director on this school''s board. Although I wanted to decline, seeing as it would be living too far above my means, at the school''s repeated behest, I had no choice but to reluctantly..."

    "As an American minor, Luna, receiving such an invitation is impossible!" Asya pointed out in fury.

    "You clearly schemed your way with underhanded means to snag yourself that position!"

    "Fufufufu. That would be a groundless accusation, Asya. Oh dear, all things considered, this school was founded with SAURU''s funding and I am an important member of that organization. It wouldn''t be surprising even if there were one or two unnatural and improper personnel assignments... Nevertheless, do you really think I would engage in such a ploy?"

    "Isn''t this tantamount to a confession already!?"

    Luna Francois simply smiled tenderly at her fellow witch''s accusation.

    Meanwhile, Hal was thoroughly impressed by her shrewdness and asked, "Luna, you became the leader of SAURU''s Kantou branch earlier too, could it be that you enjoy collecting these kinds of titles?"

    "No, I have no interest in these worldly positions and titles."

    The blonde witch winked lightly and replied.

    "Conversely, I do enjoy exercising the convenient privileges that come along with status, such as this office provided for a non-executive director''s use. Don''t you find it very handy for skipping boring lessons?"

    "Well said. If possible, please nominate me as the non-executive director''s secretary."

    "Oh dear, Harry. You are such a bad boy."

    "Nowhere as impressive as you, my lord magistrate. By the way, I recently found the Tokyo specialty known as the ''golden monaka,'' would you like to take some?"

    "Really? But compared to confectionery, I still prefer genuine 24K gold."

    "W-Why do you two look like you''re really hitting it off!?"

    Asya glared at Hal intently and grumbled.

    This prompted Luna Francois to chuckle lightly with elegance.

    "Seeing as this is a school, although it would pose no difficulty to find people who can recommend me to serve as a student leader¡ªthe student council president... I ruled it out in the end. After all, the student council president is tied down by all kinds of mundane business to handle."

    "Rather, that is pretty much the position in charge of mundane business."

    "I know, right? While obtaining special positions, I feel that even if they come with special privileges, sinecures with a minimum of responsibilities would be best. Sure enough, aren''t we of like minds, Harry?"

    "That goes without saying. It''s better for work to be more leisurely. No argument there."

    "I can''t feel any vitality or spirit of diligence here. That''s so counter to the image of teenage high schoolers. Are you two comrades in that sense...?"

    "That''s true too. I guess I feel quite compatible with Luna?"

    Hal nodded in agreement with Asya''s comment.

    Undoubtedly, Luna Francois was someone who lived in a gray zone tending towards black. Not only that, but she would occasionally employ "black" methods without hesitation to secure her own interests.

    The two of them were birds of a feather in that aspect. This was also why Hal felt a sense of camaraderie with her.

    "By the way, Luna, did you call us here just to introduce this office to us?"

    "Yes. Please feel free to drop by any time you wish. Do remember to bring some snacks over when you come. I adore the cookies that Asya bakes. However, the cakes and pies from Asya''s dessert factory have an excessive abundance of calories, so once a month would be plenty enough?"

    "Demanding gifts matter-of-factly and even placing orders so haughtily!?"

    Shocked by her fellow witch''s demands, Asya shrugged.

    Lessons were over for the day at the high school division.

    "Then I''m heading out first. There''s a test involving Rushalka later and I need to get to Tokyo Bay by taking a JMSDF battleship."

    During the decisive battle the previous month, Asya''s "serpent"¡ªRushalka¡ªhad been reborn.

    After that, Asya had summoned her partner many times to carry out tests on various abilities including flying, mobility and pseudo-divinity over Tokyo Bay''s waters.

    Renowned in the past as Europe''s strongest, Blue Rushalka, no problems had been found so far.

    "If there are no problems today, it''s time to certify Rushalka as fully revived."

    "The European side will surely weep with joy if they found out. There will be an instant onslaught of loving calls to get you to go back, right?"

    "That might happen, but a super formidable enemy, dragon king-class, is currently lurking in Tokyo after all," Asya responded to Hal.

    "In the short term¡ªI''ve no plans of returning."

    "Fufufu. Are you worried by any chance? Because a woman like me is at Harry''s side."

    Smiling malevolently on the side was the blonde beauty, Luna Francois.

    "All things considered, I am someone blessed with talent, intelligence and beauty while simultaneously favored by position and authority to an unbelievable extent... Even in a place like this, I am quite sought after (unlike Asya)."

    "Hey! You added something unnecessary at the end, didn''t you!?"

    "No, nothing at all?"

    "Sheesh... Sigh, although I don''t think I need to take your bragging nonsense seriously, I guess I should still respond. It''s true, given Luna''s deceptive way with words, casually captivating ten or twenty boys shouldn''t be anything hard."

    Hal had heard. The number of boys who confessed to Luna Francois Gregory had reached twenty-three so far. Even a cult of worshipers akin to a fan club was apparently in the works.

    This news came not from elsewhere but enthusiastically from Luna herself.

    "But something big like Haruomi having weird feelings for Luna, that''s totally impossible."

    "Oh dear, I cannot believe you would assert that."

    Luna Francois frowned with surprise.

    Most likely, she had always felt confident in her ability to toy with Asya on the palm of her hand.

    However, Europe''s former Shootdown Ace was now puffing out her meager chest in confidence. This composure made Luna Francois incredulous.

    "In that case, there should be no problem if Harry and I were to go on a date tonight, right? I shall tempt him and captivate him with my charm."

    "Be my guest and do whatever you want. Then I''ll be going now."

    Saying that, Asya left the office on her own.

    Her pace was unusually fast. Slightly displeased, Luna Francois watched her leave then faced Hal again to suddenly smile.

    "Now that Asya has said so, let us begin tonight. What are your thoughts, Harry?"

    "Putting that aside... Think about it, we still have business to handle today, right? Before leaving, I''d like to get a few miscellaneous tasks sorted out. It''s time for us to go too."

    Tactfully brushing the issue aside, Hal made his way to the door.

    Luna Francois'' smile twitched slightly for an instant. However, she immediately recovered her elegance and reached for her schoolbag.

    Thus, Hal and Luna Francois entered the corridor together.

    While walking to their destination that was determined in advance, Luna secretly felt impressed. Asya''s understanding of this childhood friend bound by inseparable ties¡ªHaruga Haruomi''s thought processes¡ªwas truly thorough...

    Hal and Luna left the high school division and walked to the cultural clubs building.

    The place where all culture-related clubs were gathered, it was a building adjacent to the library. The pair''s destination was the room of the UFO Research Club on the third floor.

    "Ah. Haruga-kun and... the rumored transfer student."

    Although President M''s gigantic figure was nowhere to be seen, someone else had already arrived at the UFO Research Club. A female student facing a laptop on the long table¡ªMutou-san.

    "I knew it, she''s someone in your circle¡ªSAURU. Given how she transferred at the very end of the first term and also after Tokyo''s occupation, I was certain of my guess. Could it be that she''s a so-called witch like Juujouji-san and the others?"

    "Correct. This perceptiveness already makes hiring you worth it."

    "Fufufu. Actually, I have a gift for you."

    Luna Francois smiled tenderly and took out something from her schoolbag.

    It was a keycard, a key for entering the newly built Witch Mansion under the library. That place was also where Hal had obtained Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal last month.

    "Haven''t you heard from Harry? This is an invitation to the secret garden."

    "Wow. I humbly accept with gratitude."

    Smiling, Mutou-san picked up the card that the blonde stranger had placed on the long table.

    "Oh by the way, about the materials Haruga-kun sent me, I''ve forwarded them to the UFO Research Club''s Sakuraba-senpai too, so you should get a response soon. Apart from that, after reading it, something bothers me."

    Mutou-san turned the laptop screen towards Hal.

    Displayed there was the basic information about leviathans, witches and dragons that he had sent her the previous day. Passionate in her research, she kept diligently seeking knowledge even after school.

    "Looking at the number of witches stationed across various eastern Asian countries... Japan, China, Korea and Indonesia have way more than the others. Does this have anything to do with economic conditions?"

    "I suppose it does. After all, forging witch covenants is one of the services provided by SAURU for payment."

    "Since the sponsors are local authorities or businesses, the economic climate inevitably has an effect. This cannot be helped either."

    "Just as suspected. I was wondering if that was the reason."

    Mutou-san nodded with understanding after listening to Hal and Luna Francois'' answers.

    "Howevever, ''serpents'' can''t be mass produced using money alone."

    "The most important is finding girls with inborn aptitude to become witches. Apart from that, obtaining enchanted artifacts to become leviathan cores¡ªGrave Goods¡ªis very important too. Even for economically wealthy countries, the number of ''serpents'' is only slightly more than for poor countries."

    "I see now. Oh, there''s one more thing¡ª"

    Mutou-san continued, "As an amateur who''s just starting to learn the ropes, this might be a subjective opinion, I guess? I feel that SAURU is a bit stingy for treating witch and dragon matters as secrets when they''re making money from that kind of business. Things would go more smoothly if they did things in a more aboveboard manner."

    "That aspect is very influenced by the outlook of the old ladies."

    "Who are they?"

    "They''re consultants and supervisors who are very important to the leaders operating SAURU."

    "Furthermore, they are also eyesores. A collective composed of old ladies who only like to reminisce about the past. Incidentally, they are still talking about matters from three hundred years ago even though it''s already the twenty-first century, which is a bit too..."

    "It seems quite useless to be concerned about witch hunts and inquisitions by this point."

    Just as the topic started to offer Mutou-san a glimpse at the inside story¡ª

    A clatter of footsteps were heard from the corridor. Next, the UFO Research Club''s door was flung open loudly. However, the one who entered was not a member of the club.

    "Thank goodness, you''re all here! Hey hey, listen up, listen up!"

    It was the other classmate, Funaki-san, who had signed an employment contract with Hal.

    Her twintails were shaking on the sides of her head. Looking like she had sprinted over as fast as she could, Funaki-san was panting heavily.

    "Just now, I discovered someone amazing at the Kanegafuchi Station!"

    The area around Kanegafuchi Station on the New Town Loop Line¡ª

    Prior to the return of dragonkind, it was just a suburban town of limited size. But the large-scale assaults of Raptors fifteen or so years ago had brought devastation to the surrounding area. After that, with the establishment of Tokyo New Town, this neighborhood had been redeveloped into an office district persisting to the present day.

    The Metropolitan Police Department was also headquartered there. It was a neighborhood where Hal and the witches frequently visited.

    Who exactly had she spotted there? The gossip-loving Funaki-san spoke up, "It''s the handsome foreigner who was with us during the New Town Occupation last time."

    "You mean the man who transformed into a dragon¡ªno, the silver dragon that had merely taken on human form!?"

    Listening to her classmate''s report, Mutou-san jumped in surprise.

    "Yeah, because he''s so conspicuous, I couldn''t possibly be mistaken. Although I chased after him in a hurry, I lost him along the way. But that dragon person is definitely still in New Town."

    Possibly a bit excited to see the handsome man''s lovely face, Funaki-san was grinning from ear to ear.

    In contrast, Hal frowned. The silver dragon Pavel Galad was still lurking somewhere in the Tokyo area. Most likely, he was plotting for a comeback.

    Like Hal and company, he was probably making thorough preparations while taking precautions for the next commotion.

    "We have no choice but to prepare properly for the next time too. Let us depart, Harry."

    "Yeah. Let''s meet up with Juujouji earlier and go together to see how that person is doing."

    Thus, the miscellaneous task of handing the keycard to Mutou-san was done.

    However, the day''s main event had yet to debut. Hal and Luna exchanged nods.

    Part 2

    Roughly two hours later, Hal was at a different venue. Taking a taxi together with Luna Francois, he had gone to a hotel near Kanegafuchi Station.

    The sixty-story skyscraper was a luxury hotel whose premises were deemed "super" from the fortieth floor and up.

    This was originally a place where Haruga Haruomi would never frequent on his own.

    Hal had always used reasonably priced inns or business hotels. The lack of hot water for baths was not an infrequent occurrence.

    However, the same did not apply to the girl accompanying him. The large suite situated on the fifty-fifth floor of this building was precisely Luna Francois'' "new residence." Back when she first decided to live in Tokyo New Town, moving house and living alone were considered too much of a hassle. Hence, she chose to live in a hotel instead.

    As was customary, a master-class witch would be handsomely compensated for each sortie.

    Luna Francois had dominated the trans-Pacific region as the Shootdown Ace for four years already. This extravagant lifestyle was befitting of her position and wealth.

    After meeting up with Orihime who was waiting in the hotel lobby, the group''s destination was¡ª

    "Hmm... Indeed it is not a bad contrivance."

    The location was a heated swimming pool on the fifty-eighth floor of the skyscraper. A hotel facility.

    Murmuring with a haughty expression was Hinokagutsuchi. The former queen of dragons was reclining lazily on a poolside lounge chair.

    Furthermore, casually lifted in her hand was a glass filled with golden champagne.

    "It was worth specially preparing this reception to hear this response of yours."

    "Brat, is this going according to your plan?"

    "I thought up the basic concept but I left stuff like the specific venue to Luna to plan out. The remaining preparations were only just completed by enlisting Juujouji''s help¡ªSomething like that."

    Sitting on the diving board on the poolside in his swimming trunks, Hal answered leisurely.

    In addition, Hinokagutsuchi had finally changed her attire from her usual scarlet kimono. Like Hal, she was in swimwear.

    A young body corresponding to an eleven or twelve-year-old''s, clad in a red bikini.

    "I see now. A venue overlooking the lower world from a great height could be considered a contrivance befitting an exalted queen such as I. It appears that you are quite well-versed in the etiquette of pleasing important guests."

    "In return, please continue to look after us by providing information and various support."

    "Well, I shall consider it."

    It was currently after 7pm.

    Looking down from this fifty-eighth floor, whose walls were made of glass, the night scenery of New Town was akin to hundreds of gemstones scattered on black velvet¡ªExtravagant with a dash of decadence.

    With the night scenery as a side dish to go along with her drink, Hinokagutsuchi downed her glass of champagne in one breath.

    "Thanks, Juujouji."

    "Uh... Is this the moment when I should be offering ''Would you like another glass?''"

    "It would not be a bad idea. However, I am personally looking forward to an elaborate performance along the lines of ''pouring wine while providing a deliberate view of your chest.''"

    "K-Kagutsuchi-san. You really must rein in such words of sexual harassment!"

    Orihime sighed and approached. The novice witch was also dressed in a bikini.

    The white two-piece swimsuit, pure and simple, looked quite good on her. Orihime tilted the champagne bottle in her hand and refilled Hinokagutsuchi''s glass.

    "My goodness. And I was wondering what it was about when suddenly told that we had to assemble at a hotel..."

    "Well actually, I could be the waiter to serve her too."

    "Spare me that sort of farce. As if anyone would drink alcohol poured by a squalid man. Rather, it would be an insult to me, one who had been served by hundreds of priestesses and shrine maidens with reverence."

    "I knew she was going to gripe like that."

    "That''s why you asked Orihime-san and I to offer our services, isn''t that right?"

    It was Luna Francois who spoke this time.

    She was dressed in an extremely attractive, even seductive, black bikini while holding a dish piled with fruit. It was like a small mountain of watermelon, pineapple, mango, lemon, banana, lychee, papaya, etc.

    "If it would please you, shall I use this fruit to concoct a cocktail for you?"

    "Mm-hmm. You may have free rein."

    Hinokagutsuchi partially closed her eyes in satisfaction in response to Luna Francois'' suggestion.

    Her mood definitely seemed better than usual. Sure enough, she was very appreciative of female company despite calling herself a "queen"... Not only that, she clearly enjoyed the female form.

    Hal nodded while giving a warning, "Let''s be upfront with the rules. No making moves on the dancer girls."

    "Well, fine. The pleasures of debauchery shall be enjoyed another day. Impatience is ill-suited to merrymaking in that arena. Only by taking things step by step will one be able to fully savor the experience."

    "Now that''s quite convincing coming from a former queen."

    "Th-That kind of event isn''t going to happen any time, even in the future! Kagutsuchi-san!"

    As a side note, these familiar faces were the only ones present at the pool. For the sake of today''s reception, Luna Francois had reserved the entire venue.

    While being served by two beautiful maidens, Hinokagutsuchi sipped cold champagne.

    Her sharp gaze was directed at New Town''s night scenery every now and then. Haughty and indomitable, the way she conducted herself exuded dignity befitting a self-styled "queen" with every move.

    It was not just the night scenery. Likewise, she was examining the girls next to her with satisfaction.

    As mentioned previously, Orihime''s was white while Luna Francois was clad in a black bikini. The two of them were also wearing pareos around their waists and artificial flower wreaths on their heads.

    But more importantly¡ª

    Orihime and Luna Francois had excellent figures to begin with.

    Hal had already confirmed the wonders of Juujouji Orihime''s body with his eyes and his right hand. Now that he was allowed to confirm again at the poolside, it was truly a feast for the eyes.

    Those bulges of her bosom, estimated to be F-cups. The curve of a tight, narrow waist. The wondrous roundness of the buttocks.

    Going further, there were those thighs, so slender despite their overall fullness, tracing out beautiful curves all the way to her ankles in a display of irresistible charm. Whether the sexiness in the line of the neck or the posture of her body, slightly huddled in embarrassment, everything was beautiful. Beyond perfect.

    Next, there was¡ªLuna Francois.

    With her standing next to Orihime, one could see that she had an excellent figure rivaling the young Japanese maiden''s.

    However, Luna Francois was actually a bit taller, probably around 170cm. Although the various sizes as indicated by her height and BWH measurements were overall similar to Orihime''s, the American girl edged out slightly in the bust and hip numbers...

    Inexplicably voluptuous despite a very slim figure overall.

    Luna Francois'' body was a perfect coexistence of two contrary elements.

    Furthermore, the hue of her complexion was very striking. Orihime had healthy ivory-tone skin but in contrast, Luna Francois'' skin was breathtakingly pale and as smooth as porcelain.

    Delicate skin texture with excellent suppleness.

    Luna was apparently a frequent patron of this hotel''s beauty salon. The creation of such extravagant beauty would be impossible without being backed by a commensurate input of time, effort and money.

    "Although it might be a little late to mention now, may I ask a question?"

    Orihime suddenly spoke up.

    "I have no problem with holding a reception as a gesture of gratitude for Kagutsuchi-san''s many acts of guidance, but it seems that Haruga-kun''s presence isn''t necessary..."

    "What are you talking about, Juujouji? But you make a perfectly valid point."

    Hal put on a serious poker face and objected.

    "Even someone like me would want to seize rare fortune once in a while. And now is exactly one of those occasions!"

    "Abundant honesty in this area is precisely one of those things that make Harry amusing... Oh well, a mere look at swimsuits would not be too much as a privileged perk for the show''s producer."

    Luna smiled malevolently after offering her opinion and immediately winked suggestively at Hal.

    "Or would you rather see something more amazing?"

    "L-Luna-san, Haruga-kun is a closet pervert. You mustn''t tease him recklessly!"

    "I-I do draw the line somewhere proper, you know? Stop worrying about me."

    After defending himself, Hal turned his gaze to Hinokagutsuchi''s prepubescent body in a swimsuit.

    "Anyway, information is essential to us right now. Although I''m not going to demand that you spit out everything you know, please try to tell us as much potentially useful information as possible."

    Dressed in swimwear like the girls, Hal spoke to Hinokagutsuchi once more.

    He summoned the magic gun¡ªthe magic wand¡ªwith his right hand. This was currently the vessel possessed by the ghost of the former dragon as well as the "testament to the covenant" between Hal and Hinokagutsuchi.

    "You can have as many receptions for thanks as you like. I''ll even prostrate myself if need be. Please."

    "Well, after all, you and I are currently in the same boat, so to speak..."

    Showing a faint smile, Hinokagutsuchi emptied her glass again.

    Orihime immediately refilled the champagne. Bubbles of carbon dioxide popped audibly.

    "If you cater to me dutifully, perhaps I might tell stories from the past or offer rare advice on whim. Be that as it may, I have no intention of going chronologically in sequence. Naturally, I cannot be bothered to teach tirelessly in earnest detail either. Listen carefully if you understand."

    "That goes without saying."

    "In that case, may I ask a question right off the bat?"

    In front of the nodding Hal, Luna Francois spoke up.

    "It was quite inconvenient last time with me being the only one unable to use the Rune of the Bow, wasn''t it? I wish to make proper use of that rune''s magical power, whatever it takes."

    "Oh¡ª?"

    "So how exactly could it be done? Personally, I intend to assist Harry without reservation."

    "Listen, blonde priestess, the reason is due to your harboring of ulterior motives."

    After asserting that, Hinokagutsuchi snickered and did not continue her answer.

    "Meaning she can''t become a vassal unless she aids me while abandoning all thought of risk and benefit, you know? Consider this, Master Bruce Lee used to say ''don''t think, feel,'' right?"

    "...In other words, the crucial element consists of guiding principles along the likes of friendship power and bonds of the heart?"

    "Yeah. Basically those shounen manga principles that transcend logic and foreshadowing. Friendship, hard work, victory."

    After listening to Hal''s explanation, Luna Francois fell into deep thought.

    But before long, she gazed at Hinokagutsuchi''s smiling face and asked again, "Now that I understand the precondition, please allow me to ask another question. A secret technique to easily borrow Harry''s power without having to jump through this massive nuisance of attached strings¡ªIs there really none?"

    "...You two are truly alike."

    "...I don''t deny that."

    Hal admitted it without thinking, prompting Hinokagutsuchi to shrug.

    "In that case, the rest depends on this brat. If he were to desire your loyalty and submission from the bottom of his heart, wishing to claim your body and soul for his own possession, he could apparently regard you as a vassal by force."

    "Is that so? In other words, there is a method after all."

    Luna Francois smiled suspiciously after listening to Hinokagutsuchi.

    Meanwhile, watching on the side with a champagne bottle in her hand. Orihime began to grow anxious for some reason.

    "H-Hold on, Luna-san. Although Haruga-kun looks like a herbivore, his true nature is a boy both closeted and perverted. If you tease him like this, the dark side of the Force might accidentally awaken. Please beware!"

    "Hmm¡ªOrihime-san, could it be that you have experienced it personally yourself?"

    "N-No, I haven''t. It was just an objective deduction. Haruga-kun, you too, stop getting funny ideas!"

    "I-I know. Putting that aside, I do have a question too."

    Since the conversation had strayed in a weird direction, Hal instantly changed the subject.

    "Whether the secret of dragons or Princess Yukikaze''s origins, I''ve got a ton of things I want to know. But out of all that, there''s something I want to know with top priority."

    "Oh? And what question is burning you to such an extent, brat?"

    "If there are dragonslaying runes still scattered somewhere on Earth, can you tell me where? Although we''ve got the Bow in our possession at the current stage, I''d like to get my hands on one or two more runes."

    Orihime and Luna reacted with surprise. In the earlier battle against True Genbu-Ou, what finally became the decisive factor for victory had been the Rune of the Sword borrowed from Pavel Galad.

    However, if they were to find themselves in a similar predicament again, they would have to overcome the challenge on their own¡ª

    After all, the silver dragon was not necessarily going to side with them next time.

    As expected, Hinokagutsuchi responded haughtily.

    "Hmph. Do know that the dragonslaying runes are priceless treasures sought by all dragons fervently, not little pebbles. How could they possibly be left on the ground randomly? If you wish to seek them, it is necessary to go on an adventure no less epic than making your destination the stars of Ruruk Soun on the far side of the ocean of stars, wandering the dimensional gap somewhere in the multiverse, or visiting extraordinary realms of the demonic and the sacrosanct..."

    At this point, Hinokagutsuchi suddenly fell silent.

    After brief contemplation, she slowly started speaking again.

    "Nevertheless... You may not need to go that far on this occasion. I have a clue here."

    The former dragon king''s words implied the beginning of a brand new journey.

    At the same time, it was an opportunity leading Hal and his gang out of Tokyo New Town.

    Part 3

    "Eh? You are going on a trip!?"

    "That''s right. In short, the destination is a beach at Izu Peninsula."

    Hal nodded at his surprised junior¡ªShirasaka Hazumi.

    It was the next day after the swimsuit reception. Hazumi had paid a visit to the Haruga house again instead of making a morning call by phone. Hence, Hal announced his "expedition plan" to her.

    The two of them had left the Haruga house. Hal filled her in while heading to the nearest Narihirabashi Station.

    "Summer vacation will start in a few days, so we''re planning to set off the first day. The purpose of this trip will be as mentioned just now, to search for a new dragonslaying rune."

    "The new weapon you mentioned earlier that you wanted..."

    "That''s why I''d like to investigate the clue Hinokagutsuchi provided. However, there''s no loss even if nothing turns up. It''s still better than doing nothing at all, after all."

    "I understand. Then in your absence, Senpai, I will hold the fort properly."

    Slightly tensing her adorable face, Hazumi exhibited her "determination."

    "Please focus on your task and do not worry about New Town. Despite how I may look, I''ve always worked hard on my own before the arrival of my seniors. It will definitely be fine!"

    Quite a strong-willed declaration¡ªrather, it was a declaration to express her trustworthiness.

    Originally, Shirasaka Hazumi had been the only witch defending Tokyo New Town. That was before Orihime became a witch and the arrival of Asya and Hal to New Town.

    With Minadzuki as her only partner, the young Hazumi had fought and battles on her own and survived all those years.

    For this purpose, she was not allowed to leave Tokyo and could not even participate in school excursions.

    Hence, that was probably why she reflexively concluded "she had to hold the fort" when told that Hal was going on an expedition. However, Hal had prepared a surprise for her.

    "No, Shirasaka. This time, you''re coming along too."

    "¡ªEh?"

    "I already made arrangements with New Town''s administration and the sponsors last night, so there''s no problem. Authorization has been secured for you and Juujouji to leave New Town temporarily."

    "I-In other words..."

    "I''m sorry you have to rush out as soon as the summer vacation starts, but I''d like you to come on the trip with us. There''s me, Juujouji, Asya, Luna and Hinokagutsuchi. What do you say?"

    "With pleasure, of course! It has really really been a long time since I last traveled!"

    As expected, the junior student''s entire face lit up with a dazzling smile.

    But what Hal did not expect was for her to throw herself against his chest, overjoyed. Hugged by Hazumi, Hal could not help but begin to panic.

    "Although I''ve traveled with family during the early years of elementary school, ever since becoming a witch, I almost never leave Tokyo..."

    "Th-The itinerary was left to SAURU''s Kenjou-san to plan."

    With Hazumi leaning tightly against him, Hal spoke while his heart raced.

    It was all because of his close contact with the adorable junior student''s soft sensation and body warmth.

    "He said remember to bring a swimsuit. I guess we''re treating it as a company recreation trip while we''re at it."

    "I-I only have the swimsuit I use for the school pool. I suppose it''s better if I bring a different one, right!?"

    "How about taking this opportunity to buy a new one?"

    Although a little frightened by Hazumi''s rare excitement, Hal still nodded. Putting in so much effort was worth it, even if only just to see this reaction...

    "Say, there are fanatical fans of the school swimsuit too."

    "I will go shopping immediately after school!"

    Swiftly disengaging herself from hugging Hal, Hazumi declared very energetically.

    Whether the hug or separating herself, it seemed as though both were subconscious acts for Hazumi. Seeing Hazumi excited for the "beach trip," Hal felt very gratified¡ªyet he was starting to worry too.

    "By the way, it''s better if you don''t get your hopes too high. Although it''s a beach, our destination isn''t anywhere like a ''tropical paradise'' or an ''island closest to heaven.''"

    He could not allow Hazumi''s anticipation level to rise too high.

    Slightly worried about that, Hal tried to put a damper on things.

    "Although I''m not too clear on what Japanese beaches are like, from what I''ve heard, there seem to be many desolate places."

    Haruga Haruomi had been to all kinds of dangerous places, mysterious realms and overseas locations.

    However, he had little experience in visiting ordinary Japanese tourist attractions. After all, the vast majority of his trips were work related. That being said, he still had recollections to a certain extent.

    ''Seaside swimming that was so packed that it was like washing potatoes,'' ''expensive and poor tasting ramen at seaside establishments,'' ''hotspring towns that went in recession with a decline in tourists,'' ''dinners at inns that inexplicably served defrosted sashimi despite being located by the sea.''

    Recalling these memories, he warned in advance just in case.

    However, Hazumi smiled like an angel as usual and said seriously, "That would be fine too. I am extremely happy simply to be able to visit the beach with you, Senpai, Nee-sama and the others."

    "I see now."

    "By the way, Senpai, why travel to Izu?"

    "Back when I got my hands on Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal earlier¡ªThere were mentions about a shrine in the Tokai region that worshiped her as a ''fire goddess,'' right? That particular shrine is located at Izu."

    "¡ª!"

    ''Although I quite enjoy Atami Castle and the Banana Crocodile Park, I don''t have the fortitude to go all the way to the Izu Islands to scuba dive.''

    "I knew it, would it be better to treat it as a relaxing tourist destination for recuperation?"

    ''Indeed. A soothing place unsuitable for seeking thrills and the latest trends, I guess.''

    Hal was having a conversation with Kenjou Genya displayed on his cellphone screen.

    During lunch break at the library''s underground level¡ªthe temporary Witch Mansion. Hal had specifically come here to hold a video conference with one of SAURU''s few permanently stationed staff at Tokyo New Town.

    Fourth level underground. A vast floor with a forest of steel shelves.

    This was also the place where Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal had been found previously. As always, the shelves were stuffed full of antiques and ancient artifacts.

    Young man Kenjou''s voice resounded in this disorganized space, roughly the size of four classrooms.

    ''Well, since it''s the Izu area, you can still hurry back even if New Town has an emergency, or send a serpent remotely. It should be quite appropriate to treat it as the destination for a company recreation trip.''

    "I see."

    ''Go frolic in the sea and eat some roasted conch-in-the-shell. Thanks to your authority, those nagging sponsors were all silenced successfully.''

    "That''s thanks to Luna, not me."

    ''Hey hey, the only reason why Miss Gregory is using her status as a SAURU cadre to put pressure on various circles and show off her deep ties with the TPDO is ultimately because you''re at New Town.''

    On the small LCD screen, Kenjou smiled malevolently.

    Permission for Hazumi and Orihime to "leave New Town" could not be given so easily. The two witches were supposed to be stationed at Tokyo New Town constantly, focused on the task of defense. This viewpoint was deeply entrenched in the New Town region and the minds of sponsors.

    This mindset was particularly bolstered by the unusual increase in dragon appearances recently.

    ''This is quite refreshing once in a while. "Exerting pressure on the government and businesses," don''t you find that very secret association-like?''

    "Even though the New Town branch was clearly a small and insignificant place not too long ago."

    ''Indeed. Let us gradually increase our branch''s authority according to this pace. Also, I''ve already sent you an email about local conditions. Call me if there''s anything you''re unclear about. Bye now.''

    The chat with Kenjou ended there.

    Kenjou was definitely a young man worthy of the description "handsome" if only he would ditch the unkempt facial hair and other flaws of sloppiness. Instead of joining this expedition, he was staying back to hold the fort. If necessary, he would also serve as backup to provide support to Hal and company depending on the situation.

    "I need to hurry and recruit him to my side too..."

    Just as Hal was muttering to himself¡ª

    The door to this floor opened and Luna Francois entered.

    "So you''re here, Harry. I spent so much time looking for you."

    "You could''ve called or sent a text. Is there something urgent?"

    "Yes. I suppose that wouldn''t be an incorrect way of putting it... Listen, Harry, don''t you feel that the two of us should become more intimate? Or perhaps call it deepening our mutual understanding."

    "On the other hand, I think we''re intimate enough already."

    "To start things off¡ªLet us have lunch together, just the two of us. I haven''t had lunch yet and I recently discovered a nice restaurant nearby¡ª"

    "What shame. I already ate some bean jam bread."

    "Would you be free today after school? I have some minor business at SAURU''s Yokohama branch. Could you accompany me? Shall we go for a spin and enjoy some alone time together?"

    "Sorry, but I''m already booked for today. Let''s see next time."

    "..."

    "..."

    "Listen, Harry, do you know you''ve been very cold starting a few days ago even when I make passes at you? Are you pretending not to notice my feelings?"

    Luna Francois finally could not help but furrow her brow and started to complain about Hal''s attitude.

    "Is this the latest fad? A tactic for men to intentionally pretend to be dense so as to avoid disrupting harem situations where they are surrounded by girls?"

    "Nope. After all, I basically know your thoughts and intents. Pretending to like me so that I''d feel that way and become able to entrust the Rune of the Bow to you¡ªThat''s what you''re planning, right? According to what Hinokagutsuchi told you yesterday."

    "Since you already comprehend to this extent, Harry, why don''t you just play along obediently?"

    Luna Francois spoke with an expression of worldly understanding.

    "The ability to accept a woman''s adorable pranks is precisely the generosity a man ought to have. Given Glinda and my power with the power of dragonbane added, wouldn''t that stack strength upon strength, like ''arming an ogre with a metal club'' as the Japanese saying goes?"

    After saying that, she went further and smiled seductively.

    "Besides, you will get to enjoy a ''romance game'' with me. Harry, don''t you find this reason to be plenty sufficient already?"

    "I can understand that the reason is very legitimate, but it''s still a bit hard to accept."

    Hal muttered quietly with a sigh.

    "Since I''ve never thought of master magi like you and Asya as members of the opposite sex, it''s quite hard to view you as that kind of partner."

    "Are you implying a kind of professional awareness¡ªan inability to regard work partners as romantic prospects?"

    "Probably the exact opposite. Although this is just my personal view, I''ve mentally listed out the ''top three professions one should avoid as marriage prospects if possible.'' Actresses are third on the list."

    "That''s quite a rare view. Normally, actresses would tend to be very popular."

    "Among women in that line of work, there are many who think of themselves as the protagonist, living their lives as though they were the center of the world. Despite their outward glamor, stress does build up and it''s apparently quite hard to build romantic relationships in private. It''s said that resignation rates at talent management agencies are very high."

    "Then what is second on your list?"

    "So-called authors, like female manga artists or novelists. Both are professions with quite high rates of divorce. Sigh, I suppose it''s the same for both genders in this respect."

    After saying that, Hal continued with an additional explanation, "By the way, the reason is similar as for actresses. Apparently, many of them either have queenly dispositions or they''re princesses who need to be pampered. Although it''s fun to be friends with people like that, it''s a bit much to treat them as romantic prospects."

    "...Harry, your viewpoint almost sounds as though you''re trying to pick a fight with the entire industry there."

    "No no no, I think those in the industry will agree with me instead. Finally, the champion spot goes to master-class witches, of course. All of them are beautifully broken."

    Fairly recently, Hal had said the following to Juujouji Orihime:

    You probably won''t accomplish much as a witch. The knowledge and techniques of the unorthodoxy are things belonging to darkness and their mastery requires a learning witch to have a matching disposition.

    Luna Francois smiled a little wryly and nodded.

    "I concede that. With cases like Asya around us, Harry, your viewpoint might be quite reasonable. Apart from her, our ranks include a world-class authority on the research of cannibalism, a noblewoman alchemist who is also a fan of male homoerotic fiction, someone with a cleanliness obsessive compulsive disorder who spends five hours a day taking baths, an armchair witch who never takes a single step out of the house no matter what..."

    "A partial list already feels quite unbearable."

    Witches were categorized from Level 1 to 5 according to their abilities.

    Only witches Level 4 or above received master-class certification. In Asya and Luna Francois'' case, they were the cream of the crop, two witches from a total of only eight in the world to reach Level 5.

    As far as Hal knew, not even one of these witches had a "kind and pleasant personality."

    It was quite uncanny now that one thought about it, but master-class witches consisted only of eccentrics, weirdos, prodigies and unconventional geniuses, all featuring bizarre personalities. As one might expect, only those possessing this type of character, labeled as one category, would naturally reach heights of accomplishment in exploring the dark body of knowledge of magic.

    "However, I am unlike the others whom no man in their right mind would approach."

    Luna Francois pointed her index finger at herself and smiled seductively.

    "You know that I am very popular, don''t you?"

    "Yeah, you quite enjoy shooting down the boys who attempt to ask you out one after another. I''ve heard you mention it yourself before."

    "Indeed, I am also a Shootdown Ace in that regard."

    As a strategist adept at negotiations, Luna Francois had quite a way with people.

    The majority of master-class witches were eccentrics. Among these genius-type characters with poor communication skills, Luna''s personality traits were extremely rare.

    However, sociability did not equate to nobility in character. Hal sighed towards the sky.

    "Anyway, I''m ultimately going to get dumped if I bite on your hook."

    "Don''t worry, Harry. I will favor you with special treatment."

    "Huh?"

    "I really cannot promise a lifetime, but for a short duration¡ªapproximately two years¡ªHow about we thoroughly enjoy a romance game together? Worry not, I have already conceived most of the script."

    "Script!?"

    "The setting starts with love at first sight on my part. In the beginning, I will actively seek dates to present my appeal. This is Season 1."

    The blonde witch explained in quite a rhythmic tone of voice.

    "Season 2 will have me living in your home. Due to a promise between our parents, Harry, we are actually engaged to each other¡ªSuch a retroactive backstory is revealed. Hence, I begin to take up residence in your home as your fiancee..."

    "It''s almost like a plot twist in weekly manga."

    "Season 3 will have the two of us on a world tour as a premarital trip. Season 4 will finally be the advent of the eve before marriage. The theatrical release will be inserted at this point. After a spectacle worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, I unfortunately lose my memory. Finally, we step into the ending arc with two people in love with each other yet going their separate ways, a surprising breakup. Thus, towards a future filled with hope... Ready? Go."

    "What a super long story..."

    "I am willing to play a romance game with you, Harry, following such a flowchart. During this time, please enjoy my charm to your heart''s content. To you, isn''t this equivalent to a heaven-sent chance for you to experience the privilege of being Luna Francois Gregory''s partner? Even if there is a time limit, wouldn''t it still be extreme happiness?"

    Suddenly, Luna Francois drew her face near.

    Smiling suspiciously, the blonde girl''s beautiful face was right before his eyes. Despite the calculative nature of her proposal, Haruga Haruomi could not help but feel his heart racing.

    "However, this is ultimately just a ''game,'' right? It''s not like I get to romance you for real."

    "That being said, many fan service scenes have been planned for the sake of securing audience votes during serialization."

    "Fan service scenes!?"

    "Changing mishaps exposing me in underwear. Harry walking into the bathroom coincidentally when I''m showering. Two people tangled together in scandalous postures. Since I am American, kissing you on the cheek is natural physical contact, almost turning into a lover''s kiss by accident¡ªPerhaps it could develop into a relationship just short of crossing the line."

    Haruga Haruomi was a high school boy who had personally admitted to being a "closet pervert."

    After listening to the pre-planned story, he had almost fallen for Luna Francois'' proposal, of course. Fortunately, he managed to keep himself together by way of a gentleman''s pride.

    Trying to maintain a composed expression as much as he can, he said calmly, "No, but in the end, it''s just playing at couples. Beyond a certain line, everything ends in abortive attempts. Isn''t this hands-off style no longer fashionable?"

    "Silly Harry, even a ''game'' can be played for real, you know?"

    "..."

    At that moment, Luna Francois smiled adorably.

    It was undoubtedly an impish smile. While feeling his heart pound faster, Hal contemplated calmly in a corner of his mind. Well, the final point she raised would presumably be nothing but lip service.

    Such provocative suggestions were completely part and parcel of the art of persuasion.

    However, he could also think from another perspective. If he were to go through with this, it would count as a state of "increased intimacy." A sudden "vassal covenant" like in Orihime''s case arising would not be impossible.

    Hal tried to call the magic gun with his right hand. While gazing into Luna''s beautiful face, he silently spoke in his mind.

    ¡ªMake this girl my vassal.

    Nothing happened. Hence, Hal was certain of one thing.

    "Hmm. I knew it, this route doesn''t seem to work."

    "...Harry, you are suddenly making an expression of comprehension, you know?"

    "This gun is actually the ''wand'' that teaches me the magic of Ruruk Soun. Thanks to summoning it just now, I''m now clear on the conditions for obtaining a vassal."

    His heart rate had stopped speeding up. Hal smiled wryly and said, "A relationship of control, possession, mutual trust or similar must be created between me and the intended covenant target. Alternatively, I have to hold either an intense obsession or a deep-seated delusion about the one I want to make my vassal."

    "Obsession or delusion..."

    "In the style of the twenty-first century, that means I can''t make you vassal unless I desire you to the point of becoming a stalker, Luna. That''s not gonna fly no matter how you cut it."

    In front of the deeply pensive Luna Francois, Hal shrugged.

    "So that''s that. Let''s be decisive and give up on the love simulation game route. Asking me to be that infatuated with you when you reveal your hand right off the bat, that''s way too hard. However, completing a covenant naturally through normal interaction is possible."

    "..."

    "To be honest, that''s how it was done with Shirasaka and Juujouji."

    "Harry, what you say is not quite right, is it?"

    Seeing her expression suddenly revert to seriousness, Hal went "eh?" in surprise.

    Luna Francois continued to speak in a rational tone of voice.

    "Friendship, hard work and victory will always reap success¡ªThe world is nowhere near that friendly, is it? Besides, you and I are birds of a feather, Harry. We are both at high risk of becoming intellectual criminals given our calculative and shortcut-loving natures and twisted hearts, you know? I believe that it will be no easy task to cultivate a trusting relationship of the kind you described."

    "R-Really?"

    "Indeed. Hence, this is what I think. Chances might be higher if I used my charm to seduce you with a honey trap, Harry, to make you so infatuated with me that you virtually become a stalker."

    "No, like I said, you already revealed your own hand, this''ll surely¡ª"

    "Not a problem. People still hope to form romantic relationships with others despite knowing they are being deceived."

    "..."

    This declaration was very objective and rational. Hal fell silent.

    He could not help but agree with Luna Francois'' assertion. It was precisely because of this principle that Kabuki-ch¨­ in Shinjuku, Ginza and the Roppongi neighborhood were able to prosper as Japan''s premier entertainment and red-light districts in the olden days, fostering intense competition between those in the "water trade" such as hosts or hostesses, known euphemistically as "nocturnal butterflies," "empresses," or "kings of the night."

    Faced with Hal who had given up on arguing back, the beautiful blonde witch smiled again.

    "In addition, if the deceiver happened to be Luna Francois Gregory, then victory is all but guaranteed. Besides, Harry, you are quite an amazing closet pervert, aren''t you?"

    "...I suppose."

    "Fufufu, after all, you even harbor such thoughts towards Orihime-san and Hazumi-san too. In that case, there shouldn''t be any problem. Please accept my poisoned fangs, be a good boy and fall head over heels over me."

    "My right to refuse¡ª"

    "Does not exist. Speaking of which, perhaps this expedition might be perfect timing. During the trip, I shall tempt you in all kinds of ways, so look forward to it, okay? Please become my captive as soon as possible and offer up the dragonslaying rune as tribute. Understood?"

    Luna Francois'' declaration made Hal painfully aware of this: no matter how excellent a schemer, no matter how adept at social interactions, sure enough, she was still a master-class witch. The notions in her mind were all beautifully broken.

    Never did he expect to reach this kind of conclusion through this sort of development...

    "Goodbye, Harry. Before retiring to bed tonight, I shall phone you to say goodnight?"

    After taking her leave, Luna Francois departed lightly.

 Volume 4, 3 - Sea, Swimsuits and the Mysterious Stone Fragment

    Volume 4, Chapter 3 - Sea, Swimsuits and the Mysterious Stone Fragment

    Part 1

    "Look quickly, Nee-sama! There''s a kind of coconut tree!"

    "You''re right. This feels more like a resort than I expected."

    On the Sagaminada shore of Atami City in the Shizuoka prefecture¡ª

    Inside a minivan that was racing along a coastal national highway...

    Shirasaka Hazumi smiled cheerfully while looking at the expansive urban scenery outside the window as well as the Sagaminada sea. As for Juujouji Orihime, she was watching her cousin with a smile.

    They had set off on the first day of the summer vacation. Fortunately, it was an excellent sunny day.

    Orihime was dressed in a tank top of white lace and shorts whereas Hazumi was in casual wear with a patterned one-piece dress and a cardigan. The two of them were sitting behind the driver in the second row of seats.

    Likewise sitting in the same row was Asya, namely, Anastasya Rubashvili.

    This minivan had a maximum capacity of seven passengers. Three people were supposed to be able to fit in the second row.

    Besides, Asya and Hazumi were petite while Orihime''s figure was quite svelte too. Even with the three of them sitting side by side, it was not cramped at all.

    That being said, Asya, sitting on the right, looked displeased.

    She kept glaring at Hal, who was in the driver''s seat, gripping the steering wheel¡ªas well as Luna Francois in the front passenger seat.

    Incidentally, Asya was wearing a short-sleeved parka and three-quarter-length cargo pants. As habitually, Luna was dressed in a classy black dress, standing in stark contrast to Asya.

    "Harry, would you like to have some chilled mandarin orange?"

    "They''re still being sold? I didn''t even see any at the shops in the station. I thought they had been relegated to legendary fantasy food already."

    "Don''t worry. They are actually still produced in small quantities and can be ordered online and purchased at certain stations."

    "I see¡ª"

    "I''ve heard that it''s a seasonal tradition as part of nostalgic Japanese travel, so I ordered some. A rare trip... Today will commemorate our first time traveling together."

    "Oh okay."

    "Please be patient. I shall peel it for you presently."

    "You don''t have to go to so much trouble. I can peel it on my own."

    "No, it would be too dangerous. Aren''t you driving at the moment, Harry...? This really is cold, it is hurting my fingertips a little."

    "Oh... I''m serious, just hand me a whole mandarin. I''d feel bad otherwise."

    "Fufufu, don''t worry, I have already finished peeling. By the way, this is how it feels."

    "¡ªSo cold! D-Don''t suddenly touch my ear, okay? I''m driving after all."

    "My apologies, did I startle you? Well then, Harry, please open your mouth."

    "Huh?"

    "Making you extend your hand while you''re driving would definitely be a bit dangerous, Harry. Hence, I shall feed you instead. Could you say ''ah~'' for a sec? It would be safer this way¡ª"

    "Of course not! Luna and Haruomi, cut it out!"

    Asya suddenly roared, causing Hazumi and Orihime to jump in fright.

    The two Japanese girls had apparently been watching the scenery outside the window, chatting happily, getting along with perfect harmony, which was why they had not noticed the interactions between the two in the front seats. Orihime then asked, "What''s the matter, Asya-san?"

    "Did they do something?"

    "Nothing at all. It''s just Luna making inappropriate jokes and Haruomi grinning idiotically on the side..."

    When Hazumi inquired as well, Asya replied with irritation.

    Listening to the conversation in the back seats, Hal glanced at the rear-view mirror while driving to check his own expression. Phew, no idiotic grin.

    "Stop talking nonsense. I''ve been driving very seriously the whole time, okay?"

    "Indeed. I only played a little prank because Harry wasn''t speaking much to me. Please do not mind us, everyone."

    From the front passenger seat, Luna Francois looked back and explained innocently.

    It was on occasions like these that Hal could not help but praise her worth as a vixen and actress. As a side note, Hal decided to keep secret the wavering thought of "I might as well open my mouth and see given this rare chance, right?" crossing his mind.

    "Asya, you''re a bit neurotic today, aren''t you? What''s with you?"

    "N-Nothing. I just felt a pissed off to see you strangely flustered by a girl, no longer acting like an innocent boy... That reminds me."

    While glaring intently at her fellow master-class witch Luna and Hal, Asya continued, "Although you are definitely two of a kind, were you ever this close? And Luna, you''ve changed subtly. How should I put it? It''s like you''re more feminine or something."

    "Fufufufu. My dear hopeless Asya, do you finally feel my overflowing feminine charm?"

    "W-What kind of unfunny joke are you making!?"

    While playing dumb in response to Asya''s inexplicably foul mood, Luna Francois calmed down the atmosphere in the car, meanwhile not forgetting to throw sultry winks at Hal from time to time.

    It was probably a small skit designed to enhance a sense of camaraderie and intimacy as accomplices.

    While concluding that, Hal noticed that he was surprisingly not repulsed by it.

    No matter what, Luna Francois Gregory was undoubtedly an intelligent beauty. Simply conversing with her was very enjoyable already.

    (Girls are truly scary...)

    This was a threat he had never felt from his childhood friend.

    With wariness and trepidation, Hal stole a glance at the front passenger seat. Keenly noticing his gaze, Luna Francois smiled back in response.

    ¡ªThe fact that he felt slightly attracted must remain secret too.

    "Hey, is the ''Dragon Palace'' you mentioned nearby?"

    Asya, Orihime, Hazumi and Luna Francois¡ªHal did not direct his question to any of these four. The dragon ghost, whom he was posing the question to, appeared in the last row''s auxiliary seat in the minivan.

    Manifested as a young girl in a scarlet kimono, Hinokagutsuchi replied haughtily, "One could certainly consider it nearby¡ªPerhaps. Possibly wandering the sea in this vicinity, possibly slumbering somewhere like a rock, one of the two."

    After listening to this ambiguous answer, Hal grumbled, "Why thank you for such a precise tip."

    "No need to get so hung up, Harry. There is nothing wrong with failure. Since this outing simultaneously serves as a company recreation trip to soothe our bodies that were exhausted from the intense battles earlier, why not take it easy?"

    "I agree. In my case, I will take your advice. Let''s relax in a sightseeing mood, shall we?"

    It was Orihime supporting Luna Francois from the back seat.

    She turned out to be quite good at reading the mood.

    She must have used this joking tone to offer such a frivolous opinion in an attempt to alleviate Hal''s anxiety.

    After that, the junior student who had never gone on any trip for the past few years, let alone a beach, spoke up too.

    "A bit embarrassing as it is to say, I am plenty satisfied to be able to come here already. Thank you very much, everyone, for taking me along!"

    Always smiling like an angel¡ªShirasaka Hazumi. At this moment, the smile dominating her visage was even more dazzling than usual, looking like she really was in bliss.

    After confirming this through the rear-view mirror, Hal felt extremely satisfied too.

    Just to be able to see this smile, the expedition to Izu was already worth it.

    Temporarily casting aside his thoughts on Luna Francois, he stepped on the gas pedal with a relaxed mood.

    Gathering information first was necessary at the initial destination. The current time was a bit past 9am. Their group had set off from Tokyo New Town early in the morning to come here.

    As a side note, breakfast had been eaten inside the minivan. Rice balls courtesy of Orihime.

    "Haruomi, let''s stop at the next station to have a second breakfast."

    "Can''t we just look for a burger joint or a convenience store?"

    "Since we are traveling, we ought try out local ingredients and cooking, but restaurants aren''t open at this hour... This kind of situation dictates going to a station''s shopping area. It''s quite usual for those kinds of places to open at 8am!"

    "Considering you''re foreigners, Luna and Asya, that level of familiarity with Japan is way too much..."

    They had already made two rest stops this morning. Although Asya had bought food like hot dogs or instant noodles each time, it looked like her stomach was empty again.

    In response, a third person said with a smile, "Senpai, I have the same request. I would like us to make a stop too!"

    "Sure, got it."

    Following his policy of indulging Hazumi as much as possible, Hal instantly nodded.

    Hence, three hours later¡ª

    Hal parked the minivan at Shimoda City in the Izu Peninsula.

    The location was a certain mountainside shrine quite close to Sagaminada''s shore. Since there was no parking lot nearby, Hal stopped the car on the side of the road near the red torii entrance.

    Local visitors to the shrine seemed to be doing the same thing, so Hal followed suit.

    This was a small shrine for which titles like "divine temple" or "grand shrine" would not apply.

    Despite the shrine''s diminutive size, it still had a very solemn ambiance surrounding various facilities such as the entrance approach and the worship hall. Surely, such an atmosphere could only have arisen from the dignity exhibited by a wooden structure baptized by the passage of time.

    Walking along the front approach, Hal and Asya conversed.

    "This place''s history can be traced back to the early Kamakura period... In other words, eight centuries ago."

    "But the building itself probably went through demolition and reconstruction multiple times from disasters like fire, right?"

    "Even so, this shrine is still an old building with more than three hundred years of history."

    As a side note, their other three witch companions were also present. However, the former dragon''s ghost had disappeared despite the fact that that the deity venerated at this shrine was "Fire Goddess Hinokagutsuchi."

    ...Five types of divine treasures related to the fire goddess were kept in the Witch Mansion at Shin-Kiba.

    Last month, Hal had located the dragon king''s heartmetal from among them.

    Those artifacts originated from a certain ancient shrine in the Tokai region¡ªin other words, here.

    "Well then, Harry, the three of us shall go off for a bit on our own."

    After seeing Luna Francois, Orihime and Hazumi off, Hal and Asya walked alone by themselves.

    They were headed towards an isolated house within the shrine''s premises.

    It was the residence inhabited by the family of the head priest running the shrine. SAURU''s Tokai branch had informed them in advance about Hal''s visiting group of dragon specialists from Tokyo New Town.

    After they rung the bell normally at the door, the owner of the house invited them inside.

    Only two of them were making the visit because an excessive number of guests would impose unnecessarily on their host.

    After greeting the middle-aged head priest who received them and engaging in ten minutes of pleasantries, Hal and Asya asked to be taken to the storehouse where the family heirloom was kept¡ª

    In front of the storehouse, Hal summoned the magic gun.

    "If that signpost to the Dragon Palace is here, could you simply tell us more directly?"

    "Unfortunately, it is not clear to me either."

    From the magic gun in his right hand came Hinokagutsuchi''s whisper.

    The head priest in charge of showing the way had gone back, leaving the storehouse''s door wide open. Only Asya remained by Hal''s side. This storehouse was reportedly a building from the early Showa period. Filled with dust, the old storehouse did not offer any illumination while having a seemingly vast collection.\

    Then the guardian of the magic gun said, "In the past during my reign as the Crimson Queen, the castle of my residence was located in the sea."

    "A castle in the sea¡ªYou mean something like the Dragon Palace of folklore?"

    As soon as Hal chimed in, Hinokagutsuchi''s voice responded.

    "Mm-hmm. Nevertheless, the priestesses and shrine maidens in my service were mostly born on land. When it came time for their return to their homeland, I allowed them to take something back... It seems."

    Completely unapologetic, Hinokagutsuchi''s voice sounded like she was bragging triumphantly.

    Hal proceeded to ask her to identify possible locations in "the sea within the vicinity" for the Dragon Palace. This caused the former queen of dragons to point along the coastlines of the Japanese islands from Kantou to the Tokai region, continuing to the waters around the Ogasawara Islands, finally extending to the Northern Mariana Islands.

    For a carpet search operation, it would be quite a large area.

    "With the passage of time, I lost my dragon king body and drifted to this land in spirit form... Then at a certain point in time, I heard a shrine maiden from this shrine inquire ''Goddess Hinokagutsuchi, where are you from?''¡ª"

    "Then you answered ''the Dragon Palace'' as a joke?"

    "I suppose. However, that group of people serving me was truly impressive. After I told them the location of the Dragon Palace''s signpost, they finally found it after an arduous adventure."

    "Sounds like some kind of puzzle quest."

    At that moment, Asya interrupted.

    "Specifically, what shape is the object?"

    "Please. Why would I pay any attention to something of no use to me?"

    "This kind of useless hint function would definitely elicit crappy reviews from players if it appeared in low-difficulty RPGs in recent times."

    After grumbling, Hal motioned to his childhood friend with his eyes.

    Boasting rare top-class power in the world, the witch instantly chanted a song of summoning.

    "I pray to the ancient divine seal of purity. Send the blue wyvern to the ground."

    A mysterious creature suddenly manifested over Asya''s head, a wyvern.

    A dragon with wings sprouting out of the shoulders in the place of forelimbs. A gigantic homunculus crafted in imitation of dragons. However, her wingspan was only three meters now¡ª

    Naturally, this was Blue Rushalka.

    Originally a super-size creature whose body length reached ten-odd meters, she was miniaturized as much as possible by Asya before being summoned.

    "Rushalka, find the artifact that gives off the scent of dragons as well as that of Hinokagutsuchi¡ªThe Crimson Queen. If necessary, use pseudo-divinity."

    During the decisive battle last month, Hal and Orihime had located Hinokagutsuchi''s heartmetal by relying on Akuro-Ou''s sense of smell.

    They were currently intending to reuse that method. In the next second, the miniaturized Rushalka obeyed Asya''s request and swept her sharp gaze across the interior of the storehouse.

    The blue wyvern vocalized "kyuahh..." softly.

    Naturally, the interior of the storehouse was quite dim with only a small window opened near the ceiling. However, a blue glow appeared in this darkness, presumably due to Rushalka''s magical power.

    Guided by the light, Hal stepped into the storehouse.

    Part 2

    "So this is the ''signpost'' Senpai and Asya-san found..."

    Sitting on Hazumi''s right palm was the object that the two of them had found in the storehouse during the day¡ª

    Dressed in a yukata, Hazumi was tilting her dainty head with an incredulous expression.

    "What kind of object is it exactly?"

    Hazumi''s right hand was holding a black stone.

    Almost the same size as her palm, it looked like a shard of obsidian with an irregular surface. Glowing faintly under fluorescent lighting, it had a greenish tint.

    "Currently unknown. However, it''s thanks to Rushalka''s perception that we found this... So there shouldn''t be any question that it has the scent of dragons."

    "Shirasaka, you can try checking it with magical sight too."

    "Oh, okay."

    As expected, Hazumi nodded obediently after listening to the joint suggestion from the yukata-wearing Asya and Hal.

    As a witch, currently Level 2, she was a fourteen-year-old girl. Hal watched as her expression tensed as she stared intently at the black stone.

    "In that case, let me try too."

    Orihime was the speaker. Likewise dressed in a yukata, she was sitting next to her cousin.

    Hal and his friends were gathered in a spacious Japanese-style room inside a hotspring inn at Shimoda City near the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula. Gathered around a dining table they were currently having dinner.

    Hence, Hazumi and Orihime looked at the black stone.

    With a flash, their pupils turned blue. It was apparent that they had activated magical sight.

    Using vision to confirm the presence or absence of magical power, its strength, its flow and various other changes. Among humans, witches and Haruga Haruomi were the only ones capable of doing this with the naked eye.

    Hazumi and Orihime looked at the stone using enhanced vision. Then the two of them showed surprise simultaneously.

    "Listen, Haruga-kun. Indeed, I can sense the power of magic from this stone... But it feels extremely faint to me."

    "You too, Nee-sama? In fact, it is the same for me."

    "Speaking of agreement, it''s the same for Haruomi and me too. Naturally, Luna as well..."

    "Yes, my appraisal had the same outcome. The magical energy hidden inside this stone can''t be considered high."

    The last member, Luna Francois offered her opinion.

    As a side note, the girls'' yukatas were designed with patterns on white backgrounds.

    What differed were the patterns and the colors of their sashes. Orihime''s was pale blue, Asya''s was yellow, Hazumi''s was pink while Luna''s was navy blue. Providing colors to choose from was part of the inn''s service.

    "Perhaps this is an enchanted artifact that can only be activated by the right person using the right method," said Hal with a shrug.

    On the large dining table before their was a sumptuous diner.

    Sashimi of several types of local fish. Abalone, conch and other shellfish in season. There was also Japanese spiny lobster served as both sashimi and roasted forms. Prepared in a small pot was sukiyaki featuring Izu beef.

    Also featuring steamed red snapper and pot-cooked rice with conger eel, the menu had no blind spots to speak of.

    Roughly two hours prior, after enjoying a view of the setting sun over the sea horizon, Hal and company had separated by gender for a soak in the hot springs before meeting up for dinner.

    "By the way, as a matter of fact, Hinokagutsuchi doesn''t know how exactly this thing is used either."

    "Perhaps sending it to SAURU headquarters or the Hawaii lab for testing might be a solution."

    "Since it might become essential for our investigation here, let''s wait and see before sending it away for testing. Anyway, send the observed data to Waikiki first and ask them to analyze it."

    Hal''s report, Asya''s musing, Luna''s suggestion.

    After listening to the three seniors who were experienced in research, Orihime and Hazumi could not help but feel impressed.

    After visiting the shrine in the afternoon, Hal''s group had visited the southern Izu office of SAURU''s Tokai branch to borrow several sensor devices (as a small branch in a rural area, it did not have very high-end equipment).

    "Let''s examine the stone tomorrow while we continue our local investigation," Hal muttered while picking up a piece of spiny lobster sashimi with his chopsticks.

    "Then there''s playing in the sea or water activities, beach volleyball, sunbathing, watermelon splitting, long-distance swimming, floating on a swim ring, surfing, scuba diving, barbecue¡ªWhat else?"

    "Haruga-kun, you seem unexpectedly excited for recreation."

    "It''d be bad if you got the wrong idea about me," Hal grinned and explained to Orihime.

    "Despite how I look, my goal is actually to become an adult who always uses up all my annual vacation days. No matter how tight the schedule, I must take a summer vacation. That''s my conviction."

    "Speaking of which, I think you fooled around in Corsica for half a month last year..."

    "Simply doing as the Romans do. As an island in Europe and French territory to boot, isn''t it common sense to take a vacation there?"

    After answering Asya''s murmurs, Hal could not help but jump in surprise.

    The five of them were sitting around the dinning table with Luna Francois on his right hand side. The blonde beauty in a yukata was an abundant display of exotic charm.

    With such an appearance, she suddenly leaned her body over.

    Luna Francois picked up the teapot and poured green tea into Hal''s cup.

    "Well said. It should be quite enjoyable to recuperate here for two or three days, Harry."

    "Yeah, sure."

    "With Asya and I here, we will do everything we can to assist you. Relax and take a break."

    "Yeah, sure."

    Still to recover from his surprise, Hal could only repeat the same answer in a loop.

    A floral fragrance was coming from Luna Francois at point blank range. She had apparently applied perfume after her bath. In addition, she had put on light makeup for a natural look. What feminine allure.

    Hal''s heart rate sped up slightly.

    Luna Francois'' airs, beautiful face and floral fragrance were amplifying each other in a multiplying effect.

    The five of them were divided into three rooms for accommodations.

    The girls had two rooms with Orihime paired with Hazumi and Asya paired with Luna Francois while Hal had a single as the only boy.

    There was an electric massage chair in Hal''s Japanese-style room.

    The chair was currently in operation, relieving the stress from Hal''s back.

    "That girl Luna isn''t trying to seduce me for real, is she...?"

    Although the mechanical message was monotonous, it still managed to stimulate the pressure points accurately.

    In fact, Hal had received Luna Francois'' invitation immediately after dinner, asking if he wanted to visit the inn''s relaxation corner for a massage.

    After declining her, he went back to his room alone and started up the massage chair.

    Instead of chasing after her escaped prey, Luna simply smiled and said, "Then I shall go alone. Accompany me next time?"

    Then she left Hal.

    "It feels like a super focused flurry of jabs... Is she planning to weaken me continuously with light punches, biding her time for a chance to deliver a full-powered hit...?"

    His entire body sunk in the massage chair, Hal contemplated Luna Francois'' tactics.

    Seemingly a bit convoluted, it might actually be quite a solid approach. Judging from the current situation, rashly going on the offensive in extreme ways¡ªlike "barging into Hal''s home to propose marriage"¡ªwould be pushing things too forcefully. Even if she did that for real, he would only run away.

    However, Luna Francois was not coercing him against his will.

    Her offense consisted only of insignificant jabs, yet the effects were quite substantial.

    No matter what, expressing care at such clean moments (although with ulterior motives) and proactively showing affection (although simply feigned) was making Hal feel somewhat tempted, more or less.

    Despite clearly knowing it was a lie, perhaps going along with it might be a kind of happiness.

    "Well, there''s actually no reason why I can''t accept her invitation... Although I don''t know whether that could establish a vassal covenant."

    Hal entertained lustful thoughts while soothing himself with the humming vibrations.

    Knock knock. There was a light knocking at the door. Hal stood up and walked to the door but could not be bothered to switch off the massage chair.

    "Haruga-kun, you''re inside, aren''t you? May I have a word with you?"

    "Juujouji?"

    Orihime was standing outside the door in a yukata.

    Hal immediately invited her into the room. The super popular girl, secretly called the "Princess" by other students, settled her gaze on the still-operating massage chair by the window.

    "Does this feel good to sit in?"

    "So-so, I guess. There''s no harm giving it a try if you find yourself waking up every morning tired and lacking energy in your entire body."

    "In that case, I am fine with sitting in this one."

    Next to the massage chair was a completely nondescript wooden chair.

    Orihime smiled cheerfully and took her seat on the chair that was not electrically powered. Hal returned to his place on the massage chair and switched it off.

    "I don''t mind if you continue, you know?"

    "It''s okay. I''m going to enjoy it for another three hours or so afterwards," answered Hal half-jokingly to Orihime being considerate.

    Although a slightly unusual conversation, it was more relaxing for the body and mind than a monotonous mechanical massage. Perhaps this was because¡ªof the fact that Orihime was by his side.

    Hal''s heart fluttered slightly, making him a bit uncomfortable.

    Finding this change unbelievable, Orihime showed a somewhat worried expression.

    "By the way, it only occurred to me when listening to you just now... Haruga-kun, are you referring to the fact that you feel tired when you get up every morning? It is not a good sign when even sleep fails to alleviate fatigue."

    "Because... think about it, a lot has happened lately, right?"

    "Haruga-kun, neglecting sleep and quality of meals as soon as anything comes up is your weakness. In the same situation, Asya-san would never take either of them lightly."

    "That''s definitely true. You make a good point."

    No matter when, humans needed to eat and sleep properly.

    Otherwise, the body would not be able to function as desired when caught in a perilous predicament, lacking strength where it was needed. Blessed with a strong and resilient nature of wildness, Asya had been adhering to this principle subconsciously the whole time.

    While the conversation was striking a deep chord within Hal, Orihime said to him, "By the way, for a while now, I have been a bit curious about the matter of rising from bed... Isn''t Hazumi frequently going over to wake you up, Haruga-kun?"

    "Yeah. She comes with unexpected frequency."

    "To be honest... I was considering this from the start whether I should be going along with her."

    "Huh!?"

    Hal was stunned by Orihime''s shy reveal.

    He could not help but start imagining: in addition to the adorable underclassman, even her older cousin was by his pillow, waking him up from bed¡ªSurely, that would bring about an even greater sense of bliss, resulting in more brain matter secretions than from just Hazumi alone.

    "However, after that battle against Princess Yukikaze, the time we have been spending together... has become quite lengthy, after all."

    "Now that you mention it, that seems to be true."

    In June, an intense battle had taken place against Princess Yukikaze and her minion¡ªGenbu-Ou.

    As frontline combatants during the whole conflict, Hal and Orihime had to frequently rush all over New Town to handle aftermath matters. Not only that, whenever the two of them were together in the same space¡ª

    Hal would subconsciously approach Orihime.

    Conversely, Orihime would frequently walk over to his side as soon as she saw him.

    As for the reason why, neither of the two of them could articulate it clearly, but if anything¡ªit was probably because it felt delightful spending time together.

    "Hence... When I was considering whether or not to accompany Hazumi to your house in the morning, Haruga-kun, I suddenly felt afraid. I did not know if you might find... me annoying or similar by your side¡ªThat worried me somewhat. After all, we have really spent so much time together lately..."

    "Of course not. I''d definitely be very happy if you came too, Juujouji."

    "But it would also be weird to be together too frequently..."

    "Nothing of that sort, I think. I suppose it''d be better if you came with her. Yeah."

    "R-Really?"

    "Yup. I can swear to heaven if you want."

    "Starting with the second term, if the opportunity presents itself... May I come together with Hazumi?"

    "Of course."

    Interacting with a blushing and slightly flustered Orihime was quite rare.

    For some reason, it felt very comfortable yet bittersweet. Hal found it unbelievable. Clearly whenever he was together with girls, encountering heart-racing moments for him was equivalent to being subjected to Luna''s "attacks."

    However, he felt very contented right now.

    Neither unsettled nor was there any inexplicable unease. Could it be that in Orihime''s case, there was a sense of trust that did not require him to interpret and analyze every word and action?

    "Or perhaps, if it is permissible¡ª"

    There was no need for formalities with Orihime, so Hal said, "Tomorrow morning is perfectly fine too."

    "W-What are you talking about? Weird rumors would start if I were to visit a boy''s room to play during a trip. And not to mention with Hazumi too!"

    "Now that you mention it, Juujouji¡ª"

    Confronted with his slightly flustered female classmate, Hal could not help but offer his view.

    "Aren''t you here in my room on your own right now?"

    "Good... point... I can''t believe I did not notice that..."

    "Besides, this isn''t a school trip or anything like that. There''s no reason for people in school to know, right?"

    "Now that you mention it, that is true indeed..."

    "......"

    "......"

    Their gazes meeting from up close, the two of them fell silent at the same time.

    The shy Orihime was slightly fidgeting uncomfortably while Hal also displayed some embarrassment. Accidentally going with the flow of the mood just now, he had said something without thinking.

    That being said, before his eyes right now, Orihime was currently so shy that she kept her head bowed.

    This posture was quite rare given how fearlessly she usually conducted herself. If he had to find an example, this would be similar to during Akuro-Ou''s birth ritual, when Hal had used his right hand to pour magical power into her heart¡ªengaging in an awful act of contact...

    Recalling that ended up causing the pounding in Hal''s heart to intensify.

    Not only that, he was currently on a trip in the same room, as well as being alone with Orihime to boot¡ªThe beating in his chest kept accelerating like an alarm.

    At this moment, Orihime suddenly looked up, gazing at Hal with eyes of uncertainty.

    "E-Excuse me, Haruga-kun¡ª"

    "Uh, about the earlier suggestion, I guess never mind. Think about it, if Asya and Luna finds out you and Shirasaka are running over to my room, they might complain that we''re behaving inappropriately on a business trip."

    "R-Really?"

    "Y-Yeah."

    Hal retracted his earlier statement out of cowardice, but elicited an unexpected reaction. Parting her lips slightly, Orihime spoke timidly, "In that case, I-I could come alone, you know...?"

    "Huh?"

    "Compared to two people, it''s less likely for one person to be discovered. I will secretly get up earlier and come to your room directly, Haruga-kun, then going back immediately. That should be fine, right...?"

    "A-Are you serious?"

    "That is what I am thinking..."

    "Then for tomorrow morning, I''ll be counting on you..."

    "R-Really? Understood. Tomorrow... I will disturb you a little while evading detection as much as possible..."

    " "......" "

    After reaching a consensus, the two of them made eye contact again.

    Orihime''s face was red beyond compare. Hal suspected his own face to have the same expression. With an unbelievable and bittersweet atmosphere hanging in the room with the two of them alone, Hal felt that the beating in his chest was not going to subside any time in the near future.

    "Th-Then even if you feel sleep-deprived because I came to rouse you, no complaining, okay?"

    "Th-That goes without saying."

    "Definitely keep the room unlocked, okay...?"

    "I''ll make sure everything is in place."

    The conversation sounded almost like they were arranging for a tryst.

    This was a first experience for Hal, so feeling embarrassed could not be avoided. Orihime was probably feeling the same.

    As a result, she changed the subject somewhat abruptly.

    "B-By the way, Haruga-kun, our current task is to locate the castle in the sea that used to serve as Kagutsuchi-san''s residence, isn''t it? Just like the Dragon Palace."

    "Yeah, that''s right. It''s where she lived when she was still a dragon king."

    Hal hastily switched his mind back to business mode.

    This was information told to them personally by Hinokagutsuchi at the poolside reception a few days ago.

    ''One of my dragonslaying runes, the Rune of the Bow, is currently in your hand, brat... As for the other one, it might still be lying dormant in my castle of old.''

    ''That rune was put away as a reserve weapon?''

    ''It would not be incorrect to say that. Well, it would be amusing if you went on a search for it, though I know not whether you will succeed.''

    After listening to Hal''s question, Hinokagutsuchi had smiled malevolently.

    After that, Hal had spent a little time organizing the various clues randomly given out by the former dragon''s ghost. The conclusion he reached through careful deductions was to go on an actual search.

    Hal cleared his throat, put on as serious a face as he could and started to recount.

    "Although it is currently still unclear how many centuries the Crimson Queen lived as a dragon king, what is certain is that she was alive roughly eight hundred years ago, in other words, the early Kamakura period. The Queen apparently considered her territory to be what modern Japan calls the East China Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the west end of the Pacific Ocean¡ªthe waters where the Kuroshio Current passes through."

    "Territory... as in sphere of influence?"

    "Speaking of which, Princess Yukikaze also mentioned that she had ''never held territory on earth before.''"

    A term used for the domain under a dragon king''s or a Tyrannos'' rule¡ªTerritory.

    Hal could still recall vividly how Tokyo New Town had become Princess Yukikaze''s "territory" last month. Far away in North America''s New York State, the island of Manhattan was the castle of the dragon king Red Hannibal, his "territory" in other words.

    "Although the Crimson Queen seldom appeared before humans, those fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of her and her minions treated them as ''deities'' to revere and worship. Having enjoyed treatment as a deity, the Queen continued pretending to be a goddess even after turning into a ghost, arbitrarily issuing orders and playing mischief on the people frequenting the shrine during the daytime."

    "The Dragon Palace of a great queen of dragonkind... It seems quite interesting. Moreover¡ª"

    Orihime snickered.

    "Didn''t Kagutsuchi-san mention it before? That Dragon Palace is still wandering in the ocean, practically like a mobile castle. I would really love to see it for myself."

    "It also raises the question of what serves as a power source to drive something as gigantic as a castle."

    After chiming in with his comment, Hal began to think deeply.

    On the low table in front of the massage chair was Hal''s cellphone and the black stone.

    An uneven surface, a color similar to obsidian with a slight tint of green.

    Hal suddenly recalled something. What he had witnessed once recently¡ªthe sight of "a gigantic entity resembling a castle" moving arbitrarily over the sea. Indeed, it was quite similar to this black stone...

    "Call Asya and Luna over. I''ve thought of something."

    Part 3

    It was the second day of the trip for Hal and company. Fortunately, the weather was quite since morning.

    The sky was very blue, the clouds were very white, and the sun was very dazzling.

    A sunny day in summer was a matter-of-fact symbol of intense heat, but Hal and company were planning to go to the beach in the first place, so hotter weather would make for greater enjoyment. Ignoring the blinding sunlight, the group boarded a minivan early in the morning to arrive at a small bay after a full hour of driving.

    A deliberate choice to avoid spacious seaside swimming destinations, they had picked a remote beach instead.

    Combined with the two additional factors of it being a weekday as well as the very beginning of summer holidays, the ensuing result was¡ª

    "It''s much less crowded than imagined! The sea is so pretty too!"

    Pointing at the sea, Hazumi could not help but get excited.

    Compared to the familiar Tokyo Bay, this navy-blue sea stretched vastly before their eyes.

    The beach''s sand was also very white. Bathed under the morning sunlight, things heated up all at once. As a beach with only ten-odd visitors who looked like locals, the location was quite perfect. After getting changed at the only beach house, they immediately went to play in the water.

    "I suppose I shall go rent one of those."

    What had caught Luna Francois'' eye was a personal watercraft.

    Two of them were available at the beach house for rent. In addition, swim rings, banana boats, parasols and other equipment could be rented.

    "If you like, Harry, how about sitting behind me?"

    "Uh, I..."

    "Fufu. Just give me a shout any time if that''s what you want?"

    Sitting in tandem on a jet ski in close skin contact with Luna Francois...

    Moreover, she was wearing a very revealing swimsuit¡ªHal was rendered speechless by his imagination of the scene. Luna smiled impishly at him then returned to the beach house, presumably to complete rental procedures.

    Hal could not help but sigh in relief. While he was looking at the swim rings, Orihime walked over.

    "Haruga-kun, are you a good swimmer?"

    "If not drowning counts as being good, I guess. How about you?"

    "In truth, I can''t win against the girls in the swimming team."

    "Meaning you can win against everyone else, right...? As expected of a perfect superhuman blessed with athletic ability and a fulfilling life."

    "I don''t quite understand but are you complimenting me? Fufu, thank you."

    The girl, who had visited his room this morning as promised, smiled and replied.

    Orihime had gently shaken Hal by the shoulder while whispering "Haruga-kun, it''s morning" into his ear. After that, she had waited patiently by his bedside for as long as ten minutes until Hal woke up thoroughly.

    Then using tea leaves and a teapot prepared ahead of time, she brewed a pot of green tea for Hal before leaving discreetly.

    Despite this happening earlier, the two of them were now conversing normally as though nothing had happened.

    But with a rising feeling of mischief as accomplices, Hal and Orihime could not help but burst out laughing at the same time.

    Left in the dark on the side, Hazumi jumped in surprise. Hal hastily spoke to his junior, "Shirasaka, how''s your swimming?"

    "For around twenty meters, probably the same as you, Senpai, I can avoid drowning, but I''m not confident if the distance is greater than that..."

    The younger student, as pure as an angel, confessed the truth shyly. She was definitely not strong in health and always had to sit out PE class in an observing role.

    In spite of that, Hazumi clenched her fist and expressed her determination.

    "But this summer, I hope to improve further."

    "I guess this''ll be indispensable as a tool to aid your training, Shirasaka."

    Hence, Hal rented two swim rings, giving one to Hazumi and one for himself respectively.

    Also, everyone had finished changing and were all in swimsuits.

    Luna Francois'' was black while Orihime had a white bikini with a pareo. Both looks had been revealed at the swimming pool reception last time.

    The blonde American girl''s bikini was decorated with lace.

    Combined with Luna Francois'' original airs like an antique doll''s, her seductive charm was fully on display at the beach here.

    Meanwhile, Orihime was wearing a bikini with a simple and casual design.

    Perhaps because she not only gave off a well-bred young lady''s airs but also bore an expression of upstanding moral character and approachability, the swimsuit was an especially good match for this Japanese girl.

    Truly two young beauties standing in stark contrast.

    Not only that, but their figures were also outstanding. Described as closeted by his own admission, Hal naturally felt an indescribable sense of fulfillment after seeing Orihime and Luna''s gorgeous appearances from close range.

    But today, apart from Orihime and Luna, Hazumi was dressed in swimwear too.

    Using a UV-cut parka as a wrap, she was wearing a simple lime-colored bikini with frills sewn on the edges. Exceptionally cute.

    Noticing Hal''s gaze, Hazumi squirmed in embarrassment.

    "Umm... I look weird after all, right?"

    "No, it''s not weird at all. Why do you ask?"

    "Because this is my first time wearing this type of swimsuit... I accidentally bought it after the salesperson recommended it, but afterwards, it felt more and more embarrassing..."

    This type of swimsuit¡ªShe was probably referring to the bikini.

    Hal tilted his head, thinking it was good precisely because it was "this type of swimsuit."

    Last time when they were face to face in the female bathroom at school, Hazumi had wrapped herself in a towel. Compared to that time, today''s swimsuit had even less fabric. In terms of bare skin, it was a dramatic power up.

    Furthermore, although Hal had sensed it vaguely, he was finally able to confirm beyond a doubt.

    Second year of middle school. Fourteen years old. Nevertheless, the bulge of her chest and the roundness of her posterior were definitely not flat even if they were a bit subdued. Rather, it would be better to describe their presence as aptly expressed.

    It was unknown whether she would reach the same level as her older cousin Orihime in two years'' time, but her potential had undoubtedly begun to bloom.

    Faced with Hazumi whose figure was excellent for an eighth grader, Hal said, "Despite how I may look, I''m actually very closeted, which is why I make this assertion: simply seeing you in a swimsuit, Shirasaka, has made this trip to the beach totally worth it. So please don''t call your appearance ''weird''¡ª"

    "Excuse me, Haruga-kun, please do not make bizarre comments in front of Hazumi!"

    "Sh-Should I be saying thanks in this kind of situation, Nee-sama...?"

    "Hazumi too, stop accepting Haruga-kun''s closeted perversion so obediently!"

    While Orihime was lecturing Hal on his tactlessness and her cousin for being swayed, their last companion finally exited the beach house. Namely, Asya.

    "Thanks for waiting, everyone... Because preparations took some time and effort."

    The beautiful fairy-like girl was speaking with a rare tone of eloquence.

    Her expression was sharp with a stern gaze. Such were the vibes exuded from her entire body that it would not be surprising even if she were to fight a dragon immediately. Extremely gallant.

    Of course, Asya was also in a swimsuit. The blue bikini top had vertical stripes while the bottom piece was designed like a pair of shorts.

    Speaking of the lines of her figure, Asya''s were essentially quite gentle in undulation.

    Even so, it was not a completely flat line. The curves illustrated by her breathtakingly slender body were quite well-suited to a teenage girl''s low-key body, instead adding a tempting sense of allure.

    That being said, Asya''s swimsuit look embodied a warrior''s vigor instead of cuteness.

    Devoured by overwhelming tension, Orihime and Hazumi fell silent. Immediately, Hal was certain that this atmosphere stemmed from the harpoon held in his childhood friend''s hand.

    "Cooking is best when local ingredients are used after all. And you guys are in luck today, because apart from magic and combat, I''ve been praised for my free-diving and harpoon skills too. I''ve already prepared traditional Japanese cooking implements¡ªa portable clay stove and charcoal flames. Let''s have a seafood party for lunch today!"

    "Asya, free-dive fishing is prohibited by law in these waters."

    "What did you say!?"

    In the majority of Japanese prefectures, it was forbidden for ordinary people without fishing rights to catch marine life using harpoons or fishing nets. Simply walking on the shore with such equipment in your hands would be enough to get scolded by fishermen, so please be careful.

    Although marine hunting was stopped, there were still plenty of recreation activities by the sea.

    Hal and Hazumi floated on swim rings amid marine-blue waves while Orihime and Asya swam leisurely on the side.

    Especially Hal''s childhood friend with her boundless energy that had nowhere to vent.

    With speed and fluidity rivaling sea nymphs or mermaids, she was able to move effortlessly and nimbly whether on the surface or underwater. Apart from free-diving, she was also very skilled in ordinary swimming.

    In addition, Luna Francois was currently riding a jet ski, racing across the sea.

    Wearing a pair of sunglasses, she was handling the watercraft magnificently with experienced hand and body motions. Let alone automobiles, the Trans-Pacific Shootdown Ace was apparently skilled in operating all kinds of transportation.

    Luna was riding her jet ski in dashing manner.

    Hazumi and Orihime also took turns riding the back seat, enjoying the thrill of speeding across the sea.

    Meanwhile, Asya and Hal went ashore and strolled along the beach.

    "It''s almost noon. Let''s acquire ingredients for a seafood party without catching fish ourselves."

    Walking along the shore side by side, Asya asked, "Any suggestions?"

    "Go check out local markets nearby and see if you can purchase leftover seafood on a retail basis. Then go find a fisherman, who operates a small boat on his own, or his wife and ask them to sell us what they''ve caught this morning."

    "Understood. What are your plans next, Haruomi?"

    "As much as I''d like to avoid it, I do have work to do. By the way, where''s the stone?"

    "I''ve been carrying it with me properly. After all, it''s still being tested."

    Asya took out a transparent plastic pouch containing the unidentified black stone as well as her purse and cellphone.

    After parting ways with his childhood friend, Hal walked to the beach house.

    He took out a laptop from his belongings in the locker then walked over to a parasol he had just rented and sat down cross-legged on a beach chair.

    "Looks like you have discerned that stone''s true identity."

    "Rather than discern, it''s more like a hunch building on Asya and Luna''s ideas after I asked for their opinion. Don''t tell me that this thing isn''t part of a dragon''s body?"

    Hinokagutsuchi''s figure manifested in the unoccupied beach chair beside him.

    In addition, the former dragon queen was wearing a red bikini. This was the same swimsuit she had worn at the pool reception last time. While Hinokagutsuchi was reclining on the chair, Hal said to her, "It should be a related species if it''s not a dragon. A ''serpent'' for example¡ªa leviathan. Apart from that, among your minions, there are some that fit the criteria."

    "Oh?"

    "Like Princess Yukikaze''s minion, Genbu-Ou. Speaking of which, if you chipped a piece off that crazy big shell and scattered the fragments... They''ll probably take this kind of form."

    This stone fragment, resembling obsidian, had been found inside a shrine''s storeroom.

    Its uneven surface glowed green very faintly. This color was quite similar to the turtle shell of that super organism, Genbu-Ou, the hundred-meter-long giant chelonian creature and Princess Yukikaze''s minion.

    "Earlier, I made this association after recalling that giant turtle," said Hal while sneaking a glance at Hinokagutsuchi beside him.

    Despite the appearance of a young girl, she was reclining arrogantly with her legs crossed.

    "Genbu-Ou too is a humongous creature like an island, capable of swimming freely in the ocean, right? Furthermore, back in ancient China, there were legends of holy beasts such as sacred chelonians, including a gigantic turtle that carried a mountain on top of its carapace."

    The gigantic turtle carrying Mount Penglai¡ªLegends of sacred turtles were not unique to China.

    The Korean peninsula and Japan had similar stories, intricately connecting to one another across the ocean that the Crimson Queen had made her territory eight hundred years ago.

    This applied to the story of Urashima Tarou too. Ever since antiquity, turtles had served as guides to the Dragon Palace (a castle in the sea hidden from the world). This excessively famous fairy tale protagonist was called "Urashima no Ko" in ancient times and actually had quite antiquated literary records in the Chronicles of Japan and the Collection of Myriad Leaves.

    The Chronicles of Japan contained the following description: "Mizue no Urashima no Ko went to Mount Penglai together with a woman who had transformed from a giant turtle"...

    Hal calmly put his academic prowess on display and concluded, "Consequently, the following is purely my own speculation: The Dragon Palace mentioned in these legends is actually the same kind of turtle monster as Genbu-Ou. Perhaps there might even be a castle on top of an insanely large carapace. This turtle used to be your minion whereas the black stone and so-called signpost is a part of the turtle shell¡ª"

    "Kukuku. Not a bad idea, that is all I can say."

    "Asya said this too. In the past, you and Princess Yukikaze... It makes her want to investigate what effect the dragon kings a thousand years ago had on legends of this type, that was what she mentioned before."

    Hal recounted to Hinokagutsuchi who was smiling malevolently.

    Just earlier, he had heard from Asya that the research theme of "a study on the effects imparted upon dragon and serpent legends around the world by the existence of dragonkind" had already been started a while ago.

    That being said, she had also spent a substantial amount of time obsessively on strange training¡ª

    "Based on this hunch, I decided to look for relevant clues. Can I ask you not to disturb me in the meantime?"

    "Understood. Do your best. Hmph."

    Thus, Hinokagutsuchi vanished with a sneer. Sitting on the beach chair, Hal opened his laptop. All the ancient texts and reference materials about the shrine where Goddess Hinokagutsuchi was worshiped had already been digitized and saved into the hard drive.

    After reading these materials for an hour, Hal suddenly noticed.

    At some point in time, someone had sat down on the adjacent beach chair. Someone familiar.

    Showing off her extravagant proportions in a black bikini, the blonde beauty was Luna Francois, of course.

    Part 4

    "You finally noticed me, Harry."

    Smiling sweetly, Luna Francois greeted Hal, making him feel slightly intimidated.

    "W-When did you arrive?"

    "Seven minutes and thirty-two seconds ago. I deliberately kept quiet because you looked like you were concentrating. However, Harry, it was not boring because I had a good long look at your serious countenance, fufu," said Luna Francois with effortless readiness.

    Hal felt his heart flutter again. Indeed, she was very attractive, but it was also true that this pounding of his heart was mixed with a certain subtle unease.

    Her affections could very well be a display made on strategic considerations at most.

    While the image of his black-haired classmate inexplicably surfaced, Hal shrugged and said, "I think there''s actually no point in this kind of skit. You have ulterior motives and I am well aware of it, so it feels like more of a turn-off."

    "I never thought you''d be this impatient, Harry. The game is still in the opening stage, you know?"

    Luna Francois'' reply was slightly taunting.

    "Our battle is just about to begin. Besides, the serialization has not been scheduled to end yet. Spectacular events and developments will be unfolding one after another next, so please look forward to them."

    "No, you''re just playing coquette with me."

    Without intending to denounce her, Hal simply refuted her calmly.

    "In truth, you don''t plan on giving me a taste of anything real. You''re just trying to use me and string me along with hopes of good things that might happen. As soon as I demand a reward you''ll surely finesse your way out of it to escape."

    Hers was akin to a certain Japanese beauty''s signature talent in deceiving a third-generation gentleman thief named after his grandfather of French nationality. However, Luna Francois frowned with displeasure at Hal''s accusation (this was probably an act).

    "Well, what an awful thing to say. On what basis are you asserting this?"

    "A conclusion drawn from the statistical results of a verbal survey. I''ve heard from Asya about you. She''s already witnessed scenes of you rejecting guys on no less than dozens of occasions. You never date anyone, not even with a mindset of playing around. When I posed the same question to acquaintances at SAURU, everyone gave the exact same answer."

    "I''m impressed, Harry. In terms of the thoroughness of our methods, we are definitely quite alike."

    Luna Francois stood up suddenly from her chair.

    She walked over to Hal, bringing the two of them extremely close. The American maiden''s beautiful face and wondrous body was right before his eyes.

    Then she stood there while Hal sat cross-legged on his beach chair.

    This relative positioning established a certain situation. Two massive round bulges were in front of Hal''s face, announcing their presence, emphasizing their alluring volume that rivaled cantaloupes, not to mention suppleness and elasticity that could not possibly be found in any type of fruit.

    Furthermore, Luna Francois was slowly crossing her arms in front of her chest.

    As though using her arms to raise her bust, it seemed especially intentional during times like these.

    "Indeed, I, Luna Francois Gregory, might be a cold-hearted woman without any interest in boys. Perhaps I am a cruel woman who derives pleasure from mercilessly rejecting boys who fall in love with me. However¡ª"

    Luna lifted her arms lightly and lowered them again. As a result, Hal witnessed it.

    That instant when those two round and heavy objects shook with a wobble¡ª

    "Doesn''t there exist a possibility where even someone like me could be swooned by your manliness and seriously fall in love when interrogated by you, Harry, with your meticulous intelligence gathering? What do you think?"

    "No, I don''t think so. After all, I''m not manly at all."

    "A game of love is merely a cover story for hiding embarrassment. As a tsundere girl unable to express her affection honestly, my only choice is to make advances on you by using that type of excuse... How about this interpretation?"

    "Unrealistic and unconvincing."

    "I... really like you. Do you think I''m lying?"

    "Yes, totally a lie."

    Repeatedly, he refuted her cleanly and decisively.

    Luna Francois stared at Hal with a smile then said, "Then here is my final question. Is your heart pounding right now?"

    "N-No. Absolutely none of that. Japanese people don''t lie."

    "Fufu. Although we are birds of a feather, Harry, there are aspects where we''re unlike. For example, I am evidently the better liar."

    "......"

    Hal had been able to refute Luna resolutely until now.

    However, his defenses were crushed at the very end. Involuntarily, his gaze kept chasing after those wobbling female weapons in front of him. Gradually, he became unable to ignore that devastating power.

    "By the way, personally, I intend to enjoy this game patiently," said Luna with a smile while maintaining her posture with her arms framing her bosom.

    "The difficulty level seems higher than I''d imagined, so I shall get serious. Sure enough, the motivation becomes completely different when there is a distinct rival."

    "R-Rival?"

    "Yes. Speaking of which, Asya is merely your childhood friend and can be dismissed completely. However, Hazumi-san''s potential cannot be underestimated and more importantly, there is Orihime-san."

    "You''re saying Juujouji is your rival?"

    "This is the reason. Although I only caught a slight glimpse, wasn''t the mood between you two quite excellent last night? Seriously, Harry, I can''t believe you said something like that to Orihime-san."

    "D-Don''t get the wrong idea. Juujouji and I are only... only..."

    How to express the sense of comfort from that time?

    Hal shook his head in a dilemma, but was immediately confronted with a different question¡ªWhy would Luna Francois know about his conversation with Orihime last night?

    Perhaps reading the doubt in his mind, the blonde witch smiled.

    "Allow me to reveal the answer. I was actually just baiting you for confirmation, because the mood between you two felt a bit suspicious last night."

    "Ehhhh!?"

    "So there we have it. I still haven''t revealed my entire hand to you yet, Harry. Hence, this game will begin in earnest next. Let us enjoy ourselves together thoroughly, okay?"

    "......"

    "Of course, I do have some delectable treats lined up for you."

    Say whatever you want, but talk is cheap.

    Despite thinking that, Hal could not tear his eyes away from the two round and full objects before his eyes.

    "Girls are definitely scary."

    "Despite saying that, your foolish susceptibility to her charms is written on your face..."

    While Hal was muttering poignantly to himself, Hinokagutsuchi manifested and mocked him.

    The location was the lobby on the ground floor of a hot spring inn. In this spacious public area, the two of them were sitting on a bench in the corner. Incidentally, the inn''s reception desk was also here.

    The inn''s basic concept was "Japanese" but the interior decor was not executed in pure classical Japanese style.

    The building was constructed using steel-reinforced concrete. Half of the rooms were western while the other half were Japanese. All washrooms had western toilet seats with electronic bidets installed. Everywhere had modern interior decoration with comfort as a priority.

    The current location would be analogous to a western hotel''s entrance hall.

    "Can''t be helped. I''m a guy after all."

    While staring at his laptop, scanning through materials, Hal retorted.

    "It''s only normal for men to conceal a lustful nature worth a dozen lechers or two, right?"

    "In that case, you should put it into action more boldly. However, if you were to attack openly, that little girl will simply feign compliance, create a diversion and escape."

    "Figures, a queen like you thinks so too?"

    "Mm-hmm. By the way, I would handle girls of that sort by pinning them down by force directly. Through slightly forceful measures, I would impress upon them a queen''s dignity and tender affection, causing them to submit from the bottom of their hearts, thereby joining the ranks of my priestesses¡ª"

    "Good grief, how much sexual harassment did you commit in the past!?"

    Always dressed in a scarlet kimono in the past, Hinokagutsuchi was currently wearing the inn''s yukata. The fabric''s pattern and the color of the sash were both in brilliant scarlet.

    Facing the former dragon that used to be known as the Crimson Queen, Hal asked, "By the way, were all your targets girls?"

    "That goes without saying. As if anyone would make a move on squalid men."

    "Were they all humans in race?"

    "Fufufu. And what if they were?"

    "Nothing much. You promised to cooperate with my information gathering as much as possible, right?"

    "I am willing to answer truthfully if your questions are motivated by the spirit of research without a shred of lustful intentions. If your intention is to simply listen to salacious gossip, then I am not obliged to respond. Is that clear?"

    "......"

    "Despite the shrewd airs you normally put on, to think that you failed to negotiate or strike a bargain when encountering such a situation. You are too pathetic, brat."

    After making a fool out of Hal, Hinokagutsuchi suddenly changed the subject.

    "By the way, aren''t you searching for clues for the remainder of the investigation? Why did you select this location? Wouldn''t shutting yourself away in a quiet location be better?"

    "As for that, think about it this way."

    Taking his gaze off the laptop screen, Hal looked into the depths of the corridor.

    "It''s not every day that all of us are at a hot spring, but regrettably, I cannot enter the female bath. However, perhaps a major incident might happen in the female bath, such as a fire or a guest suddenly taking ill. I am waiting here for unexpected situations of that sort."

    Hal answered solemnly with a serious face.

    "It would be excusable for me to enter the female bath completely naturally as a guy if it''s because an emergency demands that I arrive to the rescue immediately. If Juujouji, Shirasaka or Luna happened to be in the bath at the time¡ªAh, undoubtedly the creation of precious memories. And currently, the girls are all taking a bath."

    "Wishful thinking, fool."

    "But without action, nothing would begin at all. I''m gambling on that 1% probability."

    No matter how closeted in his desires, Hal still carried a gentleman''s pride.

    Criminal intentions such as voyeurism were nonexistent. The current approach was an idea he had racked his brain to come up with while allowing his own desires and social morals to coexist, but¡ª

    "So that is how it is, I understand now."

    Hinokagutsuchi put on a solemn expression and whispered, "Simply stated, you are the type of man who turns into an idiot whenever women are involved."

    Part 5

    "Then this is from the body of a creature that''s the same type as Minadzuki and the others!?"

    "More precisely, it should be a body sample from a leviathan''s close relative¡ªa creature belonging to the same lineage as Genbu-Ou, Princess Yukikaze''s minion," explained Asya to the wide-eyed Hazumi.

    They were currently bathing in the open-air bath.

    Asya lifted her right hand in the water, holding the black stone.

    "Indeed, it is quite similar in color as that giant monster last month."

    Orihime nodded. Naturally, she was in the open-air bath as well.

    "By the way, is it really fine to bring that stone into the bath? Isn''t it quite important? I feel that it might be better to keep it in a safe or something..."

    "Don''t worry, this is part of the experiment," Asya explained to the visibly worried Orihime.

    "It''s said that a priestess or shrine maiden who had been serving Hinokagutsuchi returned to her hometown on land with this stone in her possession, so I wanted to try doing the same thing."

    "Doing the same thing?"

    "That''s right. Since it''s an item used by an ancient shrine maiden, chances are high that I''ll be able to use it as a fellow practitioner of magic. That''s why I''ve been keeping it on me everywhere I go for the time being, observing to see what properties it has. Apart from that, I''ve also poured magical power into it from time to time."

    "Then Asya, have you learned anything from it?" Sitting on the edge of the bath, Luna Francois asked.

    Apart from Hinokagutsuchi, all the girls participating in the expedition were present.

    The location was the large public open-air bath belonging to a seaside hot spring inn. Built by taking full advantage of the shore''s geography, it was a hot spring with excellent scenery offering a view of Sagaminada while bathers soaked themselves in the hot water.

    The current time was only slightly after 3pm because they had entered the bath immediately after returning from the beach.

    Since the inn''s check-in time for today had only just started, there were no guests at the hot spring and open-air bath. It was as though Asya and the girls had the entire place reserved for themselves.

    Naturally, all four of them were naked.

    Facing Luna Francois, who was showing off her extravagantly outstanding body in the nude, Asya replied, "No major discoveries yet. If nothing else, at least it''s very hard."

    "Have you tested it in some way?"

    "Yes, I''ve smashed this stone fragment against concrete as a test. Supposing it really is a body sample from a species closely related to dragonkind, this level of impact should leave it completely unharmed."

    As predicted, the result of the experiment was that the concrete shattered instead.

    The black stone showed no damage at all. Luna Francois smiled wryly in exasperation after listening to Asya''s report.

    "You''re appalling, Asya, still violent as ever. If Harry or I were at the scene, we probably would''ve stopped you."

    "I think so too, which is why I did it alone."

    Asya casually dismissed her fellow witch''s opinion with a carefree expression.

    Ever since she heard the hypothesis proposed by her childhood friend, Asya had been very certain that it was the correct answer. A master witch''s intuition allowed her to sense from this stone a presence similar to that super organism¡ªGenbu-Ou.

    That being said, it was ultimately nothing more than intuition. There was no proof.

    However, Asya''s true strength was precisely the fact that she trusted intuition unquestioningly and took action.

    During deadly predicaments in battles against dragons with the odds stacked heavily against her, what else could she trust apart from intuition? Although not to the point of conviction, Asya was definitely aware of this mindset. This sixth sense, which had saved Anastasya Rubashvili on countless battlefields, was demonstrating its power on this occasion too.

    However, Luna Francois smiled impishly.

    "As expected of your style, Asya. Although a bit unrefined for a girl, it''s very dependable. I love it, you know?"

    "U-Unrefined?"

    "Yes, unrefined. Or you could call it rough-and-ready too."

    "You should use the description ''undertaking bold action while guided by instinct'' instead! A-All things considered, please don''t pick on small details like this to criticize me like I''m disqualified as a girl!"

    Asya could not help but get worked up, standing up forcefully in the open-air bath.

    Completely forgetting the fact that she was currently soaking herself in a bath, she exposed her fairy-like body from the knees upwards.

    ¡ªIf anything, one had no choice but to admit that she was far surpassed by Luna and Orihime on the aspects of volume and curves. Regrettably, she might even be inferior to the fourteen-year-old Hazumi. Indeed, she was painfully aware of reality''s harshness.

    In spite of that, Asya remained deeply confident.

    Isn''t this... Rather, this should be quite an attractive figure, right?

    Unlike the flat and juvenile figures one could find anywhere, she was slim and trim with a suitably bulging chest (applying rather loose standards, of course). The various parts of the body represented by BWH measurements traced out subtle curves, exhibiting dangerous maidenly beauty in the form of nudity.

    Look, this could be considered a fine example of sexiness, thought Asya proudly.

    As a side note, she had gotten a good amount of sun today at the beach. As a Caucasian, Asya''s complexion was pale and clear to begin with, turning bronze instead of a dark tan even with exposure to sunlight.

    Not a fiery-red as though scorched or burned, but a color akin to polished metal.

    The only exceptions, remaining pale, were the parts that her swimsuit had covered.

    "Jeez... I was going to say I''ve already registered the super popular maiden''s trademark of the ''tanned mermaid'' for today. Luna, you''re totally slandering me with your comments."

    "Indeed, Asya-san''s tan is very pretty," said Hazumi with a smile while watching Asya complain with arms akimbo.

    "So beautiful. I''m jealous of you."

    "Why thank you. Hazumi-san, you are a good girl as always~"

    Listening to the innocent junior''s praises, Asya instantly felt better.

    Hazumi''s cousin, Orihime, also smiled cheerfully and said, "However, Asya-san''s vibes changed after receiving a tan. It''s rare to see girls like that nowadays. It''s very striking."

    "My oh my, Orihime-san, don''t you go flattering me too~"

    While replying in modesty, Asya happily puffed out her rather thin chest.

    "Oh dear, I suppose it''s only natural for a girl like me to be striking when walking in the streets... Even though it''s not my intention to draw attention, no helping it."

    "That could very well be true. Skin-whitening is currently fashionable, so everyone is avoiding suntans."

    "Oh, skin-whitening... Bi-ha-ku?" Asya froze after repeating Orihime''s words.

    Hazumi then said, "Apparently, people involved in athletic clubs at our school have been applying a ton of sunscreen during outdoor club activities. On the other hand, I find girls with tans to be cooler..."

    The junior witch, who did not seem very athletic, stared at Asya with admiration in her face.

    "That''s why I find your current look very cool, Asya-san. Fufufu."

    "Th-Thank you... Bihaku¡ªBe hacked?"

    "By the way, Asya-san, are you sure it''s okay for you to enter the bath directly like this? From what I heard, dipping yourself in hot water shortly after tanning is very painful, isn''t it?"

    "Oh no, I''ve never experienced that ever in my life..."

    Evidently, due to excellent skin health, she had never been troubled by problems of that type.

    Hazumi widened her eyes after hearing Asya''s answer.

    "Really!? Every time I expose myself under the sun, I get red skin and even a fever sometimes¡ªI''m quite jealous now."

    "Hazumi frequently wears long sleeves even in the summer."

    Orihime''s comment triggered memories to surface in Asya''s mind.

    Before heading to the beach today, Hazumi and Luna Francois had applied sunscreen all over their bodies. Not only that, they had also reapplied it many times during the day.

    Looking back, Asya now realized it was diligent labor for defending their skin''s whiteness.

    Thanks to that, Hazumi and Luna''s skin had remained pale as always despite spending a long time at the beach.

    In contrast, Orihime had not taken the issue as seriously as the other two.

    Suitably tanned, her body was visible under the highly transparent hot water. Slender with outstanding curves, her nude body exhibited a lovely olive complexion.

    Orihime had always given off vibes like some kind of "well-bred princess."

    At the same time, there was also an element of sportiness and healthy beauty.

    However, Orihime had definitely applied sunscreen once to avoid sunburns. Currently, she was engaging Hazumi in this kind of dialogue...

    "Excuse me, Nee-sama, may I borrow some of your shampoo later...?"

    "Sure, but why?"

    "When traveling, Nee-sama, you always bring a set of your toiletries from home, right?"

    "Yes, because the ones provided at hotels and public baths are sometimes business-use brands of lower quality... On that subject, the bathroom here is a bit questionable."

    "N-Not to the point of questionable, but my hair is sticking together a bit..."

    "Fufu, that''s because your hair texture stiffened from swimming in the sea. Of course you may borrow mine."

    "Thank you, Nee-sama!"

    The conversation between cousins left Asya stunned.

    It was as though she had suffered cultural shock within these few minutes. Could this be legendary girl talk revolving around topics such as "skin-whitening, sunburn prevention, UV protection and products for avoiding hair damage"?

    This was territory that Asya had never ventured into despite her almost fifteen-year-long life.

    Today too, while playing in the water, she had not used the slightest bit of sunscreen.

    "Say, Asya, although I described you as very ''rough'' earlier..."

    By the time she noticed, Luna Francois was already by her side.

    "But to be honest, I''m a bit envious. Despite what is clearly dysfunctional maintenance in certain ways, Asya, your beauty level is quite close to mine."

    "R-Really...?"

    "Perhaps you are actually the strongest in potential, Asya. Well, but even if you mend your ways after the fact, we still have an overwhelming lead."

    "......"

    After speaking to Asya with what seemed like a bit of frustration, Luna Francois left her.

    Asya could sense Luna''s refusal to admit defeat, but the blow she suffered was quite devastating. There was no feeling of victory at all. Meanwhile, the Trans-Pacific Shootdown Ace walked over to Orihime''s side.

    "By the way, Orihime-san, may I issue a declaration of war?"

    "Huh, by declaration of war, you mean¡ªWhat is going on?"

    Confronted with the confused black-haired witch, the west coast American girl smiled gracefully.

    "I have decided to shoot for Harry''s heart, to make him the captive belonging to me, Luna Francois Gregory. So let us compete openly, fair and square. That is what I am proposing."

    "Ehhh!?"

    "L-Luna-san will shoot for Senpai''s heart!?"

    "W-W-W-What the heck are you trying to do? Luna!"

    Orihime and Hazumi were stunned by the sudden declaration whereas Asya immediately roared.

    However, the one who had made the controversial comment remained carefree.

    "I mean exactly what I said. I intend to build a wonderful relationship with Harry, which is why I wanted to settle things with you first, Orihime-san, the greatest rival at hand."

    "I! I do not have that kind of relationship with Haruga-kun¡ª!"

    Perhaps startled, Orihime instantly denied loudly.

    However, stopped before she finished her sentence. Her lips parted and closed, looking like she had something to say. This persisted for a while.

    Rather than having trouble deciding what to say, she was hesitating whether to say it or not.

    Witnessing this reaction that did not match Orihime''s always cheerful personality, Luna Francois smiled malevolently.

    "Not that kind of relationship? Fufufu, my apologies. It looks like it was a misconception on my part since the mood seemed quite nice between you and Harry."

    "......"

    "In that case, I shall happily proceed as I please without needing to worry about anyone else''s feelings?"

    "L-Luna-san, do you really, umm, like Haruga-kun in that way!?"

    "Yes. Besides, I believe that there is no one else in this world more suitable than I am for supporting him in all sorts of challenging situations."

    "I-In terms of that¡ªPerhaps you are right, but..."

    Orihime was shaken for some unknown reason. Usually cheerful and lively, she was stammering right now. Asya found this very baffling. However, Asya felt that she needed to prioritize Luna Francois as a target for her retorts.

    "Hold it right there! What kind of nefarious scheme are you plotting again, Luna!?"

    "Oh please, you are making me out to be some sort of evil witch... Now that would be considered slander, you know?"

    "Please give up on baseless retorts. You are clearly an evil witch, the genuine article."

    Ignoring the enemy''s counterattack, Asya continued.

    "It''s useless for you to keep playing dumb. Given that it''s you, I''m certain you''re trying to seduce Haruomi again to get your hands on the dragonslaying rune, aren''t you!?"

    "Dear me, what an unpleasant way of putting it."

    Stunned on the side, Hazumi silently listened to the interactions between the master-class witches.

    Meanwhile, Orihime suddenly showed a relieved look after hearing Asya''s forceful accusation, but Asya decided to overlook it for now.

    Suddenly, Asya closed her mouth. Luna Francois did the same.

    After making eye contact and using their gazes to exchange messages including "Did you sense that?" and "Yes, of course"¡ª

    From the sea''s direction¡ªAn unidentified entity crawled out of the sea!

    Indeed, this was an open-air bath situated by the sea. Sensing the approach of strong magical power, Asya and Luna Francois simultaneously put their guards up.

    "Kyahhhhhhhh!"

    Hazumi screamed in surprise, probably due to the ominous aura exuding from the crawling unidentified entity.

    Everyone was naked. Let alone a small caliber handgun for self-defense, they did not even have a dagger. Asya could not help but click her tongue while raising her entire body''s magical power.

    If necessary, she would summon her gigantic partner, Rushalka. She mustered her resolve.

    "Kyahhhhhhhh!"

    The instant he heard Hazumi''s scream, Hal rushed over.

    He put down his laptop and sprinted at full speed from the inn lobby to the public bath. The frail underclassman''s scream definitely came from this direction.

    In contrast, Hinokagutsuchi could not even be bothered to get up.

    "I never expected a situation to arise for real. A fool''s will can penetrate stone huh..."

    She simply sighed rather poignantly.

    Hal had no time to bother with her. Without looking back, he ran as fast as he could.

    This moment, at the scene of the incident¡ªRight inside that forbidden garden. At an occasion like this, there was no time to waste on anything else!

    Hal ran like mad along the corridor and pushed through the curtain labeled "female bath."

    First, he stormed into the changing area¡ªNo one there. After sliding open the glass door that ought to be called the door to Shangri-La, he stepped into the public bath¡ªHowever, there was not a single soul.

    Neither infant girls, young girls, maidens, women, nor old ladies were present. But voices were coming from outdoors.

    "W-What on earth, is this!? Kyahhh!"

    "Calm down, Hazumi! I''ll save you right away¡ªNnnnn!"

    "Asya! Use my Glinda and your Rushalka to drag it down!"

    "Got... it. O-O ancient divine seal of purity!

    Familiar girls were yelling outside¡ªThe open-air bath!?

    Hal left the indoor bath and went to the open-air bath outside. Since it was still three in the afternoon, the sky was still bright and sunny. Even the sound of ocean waves could be heard clearly.

    Offering a view of Sagaminada in the distance, this open-air bath was also a hot spring providing beautiful scenery for bathers.

    But in the next instant, Hal was greeted by unexpected scenery.

    Inside the open-air bath''s premises, several white serpents were squirming around¡ªNo, wait.

    They were not serpents. Indeed, they were extremely similar to snakes and worms in form, crawling all over the floor with slithering trails. However, they were not snakes.

    Rather, these were tentacles.

    Dozens of tentacles were currently slithering inside the open-air bath.

    They were very white in color though translucent. Hazumi, Orihime, Asya and Luna Francois, the four of them had been captured, pulled into that creepy unidentified entity.

    Naturally, all the girls were completely naked.

    The curves of Hazumi''s current figure were already quite attractive. Hal really looked forward to her growth after a few years.

    Due to the sun''s radiant blessings, Orihime''s body was colored with a healthy olive tone. Somewhat different from the last time when he had caught a direct glimpse, her body was radiant with outgoing vitality.

    As for Asya¡ªJust skip her.

    This would probably be the same awkwardness as when someone accidentally encountered their mother or sister in the nude.

    Then there was Luna Francois.

    The exploding impression from her bulging chest, a narrow waist that was like a work of art, and the curves traced out from below the waist were seizing Hal''s heart with tyranny. Due to Luna''s aggressive advances over the past few days, Hal had accumulated a fair amount of frustration inside, thus delivering an excessively shocking impact to him this moment.

    However, the four witches were all tied up.

    Every girl had six or seven tentacles wrapped around her. The translucent white tentacles were coiled around their necks, shoulders, elbows, arms, chests, under the breasts, waists, thighs, knees, down to the ankles.

    Entangled by these tentacles, the various risque parts such as the pink tips of the breasts were starting to flash in and out of view tantalizingly. Amid this crisis, the four girls persisted in struggling their very hardest.

    Despite her distraught expression, Hazumi desperately wrested the tentacle off her neck.

    Orihime reached out to save her cousin, trying to approach her, but kept getting pulled back by tentacles, preventing her from taking a single step.

    Asya and Luna Francois were also immobilized by multiple tentacles.

    Even so, the two master-class witches were trying to chant songs of summoning. Two pentagrams, magic circles for materializing ''serpents,'' had appeared in the air above the open-air bath.

    Under normal circumstances, these pentagrams would immediately turn into leviathans.

    But this time was different. The two pentagrams were blinking like a broken light bulb¡ªThe tentacles entangling their bodies were suppressing the witches'' power!

    Hal immediately summoned his magic gun with his right hand.

    Using triple burst mode to fire, he pulled the trigger four times.

    Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang!

    Accompanied by deafening gunshots, twelve bullets of red light flew haphazardly in the air. Infused with auto-tracking magic, the bullets of light released by the magic gun penetrated the dozens of tentacles running amok in the open-air bath.

    Not only that, the bullets of light did not stop after the first impact.

    Each time a bullet pierced a tentacle, it would then make a rapid U-turn to attack the next tentacle. This scene kept repeating in the next ten-odd seconds. The tentacles in the open-air bath were rendered fodder by the magic gun, smashed to pieces and falling to the ground as countless scraps of flesh.

    Moreover, despite being exposed to the rain of bullets, the four witches remained completely unharmed.

    Filtering out the tentacles precisely, the bullets of red light destroyed them successively. This amazing feat was exclusive to a magical gun and impossible for ordinary firearms.

    Hal exhaled with a "phew" and immediately used Enemy Detection magic.

    ¡ªNo response. The tentacles were all wiped out, apparently.

    "Senpai! Thank you!"

    "You saved us, Haruga-kun!"

    Perhaps out of relief, Hazumi and Orihime suddenly ran over to him.

    Thank goodness everyone was alright, Hal could not help but narrow his eyes. Next, he focused his eyes intently as though trying to brand upon his retinas the witches'' figures that he might not find another chance to witness within this lifetime¡ª

    Hal saw it.

    Asya raised her arm in a pose reminiscent of someone about to throw an object.

    "You''re leering so much that you''re stretching your face until it''s about to tear! Damn Haruomiiiiiii!"

    As expected of the childhood friend. Hal was originally trying to put on as dignified an expression as possible, but Asya instantly read his ulterior motives.

    What she launched with an overarm throw was the black stone.

    That signpost to the Dragon Palace which she kept with her for experimenting.

    Flying at high speed, the stone struck Hal''s forehead. Logically speaking, since Haruga Haruomi''s body had been enhanced by the Rune of the Bow, even without deploying the imperishable protection which was like a shield, it should be fine because a mere stone would not be able to inflict even a scratch on him.

    Unexpectedly, the attack made him lose balance. Adding the fact that the floor of the open-air bath was quite wet and slippery¡ª

    Hal slipped and fell backwards.

    "Senpai!?" "Haruga-kun!?"

    He could hear Hazumi and Orihime''s worried voices.

    However, what entered his view was not the two girls but the blue sky¡ªNo.

    At this moment, Hal should be lying face up on the open-air bath''s slippery floor, but suddenly, the back of his head was lifted up then cushioned by something soft.

    In the next instant, a pair of pale peaks suddenly entered his view that was supposed to be of the blue sky.

    F-cups by visual estimate based on their shape, size and elasticity, two breasts tipped with lovely pink. Not only was Hal given a bottom-up perspective, he was also treated to a direct view of this beautiful scenery up close.

    "A-Are you alright!? Your head collided with the floor loudly, you know!?"

    "Don''t worry, this is nothing at all..."

    After responding to Orihime''s calls, Hal figured it out.

    In other words¡ªOrihime had run over to rest his head on her lap. Speaking of which, the sensation supporting the back of his head not only felt soft but also elastic.

    Friendly, eager to help others, yet also quite careless, this was Juujouji Orihime.

    Forgetting to cover her chest when running over here to care for Hal and even resting his head on her lap.

    "H-Hang in there, Senpai!"

    After her, Hazumi leaned in too.

    Pure as an angel, the junior student was kneeling on the floor, gazing at Hal''s face with worry. That being said, she had not neglected to cover her naked chest with her right arm.

    Even so¡ª

    The valley of a fourteen-year-old''s cleavage was still drawing attention vividly before his eyes.

    Crap. Staring at curvature that was plenty for her age, Hal warned himself.

    All things considered, it would be quite inappropriate for a gentleman to continue admiring the girls'' unseemly state of undress in this manner.

    Hal shut his eyes tight.

    He intended to cut off the stream of visual data by pretending to faint.

    "Haruga-kun, pull yourself together!" "Senpai!"

    The bowl-like F-cups and the valley disappeared from sight too.

    After that, while struggling in a world of darkness against the thought of "I still wanna open my eyes with a slight gap," Hal thought back.

    Right before falling down just now, the last thing he saw was¡ª

    Luna Francois had hastily picked up a towel to cover up her outstanding figure and glared viciously at Hal. Presumably, exposing her naked body to him was quite a blow to her.

    Luna, always so elegant and crafty.

    But at that moment, her entire body had been shaking in anger.

 Volume 4, 4 - Monsters and the Night at the Remote Island

    Volume 4, Chapter 4 - Monsters and the Night at the Remote Island

    Part 1

    Naturally, the brief battle at the open-air bath plunged the inn into chaos.

    No wonder. After all, not only were screams and gunshots heard, there were also the shredded remains of eerie white tentacles and countless scattered scraps of flesh all around the open-air bath.

    Leaving the confounded inn staff, Hal and company made contact with SAURU''s Tokai branch and important members at Tokyo New Town. Using their connections to the police and authorities in the Izu and Shimoda area, they swiftly cleaned up the mess in secret.

    Finally, after getting embroiled in unnecessary trouble, the group welcomed dawn the next day.

    Hal and company went out to sea from the Sagaminada coast.

    Naturally, this was part of their search for the Dragon Palace. What they borrowed was a multi-purpose support vessel from the JMSDF base at Irouzaki, the SDF facility closest to their accommodations. It was a small ship roughly seventy meters in length, normally used for transportation, supplies and rescue operations.

    This time, it had set sail to aid witches and "serpents."

    That being said, there was no specific destination for this voyage. Inside the ship, enough to carry forty passengers, a cabin had been set up as a "witches'' prep room." Hal and company were holding a meeting in there currently.

    "The shrine worshiping Goddess Hinokagutsuchi apparently holds a ceremony to pay respects to the Dragon Palace once every few years," said Hal while looking at his usual laptop.

    Asya, Orihime, Hazumi and Luna Francois¡ªThe witches were all gathered in one room too.

    "It''s said that an exceptionally good-looking shrine maiden had to set sail with the signpost in her hand. ''If a shrine maiden sets sail together with this stone, a messenger will greet her as a guide to reach the Dragon Palace...'' Hinokagutsuchi seems to be the type to issue divine decrees, I guess."

    The laptop was displaying the shrine information he described. In addition, Hal had talked at length with the local priest to obtain all kinds of information.

    "According to records, they apparently held this ceremony during the century from 1602 in the late Sengoku era until the Kyouhou Reforms."

    After listening to Hal''s report, the reserved but inquisitive Hazumi asked incredulously, "May I ask why the ceremony was later discontinued?"

    "Probably because of decreasing magical power in successive generations of shrine maidens in charge of carrying out the ceremony, thus preventing them from using the signpost successfully. In fact, shortly after the stone came into Asya''s possession, those slimy tentacles that showed up probably came to greet us."

    "But weren''t we on land the whole time yesterday? We didn''t set sail at all."

    Equally incredulous, Orihime spoke up too.

    "Why did it come all the way ashore?"

    "I''m thinking it might be because Asya''s magical power is too strong. Those capable enough to be certified as master-class are extremely rare in both ancient and medieval times."

    "About that signpost stone..."

    Pensively, Asya murmured.

    "I tried many times to pour magical power into it. Perhaps that''s why it activated a little. Look, like this."

    Asya pointed to the black stone on the table in the cabin.

    The stone''s surface was black with a slight tinge of green. After merely seconds, this blackness began to glow with faint golden light. After settling down for two minutes, the stone turned golden again for roughly two seconds. Two minutes later, it glowed for two seconds again.

    This golden blinking persisted after this in repetition.

    Seeing that, Luna Francois commented with interest, "It''s almost like a slowly beating heart."

    Yesterday at the open-air bath, Hal and the others had definite witnessed it. The always elegant American girl had trembled in rage for the first time¡ªBut after that, Luna Francois quickly resumed her facade of "the elegant, intelligent and scheming beauty."

    Ultimately, Luna was seen in anger for only an instant.

    Glancing at the blonde beauty''s indifferent face, Hal said, "To verify the hypothesis step by step, our only choice is to set sail on a ship to imitate the legend. Let''s see if we come across anything by circling randomly in nearby waters."

    "However, Harry¡ª"

    Luna Francois picked up the signpost stone.

    "Perhaps contrary to expectations, we might make contact straight away? Based on the timing yesterday, we should be ''greeted'' very soon."

    The current time was slightly before noon. More than two hours had elapsed since setting out to sea.

    It was a perfect sunny day yesterday while today''s cloud cover was rather thick.

    On this overcast day, Luna would be proven correct seven minutes later.

    A large creature was rapidly approaching the ship.

    Prior to the ship announcement, Luna Francois had already made a further prediction.

    "Glinda''s bloodlust has risen slightly... It seems that some kind of hostile entity with a certain level of combat ability is currently closing in on us."

    Glinda, the "Good Witch of the South," was Luna''s partner.

    As a safety precaution, she had materialized on the deck as the "sailor on lookout duty."

    "Luna, I''ll be in charge of attacking, so I''m leaving defense to you. Orihime-san and Hazumi-san, please standby, ready to take action as necessary!"

    Asya swiftly moved to the deck and issued orders.

    Less experienced in battle, Orihime and Hazumi nodded obediently. Her equal, Luna Francois, did not raise any objections either. Although the two of them were master-class witches and had fought side by side many times before as well, perhaps they had reached a consensus beforehand that Asya would take command on the front lines.

    Then on the deck¡ª

    Under the gray sky covered with dark clouds, the four witches and Hal arrived in haste.

    The wind was very strong today. The support vessel sailed forward, slicing through tall waves. The enemy caught on marine radar and detected by Glinda had yet to come into sight.

    In a certain corner on the deck was a three-meter-long magic beast.

    A maned lion with orange fur, except with a dragon head connected to the right shoulder and a black goat head on the left¡ªThis was Glinda.

    Normally speaking, leviathans should be around ten-odd meters in body length.

    However, materializing a leviathan at her original size would cause continuous strain on the witch. When a witch reached her limit, she would experience symptoms akin to anemia. Hence, Luna had shrunk Glinda to the smallest size in order to minimize the burden of sustaining the manifestation.

    In addition to powerful moves as befitted a Shootdown Ace, she was also adept in performing intricate techniques of this sort.

    After showing off skills as befitted a master-class witch, Luna Francois commanded quietly, "Glinda, we shall protect this ship together. Gravity Wall!"

    Ruoooooooooo!

    Responding to her partner''s instructions, Glinda''s three heads roared simultaneously.

    Immediately, the pseudo-divinity of Gravity was invoked. The transparent force field surrounding the seventy-meter-long support vessel was a supergravitational barrier capable of deflecting all objects daring to trespass its interior.

    A minute or two later...

    Close to a hundred writhing tentacles shot out from the sea.

    The tentacles were white and slightly translucent like the ones at the open-air bath.

    However, they were blocked by Glinda''s gravity barrier this time, unable to invade anywhere within ten meters of the support vessel. Seizing this opportunity, Asya chanted loudly, "I pray to the ancient divine seal of purity! Send the transient blue dragon to the ground! Let the star of purification manifest over our heads!"

    Directly above the support vessel, a pentagram of light manifested in the sky over the sea.

    The pentagram immediately changed to a "¡Þ" sign before turning into a blue wyvern.

    "Rushalka, melee combat."

    Standing with arms crossed on the deck, Asya calmly issued orders.

    In the sky, Rushalka immediately spread her wings and dashed towards the sea surface. Like a seabird hunting a school of fish, she dipped her resilient hind legs into the water then ascended rapidly.

    Rushalka kept rising.

    Caught in the sharp triple claws of her extended hind legs was a squid roughly seven meters long.

    However, unlike normal squid, it had almost a hundred tentacles instead of ten. Blocked by the gravity barrier and unable to approach the support vessel, the vast number of tentacles all belonged to this massive squid.

    Nauseatingly long with frighteningly numerous tentacles¡ªWhat a bizarre monster.

    "A relative of the giant squid huh..."

    While Hal watched, Rushalka continued to ascend.

    Carrying a large squid with an astounding number of tentacles, she flew high in the sky.

    "Rushalka, Laser Breath!"

    Hearing Asya''s command, the blue wyvern released the massive squid''s body.

    Dropped from the sky, the squid spread itself out in free fall towards the sea. As a marine creature after all, it was not equipped with flight capability.

    After locking on the target, Rushalka fired a blue-white heat beam from her mouth.

    Direct hit. The massive squid''s head and mantle were instantly blown apart, leaving the hundred or so tentacles to fall into the sea with successive splashes.

    However, at the moment of victory, Luna Francois whispered, "Looks like the visitors don''t intend to leave yet. Glinda, show everyone your true power!"

    Glinda had been shrunk to her minimum size at a body length of roughly three meters.

    The orange three-headed lion suddenly expanded, turning back into her original form within the blink of an eye¡ªA magic beast ten-odd meters long.

    Glinda released her entire body''s magical power to strengthen the gravity barrier.

    In the next second, a new monster appeared from the sea. Unbelievably, it was even bigger than the previous one.

    "Th-That thing would be an octopus... Right? Nee-sama!?"

    "If anything, it seems more like a hybrid offspring between an octopus and a dragon..."

    One could hardly blame Hazumi and Orihime for whispering to each other while on standby.

    The head of the monster surfacing from the sea was very similar to that of an octopus.

    But apart from that, it closely resembled an elite dragon in both body shape and size.

    Ten-odd meters in length, its entire body was covered with dark green scales with a pair of bat-like wings on its back. The two forelimbs serving as arms looked resilient yet agile. Dozens of tentacles sprouted around the beak of its octopus-like head.

    Each of those tentacles was wriggling like a snake.

    Cthhhhhhhhlllsh!

    The octopus-headed dragon subspecies roared. Immediately, the dozens of tentacles around its beak extended simultaneously towards the support vessel protected by the gravity barrier, moving as carnivorous snakes would to strike prey.

    The barrier deployed by Glinda kept the attacking tentacles at bay for now.

    "This strength and magical power feels as though it could rival an elite..."

    Luna Francois frowned.

    However, almost simultaneously with her murmur, someone counterattacked decisively¡ªAsya.

    The other Shootdown Ace called out sonorously while moving to the deck''s far point¡ªThe prow. Presumably, she wanted to send commands and magical power to her partner from as near a distance as possible.

    "Rushalka, use pseudo-divinity to restrain the enemy. Ice Prison!"

    This was a command to turn her blue partner into a pseudo-god of water.

    In response, Rushalka spread her wide wings and started to glide. Countless small white orbs of light were released successively from around her wings.

    The numerous light orbs resembled scales more than snow, drifting down to the sea surface.

    The octopus-headed dragon subspecies was bathed in them¡ª

    The monster was half-submerged with the lower half of its body in the sea.

    As a result, the sea targeted by Rushalka instantly froze into ice. Transformed into something akin to an antarctic ice shelf, the sea trapped the dragon subspecies, immobilizing it.

    Cthhhhhhhhlllsh!

    Immediately, six runes of Ruruk Soun appeared above the octopus head. Hal was shocked as soon as he read its meaning. This arrangement signified "dispel magic"!

    The newly frozen sea surface turned back to ordinary seawater within the blink of an eye.

    "I can''t believe that octopus head can even use runes of Ruruk Soun...!"

    Hal could not help but click his tongue. However, that was not all.

    The sea surface was suddenly split open to reveal another octopus-headed dragon subspecies.

    The second one spread the wings on its back and flew into the air. At the same time, it extended the dozens of tentacles around its beak to attack Rushalka in the sky above!

    The blue wyvern flew diagonally upwards nimbly, dodging spectacularly.

    Finally recovered just last month, Europe''s strongest "serpent" was in command of excellent reaction speed. Meanwhile, on the deck of the support vessel carrying Hal and company, the Trans-Pacific region''s strongest "serpent" was growling.

    Glinda''s three heads¡ªThe lion, the black goat and the dragon.

    While roaring simultaneously in warning, the three heads glared at the other octopus-headed dragon next to the ship.

    "Even though the enemy can use Ruruk Soun magic, Glinda and I will guard here... Harry and Orihime-san, you two attack and take down the enemy as quickly as possible!"

    "Understood!"

    Hearing Luna Francois'' quick shout, Orihime responded firmly.

    Compared to the gentle Hazumi and Minadzuki, Orihime and Akuro-Ou were more suited to attacking. While nodding at the correct choice of candidate, Hal also shouted to the underclassman who was showing a stiff expression.

    "Standby farther back. Best to pick somewhere that allows you to get back inside the ship any time!"

    "Y-Yes. I understand!"

    The honest Hazumi immediately moved. Presumably, she was either aware that she was not good at combat or had noticed that her presence on the front line would only be a hindrance.

    However, something unexpected happened no sooner had Hazumi taken a couple steps.

    All fired up to fight, Glinda suddenly stopped howling.

    "What''s the matter, Glinda?"

    "Eh, no way!? Haruga-kun, look at that..."

    "Don''t tell me¡ªit''s a dragonslaying rune!?"

    Hal and company saw it. A pictograph similar to the "ËÈ" kanji had appeared on the forehead of the octopus head¡ªthe dragon subspecies near the support vessel.

    It was most likely the fourth dragonslaying rune to appear after the Bow, the Sword and the Arrow¡ª

    Hal understood this instinctively while standing next to Orihime and Luna Francois.

    Immediately, the octopus-headed dragon subspecies extended dozens of tentacles again to assault the deck. Unlike the previous time, a "ËÈ"-like rune appeared successively on the tip of each tentacle!

    Imbued with the power of dragonbane, the tentacles broke through the gravity barrier this time, rushing at the group.

    Hal immediately deployed imperishable protection. The pearly radiance proceeded to spread in his surroundings to protect Luna and Orihime in addition to its user.

    While enduring the tentacles'' mighty force, Hal was attacked by a sharp pain in his heart.

    Fortunately, no one was hurt at all. But unexpectedly, in the next instant, five tentacles wrapped around the sphere of imperishable protection, picking up Hal and the two witches together with the pearly radiance, pulling them away from the deck with astounding strength!

    ...Towards the sea where this bizarre monster was located, towards the octopus head''s giant beak.

    Part 2

    "Like us, the enemy wields the power of dragonbane¡ª"

    "Meaning that my Glinda is unable to fight it head on..."

    "!? That monster''s face is getting close!"

    Hal, Luna Francois and Orihime were guarded by imperishable protection, but tentacles imbued with a dragonslaying rune were wrapped around the pearly shield, gradually pulling the trio towards the octopus head''s beak.

    Confronted with her own helplessness and expressing her anguish through her voice was Luna.

    The blonde Shootdown Ace snapped her fingers with a look of frustration. Glinda instantly vanished, apparently de-materializing after receiving her partner''s command.

    This was a wise decision. It was not yet time to give up.

    With the battle situation up in the air and an opponent wielding the power of dragonbane, it was possible to receive a fatal injury any moment. Such an outcome must be avoided no matter what.

    "Akuro-Ou, come fight by my side!"

    On the side, Orihime shouted words of summoning without a moment''s delay.

    Looking above the enemy, she kept staring at the air over the strange octopus head. Soon after, a glowing pentagram appeared at that space then turned into an infinity symbol, finally transforming into a nine-tailed fox-wolf.

    The leviathan, Akuro-Ou, materialized.

    Motionless in the air, Akuro-Ou exhaled a breath of flame at the enemy from diagonally above.

    Cthhhhhhhlllsh!

    The octopus head roared in pain. The tentacles dragging Hal''s trio also stopped.

    "Haruga-kun, I am ready any time!"

    "Okay. Looks like that side is almost ready too. We should hurry and make our getaway."

    Responding to Orihime, Hal looked over to "that side."

    Rushalka was currently flying at high speed. Riding the wind as light and agile as a swallow, she sliced through the air.

    The second dragon subspecies was pursuing her. Writhing restlessly, the tentacles extending from around the octopus beak chased the blue wyvern. Although Rushalka''s speed was superior, the enemy was able to use dangerous runes of Ruruk Soun. The situation looked bleak.

    Hal summoned the emblem appearing in his right palm.

    It was a pictograph shaped like a fully drawn bow¡ªThe Rune of the Bow.

    "Grant the rune''s power to Juujouji and Asya¡ª!"

    The Rune of the Bow instantly appeared on the back of Orihime''s right hand. Not far away, surely the same thing happened to Asya''s right hand.

    "Akuro-Ou! Use fire magic to finish it in one go!"

    Orihime issued an attack command again. This time, the Rune of the Bow appeared on the tips of Akuro-Ou''s nine tails then shot nine projectiles of flame.

    Struck by the scorching assault, the first dragon subspecies'' entire body turned into a fireball.

    The octopus head, the dozens of tentacles and the body similar to an elite dragon, all was devoured by tongues of flame.

    On the other side was Rushalka with a long horn on her forehead like a unicorn.

    Until just earlier, the situation had consisted of an aerial battle with the wyvern relentlessly pursued by the second octopus head, but now, the Rune of the Bow appeared on both of Rushalka''s wings at the same time.

    In the next instant, the blue wyvern performed a swift aerial turn, circling to her enemy''s back within an eye''s blink.

    A blue-white beam was fired from her horn. Undoubtedly, it was a beam capable of slaying dragons. Skewered, the octopus head began to crash.

    However, Hal did not lower his guard. He stared intently at the flames released by Akuro-Ou.

    The crimson blaze incinerated the sea surface, producing quite a surreal scene. In the depths of this sea of flame, Hal could sense the "ËÈ"-like dragonslaying rune shining with brilliant splendor.

    Apart from that, the imperishable protection defending Hal and his two companions¡ªthe pearly defensive shield¡ª

    The five tentacles ensnaring this layer of protection remained intact despite bathing in the intense flames.

    In that instant, Hal understood the meaning represented by the rune resembling the "ËÈ" character.

    "...A chain!?"

    No mistake. This was the Rune of the Chain.

    At that moment, as though in response to Hal for discerning its true identity, the tentacles entangling the imperishable protection suddenly transformed into steel chains.

    Instantly, the clanging noise of chains colliding sounded all around.

    Kuoooooooooh!? Perhaps feeling fear, Akuro-Ou howled in surprise. By the time Hal noticed, chains had extended towards the nine-tailed fox-wolf, tying her up.

    The surrounding scenery also changed dramatically, from the surrounding waters of Sagaminada to a pitch-black space.

    The chains constricting Hal''s imperishable protection vanished, leaving darkness to spread continuously in Hal and company''s surroundings.

    "W-What on earth is going on...!?"

    "Enemy magic. Looks like they intend to capture us. Be careful, Harry!"

    Within the pitch-black darkness, Orihime was bewildered while Luna issued a warning.

    Hal also noticed something new: this was not simple magic but a technique of assured annihilation¡ªA finishing move belonging to a dragonslaying rune.

    In that case, they might lose their lives if they were to react a moment too slow.

    Hal immediately summoned his magic gun and chose fully automatic fire. At the same time, he simultaneously cast Enemy Detection and Aim magic to locate and snipe the Rune of the Chain''s main body in the darkness.

    Hence, his right arm moved autonomously then settled in front of Hal.

    He pulled the trigger. Since the enemy had used a technique of assured annihilation, he had to respond in kind with fully automatic fire to sweep away all restraining enchantments. The magic gun''s thirty bullets turned into crimson flashes of light, released all in one go.

    ¡ªI feel a hit.

    The surrounding darkness swiftly dissipated as the group returned to the same sea as before.

    "Wahhhhh!"

    Suddenly falling into the sea, Hal cried out without thinking.

    He saw Luna Francois and Orihime also falling into the sea nearby. Hal thrashed his arms and legs desperately to prevent his body from sinking while maintaining a water treading posture.

    Due to his clothed state, it was impossible to swim well like yesterday when they were playing in the sea.

    "I suppose it''s natural for us to fall into the sea once the chains trapping us disappeared..."

    "I-I can''t see the SDF ship and Rushalka... Where are we!?"

    Luna Francois accepted the current situation with resignation. Orihime was showing a stunned expression.

    Hal tread water while looking at the dusk sky. Although the enemy had clearly attacked at noon, the sun was already setting now.

    "Looks like we''re in for some trouble..."

    Fortunately, amid all the misfortune, the nine-tailed fox-wolf was casually floating on the water.

    Ensnared by chains earlier as well, Akuro-Ou had been forcibly dragged here too.

    Not confined to land or sky, leviathans were also capable of moving freely in water. Even a sacred beast, dozens of meters long, could still frolic gracefully in the water like a whale. Hal and the two witches began to swim in order to hold on to Akuro-Ou''s white fur.

    "Looks like we''ll have to spend the night here," muttered Hal while walking on a paved concrete path.

    Thanks to the scorching summer heat, his drenched clothing was almost dried out.

    The sun was about to sink completely into the ground. The sky was dyed orange by the rays of dusk. At this moment, night was about to fall upon this remote island.

    Roughly an hour had passed since Hal fell into the sea with Orihime and Luna Francois.

    After that, the trio had mounted the totally drenched fox-wolf''s back and discovered an isolated island several hundred meters away.

    They had to hurry to find dry land before night.

    Flying through the air towards the target, Akuro-Ou landed swiftly.

    Judging from what they could observe before landing, this island had a fair amount of area.

    Apart from that, they could see a few rooftops. While pondering that the total population could be less than a thousand, Hal asked Orihime to land at the pier, but...

    After circling around the pier''s immediate area, Hal came up with an idea.

    Meanwhile, walking by his side, Orihime smiled cheerfully.

    "Fortunately, there was an inhabited island nearby, thank goodness. Although I have no idea where this island is at all, it should be within Japan''s borders, right?"

    Orihime pointed at the stop sign reading "tomare." It was undoubtedly something from Japan.

    Hal looked at the sky. The darkness had intensified. Even though it was still early in the evening, he could recognize the Summer Triangle constellation whose corners were defined by the stars of Vega, Deneb and Altair.

    Incidentally, although it had been cloudy at noon, the sky was clear now.

    "Judging from the position of the stars, we probably haven''t gone too far away from the sea near Izu. Let''s pick a random home to enter and gather information."

    "Why not ask a resident directly?" Orihime asked with a wry smile after listening to Hal''s analysis.

    "Well, we''ll probably get treated as weirdos if we ask these types of questions. But I guess it''s still necessary to ask around. Moreover, we must take care of lodgings for tonight... Oh, but I didn''t bring my purse," said Orihime, suddenly making a pensive look as though something had occurred to her.

    "It would be a bit shameless, but do we have to resort to the ''please let us stay over for one night'' approach...?"

    "If it''s only accommodations, I do have enough money for that."

    "You are amazing, Haruga-kun!"

    "Rather than a work habit, it''s more like a occupational disease. It comes in handy once in a while."

    Haruga Haruomi was both a student and a treasure hunter.

    Hence, as a precaution against emergencies, he had already developed a habit of carrying bank notes of large denominations in various currencies including US dollars and credit cards in a waterproof container, hidden in either a shoe or a secret pocket in his pants. Doing this allowed him to enter all kinds of venues without money troubles as long as he was not trapped in some kind of uninhabited wilderness.

    "But it still hurts that I didn''t bring wireless radio or a satellite phone. Based on the current situation, they might be more useful after all..."

    Listening to Hal''s muttering, Orihime made a questioning look.

    In any case, he did not expect the beautiful and resilient Japanese beauty to have any major problems in either mental or physical stamina. Even confronted with this type of situation, she remained lively as ever. Although some level of unease was unavoidable, given who she was, she would probably overcome it straight away.

    On the other hand, whom he needed to worry about was the blonde Shootdown Ace instead.

    "Although I am not Asya, I still would like to have dinner first, if possible..."

    Luna Francois grumbled in exhaustion.

    Hal did not know if she was tired or conserving energy, but she had given up walking on her own. Instead, she had materialized Glinda in her smallest size, riding on her back for transportation.

    No matter what, the trio had just experienced various ordeals including fighting, swimming and drifting in the sea.

    Perhaps Luna Francois was the normal one for feeling utterly exhausted.

    "I must take a bath or a shower later. Ideally, a hot spring would be best... Followed by an air-conditioned room. Japanese summers are hot and stuffy, simply staying outside for too long makes me fatigued..."

    "After all, we had so much sweat today and even fell into the sea."

    Orihime smiled and concurred with the Luna Francois'' complaining.

    "Let''s hang in there a little longer, Luna-san. Even if there isn''t any air-conditioning, I think they''ll surely have electric fans."

    "I suppose you''re right... I must pull myself together even if we''ve arrived on an isolated island filled with obstinate, malicious and anti-social senior citizens. Look forward to it, Orihime-san. I shall make full use of my abilities to deceive encountered islanders and secure a cool and comfortable night for us!"

    "That''s the spirit. Although I can''t agree with everything you just said, that''s more like the Luna-san I know!"

    However, five minutes later, their hopes were dashed completely.

    Finally coming across a village where ten-odd homes were gathered, they could not see the slightest bit of lighting. The houses were separated by at least ten minutes of walking distance from one another. It seemed like a farming or fishing village no matter how you looked. More importantly, it did not feel like anyone was living here at all. They were all derelict and empty houses.

    Hal nodded.

    The fact that they could let Glinda walk openly on the road indicated several symptoms:

    First of all, they had not encountered a single islander on their way to this village. Secondly, it was already dark but no streetlights were lit. Thirdly, the few fishing boats moored at the pier were all in damaged and abandoned states. Fourthly, there was a subtle atmosphere of desolation on the island, etc¡ª

    Overhead, the night sky was so beautiful.

    The black night finally shrouded the desert island completely.

    Hal took out a penlight and made an inauspicious prediction.

    "Judging from appearances, island might''ve been uninhabited for many years already. Or due to population loss caused by dragon attacks nearby, it finally turned into an uninhabited island... That''s what it looks like."

    Lifelines such as water, electricity and gas had presumably stopped operating.

    Quite suddenly, the trio began a desert island adventure.

    Part 3

    "Anyway, this should be enough for basic equipment."

    Inside the first village they found, Hal went searching for an hour or so on his own.

    He handed to his two companions items he had gathered that seem like they could come in useful.

    Packs of dry cell batteries, two flashlights, bug spray, machetes, straw hats, old clothing such as t-shirts, towels, rags, Chinese cooking pots, a gas stove, gas canisters, soft drink-flavored bubble gum, biscuits sealed in a can, etc...

    He displayed the various spoils of his hunt, laid out on someone''s doorstep, illuminated by a flashlight.

    Watching this series of actions, Orihime remarked, quite impressed.

    "You seem very experienced as always, Haruga-kun."

    "How sharp of you, Juujouji. Actually, I''ve honed this type of skill in wastelands, raiding residences in classic RPG style."

    "You''re referring to opening people''s cupboards and taking items without permission, aren''t you...?"

    "I also got my hands on some intelligence too. Based on position, this island should lie within the Izu Islands area, which would put in the outskirts, relatively far from Japan proper."

    He had reached this conclusion by looking at maps and notepaper with addresses inside houses.

    If they were to ride a leviathan and fly into the sky, they could very likely find an inhabited island nearby. But since it was already dark, flying in the sky over the sea during night would be quite dangerous.

    Orihime said quietly, "Then for tonight, let''s stay on this island until dawn¡ª"

    "It''d definitely be safer. There are plenty of houses suitable for staying overnight."

    Hence, the three of them arrived in front of a certain house.

    While Hal had gone to ransack homes on his own, the girls had entered this house illegally and cleaned up the interior.

    "It was that rune just now that dragged us here¡ªIs that correct?"

    "I think so... Why couldn''t it have dragged us all the way to the Ogasawara Islands in the south? That way, we might''ve been able to contact the SDF base at Iwo Jima or the TPDO garrison for help."

    "Oh by the way, Luna-san, why don''t you try some of this food?"

    Pointing at the gathered provisions, Orihime asked the other girl present.

    Looking very demoralized, Luna Francois had her shoulders in a slump.

    "Though they might not be filling enough, the biscuits have not passed their expiry date. As for chewing gum, there shouldn''t be a shelf life limit."

    "Gum is a good idea. Humans can erase the feeling of an empty stomach just by chewing stuff."

    "Speaking of which, gum could replenish sugar too... Hmm, the biscuits are fine. They haven''t gone soft from humidity while the flavor is ordinary but still good. Come, Luna-san, have some too?"

    After eating a biscuit as a test first, she offered a second piece to Luna.

    It was quite fitting of Orihime''s style to keep her spirits up even in the face of adversity such as this. Despite having no survival experience on a desert island, her resilience was enough to put Hal and Asya to shame.

    Accepting the biscuit, Luna Francois murmured softly, "Harry aside, Orihime-san is quite adaptable too. Almost like Asya..."

    "Oh dear, you are flattering me too much."

    "But if you really had to compare, they might actually be equals."

    "Haruga-kun, please do not make comments that leave others at a loss on how to respond!"

    While encouraging Luna and arguing with Hal, Orihime spontaneously became the lubricant for the trio to get along. As someone good at looking after others, perhaps one third of it was intentional on her part. As for the remaining two thirds, one would attribute it to her inborn nature of kindness.

    On the other hand, there was the blonde girl who was neither naive nor would look after others¡ª

    "As a child of civilization, this is quite an ordeal. Despite what appearances may imply, I totally cannot tolerate life without these three things: baths, air-conditioning and automobiles."

    Putting on a rare expression of displeasure, she told the other two.

    Next, she turned to face Hal and grumbled with dissatisfaction, "Somehow you seem quite happy to me, Harry?"

    "Not at all. But looking at you right now, you probably don''t have any spare energy to set up some kind of honey trap. At least I can relax a bit for now."

    "How dare you say that when you were enjoying yourself so much previously..."

    "......"

    This silence undoubtedly signified tacit admission.

    However, the third person present, excluded from the topic, jumped in surprise upon hearing this sudden conversation.

    "Eh!? Luna-san did something of that sort to Haruga-kun?"

    "After all, I believe it is necessary to conquer Harry sooner and make him my captive," the blonde strategist sighed and explained to the dumbfounded Orihime.

    "Don''t tell me you have fallen for Haruga-kun!?"

    "Of course not. It is for a more practical reason. From the standpoint of combat strength, it would be advantageous if I became able to use the dragonslaying rune as well. This has been proven in the battle just now, right?"

    "I-I see. Thank goodness..."

    Orihime could not help but widen her eyes. She was probably surprised to learn that her experienced senior, the master-class witch, was pursuing practical interests with such frightening frankness. This sort of reaction was only natural for someone with an inborn conscience like Juujouji Orihime. However, Hal found her occasional furtive glances at him and look of relief a bit inexplicable.

    Meanwhile, Luna Francois spoke up in an annoyed tone of voice, "Now that we''ve reached this juncture, there is no helping it. I need to alter my approach."

    "You mean you''re terminating the plan for deceiving me into giving you the power of dragonbane?"

    "Of course not. Rather, the most pressing matter at hand is how to live comfortably on this uninhabited island. For this purpose, it is even more necessary to deceive you, Harry. By the way, I''ve been feeling thirsty for a while now. Then if feasible, I would like a bath as soon as possible."

    Then Luna Francois finally smiled elegantly.

    "If I spoil myself by offering a kiss to Harry''s cheek, would it speed up preparations for me?"

    "Actually, your desire for comfort without labor strikes a bit of a resonant chord in me, I quite like it. But if possible, could you make someone else a target...?"

    "Please regard this as an honor."

    While Hal felt his emotions stirring inside, Luna responded with a blooming smile.

    "You are the first man for me to acknowledge as valuable enough to exploit. On a global scale, I feel that the probability of a second one showing up would approach zero, so Harry, you might very well be ''number one'' and the ''only one.''"

    "Even if you speak as though quoting lyrics from Japanese pop music, it''s still useless."

    "Who cares? If it were some ordinary male in your place, I would''ve called Glinda. A single threat would''ve obtained instant obedience."

    It looked Luna Francois had recovered in spirit.

    Having never lived as a savage outside of civilization, she was gradually adapting to the situation in her own manner. Despite her ambitious declaration to use Hal, the fact that she said it out openly like a stern and seasoned veteran left Hal no choice but to smile wryly.

    Perhaps Orihime was thinking the same things as him. With an expression like a mother looking at a naughty child, she shrugged and said, "In that case, I''d feel bad leaving Haruga-kun to labor alone. Let me report to you that I''ve discovered something very awesome."

    Two hours later¡ª

    A well had been discovered outside the village. The water looked very clear and was perfectly drinkable after boiling. Water supply systems on remote islands were imperfect hence they were still using wells in contemporary times. This was quite fortunate for Hal and company.

    After drinking water, they rationed out the limited food to satisfy their hungry stomachs¡ª

    Splish splash, the sound of water.

    Next, Hal heard the two girls release sighs of relaxation from the bottom of their hearts.

    "Although today was so tiring, it currently feels like my fatigue is being swept away all at once..."

    "This is all thanks to you, Orihime-san... I originally thought that a bath would be an unreasonable demand, yet never did I expect we would be able to have a leisurely hot spring soak like this..."

    "Save your thanks for Akuro-Ou. I simply asked for her help..."

    "Don''t be so modest. The accomplishments of ''serpents'' belong to their partners'' credit. Hoo¡ª"

    "Hoo..."

    A natural hot spring had been discovered in the rock formations on the shore. Orihime and Luna Francois had come to this rustic secret bath to enjoy a healing moment for their minds and bodies.

    Chatting occasionally, the two of them exhaled in relaxation every now and then.

    Prior to this expedition, Orihime had read a travel guide for the Izu area.

    Since the Izu Islands were volcanic islands, there were many natural springs. While Haruga Haruomi was searching through houses, Orihime had recalled this fact and sent Akuro-Ou to search for hot springs on this island.

    In the end, the clever Akuro-Ou returned successfully with a report of a hot spring''s discovery.

    At this very moment, Orihime and Luna Francois were stretching their limbs, completely naked in the hot spring, thoroughly relaxing their minds and bodies. It was such bliss that it would not be an exaggeration to call it paradise on earth.

    "...Next, let''s pray that Haruga-kun won''t come here to engage in mischief."

    "...I knew it, we should''ve bound Harry''s hands and feet beforehand then added a blindfold so that he couldn''t engage in mischief even if he wanted to, right?"

    The two girls began to shift their conversation to the boy who was not present.

    After listening to Luna Francois'' overly radical proposal, Orihime smiled somewhat forcibly.

    "I-I think it should be fine? Although he is both closeted and perverted, losing control on occasion, at least he still holds himself to his claim of being a ''gentleman''..."

    "Losing control huh...? You are correct. I never expected to be seen in the nude by him in such a manner..."

    Perhaps recalling the commotion yesterday, Luna could not help but frown.

    Orihime looked a bit flustered for some reason. Suddenly, she raised the pitch of her voice and inquired, "L-Luna-san, you are in the process of seducing Haruga-kun, aren''t you!? Don''t tell me that circumstances yesterday were part of your plan!?"

    "Nothing of that sort. Although it''s true that I did consider manipulating him using a similar lure."

    "I-I see..."

    "Could Harry actually be a fearless fighter with an unexpected abundance of life experiences who dares to brazenly invade bathrooms? Based on my personal observation, his experience with women probably runs contrary to his twistedness in personality, simply at the level of a new recruit. Logically speaking, he shouldn''t have any real experience to speak of, but what is the truth?"

    "Th-That definitely is the impression that Haruga-kun gives..."

    "However, to be that calm in a situation surrounded by naked girls¡ªOrihime-san, could it be that you have secretly allowed Harry to earn experience points behind our backs, somewhere unbeknownst to us?"

    Luna Francois questioned in a tone of rationality that did not quite match the topic of conversation.

    Recalling various events over the past few months, Orihime was taken aback with shock. Whether Asya or her cousin Hazumi, she had too many secrets that must not be revealed to them. In any case, she had to hurry and respond, "W-What do you mean by that, Luna-san!?"

    "For example, didn''t you show your naked body generously to Harry?"

    "It was not generously! It was an accident. I simply forgot to cover myself for a moment because I was too worried about Haruga-kun!"

    "Even if you say that, Orihime-san, I''m afraid that at the current stage, you are the one who treats Harry as a member of the opposite sex the most."

    "I beg to differ. Think about it, isn''t there Asya-san too...?"

    "No way. She is the one person for which it is impossible whether physically or morally. Asya is a being that has transcended the likes of femininity or gender to reach the realm of Japanese house spirits."

    "Oh no... In my view, Asya-san is a very attractive girl..."

    "I already found it strange yesterday," said Hal, sitting cross-legged on a rock by the sea.

    He was roughly ten meters away from the bathing girls. There was massive rock blocking between him and the hot spring, preventing him from seeing anything. He was talking to Hinokagutsuchi who had materialized again after a day''s interval.

    The same as last time, he was at a distance where he could hurry to the rescue as soon as any kind of trouble occurred.

    The attack yesterday had taken place during bath time too. Hal had the magic gun on his lap while he stayed vigilant of surroundings.

    "Despite liking girls so much, you don''t enter the female bath very often."

    "Pay it no mind. This is simply a principle of mine. Whenever I summon a girl to the bath, I must not stop until I have given every inch of her skin some loving..."

    "How can anyone not be curious about the life of a queen that lives with such a principle!"

    Shocked by the unexpected answer, Hal changed the subject.

    "By the way, I still have many questions about you guys. Whether Genbu-Ou from a while back or the octopus dragon earlier, do the minions of dragon kings include other creatures in addition to dragons?"

    "Fufufu. About that huh¡ª"

    "Those things earlier are close relatives of dragon subspecies, right? Namely, imitations of dragons. In other words, the same as the leviathans of humans¡ª"

    "Yes. They are creatures created by a mystic ritual for synthesizing fake dragons."

    After smirking, Hinokagutsuchi said quietly, "Even contemporary humans are able to synthesize immature ''forgeries.'' The same goes for your forefathers. It stands to reason that we dragon kings are capable of using the same art."

    "I knew it."

    "Naturally, our creations are superior and closer to gods. Especially the likes of Genbu-Ou, a ''forgery'' bestowed with a goddess'' semblance and conferred a power that even ordinary dragons are unable to use freely."

    Hal nodded greatly.

    Hinokagutsuchi was a valuable source of information but was unsuitable as a teacher.

    Hence, Hal aimed for Hinokagutsuchi''s rare and talkative moments.

    Due to her personality, she found it tedious when asked to instruct others earnestly in detail. Even if he requested that she "tell everything she knew without omission, disclosing with honesty and efficiency," he would not get a serious answer.

    His only recourse was to pose questions when she was in a good mood, then organize the obtained information afterwards.

    "Why choose subspecies for minions instead of Raptors or elites...?"

    "Hmph. Speaking of dragons¡ªespecially the pureblooded¡ªmore often than not, they are rash and hot-blooded. Except for attacking and fighting, missions are rarely accomplished even when orders are issued."

    At this point, Hinokagutsuchi changed the subject.

    "Putting that aside, how about the reason you were attacked?"

    "Reason?"

    "I am referring to the signpost. It has been confirmed during yesterday''s incident that it is a piece someone had chipped off the Dragon Palace Court''s shell to create a whistle. By pouring magical power into it, sound will be transmitted to the Dragon Palace Court."

    "What court? Is that the official name of the Dragon Palace where you used to live?"

    "Yes. As long as the sound transmits successfully, the Dragon Palace Court will head over to welcome the user."

    "You make it sound like your palace is a mobile castle. But why did tentacled monsters come to welcome us?"

    "Indeed. Precisely because of that, it raises a question."

    Hinokagutsuchi scoffed furiously, looking quite displeased.

    "The queen has not lived in the Dragon Palace Court for almost a millennium. Some lowly peasant from somewhere has taken advantage of the master''s absence to take up residence until now... Not entirely implausible."

    "Feeling guilty when suddenly hearing the transmitted sound, that guy sent a subordinate, the tentacled squid to scout¡ª"

    "Yes, that is very likely too."

    The former dragon queen nodded in agreement with Hal''s speculation.

    But as luck would have it, the Dragon Palace Court''s new master turned out to be a successor of dragonslaying power¡ª

    "By the way, where did we put that signpost stone later on...?"

    Hal and company had obtained the signpost to the Dragon Palace two days earlier.

    The situation had been a mess after falling into the sea. He had almost forgotten about t.

    Hal traced back his memories. At noon today, the group had held a meeting in the cabin and placed the signpost stone on the table. During that time, Luna definitely picked it up. After that, they had detected the incoming enemy and exited the cabin¡ªThat should be what happened.

    "Is that stone still in Luna''s possession?"

    No sooner had Hal spoke than the magic gun on his lap suddenly vibrated.

    This was a warning. A wielder of extremely strong magical power was approaching. Hal quickly looked out at sea then gulped.

    The pitch-black Pacific Ocean was illuminated by the bright moon and the stars.

    A gigantic turtle, as big as a small mountain, had appeared on the sea surface. It was very similar in form as the hundred-meter-long minion, Genbu-Ou, that had served Princess Yukikaze.

    However, the total length of the monster this time was at least a kilometer. It was like a small mobile island.

    Upon closer examination, the surface of the monster''s carapace was extremely level, like flattened land.

    On that vast space were symmetrical buildings of varying sizes to form the scenery of a spectacular palace. The architecture was probably based on ancient Chinese styles.

    All rooftops were covered with golden glazed tiles.

    The pillars and railings were all built using white jade.

    And in the center¡ªa entire road was laid in a straight line from the back of the gigantic turtle''s head to its tail. Along the road, several large gates and a magnificent main palace had been constructed in an orderly design.

    "Hmm, no mistake about it. That there is the Dragon Palace Court... The minion that used to serve as my residence," said Hinokagutsuchi softly.

    As predicted, it was minion belonging to the same lineage as Genbu-Ou.

    However, the size difference between them was out of this world. Hal was rendered speechless.

    Part 4

    Hinokagutsuchi suddenly vanished with the Dragon Palace Court''s entry to the stage.

    In exchange, the magical power in the magic gun surged higher than usual. As soon as she saw the imminent battle, Hinokagutsuchi had suppressed her consciousness to transfer all magical power to the weapon known as the "magic wand."

    Hal nodded and ran towards the natural hot spring.

    He could not predict what move the unknown usurper or dragon king with indeterminate motive would make. He must reunite with his companions as soon as possible!

    Then Hal reached the hot spring''s edge¡ª

    "Haruga-kun, look at that!"

    "Yeah, I know. Any unusual circumstances?"

    "None. Say, Harry, aren''t you a little disappointed?"

    "......"

    At the hot spring in the rocks facing the sea, the two girls were already on high alert.

    Approaching the shore of the rock formation, out in the distance was the dreadnought-class giant turtle monster. Orihime pointed at the massive body with her finger while Luna Francois showed a tense expression.

    The two girls were tightly wrapped in bath towels to cover up their naked bodies.

    Incidentally, these bath towels had been found by Hal earlier while searching through the houses.

    "I-I am not disappointed. I was just thinking how prepared you two were."

    "It hasn''t even been a day after all. We have been vigilant the whole time, taking precautions against weird dragons or Haruga-kun that could appear any moment."

    "This is called ''better safe than sorry,'' Harry."

    After the girls finished speaking calmly, Hal refreshed his mindset.

    It was admittedly worth celebrating the fact that they had finished preparing to attack, however, despite having been wrapped around their upper torsos, the bath towels still could not completely hide the cleavage and voluptuous busts that belonged only to these two girls. Their thighs and feet were also exposed to a dazzling degree...!

    Naturally, Hal did not let these lustful thoughts show on the outside. He tensed his facial expression and said, "Juujouji, please summon Akuro-Ou."

    "Yes, leave it to me!"

    The white nine-tailed fox-wolf instantly appeared in the night sky above the remote island.

    However, just as Akuro-Ou showed up, another magic circle also appeared in the air above the Dragon Palace Court.

    Platinum-colored light traced out a triangle with dozens of Ruruk Soun runes arranged in a circle to surround the magic circle, rivaling Akuro-Ou in size.

    The triangle instantly transformed into an octopus-headed dragon subspecies.

    Not only that, a pair of them were attacking right off the bat this time!

    "Two against one¡ªHaruga-kun, please pass the power of the rune to me and Akuro-Ou!"

    Naturally, he had no reason to refuse a request from Orihime.

    As soon as Hal recited an incantation, the Rune of the Bow surfaced on Orihime''s right hand. A black arrowhead appeared on the tip of each of Akuro-Ou''s nine tails.

    Accompanied by the nine arrowheads, Akuro-Ou flew at the two enemies.

    "Akuro-Ou, use fire magic and the Bow''s power simultaneously to greet them with a finishing move! In a fight, the first strike is the most important!"

    Orihime commanded forcefully. With the Rune of the Chain at their disposal, of course the enemies could not be defeated easily. Orihime must have issued her orders after careful contemplation.

    Using a powerful attack to restrain the enemy from the get go, meanwhile gauging the enemy''s strength¡ª

    This was probably her plan. A novice witch whose career had only begun a few short months ago and also a kendo girl who had won a national tournament, she was steadily accumulating concrete combat experience.

    Led by Akuro-Ou, the nine arrowheads began to burn intensely.

    Thus, the arrowheads turned into burning projectiles to attack the two octopus-headed dragons.

    The nine flames struck their targets with surprising accuracy. Four of the arrowheads connected with the first dragon while the other five pierced the second, defeating and incinerating them, resulting in a giant explosion.

    The two octopus-headed dragons were crushed in an instant, rendered into flaming charcoal.

    " " "!?" " "

    Faced with this landslide victory, Hal, Orihime and Luna Francois could not help but stare wide-eyed.

    But at that very instant, the sound of clanging chains appeared. Apart from that, they could hear the chain user''s mantra¡ªA dragonslaying incantation.

    "I hereby pray to my seal that shines in the sea of stars, the Chain of Heavenly Imprisonment. Grant me power to enslave yonder female dragon."

    The enemy recited quietly in a gloomy voice.

    An iron chain suddenly flew in with a square counterweight on its tip.

    With lightning speed, the chain wrapped around Orihime, who was clothed in nothing but a towel, immobilizing her in merely an instant.

    "Kyahhhhhhh!?"

    Leaving a scream behind, the improperly dressed Orihime vanished just like that.

    Orihime had suddenly gone missing. Immediately, her newly victorious partner, Akuro-Ou, also disappeared from the sky.

    Seeing Orihime and Akuro-Ou vanish, Hal''s mind instantly went blank.

    With irrepressible rage, he stared at Orihime''s former location, then the iron chain, all the way to the opponent wielding this chain¡ªThe enemy had shown up extremely up close by the time he noticed.

    The "chain user" was standing on a rock merely a couple meters away.

    "¡ª!"

    Hal raised his gun to shoot without saying a word, aiming for the user''s heart.

    However, the bullets were deflected by a pearly barrier. Obviously, that was imperishable protection.

    Surrounded by imperishable protection, the chain user was standing on two legs, featured a pair of arms, but was covered with scales. The face and head were like a ferocious reptile''s. A pair of dragon wings sprouted from the back.

    A Draconian.

    This was a half-human half-dragon form that elite dragons took on through magic.

    A body colored gray on the surface, dressed in a black robe. The gray Draconian was gripping one end of the long chain in his hand, presumably the manifestation of the Rune of the Chain similar to Hal''s magic gun.

    The iron chain was roughly ten-odd meters in length.

    Like a living snake, it writhed about.

    Currently, it was coiled in a spiral. The counterweighted tip quivered rhythmically like a snake''s head and formed an arch.

    "What did you do with Juujouji...?"

    "Valuable treasure should fall into the hands of the worthy. Nothing more than that."

    Hal asked in a low voice and the gray Draconian replied gloomily.

    By touching his magic gun''s body with his left hand, Hal could still clearly sense his vassal bond with Akuro-Ou and Orihime. They were probably imprisoned rather than killed off.

    Hal nodded greatly and aimed his gun at the chain user again.

    "I''m not opposed to talking if there''s room for negotiation, you know?"

    "Foolish. Are you a newcomer ignorant of the ways of the dragons? Tyrannos of the Bow."

    The ways of the dragons¡ªNeedless to say, that meant fighting.

    Normally, Hal would never go along with a taunt so easily. But now that Juujouji Orihime had been captured, he pulled the trigger with surprising readiness.

    Gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat!

    Fully automatic fire. This was the technique of assured annihilation that instantly consumed thirty bullets.

    Since he had chosen to resist through violent means, it would be pointless to retaliate without sufficient force.

    However, in response to this technique of assured annihilation¡ª

    "O Chain of Heavenly Imprisonment. Depict a ring to manifest the fortress of stars!"

    The Draconian chain user pulled out his own trump card.

    The chain activated again and clanged, turning into a spiral to encircle him. It looked almost like a spiraling vortex of stars.

    The spiral chain completely blocked the thirty bullets shot with fully automatic fire!

    "No effect at all!?"

    Informed by the magic gun, Hal was shocked.

    The Rune of the Chain was definitely not an easy power of dragonbane to control, if simply used for offense. After all, as the manifestation of a "chain," it could not be used purely as a weapon. Conversely, a chain was suitable for special purposes such as binding, sealing or defense...

    "Meaning it''s the transforming type?"

    While muttering softly, Hal noticed something else.

    Could this Draconian chain user be a dragon king instead of a Tyrannos?

    In the past, when Hinokagutsuchi saw the radiance given off by Pavel Galad, the user of the Rune of the Sword, she had exposed the fact that he was not a dragon king. This time, Hal had witnessed the Rune of the Chain multiple times. Its platinum-colored splendor was much more powerful than his own or Galad''s...

    He had zero remaining ammunition whereas the only "serpent," Glinda, could not oppose a dragonslayer.

    Furthermore, if the enemy was dragon king-class¡ªHal exhaled deeply. In that case, he had no choice but to unleash everything he was capable of.

    "Harry, if the situation turns desperate, I could send Glinda on a suicide run to secure an escape route."

    "Thanks. In the worst-case scenario, we might really have to do that, then I''m counting on you when the time comes. But in a word, let''s try out my final trump card first..."

    He thanked Luna, whose tone of voice was nervous and stiff rather than calm.

    Hal forcefully focused his consciousness on his own heart. This was the organ that had merged with the heartmetal of the Crimson Queen¡ªHinokagutsuchi in the past¡ªa month ago.

    "I''m counting on you. Serve as my limbs, Queen!"

    After Hal shouted with all his strength, a crimson dragon immediately appeared in front of him.

    This was the most ferocious entity known to Hal. Not only did the body exceed twenty meters in length, but the head also had nine golden horns standing upright like a crown, the chest area had ossified into an exoskeleton that shone with golden light.

    Hal activated the "power to control the Crimson Queen" which he had obtained a month earlier together with the heartmetal.

    "Hmm? Could the Crimson Queen have survived to this day... No."

    Witnessing the return of the former dragon king, the Draconian chain user muttered quietly.

    "Not only has the Tyrannos stolen the Rune of the Bow but also her remains. What a heartrending story."

    "Screw that! It was a legitimate deal with mutual agreement!"

    With a shout, Hal activated the will to attack.

    The Crimson Queen instantly swung her right forelimb. The five sharp claws slammed down at the chain user, ready to tear him apart.

    The enemy defended differently against this attack.

    The Draconian chain user''s body suddenly expanded, turning back into a dragon''s form. Using his forelimb, he pushed the queen''s sharp claws away.

    "Now that I have to face the Crimson Queen, a corpse she may be... I must take to the battle in my former appearance."

    The chain user used an elite dragon''s body and stance to declare boldly.

    A body surface of gray. In terms of physique, he seemed more delicate than any elite that Hal had encountered so far, but there was no impression of weakness at all. The aura exuded would be more akin to that of a slim but sharp blade.

    And by the gray dragon''s side¡ª

    A gigantic chain matching the size of his massive body, arched in a sickle shape like a snake''s neck, coiled around his body.

    "This pressure... Can only be matched by the white dragon king encountered last time."

    Luna Francois murmured stiffly.

    The gray dragon''s elite body was shrouded in strong magical power. Combined with the ferocity and stern dignity exuded from his entire body, he did not seem inferior to Princess Yukikaze or the Crimson Queen at all.

    So the enemy was dragon king-class after all¡ª?

    Hal frowned intensely. Although he had resurrected the Crimson Queen successfully, it was only temporary. Although he was not an Ultra warrior from a certain Land of Light, the combat duration was limited to only three minutes or so.

    Beyond this time limit, the queen''s body would naturally crumble.

    Aware of the odds stacked against him, Hal suddenly felt the magic gun in his hand vibrate. A warning¡ªNo, the "wand" serving as his guide to the magic wanted to tell him something?

    It was almost like a reminder to him to further discern the enemy''s true nature¡ª

    Just as Hal focused his eyes to stare, the gray enemy spoke up, "O Tyrannos of the Bow, let us postpone this battle and select an alternative time. I also request this as a gesture of respect towards the queen''s remains that you control."

    Five runes of Ruruk Soun appeared in front of the gray dragon.

    This arrangement signified "shadow transformation." Soon after, his gigantic body turned into black mist, instantly dissipating his physical form.

    "You are the puppeteer who controls the false queen. I am but a shadow of a past dragon king. With neither side completely prepared, there is no haste to decide the victor between us..."

    "You call yourself the shadow of a dragon king? What is your name¡ª"

    "I am the Gray Aristocrat. Chase after me if that is your intent, but I shall strike back mercilessly. All the female dragons in your possession shall become mine after I defeat you, a perfectly welcome outcome..."

    The black mist, still a dragon ten-odd seconds earlier, slowly moved out to sea.

    What lay ahead of him was the Dragon Palace Court, the magnificent palace built on top of a island-like carapace, the minion that had been serving the Crimson Queen until eight centuries ago.

    After introducing himself as the Gray Aristocrat, the chain user drifted into the palace in the form of mist.

    Now that Orihime and Akuro-Ou had been abducted by that dragon(?), Hal was confronted by a development completely different from his anticipations before setting off on this expedition.

 Volume 4, 5 - Battle at the Dragon Palace Court

    Volume 4, Chapter 5 - Battle at the Dragon Palace Court

    Part 1

    Bound by the dragonslaying chain, Juujouji Orihime became a captive.

    The instant she was captured by the gray Draconian by a technique of assured annihilation, her vision went dark, but¡ª

    As soon as she opened her eyes, she was greeted by a vast sky filled with stars.

    Orihime slowly got up. She did not know how much time had gone by, but it seemed like she had been sleeping. By the time she noticed, she found herself on a stone-paved road. This seemed to be somewhere at a plaza.

    In the surroundings were a number of wooden buildings.

    Each building was grand and luxuriant. Rooftops were adorned with golden glazed tiles. Carvings of dragons and phoenixes were everywhere. White jade was used abundantly as stone for construction. Evocative of ancient Chinese architecture, the buildings seemed quite similar to the view of the Dragon Palace Court witnessed at the shore earlier.

    Next, Orihime began to examine her own body. The bath towel wrapped around her was about to fall off, so she hastily fastened it.

    "Sure enough, I''ve been taken to Kagutsuchi-san''s castle...?"

    Orihime had just woken up, so her thoughts were still hazy.

    Then she noticed. She was not the only one present at the plaza.

    The ten-odd-meter long white nine-tailed fox-wolf''s massive body was also lying on the ground. A long and thick metal chain was wrapped around her neck and body several times over, imprisoning her securely.

    "Akuro-Ou!"

    Her partner called out softly in response to Orihime''s cry.

    Akuro-Ou''s voice and demeanor were very grim, clearly not in a good mood. Orihime stood up and tried to walk over to the giant white body when a clang was heard at her feet.

    Like Akuro-Ou, she had been restrained too. Not only that, the other end of the prisoner''s chain was held in the gray Draconian''s hand¡ª

    "You have woken? Priestess of the mortal race."

    The Draconian chain user spoke in a gloomy voice.

    "I am your new owner¡ªThe Gray Aristocrat. Offer your body and your life in totality to me."

    "Th-The Gray Aristocrat?"

    Another elite dragon Tyrannos¡ªor dragon king¡ªhad arrived.

    Meanwhile, a breeze blew by, carrying the smell of the sea. The gigantic dreadnought-class turtle with a magnificent palace on its carapace was presumably floating leisurely in the ocean under the night sky.

    While in doubt, Orihime asked, "You call yourself my owner. What do you intend to do with my Akuro-Ou?"

    "A foolish question. The blood of female dragons is a rare panacea. You need not worry about a lack of uses."

    The Gray Aristocrat looked at the captured Orihime and Akuro-Ou.

    "To confirm the identity of the one making suspicious summons, I tried sending a minion to investigate¡ªand ended up encountering the Tyrannos of the Bow. A rather unfortunate turn of events. However, considering this good opportunity allowed me to obtain precious female dragon blood, I suppose it was fortunate too."

    "Blood¡ª"

    Orihime remembered. Several months earlier, an elite dragon had captured her cousin Hazumi and her partner Minadzuki, just like her current situation.

    At the time, the severely injured Soth had recovered by drinking Minadzuki''s blood.

    (In other words, this dragon aims to do the same? But he clearly doesn''t look injured?)

    The questions and thoughts in Orihime''s mind accelerated.

    Naturally, she had no intention of obediently giving blood to help the Gray Aristocrat. She wanted to find an opening to escape with Akuro-Ou, but the problem was¡ª

    The Gray Aristocrat was holding the chain imprisoning Orihime.

    His left hand was free but he opened and closed it repeatedly. Every time the Gray Aristocrat opened his palm, the five clawed fingers would move restlessly, as though doing warm-ups. Warm-up exercises for tearing apart the human before him¡ª

    Orihime tried to imagine.

    If the very mysterious Gray Aristocrat was planning to hold the blood extraction ritual now instead of some day, trying to find an opening would be virtually impossible. Furthermore, he was also staring at Orihime intently with morose eyes like a mad scientist about to perform a dissection experiment!

    "Uh, can I ask a question just out of curiosity? When is that ritual scheduled to begin...?"

    "The creation of the Ruruk Soun magic circle for performing the ritual is in progress. It might reach completion before daybreak perhaps..."

    Orihime asked her question in trepidation but the Gray Aristocrat answered with surprising honesty.

    However, what she received was a most ominous result. Orihime hastily tried to make a suggestion.

    "I-I think rushing things would be bad, don''t you agree? Think about it, Haruga-kun¡ªmy friend¡ªmight be invading this place to take me back, right!?"

    "This possibility is within my expectations. When the time comes, I shall simply intercept him accordingly."

    The Gray Aristocrat''s low voice was gloomy yet calm and staid.

    A crisis with no way out for Orihime seemed to be brewing without impediment. The ritual would most likely be held several hours later. Orihime gulped and held her breath.

    After Orihime''s abduction and the Gray Aristocrat''s retreat, roughly two hours passed. Dawn had yet to arrive.

    The Dragon Palace Court slowly advanced across the ocean during the night, gradually leaving the island.

    The magnificent palace had been erected on its carapace. Its only illumination was the faint moonlight and starlight cast down from the night sky.

    However, this world was different from urban environments. There were no artificial light sources to blind one''s eyes.

    The Dragon Palace Court''s scenery was filled with dreamy light. This was plenty bright enough.

    Hal and Luna Francois were on a corner of the Dragon Palace Court¡ªnear the giant turtle''s hip connected to the left hind leg.

    "At first glance, my impression is that the area is roughly fifteen times that of the Tokyo Dome from the last century. At a rough estimate, there are eight hundred to a thousand buildings."

    "The scale is comparable to the Forbidden City at Beijing."

    Both of them showed very focused expressions. The infiltration operation was halfway through. They needed to search the Dragon Palace Court''s interior and rescue the abducted Juujouji Orihime without the enemy discovering them¡ª

    Within the premises whose area covered fifteen Tokyo Domes was neatly organized city with perpendicular roads intersecting like lines on a chessboard.

    The large number of buildings were sufficiently spaced out, allowing for excellent visibility.

    "Anyway, let''s first locate Juujouji and Akuro-Ou."

    Hal used a number of searching spells such as Enemy Detection and Sense Magical Power.

    However, he did not get any result because the entire Dragon Palace Court had been enchanted with magic to interfere with magical means of searching and detection.

    "He is called the Gray Aristocrat, isn''t he? Of course, he must have cast this magic... Looks like he intends to intercept us inside this Dragon Palace Court," replied Luna Francois.

    In fact, back when the Gray Aristocrat vanished, Hal had froze for a minute or two.

    ''Harry! Let us sneak in over there straight away!'' Luna had said to him immediately at the time.

    The Dragon Palace Court was capable of moving anywhere freely across the vast ocean. Once lost, it would be very hard to pick up its trail quickly again. If they wanted to rescue Orihime as quickly as possible, there was no time to waste here.

    Luna''s suggestion was clearly based on this reason.

    Hence, Hal and Luna attempted to infiltrate the Dragon Palace Court.

    Luna had shrunk Glinda to minimum size for her and Hal to ride. Hal also cast his specialty spells, Sound Suppression, Visual Interference and Olfactory Nullification, contributing to the stealth operation''s success.

    Haruga Haruomi was in possession of a dragon king-class heartmetal as well as this "wand," the magic gun.

    Probably thanks to them, Hal had somehow become able to cast spells at a level approaching the strength of elite dragons, as long as it was magic he specialized in.

    Glinda flew silently and approached the Dragon Palace Court that was moving away from the island.

    She delivered Hal and Luna Francois to the destination safely.

    Furthermore, the three-headed lion had de-materialized and was no longer by their side. Hal said to the only person accompanying him, Luna Francois, "Let''s celebrate our successful infiltration of the enemy camp first. If this crazy huge turtle dives into the sea, we''re going to be helpless."

    "The Dragon Palace Court is quite massive," Hal''s magic gun suddenly whispered. It was Hinokagutsuchi''s voice.

    "Consequently, its movements are very slow too. Simply reaching the outer sea will take a long time."

    During the battle against the Gray Aristocrat, Hinokagutsuchi had banished her consciousness to strengthen the magic gun. She had apparently woken up at some point.

    At this moment, Hal noticed something.

    There was a transparent force field deployed around the Dragon Palace Court, as though shrouding the gigantic body.

    Very similar to imperishable protection¡ªHal recalled the pearly defensive field that he was able to use.

    In fact, this seemed to be a similar magical barrier. Once the surrounded by the transparent force field, the Dragon Palace Court started to sink gradually into the sea.

    Blocked by the force field, the seawater could not reach the interior of the palace.

    By the time they noticed, the Dragon Palace Court''s gigantic body was fully submerged in the sea.

    Until just now, Hal and company still had the starry sky over their heads. Now, it was replaced by seawater that shone faintly from the moon and the stars'' light. The Dragon Palace Court was apparently moving slowly just under the sea surface.

    The Dragon Palace Court seemed even more fantastical than under direct moonlight.

    Even so, Luna Francois'' quiet comment was ordinary and mundane.

    "The seawater isn''t flowing in despite the entire place submerging. Oxygen is definitely maintained too."

    "It''s already amazing how wooden buildings from a thousand years ago have been preserved this perfectly. I can''t believe the waterproof function and air-conditioning equipment are both flawless. Definitely a great bargain for its price."

    "Let me state for the record, brat. Imperishable protection can achieve the same thing."

    Hal''s comment was equally unimaginative. On the other hand, Hinokagutsuchi provided a piece of trivia.

    At this moment, the blonde witch coughed to clear her throat and change the subject.

    "It is very likely that the Gray Aristocrat is waiting for us inside the palace, isn''t it? Meaning that he reasoned that he could win inside the Dragon Palace Court even though he had clearly avoided a showdown against Harry just now. Why is that?"

    "Now that you mentioned it, I think he called himself ''the shadow of a dragon king'' or something like that."

    "Hmph. A witty way of putting things but simply stated, he is no different from I."

    "...Oh!"

    Hal nodded after listening to Hinokagutsuchi. Another sloppy hint, but at least the riddle was not too difficult to figure out.

    "The Gray Aristocrat could be considered my longtime friend. I heard that he had met his demise somewhere far away a long time ago... But apparently not."

    "So just like you, he refuses to accept death gracefully huh?"

    "Indeed. With this, it is now deducible why the Gray Aristocrat has chosen to make this Dragon Palace Court his residence."

    "It''s more comfortable to stay at a place where magical power is concentrated? Like the Witch Mansion at Shin-Kiba where you used to live before encountering me..."

    "Not only that, but he most likely has the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal in his grasp."

    Hal tried to imagine. The Dragon Palace Court was the same kind of super creature as Genbu-Ou, so its heartmetal was able to produce massive amounts of magical power. In other words, was the Gray Aristocrat planning to use this power to intercept Haruga Haruomi?

    Luna Francois nodded too.

    "This is why the Gray Aristocrat retreated so readily, hoping to lure Harry to this place. He believes that it would be advantageous instead to shift the battlefield to the Dragon Palace Court..."

    "Isn''t that like a boxer who''s bad at footwork...?"

    A boxer deprived of the functionality of his legs would be forced to engage at close range in a clumsy exchange of blows. Precisely because of that, the Gray Aristocrat would temporarily retreat from Hal''s presence, returning to his home field for an advantage.

    "This is all that I have noticed. The rest is up to you two."

    The magic gun fell silent again as Hinokagutsuchi''s consciousness returned to slumber.

    Hal first began to ponder the massive palace''s layout.

    The Dragon Palace Court was standing on top of a spacious carapace. At the center were several palace buildings that looked like they would be used for administrative purposes. Near the base of the giant turtle''s neck were close to ten small palaces packed together densely in a line, probably the harem built for the queen.

    "To conquer this dungeon, there''s no way to skip through the process."

    "Indeed. Orihime-san and Akuro-Ou''s situation is worrying, so I really wouldn''t want to spend time exploring a maze."

    "However, a dragon probably won''t be using the captured Juujouji as a hostage."

    "It''s only during times like these that I feel grateful that elite dragons are so obsessed with battle..."

    At this moment, Hal sat down on the ground instead.

    Rather than moving recklessly, he needed to think first. Luna probably thought the same thing as Hal. She sat down next to Hal, stretching out her slender and pale legs.

    "We should avoid engaging the Gray Aristocrat in combat now that he has returned to home turf. He is probably able to extract magical power from the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal to fully bring out a former dragon king''s power."

    "However, this ''reliance on the heartmetal'' is also the enemy''s weakness," Hal pointed this out and shrugged.

    "Although we don''t have enough manpower to take advantage of openings."

    "Even if you can materialize the Crimson Queen, Harry, the operational duration isn''t long."

    Luna Francois remarked softly with what seemed like a sulking expression.

    She was probably unhappy with the current situation where she still could not contribute to combat potential when facing a dragon king-class opponent. However, Luna''s expression suddenly relaxed and she cast a probing gaze at Hal.

    "Hey Harry, lately it seems like you''ve been getting tired easily, right?"

    Part 2

    "I''ve been staying up every night because of too many things to do recently."

    Hal fell silent for a while before replying.

    Hal took care to make his tone as laid back as possible because he had sensed a vague idea of Luna Francois'' intent in asking this question. However, the blonde witch continued, "That''s something only an older man in his thirties or forties would say. However, Harry, you are only a teenage boy. At your age, you should be able to work for at least half a year sustained by two-hour naps, right?"

    "That type of work environment would be too exploitative, right? It''s not like I''m a manga artist or working at a game company."

    "Rather than overwork or life habits, would obtaining the ''queen''s power'' be the biggest factor contributing to your state of fatigue?"

    "......"

    "The start of your tardiness at school also coincided with the conclusion of the battle against Princess Yukikaze."

    Luna jokingly directed the conversation in another direction then cut straight to the chase.

    Hal himself had suspected the same possibility too. However, he felt very hesitant about discussing the matter with his comrades, which was why he could not make up his mind to bring it up.

    Hal fell silent and placed his hand on his chest.

    The heartmetal that used to reside within the Crimson Queen was now located here.

    "More verification is required for that issue, so let us talk about something else first. However, Harry, when the time is ripe, you must confront this problem properly, okay? I will do everything I can to assist you when the time comes."

    "...Thanks."

    "In any case, it would be best to avoid using the queen''s power indiscriminately. Keep it in reserve as a trump card for critical moments, do you understand?"

    The witch who was supposed to be crafty and calculating was being considerate in a very humane manner. Perhaps feeling embarrassed about that herself, Luna Francois sounded slightly displeased in her tone.

    Hal found this a little strange. At the same time, he could not help but grin.

    More clever than anyone, Luna only showed awkwardness in times like these¡ª

    "By the way, Harry, were you looking at my legs just now?"

    "Huh!?"

    Luna suddenly tossed out a bomb, putting Hal in a state of confusion.

    The two of them were seated side by side on a temple''s stone steps to chat.

    Hal was sitting cross-legged while Luna had her legs outstretched. During this time, Hal always faced forward with a serious look on his face except that his gaze would unintentionally drift to the side.

    Because the blonde beauty next to him kept entering his field of vision.

    Luna Francois was wearing her trademark outfit¡ªa black one-piece dress with short sleeves.

    Beneath the dress was a purple camisole. The bold low-cut neckline was very seductive indeed, but the high-slit skirt was also very important.

    Exposed from the high slit were her pale and voluptuous thighs as well as her striking and slender bare feet.

    Furthermore, Luna was wearing cool sandals appropriate for summer instead of shoes. As a result, Hal could also see Luna''s toenails, painted beautifully pink and perfectly pedicured...

    "Th-This is a man''s nature, to be attracted like bees to honey!"

    Hal reflexively explained to Luna who was showing an aghast look.

    "But didn''t you mention before? You said that enjoying skinship was also part of the lovers game. Since that''s the case, my behavior just now shouldn''t be any problem at all¡ª"

    "That was just business talk, merely one of hundred lies I told to deceive you, Harry."

    Luna''s beautiful face scowled in displeasure, causing Hal to stare dumbfounded.

    "You admitted it so readily!? Oh well, I did expect that to be most likely the case."

    "Even so, Harry, you still leered at my beautiful legs. Not only that, you even committed the atrocious act of violating my precious naked body with your lewd stares like a beast at the open-air hot spring. Given such truly deplorable behavior, you ought to be called an utter scumbag."

    "You don''t have to reject my character that much..."

    "Let alone reject, I can even assassinate your character without the slightest weight on my conscience, you know?"

    Despite the smile hanging on the corners of her lips, Luna''s eyes were filled with disdain and silent fury.

    "Only if I encounter a man of astronomically unlikely perfection and I happen to be in the mood, would I permit a man to admire my artistic masterpiece of a body... And to think you dared to steal a glimpse under those circumstances, you are truly a thief, Harry. I should simply call my lawyers to sue you."

    "It''s not like I stole something from you..."

    Hal muttered poignantly and asked Luna, "By the way, what kind of man would be okay in your view?"

    "I am not picky on appearances. Conversely, a man must not be deficient in any of the following areas: age, talent, quick wits, status, wealth, open-mindedness. Furthermore, I would not even consider anyone who won''t allow me to live freely as I please."

    "Do men like that actually exist on Earth!?"

    "I don''t care. Even if I have to spend my life single, I am totally fine with it."

    Confronted with the girl and her free-flowing opinions, Hal spontaneously found himself smiling wryly.

    The witch''s speech was obnoxious and her personality could hardly be described as gentle. Luna Francois had finally abandoned her deliberate facade of friendliness to offer harsh words to Hal.

    But incredibly, Hal found it easier to get along with her this way than when her attempts at "seduction."

    Probably because this could be considered a state of honesty in a certain sense.

    Indeed, whether Hal or Luna, they were mutually¡ªAt that very instant, Hal was suddenly certain. It might be possible now.

    He extended his right hand at the girl sitting beside him.

    The Rune of the Bow appeared in his palm. Looking at Hal''s palm, Luna Francois made a look of comprehension. Then after slight hesitation, she silently reached out with her left hand¡ª

    Their hands joined together.

    Immediately, the Rune of the Bow surfaced on the back of Luna''s left hand. The covenant was established.

    "Somehow, it feels so easy to the point of anti-climactic..."

    "But the process was very convoluted."

    The witch whispered weakly whereas Hal shrugged his shoulders. However, his thoughts accelerated all at once now that he had acquired new combat potential.

    In the next instant, the two of them got up almost simultaneously and spoke swiftly.

    "Luna, perfect timing. Let''s reward him with a spectacular attack."

    "Harry, let us pressure the enemy by employing an attack with maximum firepower. Even though we don''t know the Gray Aristocrat and Orihime-san''s location, all we need to do is draw him out."

    It was a rare opportunity for them to have been invited to the enemy camp.

    In that case, they ought to use this situation to raise hell in the enemy''s home ground. Fortunately, they already possessed the necessary firepower for that¡ªThe plans that the two of them hatched independently were apparently the same.

    Sure enough, Haruga Haruomi and Luna Francois were very alike.

    Reminded of this fact again, the two of them smiled simultaneously.

    "Looks like there is no need for a prior discussion. Let''s do it, Harry!"

    Having finally obtained the dragonslaying rune, Luna Francois raised her left hand high.

    "O stars! Retrieve my magic from beyond the end of the rainbow! While materializing, Glinda, raise your pseudo-divinity to critical point and prepare to activate a technique of assured annihilation!"

    A pentagram appeared overhead, turning into an infinity sigh before transforming into a magic beast.

    An orange lion with three heads¡ªGlinda the "Good Witch of the South." On Glinda''s right shoulder was a dragon head while the left shoulder had a black goat head. A platinum rune suddenly manifested on each of the foreheads of the three heads.

    A line running through a tilted half moon¡ªThe Rune of the Bow.

    Hovering in midair, Glinda unleashed her magical power completely to enter a combat ready stance. Caught in the wake, the stealth magic that Hal and Luna had carefully cast was dispelled.

    But that was fine because they no longer intended to hide their tracks.

    Glinda flew lightly and moved to the sky over the center of the turtle''s carapace.

    Directly below was a particularly magnificent palace.

    Using the Forbidden City at Beijing for a comparison, it would probably be analogous to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the center of the imperial court where numerous rituals had been held in the name of generations of Chinese emperors throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties.

    "The target is the heartmetal of Dragon Palace Court¡ªinside this overly huge turtle."

    "However, the Dragon Palace Court is a creature belonging to the same lineage as Genbu-Ou but ten times bigger... Since the same ratio might apply to its durability too, we must use the strongest trump card after all. Harry, let me use that."

    "Don''t tell me you want to use the ''sun-shooting divine bow''? But that''ll consume a ton of your magical power too, you know?"

    Among all the techniques of assured annihilation available to them, the sun-shooting divine bow was undoubtedly the strongest single attack.

    "Even by ordering Rushalka to Double Cast pseudo-divinity, Asya barely squeezes out enough magical power required to meet the minimum requirements. Luna, I think it''ll render you unable to fight afterwards."

    "But this is essential. Besides, I believe you have an ace up your sleeve, Harry, don''t you?"

    "What are you referring to?"

    "Orihime-san is a Level 3 witch. Unlike Asya and I, who are Level 5, she shouldn''t be able to Double Cast freely. By my reasoning, there is some kind of secret skill to allow her to use the sun-shooting divine bow¡ªAm I wrong?"

    Hal did not expect Luna to have noticed a secret privy only to Hal and Orihime.

    Nothing less should be expected from the brilliant Luna Francois. Hal was very impressed.

    "I must not exhaust my power at a time like this. Please, Harry!"

    Faced with Luna''s repeated requests, Hal hesitated.

    Her point was very right and logical. Hal had no reason to object at all. However, to put that method into action on Luna''s body...

    Doubt and reluctance shook Hal in the inside intensely.

    However, Luna still continued to prepare for the attack during this time.

    "Glinda! On my mark, fire a magical shot with maximum firepower!"

    Ruohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

    Glinda growled from overhead to respond to her partner.

    Despite being her low voice, there was unshakable willpower conveyed. The three-headed lion seemed very happy for the chance to strike back at last. In that case¡ªThere was no choice but to do it.

    Making his decision, Hal positioned himself behind Luna.

    He slowly reached out with his right hand, circling his arm around to Luna''s front side.

    Then he grabbed the bust that the American-born witch frequently showed off¡ªits left side¡ªusing his right hand with the Rune of the Bow appearing on his palm.

    "Huh?"

    Luna Francois reacted very uncharacteristically¡ªshe mumbled in shock.

    Meanwhile, Hal squeezed harder with his right hand.

    The soft sensation and the volume tightly pressed against his palm. The size was unbelievable. Not only that, it was pushing Hal''s palm and fingers back with its wonderful elasticity.

    Most likely, it had reached a realm that required the English letter "G" to describe...

    Hal analyzed with heartfelt emotion while transferring massive magical power through his right palm.

    Naturally, the destination was Luna Francois'' heart in her left chest.

    "Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

    The ear-splitting scream emitted from Luna''s lips became the signal.

    Hal''s magical power was transmitted to Glinda through the witch''s heart. Including the black goat head and the dragon head, the lion leviathan''s heads roared in unison.

    Ruooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    In the next second, the gigantic lion''s entire body became enveloped in burning flames.

    Two black arrowheads, almost the same size as Glinda, manifested on her left and right. Also wrapped in crimson flames, the arrowheads turned into gigantic arrows of fire.

    Next, the blazing Glinda and the arrowheads flanking her charged forward like three arrows.

    Towards the ground where Hal and Luna were standing¡ªthe super gigantic turtle monster, Dragon Palace Court. To penetrate the incredibly hard carapace, Glinda burrowed deeply into the humongous body''s interior.

    As though digging a tunnel to reach the Dragon Palace Court''s heart, to pierce the heartmetal¡ª

    That was the job required of Glinda and company.

    Part 3

    "Hmm. One set of preparations is completed."

    The Draconian user of the dragonslaying chain, the Gray Aristocrat, muttered to himself.

    He was still at the plaza where Orihime and Akuro-Ou were imprisoned. However, something that previously did not exist on this plaza had been born.

    A transparent triangular prism, roughly thirty meters tall.

    After meditating for a long time, the Gray Aristocrat had slowly used high-level magic of Ruruk Soun. The triangular prism suddenly grew out of the plaza''s stone-paved floor.

    Orihime had seen a structure in a triangular prism like this before.

    It was a magical pillar that had captured Shirasaka Hazumi''s "serpent"¡ªMinadzuki.

    By absorbing the serpentine leviathan''s blood, the transparent triangular prism, which could be considered a mini-Monolith, took on a deep red color to become a mystical elixir for healing the elite dragon Soth¡ª

    "Y-You''re planning to use that thing to suck Akuro-Ou''s blood after all!?"

    "You know of it, Priestess? Indeed you are correct. I shall use this to store female dragon blood, which will undoubtedly prove useful when I resurrect my past body..."

    Her suspicions confirmed, Orihime was greatly shaken.

    However, a minute or two after the mini-Monolith appeared, she noticed a familiar magical beast in the air.

    It was Glinda. Furthermore, she was equipped with black arrowheads¡ªweapons formed by manifesting the Rune of the Bow''s power¡ªand enveloped in flames completely!

    Of course, the Gray Aristocrat also noticed Glinda''s flaming lion form.

    "Tyrannos of the Bow, you came as expected."

    Glinda and the two arrowheads were hovering two hundred meters over Orihime''s location.

    Directly underneath her was a magnificent palace, ostensibly the Dragon Palace Court''s cardiac chamber. Thus, Glinda and the two arrowheads suddenly rushed downwards like arrows.

    Wrapped in flames, the lion first collided with the palace below.

    The ancient Chinese-style building exploded, blown away by Glinda. Without losing speed or momentum at all, Glinda continued onward underground¡ªor rather, the interior of the Dragon Palace Court''s carapace.

    "In that case, I must intercept in full force..."

    The Gray Aristocrat muttered gloomily to himself before his entire body crumbled into dust.

    In the next instant, the ground began to shake intensely. Standing there, Orihime went "kyahh!?", lost her balance and fell on her bottom.

    Judging from the intensity of the tremor, it was probably 5 or 6 on the Richter scale.

    However, the earthquake only lasted for ten-odd seconds.

    "Owwwwww... Haruga-kun and Luna-san have come to rescue me."

    Enduring the pain from her bottom, Orihime felt greatly relieved.

    Also, she noticed that the chain binding her ankle had disappeared. It had apparently vanished at the same time as when the Draconian Gray Aristocrat collapsed his form.

    Taking a closer look, she noticed that the chain restraining Akuro-Ou had suddenly disappeared too.

    "Is that gray dragon no longer nearby? What do you think, Akuro-Ou?"

    The white fox-wolf shook her nine tails, stood up and went "kuoooooo!" As her partner, Orihime understood that Akuro-Ou was responding in affirmation.

    "Then with that, there is only one thing to be done..."

    Orihime nodded at Akuro-Ou.

    Although she had no idea what exactly had happened, in any case, she was free. More importantly, her friends had come to this Dragon Palace Court to pick her up. She must find a way to meet up with them!

    "Akuro-Ou, try firing a beam into the air! Also howl at the sky like a dog to tell them we''re here. Thanks!"

    Hal and Luna Francois finally fired the sun-shooting divine bow.

    Before shooting the divine bow, twenty-one runes of Ruruk Soun had appeared behind Glinda''s back, signifying "I will fire the sun-shooting divine bow at the sky, to exterminate the sun."

    This was ultra advanced scripture that served as a mantra for recording this technique of assured annihilation.

    In this manner, Glinda and the two arrowheads shot through the Dragon Palace Court''s sturdy carapace while enveloped in scorching flames, drilling deep into the Dragon Palace Court''s depths like digging a tunnel.

    Meanwhile, Hal was standing on the ground¡ªmore precisely, on the turtle carapace.

    However, even though the scorching arrows were out of sight, Hal still knew that it was hurtling towards the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal as though he were seeing it with his own eyes. This was also a privilege enjoyed by the marksman of the divine bow.

    Glinda and the two arrowheads reached the Dragon Palace Court''s cardiac chamber.

    Matching the size of a kilometer-long super creature, it was as big as the Tokyo Dome in the human world. At the very center was a sphere roughly ten-odd meters in diameter.

    The sphere was dark green. This was the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal.

    Thus, using Glinda and the two arrowheads as arrows, the sun-shooting divine bow fired at the heartmetal.

    However, a counterweighted chain suddenly appeared in front of the heartmetal. Naturally, this was the dragonslaying chain of the Gray Aristocrat. The chain traced out a evil-vanquishing symbol of the pentagram. The pentagram turned into a barrier, blocking Glinda and the two arrowheads to withstand the divine bow''s power.

    Raging wind and blazing fire scattered. Despite Glinda''s best efforts, trying to break through the pentagram chain¡ª

    She still could not prevail.

    The pentagram chain was probably imbued with a technique of assured annihilation that particularly strengthened magical defense.

    Eighteen runes of Ruruk Soun also appeared nearby as though surrounding the pentagram.

    The arrangement signified "O guardian stars, grant me protection swiftly." Even the divine bow could not possibly obliterate the chain''s magical barrier after piercing the Dragon Palace Court''s carapace.

    Ruohhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

    Unable to destroy the target despite being fired as an arrow, Glinda growled in frustration.

    Then Glinda vanished immediately. Dispelling her materialized form, she returned to her covenantee¡¯s side.

    "Either way, I expected it to be blocked with 80% certainty."

    Hal opened his eyes and shrugged.

    In order to visually keep track of the siege battle inside the Dragon Palace Court, Hal had closed his eyes on purpose. Haruga Haruomi''s body was currently still outside the Dragon Palace Court, at the palace on top of the shell.

    However, his hand was holding the method to attack the interior of the Dragon Palace Court.

    He casually pointed the magic gun in his right hand at the sky to use Enemy Search and Aim magic.

    Hal pulled the trigger, firing in triple burst mode. Three bullets of light flew out swiftly from the muzzle, entering the Dragon Palace Court''s cardiac chamber through the hole opened by Glinda.

    Only a magical gun could carry out such a ridiculous long-distance shot.

    Instead of the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal, the three bullets of light were targeting the spiritual body hanging around next to it¡ªinvisible to the naked eye, a spirit entity that could only be seen using magical sight.

    It was the soul of the Gray Aristocrat, a ghost of a former dragon king like Hinokagutsuchi.

    Hal closed his eyes again to confirm the bullets'' whereabouts. The three bullets of light had been struck down by the iron chain just before piercing the former dragon king.

    Naturally, it was the Rune of the Chain. The enemy''s defense was ironclad.

    "Looks like the Gray Aristocrat intends to hold position for now, standing guard by the heartmetal..."

    A tactic abandoning mobility to focus on defense.

    Perhaps because the enemy had retreated to the final defense line and gathering all magical power there, it now became possible to use investigative magic inside the Dragon Palace Court. Precisely because of that, Hal could use Enemy Detection to sense his opponent underground.

    "Harry, could you lend me that gun?"

    "Oh sure. But putting that aside, Luna, now we should be able to find Juujouji¡ª"

    As soon as Hal agreed to Luna''s request on reflex, Luna Francois snatched the magic gun from Hal''s. Raising the gun with both hands, she aimed the 9mm muzzle right at Hal''s heart.

    "Please finish within thirty seconds should you have any last words. I will abide by your wishes as much as possible. That is, after I shoot and kill you."

    "U-Uh, w-why are you doing this!?"

    "Do you really need to ask? You have done the unforgivable. You have rudely groped, violated and defiled my chest¡ªmy bust¡ªthe sacred territory that I have never allowed anyone to touch! To atone for this grave sin, die obediently by my hand!"

    "Now that you mention it, I did actually do that..."

    Breathing heavily, Luna''s wrath was clear to see.

    Although not as severe as Double Casting, the method used just now would still have consumed plenty of magical power. She should be resting instead. Be that as it may, Luna still used her exhausted body to take the gun and aim at Hal.

    On the other hand, Hal was not as tired probably because he was used to it. He instantly explained, "I''d be truly grateful if I could earn your forgiveness by groveling and prostrating myself on the ground while you hit and kick me as much as you like. If possible, let''s rule out shoot and kill..."

    "After all, Harry, your body won''t die from getting shot a few times, right!?"

    "You''re right... Oh, then please don''t at vitals at least..."

    Groping so suddenly was overdoing it, as one might expect.

    Seeing Luna Francois'' eyes flashing with anger, Hal replied subconsciously.

    Regret and guilt surged in his heart. Furthermore, he definitely had a ridiculous body such that even falling from hundreds of meters high would only get an "owww..." reaction from him.

    Perhaps it did not count as atonement unless he suffered stabs or gunshots.

    "Excellent resolve. Then I shall not hold back¡ª!"

    "Y-You''re acting just like how I predicted, no hesitation at all!"

    Luna immediately switched her target to Hal''s ear and pulled the trigger.

    However, the magic gun''s trigger did not budge the slightest. Speaking of which, this handgun was a weapon that only Haruga Haruomi could use.

    Holding the useless magic gun, Luna Francois was taken aback in surprise, then¡ª

    "Good grief... I can''t believe I still cannot take revenge after being subjected to that..."

    The blonde witch collapsed helplessly on the ground and began to cry!

    "L-Luna?"

    "I was molested... Not only that, but groped this way and that so forcefully, a-a-a-a-a-and in the end, there was even a strange feeling¡ª"

    "Huh?"

    Luna Francois hung her head and silently wept.

    Speaking of which, after using the technique of assured annihilation and Hal''s hand had released Luna''s heavy bust...

    She had gone limp as though intoxicated with alcohol and sat down on the floor. The pale complexion of her beautiful face was faintly blushing while she panted and stared blankly at Hal for quite a while with moistened eyes¡ª

    From Luna''s expression at the time, Hal could read several kinds of emotions.

    Confusion, discomposure as well as something akin to ecstasy. Regardless, Hal decided to apologize to her first.

    "Umm... Anyway, I''m sorry. Because I needed to transfer magical power from my rune to Glinda through your heart, it couldn''t be helped¡ª"

    "You touched my chest for a reason of ''couldn''t be helped''!?"

    "T-To be honest, I can''t deny that I also felt it was a ''rare chance''... But no matter what, you''re very pretty and attractive, also¡ª"

    "What ''also''!? Regardless, it''s a perverted and closeted motive, isn''t it!?"

    "Oh no. Actually, I really like your personality and true nature. Your ways of thinking are similar to mine, so I feel like we''re kindred spirits. And even though you''re clearly the same type as me (yet different from Asya), you''re a reliable girl and elegant young lady. That''s something I find very interesting and refreshing."

    As a side note, the bracketed words were only said in Hal''s thoughts without being sounded aloud, because he felt that it would be inappropriate to bring up other girls in this kind of situation, even if it was Asya.

    Hearing Hal''s confession, Luna sighed deeply.

    "...You are truly a weirdo after all, Harry. Most boys would say ''I was deceived!'' as soon as they discover my true nature then flee or lose their temper and cry themselves to sleep."

    "It''s not like I can''t sympathize with them..." said Hal to Luna Francois, whose tears seemed to have ceased.

    He glanced at the neckline of Luna''s dress¡ªthe boldly low-cut part¡ªthen said, "Besides, you''re probably creating problems by toying with the hearts of those kinds of boys and deliberately wearing revealing outfits to provoke them."

    "I don''t care! It''s fun to toy with those kinds of boys, to have them in the palm of my hand!"

    "Just as I thought, your personality is lovely."

    "Hmph. And yet you said earlier that you really like me this way."

    "I do like you. I consider this aspect part of your charm."

    "¡ª!?"

    Luna widened her reddened eyes and stared at Hal.

    However, what her gaze conveyed was not anger but the light of sensitivity, intellect and passion.

    "Age and talent, no problem. Quick wits yet to be confirmed but promising. Status and wealth would surely grow dramatically henceforth. Unexpectedly open-minded, perhaps. As someone who likes freedom himself, Harry''s'' chances of excessive interference in my life are quite low..."

    "L-Luna, what''s with you?"

    "I am appraising you."

    "Huh?"

    "Didn''t you tell me you ''like'' me? I am assessing whether I ought to respond to your proposal and build a stable relationship with you."

    "Ehhhhhh!? Y-You misunderstood me, I meant I ''like'' you as a friend!"

    When Hal explained himself after the fact, Luna Francois responded coldly, "You dare say that despite ogling me with lustful eyes?"

    "......"

    "Despite groping my chest and making me feel that way?"

    "F-Feel what way exactly!?"

    "...Not."

    Turning her face away with a blush like a child, Luna Francois was adorable to the point of cheating. Hal could not help but stare mesmerized.

    "Probably due to the shocking experience that came without warning, I was struck by an illusion as though our distance had shrunk all at once. I must have mistaken it for fluttering in my heart. Combined with the ''like'' word taking advantage of the opening in my mind, it caused me to start having weird thoughts..."

    "I-If you''ve already analyzed yourself to that extent, let''s just drop the matter, okay?"

    "But I have a feeling that it might not be bad to try allowing myself to take action and go along with this mistaken feeling... Also because of that, I''m starting to feel that it might not be so unthinkable to seriously consider going out with you, Harry."

    "......"

    "On further thought, I am someone with a twisted personality apart from my scheming ways. Don''t you think that we would get along very smoothly if I go out with a unique boy like you?"

    Luna Francois was apparently the very decisive type when confronted with issues on this front.

    Leaving Hal speechless, she looked at him skeptically.

    "However, Harry, you subjected Orihime-san to the same action."

    "Oh, how should I put it¡ªYeah. Pressed by the battle situation, we reached a consensus on many different areas... By the way, isn''t it time for you to return my gun?"

    Despite her inability to depress the magic gun''s trigger, Luna still pointed the muzzle at Hal''s heart again. Her gaze was unfocused, which implied that this was more driven by the subconscious than intent to kill.

    "No. Lend it to me a while longer. So Harry, I shall tell you this from the start."

    "O-Okay."

    "I am probably richer than you imagine, Harry, so if you need to pay her alimony, I will fund all of it for you. But suppose you intend to maintain this relationship, then I would request that you and Orihime-san refrain from entering the stage of official marriage. If the two of you were to produce children, I could adopt them into the Haruga-Gregory household."

    "W-What?"

    "I am a realist. I also know what perverted creatures men are. Forbidding two-timing could end up causing affairs behind my back, which would be infuriating too."

    Luna Francois stared intently at Hal and said, "Consequently, I won''t force you to break up with her. Conversely, please draw the line properly between you and everyone else. Otherwise, I may very well shoot and kill women who rub me the wrong way. In the event that I fail to control myself, I may even kill you as well, Harry."

    "......"

    Luna made her declaration while aiming the gun at Haruga Haruomi''s heart. On the other hand, Hal simply stood there stunned. At that moment, a beast''s call was suddenly heard from afar.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª

    A canid beast was howling from several hundred meters away. They had heard this sound before.

    "It''s Akuro-Ou!"

    The instant Hal shouted, a beam of red light shot from a corner of a palace to the sky.

    It was like a flare. The light looked as though it was shooting out from near the neck of the giant turtle that was the Dragon Palace Court. A breath beam released from a leviathan''s mouth.

    "Juujouji must have ordered Akuro-Ou to do that to tell us their location."

    "As expected of my rival, I suppose I should say? Hey Harry, I don''t want to unnecessarily lose someone like her whose bright future knows no bounds. Please think over what I just said very carefully, okay?"

    The headstrong and unreasonable Luna Francois was displaying a refreshingly prim expression.

    Part 4

    Hal and Luna Francois first made their way towards the beam''s source.

    There were many palace buildings, but it was not difficult to reach the plaza where Akuro-Ou and Orihime were located by following the continual howling.

    "You two came to save me! Thanks!"

    "I''m glad we met up successfully... Say, Juujouji, what''s with your getup?"

    At their reunion, Orihime thanked the two of them, but Hal raised a question.

    When abducted by the Gray Aristocrat, all she had was a bath towel wrapped around herself.

    Currently, Orihime was dressed in a red garment somewhat like a belly dancer. That being said, it was not proper clothing. She had probably found some silk cloth nearby and wrapped strips of it around her bust then tied a larger piece of fabric around her waist to serve as a skirt.

    By tying the fabric tightly to prevent it from sliding off, an impromptu garment was finished.

    As a side note, Orihime also had a rectangular piece of silk cloth draped over her shoulder to serve as a shawl.

    "B-Because I had no clothing to wear, I went into a nearby building to search. All I could find was this cloth, so I tried to make the best of it..."

    Orihime huddled herself in embarrassment and explained to Hal.

    The fabric of her new garment was very thin while her belly and navel were totally exposed. This ended up emphasizing her wonderful figure even more. Orihime was probably embarrassed because of that.

    However, Hal was very touched. Magnificent.

    "Oh no, I think this is well-made. Yes, it''s awesome."

    "H-Hearing that from a closet pervert like you, Haruga-kun, makes me even more embarrassed!"

    "But good stuff is good stuff. Besides, it''s not that different from a swimsuit in how much skin is bared..."

    "You''re right, but this outfit is like cosplay, I find it very embarrassing! I forbid you to check me out!"

    While Hal and Orihime were arguing...

    Luna Francois suddenly removed her clothing¡ªthe black one-piece dress¡ªleaving just the purple camisole underneath. For a girl, this would be quite improper.

    Naturally, Hal did not know where to look. Despite the turmoil in his heart, he still found his gaze involuntarily drawn to her.

    Luna Francois'' figure boasted voluptuousness surpassing Orihime.

    "L-Luna-san, what are you doing!?"

    "I was thinking I should change to match you, Orihime-san."

    In front of the surprised junior witch, the blonde witch in the camisole smiled seductively. Then she winked at Hal and said casually, "How is this, Harry? With this, I don''t lose to her at all, do I?"

    "Oh no. That goes without saying."

    Completely altering her image simply by shedding one article of clothing, Luna''s skill was setting Hal''s heart pounding.

    "B-But this isn''t the bedroom, it feels a bit too uninhibited..."

    "However, you are the only boy present, Harry. It''s not like you''re the type to be troubled by the sight of this."

    Luna smiled and continued, "Fufu. In order to oppose Orihime-san, who is already a formidable foe simply by acting her usual self, even someone like me cannot be complacent at all. Sure enough, it''s essential to maintain a battlefield mindset at all times."

    "Formidable foe... Aren''t we on the same side?"

    Confronted by the rapidly changing human relationships, Hal was at a loss, Luna remained elegant and marching at the beat of her own drum, while Orihime had her head tilted in puzzlement with a wry smile, unable to make heads or tails of the issue.

    In a tone of voice too elegant for a declaration of war, Luna Francois continued, "On a professional level, of course. But in private¡ªas one of the ladies hanging around Harry, Orihime-san, you will surely become the most powerful enemy. Let us both do our best, okay?"

    "...H-Haruga-kun. Was Luna-san speaking in English just now?"

    A rival''s sudden declaration apparently made Orihime very flustered. She turned to converse with Hal.

    "I-I don''t really understand her. Please help me to translate!"

    "Don''t worry, she was speaking Japanese the whole time. Uh, well, how should I put it...?"

    "It is exceedingly simple. Forget about calculations and ploys, I have fallen in love with Harry. Consequently, Orihime-san, you are the boss character, being the girl currently closest to Harry."

    "Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

    Hal empathized completely with Orihime''s shock.

    To think that such a surreal development could happen suddenly in his life. In a certain sense, it was a surprise no less than the occasion when he obtained his dragonslaying rune.

    Meanwhile, Luna Francois continued on her own, calmly.

    "By the way, Orihime-san, weren''t you restrained?"

    "Y-Yes. Until just now, I was still bound by that unbelievable chain. However, it vanished together with the gray Draconian so I signaled to you two."

    "That was probably when we were targeting the Dragon Palace Court''s heart with the Rune of the Bow."

    Hal agreed with Luna''s guess.

    At the time, the Gray Aristocrat had probably gathered all his magical power to block the sun-shooting divine bow. Due to insufficient magical power, he probably became unable to sustain his Draconian body and the chain, which was also why the interference with investigative magic also ended temporarily.

    "In that case, the interloper has gone out of sight¡ª"

    After a while, they went back to discussing their original purpose for coming here.

    Hal looked at the magic gun that Luna had just returned to him and asked "Are you awake?"

    "Now I am. Quit asking me to sleep and wake up. It is very bothersome."

    Hinokagutsuchi''s voice from the magic gun sounded like a murmur, both displeased and drowsy.

    However, she still responded to Hal''s demand and told them the required direction, location and target.

    Thus, the trio walked for ten-odd minutes¡ª

    Hal and company arrived at a beautiful garden. Although there was probably no one in charge of looking after the place, the garden was blooming with a large number of colorful flowers. In a corner of the garden, there was a piece of black stone dropped on the ground.

    An uneven stone with almost no curves.

    It was very similar to quartz but Hal knew that it was not quartz.

    "A flint huh...? A fragment of the flint star to pour power into the conqueror''s rune¡ª"

    A mystical rock and absolute treasure that all sapient dragons sought after.

    The starting point where the dragonslaying adventure revolved around. Haruga Haruomi''s father had for some reason hidden this mysterious stone.

    Leaving it lying in a corner of a garden like this instead of keeping it in a treasure chest ostentatiously¡ªShould one say that this was very much in Hinokagutsuchi''s eccentric style?

    In fact, it probably would not have occurred to them to hunt for treasure here had they not been informed by Hinokagutsuchi in advance.

    "This is quite suitable for hiding things as long as you''ve got the guts to leave it unattended..."

    Hal tried to observe the flint using magical sight but could not see anything.

    This stone''s magical properties could not be detected using such means? Nothing less expected from a secret treasure that proved challenging for dragonkind to find despite their best efforts.

    Hal moved the flint and nodded to his companions.

    "Akuro-Ou, dig open the ground here. I''m counting on you, make it quick!"

    "Glinda, you help out too!"

    The white fox-wolf and the three-headed lion materialized in response to the witches'' voices.

    They were at their smallest size, around three meters in length. Even so, their size and power still far surpassed any domesticated animal in the human world. The quadrupedal beasts, Akuro-Ou and Glinda, used their forelimbs competently, digging up the garden''s surface with astounding speed.

    Several minutes later, a sarcophagus was unearthed.

    The stone lid covering the sarcophagus was very heavy so they had Akuro-Ou use one of her nine tails to move it aside. Inside the sarcophagus was a dried up mummy, except it was not human.

    Half human half dragon. It was the mummified appearance of an elite dragon in Draconian form.

    "This guy was probably a Tyrannos that had died in battle somewhere in the past. Hinokagutsuchi took his corpse and rune to preserve. This was to have a backup weapon to use in case anything unexpected befell the Rune of the Bow."

    Hal looked at the mummy''s right hand. On the palm was a cross-shaped emblem.

    After the Bow, the Sword, the Arrow and the Chain, this was the fifth dragonslaying rune that Hal and company had found.

    "When robbing a dragonslaying rune from someone by force¡ªeven if the target is a corpse¡ªthe success probability is only 40%. But for many long years, magic for improving the odds of a transplant has been cast on him..."

    "Haruga-kun, then what does that make the probability of success...?"

    "Roughly 60 or 70%."

    "Judging from the odds, this is not a bad gamble."

    Luna Francois heard Hal and Orihime''s conversation and nodded. Hal continued, "Yeah. With the goddess of fortune, Juujouji, here this time, I''m very looking forward to it."

    "Huh? I am the goddess of fortune? Why?"

    "Think about it, during the battle against Galad, it was thanks to seeing that part of yours that many things happened smoothly. Coincidentally, yesterday at the open-air hot spring too¡ª"

    "Haruga-kun! I will be mad if you say weird things even when Luna-san is present!"

    "...I am impressed, Orihime-san. How terrifying of you to gradually increase Harry''s affection for you unbeknownst to the rest of us."

    "Y-You have it wrong! Hazumi was present at the time too~!"

    Listening to the two girls'' heated discussion, Hal picked up the flint.

    He pressed the flint into the palm of the mummified Draconian''s right hand. Whether he could acquire the cross-shaped emblem here would depend on luck and magical power¡ª

    Hal needed to pour magical power into the flint in his hand. He took a breath.

    "So Harry, what kind of weapon does this rune represent?"

    "It''s the katana. According to Hinokagutsuchi, this rune is apparently quite hard to use."

    "A katana rune... Doesn''t that feel like a relative of the Rune of the Sword?"

    Luna''s interest was piqued while Orihime stared at the cross-shaped symbol uneasily.

    This precise instant was the decisive moment.

    As soon as Hal poured in magical power and exerted pressure on the new rune, the flint crumbled into dust while flames enveloped Hal''s right arm up to his elbow area...

    Then dozens of minutes went by.

    Hal and company had reached the deepest level by traveling down the massive tunnel created by the sun-shooting divine bow''s shot. Sitting on the miniaturized Glinda''s back, he was accompanied by Orihime and Luna Francois.

    The mobile fortress, Dragon Palace Court, was a gigantic turtle creature whose size far surpassed normal parameters.

    Just as Hal, the shooter of the divine bow, had sensed earlier, the cardiac chamber was as big as the Tokyo Dome.

    Since the cardiac chamber''s walls and ceiling were glowing faintly, the interior was surprisingly bright. Near the center of the cardiac chamber was a spherical object ten-odd meters in diameter. Its color was deep green. The Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal.

    Roughly twenty or thirty narrow tubes were sprouting from the cardiac chamber''s floor, entangling and connecting to the heartmetal.

    That could very well be the analog to a human''s blood vessels.

    Hal, Luna and Orihime activated magical sight and looked at the heartmetal''s vicinity.

    The ghost of the former dragon king, the Gray Aristocrat. His spiritual body was there.

    "Just to err on the side of caution, I''ll ask this first. Have you ever thought about having a ceasefire now and co-exist with us?"

    "Truly a foolish question, Tyrannos of the Bow. Such as gesture would hardly befit the ways of dragonkind."

    The gray Draconian materialized and answered Hal.

    It was probably a state similar to Hinokagutsuchi''s young girl form. Using the precious magical power lingering in his spiritual body, the Gray Aristocrat had restored his living appearance temporarily. Hence, back when he was using all his magical power to defend against the sun-shooting divine bow, this figure had vanished...

    "Our fight has begun long ago. So long as you and I are in sound health, do not make any proposal as foolish as a ceasefire."

    "I figured. That being said, it''s quite bizarre to call a ghost like you sound in health."

    "Fufufu. Thank you, Tyrannos. Revived as a spirit, I drifted to this castle, making it my residence, yet several centuries passed during my slumber...It was only due to you and your entourage''s calls that I finally awoke..."

    "Meaning that you were still dormant until a few days ago?"

    Hal really wanted to sigh.

    He never expected it was because of their visit that a dragon king was awakened...

    "Let me proceed by taking your female dragon minions for myself, to use their blood to synthesize a resurrection elixir. Fufu, this will be the revival of my path of conquest."

    "To revive your dragon body? I think that''s kind of pointless."

    Hal dismissed the former dragon king''s declaration and muttered.

    "Although I don''t know how many portions of elixir you can make from a single leviathan, but no matter what, it''ll simply be a resurrection with a time limit, right? If you''re going to fight a real dragon king, just surviving one round will take everything you''ve got."

    This was what his magic wand¡ªthe magic gun¡ªhad told him.

    Resurrection elixir. This possessed mystical potency that was even able to resurrect a dragon king''s corpse temporarily. However, its effect was simply on the same level as the magic Hal and Hinokagutsuchi used to revive the queen...

    However, the Gray Aristocrat laughed upon hearing him.

    "No matter! To lose my life in another battle is my longtime wish!"

    "As expected of a dragon king-class enemy. A battle maniac that cannot be measured with common sense."

    "It will be dangerous if he targets witches and ''serpents'' apart from us, so we must fight here..."

    Standing by behind Hal, Luna and Orihime whispered in commentary.

    Upon rescuing Orihime successfully, Hal and company could have chosen to retreat. However, the Gray Aristocrat could very likely turn into a source of future calamity. Also, there was the risk that the Gray Aristocrat would launch surprise attacks every night to target "serpents."

    Hence, Hal and company had gone out of their way to enter the enemy camp.

    "In that case, a fight can''t be avoided huh... Juujouji, take a bit of a break first."

    "S-Sure!"

    "Harry! I am ready to begin any time. Let us proceed!"

    Orihime nodded stiffly whereas Luna Francois spoke valorously.

    Then the three-headed lion that had materialized at minimum size, Glinda, suddenly expanded, gradually returning to her original size.

    Hal shouted loudly, "Crimson Queen! Grant your power to Glinda!"

    The giant red dragon, the Crimson Queen, instantly materialized before Hal.

    The queen''s body merged with the ten-odd-meter-long Glinda, conferring a new form upon the orange-furred three-headed lion.

    Ruby armor appeared on Glinda''s back and abdomen to solidify her defense.

    Next, her left and right flanks were each equipped with a pitch-black cannon.

    This was the Queen Form of Glinda, the "Good Witch of the South." From the two cannons on her flanks, projectiles of red light were suddenly shot, a total of two. Naturally, the Gray Aristocrat was the target.

    "Oh!? The queen''s power has merged with your minion!?"

    Pearly light enveloped the Gray Aristocrat''s Draconian body.

    This was the imperishable protection that only Tyrannos and dragon kings could use. Glinda''s two cannon shots were blocked by this protection.

    The Gray Aristocrat laughed fearlessly.

    "Hahahaha. In that case, I have no choice but to recover my former visage."

    Standing at two meters tall or so, the Draconian''s body began to expand.

    Within the blink of an eye, the Gray Aristocrat turned into a gigantic gray dragon, ten-odd meters in body length. His upright bipedal standing posture was unexpectedly similar to humans.

    He spread the gigantic wings on his back to intimidate Glinda.

    However, the enemy''s weak point was right before their eyes. Hal motioned to Luna beside him.

    "Use that move again from just now. Ignore his actual body."

    "Yes. After all, the enemy''s lifeline is the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal. Glinda!"

    The Gray Aristocrat was absorbing the magical power produced by the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal to use as an energy source.

    Conversely, it meant that all they needed to do was destroy that energy source. Glinda responded to Luna Francois'' command and fired two cannon blasts again.

    Naturally, the target was the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal. The dragonslaying shots hurtled at the gigantic dark-green sphere.

    In the next second, the Gray Aristocrat stood sternly in front of the heartmetal, using himself as a shield to withstand the two cannon blasts.

    "Hmm."

    Surrounded by pearly light, the Gray Aristocrat grunted in pain. Imperishable protection.

    Thanks to that protection, the gray dragon''s body remained unharmed. However, Hal and company knew that imperishable protection was not a defensive tool that could be used continuously.

    Just as they decided to continue the offensive, to force the Gray Aristocrat into staying on the defensive the whole time¡ª

    "O runes of Ruruk Soun. Merge this heartmetal with my body!"

    "What!?"

    The Gray Aristocrat extended his right forelimb and touched the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal that was within arm''s reach.

    Twelve runes of Ruruk Soun appeared at the point of contact between his dragon palm and the heartmetal.

    This composite arrangement signified triple meanings of "shrink, chew and assimilate."

    Hal was very shocked because he saw the ten-odd-meter-diameter heartmetal of the Dragon Palace Court shrink, turning into a size that could fit on the Gray Aristocrat''s palm.

    Taking the magically shrunken heartmetal, the Gray Aristocrat swallowed it in one gulp.

    To completely claim all the magical power produced by the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal, to hide his weak point within his body, that was why he had swallowed it whole.

    "So the same tactic no longer works huh..."

    "Harry, then let us settle the battle with him directly!"

    The instant Luna cried out, the Gray Aristocrat used new magic.

    Eight runes of Ruruk Soun appeared over his sharp-cornered dragon head. The former dragon king said quietly, "The Crimson Queen was known for divine marksmanship. The Red Flame Emperor, his ferocious form in combat. The Black Lightning Emperor, his nefarious machinations and brilliant ploys in the use of magic. All of them are considered the strongest of the strong..."

    While listening to the Gray Aristocrat''s sudden reminiscing, Hal noticed.

    He noticed what the latest arrangement of runes represented. "Fist Mantra Divine Power."

    "A mantra of the fist? Meaning that¡ª"

    "I am the embodiment of strength, ferocity and intensity... Savor this mighty power carefully!"

    The gray dragon jumped high the instant he boasted.

    Instead of spreading his wings to fly, he made good use of his leg strength and the entire body''s tension to leap. The movement was not only elegant and agile but also faster than the naked eye could capture.

    Like a gust of wind, the Gray Aristocrat took a leap, cleverly jumping over Glinda.

    Then in this manner, he landed behind the three-headed lion without making a sound.

    "Glinda, deploy protection too¡ª"

    Impressive as always, Luna issued orders the instant the enemy jumped.

    But before she finished her instructions, the Gray Aristocrat had already finished his jumping and landing movement and even attacked.

    What followed the sudden jump was a move that did not seem very dragon-like¡ªA roundhouse kick.

    The Gray Aristocrat''s kicking leg was wrapped in a chain as well. The Rune of the Chain.

    Glinda''s imperishable protection made it in the nick of time.

    Her whole body enveloped in pearly light, Glinda deflected the dragonslaying kick.

    Hal felt a sharp pain in his heart at the same time. The damage taken by imperishable protection would sting the user''s heartmetal. Furthermore, the Gray Aristocrat did not stop attacking.

    In addition to his legs, the Gray Aristocrat started using both hands, wrapped in chains, by the time Hal noticed.

    Hence, the second strike was a mid-level punch from his right fist.

    The dragonslaying punch attempted to smash through one of Glinda''s three heads¡ªthe black goat''s snout. Next came a second roundhouse kick aimed at Glinda''s right shoulder.

    Due to imperishable protection, the lion leviathan remained unharmed, of course.

    However, Hal''s heart was continually attacked by waves of pain.

    "Glinda, strike back!"

    Under Luna Francois'' orders, the two cannons on Glinda''s flanks fired in triple succession.

    However, the Gray Aristocrat landed behind Glinda again with an agile maneuver then raised his right fist high. Releasing the chain wrapped around his fist, he swung it down like a whip.

    When the chain struck Glinda''s protection, Hal''s heart was attacked with pain again.

    "O Tyrannos of the Bow, this is my style as the Gray Aristocrat. Indulge me a little longer."

    Despite being a dragon, he was using moves like unarmed martial arts with free-flowing motions.

    Luna Francois murmured partially in surprise, partially impressed, "I am afraid he is using magic for physical enhancement. I never thought there would be martial artists in the world of dragons..."

    "The changes are not limited to the runes..."

    Orihime leaned closer to Hal''s side and whispers.

    The repeated pain was making Hal clutch his chest. As soon as he did that, Orihime came to his side. Hal nodded at Orihime, whose worry was shown on her face, then took a deep breath.

    The enemy was apparently trickier to handle than expected. However, the match was only just beginning.

    Part 5

    Asya went up to the deck after she woke up.

    She was on the JMSDF''s multi-purpose support vessel. It was yesterday at noon when the trio of Haruga Haruomi, Juujouji Orihime and Luna Francois Gregory had disappeared.

    After that, over sixteen hours had gone by. Dawn was gradually approaching.

    However, the missing trio''s whereabouts were still uncertain.

    "I believe they shouldn''t be in life-threatening danger..." Asya murmured to herself.

    The worst-case scenario did not surface in her mind because of her inborn nature of optimism¡ªThat was not the entire reason.

    At least, between her and Haruomi, there was the magical link called the vassal covenant.

    Perhaps in the form of "intuition," that link was telling Asya he was still alive.

    That being said, she did not have any clue to find the missing trio. Currently, the ship was moored at one of the Izu Islands¡ªon the coastal waters of Miyake-jima.

    Asya had asked the JMSDF to help search for Haruomi and company who had gone missing during the daytime.

    However, it did not yield any results. Asya paced back and forth on the deck, frowning. Would a second day''s searching turn up any clues?

    Soon, 5am would arrive.

    The sky was starting to glow. The rising sun gradually peeked out from the eastern horizon.

    An emerald serpentine dragon leviathan hovered into the air with a pair of wings shining with golden radiance. It was Minadzuki.

    Minadzuki was concentrating, trying to see if magical presences could be detected in nearby waters.

    "Hazumi-san, time to switch."

    "Oh sure. But Asya-san, may I continue a while longer...?"

    The one conversing with Asya was Shirasaka Hazumi, standing in a corner on the deck.

    As Minadzuki''s partner, the kindhearted girl gazed at the ocean uneasily. Under the morning rays, the Pacific Ocean gained a rosy color.

    Hazumi was worried about the missing trio. She would not be able to sleep even if she went to lie down.

    Asya nodded silently. Standing side by side with Hazumi, she looked out at the ocean.

    "Hazumi-san, please return to Tokyo New Town by the end of today, because the situation has changed. I think at least one witch needs to go back. After all, emergencies could happen over at New Town."

    "Y-Yes."

    Hazumi nodded in response to Asya''s concise notice with a serious expression.

    "I''ll stay here for a week first to search for them and the octopus-headed monster. No matter what the outcome, I plan on returning to New Town by the eighth day."

    "J-Just a week!?"

    "Yes. If no clues turn up despite such a long search, I think it''ll be time to regroup a bit."

    Asya shrugged and tried to explain in as business-like a tone as possible.

    "So that''s that. Orihime-san seems very resilient while Luna is a talented individual who is destined to live a long time, just like unwanted weeds that just won''t die. Haruomi has also turned into someone who can shrug off an elephant''s trampling. The situation probably won''t get too complicated."

    Asya was saying this partially to dispel some of the junior witch''s unease.

    "Compared to those three, we should worry more about the state of affairs at New Town."

    "Y-Yes. Maybe... you are right."

    "Besides, with a bit more searching, it''s possible we might easily discover that those three had drifted to some uninhibited island."

    "L-Like Robinson Crusoe."

    "All three of them can use magic and Haruomi is very used to surviving in situations like that. I''d say they''ve got better odds of survival than the partnership of that guy and Friday."

    At that moment, Minadzuki called out "rahhhhhhhhhhh¡ª" as though singing in the air.

    Hazumi instantly widened her eyes and looked up at her partner.

    "Are you sure, Minadzuki!?"

    "What happened?"

    "Minadzuki seems to have detected a magical presence! And it''s Senpai''s¡ªThe Rune of the Bow!"

    "¡ª! Does Minadzuki have any way of sensing their approximate location!?"

    "U-Uh, it seems like the Rune of the Bow is being used some distance away, but the precise position is unclear... But the direction is fine. Minadzuki says it''s that way."

    Asya looked at the direction indicated by Hazumi and nodded.

    It happened to be dawn. The morning sun was rising in the east. Hazumi''s index finger was pointed to the south.

    Hal and company were currently in a showdown against a martial artist(!) dragon.

    The battle had gone one-sided. Glinda kept firing shots at point-blank range but the enemy dodged them one after another. The Gray Aristocrat''s punches and kicks were striking the lion leviathan''s body accurately¡ª

    This battle had already persisted for more than five minutes.

    Wrapped around the gray dragon''s hands, the dragon slaying chains were like gauntlets while the chains on his legs served as greaves.

    The Gray Aristocrat would unravel the chains around himself from time to time, swinging them as whips.

    Every time the Gray Aristocrat landed a blow on Glinda, the imperishable protection would defend her with a pearly glow, preventing the power of dragonbane from harming the three-headed lion.

    However, Hal''s heart, i.e. his heartmetal, was accumulating damage.

    The pain attacking his heart never stopped, greatly disrupting his heartbeat. Were he to look at a mirror, Hal would probably see the reflection of his pallid face. He was also panting out of breath.

    In contrast, the Gray Aristocrat remained calm and confident, using his martial arts effortlessly.

    He had only used imperishable protection back when protecting the Dragon Palace Court''s heartmetal.

    "At this rate, Haruga-kun won''t last much longer!"

    "He''s doing quite a number on us, even though I didn''t lower my guard just because he looks so drab..."

    Hal whispered to Orihime who was watching with bated breath.

    Compared to the two ladies, Princess Yukikaze and Hinokagutsuchi, the former dragon king, the Gray Aristocrat, definitely was not the memorable type in first impressions. Rather, he seemed quite drab.

    Judging from the fact that his special skill was martial arts, perhaps one could still call him drab.

    "Well, if he were cast in a battle manga as one of the enemy bosses like the four heavenly kings, I think he''d be the middle-aged martial artist as the only unassuming and unpopular character."

    In contrast to her frivolous tone of voice, Luna Francois was staring at the Gray Aristocrat with eyes like burning torches.

    However, this difficult battle was within calculations too. When fighting against an opponent who used to be as strong as Princess Yukikaze, it was only natural to be pressed into desperation¡ª

    The plan to reverse the unfavorable situation had already been put into motion.

    Hal, Orihime and Luna exchanged looks with one another, biding their time for that instant.

    Then the Gray Aristocrat finally announced.

    "O chain of dragonbane, accomplish my dragonslaying quest through a technique of assured annihilation!"

    To deliver a finishing blow against the losing Glinda, he released his magical power completely.

    The Gray Aristocrat opened his gray dragon jaws wide to release almost thirty chains as though breathing fire.

    These chains entangled the imperishable protection defending Glinda.

    Sixteen runes of Ruruk Soun also appeared over the Gray Aristocrat''s head, signifying "O jailer of heavenly imprisonment and chain of the executioner, accomplish your second mission."

    The almost thirty metal chains tightened around Glinda and the imperishable protection together. Hal noticed instinctively.

    This was a barbaric move to bind a target''s entire body with chains, thereby twisting off the head and limbs.

    "Gah¡ª!"

    Hal felt a sharp pain in his heart. The dull pain so far was nothing compared to it. As though dozens of thread-like blades were wrapped around the heart, constricting it tightly, trying to chop it into pieces¡ª

    He spat out blood, but this was precisely the moment that Hal and his friends were waiting for.

    "I''m counting on you two...!"

    "Yes! Hold out a while longer, Haruga-kun, I will ease your burden straight away!"

    "Glinda, stop using pseudo-divinity! Apply all magical power to strengthen the protection!"

    Orihime promised in a firm tone of voice while Luna Francois swiftly issued orders.

    The pearl radiance enveloping Glinda¡ªimperishable protection¡ªbrightened somewhat. The intense pain attacking Hal''s heart also eased a little.

    Next, as for the Gray Aristocrat who was binding Glinda with the metal chains¡ª

    A nine-tailed wolf-fox suddenly appeared behind his back! Using Glinda''s pseudo-divinity of Illusion to make her invisible until now, she had been waiting at the back on standby.

    An invisibility spell capable of deceiving even Princess Yukikaze for a moment, they had used the same tactic again.

    This was to target the instant when the Gray Aristocrat''s defenses were the least secure¡ªwhen he was using a technique of assured annihilation.

    "Draw your blade, Akuro-Ou!" Orihime instantly yelled out.

    Akuro-Ou was a nine-tailed fox-wolf. The tip of her rightmost tail was equipped with the Katana¡ªa dragonslaying blade¡ªthat had suddenly manifested.

    The slightly curving blade was dignified and beautiful, closely resembling a Japanese sword.

    Equipped with the Katana, Akuro-Ou''s tail extended like a rubber band, swinging the new weapon like a swordsman''s arm to slash the Gray Aristocrat from behind!

    "You came after all, white imitation!"

    However, the Gray Aristocrat used his tail to catch the blade strike coming from behind.

    The elite dragon''s long tail writhed like a tentacle with the dragonslaying chain wrapped around it at some point in time. Perhaps the Gray Aristocrat had foreseen that Akuro-Ou would attack.

    The chained tail entangled Akuro-Ou''s Katana to stop her from attacking again.

    However, Orihime gave orders at this moment.

    "Akuro-Ou, the second katana! Use it together with fire magic and chop down hard!"

    The Gray Aristocrat went "What!?" in surprise.

    This was because another Katana had sprouted from the leftmost of Akuro-Ou''s nine tails.

    The new katana''s mildly curving blade was enveloped in crimson flames. Akuro-Ou''s tail swung this blazing katana down fiercely, this time severing the wings on the Gray Aristocrat''s back without fail!

    Dual wielding¡ªOrihime and Akuro-Ou were using two katana at the same time, forcing the former dragon king into desperation.

    "Ohhhhhhhhhh!"

    The Gray Aristocrat finally roared in pain and anger.

    Seizing this opportunity, Luna Francois issued orders as well.

    "Glinda! Double Cast pseudo-divinity¡ª''sun-shooting divine bow''!"

    Ruohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    The lion leviathan possessed the heads of both a black goat and a dragon at the same time.

    Mostly on the defensive earlier, Glinda roared courageously in Queen Form, her entire body suddenly covered in blazing flames. The flaming lion turned her own body into an arrow for the burning divine and pounced at the Gray Aristocrat.

    "O guardian stars, grant me protection swiftly!"

    The metal chain moved rapidly in front of the Gray Aristocrat in an attempt to trace out a pentagram.

    However, the sun-shooting arrow struck the Gray Aristocrat before the pentagram could be finished, thanks to Luna decided to use her strongest attack without a moment''s hesitation.

    Akuro-Ou also jumped to avoid getting caught in the divine bow''s blast.

    Thus, the blazing Glinda knocked the enemy''s gray body flying straight ahead¡ª

    In the next instant, the gray dragon''s gigantic body exploded. Thus, the dragon body was blown apart. Left and right forelimbs, the neck and tail all became enveloped in fire, burned completely within the blink of an eye, turned into dust.

    Compared to his combat ability, the Gray Aristocrat''s defense was clearly weak.

    Soon after, the flames extinguished and the surroundings returned to silence.

    "The result was like fighting a temporarily revived zombie..."

    "Mobility and attack power the same as when he was alive, but single-digit hitpoints at most... That''s how it feels..." said Luna Francois in response to Hal''s mutterings.

    Finally liberated from the pain in his heart, Hal breathed a sigh of relief.

    In contrast, Luna''s face was pale and she was standing unsteadily, looking like she would fall over any time. This was the price for ordering her "serpent" to Double Cast pseudo-divinity.

    Having depleted her entire body''s energy, the blonde Shootdown Ace was stuck with symptoms resembling low blood sugar.

    Due to her partner''s exhaustion, Glinda in Queen Form also began to disappear.

    Taking the lion-like partner''s place to support Luna Francois, Orihime swiftly rushed over to catch her.

    "Are you alright, Luna-san? Let me treat you to some sweets later when we get back. How about the caramel frappucino strawberry daifuku that they recently started selling at the convenience store in front of the school?"

    "Thank you, Orihime-san... But food of such an adventurous nature would be a bit too..."

    "Fufu. Haruga-kun said something similar before."

    "After all, normal people can''t be like Asya..."

    The relief of surviving a desperate predicament and the joy of victory seemed to have lightened the two girls'' tone.

    Hal also nodded vigorously while approaching them.

    The dragonslaying bow, which had delivered the mortal blow, and the twin katana that had been instrumental to triggering the reversal. The emblems symbolizing these two types of weapons were now visible on Hal''s right hand. First there was the Rune of the Bow on his palm and the cross-shaped Rune of the Twin Katana near his wrist¡ª

    A new dragonslaying power obtained thanks to chance and the goddess of fortune.

    Dual wielding had many traits difficult to control. Quite difficult to master. Hinokagutsuchi had said so before, but for now, at least they used it effectively...

    Hal called out the magic gun.

    Its form had changed. Previously a 9mm semi-automatic handgun in appearance, the gun''s body was now fitted with a fifteen-centimeter-long bayonet under it.

    This was a temporary form for controlling the runes of the Bow and the Twin Katana simultaneously.

    However, the enemy that the magic gun ought to be pointing at had already¡ªAt that moment, Hal gasped. Ten-odd meters ahead, the gray dragon''s head still remained and unscathed to boot.

    Opening his jaws wide, he spewed out three long and thick chains.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhh!

    Two of the chains first wrapped around Akuro-Ou once, immobilizing her.

    "Deploy protection!" Hal instantly ordered the magic gun.

    The pearly light enveloped him and included Orihime and Luna as well.

    The imperishable protection knocked away the third chain in the nick of time, but like a living serpent without a moment''s pause in its movements, it wrapped itself tightly around the shield of the indestructible barrier.

    The gigantic chain, big enough to ensnare even dragons, wrapped around layer after layer before finally stopping. However, Hal saw the Ruruk Soun script manifested before them.

    The meaning was "O jailer of heavenly imprisonment and chain of the executioner, accomplish your first mission."

    If he were to release the imperishable protection, the three of them would be crushed by the chains in the end.

    "If that''s the case!"

    Hal pointed the bayoneted magic gun at the gigantic chain in front of him.

    Then he used fully automatic fire. A technique of assured annihilation. The bullets depleted earlier had been replenished. All thirty bullets in the magazine were fired as dragonslaying shots.

    However, this merely left behind scratches on the chains of punishment.

    "The gray dragon is still alive!?"

    "I cannot believe that he still hasn''t gone to hell yet. Truly living up to the name of a ghost that has evaded death..."

    "¡ªNay. My path of conquest has been foiled and I shall be set along the path to the underworld again. O Tyrannos of the Bow, it is a shame but you lot have won."

    This was his reply to Orihime''s surprise and Luna''s sharp tongue.

    The voice of the Gray Aristocrat came from the dragon head.

    "As a gesture of respect for your prowess, I leave behind two parting gifts. The first is my final mystic technique¡ªthe dragonslaying chain that had captured a thousand dragons in the past."

    The Gray Aristocrat''s whispering was very quiet.

    Perhaps he was already satisfied that he was able to go on a rampage as a ghost even after death. However, in addition to final words, he was also issuing them a challenge.

    "The other is a grave to bury you lot. You shall die together with me in this castle."

    "...Huh?"

    Hal was speechless. He soon noticed.

    The cardiac chamber surrounding them¡ªthe walls, ceiling and floor inside the Dragon Palace Court''s body had turned white at some point and even turned to stone. The Dragon Palace Court had died too.

    Because its heartmetal had been smashed together with the Gray Aristocrat''s body¡ªOn further thought, this was only logical.

    However, there were five large runes of Ruruk Soun carved on the ceiling that had turned into stone.

    "...Symbols for Heat and Explosion? Don''t tell me he''s gonna blow us up together with the Dragon Palace Court!? He''s using this kind of technique of assured annihilation to trap us, preventing us from escaping!"

    "Yes. Tyrannos of the Bow, your wits are not bad."

    "Getting this type of answer correct isn''t going to make me happy!"

    The cardiac chamber''s floor suddenly began to shake like an earthquake.

    Every now and then, there were noises like impacts were colliding upwards from below. Apart from that, low explosion sounds kept coming from afar...

    The Dragon Palace Court''s explosion and collapse was happening at a frightening rate, no mistake about that.

    "This castle will not last much longer. If you have no wish to die together with me, try your hardest to slice through my chain. Farewell."

    These were the true last words of the ghost, the Gray Aristocrat.

    All of the magic that had resided in the gray dragon''s head so far vanished. The former gray dragon king finally welcomed death a second time.

    However, the three chains coming out of the gray dragon head were still intact.

    The chains continued to bind the light of protection guarding Hal and the two girls as well as Akuro-Ou. Imprisonment from the technique of assured annihilation had not eased up at all!

    "Glinda cannot fight anymore while Harry''s trump card didn''t work..."

    Forcing her exhausted body and mind to move, Luna Francois murmured to herself. She leaned her unsteady body against Hal and said in a feeble voice, "In other words... Akuro-Ou is the only one we can rely on..."

    "In a way, I think there''s still a trump card that can be used in this situation..."

    "In that case, there is no time to deliberate!"

    Listening to Hal and Luna''s murmurs, Orihime declared firmly.

    Despite her inexperience, Orihime was a courageous and decisive girl. She turned the cross-shaped emblem manifesting on the back of her left hand¡ªthe Rune of the Twin Katana¡ªtowards her partner.

    The white fox-wolf was also bound by two chains.

    She had contorted her body many times, trying to struggle out of the chains but to no avail.

    "Akuro-Ou! Prepare to use the katana rune for a finishing move!"

    The covenant''s bond had probably informed Orihime how to use the rune.

    To help his classmate, who was issuing orders decisively, Hal also entrusted the greatest power to her.

    "Use the queen''s power as well, go all-out!"

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Akuro-Ou roared loudly in response. The ruby armor suddenly appeared, equipped on the white fox-wolf''s back and flanks. The armor on her back even had metallic arms with ruby coloring.

    Two arms, resembling robotic arms for industrial applications. A right arm and a left arm.

    The two arms on Akuro-Ou''s back each wielded a dragonslaying katana. The two blades were spread to the left and right like a pair of wings. This was Akuro-Ou''s dual wielding.

    However, the dragonslaying chains were still restraining the fox-wolf and the twin katana¡ª

    "First sever the chains then attack that dragon head!"

    In spite of the situation, Orihime still commanded. Akuro-Ou growled ferociously.

    Orihime immediately motioned to Hal with her eyes, blushing as though trying to convey something difficult to bring up. Orihime''s intent was very clear.

    What was needed next was a technique of assured annihilation rivaling the sun-shooting divine bow.

    Orihime on her own was unable to produce the necessary magical power for a technique of assured annihilation. Hal instantly nodded. Orihime glanced at Luna and hesitated for an instant, but even so, she still committed her determination and hugged Hal¡ª

    "Counting on you, Juujouji!"

    "Yes, leave it to me!"

    Jumping into Hal''s embrace from the front, Orihime pressed her voluptuous bust against him.

    Naturally, it was pressed against Hal''s chest¡ªthe heart. The Crimson Queen''s heartmetal! Instantly, his heart released magical power in extraordinary quantity, delivering it into Orihime''s heart.

    "Nn¡ªnnnnnn!"

    Painful panting and what sounded like a sweet voice escaped from Orihime''s lips.

    In this manner, Hal''s magical power was transmitted to Akuro-Ou through Orihime''s heart. The white fox-wolf''s savage countenance suddenly calmed down while her entire body was enveloped in golden radiance.

    The two chains binding Akuro-Ou gradually disintegrated under the light. This was an exorcism technique, an evil-dispelling light of righteousness for blessing sacred beasts.

    Nineteen runes of Ruruk Soun were shining over Akuro-Ou''s head, signifying "I summon the twin blades of exorcism, to deliver seraphic punishment to nefarious evil dragons."

    Using this arrangement of runes, Akuro-Ou regained her freedom then¡ª

    "W-Why aren''t you moving, Akuro-Ou!?"

    Hugging Hal, Orihime was very distraught.

    All she had to do was pounce and sever the chain surrounding Hal and the two girls, but Akuro-Ou only stared calmly at the Gray Aristocrat''s remaining head without budging the slightest.

    "...This won''t work, Orihime-san. Akuro-Ou has currently become too similar to a deity."

    Luna Francois walked over to Orihime''s side and whispered suddenly.

    Her physical energy should have been depleted to the point that she could not stand on her own. The blonde beauty leaned herself against Hal and hugged him like the Japanese girl, pressing their bodies tightly together.

    "You have to draw out more of her murderous intent. The technique of assured annihilation needed next is the atrocious act of wielding a sacred and blessed divine blade for slaughter¡ªContradictory magic of this sort."

    The Rune of the Twin Katana also surfaced on the back of Luna''s left hand.

    It was presumably the rune combined with her knowledge as a master-class witch that allowed her to comprehend the key to dual wielding. Like a priestess who had received a divine oracle, the blonde American girl spoke solemnly.

    "Holy and evil, right and wrong, yin and yang, demonic and divine... Entrust opposing elements to the twin blades so as to produce an attack embodying the rivalry of complementary opposites. Since this magic requires such complexity in execution, perhaps it might be too challenging for a downright honest person like Orihime-san..."

    "U-U-U-Umm, umm, Luna-san. I think your lesson was very informative!"

    Orihime hugged Hal tighter, pressing her ostensibly F-cup bust against him.

    Always lively and cheerful, she was casting a gaze of confusion and reproach at Luna Francois who was up close. Her tone sounded quite displeased too.

    "B-But why are you doing something like this to Haruga-kun!?"

    Next to Orihime, Luna Francois was leaning against Hal with her bust that was even bigger than the glamorous Japanese girl''s. Due to putting all her weight on Hal, the ostensibly G-cup bust was also pressed on Hal''s chest...

    Seeing her like that, Orihime was shocked. Luna simply said, "Simply stated, my reason is the same as yours, Orihime-san. Hey Harry, link up your heart and the rune with my heart and synchronize with my magical nature, then transmit it to Orihime-san and Akuro-Ou..."

    "I get it now. That might very well work."

    "Haruga-kun too, don''t make weird expressions in this kind of situation!"

    Two bosoms with astounding volume and elasticity were pressed against Hal¡ª

    Tightly pressed against him. Tightly pressed against him. Tightly pressed against him. Tightly pressed against him. Moved almost to tears, Hal found it difficult to calm down instead. Were he to allow his emotions to explode, he might very well faint from excessive joy.

    Hence, he turned his mind into an immovable rock. It was time to be a sage who could think calmly no matter what the situation.

    Perhaps this could be considered an expression of survival instinct. Meanwhile, Orihime asked in shock, "Besides, this method was supposed to be the secret belonging to us only! Why does Luna-san know about it!?"

    "Sorry, many things happened when Harry and I established our covenant. However, it was thanks to Harry and I putting this method into action that I was able to reduce energy consumption. So please forgive me, okay?"

    "H-Haruga-kun! Last time, you said you would exercise greater prudence with other girls¡ªAh...!"

    "Mmm... Accept my feelings, Harry..."

    "Enough! You keep glossing over the issue using this kind of method¡ªMmmmmm!"

    Luna whispered with an expression of ecstasy while Orihime glared at Hal while blushing intensely.

    The two girls were tightly pressed on Hal, squeezing themselves against him as though competing to see whose body felt more wonderful. What a surprising stroke of fortune. Who knew if something like this would happen even once in a lifetime?

    In addition, Hal sensed it as the mediator between the two girls.

    The heart of the brilliant strategist¡ªLuna Francois¡ªand Orihime''s heart that was ablaze with anger and fighting spirit were swiftly synchronizing by using Haruga Haruomi as the medium¡ª

    Murderous intent and savagery returned to Akuro-Ou''s face and she roared loudly.

    Thus, she instantly attacked the Gray Aristocrat''s head. The white fox-wolf''s entire body was enveloped in golden light. Her countenance and movements were brimming with feral sharpness.

    Then the twin katana on her back glowed golden as well¡ª

    Akuro-Ou used the right katana for a horizontal slash, then chopped vertically down with the left katana. The twin katana traced out a mark on the gray dragon''s head in the form of a cross-shaped scar.

    Thus, the Gray Aristocrat''s legacy was destroyed.

    The dragonslaying chain trapping Hal and the girls gradually crumbled into dust¡ª

    The Dragon Palace Court was a super creature reaching a kilometer in body length.

    However, with its heartmetal already destroyed, it was reaching the end of its life.

    Until earlier, despite its slow movements, the Dragon Palace Court was still swimming leisurely in the vast ocean. Now, its gigantic body had turned into a unmoving corpse. Rendered completely white in color, it had turned to stone.

    The entity formerly the Dragon Palace Court slowly sank deep into the ocean.

    However, one beast escaped from inside its body.

    It was Akuro-Ou. The white nine-tailed fox-wolf. Akuro-Ou had deactivated Queen Form and returned to her normal appearance.

    She escaped from the gradually sinking Dragon Palace Court to float up to the sea surface. The fox-wolf''s snout was pushing a small pearly sphere, roughly two meters in diameter.

    Akuro-Ou carefully pushed the sphere up with her snout as though handling treasure.

    A minute or two later...

    The gradually sinking Dragon Palace Court suddenly exploded, blown up into smithereens.

    Akuro-Ou had escaped in the nick of time, pushing the pearly sphere to swim towards the sea surface.

    However, when the sea surface was still some distance away, Akuro-Ou suddenly vanished. This was because her partner''s energy had been depleted too fiercely, making it impossible to keep her materialized.

    Now that the giant beast pushing it upwards until now had vanished, the pearly sphere began to sink.

    However, something caught it.

    It was the serpentine dragon leviathan, Minadzuki. She reached out with her forelimb to grab the sphere.

    The wyvern leviathan, Rushalka, also appeared in the water, staring at the pearly sphere uneasily. Of course, the sphere was imperishable protection.

    Even when sunk into the sea, it remained an indestructible sanctuary to protect the people inside.

    This protection became Hal, Orihime and Luna Francois'' lifeline. Using her forelimb to support the imperishable protection, Minadzuki began to swim to the sea surface¡ª

 Volume 4, Epilogue

    Volume 4, Epilogue

    "We are so damn lucky..."

    "When Akuro-Ou disappeared, I thought we were going to sink to the bottom of the sea..."

    "It''ll definitely be impossible to find us even if they used a rescue boat for deep sea searches... I wonder how long can Harry''s protection last...?"

    "Even if I could sustain the protection, it''s very likely we''ll die of hunger inside it..."

    Hal, Orihime and Luna Francois were finally rescued.

    The commotion had continued all the way from last night and they even had to fight the Gray Aristocrat and escape the Dragon Palace Court in desperation.

    Utterly exhausted in physical strength, mental energy and magical power. Due to excessive fatigue and the sense of relief, the three survivors collapsed sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall after their difficult ordeal.

    Sitting in lethargy, the trio looked up at the blue summer sky.

    A gust of warm sea breeze blew. It felt very comfortable. The long night had ended to welcome morning at last. It felt like it was going to be a hot day today too.

    Also, their current location was the deck of the JMSDF multi-purpose support vessel.

    The trio was leaning against the spire-like bridge protruding from the deck.

    ¡ªSurrounded by imperishable protection, Hal and company had drifted in the sea.

    Minadzuki was the one who had fished them out. She had hurried over together with Rushalka, probably by using a leviathan''s keen senses, the covenant bond and investigative magic.

    Surfacing from the sea, Minadzuki had put down the trio here.

    Asya, Hazumi and the crew were probably going to rush over soon¡ª

    "Anyway, let''s take a break before they arrive..." This was the privilege belonging to the mentally and physically drained¡ªHal suggested lazily.

    Luna and Orihime had no objections. They were all thoroughly exhausted. Even now, none of them wanted to stand up.

    "B-By the way, you two, about just earlier, umm..." Orihime suddenly spoke quietly, her voice lowered in embarrassment.

    Perhaps she was referring to the scene where the three of them had combined their power to sever the Gray Aristocrat''s chains. As soon as he thought back to that time, Hal felt so touched that he almost had a breakdown.

    Stemming from survival instincts after all, he naturally summoned his immovable rock-like state of mind.

    "I-I think it would be best to keep it a secret from Hazumi and Asya-san. What do you two think? Since this is a matter between friends, would it be better to report to everyone after all...?"

    "There shouldn''t be a need to tell them expressly. I concur with Orihime-san," answered Luna Francois immediately.

    There was still a blush on the blonde beauty''s pale complexion. The aftertaste of the excitement back then had apparently lingered. With this expression, Luna winked profoundly at Orihime.

    It was as though they were accomplices who had tasted forbidden fruit and wanted to keep it a secret between themselves.

    Hence, Orihime nodded.

    The black-haired Japanese maiden was clearly relieved.

    "Th-Thank you, Luna-san. Thank you for saying that..."

    "I believe that it would be too shocking for Asya and Hazumi-san... Shouldn''t we keep this as a secret between us and Harry...?"

    "Shocking¡ªWell said. It is too shocking indeed!"

    "Consequently, regarding the progress in my relationship with Harry, please turn a blind eye with a generous heart, Orihime-san. Let us compete with open fairness on this front, okay? We could join forces to inconspicuously keep Asya and Hazumi-san away from the front lines..."

    "Huh? Oh, uh, I¡ªwell, how should I say this...?"

    "It is imperative to limit those who engage in such behavior with Harry and experience those feelings to the two of us."

    "By the way¡ª"

    Having entered sage time via a mind like an immovable rock, Hal suddenly interjected.

    "What exactly did you two feel when we were doing that?"

    " "...Not telling." "

    The two girls, one Japanese and one American, answered in unison.

    At that moment, they heard a patter of rapid footsteps. Someone was coming.

    "Haruomi! Orihime-san and Luna have returned safely too!"

    "I am so glad that everyone is safe and sound!"

    Asya and Hazumi finally came. Hal went "hmm?" as though something occurred to him.

    Speaking of which, Hal seemed to recall the same kind of scene taking place after the battle against Pavel Galad too. Hal felt a sense of foreboding but before he could explore the reason¡ª

    "H-H-H-H-H-Haruomi! What kind of craziness did you guys just do to end up like that!?"

    "N-Nee-sama!? Senpai!? Even Luna-san!? U-Umm, all of you look very tired! E-Excuse me!"

    "H-Hazumi!? Wait, don''t go, listen to my explanation!"

    Seeing the rescued trio in this state, Asya first flew into a rage.

    Then the kindhearted Hazumi was rendered flustered, confused and distraught. Finally, she turned around and was about to make a quick exit. When her cousin, Orihime, called to her, Hazumi halted.

    At that moment, Hal finally became aware of their current state.

    Due to excessive fatigue, the trio of Hal, Orihime and Luna Francois were leaning against the bridge with their limbs outstretched. This was not a problem so far.

    However, the way they were sitting was the so-called "III" configuration.

    In the middle was Haruga Haruomi. On his right was Luna Francois with Orihime on his left. As though sharing a bed with Hal, the two girls were pressed tightly against him.

    Indeed. Hal was currently sandwiched between two girls with spectacular figures.

    Luna Francois was using her leg to entangle Hal''s leg. Orihime''s black hair and exquisite face was positioned close to Hal''s cheek, a level of intimacy beyond normal. However, the trio did not mean anything by it. They had simply entered this state without noticing.

    This was because they had naturally squeezed themselves together inside the imperishable protection''s cramped interior during the escape from the Dragon Palace Court.

    Furthermore, the excitement from using the Rune of the Twin Katana was still lingering in the trio''s hearts.

    That was probably the reason why Hal and the girls accepted this state without thinking there was anything wrong. However, it was true that this posture would make others think that they had some sort of suspicious relationship or had crossed the line in a male-female sense...

    Just as Hal was thinking if he could find some kind of eloquent excuse¡ª

    Luna Francois suddenly drew her face near. By the time he came to his senses, Luna had already sealed his mouth with her lips. Hal was being kissed. By Luna''s lips.

    "Huh¡ª?"

    The raging Asya froze. At a loss how to react, Hazumi also stared wide-eyed, unmoving.

    Resting against Hal, Orihime jumped all at once.

    Unconcerned about the audience''s gaze, Luna Francois continued to kiss Hal. Her well-shaped lips had sealed Hal''s mouth¡ªand she even inserted her tongue. Pecking, licking Hal''s lips, she then entangled Hal''s tongue with her own, kissing him nonstop with audible smooches.

    In the end, after a passionate kiss lasting roughly forty seconds, Luna finally moved her lips away.

    "In other words, this is what''s going on. Best regards to you, Asya."

    Hal''s childhood friend lose composure and showed a very flustered gaze.

    As a side note, Hal himself was in a dazed state. This was completely out of left field for him.

    Half a day went by after Hal''s reunion with Asya and the others.

    Hal and company returned to Shimoda at the Izu Peninsula with the intention of returning to Tokyo New Town the next day after spending a night there. Night had fallen. The sky was cloudless, allowing a clear view of the stars.

    Feeling very uncomfortable inside the inn, Hal went for a seaside stroll on his own.

    This was because Luna Francois'' behavior had shocked all the other members in the group.

    Orihime and Hazumi would suddenly lose their calm as soon as they were in Hal''s presence, unable to speak.

    Asya was probably the most shocked, remaining dazed for a many hours. However, after hearing Luna''s invitation to Hal, "Harry, if you don''t mind, how about coming to my room tonight?", Asya kept following Luna closely to prevent the blonde Shootdown Ace from acting freely.

    Furthermore, Luna''s invitation felt like it was only partially in jest...

    This made Hal recall his first experience with the sensation of lips. However, he hastily interrupted his reminiscence because he immediately realized he would act very strangely if he continued.

    He shook his head and looked up at the night sky.

    On a whim, Hal began to look for the Cygnus. Cygnus was a cross-shaped summer constellation. According to Ruruk Soun''s secret records, it was apparently the emblem of the twin katana cross star, the Rune of the Twin Katana¡ª

    Perhaps this knowledge was what prompted him to search for Cygnus.

    "Has it been a fruitful journey, Haruomi?" The voice of the white dragon king and princess inquired.

    Hal immediately answered, "So-so. At least the gains were not zero."

    "Good for you. I was right to send you out."

    Princess Yukikaze nodded with satisfaction. Before he knew it, she was already standing in front of Hal¡ªNo.

    Only seconds earlier did she descend gallantly from the sky without making a sound. Hal was not surprised by this, because the Rune of the Bow had already told him that the arrow paired with it was approaching.

    Hal shrugged. Coming and going elusively unseen was not a suitable description for her.

    Given Princess Yukikaze''s flying ability that was like an arrow''s, the distance from Tokyo to Izu would be like the distance of an evening stroll.

    "Did something happen in Tokyo afterwards?"

    "Nothing. You can call it daily peace. Yes."

    Princess Yukikaze curled the corners of her lips and smiled mischievously.

    "I am not clairvoyant. Perhaps there are subjects shedding tears where I, Yukikaze, cannot see, but it should be fine to exclude them, right? Hmm."

    "On the other hand, I wish you''d look after every single subject like a benevolent queen."

    "What are you talking about? How every family lives and spends their days has nothing to do with the sovereign. Do you want where you sleep and what you eat to be determined by royal decree?"

    "I see what you mean. You definitely make a good point."

    "A sovereign''s job is to revitalize the nation, build a capital and rule well. But in the case of dragon kings, this should be changed to compete, fight and plunder."

    Princess Yukikaze smiled again. She was bringing up a king''s insight.

    It looked like Princess Yukikaze only sought out Hal to chat tonight, even though she was regarding Haruga Haruomi as her current foe of sorts.

    But it was also in Princess Yukikaze''s style to show open-mindedness without getting bogged down by such matters.

    Hal accepted it wryly. He had his reasons that made it impossible for him to complain to Princess Yukikaze.

    "Then in the near future, I''ll pay you a visit and bring a souvenir from my travels as thanks."

    "Yes, please do. Just go to the same wedge as before and signal as appropriate. I, Yukikaze, will head over as soon as I notice."

    A few days before the expedition to Izu, Luna Francois had invited Hal on a date.

    However, Hal had told her "unfortunately, I have a date with someone else today." This was no excuse. In fact, Hal had gone to the Old Tokyo Concession alone after school that day.

    It was to have an audience with Princess Yukikaze.

    Although the distance was not great, all of New Town''s witches were going to take part in the expedition.

    Prior to the journey, he wanted to observe whether the princess was in a good mood or not, to confirm whether she intended to start a conflict within these few days. Apart from that, Hal wanted to confirm with Princess Yukikaze whether she would fight and drive off other dragons if they attacked while Hal and company were away¡ª

    Such a discussion was very shameless, but Hal felt that the princess, with her strong curiosity, would agree to it.

    Hence, Hal had visited the Monolith standing in a corner of what was formerly Ginza. On that day, the girl who was like a snow fairy had also descended from the sky like a gust of wind...

    "One more thing, Haruomi. I, Yukikaze, shall make this clear in advance. No need for souvenirs."

    "Really?"

    "Yes. The twin katana in your hands are enough. Fufu, you are gradually obtaining power worthy enough for me, Yukikaze, to take matters into my own hands. Let me offer you a few words of commendation."

    "I went through so much to get a new weapon and you''ve already seen through it? You leave me speechless."

    "Solving riddles isn''t my forte. The one who is curious might be that man over there."

    Princess Yukikaze threw a glance behind Hal.

    Hal looked back. Although it was a stuffy summer night, the man was wearing a summer suit with full formality, waiting there silently. The man''s face was both mature and proper.

    As a side note, he was not sweating the slightest. With a cool expression, the man stood there without moving from his spot.

    "It has been a while, young man. Successor of the Bow and Twin Katana."

    His voice sounded as astringent as rusted iron.

    Indeterminate birthplace. Tall. A man in his prime in appearance. Named Sophocles. In charge of facilitating the Road to Kingship¡ª

    "Actually, I have suspected this since a long time ago. Was it the Crimson Queen who had hid away the seal of the twin katana? I am very happy to obtain the answer to this question."

    "You came all the way to Izu just to say this?"

    Hal shrugged. Sophocles had claimed to be a human, not a dragon.

    This man. The flint. The history of the race called "dragons." There seemed to be an endless number of mysteries to take care of¡ªHal really wanted to complain. Also, his guide, Hinokagutsuchi, had thoroughly entered a state of lethargy right now.

    The corners of Sophocles'' lips rose slightly.

    "Distance and location are irrelevant. So long as it is to see you, Tyrannos and dragon king, I am willing to venture anywhere, not just on Earth but even the far ends of the sea of stars. And young man, you would do best to remember one thing."

    "What is it?"

    "The former queen is not the only one who can instruct you. I can fulfill that job too."

    "Now that you bring it up, I think you mentioned it before as well. Anyway, I''ll keep that in mind."

    Hal gave a safe answer, but what he was thinking was¡ª

    It was probably because Sophocles was always dressed in black. This man could very well be a devil surpassing Hinokagutsuchi in truth¡ªHal found himself unable to evict this image and bias from his mind.

    Currently, there was absolutely no reason compelling him to abandon this bias.

    Hence, Hal did not say more and Sophocles departed silently. By the time he noticed, Princess Yukikaze had vanished too.

    Summer had just started. Only a couple months had gone by since he had obtained the power of dragonbane.

    Nevertheless, the seeds of chaos were slowly and steadily growing in Hal''s surroundings.

 Volume 4, Afterword

    Volume 4, Afterword

    Hello again, everyone, I am Takedzuki Jou.

    This series has already reached its fourth volume, a tale that could be called the starting point of the second arc.

    Although there is a slight mismatch between the release date and the actual season, this fourth volume was inspired by lighthearted plot along the likes of "The beach! Swimsuits!"

    However, sigh, as is always the case, this volume''s theme goes beyond that (wry smile).

    Tokyo New Town and Old Tokyo''s wasteland can be thought of as a type of dungeon, but different from the "miniature garden"-like plot progression in the first three volumes, Volume 4''s developments take place outside of New Town.

    Using the map called the sea as the stage, I''ve also added elements of wilderness adventure.

    As for the swimsuit part, it would be great if everyone had fun with it.

    Next up, let''s talk about something else.

    I am not someone who frequently browses the publisher''s website.

    That being said, I still have occasional whims of "let''s take a look once in a while" for webpages about my works.

    As a result, I discovered unexpected news when browsing through various sites.

    (Huh?)

    (2013 MF Bunko J Summer School Festival''s student council president character...)

    (This is clearly an event that''s supposed to elect a character by popular vote to become the president...)

    (Why is this person ranked fifth?)

    (That''s so weird. I''m catching a whiff of a biased election...)

    These troubled thoughts stirred in my mind.

    To think that a character had appeared when they shouldn''t, this stimulated my little gray cells, causing me to associate that person with the possibility of committing a crime¡ª

    "What kind of rude thoughts are you entertaining!?"

    Hi A¡ñ¡ña-san. It''s been a while since we last met in Volume 3.

    "I can''t stand this... To have characters from the story appear in the afterwords, could you please rein in such behavior since it''s not like this is a nineties-era novel."

    Oh my oh my, don''t say it like that. How should I put it? Although I''ve written dozens of characters so far, you are particularly special, A¡ñ¡ña-san.

    "Huh!?"

    I suppose I should say that not only do I want to write you in my stories, but I even want to converse with you directly.

    "Well... (blush) My heart already belongs to someone else... Well, but it''s not like I can''t accept it if it doesn''t extend beyond feelings of affection, if that''s the case¡ª"

    After all, it''s President M''s job to make critical remarks about you.

    But occasionally, I''d like to make witty comments myself without relying on characters'' voices.

    "...So the result is this kind of messy mix of personal affairs with official business? (glare)"

    Apart from that, you can also say it''s because I''m in a dilemma, not knowing what to write for the afterword.

    "Did you just reveal your true thoughts accidentally...? Sigh, whatever. Let''s just put that aside and get on with the main point. Due to receiving votes from fans, I was ranked fifth in the student council election, what''s so strange about that!?"

    It''s definitely very strange, A¡ñ¡ña-san.

    Because this isn''t a "general election to decide our fireteam leader in the marines."

    The main point was to nominate twenty characters from among MF Bunko J''s series to then select a candidate suitable for serving as a student council president.

    "I obtained the excellent result of fifth ranked because the readers recognize my outstanding leadership and charisma. Teehee."

    On the other hand, I think given your character traits, you''re suited to being a fireteam leader in the army or the marines than serving as a student council president.

    So, could it be that you obtained votes through illegal means...?

    "As if I''d do something like that!"

    No use of bribery or threats to manipulate the number of votes?

    In that case, I''m sure it''s the power of Nimura-san''s illustration on the voting poster.

    "Why can''t you honestly admit that it''s because of my personal charm...? Then forgive me for asking this, who among the nominated characters do you think is suitable to be the president?"

    Oh?

    "Considering various areas including moral character, experience, ideology, special skills, personal relationships, etc, the right candidate for the job is obvious. That''s right, indeed, only I¡ª"

    Oh, I think Kawaguchi-sensei''s Elen-san would be quite suitable.

    "I-I can''t believe I have a traitor in our midst!"

    Back to the main point...

    What''s mentioned above is the 2013 MF Bunko J Summer Student Council President voting event.

    I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the readers for supporting her to obtain quite good results as the representative of this series.

    Also, within this Volume 4, I used the title of Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne in a little shout-out.

    Many thanks to Suzuki Daisuke-sensei who had given permission readily.

    Of course, I still have to express my deep gratitude to everyone laboring diligently on various jobs from editing to sales, etc, as well as Nimura-sama for providing beautiful illustrations as always.

    Next is about developments from here on.

    That character who had made a brief appearance might enter the stage again.

    The young man, the beautiful maiden and the somber characters in the enemy roster have shown up one after another. It''s time for the "daring and uninhibited older man" character to enter the fray, right?

    In addition, who is going to become the featured heroine?

    Luna Francois has officially joined the competition. What effects will this bring to the love comedy?

    The gradually maturing protagonist has obtained additional combat strength and the new skill of sage time. In what directions would these assets guide his adventures and the conflicts between characters?

    If possible, it would be my honor if all of you could confirm the answers to these questions in Volume 5.

 Volume 5, Prologue

    Volume 5, Prologue

    In the past, New York was the largest international city in the world.

    At its heart was Manhattan Island, which was now a land ruled by dragonkind. Humans called it the Old Manhattan Concession.

    However, despite its name as a concession territory, very few dragons made their residence there.

    The vast majority of its area was either wasteland or wilderness inhabited by neither dragons nor humans. Standing here, the Monolith, a gigantic square prism towering over a kilometer tall, was the only proof that this was dragon territory.

    However, this Old Manhattan had one ruler.

    Red Hannibal.

    The dragon king of dragon kings, considered the representative of dragonkind. Not only was he the first sapient dragon encountered in the history of mankind, but he was also the spokesman who had forced humanity to sign an unequal treaty in humiliation.

    Such a character was currently gliding leisurely in the sky over the New York wasteland.

    His body length was twenty meters with an even larger wingspan.

    All the scales over his entire body were bright red, with an armor-like exoskeleton over his chest area, awe-inspiring like a great marshal commanding a million troops.

    Unbeknownst to mankind, he was referred to as the Red Flame Emperor among his kind.

    However, he preferred the name given to him by humans and always styled himself as Hannibal.

    That being said¡ª

    ''O Flame Emperor, may I have a moment of your time?''

    A thought wave transmitted from the ground was addressing him with that ancient title.

    A certain old acquaintance was using Mental Communication magic. Although he had no obligation to humor the request, it would be a hassle to be continually pestered, hence, the leisurely gliding Hannibal could not help but shrug like a human.

    A dragon king who was not a pure-blooded dragon¡ªHannibal.

    Using a dragon''s body, he unintentionally performed an action that was supposed to be done when in human form.

    In any case, he was currently descending slowly. The flourishing forest stretching under his view was a place known as Central Park in the past. However, his landing spot was not inside the park.

    The main road on the east of Central Park. This was known as Fifth Avenue back in the previous century, a major thoroughfare where humans gathered from all over the world.

    ...In fact, on a whim once, Hannibal had browsed this city''s map.

    Thanks to that, he still had more or less some impression of the names of several New York-era locations.

    While landing, he altered his appearance, transforming from a dragon to a human.

    The massive dragon, twenty meters long, turned into a muscular 195cm-tall man within the blink of an eye¡ªHe believed that it would be easier to converse this way.

    "What a rare occasion. It has been ten years since the last time you showed up, hasn''t it?"

    The dragon king gazed at the human male standing on the asphalt road.

    Dressed in a black suit, bearing a well-proportioned face that showed experienced astringency, he was the man tasked with the job of being the guide for the Road to Kingship.

    "Based on your way of doing things, Sophocles, this is quite a show of sincerity."

    "You are too kind, Lord. I am a man who would visit every day for an audience with you so long as there is such a necessity."

    The corners of Sophocles'' lips parted to produce a crack in the shape of a smile.

    He was not completely expressionless. Rather, due to not showing his emotions for too long¡ªover a thousand years¡ªhis ability to express himself had naturally atrophied.

    "The purpose of my visit today is to provide counsel."

    "Counsel huh?"

    "Precisely. Lord, twenty years have elapsed since you made this city your new territory. As a magic city and enchanted realm, this place has developed to maturity without impediment. And now, this land has probably reached its peak, a turning point."

    "This city" referred to the Old Manhattan Concession.

    Even the biggest metropolis in the history of mankind had turned into a wasteland now.

    A city of emptiness where there was not even a single human or dragon apart from Hannibal. However, the number of residents living here were actually quite numerous. Such a group could be considered the red dragon king''s serfs.

    Sophocles continued further.

    "Shouldn''t you to leave this city to establish another concession as a stronghold? Or rather, it is time to demand that the humans offer up additional land."

    "Hmm."

    "O king, I implore you to consider¡ª"

    "Sorry, but forget it."

    The man, who served as an adviser of sorts to dragon kings and Tyrannoi, offered his suggestion.

    However, Hannibal interrupted him and grinned. The red dragon king''s human form was that of a well-built man in his prime. However, his face was showing an unbelievably gentle expression.

    In complete contrast to the man before him, Hannibal was a man who expressed a full range of emotions with honesty.

    While a smile like a mischievous child''s, he said to Sophocles, "You should probably offer your advice to someone else. The Black Lightning Emperor would probably concur happily no matter how much you speak. There are other things I wish to do at the present."

    "...I see. It appears that you already have a plan in mind."

    Sophocles'' lips once again formed a crack that could hardly be called a smile.

    It was probably a wry smile. His counsel, founded upon extraordinary knowledge and insight, had been rejected summarily by the dragon kings¡ªThis was actually quite commonplace.

    "Oh actually, I''ve recently discovered something more interesting than fighting for territory."

    "Interesting?"

    "Yes. Let me see, how do the humans say it...? Right, like that."

    Hannibal smiled like a child again.

    Then in an astoundingly rich baritone voice, he said to his non-dragon companion, "Have you heard of it? It''s something called democracy."

 Volume 5, 1 - Inheritance Game

    Volume 5, Chapter 1 - Inheritance Game

    Part 1

    It was the latter part of July with summer holidays having just started.

    Haruga Haruomi and several witches had visited Izu together on an impromptu expedition.

    However, travels in July did not end there. A few days after returning to Tokyo New Town, the team was off on another journey. Not only that, the destination this time was not even within the country¡ª

    "...I''ve been seeing the sea a lot lately."

    With a clear blue sky overhead, visibility seemed to stretch far above as though one could see all the way into space.

    Naturally, they were surrounded by sea in all directions, because Hal and company were traveling on a JMSDF escort vessel, observing a military exercise from the deck.

    Although Japan''s climate was quite hot, this place was on a different level.

    The sunlight shining from above was so bright that it was almost like violence. The temperature on the deck also kept rising. Hal''s hair was hot from the sun. Parts of skin not covered by his t-shirt also felt scorched like being burned by fire.

    After all, these territorial waters of the Solomon Islands were near the equator in the southern hemisphere.

    "By the way, Luna, to what kind of TPO (time, place, occasion) do you owe your current attire?"

    "What a way to put things, Harry. Kettle, please meet pot."

    Faced with Hal, who was wearing a t-shirt, half pants and sandals, Luna replied with an unimpressed expression. As for the blonde witch herself, she was wearing a new swimsuit that she had bought prior to setting off from Japan.

    "Don''t worry. I am pairing it properly with military style."

    On the previous expedition, Luna Francois had dressed in black as her usual motif.

    But this time, her choice was camo print paired with a khaki pareo around her waist. That said, this was an escort vessel''s deck yet unbelievably, she even had a flower wreath on her head.

    Staring at Luna Francois'' gorgeous appearance, Hal could not help but retort, "But I think you have to pick navy style instead of army style in this situation. Like a sailor uniform or something."

    "Despite saying that, Harry, you''re showing quite a burning gaze."

    "......"

    This could not be helped.

    After all, she was bending forward while dressed in a bikini, approaching him as though to display her chest to him, emphasizing her upper body in a seductive cougar pose...

    Despite his closeted traits, Haruga Haruomi was still a gentleman. Hence, he took exceptional care to avoid speaking his mind.

    Nervously, he ordered himself to hurry and shift his gaze away. However, Luna Francois smiled blissfully while watching Hal''s behavior.

    "Fufufufu. I never knew it would feel this enjoyable to be subjected to the burning gaze from the boy I like. Hey Harry, could you look at me more, pretty please? Stare intently at me like this and don''t look away, as though you''re trying to drill a hole into me."

    "Huh!?"

    "Please. I''ll throw a tantrum if you look away, Harry, okay?"

    "E-Even if you say that, it''s still our job to observe the military exercise over there, right?"

    "Don''t worry. Nothing should go wrong as long as Asya is present in matters of this sort."

    Making eye contact with Luna''s upward gaze, Hal felt even more unsettled.

    On this day in late July, the Japanese military ship carrying Hal and company was not the only one to travel to the Solomon Islands. There were two other escort vessels and a submarine accompanying them.

    ¡ªAnd now, even more ships had gathered in these waters.

    From the American navy was a cruiser, four destroyers, and a nuclear submarine.

    The Australian navy had three light destroyers. Apart from that, one could see ships from various countries including Canada, Russia, Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, New Zealand, Chile...

    This was a joint military exercise gathering all the member nations of the Trans-Pacific Defense Organization.

    As a side note, the Americans had even dispatched an aircraft carrier whose homeport was Naval Station Pearl Harbor.

    The military exercise was to last two weeks. Although it was not a live fire exercise, the participating countries had to follow the prescribed scenario and cooperate with allied ships in joint tactical maneuvers.

    Hal and company were participating in the second day''s schedule.

    Normally in this type of exercise, the imaginary enemy¡ªin other words, the dragons¡ªwould be played by fighter jets or unmanned drones. However, the "serpents" from various countries were taking part in the exercise today as the enemy role.

    Swimming leisurely in the ocean was a gigantic sea serpent leviathan.

    Other types included a white whale that one could call Moby Dick, a shark with wing-like pectoral and ventral fins, an ancient fish whose entire body was protected by armor-like scales, etc.

    Furthermore, in the air¡ª

    There was a Garuda with golden feathers, a phoenix flying while enveloped in conflagration and other leviathans¡ª

    A blue wyvern''s gigantic body was also flying in the air.

    Naturally, that was Rushalka. In addition, she was in Queen Form, equipped with chest armor and arms of ruby, her entire body giving off magic more powerful than any other "serpent."

    Suddenly, Rushalka began to ascend rapidly.

    Not only was she increasing her altitude but also her speed gradually.

    Rising from dozens of kilometers per hour to hundreds, then subsonic speeds, she soon broke the sound barrier, ascending rapidly with explosive noise and sonic booms, penetrating the clouds within the blink of an eye, disappearing from the view of Hal and the others.

    At the same time as this sudden and rapid ascent¡ª

    The jet fighter squadron and many "serpents" also withdrew from the sky above Hal and company.

    They must have received orders to retreat through communication devices. Apart from that, the "serpents" and their partners had keenly sensed it. Terrifying magical power of great density pervaded the area and the source was above.

    This was the magical power radiating from Rushalka, who had disappeared to a super high altitude.

    A minute or two after all irrelevant personnel in the way had gone off...

    Rushalka began to descend rapidly. However, because she was in supersonic flight, it was impossible to capture her majestic flying form with the naked eye. The blue gigantic figure fell rapidly through the clouds to the tropical sea surface in a straight line, accompanied by sonic booms, making an emergency stop just before crashing into the sea¡ªEveryone witnessed this astounding aerial mobility.

    The blue wyvern''s performance was not over yet.

    Rushalka invoked Water pseudo-divinity while hovering at a height close to the sea surface. In the next second, the sea around Rushalka rose up in succession. Breaking established rules of physics, the huge amount of seawater towered into the air.

    Literally pillars of seawater, there were unbelievably eight of them.

    With Rushalka in the center, the water pillars had rose up in the eight directions of north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west and northwest respectively, reaching heights of almost three hundred meters.

    ¡ªIn a realistic sense, this performance was completely pointless.

    It was like wasting a fighter jet''s mobility on fancy acrobatics.

    This was pointlessly wasting Asya and Rushalka''s magic power, the Queen Form''s energy and pseudo-divinity.

    But at the same time, this was also a fantastic feat that no other witch in the world could imitate.

    Even though Luna Francois and Glinda possessed the same level of ability, what they held was the attribute of Gravity, so logically speaking, they could not exhibit the same technique. One could safely say that the image of "the spectacular revival of Europe''s former Shootdown Ace" had been carved into the minds of every country''s military participating in the exercise.

    Furthermore, the same went for "the potency possessed by the mysterious power known as dragonbane."

    "Impressive as always, that''s Asya. Don''t you think so too, Harry?"

    "Yeah. This was the aim in coming here, after all. This performance definitely did not betray expectations. Give her my share of navy curry later¡ªOkay!?"

    In the middle of responding, Hal jumped in surprise.

    Dressed in a swimsuit, Luna Francois suddenly pressed against him, Her massive bust was weighing on Hal''s back. If he had to express the impression in words, it would probably include "s-so soft" and "big and round like rubber balls with plenty of elasticity."

    However, Hal stood his ground and spoke as a gentleman in a trembling voice, "A-Aren''t we a bit too close...?"

    "Being closer is only natural, isn''t it? Because you keep looking at Asya, I''m jealous. It won''t do if you won''t look at me more."

    "B-But Luna, you''re behind me, right!? I can''t see you like this at all!"

    "Then hurry and turn around. Just embrace me from the front, Harry."

    "Embrace!?"

    If he turned around right now, the situation would turn into a passionate embrace with Luna.

    Sweet temptation, like pouring honey and gomme syrup over candy, was making Hal''s heart pound intensely. Just as he was about to turn around reflexively¡ªAt that very moment...

    "What the hell is going on, you two!?"

    An unexpected guest arrived suddenly.

    Still with Luna hugging him, Hal forced his head to turn around.

    Behind him, a silver-haired witch was standing sternly, glaring at the two of them sharply. Of course, her name was Anastasya Rubashvili¡ªthe girl nicknamed Asya.

    "Good grief. I can''t believe you were cavorting around in this kind of place while I was on the bridge to direct Rushalka... You two are outrageous!"

    "Asya, ''cavorting'' would be a little crude to be coming from a lady''s lips."

    "The one who was pressing her boobs against a boy has no right to say that to me."

    Hal looked alternately between the angry Asya and the indifferent Luna while using his soup spoon.

    Inside the mess hall at the escort vessel, the three of them were having a late lunch.

    It was after 2pm at local time. The place was packed with people in SDF uniforms sitting around them. With the conclusion of the morning events for the second day of the joint military exercise, the crowd naturally gathered here for lunch.

    Dressed in the same uniform, eating the same food.

    It was like a scene from a school lunch. Being a high school student as well, Hal felt almost like he was sitting in a student cafeteria.

    The main course was navy curry, a traditional menu offering passed down from the days of the Imperial Japanese Navy, plus a deep-fried chicken cutlet. Well, except that Hal''s chicken cutlet had been forcibly confiscated by Asya as "an apology for all sorts of offense taken from his inappropriate behavior"...

    As a side note, Luna Francois had changed back into her usual black dress.

    "But even if you say my behavior was inappropriate¡ª" Hal spoke between spoonfuls of curry.

    "If I think about it more carefully, Asya, I don''t think I''ve caused you any trouble, have I?"

    "Of course you have! Witnessing you and Luna''s indecent behavior, Haruomi, causes mental shock against my pure and innocent soul, which progresses to produce emotional turmoil. If that kind of scene was shown on television or in a movie, the sponsors would have protested long ago!"

    "In that case, you didn''t have to come along..." said Luna quietly, unfazed by Asya''s angry complaints. A smile was hanging on the corners of her lips of her refreshingly beautiful face.

    "According to the original plan, only Harry and I were supposed to come, you know?"

    "A-Allowing you two to go out to sea alone is the kind of atrocious act that I forbid even more!"

    Luna Francois was born in Oregon of the United States of America.

    As a witch, whose activities were centered around the American West Coast and Hawaii, she was also the Trans-Pacific Shootdown Ace. With such accomplishments under her belt, she had built up an intimate relationship with the TPDO.

    She had never missed the biennial joint military exercise held at the Solomon Islands, not even once.

    On this occasion, she had invited Hal to take part together. Naturally, the purpose was not "to go out to sea alone."

    By exhibiting the power of dragonbane on this kind of stage, their plans would surely reap profits in the future¡ª

    Hal agreed with Luna''s view.

    "Tokyo New Town would be left to Hazumi-san, Orihime-san and Asya to protect, while Harry and I use this military exercise as a public relations event with the future in mind. The distribution of roles was clearly assigned this way..."

    "Personally, I''d prefer if at least one of you, Asya or Luna, could stay in New Town."

    "Don''t worry. If an emergency comes up, I''ll tie you onto Rushalka, Haruomi, and deliver you back to Japan with priority supersonic flight."

    The Solomon Islands were roughly five thousand kilometers away from Tokyo New Town.

    To carry out such a long-distance voyage at supersonic speed would be an amazing feat rivaling the now discontinued supersonic passenger jet. However, it was definitely possible using Asya''s magical power and Rushalka''s Queen Form.

    Even so, Hal could not help but mutter, "Then I''ll have to endure the g-forces of supersonic flight the whole time? With a body of flesh and blood?"

    "Don''t worry. Given how you are now, Haruomi, you''ll definitely withstand it!"

    "Although that''s probably true, I have to say no thanks!"

    Haruga Haruomi possessed resilience allowing him to remain unscathed even when trampled by a gigantic dragon. Apart from that, he was also capable of guarding his physical body with imperishable protection, hence Asya''s idea was quite feasible.

    Nevertheless, as long as he still regarded himself as human, Hal would resist to the very end.

    Moreover, the crew of the escort vessel was having lunch in the surroundings.

    These SDF officers had generously accepted the three high school students who were dressed in casual clothing.

    It was commonplace for those involved with witches to be exceptionally young. Furthermore, after the frequent commotions caused by dragons in Japan recently, Hal''s group had become widely known among the police and the SDF as the frontline combatant witches and the "mysterious consultant" who had stepped up to resolve matters.

    Perhaps due to this reason, they were received by the escort vessel''s crew with much cordiality.

    Today''s lunch was no exception. Although Asya had not made any demands regarding her navy curry, they still treated her to a small mountain of curry and rice on a plate twice as large as normal with three times as many cutlets layered on top.

    While savoring the crew''s hospitality, Asya remarked with emotion, "Although I''ve spent time with various national militaries all over the world, the SDF''s thoughtfulness in ''providing service without the other party asking'' truly takes the cake."

    "Just the fact that it doesn''t feel stifling here actually makes it more comfortable than classrooms at school."

    Compared to the space called the school, this place was closer to the world of Hal''s childhood life.

    Hence, that was why he found it more comfortable. That being said, they were going to return to Japan in a few hours.

    Having made a striking impression on all the nations participating in the joint military exercise, the purpose of their journey would be considered accomplished. It would be best to hurry back home so as to reassure Orihime and Hazumi who were in charge of holding the fort.

    "I wonder if there are any good souvenirs to buy around the Solomon Sea?"

    After muttering to himself, Hal suddenly felt a bit perplexed.

    There was a something unusual about his comment that prompted him to recall a forgotten memory¡ª

    "Hmm?"

    Speaking of which, the name "Solomon" had been brought up last month.

    Part 2

    King Solomon¡ªThe ancient king of Israel.

    His reign was said to have taken place around 1000 BCE. As the enlightened monarch who established Israel''s prosperity, his name also appeared in the Old Testament of the Bible. There is one rather famous legend about him: Solomon was not only an ordinary king but also a great mage. In addition to subjugating seventy-two demons to do his bidding, he was even able to talk to animals and plants¡ª

    As a side note, the Solomon Islands did not have much of a connection to this king of Israel.

    The name naturally stuck only because people discovered signs of gold there and called it King Solomon''s treasure.

    Currently, it was the next day, back in Japan after returning from the Solomon Islands.

    Under the scorching summer heat, Hal was walking in a Japanese residential district.

    The boundless view of the Southern Seas was long gone. Currently, he was at Monzennaka area in the K¨­t¨­ ward.

    "In other words, that questionable legend about King Solomon as ''a great mage with numerous demons under his command'' was actually based on a real person. Later on, the exploits of this person somehow became mixed up with King Solomon''s, thus giving rise to the legend of ''Solomon the great sorcerer.'' Am I right?"

    "Mm-hmm. Basically."

    What answered Hal''s whispers was Hinokagutsuchi''s voice.

    She had not materialized. THe former dragon king''s ghost simply spoke in Hal''s ear to carry out the conversation. Fortunately, there were few people nearby, but from a bystander''s point of view, it would have been rather disturbing.

    "Also, I remember you mentioning last month about wanting ''to have the man named "Solomon" resurrected in the modern era.'' What did you mean by that?"

    The trip to the Solomon Islands had prompted Hal to remember what the former dragon king had said. Ever since, he would seek out Hinokagutsuchi to talk on every occasion, trying to get information about "Solomon."

    "Well, that goal can be considered half complete already."

    "Complete?"

    "Mm-hmm. The man facing similar circumstances as the ancient Solomon has already been born."

    There was laughter mixed in Hinokagutsuchi''s voice.

    However, it was the tasteless laughter of someone whose irresponsible joy was founded upon another''s misfortune.

    "He was a Tyrannos too. Obtaining the power of dragonbane as a mere human and even gradually mastering its use¡ªGoing as far as to make dozens of ''imitation'' dragons his minions."

    "...In other words, my predecessor."

    "Rejoice. Know that you are the human who has attained heights closest to Solomon for the past millennia. The vast majority of the Tyrannoi end up dying out on the field or turning into a dragon before that."

    "......"

    If Hal were to continue using the power of dragonslaying, he would transform into a dragon one day¡ª

    Recalling this, Hal sighed lightly. Although this was not a problem that could be solved by agonizing over it, if possible, he did wish to avoid such a fate.

    "Judging from your case, it could be said that Solomon''s legacy has benefitted you substantially."

    "King Solomon''s legacy? I have something like that in my possession?"

    "What are you talking about? The ''imitations'' used by contemporary humans¡ªThe methods to bring about their birth are precisely the mystic rites compiled by Solomon, thousands of years ago, by imitating dragonkind''s arcane techniques."

    "...The ritual for leviathan synthesis, huh!?"

    At the Izu shore, they had encountered a dragon subspecies.

    It was supposedly created by elite dragons using magic. So the two systems of synthesis came from the same origin.

    And the one linking the two together was Solomon the great mage¡ª

    "Those who know of Solomon''s exploits are few in number nowadays. Back when I was still a dragon king, many magi and priestesses idolized him."

    "Well, excessive fame would make it seem shady instead."

    Hal remarked with poignancy.

    Ever since the time of ancient Greece, many "grimoires of King Solomon" had circulated, such as The Greater Key of Solomon, The Lesser Key of Solomon, The Testament of Solomon, The Key of True Solomon, Armandal, etc...

    Anyone with some interest in the occult would have heard of these titles, to greater or lesser extents, even if they were not experts on the subject of magic.

    However, the contents of these books were absurd for the most part and ridiculed as the likes of idle gossip.

    In fact, if experts like Hal were to see advertising along the lines of "the super grimoire of the great mage King Solomon!", they would likely laugh or grimace.

    "Actually, a thousand years ago, I listened to a certain female mage''s lifelong wish at the Dragon Palace Court¡ª''O great Crimson Queen, I implore you to lend your divine assistance to resurrect Solomon the progenitor'' or some such."

    However¡ªHinokagutsuchi continued.

    Before she could answer yes or no, the petitioner died first. It turned out that she had been tirelessly searching for King Solomon''s magical secrets, dedicating her body and soul to reviving the path of unorthodoxy, despite being afflicted with a fatal disease.

    "You''re still remembering this? After all this time?"

    Hinokagutsuchi''s calm tone of voice naturally drew Hal into this topic.

    "Mm-hmm. Perhaps her endearing face and seductive waist had something to do with it¡ªPossibly."

    "You''re talking like one of those despicable pervert fathers, you know!?"

    "Well, during this time, I have become old, experiencing a thousand years as a spirit. By the time I realized, the dragons that were supposed to be sleeping had already danced merrily back to earth, to extol springtime to their hearts'' content. As for humans, I am afraid they will gradually decline and eventually exit the stage at this rate."

    "....."

    "That being said, it would be far too boring without the soothing sight of voluptuous maidens. Hence, an idea came to me. Suppose an opportunity were to present itself one day, I would bestow the Rune of the Bow upon a suitable human. It would be interesting if a lifelong wish requested of me in the past were to be accomplished now, a thousand years later."

    "...I see."

    To think there was such dramatic significance behind the dragonslaying rune he had inherited.

    Hal could not help but feel overwhelmed with emotion. The greatest reason why he had survived till now was unbelievably due to a former dragon''s king''s momentary lustful whim.

    "By the way, I can''t believe it''s Solomon. It''s too ridiculous as magic-related information. Even professional treasure hunters like me have never investigated it seriously..."

    Rather, amateur occult enthusiasts would be the ones to swarm all over it.

    For an insider like Hal, it was too lowbrow a topic. Taking it seriously would feel embarrassing, which was why no one took the first step.

    "Now for a change of pace, I''ll muster up some of my true skills to check it out."

    "Speaking of clues regarding Solomon, perhaps there is one that might be unexpectedly close by in your surroundings."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    While Hal was reeling from surprise at the sudden hint, Hinokagutsuchi said, "The flint in your possession was hidden by your father, wasn''t it? Nevertheless, it is extremely rare for people to understand the value of that stone, even among those pursuing the path of unorthodoxy. The rare exceptions are limited to magi related to Solomon''s lineage."

    In other words¡ªHal suddenly realized what the self-styled devil was implying.

    "Y-You mean that Pops was related to King Solomon?"

    "Mm-hmm. Although it was a thousand years ago, back then, there was a mage cult that had inherited Solomon''s magic and knowledge. Within their ranks were a few outstanding magi who regarded Solomon with adoring devotion."

    "......"

    "Perhaps your father was someone like that."

    "Although Pops definitely knew how to use magic, he was at most the same level as me before I received the rune."

    Indeed. Hal''s father, Haruga Takafumi, was not a practitioner despite being a researcher of magic.

    Apart from that, he was also a treasure hunter well-versed in history, archaeology, comparative cultural studies and mythology.

    Well, despite all these shady titles, he was probably not a "mage who venerated King Solomon as his spiritual mentor," otherwise Hal would have known something about it no matter what as his son.

    "......"

    Hal thought deeply for a moment before taking out his cellphone.

    While walking, he slid his thumb across the screen to type out a message. After selecting a few recipients, he sent out the email¡ªHe had nothing to lose even in the event of failure, after all. This bit of spent effort did not count as a waste of time even if it proved fruitless.

    While thinking over these matters, Hal also reached his destination.

    A place he had visited three months ago. He was standing in front of a samurai residence he had come to pay a visit with Asya before¡ªThe entrance of the Juujouji home.

    Hal pressed the doorbell and waited for a while.

    After a brief wait at the samurai residence''s entrance, his friends, two young maidens, came out to greet him.

    "Welcome back, Senpai!"

    "Although you probably know this already, Japan has been very peaceful while you were gone."

    Walking over to him with a radiant smile was Shirasaka Hazumi. The other girl¡ªJuujouji Orihime¡ªwas also smiling cheerfully as usual.

    This combination consisted of the two most heartwarming witches Hal knew.

    "You came too, Shirasaka."

    "Yes. Because I heard you were coming to Nee-sama''s house... I ran over."

    Hazumi replied with a bright smile, slightly mischievously.

    Hal nodded. This was a very welcome surprise. After all, Shirasaka Hazumi was the one and only "adorable junior of Haruga Haruomi."

    "Great, I happened to have brought souvenirs for you too, Shirasaka."

    "Really!? Thank you, Senpai!"

    "In other words, Haruga-kun, about the task mentioned earlier¡ª"

    "Yeah, it''s done. I definitely bought stuff at local shops."

    Facing Orihime who was looking at him mischievously, Hal replied.

    This was something he had promised her before setting off to the Solomon Islands.

    ''Time permitting, I hope you could bring back some local specialties, since Hazumi especially likes receiving souvenirs from abroad and things of that sort.''

    As a witch, Shirasaka Hazumi had been shouldering the responsibility of protecting Tokyo New Town ever since childhood.

    Due to a chronic lack of people capable of taking her place, she had to live a life of restricted travel. Naturally, she had no experience traveling abroad either.

    After hearing about that, Hal decided he had to bring back souvenirs no matter what hurdles he must overcome.

    Right before making the journey back to Japan, the military had transported Hal and company via helicopter to the Port Moresby airport on the island of New Guinea. Using the three hour layover before their civilian flight was going to takeoff, Hal had gone shopping at a local open-air market.

    There, he had bought strange masks carved from wood, bags woven from wooden fibers, etc.

    Orihime winked cheerfully in response.

    "Wonderful. Given that it''s you, Haruga-kun, I was originally worried whether you would forgot to buy gifts and end up with no choice but to pick up cookies at Haneda or Narita airport to complete the task."

    "D-Don''t look down on me. This sort of favor is just a piece of cake," Hal replied with a slightly guilty conscience.

    In fact, he remembered past instances when he had done exactly what Orihime had speculated. Rather, it would be better say that the action of "buying gifts" itself was something that he frequently forgot completely during his travels.

    Simply poor at social skills and being used to his life of flying all over the world without a fixed residence were presumably the reasons for this.

    It was probably with this personality of Hal''s in mind that Orihime had tactfully reminded him before the he departed. Her thoughtfulness was meticulous as always.

    Even so¡ªHal suddenly found it incredible.

    It was something that happened the day before his expedition when he had met up with Orihime alone and the topic of souvenirs came up.

    Hal had told her: Due to work reasons, I have to stay at the Solomon Islands for five days with Luna starting tomorrow. Back then, Orihime had froze for a moment in surprise before¡ª

    ''J-Just you and Luna-san, the two of you, alone...?''

    She had asked timidly in a feeble voice.

    Her seemingly fearful appearance did not resemble her usual self, which was cheerful and outgoing. Until he answered that Asya was going too, only then did she finally seem reassured...

    Despite having acted that way, Orihime had greeted Hal with cheerfulness rivaling the summer sun just now.

    "By the way, I did as you asked earlier and informed my grandfather of your arrival. However, his reaction was somewhat strange."

    "Strange?"

    "Ah yes. When Nee-sama passed on the message that you had something important to discuss with him, Senpai, Grandfather Juujouji immediately entered a bad mood."

    Orihime and Hazumi had reported an important finding. Hal could not help but tilted his head after listening.

    Could he have done something wrong and angered him? Yet today''s main purpose was to have a meeting with Juujouji''s grandfather. In any case, he had no way of figuring out anything without meeting in person.

    Hal then asked the two girls to lead him into the house.

    Prior to Orihime becoming a witch, Hal had visited this Japanese-style room as a member of SAURU staff.

    The master of the Juujouji household was waiting inside. Last time, he had worn a solemn and dignified kimono and this occasion was no exception. The only difference was the fabric, which had changed to linen for greater breathability in summer.

    Hal, Orihime and Hazumi sat formally in seiza opposite him across the table.

    Orihime''s grandfather spoke with severe displeasure right from the start.

    "Let me make myself clear first. I shall not hand my granddaughter over to you."

    "What?"

    "......"

    "......"

    Cough cough. Hal cleared his throat.

    "Excuse me, is there some kind of misunderstanding here?"

    "You said you had ''an important matter'' to discuss today, didn''t you? To announce this before hand then pay a visit to my home alone... In that case, there can be only one possibility."

    This was his reason for getting angry?

    Hal subconsciously looked at Orihime, who responded with her eyes.

    (My apologies, my grandfather keeps saying strange things...)

    (He''s an old man who''s overprotective of his granddaughter as always. Sigh, anyway, I guess I''ll just have to try to start the conversation.)

    (Yes, let''s do that. I will assist you as much as possible.)

    Simply by observing each other''s eyes and facial expression, it felt as though they could communicate telepathically.

    Was this a reward earned through surviving many life and death situations together, or had some kind of bond formed between him and Orihime? Even without words, it felt like they could convey their thoughts to each other.

    Discovering this fact, Hal smiled wryly while Orihime beamed.

    "Please listen to me, Grandfather. You''ve made a mistake. Haruga-kun is simply here to talk business."

    "Y-You are telling me that now, after exchanging flirtatious gazes with him in front of me!?"

    "No, Juujouji is telling the truth. Actually, I will be quitting SAURU officially in the future to start a new company in partnership with my friends."

    Hal put away his business smile and spoke sincerely.

    "I will be offering a proposal to the various businesses and authorities that have been longtime sponsors of the Tokyo New Town witches¡ªJuujouji Orihime and Shirasaka Hazumi. In the future, they could choose to hire us to carry out part of the witch support business currently undertaken through SAURU... Or rather, all of it."

    Orihime''s grandfather was not simply "an old man who was overprotective of his granddaughter."

    Having held important posts at many publicly traded corporations in the past, he still kept his status as a part-time consultant. Not only was he a local celebrity but also a member of the committee sponsoring Orihime and Hazumi.

    As expected, he immediately sat up straight after hearing Hal''s proposal.

    "Why this sudden decision?"

    "Have you glanced over the report that Asya and I wrote? It''s the result of our discussion about how to make better and more meaningful use of the currently discovered dragonslaying magic that still falls under personal property. If it''s a good time for you, I actually plan on explaining it to you."

    "......"

    Orihime''s grandfather thought deeply for a while then spoke slowly, "Tell me in detail. The various disturbances happening around New Town recently have already become a problem for us."

    Part 3

    It was afternoon on August 1, considered the official start of the summer vacation.

    Mixed among the students who were attending club activities diligently in the middle of holidays, Hal made his way to Kogetsu Academy.

    He was visiting the Witch Mansion''s temporary underground location beneath the library. As soon as he entered the spacious room that was being used as a conference room, he noticed that all of his companions had already assembled.

    "Now that Haruga-kun has arrived, I think it''s time we got started, right? Everyone, let''s begin the fourth meeting regarding the GUILD project''s operation."

    The female student serving as the facilitator, Mutou-san, announced in a relaxed tone of voice.

    Applause¡ªThe girl with the twintails, Funaki-san, clapped her hands in response. Sitting next to her, Orihime and Hazumi also applauded. As for the professionals, Hal, Asya and Luna Francois, they went through the motions of clapping at least.

    Although the members of the group were not in sync at all, it should be fine.

    After all, the purpose of their gathering was not to go for karaoke after school.

    "Anyway, let me start."

    While saying that, Mutou-san opened up her personal laptop.

    "This is the project plan I sent to all of you through email this morning. It''s pretty much ''preparations for the imminent day of information disclosure.'' Has anyone read it yet?"

    "I''ve glanced through it."

    It was Asya who raised her hand.

    "I think the plan itself is quite good. And making effective use of the social connections cultivated through the UFO Research Club''s activities is also an interesting idea. However, I was hoping for something packing more of a punch..."

    "A punch?"

    "Actually, I agree with Asya. I believe that we need more eye-catching content, or an idol character to focus everyone''s attention."

    While Mutou-san was taken aback, Luna Francois shared her opinion.

    "Think about it. Not long after the return of dragons, all humans of the world were shocked by the televised video of ''the speech delivered by Hannibal, the representative of dragonkind,'' weren''t they?"

    "Oh, that''s the dragon that descended on the Rockefeller Center, right!?"

    "Thanks to that, information about dragonkind was spread rapidly throughout the world."

    "I see¡ªNow that you mention it, that video''s view count has accumulated to unbelievable levels now..."

    Mutou-san crossed her arms and began to contemplate.

    Next to speak after her was Hal. He asked Funaki-san, "About Pavel Galad¡ªthe dragon that transformed into a handsome guy¡ªthat you witnessed at Kanegafuchi last month, did you ever see him again?"

    "Nope, never again. However, it seems like he''s made several appearances in that area since then."

    "Really!? How do you know?"

    Hal leaned forward due to this unexpected news. Funaki-san laughed "fufu."

    "I tried asking around near Kanegafuchi Station. After all, he''s a conspicuous silver-haired foreigner. I went around and inquired ''Have you seen a hottie like him~?'' and ended up with quite a lot of eyewitness accounts, mostly provided by women. I''ll show you the results of the investigation in my notebook later."

    "That''s amazing. You''re such a great help."

    Funaki-san was a lively girl who loved gossip and juicy news.

    Evidently, she possessed initiative and investigative ability beyond Hal''s expectations. Although his original intention was merely to hire her to handle administrative matters, Hal had unintentionally secured a talented individual.

    "Why not have her go with the UFO Research Club''s Sakuraba-senpai to search for Galad together? I think if we just obtain some slightly more precise intel, we can leave the rest to the police..." Hal muttered.

    Gathering information about dragonkind, to disclose to the general public¡ª

    This was the UFO Research Club''s primary activity. And the member who stood as the club''s information gathering expert was someone known as Sakuraba-senpai. He was apparently carrying out his "activities" diligently outside of school every day, which was why it was hard to find him on campus. Even Hal had never met him before.

    However, Hal was finally able to obtain his contact details through Mutou-san and President M.

    Someone capable of obtaining undisclosed images of leviathans through specific channels would definitely be quite reliable if he could recruit such a person to their cause.

    Hal expected an audio recording of this meeting to be passed along to Sakuraba-senpai afterwards.

    "By the way, about the audio records of this meeting¡ª"

    "I am in charge of that, Senpai!"

    Hal allowed his sudden thought to slip out of his mouth and Hazumi immediately responded with a smile.

    She had her notebook open and was writing down all kinds of things in an organized manner. A portable audio recorder was next to her hand. As Hal''s assistant, she had everything meticulously prepared.

    "Oh right, I have a message to pass to you, Haruga-kun."

    This time, it was Orihime''s turn to speak.

    "A message from President M: ''Going all the way down to the basement is too much work. Just send the minutes over!'' That''s what she said. ''I will watch over you no matter what needs to be done, so go ahead and do it with no regrets!'' She also said that."

    "...Feels like a guardian angel and protective spirit combined, how reliable... I guess?"

    He had tried approaching President M without expecting much, but the president ended up promising support.

    Even without being present, her(?) suspicious repertoire of skills, open-mindedness and competence were still quite reliable. Hal''s team lineup was gradually filling out.

    At that moment, the conference room''s door opened with a click.

    "¡ªHello everyone, I''ve brought refreshments for you."

    A rare visitor entered, carrying a convenience store bag.

    It was a beautiful woman whose glasses matched her intellectual appearance very well. Having been promoted to the post of SAURU''s Kantou branch chief, Hiiragi Yukari had gone out of her way to make a visit from the Yokohama branch between tasks.

    Hiiragi-san put down the convenience store bag on the table where Hal''s group was gathered around.

    Inside was a two liter bottle of oolong tea, paper cups, several cans of coffee, snacks, etc. Then on the table, she placed a paper bag she had been carrying in her other hand.

    This bag contained roasted rice crackers and had the words "roasted by hand on a coal flame" written on it.

    "This is from Kenjou. I made a detour to the Mirokudou New Town branch just now and he specifically asked me to bring these along as an apology since he could not attend this meeting. He also asked me to send his regards to all of you."

    Indeed, their lineup was gradually filling up.

    When Hal shared his ideas with acquaintances inside SAURU, many of them ended up voicing their support. Furthermore, Hiiragi-san and Kenjou-san had promised to maintain confidentially until the time was ripe. After swearing an oath using the magic of Contract in God''s Presence, they agreed to join as well.

    Hal and company''s plan was advancing surely and steadily.

    That being said, the end goal was still very distant and there was no guarantee at all that he could follow it all the way to completion. Besides, there was still a rather challenging problem at hand.

    The white dragon king¡ªPrincess Yukikaze. She was definitely not going to remain aboveboard indefinitely as now¡ª

    "...Looks like there''s no need to collect more weapons for the time being. I have to catch up on other aspects first..."

    Instead of speaking out loudly, Hal was muttering to himself.

    Last time, he had obtained the Rune of the Twin Katana in the Izu waters. Having retrieved the aforementioned rune in secret, his dragonslaying runes were probably of sufficient quantity.

    What he needed to accomplish now was a new mission whose importance was only secondary to the search for weapons.

    After the meeting ended, Asya made her way to the Literature Club''s room.

    Her purpose was to meet President M. She was going unaccompanied. The other members had already departed.

    The group had decided to get together for dinner. With Orihime and Hazumi present too, there was no need to worry about Luna taking Hal away...

    "President, I''ve brought the minutes and the audio record of the meeting."

    "Put it over there first. It''s been a while. How have things been lately?"

    The setting sun''s rays were streaming in through the window, turning the Literature Club''s room into a shade of orange.

    President M was standing by the window. Her massive body, 140kg by visual estimates, was clad in what resembled a crimson maternity dress.

    "A few days ago, you said on the phone that the girl called Luna has started charging around in a reckless manner recently, right?"

    "Exactly! I really don''t get how the gears of destiny turn. Luna suddenly said she l-l-l-likes Haruomi. It''s terrible!"

    Seizing the opportunity, Asya began to gripe all at once.

    "Dragging Haruomi out on any pretext, she''s thoroughly pursuing the tactic of spending time alone together!"

    "Endlessly spamming the special attack that you want but isn''t available to you, I see."

    "Gyah!?"

    "I originally thought that the romantic comedy situation surrounding Haruga would be stuck in a stalemate with Princess Orihime in the lead, but never did I expect a black ship to arrive. At this rate, that Haruga''s going to be snatched away."

    "W-What makes you say that!?"

    "A power play from seductive flesh imported directly from America, plus the fact that he''s a lecher."

    "Ehhhhhhhhh!?"

    "The only hope is for the hitherto laid back princess to awaken because an unexpected rival had shown up. As for the little angel, she is at a bodily disadvantage no matter what."

    "P-President, what if I could rise to the forefront now as the childhood friend¡ª"

    "Isn''t that impossible? Completely hopeless. Look, here''s the principle. No matter what you multiply zero by, the result is always zero. This is the law of multiplication."

    "No way! Then what''s the point of all the special training I''ve been doing till now!?"

    "But you have truly made no progress... I am astounded by your incompetence."

    "Oooooooh!"

    President M''s accusation was quite harsh. Asya had some self-awareness too.

    "However, your tireless perseverance is one of your strong points. Even now, you are carrying out some type of plan to oppose that American girl, aren''t you?"

    "Y-Yes. Actually, it''s to prevent Luna from monopolizing an unchallenged position."

    Only now did Asya puff out her chest in pride.

    "Luna has been using a hotel suite as her residence all this time, so I barged in to make my home there! This way, I can stop Luna from doing sneaky things at night!"

    "You fool. If you''re going to stay at someone''s place, why not move into the Haruga home directly?"

    "Huh?"

    "Isn''t that a staple in juvenile novels aimed at inexperienced teenage boys? A cute girl invades the male character''s home, thus imposing cohabitation by force. You could do the same thing and be done with it."

    "......"

    Listening, Asya felt that things were precisely how President M described them.

    However, Asya still argued back as a maiden with a bottom line that must not be crossed no matter what.

    "Th-That approach¡ªfeels repulsive after all. Invading a boy''s home to live there tyrannically, that kind of thing..."

    Saying that, Asya began to feel embarrassed, meanwhile feeling her cheeks turn red.

    "I still think this is something that''s only allowed after engagement or marriage!"

    "I can''t believe you''re speaking like a pure and innocent main heroine when you''re clearly in no position that could afford the luxury of making such statements..."

    "B-But I am undoubtedly the pure and innocent main heroine, you know!?"

    "Wrong. Wrong. Currently, you are undoubtedly a clownish variety idol."

    "I-I can''t believe you''re using the twentieth-century term ''variety idol'' to describe a maiden in the flower of youth!?"

    "In your case, you might be better off with a case of amnesia."

    "Huh?"

    "Think about it. The situation started to shift dramatically in Madan no Ou ever since T¡ñgre lost his memory and went missing. Despite being in a completely reset state, T¡ñgre was able to cultivate a relationship with Elizaveta at his usual pace, even conquering ¡Á¡Á on the side (note: Volume 9 events)."

    "I-I somehow get the feeling you''re alluding to a different dimension!?"

    "Anyway, that''s that. The situation will only grow worse if you lack the resolve necessary to turn the current situation completely upside down. Without the slightest doubt, I dare assert that."

    "......"

    Completely reset¡ªJust as Asya was feeling shocked by these words...

    The cellphone in her pocket suddenly sounded with a message alert. Feeling completely exhausted by the continually shocking conversation, she took out her phone almost unconsciously.

    Asya checked the email and reacted with surprise.

    "Mom is coming to Tokyo?"

    Part 4

    "It''s been a while, Haruomi-san. I''m glad to see Asya in such good health too."

    These were Auntie Yulia''s first words upon meeting Hal again after many years.

    Prior to the reunion, all she had sent was a brief message stating "Heading to Tokyo tomorrow, scheduled to arrive at 11:17 at Haneda."

    This message had been received on Hal and Asya''s cellphones merely eighteen hours prior. As a side note, almost all of what used to be the heart of former Tokyo had been taken as territory for the Old Tokyo Concession, although the airport-less ¨­ta ward was excluded.

    Currently, Hal and his childhood friend were sitting in a cafe inside Haneda airport.

    Seated across the table and the three cups of coffee was a silver-haired woman.

    Her name was Yulia Rubashvili.

    In other words, Asya''s mother. On top of her t-shirt, she was wearing a khaki short sleeve military shirt. On the bottom, she had a pair of black jeans. Draped over her shoulders, the light shawl accentuated her womanly charm.

    "Please don''t suddenly announce you''re visiting the next day just like that. It''s not like we''re free every day either."

    "Sorry, Asya. It''s because the idea of making a visit only occurred to me suddenly yesterday morning."

    Yulia replied calmly to her grumbling daughter.

    Her voice and tone were so calm that some people might actually believe it if one were to describe her as a combat android from the future. Then there was her exquisite face. Sitting opposite this "auntie" who was present with her daughter, Hal kept thinking to himself what a beauty she was.

    Not only were Asya and Auntie Yulia daughter and mother, but they also bore a strong resemblance.

    Their faces could even be described as identical. Both of them possessed beautiful faces reminiscent of fairies, dreamy and delicate, combined with petite and slender figures, as well as gorgeous silver hair rich with vibes of fantasy¡ª

    However, there was a decisive difference between the two of them.

    This was the fact that Auntie Yulia was a genuine cool beauty through and through.

    Precisely at that moment, a middle-aged waiter brought their orders.

    Pancakes, a hamburger, a club sandwich, a mille crepe, and a hot dog. Incidentally, only the hot dog at the end was what Hal had ordered to serve as a late breakfast. The rest were all Asya''s orders.

    After lowering her gaze to glance over this food, Auntie Yulia immediately said, "Asya, your appetite is hearty as ever."

    "Don''t worry. After all, a witch''s job is very calorie intensive."

    "Indeed, what you say is correct. Then keep eating at this rate, since all of it is for the sake of surviving the present, in order to pluck the fruit of victory in the future."

    Auntie Yulia was a researcher at SAURU''s headquarters in Istanbul.

    Hal had heard that she used to belong to the air force of Europe''s defense organization before giving birth to Asya, reaching the rank of major prior to her retirement.

    As a result, she would sometimes speak with inexplicable strictness.

    Encouraged by such a mother, Asya''s eyes instantly lit up.

    "As expected of you, Mom, you understand me best!"

    "As for the price to be paid, perhaps you will have to bear the risk of ending up with your grandmother''s obese figure. Well, this is theoretically unavoidable. I also believe that there is no need to sacrifice combat potential for the sake of dieting. Oh, but Asya, you must take precautions against diabetes¡ª"

    "D-Don''t list out these potential risks if you''re going to encourage me to eat more!"

    Hal observed the mother and daughter''s conversation while eating his hot dog.

    He had set off from his home at Narihira Bridge without eating breakfast this morning, hence this was his first meal of the day. Come to think of it, Auntie Yulia''s age was still impossible to guess from appearance.

    With her fifteen-year-old daughter by her side, they looked like sisters.

    To be honest, she was a woman who surpassed Asya in terms of the "Fairy Index."

    "By the way, Auntie Yulia, you were on a business trip in Indonesia until yesterday, right? Is that why you took the chance to visit Tokyo New Town while you were at it?"

    "Indeed. You are very up-to-date, Haruomi-san."

    "Even as her daughter, I haven''t heard about this."

    "It''s nothing really, because it was written in the fan club''s newsletter. Auntie Yulia had already arrived at the Jakarta branch last week."

    "E-Even you, Haruomi, have joined that suspicious club!?"

    "How troubling. To think that I''m being treated as a celebrity when I am nothing more than an ordinary SAURU researcher. Frankly speaking, this is quite problematic for me."

    "After all, Auntie Yulia, you''re not only pretty but also a wonderful person too."

    Seventy-eight SAURU members across the world had joined the "Club of Unlimited Support for the Exquisitely Beautiful Ms. Yulia." In fact, Hal had already joined as a member five years ago.

    Hal put on a serious expression then said, "There are quite a lot of people who want Auntie to step on them or give them cold stares."

    "How very troubling..."

    "Gah. I-In that case, why don''t they praise the daughter who is younger and more tender, or treat me like an idol? The men of SAURU are seriously blind!"

    "Well then, I think it''s time for me to get going."

    There should be plenty of catching up between mother and daughter. Hal tried to show his considerate side, but Auntie Yulia shook her head and suddenly said, "Haruomi-san, this visit of mine to Tokyo actually includes business with you."

    "Huh?"

    "Didn''t you send me an email a while ago? ''I hope you could provide details if you happen to know about the King Solomon case my father handled in the past.''"

    " "¡ª¡ª!" "

    Hal and Asya gasped in unison.

    After all, their families had been acquainted for generations. Asya''s grandmother and her deceased father both knew Hal and his father.

    To think that a source of information would immediately fly to him from nearby like the proverbial blue bird of fortune¡ª

    Auntie Yulia began to explain patiently...

    "The problem with Asya is that even if you try to knock her out with a sedative, she''d detect it through taste and scent. She''s almost like a wild beast."

    The location was the luxury hotel where Luna Francois made her residence.

    Hal was seated facing her in a lounge at this hotel. Hal had ordered a coffee while Luna had grapefruit juice. The two of them had picked table seating. It was after 7pm and if Hal and Luna were adults, they would probably be sitting side by side next to the window, drinking alcoholic beverages at this hour.

    Unfortunately, both of them were still minors.

    "There has been more than one occasion when I wanted to mix sleep medication into Asya''s food so that I could invite you out for an evening spin while she was sleeping. However, I always dismissed the notion due to the high probability of futility. Whatever, there is no shortage of measures as long as I get serious, after all."

    "Hahahaha..."

    Hal laughed dryly. If chances of success were fifty-fifty, Luna Francois would definitely drug Asya without any hesitation.

    "However, you are at fault too, Harry."

    "Me?"

    "Yes. I''ve clearly confessed my feelings to you, haven''t I? Besides, we can immediately become a couple as soon as you consent. With that, a mere childhood friend like Asya will have neither right nor reason to interfere."

    "......"

    "It''s all because you''re imitating the romantic comedy staple of withholding your answer indecisively. That''s why Asya could seize the opportunity to start interfering."

    "Speaking of which, she''s been staying at your place for now, right?"

    "Although I could refuse and ask her to leave, the most that would accomplish is drive her over to the suite adjacent to mine. Since it''s too much trouble, I tolerated her."

    Just like Luna Francois, Asya was also a master-class witch.

    Due to the financial compensation for their battle accomplishments so far, they had accumulated massive funds (Luna''s level could even be called "an estate"). Even willfully splurging on expensive suites at luxury hotels would not cause much of a burden.

    Hal could not help but tilt his head.

    "Why is that girl Asya so intent on hindering you, Luna? Even when I asked her, all I got for an answer was that she had to keep the reason a secret from me."

    "Ah wonduh whahy? How baffling, ah dudn geddit either."

    "Hmm? Were you speaking a bit strangely just now?"

    "Nope. You imagined it, Harry?"

    After chuckling with an impish smile, Luna Francois leaned forward.

    "So, what did you figure out after talking to Asya''s mother? You met up this morning, didn''t you?"

    "Nothing much, I tried asking about the whole story of how Pops got his hands on the flint... Turns out it wasn''t a spectacular adventure story like Indiana Jones at all."

    Shrugging, Hal began to recount.

    ¡ªIt happened to have taken place during the year 2000 CE exactly.

    That was when dragonkind had recently returned to earth. Hal''s father and Auntie Yulia were working at SAURU''s New York branch. One day, the branch staff discovered a set of ancient artifacts named the "the posthumous writings of the great mage, King Solomon, and the cursed stone."

    The one who deciphered Solomon''s posthumous writings would be able to inherit the king''s fortune.

    The stone was a key leading to great power. Dragons would tear the holder apart. Hence, confidentiality was paramount.

    ...It sounded like a very fake advertisement.

    No magical power could be detected from either the document regarded as Solomon''s posthumous writings or the accompanying stone. Even so, Hal''s father and Auntie Yulia still went through with the appraisal process just in case.

    On that day, New York proceeded to be assaulted by numerous dragons.

    "The Great Attack in the Year 2000... refers to that?"

    "Yeah, that''s the one. Leading his Army of Fire composed of a thousand Raptors, Hannibal arrived at New York by air, delivering a devastating blow to the US military in that attack."

    Hal nodded in confirmation to Luna Francois'' question.

    "Incinerated by the flames of war, Manhattan Island was directly annexed by Hannibal to become his territory, thus giving rise to the Old Manhattan Concession."

    "The so-called ''Great Attack'' was quite a dramatic situation in and of itself."

    "Yeah. After that, Pops and Auntie Yulia fled in desperation with only their personal belongings to evacuate from the streets that were under attack from Raptors. Back then, Pops happened to take that Solomon''s stone by chance, which is also the flint I came across twenty years later."

    Indeed. This was the secret stone hidden inside the Clockwork Mage.

    "During their escape, Pops and Auntie Yulia were pursued relentlessly by a Raptor, unable to shake it off despite using stealth magic many times. Only after making their getaway successfully at last did they begin to suspect¡ªPerhaps this was due to that ''dragons would tear the holder apart'' curse."

    As the story went, the stone was handed over to Hal''s father in the end, who promised to contact Auntie Yulia immediately if he discovered anything.

    "However, many years passed after that but Pops never initiated contact about the matter. Auntie Yulia completely forgot about it too."

    Hal had previously tried to gather information about the flint¡ªHe wrote emails to those acquainted with his father.

    But in the end, no one responded, not even Auntie Yulia. Simply mentioning "his father had hidden a stone belonging to the dragons" as a clue was not enough to jog Auntie Yulia''s memory.

    However, thanks to the "Solomon" keyword this time, his investigation did not run into the same problem...

    "What follows is just my speculation. I think Pops probably kept that stone by his side to observe¡ªAnd ended up with no results, which is why he didn''t leave behind any information about the flint."

    "Then why did he hide the stone in his pocket watch?"

    "Because Pops has a finicky tendency just like me. He tried to obey the legend and hide the stone, so on a playful whim, he chose to hide it in his pocket watch, then he probably forgot all about it."

    Hal brought up his unfounded speculation.

    But considering his father''s personality, his hunch was very likely to be correct.

    "If he was seriously trying to hide it, he would''ve picked a safer and more secure hiding place. If he seriously considered it worthy of research, he would''ve left complete records behind at least."

    "Speaking of which, Harry, there''s one detail that I find concerning."

    Luna Francois interjected at that moment.

    "According to the current theory, the other artifact left behind at the SAURU branch in Old Manhattan... is very likely to be King Solomon''s posthumous writings, is that right?"

    "Yeah, I''d bet on it."

    In fact, he had been reviewing satellite images with Asya this afternoon.

    This was the latest photographic data of the Old Manhattan Concession taken by spy satellite. Standing tall silently in the Upper East Side area, it had escaped destruction from dragonkind''s fires...

    Luna''s eyes instantly lit up after hearing about it.

    "Then we must set off on an expedition to Old Manhattan. Obtaining King Solomon''s fortune, which stood equal to the flint, should bring benefits without drawbacks."

    "Yeah, you''re right."

    "For the past few months, our combat potential has increased dramatically... But still, it is not enough to take dragon king-class opponents head on. It is necessary to keep gaining experience to strengthen our combat power."

    "Perhaps you''re right."

    Hal agreed with Luna from the bottom of his heart.

    Truth be told, he had no confidence in securing a draw if he were to face Princess Yukikaze in a rematch. He barely survived the June battle only thanks to deploying the Crimson Queen as a surprise factor.

    "Since weapon quantity has progressed swimmingly, it''s time to trigger events like spectacular attack spells or ultimate summoned contracted beasts, etc."

    "Yes, in order to pursue such possibilities, King Solomon''s fortune is ultimately¡ª"

    "I''d really like to get my hands on it before the others. But the fact that the treasure is located at the Old Manhattan Concession would be a risk factor."

    Hal muttered and Luna Francois responded with a smile.

    "Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Harry. Commit your determination and let us head out on an expedition to America? How about stopping by the West Coast along the way and make an appearance at my house?"

    "Oh... Actually, about that..."

    Hal found himself at a loss for words momentarily, unable to bring up his core purpose in visiting Luna tonight.

    "I hope you could stay in Tokyo New Town, Luna."

    "Eh!? What do you mean by that, Harry!?"

    "Old Manhattan is considered the most dangerous zone even among concession territories. Old Tokyo can''t compare to it at all. If we''re going to infiltrate it, Asya and I should be the ones to do it, just the two of us. In addition, there''s no telling how long we have to be away from Tokyo... It wouldn''t be good idea if both you and Asya were out of the country."

    Through the Izu expedition earlier, Hal understood that Luna Francois was not the physical type.

    In a situation where demands on stealth movement, survival skills, mobility and magic must all be met, the Asya-Hal combination would be the ideal choice. Conversely, if one of the two had to stay behind to defend Tokyo, Luna was also more suitable than the Georgian girl.

    Not only did she wield a witch''s power but also influence as a SAURU cadre.

    Apart from that, she was a strong negotiator stemming from her ability to make judgment calls accounting for the big picture. Perhaps realizing it herself, Luna murmured glumly, "Well, since one of us must remain behind, I am confident that I could do a better job than Asya... However, Harry, this is a rare chance to go traveling!"

    "A-Although it''s traveling, it''s also a business trip at the same time."

    "Hmph. In any case, you''re asking me to hold the fort with Orihime-san and Hazumi-san, aren''t you?"

    "As for that... Since it''s a rare chance to visit the East Coast, I plan on bringing Juujouji and Shirasaka along. Making a trip to Salem should be a good experience for them."

    "...!?"

    A vortex of anger suddenly swirled in Luna''s blue eyes¡ªbut it lasted only an instant before returning to the shine of rationality. Looking at Hal with a challenging gaze, she said in a sulk, "Then in that case, Harry, I will obey you if you give me a present right now."

    "Huh, a present?"

    "Yes, an advance reward for me, who will be holding the fort alone."

    "Even if you tell me that suddenly... I don''t know what to give you."

    "It''s very simple¡ªIf I do this, you ought to understand, right?"

    Currently, the two of them were conversing with a low table between them.

    Luna Francois suddenly drew her face up close to Hal''s face. Then she closed her eyes, presenting her adorable and beautiful face in a seductive and vulnerable display!

    "!?"

    "Hurry up, Harry. Give me my reward kiss."

    "R-Right here!?"

    "Yes. Haven''t the two of us done something similar not too long ago? Don''t worry."

    "B-But there are people around. And besides, we''re not dating."

    "It is a reward precisely because there are people watching. Besides, this has nothing to do with dating or not. I have already gone as far as to grant you permission."

    Hal still faltered. Although guests at a hotel lounge at 7pm were not numerous, they were not absent either. In addition, there were three or four members staff on standby...

    However, a voice surfaced in his heart.

    ¡ªUnless Luna is satisfied, she won''t agree to staying behind on defense duty. She might even take a flight to the East Coast in pursuit...

    Armed with this theoretical backing, Hal was coerced into complying.

    Timidly, he approached Luna''s beautiful face and planted a kiss gently on her lips.

    At that very moment, it became Luna Francois'' turn to attack. She sucked and pecked Hal''s lips lightly, savoring him tenderly.

    Covering Hal''s lips with her own, Luna sucked with audible smooching.

    Finally, she even inserted her tongue to entangle Hal''s, thoroughly enjoying the taste of a passionate kiss.

    During this time, Hal could neither resist nor think, simply frozen on the spot.

    This kiss persisted for roughly two or three minutes. Luna Francois slowly relaxed her lips and looked at Hal''s face with rapture and desire.

    "It is a request from my beloved Harry after all. I shall be an obedient girl this time."

    "Th¡ªThanks."

    "However, don''t forget to reward me next time you need a favor, okay? Otherwise, I might shoot you in the back, Harry. With a large-caliber rifle meant for hunting elephants!"

    Ten minutes after parting ways from Luna Francois at the lounge...

    The pounding in Hal''s heart still had not subsided while he walked to the hotel lobby with unsteady footsteps. This was already his second time sharing a kiss with Luna Francois. Every time was such an intense shock¡ª

    Just as he was walking in a daze, someone suddenly spoke to him.

    "Haruomi, how did it go on handling Luna''s side of things?"

    "Huh!?"

    He jumped in fright, only to see that the speaker was Asya.

    "You just went to see her to ask her to stay back, right? What''s the result?"

    "I-It went very well, yes! After I told her the reason, she definitely understood!"

    "Really? Looks like it was right to have you tell her directly, Haruomi."

    Had Asya been present, negotiations might have broken down.

    Hal had gone to meet Luna alone precisely because he was worried about that.

    However, the scheming American girl could also kidnap Hal and take him out to the streets at night. Asya was probably waiting in the lobby for him to prevent that possibility.

    After hearing about the outcome, Asya nodded with apparent satisfaction.

    "Although I felt uneasy letting you go alone, Haruomi, dear me, with so many eyes in the hotel after all, even someone as audacious as Luna would have no choice but to behave!"

    "Roight. Yeah, no problemo, totally no problemo!"

    "? Haruomi, why are suddenly speaking in a funny way?"

    "N-No, I didn''t. Let''s go home sooner to make preparations before the trip."

    They had informed Orihime and Hazumi beforehand and he two girls had agreed to go to America together.

    Although there was the uncertain factor of Princess Yukikaze using Old Tokyo as her base, the prey that might be found in Old Manhattan was too attractive.

    After the Solomon Islands, another departure from Japan to overseas¡ª

    Hal and Asya exchanged nods and walked to the hotel''s entrance together.

 Volume 5, 2 - Road of Salem

    Volume 5, Chapter 2 - Road of Salem

    Part 1

    Going to the American East Coast required a long-haul flight over twelve hours long.

    The time of arrival was around 9am on the morning of August 5. Hal looked up at the North American sky that he had not seen for quite some time. It was so blue that it compelled the viewer to relax in leisure.

    Were this the West Coast, perhaps he would be able to use the description of "sunny and refreshing."

    However, as soon as he stepped out of the airport into the outdoors, he was instantly greeted by the humid and stuffy atmosphere. Unlike the West Coast''s dry climate, the East Coast was quite wet.

    Hal and his group had landed at Logan Airport in Boston.

    Immediately, they suffered from a hot and stuffy environment similar to Japan''s.

    "Hazumi!? You are looking very pale. Are you alright!?"

    "Y-Yes, I feel very uncomfortable, but if I rest somewhere cool and shaded, I probably..."

    Orihime hurried over to look after Hazumi who had suddenly crouched down.

    One could hardly blame her. After being locked in an airplane for more than half a day then encountering this sort of summer heat immediately after disembarking. Not only that, but there was also a thirteen-hour time difference between Boston and Tokyo New Town.

    "This humidity and heat, combined with the mental strain caused by jet lag..."

    "Even for me and Haruomi, this is tough..."

    Hal grumbled and Asya murmured irritably too.

    This was an air journey from the islands of Japan to the United States. Compared to flying west to places such as Europe or the Middle East, eastbound flights produced more severe symptoms of jet lag, since it involved moving opposite to the Earth''s rotation, after all.

    If even Hal and Asya, who were used to traveling, were suffering, it went without saying for Hazumi with her weaker constitution.

    As a side note, the junior witch, who was susceptible to feeling unwell from overexposure to both direct sunlight and air-conditioning, was dressed in a summer dress with floral markings with a cardigan on top as well as sunglasses and a straw hat.

    "That being said, Orihime-san seems to be doing well..."

    "Me? I guess it''s because I slept well on the plane?"

    With Asya staring at her, Orihime answered matter-of-factly.

    Dressed in a tank top and an open-shoulder cutsew paired with a white miniskirt, she was the only one lively and energetic, despite claiming beforehand that her overseas traveling experience only consisted of Hawaii, Tahiti and Korea. Hal felt drained yet impressed.

    "It''s probably due to a fundamental difference in physical endurance too..."

    In terms of vitality in a broad sense, Asya should be unparalleled.

    But in the case of pure physical endurance, there was probably no one who could surpass the athletic girl whose past feats included national kendo champion... However, it was at this moment that Hal realized.

    He was supposed to hold a clear advantage in the form of the suspicious power of dragonbane.

    In spite of that, he was still suffering from jet lag. This was most likely proof that he was "still human." If there ever came a day when not only time zones but even the presence of air no longer mattered to him¡ª

    Ending this unpleasant thought, Hal spoke up.

    "I''m going to rent a car. You girls take care of Shirasaka."

    Leaving on his own, he walked towards a bus parked in front of the airport.

    The bus was imprinted with a rental company''s logo. Since the actual parking lot of the rental cars was some distance away, one had to go there via the free shuttle service.

    Hal and ten-odd other travelers boarded the bus.

    Thirty minutes after making his way to the rental company he had booked ahead of time, Hal drove a Japanese-made light sedan back to the airport to meet up with his friends.

    After occupying the front passenger seat, Asya said, "A corrected routine will help eliminate the fatigue from jet lag! Anyway, Haruomi, let''s go for breakfast first!"

    "Come on, weren''t you eating donuts at the airport just now?"

    That being said, it would be a good idea to take a break before embarking on a long-distance drive.

    Hal drove the car and stopped in front of a nearby burger shop. Since Boston was a city he had visited a number of times before, he knew his way around somewhat.

    "Isn''t Manhattan our destination? That would be in New York, right?"

    They were at a hamburger chain quite famous domestically in America.

    After finding seats inside the shop, Orihime asked in puzzlement.

    "But isn''t Boston in the state of Massachusetts?"

    "Yes. The institute of technology bearing the state''s name is also very famous. This is the state''s capital."

    "It sort of counts as being to the right of New York State, right? But the two states are really big, so Boston and Old Manhattan have no connection at all."

    After listening to Hal and Asya''s explanations, Orihime tilted her head.

    "In that case, why did we come to Boston?"

    "I wanted to make a detour¡ªto visit Salem."

    "Salem huh...?"

    Hearing the name of the place Hal had spoken quietly, Hazumi reacted.

    Although she had collapsed for a while, it looked like her condition improved with the help of cold orange juice and air-conditioning indoors and within the car. Timidly, she said, "I''ve heard of it before. I remember it was during a periodic training session on witch knowledge."

    "I figured. This city of Salem was the stage for witch hunts during the seventeenth century, you know?"

    " "Witch hunts!?" "

    "I decided after discussing with Asya. It would be good experience if you two could visit that place once, Juujouji and Shirasaka."

    "We have a tea party scheduled with the ''Grandmas'' this afternoon."

    Hearing the unsettling subject of witch hunts, the two Japanese witches were rendered speechless.

    A meeting with their "seniors" had been arranged for Orihime and Hazumi without giving them advance notice or time for mental preparation. Hal and Asya had intentionally not told them.

    "It''s not like they''ll eat you alive. Relax."

    Saying that, Asya immediately reached for the paper box before her.

    What she picked up was a king-size bacon burger. After ripping open the aluminum foil for keeping it warm, she took a great bite. The 100% beef patties were stacked in three layers and topped with thick grilled bacon. It looked plenty impressive.

    As a side note, this burger chain''s selling point was that it did not use any frozen meat whatsoever.

    In addition, there was a king-size cheeseburger and fries (extra large) in front of Asya.

    "S-Such impressive quantities."

    Hazumi''s eyes were round while she stared at the outrageous amount of fries.

    Carrying a small mountain of french fries, the container should be called a "paper bucket." The amount was so great that it would be more than enough to feed a Japanese family of four.

    "This is a chain whose expansion is centered around the East Coast. In addition to abundant quantities, they also offer great flavor."

    "Well, I can''t believe you''re free to choose this kind of size at a shop that doesn''t cater to big eaters in particular. Land of the free indeed."

    "So this amount isn''t a meal combo meant for a whole family to share?" Orihime asked the emphatically muttering Hal in a whisper while Asya was heartily enjoying the fulfilling nature of American portion sizes.

    "No no no, their main target demographic should be active guys in high school and college. I happened to see someone order this meal earlier, but gave up on finishing it in the end. Powerful contenders capable of finishing it only show up once in a while, apparently... like Asya."

    Apart from Asya, the remaining three had ordered a regular-size fries to share, paired with cold drinks to soothe their parched throats, thus enjoying a short break.

    After spending forty minutes in the burger shop''s cool environment, Hal''s group got in their car and drove to Salem.

    The drive from Boston took less than an hour.

    With only a population of forty thousand, Salem was a quiet port city. Brick buildings could be seen everywhere. Overall, the streets seemed quite old. Compared to Boston with its abundant skyscrapers, the contrast was striking.

    "There are quite a lot of cute buildings with nice atmospheres."

    "It feels a bit like a drama set."

    "This area consists of relatively old buildings or houses. They were mostly built during the seventeenth century."

    While Orihime and Hazumi were looking out the car window happily, Hal nodded and explained.

    "I don''t know if he used the scenery here for inspiration, but during the 1920s, a guy called Lovecraft wrote a horror novel featuring a city very similar to Salem. For fans of that genre, this place is like a pilgrimage site."

    "Haruomi and I used to play ''The window! The window!'' and ''Sneaking into Innsmouth'' at an old mansion in this city. We had so much fun."

    "? Was there something at the window?"

    "Although I have no idea how it was played, I can imagine it being mischief without a fear of God..."

    Next to the puzzled Hazumi, Orihime smiled wryly in exasperation.

    But she immediately changed the subject.

    "By the way, Haruga-kun, you mentioned witch hunts earlier..."

    "Simply put, they happened back when America was still a British colony. At the time, girls living in Salem would play a game imitating a seance."

    "I presume it was something quite similar to divination games in Japan like Kokkuri-san or Angel-san," Asya added from the front passenger seat.

    "Girls in puberty trying out occult games with a playful mindset."

    "However, preachers and officials raised an uproar when they found out and arrested all the girls, locking them in prison to carry out witch trials, finally executing them."

    " "......" "

    "From there, things unfolded like medieval witch hunts. Only five or six people were arrested in the beginning but suspicions of women being witches kept spreading throughout the city. In the end, the number of people arrested reached as high as three digits. Only after dozens of people had lost their lives did the government finally step in to bring the whole incident under control."

    Facing the speechless Orihime and Hazumi, Asya shrugged and said, "This incident stands as an important historical lesson about the cruelties of mass hysteria, passed down to the current day. However, I believe that the current Salem is just a simple and friendly town."

    With casual conversation going on during the drive, they soon reached the destination.

    It was a house located in the countryside of Salem. Within the premises enclosed by a perimeter of high walls was a beautiful, carefully maintained garden. After going through the gate, they had to proceed¡ªanother twenty minutes. Of course, it was by car.

    At the entrance to the house was an oval plaza resembling a bus terminal.

    Hal parked the car on the side. There were several vehicles apart from theirs, including luxury German cars, old American cars and even a half truck.

    Thanks to that, Hal''s Japanese car was not particularly conspicuous.

    Also, the solemn and majestic mansion in front of them was built in a oblong shape with three floors.

    This was the "country house" style that English nobles liked to use for their rural palatial residences. The "old mansion" setting used in novels and movies mostly followed this type too.

    "Umm... Senpai." Perhaps due to her piqued curiosity, Hazumi asked from the back seat.

    "What kind of place is this? A museum... of sorts?"

    "No, it''s just a personal residence. A certain old lady''s estate."

    "Really? It took a long time getting here from the main gate, you know?"

    Adjacent to Hazumi, Orihime was also staring wide-eyed. As a side note, this garden was four times as big as the Tokyo Dome in area.

    Asya shrugged and said, "Rich people in America often build houses on unnecessarily big plots of land. Not only swimming pools, but they even put golf courses into their gardens too. Well, this place is actually pretty low-key for a wealthy family in that range."

    "If I remember correctly, Miss Erick''s family made their fortune through the futures market, right?"

    "Yes. She secretly used her powers as a witch to predict wheat and soy production the following year, thereby profiting in the process."

    "A witch?"

    Orihime asked Asya and Hal about the word that had appeared in the conversation.

    "Yeah. Rather than the magi known as witches nowadays, a real witch."

    "Today, we are going to meet the matriarch of this household and her friends, a couple of old ladies. They are all witches¡ªthey use traditional spells and concoct potions, etc... In other words, they are a group of old ladies who use magic."

    "They were the benefactors back when SAURU first started as a research organization, providing magical knowledge as the brains and funding operations as sponsors."

    "All of us, members of SAURU, call them the ''Grandmas.''"

    Part 2

    It was the second day of the America expedition.

    Yesterday, Hal and his friends had left the grand mansion in the Salem countryside around evening time then drove to their hotel in Boston City, thus giving themselves a good rest after the lengthy traveling.

    Deciding it would be a good idea to go sightseeing in leisure the next day, the group made their way to the seaside early in the day.

    Boston was the state capital of Massachusetts, a port city with a long history dating back to the British colonial era.

    Hal and friends embarked on a staple of sightseeing in this ancient city, a whale watching cruise. It was a gigantic tourist ship with a capacity of over two hundred passengers.

    "But yesterday, I was honestly surprised."

    Drinking iced coffee from a paper cup, Orihime grumbled.

    She had just bought it from a vendor on the ship. The group had out to the deck. Although there was no air-conditioning, the sea breeze''s refreshing coolness served as a substitute. The sight of splashing waves was dazzling.

    "Although they were a group of friendly old ladies, the atmosphere there was too unique... Don''t tell me you took us there without telling us because you wanted to surprise us?"

    "Hahahahaha, don''t be upset."

    "We believed that things would go well even without explaining beforehand, given your communication skills, Orihime-san and Hazumi-san. As expected of you two, you were able to play along with us flawlessly."

    Seeing Hal dismiss his friends'' misgivings with a laugh, Asya provided additional explanation.

    Hal thought back to the "tea party" the day before.

    Led by a middle-aged butler, the group arrived at the tearoom in the house.

    There were seven or eight old ladies chatting happily away while savoring black tea or coffee in leisure. The refreshments on the table included muffins, scones, kidney pie, raspberry pie, etc. As a side note, all of them were hand made.

    "Dear Grandmas, allow me to introduce these two magi from Tokyo New Town."

    Asya extended her hand towards Orihime and Hazumi to introduce them first.

    "Oh my, is that so?" "Visitors from such a faraway land." "Wow, you are still so young." "Would you like some delicious snacks? Please help yourselves."

    Smiling cordially, they greeted the guests from Tokyo and even called the youngest, Hazumi, over to their side and handed muffins and scones to her one after another.

    Meanwhile, Hal the interpreter was completely ignored.

    As a dragonslaying rune holder, Haruga Haruomi''s fame had risen like a helicopter within SAURU.

    However, the Grandmas were completely uninterested in news of that sort. Without showing any surprise or reaction at the sight of Hal, they probably pegged him as merely "the one looking after the girls from Tokyo."

    The Grandmas enjoyed their tea and conversed as they pleased.

    Soon, they started sharing their "insight as witches" with the girls from Tokyo New Town.

    "We witches" "must conceal our true identities." "As serpent users, you must take particular care." "Enough people have suffered at the hands of trumped up charges." "Yes, the populace can sometimes turn into demons even more terrifying than dragons."

    In a laid back tone paired with the style of gentle old ladies, they murmured about the distrust of mankind.

    Hal and Asya translated every sentence while Orihime and Hazumi listened quietly with slightly troubled smiles.

    Regarding the fearsome ferocity of dragonkind, what the Grandmas had to say was¡ª

    "Although the serpents and the little magi girls are working very hard¡ª" "they are still no match" "against the dragons." "We witches of old" "are able to read the flow of the future." "Darkness lies ahead."

    Despite a tone that was not somber, they spoke after one another to predict a bleak future.

    The conversation kept continuing with such topics to accompany the tea. Orihime and Hazumi maintained their lovely smiles while concurring repeatedly as many as a hundred times.

    In the end, the tea party dragged on from noon all the way until 4pm.

    It was all because the Grandmas talked nonstop.

    As a side note, while Hal was calmly focused on interpreting, Asya spent the whole time quietly munching on pie and muffins except when helping Hal out every now and then...

    "If the girls contracted with leviathans are magi, then those old ladies would be sorceresses."

    The whale watching cruise sailed smoothly.

    After Asya spoke on the deck, enjoying the sea breeze, Hal added an explanation.

    "If you trace back the foundation SAURU''s magical knowledge back to the source, most of it was provided by the Grandmas. Due to this, their word is quite influential."

    "Although only about twenty of them are still alive, the Grandmas live quietly, gathered together in places like Salem and Budapest. It is also their wish that information about witches and leviathans be kept out of public knowledge."

    As a side note, for unknown reasons, the Grandmas chose to live secluded in cities with a history of witch persecution.

    It was probably meant as a lesson to junior witches to never forget the mistakes of the past, but¡ª

    Asya sighed lightly.

    "Those with special powers should keep the truth hidden. This is to prevent the tragedies and persecutions of the past from repeating... Sigh, I understand there are advantages to doing things this way, but it''s too conservative. There are many aspects that make it unsuitable for the twenty-first century..."

    "Partly because of the presence of dragonkind, definitely, but it''s also because they''re not part of the gaming generation."

    Seeing Hal remark poignantly, Orihime asked, "Is there a relationship between gaming and witches?"

    "Well, I believe that the popularization of home consoles and the resulting spread of RPG knowledge has made the concept of ''magic'' permeate greatly through ordinary society."

    "In recent years, the term MP has entered common usage in many countries."

    "When explaining the usage restriction on pseudo-divinity, people get it straight away when you say ''out of magic points.''"

    "Nowadays, even if a young thirteen-year-old witch were to start a home delivery service, people will only watch over her with gentle eyes."

    Hal and Asya explained in alternation to the baffled Orihime. Hearing this, the well-bred Japanese young lady could not help but smile wryly. Then she suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, where did Hazumi run off to?"

    At that moment, Hal noticed it too. There were no signs of Hazumi on the deck.

    The youngest of the group, the middle school student, not only had a reliable personality but was also resourceful. However, this was still her first time traveling abroad, no matter what. Worried, Hal, Asya and Orihime looked inside the ship.

    Then they immediately found Hazumi.

    Since this was a large ship, the interior was very spacious, even enough to hold a basketball match.

    There were sofas placed next to the windows on the left and right so that tourists could enjoy the sea view in leisure. Hazumi was standing before one of these sofas.

    However, a haughty prepubescent girl, dressed in a scarlet kimono, was sitting in the sofa.

    Hinokagutsuchi indeed. She had apparently materialized without them noticing. Facing the proud former dragon queen, Hazumi handed over a paper cup filled with some kind of beverage.

    "...I-I bought you the orange juice you wanted!"

    "Mm-hmm, thank you. As a reward, I permit you to sit next to me."

    "Y-Yes. Uh... Umm, excuse me."

    Hazumi sat down on the sofa rather apprehensively.

    Since a young girl in a kimono was too conspicuous a sight, the surrounding passengers'' gazes gathered upon them. However, Hinokagutsuchi sipped her juice through a straw, completely unfazed by those gazes. She must have ordered Hazumi to buy it for her as an errand.

    Hal and company walked over to the girl and the ghost in their party.

    "You sure know how to enjoy yourself..."

    "Nonsense. I am simply taking a break. Besides, ultimately¡ª"

    Hinokagutsuchi replied instantly to Hal''s opening line with a tone of derision.

    "This is a journey specifically by ship to watch whales, isn''t it? Be that as it may, aren''t the little serpents summoned frequently by you even more exotic creatures?"

    "Summoning magically crafted creatures and observing wildlife have completely different meanings."

    "Is that so? True, ancient humans would regard gigantic beasts as ''substitutes for gods'' and decide on their own to establish worship."

    "That''s right. Besides, speaking of whales, they were considered ''sea gods'' in standing by Japanese people in the past."

    Hal nodded in agreement with what Hinokagutsuchi said.

    Ever since antiquity, humans had treated animals as divine messengers or even worshiped them as deities themselves.

    In the present day, the precepts of Hinduism still promote cattle as sacred beasts and extend preferential treatment to them. Totem worship where wild animals were worshiped as tribal ancestors or guardian deities existed all over the world. Even in Japan, there were shrines that regarded animals¡ªbirds, monkeys, boards, wolves, snakes, etc¡ªas divine messengers.

    In Japan, the whale was not only a hunted prey but also a sacred beast at the same time.

    "Speaking of which, this has bothered me for a while now."

    Asya interjected.

    "The True Genbu-Ou that showed up at Tokyo New Town a little while ago... I remember it being mentioned as a composite creature similar to leviathans, right? In other words, are our ''serpents'' able to acquire ''goddess power'' like True Genbu-Ou?"

    "It is not impossible¡ªOr rather, I should say it is ''theoretically possible.''"

    Hinokagutsuchi kept the straw in her mouth while answering.

    After moistening her throat with the juice, she tossed the empty cup to one side. Hazumi hastily reached out to catch it.

    "Having become a great expert on the path of unorthodoxy, Solomon took the creatures originally regarded as ''substitutes for gods,'' processed them using synthesis magic, enlarged their bodies, and modified their savage nature, thus making them reborn as ''imitation dragons.'' Hence, that was how your serpents arose."

    With the obedient Hazumi waiting on her like a maidservant, Hinokagutsuchi seemed to be in a good mood.

    Hal did not know if that was the reason, but she was now talking freely about topics she used to refrain from giving details.

    "Consequently, what you lot need to do is reawaken the sacred visage that dwells in the depths of serpent souls to begin with¡ª"

    "Specifically, how do we do that?"

    Hinokagutsuchi scoffed "hmph" at Asya''s question.

    "Do not bother asking clever little questions of that sort. There is no such technique."

    "No such technique!?"

    "I have mentioned this before. Despite being fakes, they are ultimately connected to the lineage of the gods. Trying to exert wanton control over them would be an act of disrespect. The likes of you ought to respect human bounds and go no further than to offer sincere prayers. Should your prayer reach the goddess within the serpent, naturally, she would grant you an act of charity or two."

    "..."

    "Well, out of you lot, the one who is capable of accomplishing this¡ª"

    Having said that, Hinokagutsuchi suddenly vanished.

    An instant before disappearing, she had glanced at the girl beside her. This was probably not coincidence. After all, Hazumi always listened to Hinokagutsuchi''s every word attentively with a serious expression.

    ¡ªAt that moment, an announcement was broadcast in English.

    "Oh, I think it''s saying that whales can be seen port side."

    "Really!?"

    Hazumi''s eyes glowed after she heard Hal''s report. The sofa they were at right now happened to be port side. The group all focused their attention and looked out the window.

    Stretching endlessly outside the sightseeing ship was the view of Massachusetts Bay''s blue waves.

    Soon after, Hal and the girls witnessed a gigantic black body surrounded by flowing seawater. It was probably fourteen or fifteen meters high, reaching the same standards as leviathans.

    "Hazumi! Go outside and look through a telescope!"

    "Yes, Nee-sama!"

    Orihime suggested in excitement and her younger cousin replied immediately.

    Part 3

    Returning to port after the whale watching tour, it happened to be noon.

    Hal silently gestured with his eyes and the group set off with Asya in the lead. Their destination was a restaurant specializing in seafood cuisine. After having lunch there with lobster as the main course, they continued their sightseeing in the afternoon.

    As a side note, Hal and Asya had a little discussion after the meal.

    "Since we''re in Boston already, how about another visit to Salem? A pilgrimage tour to relive the Prohibition Era of Lovecraft''s time and step foot upon the various lands of the Great Old Ones."

    "Denied. Given that we''re in Boston..."

    Asya decisively rejected Hal''s suggestion.

    "How about visiting the museum of John Manjiro, the great explorer who was born in Japan during the Bakumatsu era when the nation was still closed off? It''s only a short drive away."

    "Ahem. Excuse me, you two, please arrange an itinerary that''s more considerate towards people who are visiting America for the first time?"

    Finally, to fulfill Orihime''s request, the group started urban sightseeing within Boston.

    ¡ªAs a side note, John Manjiro, also known as Nakahama Manjirou, was shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean when he was fourteen years old.

    It was during the Bakumatsu era when Japan pursued an isolationist policy. John had to survive as a cast away for as long as a month.

    However, he was miraculously rescued by an American whaleboat, thus bringing him to America. Thereafter, he became a first-rate navigator and explorer before returning to his home country of Japan in the end. Although Asya felt deeply empathetic to his plight, at this moment, she had completely forgotten him and was enjoying the urban sightseeing.

    From the waterfront by the sea to the prosperous downtown.

    Following such a route, they could experience the street scenery woven together from modern skyscrapers and brick buildings whose style dated back to the earlier half of the nineteenth century. This commercial district was a must-see attraction for tourists to Boston.

    While Orihime and Hazumi were strolling leisurely, a general store caught their eye.

    Fashionable and adorable trinkets were displayed on the tasteful shelves. The two Japanese witches looked at these goods together while chatting with smiles on their faces.

    "...We definitely wouldn''t come across this kind of store if it was just the two of us."

    "...On the other hand, we do frequently visit dusty shops that carry unearthed objects that appear to be related to our work."

    Withdrawing to a corner inside the store, Asya and Hal conversed in whispers.

    "Time for the social studies tour to end. Old Manhattan is up next."

    "Sneaking into the lair of dragonkind''s great king in search of treasure so as to find a way to oppose the dragon princess¡ªIsn''t this kind of putting the cart before the horse?"

    "Let''s pray that the great king won''t jump out himself and say ''A monster has appeared!''..."

    The two of them were planning to infiltrate the Old Manhattan Concession, the territory of Red Hannibal.

    Even so, Asya was still quite relaxed in mood.

    After all, Luna was not around. Without that vixen trying to bewitch Hal using underhanded means, she was able to calmly take on the challenge to build a new relationship with her childhood friend.

    First of all, she had to obtain at least one accomplishment during this America expedition.

    For example... Yes. Before the conclusion of the trip, she must make Hal say this:

    ''Although I failed to notice until now, Asya, you''re really... very pretty.'' Something like that.

    For this purpose, it might be a good idea for her to put on her victory outfit and dress up properly.

    Right now, she was still dressed in a short-sleeve blouse paired with a miniskirt, but had removed the flight jacket she was always wearing. Simulating a fashion show in her mind, Asya began to review her options.

    Plan 1: How about a frilly one-piece dress to emphasize her cuteness and femininity? Then pair that with a black officer coat (styled like the German panzer division during Second World War).

    Plan 2: A refreshing white blouse with apair of green shorts. Then add a military hat that symbolized the Green Berets (obviously, the beret) and special forces epaulets.

    Plan 3: Straight balls should be used for decisive showdowns. Using that amazing masterpiece of a military rifle, the AK-47¡ª

    "Huh? Wait, something feels weird..."

    Asya sudden tilted her head.

    Even though she was clearly pondering fashion considerations to demonstrate cuteness, beauty and femininity, why did she keep thinking of accessories associated with violence?

    "...I-It must be because of Mom''s influence. The fault lies in my childhood immersion environment!"

    She accidentally spoke out the answer to her own question.

    Perhaps startled, Hal asked, "What''s wrong, Asya?"

    "Oh nothing. I just realized that my tastes in fashion have been influenced a lot by Mom... Whether now or in the past, she''s always incorporated military issued items into her oufit, like coats, jackets, boots or watches."

    "Now that you mention it, I think that really is true."

    "And she totally isn''t aware of it herself. She simply chooses them because they''re handy and available. That''s why, since I''ve been dressing in hand-me-downs since childhood as her daughter, the result is¡ª"

    "She passed on that habit to you?"

    "Exactly. Sheesh... I can''t believe that someone so careless could have a fan club. There are so many inexplicable things in this world."

    "After all, Auntie is¡ªwell, not only pretty but sexy too."

    "S-Sexy!?"

    "Yeah. Her disposition is the type to instantly captivate the hearts of men. Despite her coolness and not primping herself at all, she''s got a kind of womanly charm that''s hard to describe, it''s very sexy."

    Hal spoke with his gaze cast out into the distance. Inexplicably, he seemed a bit happy.

    "Don''t tell me you''re thinking about Mom right now?"

    "Well¡ªhahaha."

    Hal tried to cover up with laughter. Asya concluded her guess was correct.

    Gah¡ªAsya felt frustrated to an unprecedented degree. Their facial appearances could be considered identical but in spite of that, her mother was always the one popular with men!

    Whatever. The task at hand was to develop further relations with her childhood friend.

    Asya pretended to cough. Just as she was about to speak to Hal¡ª

    "Excuse me, Senpai! Could you help translate a bit?"

    "Sure. I''ll be right there."

    Answering the sudden request, Hal walked over towards the source of the voice.

    Naturally, the one who called him was Hazumi. Asya took a closer look, only to see Hazumi with Orihime, staring at a palm-sized music box. The salesman, a black man standing next to them, was speaking rapidly in English.

    "What is he saying?"

    "It''s too fast for me to catch, so I had no choice but to give up."

    Hazumi was tilting her head. Next to her, Orihime shrugged too.

    If it were a conversation on the level of buying drinks from a vendor, there would be no need to bother too much with grammar. Simply stringing a few suitable words together would be enough to express one''s meaning.

    However, that approach did not work with an English speaker whose rapid words were delivered with a Puerto Rican accent.

    Hal explained briefly to the two Japanese girls.

    "What he''s saying is the usual ''I''ll give you a discount if you buy it, okay?'' that''s common in tourist shops. Right now, it''s 10% off. Do you want to try haggling, Shirasaka? You can probably bring it even lower."

    "Eh? Y-You want me to do it!?"

    "Relax. If it''s just haggling over the price, you''ll definitely find a way."

    Hal took out his phone and started up a calculator app.

    Next, he entered the price of the music box Hazumi had selected¡ªand discounted it by 20%. After seeing that, the face of the excellent learner who was both his assistant and his junior in school instantly lit up.

    Hazumi immediately took out her cellphone.

    She opened up the calculator, typed in 50% of the listed price then showed the salesman. The man shook his head and changed the value to 20% off. Unfazed, Hazumi changed it to 40% off¡ª

    Seeing Hazumi working as hard as she could, Hal retreated to the back.

    Orihime smiled and stood by Hazumi''s side. This price battle became a solo showdown between Hazumi and the salesman.

    (Haruga-kun, you taught Hazumi something unusual again.)

    (Not at all, this kind of economic warfare happens frequently all over the world. Well, I have to say that the people who made Arabic numerals spread across the entire world were truly great.)

    Hearing Orihime''s whispers, Hal answered quietly in return.

    Since they were talking very quietly and whispering in each other''s ear, their distance was extremely intimate, almost touching face to face. Asya panicked as a result.

    This was almost like seeing a loving couple together!

    Besides, Hal and Orihime seemed to realize this too. Suddenly flustered, the two of them sneaked a glance at each other''s face frantically and shyly.

    One could feel a bittersweetness just by observing from the side, it felt extremely embarrassing¡ª

    Asya was shocked.

    "I-Is this the romantic comedy state of ''more than friends but less than lovers'' that people talk about? Hazumi also seems quite close to Haruomi and he dotes on her a lot...!"

    Trapped in her mouth, her mutterings were unintelligible.

    Could it be that at this rate, even in Luna''s absence, the relationships on this side were going to progress too...?

    I have to hurry and do something¡ªAsya vowed in her heart.

    "Like I said, is there any solution!?"

    ''There is not much help I can provide when you call me out of the blue to discuss this sort of matter. It''s not like I am Dora¡ñmon.''

    That night, Asya made a international long-distance call to President M.

    However, although her figure featured elements from a certain country''s cat robot, the club president with a body weight of 140kg by visual estimates replied mercilessly, ''The time of "Game Over" draws near.''

    "No way!?"

    Incidentally, Asya was currently in a single room at a certain hotel in Boston City.

    She had spent the previous night in the same room, but the plan was to check out early tomorrow morning. It was time to travel to the part of New York City at the peninsula of Long Island in preparation for infiltrating Old Manhattan.

    ''Didn''t I tell you last time? There is no hope unless you press the reset button. Your score has been the repeated accumulation of zero the whole time.''

    "That''s why I called you for advice, hoping that one of your magic-like skills could instantly help¡ª"

    ''Totally impossible, useless girl.''

    "Sob sob sob."

    ''Besides, isn''t magic your specialty? Don''t you guys wield kinds of extremely suspicious powers?''

    "I-I don''t want to be called suspicious by someone who has a mysterious superpower."

    ''There there. Why don''t you simply concoct a witch''s love potion and have Haruga drink it?''

    "Love potion... Of course there isn''t such a convenient spell. If anything, out of all the techniques I know of, what would be effective¡ª"

    Asya began to space out with several ideas spinning in her mind.

    Objectively speaking, she and her mother were quite similar in terms of basic elements. Equals in face. Their military mindset and spartan behavior patterns made them akin to sister models.

    Yet in spite of that, her mother was the only one who was popular with men.

    In other words, all she needed to do was add what her mother had but she did not¡ª!

    ''It appears that you have grasped some kind of key point...''

    "Yes. From this point on, I will fight with everything I''ve got or die trying!"

    After hanging up, Asya walked over to the bathroom sink.

    The key was self-hypnosis and changing herself physically, mentally and spiritually. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she released magical power¡ª

    Part 4

    ''Tokyo is currently very peaceful, Harry.''

    "That''s good to know."

    ''So peaceful that those hectic days prior to summer seem like a lie now.''

    With his laptop open in his hotel room, Hal was conversing over video chat.

    The other person was Luna Francois who had stayed back to defend Tokyo New Town. With him and the witches away from home recently, it was fortunate that nothing problematic had happened in the mean time.

    "I won''t have any complaints even if Princess Yukikaze decides to live a secluded life in Old Tokyo from now on."

    However, this possibility definitely did not exist. Hal shrugged.

    The white dragon king whose personality was as straight as an arrow¡ªPrincess Yukikaze.

    One might presume her to be like a male lion currently lazing around. However, if she were to suddenly get up one day, one would expect her to resume her interrupted conquest and run over to seek out Haruga Haruomi for some fun.

    "It''s very possible she might attack us and Tokyo out of the blue."

    ''And the power accumulated during this time would serve to make the attack even more intense when the time comes.''

    "Although we''re just guessing randomly at the moment, it''d be a problem if that actually came true... By the way, Luna, what''s with your outfit?"

    ''Why are you asking for such an obvious answer? Of course I''m wearing it to show you, Harry?"

    Shown on the LCD screen was Luna Francois'' smile.

    Soon after starting the call with Hal, she deliberately changed clothing in front of him.

    What she had on now was a one-piece dress with red patterns on a white background.

    The extremely form-fitting sleeveless design featured a miniskirt with an oval opening in front of the chest, providing a sexy view of her cleavage.

    Furthermore, there was a company logo printed in blue letters on the fabric...

    Hal recalled the American beer that was quite well-known in Japan too. That particular brand was widely known for the skimpy uniforms worn by women models to promote their beer.

    ''You are a boy, after all, Harry. Compared to Japanese brewers, you probably prefer American Budweiser, don''t you?"

    "I-I don''t really know much about beers. I''m a minor, you know!?"

    ''Yet you stare so intently despite your words. Fufu, how delightful. I went out of my way to prepare this Bu¡ñ Girl uniform just for you!''

    Luna Francois deliberately approached the camera and made a forward leaning posture.

    The closeup of her cleavage gave Hal quite an intense jolt.

    Although Haruga Haruomi regularly called himself a closet pervert, Luna''s spirit of altruism almost made him want to withdraw the "closet" part of the title. That was how audacious and attractive she was.

    ''Oh right. Actually, I received notice from the New York National Guard today.''

    "The National Guard?"

    ''Indeed. The WotC''s chief wants to have a chat with you.''

    "...What''s that? I''ve never heard the term before."

    ''The official name is the ''Witches of the Coast.'' Founded a year ago, it''s an air squadron of witches belonging to various East Coast states with New York first and foremost.''

    "Oh¡ªI can''t believe they established an organization like that."

    ''If you are free, it might be a good idea to pay their office a visit and hang out. Well, I originally intended to bring this matter up after you accomplish your first goal.''

    Previously, Hal had promised Luna to contact her regularly every night (although due to the time difference, it would be morning for Luna). On this night, the video chat ended here.

    They were going to set off for New York the next day. Finally, Hal''s group was making their way to this expedition''s main objective.

    The next morning...

    Hal met up with Orihime and Hazumi in the hotel lobby before heading to the breakfast buffet.

    "Umm, what happened to Asya-san?"

    "Seems like she overslept. That''s so rare."

    "Or it could be the opposite. Perhaps she woke up too early and went for breakfast first?"

    Since Asya did not show up for a long time, the trio went to the restaurant on their own first.

    After selecting fresh vegetable salad, ham, bacon, omelets, scrambled egg, toast and croissants on their own, they found a place to sit down.

    Asya finally arrived late, five minutes after they had started eating.

    "Sorry, I overslept a little."

    Smiling tenderly, Hal''s childhood friend sat down next to him. Hal went "hmm?" and tilted his head¡ªSomething was strange. He stared intently at Asya and immediately noticed what it was.

    "...So, you''re having breakfast for the second time today, aren''t you?"

    "No, I haven''t eaten anything yet today. What''s the matter?"

    "Well, because there''s not much on your plate."

    The breakfast Asya had placed on her tray and brought to the table was...

    A plate of egg sandwiches. One yogurt. A cup of cafe au lait. That was all. Normally, she would be able to finish four times as much and even head out calmly for a second round.

    "What happened to you, Asya-san!?"

    "A-Are you feeling unwell!? I brought stomach medication!"

    Not only was Hal surprised, but even Orihime and Hazumi were worried too.

    However, Asya simply gave a light smile and denied.

    "Nothing''s wrong, okay? I woke up this morning in perfect health, so Hazumi-san, thank you for your kind offer but I won''t be needing it."

    What the heck was up with Asya?

    But Hal had no choice but to shelve this question for now.

    Opposite to their table, a Caucasian man in a suit was reading the New York Times opened up in front of him. As a result, Hal naturally saw the contents on the back of the newspaper.

    "...What is going on?"

    The headline on that page drew in Hal''s attention. Written on it was:

    ''THE RED-DRAGON HANNIBAL RUNS FOR GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK!''

    Red Hannibal had become a candidate running for Governor of New York¡ª

    The most famous and powerful dragon on earth. Called "Red Hannibal"¡ªhe was the Caesar Draconis ruling the Old Manhattan Concession.

    Indeed. Like Princess Yukikaze, he was a monster, a lofty dragon king.

    An ominous premonition surfaced in Hal''s mind. He immediately took out his cellphone to search the internet.

    The news story running in the web version of the New York Times greatly shocked Hal and his friends.

 Volume 5, 3 - New York, New York

    Volume 5, Chapter 3 - New York, New York

    Part 1

    Dragons had flown in from the moon''s surface and satellite orbits to ravage the world.

    Air defense systems capable of swiftly detecting them were basically humanity''s life line and more important than witches and leviathans, in fact. Consequently, the sky was filled with spy satellites, radar networks, and reconnaissance jets from various countries at every altitude.

    Detected aerial threats were shared globally through an information network. An attack warning would be immediately issued locally while forces were dispatched to intercept.

    "It''s such a great help that Raptors fly so slowly. They apparently need time to get used to the Earth''s atmosphere," explained Christine Hulk to her protege in front of her.

    Cheerful in tone. Native to New York State, she was eighteen years old this year. A witch. Although she talked like a boy, she was undoubtedly a girl.

    Her long blonde hair was tied in a refreshing ponytail.

    The captain of the cheerleading team in a high school, she also had an excellent figure.

    As a side note, her protege was sitting in the pilot seat of a flight simulator while Christine stood behind her.

    "They fly sluggishly like migratory birds for about an hour or two, then their attack impulse erupts all at once and they make a move on the nearest city."

    "...Only cities?"

    The junior witch¡ªMarie Thesz¡ªraised a question.

    Eleven years old, hailing from Wisconsin, she was still studying in elementary school. Marie was a novice witch who had just formed a covenant with her partner a month earlier.

    Compared to the talkative Christine, she said few words without much facial expression.

    "Although it''s not exclusive to cities, the tendency to target areas with high population and building density is quite high."

    "Hmm¡ª"

    "While the Raptors are flying in leisure, they can be taken care of in the majority of cases as long as nearby military airbases can dispatch emergency squadrons to intercept them. Although this base is only equipped with older F-16s, they''re more than enough to shoot down Raptors."

    "...So this is an old model after all."

    In the modern era where LCD touch panels were ubiquitous, the old-style control panel in front of her was composed of thirty-something instruments with "numbers, needles and dials."

    This flight simulator reproduced the cockpit of the F-16, an older manned fighter jet.

    "Don''t worry. Even though it''s an old model, it''s still in service all over the world. In terms of production, the manufacturing cost of an old model that''s like an antique is far cheaper than for new models."

    "...Really?"

    "Yeah. Instead of making the latest models which cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars to fly a single sortie, it''s better to mass produce low-cost older models. In recent years, the military has apparently valued cost-effectiveness more because of the great number of sorties."

    The Air National Guard''s base at East Farm was where Christine and Marie were right now.

    It was located roughly fifteen kilometers southwest of the New York state capital of Albany.

    The National Guard was America''s military reserve force. Its members normally lived as ordinary civilians. During emergencies, they joined in disaster relief and security operations under the direction of state governors and might even carry out combat missions.

    The two girls were currently at a training center inside the base.

    "Although dragons can breathe fire, their attack range is practically zero in comparison to air-to-air missiles. It''s as simple as hitting targets at a shooting range as long as you aim and fire from ten-odd kilometers away."

    It was midnight, an hour quite incongruent with Marie''s lifestyle as an elementary schooler.

    However, this was official training for a new recruit. Hence, Christine continued unperturbed.

    The surround screen inside the simulator displayed the air battle situation. Although Marie was sitting in the cockpit, she was not operating the controls. The screen was only replaying the simulated battle against twenty Raptors from just now.

    Short-range homing missiles, Sidewinders, took down the lesser dragons one after another.

    "However¡ª"

    Christine shrugged. By the time they noticed, the Raptors on the screen had closed in to engage within visual range¡ªin other words, close-range combat.

    Swarming the fighter jet, there were roughly ten Raptors attacking.

    At first, it was still possible to evade the Raptors attacking from unexpected angles by repeated usage of advanced maneuvers such as quick turns, mid-air stops and rapid acceleration. But soon enough, the fuselage was knocked away by a Raptor then torn apart instantly by its swarming companions¡ª

    Christine spoke quietly, "The difficulty increases dramatically if they get into dogfighting range. These guys are fierce beasts, after all. Humans cannot surpass them in agility or reaction speed. Forget about remote controlled attack drones, even manned fighter jets are unable to surmount that tall barrier."

    "......"

    "Next¡ªRaptors all target the land, right? Hence, the air squadron''s mission is essentially over once the Raptors reach settlements. After all, fighter jets are not suited to low-altitude combat. Well, that being said, it is possible to fire air-to-surface missiles at Raptors that are rampaging in town."

    "Then we become the ones to destroy the town..."

    "Yes, with that, the cart is placed before the horse. By this point, it''s hard to take down Raptors even if tanks or grenade launchers are mobilized. So that''s when it''s time for our ''serpents'' enter the stage."

    "In other words, to help the air force clean up dragons that get past..."

    "Exactly. Oh my, frankly speaking, it''s almost impossible to lose against Raptors whether in the air or on land. Except if you''re unlucky enough to meet an elite."

    "Oh, I remember that from training..."

    "In addition, elites are able to use summoning magic to gather a flock of Raptors. Protected by magic on these occasions, they don''t suffer from the ''hazy state prior to getting used to the atmosphere'' mentioned earlier. These Raptors will attack our ''serpents'' with lightning speed!"

    "...No Summoning Sickness despite being Creatures. So unfair."

    "Ahahaha."

    Confronted with Marie''s gamer-like response, Christine smiled wryly.

    "If an elite shows up, they have only two choices. Either grovel and beg for support from a master-class witch or form a united team like ours to mobilize. Precisely because of that, we really look forward to the performance of new members~"

    Suitable witch candidates were selected from the National Guard of the various East Coast states to form a team.

    This was the concept behind the unit named the WotC. Including the newest addition of Marie, they currently had four witches. Christine was their team leader.

    "There was apparently a plan to gather up master-class witches, but it never went anywhere because they''re all a bit abnormal in the head. In the end, the current model resulted by prioritizing team efficiency."

    "...Aren''t you a Master Jedi, Christine?"

    "Nope. I am the type with common sense and teamwork. Oh, but I heard earlier during the evening meeting. Recently, a team of witches was formed over in Japan. Reportedly, they have two master magi who are Shootdown Ace class."

    Christine took out her smartphone and opened up the information she had received during the day.

    A team that had North America''s strongest vile witch¡ªLuna Francois Gregory¡ªas well as Europe''s "Big Eater" Anastasya Rubashvili.

    In addition, there was the Japanese boy who commanded these two top-class witches by virtue of his strength.

    Christine clicked up Haruga Haruomi''s profile on her phone. Apparently while traveling across the world as a treasure hunter, he had chanced upon Dragonslayer magic.

    It was rumored that he had defeated a number of elites and even had combat experience against dragon king-class opponents.

    In the photo, this legendary figure¡ªHaruga Haruomi¡ªwas staring at the camera with sleepy eyes.

    "This guy is the mastermind behind the Japan team."

    "...Kind of cute looking. Like a goblin or a golem."

    "Aren''t those monsters? By the way, I''m not too familiar with RPGs."

    "...Slightly different. Probably in between elves and monsters."

    "I see. Oh, whatever. Anyway, he looks poorly motivated and lacking in communication skills. However, I think I''m a bit curious about him...?"

    For Christine, this was a type she had never met in high school or the National Guard. Curious about something new, she felt a vague sense of affection towards this Japanese boy she had never met before. Currently, his group should be on their way to the East Coast. It would be nice if there was a chance to speak with him. Just as Christine was thinking that to herself¡ª

    An alarm blared from the speakers installed all over the base.

    "...It''s our turn to sortie?"

    "Dunno yet. But we must get ready straight away. Follow me!"

    While issuing orders to Marie, Christine started moving too.

    Then she took out her cellphone to call her direct superior, the military consultant assigned by the US Air Force to the Governor of New York.

    An air defense system had been built to detect the arrival of dragons as early as possible.

    Unfortunately, it was still possible for it to fail in its purpose.

    And one actual case occurred this very night in New York. The dragon king ruling over the Old Manhattan Concession suddenly started flying at high speed.

    Red Hannibal''s destination was the sky over the capital of New York State¡ªAlbany.

    It was merely a distance of two hundred kilometers or so from Old Manhattan to here.

    Traveling time was less than twenty minutes. Decelerating after reaching Albany''s airspace, he started a slow descent.

    Despite being a state capital, Albany was just a small city.

    It was surrounded mostly by natural scenery such as mountains and forests, excellent for enjoying the pleasures of hiking or canoeing. The local population was less than a hundred thousand. Moreover, it was currently late at night.

    Hence, very few people witnessed the dragon king''s arrival.

    However, every one of these people shook to their bones in fear without exception.

    At the same time, the military airbases across the East Coast finally issued a "Red Hannibal alert" one after another.

    Furthermore, the Governor of New York was heading to the capitol building after receiving an emergency crisis report.

    Naturally, Hannibal did not care about the late night hour or the humans of the lower realm. Landing leisurely in front of the New York State Capitol, he roared loudly.

    ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    A roar matching the red dragon king''s bestial nature.

    The majestic roar resounded across every corner in the city of Albany.

    People who had gone to bed were roused by this noise. Those who had yet to sleep were frozen with horror and terror occupying their minds and bodies. Unable to withstand such a shock, those afflicted with heart disease clutched their chests, panting. Some people even fainted directly out of fear.

    What followed immediately after the roar ended was a fully rational voice.

    Using his astounding baritone voice, Hannibal spoke sonorously, "Now then, residents of this city, as well as those of this state, I would like to make a proposal here."

    All residents in the city heard the dragon king''s voice, just like the roar earlier.

    Infused with the dragon king''s magical power, the speech was definitely reaching the ears of the people.

    "Everyone of the media, I grant you special permission to come closer. But in return, I confer a mission upon you. Every word I say next must be recorded accurately and completely to be disseminated across the people."

    Hannibal had even taken into account the reporters who happened to be present. To report on the story, news agencies and television station staff had already driven several vans to rush to the scene from nearby.

    They were a group motivated by a mercantile interest in obtaining an exclusive scoop about the great event of the dragon king''s arrival.

    Facing the cameras and microphones extended from these people, Hannibal spoke, "It has been twenty years since I made my residence in the land known as Manhattan. From what I have heard, this number of years is enough for humans like you to reach the legal age of majority. Furthermore, after reaching adulthood and acquiring the requisite wisdom, they are bestowed the right to stand as a candidate for election¡ªThis principle stands as the essence of the ''democracy'' you humans invented."

    An awe-inspiring speech delivered with clear enunciation.

    Compared to the average human, he was more talkative. His English was also very fluent.

    The ruler of Old Manhattan¡ªHannibal. He was not only the dragon king closest to humans but also the spokesman worthy of representing dragonkind.

    "And the election for deciding this state''s ruler through democratic means will be coming up soon. Thus, I present my request to you all¡ªAllow me to participate in that battle."

    Out from Hannibal''s mouth came several terms that did not match the image of dragons.

    Immediately, the contents of this speech pushed the audience''s emotions from astonishment up to greater heights.

    "I wish to become this country''s... no, the most powerful statesman on earth. I would like to demonstrate to all residents of this state how fortunate they are to live under my protection. I repeat once again, please acknowledge me as a candidate for the election."

    Fortunately, those listening to the dragon king''s decree included people involved with the military.

    The Air National Guard had mobilized fighter jets from the East Farm base fifteen kilometers from Albany and sent three rescue helicopters. One of them was transporting two witches.

    Christine Hulk and Marie Thesz.

    However, the two of them were coming face to face with the dragon king''s majestic visage before they could contact the WotC''s other two members.

    The ultimate adversary towering over all elites¡ªRed Hannibal.

    The dragon king''s body was exuding overwhelming magical power and presence, immobilizing Christine and Marie. In fact, these two''s ''serpents'' could not even accomplish the meager act of stalling for time.

    "Let this be all for tonight. I shall reappear before you all in the near future. Save your answer until then. Humans, I look forward to your democratic choice!"

    This was the last message left behind by the dragon king.

    Having finished speaking, Hannibal spread his wide wings and flew.

    Towards the sky¡ªTowards his base of operations, the Old Manhattan Concession. No one dared to get in the way of his flying route.

    The story above was the incident of "Hannibal Comes!" that had transpired during midnight on August 7th.

    Part 2

    Prior to the return of dragons, New York City was divided into five boroughs.

    Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan.

    But twenty years ago, the borough of Manhattan was chosen by dragonkind as a concession territory.

    As the "face" symbolizing New York City, the area included Wall Street, Central Park, the Rockefeller Center, Times Square... Manhattan and its numerous landmarks fell under the rule of dragonkind, becoming the castle town of the dragon king Hannibal.

    But apart from Old Manhattan, the other four boroughs still remained intact in the present day as "New York City."

    2pm on August 7th. Hal and his friends were currently at the Bedford neighborhood in Brooklyn. More precisely, it was the parking lot of SAURU''s New York branch.

    "This year happens to be midterm election year in America."

    "What are ''midterm elections''?"

    Driving a rented minivan, Hal was just about to enter a perpendicular parking space when Hazumi posed a question to him from the back seat. Sitting next to her, Orihime quietly answered, "I recall that the results of such elections... can be taken as something like an approval rating for the US president?"

    "Yes, that''s the idea."

    Presidents of the United States served terms of four years.

    General elections held two years after a presidential election were named midterms.

    Offices up for election were spread across all kinds of civil servants, including the entire House of Representatives, a portion of the senators, as well as governors and mayors whose terms were up. These cases were all classified as midterm elections.

    The two major parties in America were the Democrats and the Republicans.

    And the number of elected Members of Congress and governors in the incumbent president''s party was regarded as a major indicator. If numbers decreased, that meant the president''s influence was waning.

    This included New York State where an election for the governor was scheduled around November.

    "Is it possible that Hannibal regularly reads newspapers?"

    In half-joking, half-serious tone of voice, Hal remarked while getting off the car.

    ¡ªThis morning, his group had taken a plane here from Boston.

    The flight to the entrance of the international metropolis of New York¡ªJohn F. Kennedy airport¡ªtook roughly an hour. Then the trio had split up from Asya to buy supplies and equipment. Their goal was to get ready to infiltrate Hannibal''s abode¡ªOld Manhattan.

    Hal opened the trunk and unloaded the stuff they had just bought.

    Due to the relatively large quantities, the stuff was contained in three separate cardboard boxes. Seeing Orihime and Hazumi approaching to help out, Hal said, "Actually, Hannibal often leaves his concession territory every now and then."

    " "Ehhh!?" "

    "It''s not just when he''s attacking. It''s usual for him to fly all over the place randomly, wandering New York State where Old Manhattan is located as well as neighboring states and counties, as though he''s checking out his territory."

    Facing two wide-eyed girls, Hal continued.

    "The surrounding residents call his wandering behavior ''Hannibal Comes!'' and treat it as a special event, with many department stores and shopping malls holding sales and promotions to commemorate the day too."

    "P-People aren''t afraid?"

    "Isn''t he clearly a king of dragonkind like Princess Yukikaze..."

    Moving cardboard boxes together with Hal, Hazumi and Orihime expressed their surprise.

    They next went to SAURU''s New York branch. This was a five-story building whose entire interior was a facility belonging to the organization. The trio stepped into the building from the back door.

    Since it was quite old, built in the 1980s, it was not very clean or tidy.

    However, this messy place, all covered n dust, was like a homeland to Hal.

    "They''re afraid but there''s nothing they can do. Since they''re helpless, they might as well dilute the fear in this kind of joking manner. Furthermore, people have gotten used to it over time since Hannibal has not attacked human cities for a very long time now. It''s inevitable for people to think that next time and the time after that probably won''t be attacks either."

    Why dragon kings did not attack human society aggressively¡ª

    By this point, Hal already knew the reason. Because they were not too interested in mere humans, they did not actively harm humans. But if some sort of cause were to arise, they would most likely slaughter and massacre mankind as though eradicating pests without a thought.

    But this time, Hannibal had suddenly brought up the word "democracy"...

    "By the way, Juujouji, what''s your take on how Asya''s been acting?"

    "You mean her lack of appetite?"

    Hal nodded affirmatively in response to Orihime''s question.

    After flying from Boston to New York, Hal and his group had eaten lunch at a cafe in JFK airport.

    Having only eaten a light breakfast, Asya unbelievably ate only a bagel!

    Hazumi tilted her head and said, "She must be feeling unwell or she caught a flu, right?"

    "If it''s Asya, even in those situations, she''d still say ''let''s eat something easy to digest'' before gulping down a large pot of porridge. I think there has to be some other reason."

    While chatting, the trio went down the stairs to the basement.

    They were making their way to the supplies storeroom to put down their cardboard boxes. In addition, Asya had already arrived at this building in advance. Due to a need for a master-class witch''s counsel regarding the Hannibal incident, she was currently attending a meeting in the New York branch.

    Someone was already in the storeroom before them.

    "Yo Hal. It''s been a year, hasn''t it?"

    "Yeah, pretty much."

    A middle-aged Caucasian man spoke to him. He was a member of administrative staff who had served at this branch for around three years. Featuring a physique rivaling President M''s, he was a thoroughly obese guy.

    Since neither Hal nor Asya were visiting this branch for the first time, they were both acquainted with him.

    "By the way, there are a few things that I want."

    "I heard from Asya. Preparations are already underway."

    The man took down a Kevlar rope from a shelf.

    Impressive as always, Hal''s childhood friend. Knowing clearly what this mission required, she had asked SAURU to obtain supplies as quickly as possible. It looked like Asya had communicated to them in advance.

    "Add in the latest map of the Old Manhattan ruins, preferably no older than a month, if possible."

    "Leave it to me. It''ll be prepared along with everything else that''s needed."

    Until the end of the twentieth century, SAURU''s New York branch had been situated in Manhattan.

    Hal''s aim was to infiltrate the place and obtain ancient texts related to King Solomon. Both this man here and Asya understood clearly what support the mission required. Despite being of different professions, they were working in the same field after all. This ease of communication was very helpful.

    While Hal was filled with gratitude, the Caucasian man laughed and said, "You really have it tough. There are many rumors about you. No need to be shy, just let me know if you need help with small stuff like this."

    After glancing at Orihime and Hazumi who were following Hal closely, he made a thumbs-up.

    Apparently, news of Haruga Haruomi''s acquisition of a dragonslaying rune had already spread within SAURU. Hal smiled wryly in response. Auntie Yulia''s reason for making a personal visit to Tokyo was probably the same as his.

    "You''re helping me out a lot. Thanks."

    "Oh? You can pay me back with interest when you make it big. By the way, Asya¡ª"

    The man suddenly frowned in puzzlement.

    "What happened to her? I was enjoying a whole dozen of donuts when talking to her just now. I can''t believe that Asya didn''t say ''gimme some''!"

    " " "......" " "

    Hal frowned. Beside him, Orihime and Hazumi also showed worry on their faces.

    The two girls were not very good at listening to English but still could get a rough idea that the man was noting that something was strange about Asya. Putting that aside, Hal wondered what was up with his childhood friend.

    "Let''s have a look to see how she''s doing."

    After setting down their belongings, Hal and company took the elevator to the fifth floor.

    They entered the meeting room on the far end after knocking lightly at the door. Sitting at an oval desk were three members of the New York branch. Asya was with them but¡ª

    "Listen, Asya. Indeed, we issued a harsh protest last year because you consumed all of the branch''s on-hand supplies of canned food and instant noodles..."

    "But no matter what, we never forbade you from eating the snacks laid out here."

    "In any case, we are very worried about the state of your health. Please, pick something you like to eat. If there isn''t enough, we''ll send someone out to buy more. No need to hold back!"

    Three male members of staff at the branch were talking to the silver-haired girl.

    In the center of the table were three bags of chips, including the most basic salted flavor, salsa flavor, an American classic as well as a trendy teriyaki flavor. In addition, there were sausages, onion rings and cheddar cheese snacks on the table.

    All junk food with excessive oil and salt content.

    And these were all Asya''s favorites¡ªAt least, they were supposed to be.

    "Fufufu. Thank you for the kind offer, everyone, but don''t worry, I''m not hungry at the moment. Please save it for next time."

    Smiling demurely, Asya refused food!

    Hal could not help but feel shocked. His childhood friend had definitely said the words "I''m not hungry at the moment." It was reality, not a hallucination¡ªHow could this be possible!?

    Hal stared at Asya without thinking.

    This might be the first time in his life for him to stare at her so seriously.

    To think that there was a side to Anastasya Rubashvili unknown to Hal when he believed that he had already understood her thoroughly inside out¡ª?

    Next, Asya noticed Hal''s gaze and slowly turned her head to show a faint smile towards him.

    In that instant, Hal unbelievably found that smile incredibly gorgeous. His heart skipped a beat. This was no joke. What was with Asya?

    "That Asya is worrying us when we''re clearly about to sneak into Manhattan tomorrow..."

    "But Haruga-kun, I definitely don''t think there''s anything wrong with her health. Perhaps we are the ones who are worrying too much? Rather, it seems that Asya-san is even livelier than usual."

    That night after reaching New York, Hal did something he normally would never do. He called a girl to his hotel room to begin a discussion.

    The one he was confiding in was Orihime, smiling optimistically.

    "Think about it. Always whining about being hungry and quickly complaining about running out of energy, she''s like a male lion lazing around on a savanna. But today, it''s like she became a different person."

    "......"

    "Although everyone has been saying how weird it is, the amount of food Asya-san ate today would actually be just right for such a slender girl."

    "Hmm¡ªBut I totally don''t get why she''d suddenly become like this."

    "Haruga-kun, do you truly not understand?"

    "Yeah, no clue at all."

    The instant he replied, Orihime sighed deeply then stared sharply at him.

    "Jeez... It''s very obvious that she''s on a diet!"

    "Di¡ªDon''t be ridiculous. It''s Asya we''re talking about here, you know!?"

    "You are the one being ridiculous, Haruga-kun! For a girl''s weight, even a kilogram... no, even a 500g or 50g difference would be huge. If you need an analogy, there exist girls who might agree to a contract with the devil just to become five kilograms lighter."

    "E-Even you, Juujouji?"

    "......"

    Orihime glared intently at Hal.

    Hal deeply regretted asking that. For the first time, he felt fear and pressure because of Orihime.

    "Ahem. This isn''t about me but my friend. She''s the type... whose various sizes are relatively big, so it''s only natural for her weight to be proportionally higher. That''s why, if the devil came knocking at her door with that kind of deal, perhaps she might really waver a little..."

    "For sure, your various parts are amazing, Juujouji."

    "Don''t get the wrong idea! This is about my friend, not me!"

    "Ah, yes."

    Scolded harshly, Hal immediately straightened his back.

    Apparently satisfied with his reaction, Orihime stared at Hal and suddenly changed the subject.

    "Putting that aside, Haruga-kun, I believe there are more pressing matters to worry about tonight than dieting."

    "There are?"

    "Of course. For tomorrow''s infiltration operation into the Manhattan Concession, I expect you and Asya-san will be carrying it out alone, right? Aren''t you being slightly too cautious about this? Wasn''t it much more relaxed when we went to the Old Tokyo Concession?"

    Setting off to Old Tokyo in the afternoon after having just made the decision in the morning. This was a set pattern when operating in Tokyo New Town previously.

    However, a lot of time and energy had been spent on equipment and information gathering in preparation for this operation.

    "This time''s target is a place that''s several times more troublesome than Old Tokyo, after all. The one in Tokyo is just a wasteland where getting around is inconvenient but Old Manhattan is inhabited by all kinds of dangerous monsters."

    "Monsters!?"

    "That being said, there shouldn''t be a huge problem. As I am now, I own a magic wand¡ªthat gun¡ªwhile Asya''s Rushalka is also in peak form. It''ll actually be easier if it''s just us two."

    "...I guess you are right."

    Orihime sighed and smiled¡ªThat smile was probably made on purpose.

    "Originally, I really wanted to come along because I was worried about you two. But now that I feel like I might get in the way instead, never mind. If you and Asya-san truly needed assistance from me and Hazumi, you would have counted us in when deciding teams from the start."

    "Uh, well¡ª"

    "It''s fine. I can understand your considerations."

    "......"

    Usage of leviathan powers had to be minimized as much as possible during this infiltration operation.

    In that case, a two-man team consisting of only Hal and Asya would be the best choice. As expected of Juujouji Orihime, who was great at reading between the lines, she understood on her own without needing Hal to explain explicitly.

    Ever since he met her this spring, Hal had found her observant personality to be very helpful at all times.

    Realizing this fact again, Hal was suddenly struck by a thought.

    "Speaking of which, it''s been quite a while since we last chatted alone together."

    "After all, Haruga-kun, you went to Papua New Guinea earlier and after coming to America, we''ve been going around as a group most of the time...... Oh."

    Seeing Orihime suddenly fall silent, Hal asked, "What''s the matter?"

    "Oh, nothing... It''s nothing. I simply remembered something because you mentioned about being alone together. Pay it no heed. I also feel it''s also a bit too impolite for me to suddenly ask such a personal question..."

    "Anyway, let me hear it first. I''ll answer as long as it''s within my knowledge."

    "R-Really? Well... Do you and Luna-san frequently spend time alone together?"

    "!?"

    "B-Because, didn''t Luna-san confess to you last time? Also, the two of you traveled abroad and e-even did that..."

    Hal shook. By that, she was presumably referring to kissing Luna.

    It happened once during the Izu expedition. Prior to coming to America, there was another one, kept secret from the others. Although it was not Hal''s intention, the second time had even taken place under the public eye.

    Seeing Hal''s panicked look, Orihime silently bowed her head.

    "So you do intend to go out with Luna-san...?"

    "O-Of course not. Although I''m very grateful for her suggestion, we haven''t progressed to that stage yet. Besides, won''t having a romantic relationship within the team be a hindrance to work? Personally, I find that social relationships become troublesome when they become too close, so it''s best to avoid that like the plague after all!"

    For example, suppose Chief A and Subordinate B became a couple.

    This could cause Chief A to favor B excessively, causing other subordinates to feel disgruntled. Conversely, B might actively demand special treatment. Things might be fine if Chief A and B were on good terms, but if the two of them were to fight, the group dynamic would fall to rock bottom...

    "To prevent that kind of predicament, the first priority is to forbid romance within the team!"

    "But in America school dramas, don''t couples quickly form within the group?"

    "Ah, yes. Those are quite outrageous. Breaking up within a couple months then immediately hooking up with another friend¡ªBut those are merely fictional plots!"

    "But if it''s you and Luna-san, I get the feeling you''d say ''just keep it underground'' and date secretly without telling the rest of us¡ª"

    "Yes, because Luna and I are both devious, that''s very possible¡ª"

    Hal raised the volume of his voice, trying hard to dispel Orihime''s doubt.

    "But this kind of thing definitely won''t happen. I swear to God!"

    "You sound like a liar when you swear to God or heaven and earth so easily..."

    "Oh, otherwise, let me lay my conscience on the line. A Christian in the same situation would say ''I swear by the Bible that the testimony I give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth'' just like in front of a judge!"

    Hal spoke excitedly to the distrustful Orihime.

    However, somewhere in a corner of his mind, he found this unbelievable. Why was he trying his hardest to explain? What was the big deal even if suspicions were directed at him?

    After all, he and Luna were not lovers and this was the unmistakable truth (although it was also true that they had kissed).

    Next, Hal figured it out roughly.

    This kind of situation was not completely unrelated to why he had been able to hit the brakes in the nick of time when almost devoured by the American girl''s charm on several occasions. In fact, every time when Hal''s heart started pounding due to Luna''s bold courtship, he would frequently think of Orihime involuntarily.

    "Juujouji..."

    "B-By the way, Haruga-kun, if the fact that Luna-san k-kissed you is what makes you uneasy, would sharing a kiss with someone else¡ªMake things alright?"

    "Huh?"

    "B-Basically, if another girl were to kiss you, would that allow you to treat her like Luna-san... Something like that......"

    "I think¡ªprobably, maybe..."

    "......"

    The two of them were alone in a room. Gazing into each other''s eyes, in a hotel while on a trip. Hal trembled slightly from the nervous tension his body and mind had never felt before. Orihime felt very nervous too.

    For some reason, Hal was quite certain. At this very moment, neither of them needed further words.

    Similarly, for some reason, Orihime was also certain of the same thing¡ªThat they could reach mutual understanding just by gazing at each other.

    After that, all they needed was a trigger no matter how tiny. Indeed, like what Orihime was doing right now¡ªgazing at Hal with moist eyes¡ªslowly drawing up closer to him at the same time.

    Hal extended his right hand, intending to take Orihime''s hand¡ªAt that instant...

    RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

    The cellphone on the bedside suddenly rang.

    The two of them suddenly came to their senses and looked at the cellphone together. Hal swiftly picked up the call.

    "What''s up, Asya? Is there some kind of emergency?"

    "No, but it''s about work. I''d like to discuss tomorrow''s rundown with you, Haruomi, can I visit your room?"

    "Oh...... Sure. Of course you can."

    Realizing the situation, Orihime nodded at Hal, so he immediately agreed. However, although there was just a momentary pause, the caller on the other side instantly reacted.

    "Is there someone there right now by any chance?"

    "!? N-No."

    "Really? Then I''m coming over now. See you later."

    After the call ended, Orihime said "then I''ll be off first" and stood up from her chair.

    Seeing her off at the doorway, Hal heard an unexpected question just as they were parting.

    "U-Umm. Next time... May I still come over to visit you? I... would like to have a good chat with you when we''re both free, to relax or something¡ª"

    "U-Us?"

    Hal originally wanted to ask "just the two of us?" but switched to a more tactful wording in the end.

    As a result, Orihime looked shyly at Hal and nodded.

    "Y-Yes. As long as it doesn''t bother you..."

    "Not at all. You''re welcome any time."

    Hal answered her immediately, eliciting a blushing smile from Orihime.

    Ten minutes later, Hal held a brief meeting with Asya who had come to his room. The pounding in his heart from spending time with Orihime still lingered but he carefully concealed it, preventing it from showing on his face.

    After Asya left, Hal went to bed at around 11pm. Lying on the bed, he began to ponder.

    He expected it would not be until afternoon before departing to infiltrate the concession territory. In that case, he should sleep in till late morning, to conserve his energy fully... However, this easily ended up wishful thinking on his part.

    Early next morning, the New York sky was blotted out by a flock of almost a thousand Raptors.

    Part 3

    The time the anomaly occurred was 6:22 am on August 8, early in the morning to boot.

    The Raptors descended en masse with almost a thousand of them crashing down collectively like a meteor rain¡ª

    Normally speaking, there would be a few hours of buffer time between them breaking through the atmosphere and reaching a city''s airspace.

    But this time, what called them to the ground was dragonkind''s summoning magic.

    Merely a minute or two elapsed between them penetrating the atmosphere at 6:22 and arriving in the air above Jamaica Bay at New York City. It was a record that laughed in the face of common sense and the laws of physics.

    Most specialists in the field of dragons would despair when confronted by such a situation, expecting the utter destruction of Neew York City.

    However, the Raptors simply circled in the air over Jamaica Bay without attacking the surface, flying back and forth across the sky.

    By 7:45 am, Hal also arrived at a beach on Jamaica Bay.

    Naturally, he was accompanied by Asya, Orihime and Hazumi. Accepting the request from SAURU''s New York branch, they arrived on the scene to assist in handling the situation.

    Overhead in the sky, a terrifying number of Raptors were flying in flocks.

    However, there were no elite dragons among them.

    "Where the heck is the elite that summoned them...?"

    "Speaking of elites in New York City, there''s definitely a dragon king living here..."

    " "......" "

    Asya was evidently thinking of the worst-case scenario. Hal sighed simultaneously. The possibility of an elite running over to "cause trouble" near a dragon king''s territory was extremely unlikely.

    "B-But thank goodness. Fortunately, they came to somewhere uninhabited."

    Surveying the scenery surrounding Jamaica Bay, Hazumi commented.

    Located south of New York City, Jamaica Bay was connected to the Atlantic Ocean.

    However, the majority of the bay consisted of wetlands. At the same time, it was a protected natural reserve. The bay''s vast wetlands were full of flourishing trees with freshwater ponds and marshland scattered within.

    This protected zone''s area was actually nine thousand acres, roughly three hundred square kilometers.

    The area was several times that of the Old Tokyo Concession.

    "It''s also possible that the Raptors'' summoner deliberately chose this location?"

    "To avoid harming the residents of New York? In that case, there is a high chance that it''s Mr. Hannibal who has announced his candidacy in the governor election..."

    Hearing Hal''s whisper, Orihime gasped.

    The three witches from Japan had already materialized their partners. The three "serpents" were standing by on the beach of Jamaica Bay.

    Europe'' strongest Shootdown Ace¡ªBlue Rushalka the wyvern.

    The white nine-tailed fox-wolf, Akuro-Ou.

    The unconventionally colored serpentine dragon leviathan Minadzuki lacking a horn counterpart.

    Rushalka was standing upright on her hind legs like a bird on the ground whereas Akuro-Ou was lying down on the ground like a trained dog. On the other hand, Minadzuki had her slender body rolled up in a coil.

    However, Hal and his team were not the only dragon specialists on this beach.

    Several kilometers from their location, another team was also on standby. They were the four witches of the WotC and their partners.

    All of their leviathans were quadrupedal felines dozens of meters in body length.

    The lynx "Tom Cat" with dazzling silver fur. The ferocious albino tiger "Tiger Cat." The black panther "Wild Cat" whose entire body was shrouded in lightning and sparks. Then there was the feline that resembled a rotund bear, standing and walking upright on hind legs, "Bear Cat."

    These four leviathans stood as the WotC''s combat potential.

    Ground forces were also deployed along the coastline of Jamaica Bay.

    Prior to the arrival of Hal''s team, the army had already transported to the scene all kinds of weapons imaginable, including M1 tanks, multiple launch rocket systems, etc.

    However, the human side had yet to launch any attacks.

    "That''s to avoid unnecessary casualties and military spending. No point taking unknown risks."

    Next to Hal, Asya explained to Orihime and Hazumi.

    "Rushalka and I can clear out 90% of them within five minutes if it''s just this quantity of Raptors. Akuro-Ou and Minadzuki could probably wipe out the rest. Any ones missed could be allowed to escape back to the wild. Of course, it''d be a different matter if they intend to attack settlements¡ª"

    Glaring sharply at the invading Raptors, Asya issued a bold declaration.

    Over a month had gone by since her partner''s revival and acquisition of Queen Form. By now, Asya had fully comprehended and mastered the powers of Rushalka who had become far stronger than she ever was.

    Hence, Asya had the right to brag. Failure was impossible.

    "How will the enemy mastermind make a move... That''s what''s crucial. Let''s watch until there''s movement. Please cover me depending on the situation."

    Gathered at this battlefield was the army and the WotC. Orders had already been issued to them through SAURU: They were to focus on their role as support and forbidden from engaging in combat recklessly to avoid hindering Rushalka''s full mobility.

    In other words, Asya and Rushalka were the main stars on the human side.

    As for the main role on the dragon side¡ªHe finally made a gradual appearance from the south.

    South of Jamaica Bay was the Atlantic Ocean. Rising from the other side of the horizon, Red Hannibal was leading his Army of Fire, flying towards them.

    Behind the dragon king were roughly three hundred "lizard-shaped flames."

    The salamanders had a body length of seven meters, on the order of Raptors in size.

    "Is that the Army of Fire¡ªHannibal''s minions!?"

    While summoning the magic gun in his right hand, Hal cried out.

    For the past twenty years, Red Hannibal had seldom appeared on the battlefields between dragonkind and humanity, rare enough to count on one hand. However, when deemed necessary, he would appear with the Army of Fire under his command.

    His minons were neither dragons, leviathans nor dragon subspecies. Instead, they were fire spirits.

    Towards the beach where Hal was located, Hannibal and his great army approached at high speed.

    Was he planning to converge with the Raptors here to then launch an all-out offensive? Anyone would consider this possibility, but at that moment, Hannibal emitted a thunderous roar.

    "Thank you for your patience, humans! You saved me a lot of trouble by gathering here before you were summoned! My election campaign is about to begin this moment!"

    "What election...? Is he really sticking to that candidate story from before?" Hal muttered quietly

    Hannibal''s voice was infused with magical power.

    Like last time at Albany, this was to allow all citizens to hear his speech. Compared to Albany, New York City covered a much greater area, but Hannibal''s magical power was probably enough to allow a dragon king''s decree to reach every corner.

    The thousand Raptors circling in the air started to take action again.

    The flock of dragons had been flying back and forth in the air without causing trouble so far, but in the next instant, an attack impulse erupted. The thousand Raptors all flew towards their target.

    Indeed, the ferocious beasts launched an attack¡ªTheir target was Hannibal''s army!

    "I summoned these winged lizards from the sky. Seeking to become the ruler of you all, I shall display my level of power by using them as my opponents. I wish to demonstrate a king''s power through action without wasting any more breath on words!"

    "¡ªSuddenly going completely against the principles of democracy!"

    The dragon king''s statement was truly deserving of ridicule.

    However, no sooner had Hal spoken than the battle began. No, rather than battle, it was actually no different from a massacre. One-sided slaughter.

    At the forefront, Hannibal charged into the enemy ranks, leading his army of salamanders.

    Confronting this conspicuous enemy commander, the Raptors roared loudly and swarmed him.

    Gahhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Most likely due to the effects of mind control magic, the Raptors'' attack impulse was amplified greatly. Otherwise, there was no way they could engage in such insubordination against a dragon king standing at the pinnacle of their race.

    However, the poor Raptors were unable to touch a single hair of Hannibal''s despite the best efforts from their sharp claws and teeth.

    Three hundred salamanders¡ªthe Army of Fire¡ªdeployed a defensive line around the dragon king in three hundred and sixty degrees, forming a shield with their bodies.

    As soon as they touched the salamanders, the Raptors immediately caught fire.

    Within a brief instant, flames spread all over the Raptors touched by the salamanders, enveloping them in an intense blaze, incinerating them utterly, causing them to crash to the ground.

    Everything touched by the salamanders were turned to ash within an instant. This was the magical power of the Army of Fire.

    Some of the Raptors were exhaling high-temperature blue-white flames.

    However, the salamanders were shrouded in even hotter flames. The Raptor''s scorching breaths were completely unable to inflict any damage at all.

    Finally, the thousand Raptors were literally turned into fireballs, crashing down slowly into Jamaica Bay. The one-sided massacre ended.

    Seeing this tragic sight, Orihime said softly, "I-It''s just like the Battle of Nagashino. Nobunaga''s three-stage attack delivered a devastating defeat to Takeda''s cavalry forces..."

    "It''s also quite similar to the First World War. Fortified in trenches, defending armies used machine guns to kill approaching infantry, hundreds, thousands at a time."

    "This kind of result isn''t unusual as long as the defending side holds a minimum level of firepower."

    Asya and Hal started to chat about inconsequential things.

    Although the trio were consciously trying to lighten the atmosphere, the tone of their voices was quite somber. Had Hannibal the intention, he could aim this immense firepower at the humans below him any time he wanted.

    Meanwhile, Hazumi concentrated her gaze below on her own.

    "Oh no... The fires need to be put out fast!"

    Turned into fireballs, most of the Raptors were burned away during their fall without any bones remaining.

    However, some of them managed to crash into ground before they had incinerated completely.

    Indeed, the battlefield was in the sky over Jamaica Bay but the bay included over nine thousand acres of wetlands.

    Composed mostly from swamps, forests and grassland, it was a paradise for birds and beasts.

    If the burning Raptors fell on the wetlands, all the vegetation would burn up from the fire.

    Seeing fires lit up all over the wetlands, the wild birds flew into the air successively to escape. Witnessing this scene, Hazumi could not help but cry out, "Please, Minadzuki! Hurry and stop those flames!"

    An abstract order lacking in specifics.

    "Serpents" could not be controlled skillfully without vivid mental imagery and strong force of will. This was common sense in the world of witches.

    Nevertheless, Hazumi''s wish was both pure and sincere. Hence, Minadzuki responded to her successfully.

    Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª

    Coiled up on the ground until just now, Minadzuki sang with a wonderful voice and arched her neck.

    Immediately, she invoked the pseudo-divinity of Wind. The serpentine dragon leviathan released her entire body''s magical power and flew swiftly towards the great wetlands of Jamaica Bay.

    In the next instant, the surrounding fires were all extinguished within the blink of an eye.

    After that, there were still dozens of burning Raptors falling to the ground, but the flames disappeared without trace the instant they made contact.

    Using pseudo-divinity, Minadzuki had succeeded in creating a barrier to seal flames away.

    "I see, eliminating oxygen particles from the air..."

    Hal nodded. So-called wind ultimately consisted of air currents. Minadzuki had removed from the air the oxygen particles required for combustion, thereby sealing the flames away.

    "Responding to a young maiden''s prayer, how unbelievably smart."

    "Since Hazumi-san and Minadzuki have taken charge of protecting the environment, looks like there''s nothing left for us to do... Well, let''s see what he is planning to do next."

    Asya stared at Hannibal in the air.

    The dragon king was guarded by the salamander army. Unlike Hal, who had summoned his magic gun, Hannibal was not holding a dragonslaying weapon. To him, the previous scene was nothing more than a statement delivered as though one were humming a tune casually.

    Currently, only about a hundred Raptors remained.

    With 90% of them immolated, the mental state of the survivors seemed to return to normal at last.

    One after another, the Raptors started to flee in the face of Hannibal''s army. They flew at full speed in separate directions, trying to escape from the dragon king''s presence as quickly as possible.

    To hunt them down, the three hundred salamanders finally left Hannibal''s side.

    The fire spirits were flying haphazardly overhead, bringing the Raptor hunt to a climax. At that moment, Orihime spoke in amazement, "Look... Aren''t they acting a bit strange?"

    Orihime''s pale finger was pointed at the leviathans on the ground.

    Rather than the partners of Hal''s teammates, they were the WotC''s four feline leviathans.

    Tom Cat, Tiger Cat, Wild Cat and Bear Cat.

    The four leviathans were exuding unnatural blood lust, arching their backs like cats, baring their fangs, vocally threatening the salamanders in the air. Fierce growls were coming from their mouths.

    To pacify them, their partners, the four witches, were desperately calling out to them from the side.

    Slightly surprised, Asya used Magical Power Inspection magic.

    "Minadzuki''s Anti-Fire is not the only magic cast on the area. There is also the Stampede spell Hannibal used on the Raptors¡ªThat''s the magic affecting them right now!"

    "B-But why are Akuro-Ou and the others clearly fine!?"

    "They''re probably guarded by Haruomi''s rune. However, the ''serpents'' over there don''t have the same protection...!" Asya answered Orihime''s doubt.

    Finally, the feline leviathans ignored the four witch partners'' restraining orders and flew into the sky together to launch an offensive on the airborne salamanders.

    The WotC team of witches were neither master-class nor protected by the power of dragonbane.

    Their partners could not possibly be a match for Hannibal''s minions. At this rate, they were surely going to be killed tragically.

    "Stand down!"

    Hal drew out magical power from his heart and instantly cast Magic Dispel.

    Imbuing this spell into his magic gun''s bullets, he shot four times in succession with lightning speed. The crimson bullets of light homed in autonomously, catching up to the WotC''s cats.

    The four bullets all struck the four feline leviathans accurately.

    That being said, he only aimed for their hind legs¡ªthe paws. To avoid causing severe injuries, he had deliberately chosen targets far away from the hearts, i.e. the heartmetals.

    The pain and the impact caused the cats'' flying speed to drop suddenly.

    "I''m leaving the rest to you all!"

    "No problem. Rushalka, approach them and pull them down from the sky!"

    "I''m counting on you too, Akuro-Ou. Don''t let them go over there."

    Responding to Hal''s request, Asya and Orihime gave instructions.

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Standing by on the ground until just now, Rushalka and Akuro-Ou cried out loudly then ascended immediately. They easily caught up to the WotC''s cats that had slowed down.

    Then circling repeatedly in the air, they guided the injured cats back to the ground.

    The four feline leviathans obediently followed Rushalka and Akuro-Ou. They had regained their sanity.

    The bullets infused with Magic Dispel had successfully freed them from the Stampede curse.

    Meanwhile, with the disturbance in the witches'' ranks quelled, the aerial battle¡ªor perhaps more aptly, a mock battle¡ªhad already been settled. The salamanders had annihilated all remaining Raptors.

    "Well then, everyone in power..."

    The ruler of this sky¡ªHannibal¡ªannounced sonorously.

    "That is all. I hope that it fulfilled its role as my first speech. Although I have demonstrated merely the tip of the iceberg in regards to my power, I believe all of you are now able to understand my capacity as a powerful leader. Next, I shall set up a venue to meet and talk with the incumbent governor. I believe there are many details to discuss regarding my participation in the election!"

    Having said that, Hannibal immediately withdrew.

    Leading his Army of Fire, the red dragon king flew north.

    In that direction was the Old Manhattan Concession. It was not only his residence but also the area where Hal and Asya were going to infiltrate next.

    Part 4

    In this manner, the Hannibal farce at Jamaica Bay came to a close.

    After the dragon king, who served as screenwriter, director and lead actor, as well as the salamanders serving as extras had left, Hal was inexplicably surrounded by a group of girls and received with hospitality.

    When they were wandering around to verify the surrounding situation after the battle¡ª

    He was suddenly grabbed by the WotC and dragged to their temporary command center. A party tent, commonly seen during outdoor events in Japan, was set up on the beach at Jamaica Bay. They even had long tables of foldable tatami and other simple furnishings.

    Dressed in the uniform of the Air National Guard''s uniform, four girls were currently gathered around Hal.

    "Thank you so much for just now! It''s all because of you that we were saved," Christine Hulk spoke with a dazzling smile.

    She opened a can of coke with a pop and handed it to Hal.

    Her tone of voice was like a boy''s but she was blonde with an outstanding figure. More specifically, she had a magnificent bust, highly conspicuous in how it filled out and stretched her Air National Guard uniform.

    Christine was the leader of the WotC team.

    "When the serpents went out of control, I was already bracing myself for the worst. But you showed up gallantly and rescued us. Yes, it''s all thanks to you."

    "Not at all. It wasn''t anything amazing."

    "Is this attitude what they call Japanese modesty? As expected of the man of legend, you''re definitely different from the rest!"

    "You''re too kind. Putting that aside, Miss Christine, don''t you think you''re being a bit too close?"

    "Oh sorry. That''s because we''re always like this between teammates."

    Hal was sitting on a pipe chair. Christine swiftly placed a chair by his side and sat down too.

    However, there was almost no separation between her and Hal. The blonde witch from the East Coast was pressing herself tightly against the Japanese boy. Thanks to that, the scent of Christine''s perfume was etched firmly into Hal''s memory.

    Due to his nature as a closet pervert, Hal was conscious of his own involuntary leering.

    That being said, he also had a gentleman''s pride, of course. Hal coughed deliberately and tensed his face solemnly again.

    "Do you find it off-putting? Sorry about that."

    "I don''t dislike it at all. Indeed. Mo muntai for me."

    "Ahaha, why are you suddenly speaking Chinese? Oh, and just Christine please. Can I call you Hal?"

    "Of course."

    While Hal was nodding, a girl who looked like a grade schooler came over.

    This was the youngest in the team, Marie Thesz, twelve years old. Lacking in facial expression. A head of brown hair. The young girl said "here" and presented a pizza takeout box to Hal.

    "Here you go. Thanks for just now."

    "You''re welcome..."

    Marie appeared to be what was known as the wordless archetype. Incidentally, the pizza was a margherita all covered with mozarella cheese. Speaking of which, Hal had rushed to the scene without any time to have breakfast.

    "A discount promotion after Hannibal''s appearance... It''s soon becoming something of a New York specialty."

    Taking a slice of pizza, Hal began to eat, relishing the treat.

    "So pizza deliveries extend to battlefields nowadays?"

    "They get used to it over time... I guess the reason''s probably something like that."

    The one who answered him was the third member of the WotC, Maneesha Kaul.

    Sixteen years old. An Indian girl with an olive complexion, dressed in military uniform, her head and shoulders hidden under a pink shawl. Her gorgeous long hair, sleek and black, reached down to her waist.

    Maneesha smiled gracefully. Both her poise and manner of speaking were very dignified.

    "The pizza delivery service we used on this occasion offers a half price deal if you order within thirty minutes of Hannibal''s appearance."

    Hal speculated that Maneesha was surely a well-bred young lady from the rich upper-class.

    Then there was a sudden "thud!" Hal looked to see a can of beer set down forcefully on the table before him.

    Standing 185cm tall, a statuesque African-American witch with a model''s figure, Kate Patterson.

    She was the one who had put down the beer. Opening another can of beer with her left hand, she leaned her head back for a hearty swig.

    "Here''s your reward. Drink."

    "It''s a shame but I''m still a minor."

    Nodding with a response of "really?" to Hal''s unhesitating answer, Kate continued to drink her beer heartily. Looking to be in her twenties, wearing a pair of mirrored sunglasses, she was undoubtedly the epitome of cool. Awesomeness personified.

    "How much do you earn? Annual salary."

    "Huh?"

    Hal was surprised by Kate''s sudden question.

    Christine, Marie and Maneesha also looked in their direction with interest.

    "You are a capable man just as we heard. And today, we confirmed it with our own eyes."

    "After knowing this, we would like very much to have someone talented like you, which is why I''m asking to see how much remuneration is required to sign an exclusive contract with you."

    Kate and Christine explained alternately.

    "Although our magical power is less than the master magi, we get along great together. Our compatibility and teamwork are excellent despite our idiosyncrasies. Basically, my team does not recruit witches who have personality problems or lack adaptability."

    "That is so true."

    Two years ago in Copenhagen, Hal had shared a table with five master-class witches including Asya.

    At the time, he was serving as an escort for witches of widely varying nationalities, ages, personalities, interests and religious faiths. He was assigned the task of taking them out for dinner.

    Every time Hal found a candidate restaurant on the internet and asked "How about this one?" Someone other than Asya would inevitably express their discontent and say "You''re going to make me eat that kind of food!?" These witches were clearly not kindergarteners, yet none of them were willing to compromise.

    Recalling the hardship on that occasion, Hal found the WotC girls to be as endearing as angels in comparison.

    That being said, Hal also had his own considerations. He spoke to the leader, Christine, "I currently have no intention of joining any group exclusively, so I must decline your kind offer."

    "Got it. I think there will be many more opportunities to work together in the future, so I''ll look forward to that. Can you give me your cellphone number?"

    "Sure."

    "Can I call you for a chat from time to time and invite you for dates outside of work?"

    "Of course¡ªWhat did you just say?"

    "Personal dates. Going out, just the two of us."

    "Why!?"

    "Because you''ve aroused my curiosity. I''d be delighted if you don''t decline when I ask you out. Well then, see you in a few days, Hal. I think we will be meeting for a discussion about Hannibal!"

    After getting surprised by the smiling Christine, Hal exited the event tent.

    Then he was surprised again¡ªAsya was walking over.

    "Perfect, I was just looking for you, Haruomi. You came over here as expected."

    "Expected? Did the WotC call you?"

    "No, it was just an instinctive hunch."

    "......"

    Finding him by instinct alone. How beyond common sense. However, Asya was a witch. Added to that fact was her beast-like sixth sense and intuition.

    Deciding that there was nothing strange in that case, Hal listened to his childhood friend''s cold voice.

    "Your lecher face is showing, Haruomi."

    "Huh!?"

    "You must have come across something good to do with girls... Am I wrong?"

    "D-Don''t be silly. Let''s hurry on our way. There''s still time today, so let''s sneak into Old Manhattan as planned."

    It was not yet 10am, so there was no need to change their afternoon plans.

    After being questioned by Asya, Hal secretly cocked his head. After reducing her food intake, something seemed to have changed with his childhood friend¡ªThis thought surfaced in his mind.

    The Old Manhattan Concession.

    Located on the mouth of Hudson River, this vast sandbank was Manhattan Island.

    This used to be the center of New York City, an urban metropolis filled with towering skyscrapers. A land whose every inch was covered by buildings. High-rise buildings, putting even the Tower of Babel to shame, were too many to count.

    However, the skyscrapers in this land were devoid of human residents. It had become a city of forsaken ruins.

    "Well, it is home to non-human monsters on the other hand."

    "Get ready to activate magical sight any time, Haruomi."

    After the unexpected event, they finally arrived at their true destination.

    Hal and Asya were riding a large military four-wheel-drive vehicle.

    The Old Manhattan Concession was located on a river island at the mouth of the Hudson. Whether via sea or air, trespassing was explicitly forbidden according to the terms of the original treaty establishing this land as a concession territory.

    On the north side of Manhattan¡ªstarting from the Bronx¡ªall roads had been blockaded securely.

    All bridges leading here had been demolished or dismantled, with only one exception¡ªManhattan Bridge on the southern tip of Manhattan Island.

    Only this bridge remained open and unrestricted.

    ...As for why this bridge had been kept, there was an urban legend circulating.

    ''A door needs to be open to enable dialogue with the humans as necessary.''

    Hannibal had conveyed such a message.

    Disregarding whether it was actually true or not, in any case, Hal and Asya made their way to the concession territory from Manhattan Bridge.

    Asya was the one gripping the steering wheel whereas Hal was in the front passenger seat with his magic gun in hand on standby. This was a distribution of roles to prevent the local inhabitants from attacking them.

    In fact, they immediately discovered as soon as they entered the concession territory.

    A white orb of light was floating around, wandering the streets.

    Roughly the size of a basketball, this type of supernatural being was named the "fire elemental" by scholars.

    Arriving at the Chinatown near Manhattan Bridge, Hal said, "Asya, I want to fire a test shot to see the extent of effects. It''s necessary to confirm."

    "You''re right. Despite being a ridiculous magical weapon, it still falls under the category of firearm."

    After stopping the car, the two of them went outside. Hal and Asya activated magical sight.

    They ended up discovering trouble apart from the fire elementals they saw just now.

    Spirits without physical form were wandering the concession territory like pedestrians.

    Gray vortexes, amorphous black shadows, humanoid figures with ambiguous outlines¡ªHal and Asya''s magical sight allowed them to discern the appearances of spirits.

    "Dead spirits, ghosts, vengeful spirits, evil spirits, elemental spirits, miscellaneous spirits... Probably a long list like that if one had to categorize all the different spirits gathered in Old Manhattan. It feels like you''ll catch some kind of unknown curse even if you pass by them discreetly."

    "Oh well, you''re a a master-class witch, Asya, while I have imperishable protection," responding to his childhood friend''s whispers, Hal shrugged.

    "Spirit issues should be resolvable somehow. The fire elementals still take priority after all."

    Hal pointed the muzzle of his gun at the ground then took out a silencer to attach securely to it.

    Then he fired two shots¡ªBang, bang. The bullets of light were expelled with fainter gunshots than usual and chipped away a piece of the asphalt. Hal and Asya immediately looked around them.

    The white orb of light¡ªthe fire elemental¡ªmultiplied from one into three.

    It had divided. During that instant of the magic bullets'' impact.

    "Relative to just now, the temperature has risen two degrees too."

    Asya took out an electronic thermometer and reported to Hal.

    This Old Manhattan Concession was Hannibal''s territory where the Army of Fire was stationed.

    Naturally, spirits of the fire alignment resided within the territory. If high-temperature flames were to appear, nearby fire spirits would activate.

    There would be nothing to worry about if all these firefly-like orbs of light did was multiply, but¡ª

    Hal and Asya returned to the car and continued to drive.

    "As suspected, even my gun will stimulate the fire elementals."

    It was imperative to avoid using tools and machinery that produced fire or heat.

    Hal shared the first piece of insight he had obtained after infiltrating the Old Manhattan Concession.

    In that case, they should actually avoid using cars that relied on petrol engines. However, even the heat from electric engines or human body warmth was enough to activate fire elementals.

    ¡ªUsing low-heat, low-speed means of locomotion would increase the duration of their stay.

    ¡ªConversely, using high-heat, high-speed movement would decrease the duration of their stay.

    With the risks being similar, Hal and Asya decided on the latter. Their target was the Upper East Side, a residential area containing their ultimate destination¡ªthe former SAURU New York branch.

    After leaving the job of driving to Asya completely, Hal sank deep into the front passenger seat.

    Manhattan was an elongated area stretching north-south.

    Its area was roughly the sum of Old Tokyo''s Chiyoda, Shinjuku, Ch¨±¨­ and Minato wards. Upper East Side was located in the mid-portion of Manhattan while the bridge Hal and Asya crossed was on the south end.

    "From here to our destination, we''ll need to make a huge detour."

    "Because many roads are no longer usable. It''s a chaotic city that''s easy to get disoriented in, after all. Please understand."

    Not long before becoming a concession territory, Manhattan had suffered a large-scale assault from dragonkind.

    As a result, collapsed buildings and debris were scattered all over the streets.

    Due to many blocked roads and obstacles, it was hard to increase the driving speed. In the end, they had to keep making detours.

    Furthermore, Asya was already using the shortest route determined through the latest satellite images.

    Even though they were driving from Chinatown at southern Manhattan to the middle of the area, they had to make a large detour to the western part of town. If New York citizens from the previous century were told about this route, they would probably end up completely puzzled. Currently, there were almost no usable roads in southern Manhattan.

    Their speed ranged from thirty to fifty kilometers per hour, changing nonstop depending on road conditions.

    In this manner, the pair were driving in the western part of Old Manhattan¡ª

    By the time they noticed, there were already more than a hundred fire elementals following the heat emanating from the military vehicle.

    "It''s almost time to get out, right?"

    "This is the limit..."

    The next instant after their whispered exchange, the gathered elementals started to merge together.

    The hundred or so orbs of light that were present so far merged to take on a "lizard" shape and started to burn. The blazing light concentrated to become scorching flames.

    ¡ªThe birth of a salamander.

    The spirits living in Old Manhattan were the soldiers in the Army of Fire. Aiming to devour nearby heat sources for nourishment, the salamander flew towards the car that Hal and Asya were driving!

    Hal raised the magic gun in his right hand, reached out the window and shot.

    Bang!

    Struck in the forehead, the salamander was destroyed in an instant.

    However, due to this gunshot¡ªplus the heat generated by the salamander¡ªroughly two hundred fire elementals were created as a result. They instantly merged, giving birth to two new salamanders.

    "The game of whack-a-mole begins..."

    Asya floored the accelerator while murmuring in a whisper.

    Unless absolutely necessary, she did not want to call Rushalka out. Summoning a "serpent" in Old Manhattan would cause salamanders to gather in an effort to eliminate her.

    The reason for leaving Orihime and Hazumi behind was out of worry for their ability to handle things without using leviathans.

    It looked like Hal and Asya were going to face tough times ahead of them.

    Part 5

    After that, Hal and Asya were attacked by salamanders on six occasions within half an hour.

    Despite their lizard-like appearance, they were different from Raptors and not beasts with physical form. Hovering in midair, they were flames imitating the appearance of living creatures.

    Apart from that, their legs did not touch the ground even when moving at low altitude. Instead, they pounced while maintaining their hovering state.

    The attacking salamanders themselves could be defeated using the magic gun. However, every time Hal did so, the fire elementals would multiply in quantity and continue to pursue Hal and Asya relentlessly.

    In spite of that, the two of them still managed to arrive at the south side of Central Park.

    This was a metropolitan park located in the heart of Old Manhattan. If one were to view the premises from the air, one would discover that the entire park was shaped like a neat rectangle. Four thousand meters long and eight hundred meters wide, it was quite spacious.

    In the past, this used to be a beautiful public park all covered with lush greenery.

    Nowadays, it was overgrown with weeds and random trees, giving off a creepy atmosphere.

    "Let''s switch rides first around here."

    "What a waste, even though we expected it''d come to this."

    Feeling the time was right, Hal made his suggestion. Asya nodded with a relaxed tone of voice.

    The two of them got off the car and took with them the minimum equipment necessary, intending to abandon the vehicle here. After that, even though Asya had called it "a waste" just now, she was still the first to take out a plastic barrel and pour the contained liquid, prepared ahead of time, all over the military vehicle.

    The pungent odor of gasoline could be smelled.

    After keeping a safe distance, Asya used Ignition magic.

    She tossed a magical fire source at the gasoline-covered car¡ªeasily igniting it with an explosion.

    Sacrificing the four-wheel-drive military vehicle, the flames instantly erupted and started an intense blaze. Due to a newer, hotter heat source, the fire elementals all started to approach the fire.

    Gathered together, the white orbs of light undoubtedly numbered over a thousand.

    Initially resembling St. Elmo''s fire, it later reached a ridiculous quantity like foxfire. From the great number of spirits, six salamanders were born.

    "Next, let''s see how long this bonfire can last!"

    "Buying twenty minutes or so would be enough. Make it quick, Haruomi!"

    Hal and Asya mounted their respective motorbikes.

    These were small motorbikes with engine displacements of 50cc. The entire vehicle was only 140cm long, stood no taller than Hal''s waist, and weighed less than 70kg. In addition, they could also be folded up.

    At such a size, they could be transported by car.

    Hence, these two motorbikes had been stowed in the backseat space in the large military vehicle on the way here.

    Hal and Asya instantly started up their motorbikes and sped away.

    From the south side of Central Park to Upper East Side was a trip requiring roughly half an hour.

    Prior to becoming a concession territory, this area was part of a quiet residential neighborhood, but there were almost no detached homes. The majority of residences consisted of condos and apartments.

    Hal and Asya''s target was an old building made of brick.

    It was a location that had been called the SAURU New York branch until twenty years ago.

    However, Asya frowned when she arrived in front of the destination. She had probably noticed the unusual atmosphere exuding from the former New York branch building.

    Hal noticed it too. Activating magical sight, he tried to scrutinize the building as a whole.

    Powerful spiritual energies were coming from the entire building.

    No¡ªIt would be better to call it miasma. Simply standing near the building, there as a faintly nauseating feeling. It felt as though crying and screaming sounds were coming from underground. Despite the sunny August day, it felt chilling.

    Hal deployed imperishable protection around Asya and himself.

    The pearly radiance formed an appropriately sized sphere to surround the two of them. The nausea, unpleasant ringing in their ears, and horrible chill all subsided instantly.

    "This street itself is a gathering place for bad spirits."

    Hal shrugged.

    "Since magic-related facilities easily attract those kinds of things¡ªa SAURU branch would naturally become a top paranormal spot."

    "Although there''s the option of entering and searching inside for a mystery house-like adventure game, I''d rather make it quick right now."

    Asya whispered while looking around from time to time.

    Until just now, there were no signs of fire elementals visible in this area. But by the time they noticed, a large number of white orbs of light had appeared like fireflies gathering at the edge of water.

    Furthermore, a salamander had also shown up on the corner of the opposite street in search for prey.

    "...Time to cut corners, right?"

    "...It''s not every day that I get my hands on a new weapon, after all. Twenty seconds should be enough to deal with it."

    While the two of them were conversing in whispers, the salamander at the corner was also approaching.

    Then another one appeared behind it. At the same time, three newborn salamanders also arrived at the scene from overhead in low-altitude flight, looking like they were going to attack humans on the ground any moment.

    However, imperishable protection was currently defending the two of them.

    Their defense was flawless. Hal nodded to his childhood friend.

    "O ancient divine seal of purity! Send the transient blue wyvern to my side!" Asya chanted a song of summoning sonorously.

    The blue wyvern materialized before the two of them, but at half the size compared to normal, roughly on the same scale as a Raptor or a salamander. Asya must have deliberately made adjustments.

    To keep her promise of "twenty seconds," she sought speed and agility.

    Hal and issued orders instantly.

    "I''m entrusting the queen''s power to you too. End it in one go!"

    Rushalka''s body became equipped with Queen Form armor with mechanical arms to serve as forelimbs.

    In addition, there was a change in the magic gun held in Hal''s hand¡ªunder the barrel with the silencer attached. A bayonet appeared. At the same time, an c appeared in Rushalka''s right hand while a kodachi appeared in her left.

    The two swords, one big and one small, had slightly curved blades, shaped similar to Japanese swords.

    The Rune of the Twin Katana also surfaced on Hal''s right palm and the back of Asya''s left hand at the same time.

    "Rushalka!"

    Preparations were already complete so all there was left to do was attack. Asya yelled, "Use the Rune of the Twin Katana with pseudo-divinity¡ªTurning Spirits!"

    The two swords wielded by Rushalka glowed with blue radiance.

    Bathed in this light, the gathering salamanders (increased to fifteen already) all stopped moving, rendered frozen. This was sacred light of a binding curse.

    Simply exposure to the radiance of the dual swords rendered malevolent spirits immobile¡ª

    The instant the binding curse activated, Rushalka also made her move.

    Weaving, jumping, flying between fifteen salamanders, she engaged in high-speed movement in all directions. Naturally, she did not neglect to swung her two swords. Every time Rushalka passed by a salamander, she would slash using both the ¨­dachi in her right and the kodachi in her left, slicing her prey into two.

    Within ten-odd seconds, a dragon-like silhouette turned in to blue lightning on a raging rampage.

    The final result was the total annihilation of the fifteen salamanders. Obtaining overwhelming victory through instant kills, Rushalka then raised the ¨­dachi towards the upright building before her¡ªand brought it down, slicing the former New York branch''s wall.

    One flash. A second flash. A cross-shaped mark was carved upon the wall.

    In that instant, the miasma from the building where bad spirits gathered was swept cleanly away.

    The magical power of the pair of sacred swords purified this land.

    "Rushalka, that''s good enough. Dematerialize!"

    Asya proceeded to give orders. Along with the two swords, the blue wyvern vanished.

    What attracted evil spirits in Old Manhattan and fire elementals was not only heat but also the spiritual energy of a leviathan. To aovid unnecessary risk, it was essential to end the fight and the summoning in the shortest time possible¡ªThis was a job that only the master magi, Asya, could accomplish.

    Not only that, Asya was always able to remain calm and composed after a battle, no matter how astounding the combat power she displayed.

    (Clearly so confident every time yet so perfect and flawless.)

    Hal did not speak out, simply keeping his impressed comment to himself.

    Next, he checked his watch. In fact, he had pressed the timer the instant the summoning started. He was only able to do this calmly due to his trust in his childhood friend and Rushalka.

    However, Hal cocked his head¡ªTwenty-three seconds. The promised twenty seconds had been slightly exceeded.

    For Asya to break a promise regarding battle, one could say this kind of case had never happened before¡ª

    "Whatever, it''s still within uncertainty, I guess."

    Hal shrugged and decided not to bring this up for now.

    The search of the former New York branch ended quickly.

    Just as heard beforehand, the target item was placed on a table in the underground book depository.

    It was the book that Auntie Yulia and Hal''s father had acquired at one point in their youth, twenty years ago. Discovered together with the flint, it was a grimoire personally written by the great mage Solomon.

    The book title on the cover, written in Greek¡ªThe Posthumous Writings of Progenitor Solomon.

    In modern categorization terms, it would be bigger than A3 size with the book spread open. Thickness was rougly the size of Hal''s palm. The internal pages were made of parchment.

    Using a cloth to wrap up the heavy ancient text, Hal stored it properly in his backpack.

    Although numerous ancient books were lying dormant in this underground library, time was of the essence. Hence, Hal and Asya made the decision to ignore these books. The two of them exited the library successively and climbed up the staircase.

    This room was built deep underground. The antiquated building did not have an elevator.

    The two of them could only walk diligently, one step at a time, up the staircase.

    The scorching summer heat in the outdoors seemed like a lie. Whether the underground library or these stairs, both were quite cool in temperature.

    "Despite its rundown state, it''s still a SAURU facility after all," Hal commented poignantly.

    "Even though there''s clearly no air-conditioning, it doesn''t feel humid at all. What an ideal place for storage."

    "Since what damages books are humidity, bugs and light... Perhaps the excellent storage environment was preserved only after the electricity was cut and because the building itself is very old."

    "After all, it''s only in the last half a century that air-conditioning became widespread."

    Asya and Hal nodded at each other.

    Back in the beginning, they had decided to retrieve the target even if it meant taking a risk, only because they had heard that it was kept in an underground library specialized for ancient texts. Even though the part of the building above ground was blown away along with the salamanders, there was a very high chance that the books kept underground would remain intact.

    Finally, they reached the ground floor. After walking out the building, Hal and Asya took a deep breath.

    The current time was just after 2pm. They should be able to get back to Brooklyn before sunset.

    However¡ª

    An unexpected character appeared before Hal''s eyes, causing him to gasp and instantly summon his magic gun.

    Next to Hal, Asya put on a stance too to enter combat mode. In addition, residing within the magic gun, Hinokagutsuchi went "oh?", making a sound for the first time today.

    Under everyone''s scrutiny, the problematic character raised his right hand lightly and said, "Hello."

    An extremely casual greeting. Even a friendly smile surfaced on his face.

    If this person was truly whom Hal thought him to be... Instead of raising his gun to aim, Hal used inquiry instead, throwing questions at him.

    "...Which newspaper do you usually read? The New York Times? Or the Wall Street Journal?"

    "Both. I also read USA Today, just not every day."

    The tall red-haired man in the red jacket laughed.

    Putting aside the streets of the Upper East Side that had turned into a wasteland, it looked like he was quite familiar with human cities. All things considered, he claimed that he often browsed through three major American newspapers.

    "Although it''s a bit lowbrow, the NY Daily News is not bad too."

    The man''s word took Hal aback for a moment. Never expecting the guy to read even tabloids, Hal said with exasperation, "Is this how you studied humans and found out about the governor''s election?"

    "Studied... Not quite. I simply wander the streets in search for fun, thus coming across all kinds of experiences. Oh right, that reminds me¡ª"

    The tall red-haired man continued mischievously.

    "My favorite order at the cafe I frequent consists of an espresso, toasted whole-grain wheat bread, with an egg, sunny side up. Add some crispy bacon on top and that''s even better."

    "I-Isn''t this a lifestyle with higher food standards than mine?"

    While Hal was feeling drained by the unexpected admission, Hinokagutsuchi materialized next to him.

    Dressed in a scarlet kimono, the young girl smiled malevolently and said to the brawny man in the red jacket, "Still the same as always, Flame Emperor."

    "Just call me Hannibal, queen. Actually, I quite like this name."

    Finally¡ªThe tall man introduced his name.

    Red Hannibal. The ruler of the Old Manhattan Concession. Hal could not help but sigh.

    Naturally, someone who could strut around fearlessly in the concession territory would not be any ordinary character. Although Hal had guessed that it could be Hannibal''s transformation¡ªHe would rather himself be wrong!

    "...This is my third time meeting a dragon taking human form."

    Asya said with nervousness on her face. As a master mage, she had lived many years painfully aware of how terrifying elites and dragon kings could be. Compared to non-combat personnel like Hal, her impressions must be far more poignant.

    Meanwhile, Hannibal smiled candidly at the human witch.

    "Even for those with knowledge of how to transform, the majority of my kind will not put it into practice. On this aspect, hmm, I am not very particular. I want to be free to go where I want to go and meet whom I want to meet. Hence, on this occasion too¡ª"

    The red dragon king looked delightfully at Hal''s face.

    "I came to have a look because I sensed the nostalgic presence of the twin katana cross star. And the result? Not only do I get to meet the long deceased Crimson Queen again but also the Tyrannos to whom she had entrusted the Bow. Hohohoho, I never thought you would even gain hold of the Twin Katana too..."

    "In order to make up for the absolute disadvantage in strength, I have to increase the number of weapons, at least. That''s all." Hal shrugged.

    "However, it looks like the truly powerful dragons don''t think about such stuff."

    "Indeed. For a dragon king in possession of sufficient valor, one style of dragonslaying is enough. By the way, using quantity to make up for lack of strength, that is quite an interesting idea."

    Narrowing his eyes as though looking at an exotic toy, Hannibal spoke.

    "O Tyrannos of the Bow. You ought to know that I am currently making preparations for the governor''s election. If it is agreeable with you, I hope you could lend your aid to those humans."

    "Shouldn''t you ask me to apply pressure instead of lending aid in this kind of situation?"

    "On the contrary. I specifically instigated this incident for the sake of enjoying the truth of ''democracy.''"

    The smile on Hannibal''s face changed in nature.

    The brawny man with the friendly expression naturally turned into a bold warrior.

    "If possible, the more obstacles the better. That is how I can fully enjoy myself."

    "......"

    The so-called elite dragons were hot-blooded battle maniacs for the most part.

    However, standing at the summit of dragonkind, Hannibal seemed to stand out differently. Or perhaps ultimately, his true nature still did not escape the norms of dragonkind?

    Regardless of the truth, Hal had no room to make a choice.

    "Well, since I''m busy with my own trials and career plans, even if you hadn''t asked, in the end, it''d probably turn into a situation where I must assist those involved with New York State."

    When Hal spoke with a sigh, Hannibal nodded with satisfaction.

    ...After that, the red dragon king saw Hal and Asya off with a smile while they departed. All the way till Brooklyn, no fire elemental attacked them again.

    Presumably, Hannibal had intentionally arranged it that way to allow Hal safe passage.

    If possible, Hal really wanted to return to Tokyo New Town directly and ignore the various troubles in New York State¡ªBut most likely, things were not going to go his way.

 Volume 5, 4 - August Rhapsody

    Volume 5, Chapter 4 - August Rhapsody

    Part 1

    Hal was sitting cross-legged in a corner with a laptop on his lap. He began a video chat with Luna Francois who was in Japan.

    Although this was inside a concession territory, there was reception from the Brooklyn signals, allowing for communications

    ''...That''s the gist of the contract with New York State. I''ll send the details to you by email to have a look.''

    "Understood. So we ended up working as bodyguards, huh?"

    ''Indeed. Until the Hannibal issue is resolved, you will advise the Governor of New York as necessary in your capacity as a consultant while providing combat assistance on occasion as well. Well, that pretty much sums it up.''

    Yesterday, Hal and his team had received a request from the Governor of New York.

    Hal''s group was invited to join the Hannibal Countermeasures Committee to handle incidents caused by the red dragon king as well as his declaration. Hal and his witch companions accepted the job and left the negotiation of contract terms to Luna Francois'' full discretion¡ªmore precisely, the team of lawyers serving as her think tank.

    Reporting the results to Hal, Luna smiled cheerfully from the screen and said, ''After all, no other suitable candidate could be found when the enemy is a dragon king. Even if you had stayed in Japan, Harry, we would most likely receive the same request. As for compensation and other terms, they have been handled according to our demands almost verbatim.''

    "The financial side needs to be well taken care of too."

    ''No worries there. I have the connections to bring tax accountants and bankers to the table.''

    Luna Francois remained all smiles.

    However, her gaze suddenly turned sharp.

    ''During this period, if you were to do anything "naughty" with Orihime-san, I will say to you "I won''t make anymore sacrifices for you unless you lavish upon me triple the love you gave her" in order to force your hand.''

    "......"

    ''If you were to choose Orihime-san instead of me, Harry... I''ll simply send you all to the grave by my own hand and destroy everything¡ªThat thought has crossed my mind, fufufu.''

    "Please don''t make that kind of joke with such a radiant smile!"

    ''Don''t be silly, Harry, like anyone would joke around with you. I am 60% serious.''

    "60% feels oddly real... Anyway, let''s put that aside."

    Hal changed the subject slightly forcibly.

    "I''m still a bit worried about Asya."

    ''Huh?''

    Luna Francois'' reaction was quite unusual. She was stunned.

    ''Why this sudden concern? Isn''t it your policy to let Asya roam the savanna, living according to her wild instincts, while you watch her uninhibited lifestyle with lukewarm eyes!?''

    "No, we''re just a pair of ordinary childhood friends, neither excessively nor insufficiently familiar."

    ''Then aren''t I right? Neither acquainted to the point of excessive intimacy nor unfamiliar to the point of indifference. Instead, ''lukewarm'' in the middle.''

    "Hahaha..."

    ''Oh dear, it is undoubtedly unusual for Asya to lose her appetite. Unbelievable. In any case, Harry, please observe calmly and report to me as soon as you discover anything out of place. I will try my best to find the reason.''

    Speaking like a researcher conducting a biological experiment, Luna ended the video chat.

    Taking the laptop he had been using for communications, Hal returned it to his bag then looked up into the sky.

    "He''s here huh..."

    The red dragon''s majestic form was flying in from the northern sky.

    ¡ªTwo days earlier, Hal had met Hannibal in the Old Manhattan Concession.

    Before parting ways, the dragon king had made a request to Hal. He wanted a dialogue in person with the incumbent governor soon, preferably the morning two days later. Hal was permitted to bring the governor to the entrance to New York City.

    ''You mean Manhattan Bridge?''

    ''Yes. That was definitely the name of this island''s bridge.''

    Amazingly, Hannibal had remembered a location name from before Manhattan became a concession territory.

    Through SAURU, Hal had conveyed the dragon king''s request to the governor, who then agreed without hesitation. Hal thought it was only natural. How could anyone refuse a demand coming from the strongest dragon on earth?

    However, what Hal did not expect was the other party''s wish for a witness. Hence, Hal had to come along too.

    "Now that I think about it more carefully, I have lived in coexistence with all of you in New York for quite some time¡ª"

    Having transformed to a human, Hannibal spoke sonorously to begin.

    "However, talking like this face to face happens to be the first time. Hohohoho."

    The smiling muscular man, standing 190cm tall, seemed to be in a good mood. He was dressed in a red jacket and acted no different from a human.

    With a natural expression, Hannibal''s attitude could even be described as friendly.

    However, the humans opposite from him were extremely nervous with Hal as the sole exception. All the others were looking at the red dragon king silently with stiff expressions.

    This could not be helped either. After all, they had just witnessed a particular scene.

    The red dragon king had landed on Manhattan Bridge. His gigantic body suddenly shrank and took on human form¡ªThe entire process had been shown to their eyes.

    Leading the humans participating in this meeting was the incumbent Governor of New York.

    In addition, there was the Mayor of New York, the WotC leader¡ªChristine¡ªrepresenting the military, as well as the governor''s aide serving as the witches'' commander.

    Except for Christine, they were all late middle-aged men in their forties or fifties.

    All of them had accomplishments, experience and strong personalities appropriate for such a lineup.

    That being said, those people were still stunned and intimidated by Hannibal. Personally witnessing the dragon king''s transformation had shocked them with fear and astonishment. Currently, they were cowering, feeling as though they could see the red dragon''s shadow behind this well-built man...

    To rate the governor and his entourage as "lacking resolve" would be too harsh.

    Although Hal was now able to confront dragon kings while maintaining composure, he used to be intimidated even by elites such as Soth, unable to converse with them properly. A dragon king''s awe-inspiring presence was incomparable.

    Hal decided to take the lead.

    "Anyway, let''s sit down first. We have prepared seating."

    "Yes."

    Hannibal nodded in assent and Hal brought him to his seat.

    They had moved some classy furniture, a long table and chairs, from a New York City Hall conference room to set up in near the middle of Manhattan Bridge. Due to taking into account the possibility of Hannibal showing up in human form, a seat had been prepared for him too.

    Guided by Hal, Hannibal calmly took the seat for the dragon king.

    Seats for the governor, the major and his aide were prepared ahead of time. They sat on the opposite side of the table across from Hannibal. Hal originally planned to standby with Christine behind these three VIPs, but¡ª

    Someone placed his hand on Hal''s shoulder. Surprisingly, it was the governor.

    (...May I ask what is the matter?)

    (...Your seat is here. Sit next to me?)

    (...Huh?)

    After whispering in his ear, the governor winked extremely intimately at Hal.

    The governor was a handsome man in his early fifties and looked great in a suit. He also had a slim physique, probably because his hobby was playing tennis during weekends. Hal had heard that his father had been Governor of New York too.

    A son from an Anglo-Saxon, protestant, political family.

    The governor, hailing from a prestigious background as though in a picture book, was making an endearing smile at Hal.

    (My job during this meeting should be something like a guard, right?)

    (I would like to trouble you with the additional roles of translator and diplomat. You seem to be the most suitable.)

    (Governor, demonstrating great leadership at a time like this would be what the populace loves to see...)

    Hal responded quietly.

    (Like negotiating directly with the leader of the dragons to resolve this situation.)

    (Don''t worry, there won''t be a problem. We did not disclose this meeting to the media. Neither is it television. The original plan was to leave the actual negotiations to my aide, but I have changed our approach.)

    The Republican governor spoke lightheartedly

    There had been rumors that he might run for the next presidential election. He was apparently the type who left practical business for subordinates and experts to handle with a "I''m counting on you all."

    The ability to suddenly change his attitude in the face of a dragon king could be considered leadership aptitude in a certain way.

    ...At last, flanked by Hal and his aide, the governor faced off against Hannibal.

    Watching from the side, Christine smiled with a "heh" look.

    Also, this meeting venue was located on Manhattan Bridge spanning across the Hudson River. The National Guard''s ground forces and witches were standing by on the Brooklyn shore.

    They included the trio of Asya, Orihime and Hazumi as well as the remaining three members of the WotC.

    Should an emergency arise, they were probably going to rush over immediately to help.

    "Then let us begin."

    The job of facilitator naturally fell upon Hal.

    "So what do you wish to talk to the governor about?"

    "Nothing much. I simply wish to ask him whether he has any intention of yielding his position through chanrang."

    (...Tell him on my behalf, of course not.)

    "Of coure not. By the way, there is no system of chanrang in democracy."

    After listening to Hannibal, Hal exchanged whispers with the governor before conveying the message.

    So-called chanrang referred to an ancient Chinese practice where the incumbent ruler would abdicate in favor of a successor of no blood relation. Hal spoke while feeling impressed that Hannibal knew this term, but¡ª

    "Indeed, there is no such system."

    Hannibal responded candidly.

    "However, it would be advantageous for the election if the reputable incumbent governor were to endorse the recommended successor¡ªThis tendency definitely exists."

    "You sure know some weird things for a dragon..."

    "Besides, there are numerous exceptions violating the system in your democracy."

    "Huh?"

    "Choosing a ruler based on popular opinion rather than royal blood or military force, isn''t that the basis of democracy? Even so, from what I have heard, the custom of retaining political offices within the family is widespread across the world. It might be quite strange for an outsider like me to say this, but I do believe that would be undemocratic."

    "......"

    Of all critics, for a king of dragonkind to make an accusation of "undemocratic."

    Hal looked to the side. The governor blinked in surprise, pretending he did not hear that. On both sides of his family, whether paternal or maternal, members had apparently served as Members of Congress, mayors, governors, ambassadors, etc.

    Unfazed by Hal and the others'' shock, Hannibal continued, "I heard that in every generation, the citizens of this country all desire powerful rulers. In that case, I don''t believe there is any better candidate than me on earth. I intend to become Governor of New York first before running for president."

    "Could you stop stepping up like a human politician?"

    Entering the White House via New York was an ideal route to becoming president.

    Seeing Hannibal so well-versed in human culture, Hal retorted, feeling utterly drained.

    On further thought, Hinokagutsuchi had also mastered handheld games and chess through self-study, making them her hobbies. With her as an example, there was nothing unbelievable about Hannibal.

    "Besides, what kind of policy do you intend to push once you''re governor or president?"

    "Good question. Actually, this is one of the reasons why I have summoned you all here. Please convey to the media the platform I am about to announce. Also, this is not a request."

    Not a request¡ªIn other words, an order. Hannibal smiled proudly.

    Spontaneously, his expression had turned from that of a friendly muscular guy to that of a ferocious conqueror.

    "I... intend to lead the United States of America to war. I will cross the ocean to attack the land of Europe, winning victory and conquest as I please."

    "!?"

    "I will then proceed to take the opportunity to defeat my ally and longtime rival who resides over there¡ªthe Black Lightning Emperor."

    The Black Lightning Emperor. A dragon king living reclusively in the Old Warsaw Concession.

    Unlike Red Hannibal, the Black Lightning Emperor rarely showed himself. Roughly twenty years ago, he only appeared on three occasions in the Mediterranean, central Europe and the coast of the Black Sea respectively.

    In Europe, he was the king of dragons extolling destruction, their leader.

    "Of course, I could simply lead the Jabones¡ªthe winged lizards you know¡ªand my minions to battle, but that would be too boring."

    Everyone present looked at Hannibal blankly.

    But being the spokesman, it was not acceptable for Hal to remain silent, so he conversed with the dragon king on his own.

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Nothing special. I simply wish for a more challenging fight."

    Hannibal boasted proudly.

    "I will lead a weak army from a weak country to declare war on a powerful empire of dragons and conquer it. That would entail a battlefield where victory is not guaranteed in spite of my mighty strength and military leadership. However, that is precisely what I desire. Compared to easy victories, I look more forward to arduous defeats!"

    "A-Are you trying to play SLGs using the real world...?"

    SLG was the abbreviation for simulation games where players employed strategy to build up their countries while annexing territory from enemy nations.

    One could enjoy a relatively easy game by choosing a stronger nation in the beginning stage. However, it was possible to indulge in the joys of a challenging game by intentionally choosing the weakest nation to lead soldiers of poor morale¡ª

    In fact, Hal did not dislike methods of gameplay with additional constraints imposed.

    He liked SLGs quite a bit. However, he felt compelled to refute the dragon king this time.

    "I doubt anyone would cast their vote for a dragon that jumps out suddenly with this kind of platform."

    "I have already considered that. In fact, I intend to destroy all weapons and military hardware on America''s eastern coast during the election."

    "......"

    "To the populace that fears the winged lizards, I will tell them ''Gather under my banner, that of the strongest conqueror, and become my people.'' If I enter a democratic election under such conditions, I believe there will surely be voters turning out in admiration of me, right?"

    Sharing his idea that was too crude to be called a plan, Hannibal grinned.

    "Nothing serious. Even if there is a temporary loss of property and weaponry, they can be robbed from elsewhere. All the people need to do is invade neighboring states or countries and plunder what they need."

    "Sure enough, you hail from a warring tribe huh... This idea is quite barbaric."

    The Huns, the Turks, the Scythians, the Mongols, Germanic tribes, the Vikings, etc.

    Hal recalled many famous militant tribes in history. In fact, Hannibal''s idea was a warfare model familiar to mankind since antiquity. These particular groups were especially talented at it. Even at the dawn of modern society, many armies would still rely on "local sources" to replenish supplies.

    However, Hal reached a poignant conclusion.

    Ultimately, Red Hannibal was a "noble savage."

    He possessed outstanding intellect and perceptiveness. Despite being a dragon, he also commanded human charisma. He understood civilization and potentially enjoyed it.

    However, he was a savage driven by primal senses through and through. This would never change.

    Despite following the customs of civilized society, Hannibal still remained an unaffected noble savage¡ª

    "The people would probably ridicule and ignore this idea if it weren''t suggested by a great dragon king..."

    What a savage idea, simple to the point of being ludicrous.

    However, there was a certain level of logic to it. Precisely because of this plan''s simplicity, so long as one set it into motion and possessed power beyond the parameters of common sense, it felt like it might go surprisingly smoothly...

    In front of the sighing Hal, Hannibal smiled mischievously.

    "To be frank, I do not know if things will proceed according to my wishes. I will not know unless I try. No time to lose, let us start tomorrow. Send my regards to the residents of the state too."

    (...Hey you! Negotiate more with him! At least buy us some time!)

    "Oh, uh¡ª"

    The dragon king spoke casually as though he were simply pressing the start button on a game console. Hearing that, the governor panicked.

    One could hardly blame him. If Hannibal were to put his plan into motion, it would imply attacking military facilities across the eastern seaboard. It was only natural for the governor to hope for a few day''s delay. Stuck in the middle, Hal scratched his head.

    "Before that, why don''t we hold a referendum?"

    "Oh? A referendum?"

    "Yeah. Let''s ask if the residents approve of a great dragon king running in the election without US citizenship, let alone membership in the human race. Let''s collect the opinions from the true stars of democracy¡ªthe people themselves."

    Part 2

    "That''s amazing... All the television channels are reporting about Hannibal-san."

    "It seems like half the pages on newspapers are covering the story. It''s really turned into a huge commotion..."

    Hazumi and Orihime widened their eyes, thoroughly amazed.

    At SAURU''s New York branch, located in the neighborhood of Bedford at Brooklyn, Hal and his friends were having coffee in a lounge.

    The room was furnished to resemble the style of an ordinary family''s living room with sofas and a low table.

    In front of them was a forty-two-inch flatscreen television, currently showing the evening news.

    There was detailed coverage of Hannibal''s "attack" over the past few days as well as a special program about his "aspirations and policy plan as a governor candidate" which he wanted conveyed to the residents of New York State.

    Two days had passed since the meeting on Manhattan Bridge.

    "B-But is it really okay to release such important news?"

    "Had this happened in Japan, I don''t think they would publicize this sort of information."

    "If confidentiality were possible, of course nondisclosure would attract less trouble."

    Hal was sitting in the sofa opposite to the two baffled witches.

    Incidentally, they were casting questioning gazes at the person sitting next to Hal.

    But although Hazumi was smiling like an angel as usual, Orihime seemed a bit unsettled with her entire body having trouble sitting still. Sensing awkwardness in the air, Hal continued, "There wasn''t a choice this time. After all, the dragon king who provided the information is a loyal reader of various news publications. He''s going to check whether the human side had released the news for real."

    On the table were seven different newspapers from today.

    Both national and regional newspapers had uniformly used "Hannibal News" as their headline matter-of-factly. Apart from that, the referendum to be held four days later also took up a lot of coverage.

    Do you approve of Hannibal''s candidacy in the election as a dragon?

    A referendum was to be held to pose this question to the residents of New York State.

    "However, the conversation leading to the suggestion of a referendum was very interesting."

    The one who brought this up sonorously was Christine Hulk.

    She had arrived at the branch twenty minutes earlier to see Haruga Haruomi and as soon as she stepped into this lounge, she planted herself onto the sofa where Hal was sitting, instantly staking out her territory.

    With only ten centimeters between the two of them, it was far too close.

    Staring at those two, Orihime''s gaze looked very sad¡ªHal felt as though he were sitting on a bed of pins.

    On the other hand, Christine spoke innocently without any regard for Hal''s feelings, "When Hal calmly pointed out that a dragon without American citizenship won''t be recognized as having the right to stand in elections, Hannibal snickered and replied that even immigrants should have a way to obtain permanent residency and citizenship rights. Hence, the two of them came to mutual agreement to hold a referendum to clear up the issue beyond a doubt."

    "Rather than mutual agreement, it was more like playing a game."

    Christine giggled and next to her, Hal shrugged.

    "Whether saying he was going to run for president or lead America to war, Hannbial was totally like playing a game. His mindset is pretty much like playing an SLG with Earth as the stage. That''s why I played along and suggested a ''voting game,'' that''s all."

    It was purely good fortune that Hannibal was interested. Regardless, the two sides had reached consensus to hold an impromptu referendum in a few days'' time, thus the objective of buying time at the current stage succeeded.

    At this moment, they were making all sorts of preparations for what would come after the referendum.

    As a side note, running for the American presidency not only required citizenship but the condition of being born on American soil. Naturally, Hannibal could not possibly fulfill this.

    But in Hannibal''s case, he was not even human. Hal had generously overlooked this detail.

    "Well, you should be thanking Hannibal''s playfulness rather than me."

    "What are you talking about? We¡ªincluding the governor¡ªwere only sitting there watching like scarecrows. This is really your accomplishment, Hal. Nothing less expected from you, Hal!"

    "!? Y-You''re too close, Chris!"

    Christine suddenly hugged Hal, wrapping her arms around his neck.

    This intimate act was going a bit overboard. Christine''s abrupt body language rendered Hazumi speechless. Then Hal suddenly heard a "klonk."

    Orihime accidentally dropped her coffee cup just as she was about to take a sip.

    Fortunately, the cup did not break and there was only a little bit of the black liquid remaining.

    "M-My apologies! My hand slipped!"

    "Nee-sama, are you okay!?"

    Orihime knelt down to wipe the spilt coffee on the ground.

    Hazumi and Hal also took out tissues to help. While the three of them were bent over to clean up the spill, Hal happened to meet Orihime''s gaze.

    Always lively and cheerful, she was displaying an expression that Hal had never seen before.

    Orihime was looking at Haruga Haruomi worriedly. Then suddenly regaining her senses, she looked down sadly. Hal could not help but feel an urge to escape out of this place.

    Just as he was about to follow his impulse to take Orihime outside to talk, just the two of them...

    Christine, witnessing the whole scene in a laid back manner¡ª

    "...Don''t tell me you''re actually very popular, Hal?"

    "Huh?"

    Another bomb exploded.

    "All the girls in the same team are intimate with you, living a fulfilling love life and working life every day¡ªSomething along those lines? It turns out you''re actually unexpectedly capable. The first time I saw your photo, Hal, I thought you were an eccentric boy who likes to be alone... Fufu, I''ve discovered a surprising side to you, Hal."

    "D-Don''t just fabricate my personality on your own."

    "R-Right! Haruga-kun isn''t the kind of character that would appear in American dramas. He and I have yet to¡ª"

    Hal instantly retorted and Orihime shouted immediately¡ª

    Indeed. Juujouji Orihime suddenly came to a realization when she said the words "yet to" and hastily covered her mouth with her hands. Seeing this scene, Christine grinned like the Cheshire Cat and said, "''Yet to''? So you haven''t started going out offically... Is my understanding correct?"

    "@¡÷¡ù¡Á¡õ!?"

    "So there''s no problem even if I express my affection for Hal, right? Then let me ask him out to dinner for tonight."

    "@¡÷¡ù¡Á¡õ@¡÷¡ù¡Á¡õ!?"

    "N-Nee-sama!?"

    With every sentence Christine spoke, Orihime widened her eyes.

    Not only that, but she also showed a panicking and extremely confused look, her mouth opening and closing alternately. Hazumi hastily came to her side and tried to calm her cousin.

    Speaking of which, Hal''s classmate was not only a school idol but quite a jumpy person too.

    Hal was just about to speak on Orihime''s behalf when¡ª

    "H-Hold on. I¡ª"

    "Unfortunately, Haruomi already has plans. Tonight, he is coming with me to decipher the ancient text we retrieved a few days ago."

    The one who interrupted was Hal''s childhood friend.

    Asya happened to open the door and enter the lounge. She was holding just a cup of coffee that was ostensibly brewed in the pantry without bringing any donuts or cake as a snack.

    "This job requires Level 4 magical power at least. If you happen to meet this requirement, Miss Christine, I would implore you to lend your assistance... What do you say?"

    "Sorry, but I''m only Level 3."

    Christine extended her right hand to Asya who had suddenly interrupted.

    "This is actually our first time talking face to face. You are the master-class witch, Miss Anastasya Rubashvili, aren''t you? Just call me Chris."

    "Nice to meet you too. It''s also fine for you to call me Asya."

    Asya shook her hand and Christine smiled cheerfully.

    "You seem completely different from the rumors."

    "Me? What kind of rumors are circulating about me?"

    "They''re quite mean, saying you''re a beast and living proof of wildness, completely unable to settle down outside of battlefields. It looks like they''re totally off base."

    "Seriously, they keep making these weird jokes, it''s quite troubling."

    Smiling calmly, Asya conversed amicably with the witch from the East Coast.

    Thus, she managed to sweep the earlier commotion under the rug. Seeing his childhood friend like this, Hal was struck deeply again¡ªSure enough, Asya was behaving different from usual.

    She was even calmer than usual and very adept at handling people.

    What on earth had happened to her?

    "So, I''d like you to come clean with the truth quickly."

    "You''re suddenly talking nonsense, Haruomi..."

    Two hours later, Hal and Asya were alone in a hotel room.

    On the table in Hal''s room was The Posthumous Writings of Progenitor Solomon.

    A heavy grimoire two sizes larger than A3. A steel-colored weapon¡ªHal''s magic gun¡ªhad been placed on top of this mysterious book.

    What Hal was making effective use of right now was his gun''s power as a "magic wand" rather than its functionality as a firearm.

    "Before accusing me of alleged crimes in my innocence, please report what transpired first."

    "Well, sure... This gun is simultaneously my personal ''magic wand.'' I''m currently asking it and Hinokagutsuchi to decipher the book," Hal explained to Asya who was showing a cold expression.

    "Even if SAURU''s research team tried to decipher it using conventional methods, they''d still get deceived by the obfuscation magic on this book. It could take them a decade to dig out the true content. Then it might take them another twenty years to decipher the text they finally obtained after so much trouble."

    "How many years will it take Hinokagutsuchi-san to decipher it?"

    "She said no more than five days."

    "Meaning there''s a pretty good chance we might make it before the referendum is held? Nothing less expected from a former dragon king and a magic item of Ruruk Soun. It''s like cheating."

    The deciphering had started the previous night.

    As the guardian residing in the magic gun, Hinokagutsuchi had not appeared since then. Hal wanted her to focus all her spiritual energy towards the task and did not take the magic gun out of the hotel room.

    A situation requiring a weapon probably should not arise in the short run for now¡ª

    Hal had taken action precisely to take advantage of this. Starting since the previous night, he had strictly forbidden hotel staff from entering this room. Consequently, the room was a mess inside.

    "That''s pretty much the idea, so you don''t really need to go out of your way to help, Asya."

    "Of course I know that. It was simply an improvised plan to get Chris to leave."

    "......"

    "Jeez, it is quite regrettable that an unmotivated guy like you, Haruomi, the type that goes ''sigh, no helping it,'' has suddenly turned into a hot stock. A phase of sudden popularity should descend on more carnivorous guys who work hard at attracting girls."

    Asya shrugged and offered a highly critical opinion.

    "Looks like this world is lacking in fairness and justice."

    "I-I think all Chris wanted to do was casually tease me a bit. Think about it, it''s quite a rare occasion since it''s the first time for someone like me to appear in the modern era."

    "I recall Hinokagutsuchi-san saying before that you''re a second Solomon, reborn in modern times."

    The childhood friend spoke in a sarcastic tone, "Why don''t you try to imitate him and marry seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines?"

    "Isn''t that a story made up in the Old Testament of the Bible? Like hell anyone''s gonna believe that! Besides, it''s impossible for me to resemble King Solomon in any way."

    "Even when you snagged two American girls, Luna and Chris, in such short time?"

    "P-Perhaps I just happen to get along well with American girls, hahaha..."

    "Please quit saying this sort of nonsense. Isn''t there a suspicious atmosphere hanging over you and Orihime-san too?"

    "¡ª!?"

    Hal was shocked by Asya''s accurate comment.

    It was possible that he felt something for the girl known as Juujouji Orihime¡ªBut he never expected Asya to be the one to point this out.

    In matters on this front, his childhood friend was supposed to be even denser than Hal.

    Then why was it Asya''s turn to talk about him? Just as Hal panicked, Asya continued with her attack.

    "Haruomi, you''re really a troubling guy with no fidelity. And Luna even caught you unprepared and kissed you on the lips... Isn''t that why you became overly conscious of Luna, preventing you from taking a decisive stand against her?"

    "How could I possibly take a decisive stand against her? Luna is one of my comrades, also¡ª"

    "Also, you''re wavering because of her aggressive courtship, aren''t you?"

    "......"

    Asya swiftly came to Hal''s side. Not knowing his childhood friend''s intent, Hal tilted his head with a "?" In the next instant, Asya brought her lips near Hal''s face in an extremely natural manner¡ª

    Then she kissed him. She kissed Hal right on the lips.

    "Huh?"

    "This is why Luna and Chris have you eating out of their palm. You need to reflect properly."

    "Huh?"

    "Well then, goodnight, Haruomi. Even if you dream of me and revel in shameless and immoral delusions... I will permit it this once as a special exception for tonight."

    "......"

    "Despite how I may look, I am your magnanimous and open-minded childhood friend. So see you tomorrow."

    Leaving these words behind, Asya left the room.

    Hal remained stunned for quite a while after that. His thoughts halted for ten minutes or so. Then finally returning to normal, his myriad thoughts began to spin furiously in his mind.

    Why on earth did that Asya ki... do that to me?

    In addition, his heart had been pounding the whole time, beating like mad nonstop. How odd.

    "W-What am I supposed to do now!?"

    In a certain way, this was a challenge of a lifetime, even trickier than fighting against dragon kings.

    Forced to confront this all at once, Hal was plunged into extreme trepidation.

    Part 3

    "How''s this, President!? I can do it too when I put my mind to it!"

    Just as how Haruomi would chat with Luna Francois once a day, Asya also reported the situation daily to a certain person¡ªPresident M in Tokyo New Town.

    Back to her hotel room, Asya was chatting with the president through her laptop.

    "I delivered the critical strike tonight. Haruomi must be in a state of ''nonstop pounding in his heart¡î'' with his thoughts all occupied with me, I''m certain of it!"

    ''I-I can''t believe a loser like you were able to get this far...''

    President M looked shocked on the laptop''s LCD screen.

    ''I never expected you could bring about such a dramatic change through autosuggestion. This world is unbelievable.''

    "Although I call it autosuggestion, it is systematic hypnosis magic after all. The unprecedented effect was produced by combining my magical power with my serious determination to apply hypnosis at full strength."

    That night while they were touring Boston¡ª

    Asya had cast the magic of Hypnotic Suggestion on herself. She had told herself "to take care of the prey calmly and assuredly by any means necessary."

    Asya went "ehem" proudly and puffed out her flat chest.

    "I was inspired by my mother. Back when I was in elementary school, my mother taught me the ways of hunting and how to use air guns, but I failed to catch any prey no matter how I tried."

    ''So in your family, even your mother is a military nut...''

    "Back then, my mother told me ''the key is to stay calm until the moment when the prey''s throat is severed.''"

    Asya recalled her mother''s teachings.

    "Be cool. You will regret impatience in front of prey. Pull the trigger twice. Recalling many iron-clad rules, I came to understand that they can be applied effectively in love, so I enacted this comeback performance!"

    ''Well, the romance methods of popular carnivorous girls definitely bear a resemblance to hunting, but¡ª''

    President M sighed.

    ''I am at a loss, overcome with emotion, to think that you managed to do the same.''

    "It''s all thaks to your teachings, President. All this time, I''ve been tormented by my inability to put into practice the content from your special training... But even so, it seems like the content was etched subconsciously into my mind, becoming a part of my flesh and blood."

    Asya grinned nihilistically.

    "While my autosuggestion was active, I was able to employ the various popularity techniques I learned as naturally as breathing. I could even go beyond what was taught every now and then."

    ''That has already surpassed technique to reach the realm of wild hunting instincts...''

    Sensing instinctively the presence of a girl approaching Haruomi then naturally hindering her.

    Clever image manipulation to make him suddenly think of Asya.

    Then there was the surprise attack launched with precision tonight to catch Haruomi unprepared. These setups were essential for transforming herself from an ordinary childhood friend to a prospective romantic partner.

    ...All of them were beyond Asya''s ability in the past.

    "I''ll concede that Luna and Orihime-san are ahead of me currently, but the situation is still salvageable. That being said, it would too rash to expect a reversal from a single strike..."

    Asya calmly explained the approach she should take.

    "Right now, I need to humbly admit my position as a minor player then make careful preparations repeatedly for battle. I have to be ready at all times to launch a blitzkrieg the instant a good opportunity presents itself."

    ''You are now capable of formulating strategies to make yourself popular!?''

    "To be honest, the way I am now, I don''t think that any boy will remain safe if I were to set my eyes on him."

    Neither conceited nor bragging, Asya simply stated indifferently.

    Asya was currently like a master general who remained calm at all times, concealing the battle spirit within. A sniper capable of enduring all manner of hardship until the target was struck.

    However, President M said to this kind of student, ''Your dramatic level up is truly a joy to behold, but... How is that going?''

    "Huh? What do you mean by that?"

    ''Loss of appetite. After applying the hypnosis, you totally stopped eating, right?''

    "Oh, nothing''s changed, but I don''t think there''s anything to worry about. I don''t feel unwell and I''m still in good health."

    ''Honest?''

    "......"

    Impressive as always, President M, the self-proclaimed "mother of all club members," was extremely observant.

    Asya tried to respond in as cheerful a voice as possible, but the president spoke faster than her.

    ''Well, a secret technique to turn an unwanted loser girl into a warrior of love in a single night can''t possibly not have risks. You must have noticed something no matter how faint, haven''t you?''

    "T-To be honest, I don''t have a clue..."

    ''Then you are fortunate. Regardless, you have succeeded in evading a ''Game Over'' crisis, so why don''t you take this chance to dispel this boosted state? Do not be too greedy.''

    "......"

    ''Then it''s settled. If anything comes up, don''t be shy, just call me. However, do not call when it''s late at night in Japan. Staying up is bad for skin health.''

    "Y-You''re actually concerned about beauty care!?"

    After revealing a shocking truth, President M hung up.

    Asya switched off her laptop as well. This Japanese-made B5 notebook was a mass production model sold on the market but had amazing durability and battery life. It never had any data loss and remained virtually undamaged despite minor falls to the ground.

    Military personnel often used this laptop on the battlefield due to these characteristics.

    Switched off and displaying nothing, this approximately two-year-old laptop''s shiny black LCD screen reflected Asya''s face.

    Seeing her own familiar face, Asya began to think back.

    During that battle in the Old Manhattan Concession, Asya had promised to get rid of the enemy within twenty seconds but ended up going slightly over time. This inaccuracy had never happened to her before.

    Asya did not think that it would pose an immediate problem today or tomorrow.

    However, were it several weeks or even months later instead, perhaps¡ª

    Part 4

    The referendum was to be held on August 16th.

    Hal expected to remain in New York until after this event and the Hannibal problem had settled to a certain extent. If the situation were to show signs of becoming long-term, he would have Orihime and Hazumi, the two Tokyo New Town witches, return to Japan first...

    A number of days had passed since he decided that.

    The date on the calendar showed August 15th. The referendum was going to be tomorrow. That evening, Hal and Hazumi went out on a drive to go shopping.

    "Excuse me, Senpai. May I ask you to explain something to me?"

    They were on their way back after buying a large amount of daily necessities and snacks.

    The car was driving along a street in Brooklyn. Sitting in the front passenger seat, Hazumi had her head tilted. She happened to be watching the evening news on the car navigator screen.

    "This current story is reporting about the results from the street survey asking if people approve of Hannibal-san''s candidacy where they answer YES or NO, isn''t it?"

    "Yeah, that''s right."

    Since Hazumi had said she wanted to practice her English listening skills, Hal turned on the news for her to watch in the car.

    When Hal nodded, the serious learner and junior student said in puzzlement, "The result was that 78% of New York City residents answered NO, 6% answered YES and 16% had no comment... Did I get that right?"

    "Don''t worry, you didn''t make any mistakes."

    "In other words, more than 20% did not answer NO... I am a bit surprised. There is a chance that Hannibal-san might become governor as a dragon."

    "This kind of result is possible when you go around asking an indeterminate number of people."

    With one hand on the steering wheel, Hal replied to Hazumi.

    The sun was setting upon the streets of Brooklyn. Although not to the point of congestion, traffic volume was still quite high. Normally, residents would slowly move out of a major metropolis if it became as close to a dragon concession territory as New York City, resulting in a problem of underpopulation.

    Tokyo New Town was a very good example, but New York City was one of the rare exceptions.

    Perhaps it was due to the presence of dragon king Hannibal ended up deterring Raptor attacks¡ªalong with the vibrancy of the inhabitants and the city itself.

    "In fact, there''s a new religion in America that worships Hannibal as a New Age god."

    "Ehhhh!?"

    "The rest is just as Hannibal said himself. He''s undoubtedly the most powerful leader in the twenty-first century... I guess? He''s able to attract people who are outcasts in the economy or society."

    "I-Is that how it works!?"

    "No, I just made up the last part. Many social psychologists with famous TV personas on news programs will be analyzing this issue. I''m expecting something will be out tonight."

    "Oh, then I will watch from my hotel room."

    Hazumi seemed to be seriously trying to improve her English level. Seeing the junior student raise her clasped hands slightly while saying "I will try my hardest," Hal felt a gradual soothing of his soul.

    Incidentally, one of the special powers of witches was aptitude for language learning.

    They were capable of familiarizing with foreign languages with exceptional speed, reaching mother tongue proficiency within a month or two. After arriving in America, Hazumi and Orihime''s English had been improving day by day.

    However, the junior suddenly began to hesitate and spoke shyly, "B-By the way, Senpai... I''d like to ask a question but it''s difficult to bring up."

    "What is it? If it''s you, Shirasaka, I can make a special exception and disclose my three sizes."

    "Th-Then I shall proceed. A-After that time, what did it feel like when you went on a date with Chris-san!?"

    "A date!?"

    Hal jumped in surprise and said hastily, "No no no, we''re not dating at all!"

    "S-Sorry for asking so suddenly. It''s been bothering me ever since that day, but I couldn''t bring myself to ask..."

    Three days ago, Christine had come to ask Hal out and hugged him.

    After that, Hazumi and Orihime had acted as usual in Hal''s presence. However, Hal realized there was something unnatural in their attitude if he thought about it carefully. This seemed to be the reason.

    "H-However, I am relieved. I will let Nee-sama know when I get back."

    Hazumi smiled, looking like a 100% pure angel.

    She never considered the possibility of an unscrupulous senior lying to her. Soothed by Hazumi''s purity once again, Hal asked apprehensively, "Could it be that Juujouji is also bothered by this?"

    "Nee-sama didn''t say explicitly, but I''m guessing yes. For the past few days, she has seemed distracted... But I understand, because it was the same for me."

    "Huh?"

    Sitting in the front passenger seat next to Hal, Hazumi bowed her head sadly.

    "Senpai might be dating a certain girl... It feels very painful here whenever this thought crosses my mind, although I have no idea why."

    With a soul purer than anyone''s, she held her hand on her chest lightly.

    Pain in the heart. Meaning¡ªJealousy? Hal could not help but feel moved while accidentally entertaining delusions about this sort of thing.

    "You''re feeling jealousy when girls approach me. In other words, this is the sense of loss stemming from your perception of me as something beyond a senior¡ªan older guy akin to a big brother!"

    "I-I am treating you as my brother, Senpai!?"

    "In other words, Shirasaka, you have a brother complex!"

    "I see now!"

    "Yeah, so feel free to call me ''Onii-chan''¡ªNo no. I shouldn''t do this. I almost got ahead of myself."

    Hal decided to behave. Although a fake brother-sister relationship had its charms, the bittersweetness of an immature senior-junior relationship was also hard to give up. He should not lose control from momentary impulse.

    "Well, thinking about it carefully, perhaps it''s the feeling of uncertainty from ''the possibility of someone by your side leaving you...'' that''s making your delicate soul stress out, Shirasaka. It must be something like that."

    "Is... that really it?"

    "It isn''t?"

    "Oh, but actually, I''m starting to accept it. If you were my older brother, Senpai, I would definitely feel overjoyed from the bottom of my heart..."

    "¡ª!"

    Hal cursed the fact that he was driving at the moment. Were he not driving, he could go along with this wave of emotion and perform two or three somersaults, allowing his excitement to explode.

    "Perhaps it''s the same for Asya-san."

    "Huh?"

    "Because it feels like Asya-san and you have been quite distant from each other lately. She probably feels the same as me."

    "......"

    The truth was something else. It was Hal who was avoiding Asya.

    Indeed. Ever since three days ago, after his childhood friend had done that to him, Hal had found it impossible to keep his emotions in check.

    Whenever he saw Asya, Hal would inevitably think back to that and unable to calm his mind. Hence, Hal would naturally distance himself from his childhood friend when in the same space, to avoid speaking to her face-to-face as much as possible.

    This had never happened before even though their inseparable relationship had lasted ten-odd years!

    "Oh, how should I put it, that Asya¡ª"

    Just as Hal spoke up, he suddenly felt a pain on his right hand.

    Using only his left hand to hold the steering wheel, Hal opened his right hand¡ªThe Rune of the Bow surfaced on the center of his palm. Next, Hal noticed.

    "Hinokagutsuchi is calling me..."

    Done. The deciphering of the grimoire, The Posthumous Writings of Progenitor Solomon¡ª

    Several hours passed after the drive with Hazumi.

    Hal''s original plan for the night was to stay cooped up in his room the whole time, but¡ª

    "Excuse me for visiting so suddenly. It''s because I wanted to discuss a few things with you, Haruga-kun..."

    "No problem. It just so happens that I''m reporting my findings to Luna too."

    Orihime paid a sudden visit.

    Hal invited the worried-looking Orihime into his room and sat down at the desk again. The open laptop''s screen was displaying Luna Francois'' face. Hal was using an internet connection and a webcam to contact Japan. With great interest, Luna said, ''Then Harry, what was recorded in Solomon-senpai''s grimoire?''

    "As it turns out, the content is quite exciting."

    The magic gun and Hinokagutsuchi had been in charge of deciphering the grimoire. The instant Hal returned to the hotel room and picked up the gun, the grimoire''s contents flowed into his mind.

    Hal had already told Hazumi, Orihime and Asya the gist of the contents.

    During that time, Asya had listened calmly to Hal, infuriating him. At the time, he was thinking "you suddenly did that last time, spinning me in circles."

    In any case, Hal started to convey to Luna the key points in The Posthumous Writings of Progenitor Solomon.

    "Solomon-senpai was in the same situation as me. He was also a human wielding the power of dragonbane¡ª"

    He had actualy used numerous incantations, mystic techniques and rituals.

    Also, during the process of using the power of dragonbane, he had obtained dragonkind''s knowledge. Knowledge regarding the runes of Ruruk Soun. In addition, there were the terms of the covenants between Solomon and the seventy-two apostles serving him...

    That was the message recorded in the book''s introduction.

    ¡ªTo my disciples or descendants living in the future world, you ought to inherit my rune and seventy-two apostles after mastering the wisdom in this book. You are Solomon''s successors¡ª

    ''Wow¡ªdefinitely quite an exciting will.''

    "''My rune'' probably refers to the dragonslaying power Solomon used. The seventy-two apostles would presumably be the ancient leviathans he synthesized, I''m pretty sure."

    Luna Francois smiled suggestively while Orihime looked at Hal uneasily.

    In front of the two girls, Hal continued, "The final chapter, which was the hardest to decipher, left an incantation for ordering the genie of the lamp to bring the hidden treasure chest. Naturally, what lies inside the chest would be Solomon-senpai''s legacy."

    ''How considerate. It must be fate that chose Harry as Solomon''s successor.''

    "I feel a little inclined to agree. So Luna, what are your honest thoughts?"

    ''If such a message were found written on an ancient text that took monumental effort to decipher, I might go accept the legacy with elation. However, this was translated easily just like that, which invites calm thinking. As a person who is not only calm but also very twisted, I think¡ª''

    On the thirteen-inch LCD screen, Luna winked mischievously.

    ''Too suspicious, forget about it this time? That''s what I believe to be the correct answer.''

    "I actually agree. ''Don''t naively believe in a map that shows the shortest route to the treasure'' is how treasure hunters roll."

    ''Traps should be placed in front of the treasure vault as well as along the return path when adventurers have lowered their guard.''

    "E-Excuse me, Haruga-kun and Luna-san."

    At that moment, Orihime interjected apprehensively. She was thinking for Hal''s sake.

    "Having lived so long ago, Solomon-san intentionally wrote in a simple and easily understood manner for the sake of imparting important information to future generations... Does this possibility not exist?"

    "However, since he apparently maintained human form, his powers were even greater than mine."

    Hal spoke quietly.

    "Would he be that friendly? There''s also Pavel Galad as a precedent. That kind of upfront personality even as a dragon, it''s like playing a super high-difficulty game that delivers a sense of setback halfway through."

    ''King Solomon was probably the same as Harry and I. Calculative and twisted,'' Luna said jokingly. However, her tone of voice then turned serious.

    ''However... Harry, don''t tell me you intend to open the treasure chest?''

    "I''m sorry to say that I''d like to give it a try. Would this timing be considered excellent or poor...? If the Hannibal problem didn''t exist, I''d shelve this issue without hesitation."

    ''Yes... In your current condition, if by any chance a fight with Hannibal comes up¡ª''

    "Going all-out shouldn''t be a problem, but I don''t have a high chance of winning. Since losing is the likely outcome, I might as well take a gamble before that. Let me be the human sacrifice to challenge Solomon''s treasure."

    Hal did not want to talk about this sort of thing with such a sense of despair.

    Shrugging, he spoke as frivolously as possible.

    He had already informed his plan to his other companions other than Luna, which was why Orihime was very worried. She was worried about the reckless Haruga Haruomi who wanted to make a move on Solomon''s legacy despite knowing the risks...

    "It''s also possible that Solomon-senpai is a good person like Juujouji said."

    ''¡ªAhh, my goodness!''

    Luna Francois suddenly yelled in chagrin.

    Hal and Orihime looked at the laptop simultaneously. The blonde girl who had stayed back in Tokyo said with frustration, ''Why did I ever agree to hold the fort, Harry!? Were I by your side this moment, I would undoubtedly cross the line with you without hesitation to develop an even more intimate relationship!''

    "Huh?" "L-Luna-san!?"

    In front of the speechless Hal and Orihime, Luna continued, ''Harry might end up like a candle in the wind as a result of taking on a dangerous challenge, you know? In that case, we should finish up what needs to be done between a man and a woman! It might turn out to be a final memory!''

    "Th-That''s too extreme an opinion, Luna¡ª"

    ''Are you saying you don''t care, Harry!? You don''t care about developing that sort of relationship with me even in the face of a potentially deadly climax!? This is your best chance to satisfy a boy''s worldly desire, you know!?"

    "Well, I''d be lying if I said I didn''t want it..."

    "H-Haruga-kun!?"

    "Oh, uh, don''t get the wrong idea, Juujouji. Umm... Think about it, I only answered like this because Luna isn''t here in New York...!"

    ''This is so frustrating! If I were over there right now, I could seduce you with everything I''ve got and see how far I''d depending on luck and atmosphere... But Harry, we still have more chances, you know?''

    "Chances?"

    ''Yes. When you return to Japan safely, Harry, I will¡ª''

    "L-L-L-L-Luna-san!? I-I believe such words should not be spoken too loudly!"

    ''And I''ve discovered this. If anything, Harry likes Orihime-san slightly more than me.''

    Hal and Orihime jumped in surprise at Luna''s comment.

    In contrast, the blonde witch who had pointed this out added nonchalantly, ''It''s time for me to bring out my trump card to catch up with Orihime-san. Listen up, Harry, know that Luna Francois Gregory is a girl who can do anything for you. You must return safe and sound, got that? It''s a promise, okay?''

    "A-Anything!?"

    ''Yes. Even though you are a closet pervert, Harry, I will humor your every wish and desire.''

    Hal''s call to Japan conclude at this point.

    What did that girl Luna promise me?¡ªDespite his great shock, Hal kept his expression tense. Orihime was next to him too. Right now, he had to maintain a resolute attitude.

    However, the girl with the delicate relationship with Haruga Haruomi was currently glaring at him with eyes of resentment.

    "Haruga-kun... Lust is written all over your face."

    "A-Absolutely not. Hmm."

    Totally unconvincing, thought Hal to himself. Naturally, Orihime did not believe him.

    "Good grief! When you act like this, Haruga-kun, aren''t you forcing me to wonder whether I should be doing something too!?"

    "Huh? You feel that way towards me too, Juujouji?"

    The instant Hal muttered that, the jumpy school idol suddenly came to a realization.

    "Umm, uh, I misspoke just now in a moment of panic. My apologies."

    "Y-Yeah. I thought so."

    "No, but, how should I put this? I do admit that thoughts along the lines of ''I don''t want to lose to Luna-san'' exist in a corner of my mind..."

    "Juujouji..."

    The two of them naturally drew closer¡ªAt that very moment...

    Knock knock. Someone suddenly knocked at the door. Then a voice spoke from outside.

    "Haruomi. Please open up if you''re there. I need to speak to you."

    "Asya!?"

    "The ritual for inheriting Solomon''s legacy... I want to be present for it. We''re carrying it out tonight, aren''t we?"

    Then twenty minutes passed.

    Taking Asya and Orihime, Hal went to the hotel''s roof.

    The roof was not open to hotel guests. Hal and friends had entered through a staff access point without permission. To carry out the ritual, Hal wanted to be outdoors and somewhere out of sight.

    "Let''s start."

    The magic gun manifested in Hal''s right hand. The two witches watched from the side. Orihime was observing Hal with concern. On the other hand, Asya had her arms crossed with a calm expression.

    Damn it. Hal secretly cursed in his heart.

    Asya had been like this all the time lately, acting as though that had never happened, putting Hal''s mind in disarray.

    What the heck is Asya thinking? How does she feel about me?

    "...Thinking about it is futile."

    Hal muttered in a voice too quiet for the girls to hear, then switched his focus.

    For the past few days, his childhood friend had shown many puzzling behaviors. However, he would leave the mystery to be solved after handling his pile of work and requests. He needed to prioritize the matters at hand. Hal also decided to temporarily set aside his relationship with Orihime, who was becoming much more than a classmate or a friend¡ª

    He released magical power from his heart and transmitted it to the magic gun in his right hand.

    Hal pointed the muzzle at the sky and focused his mind. He placed his finger on the trigger.

    "I suppose the magic phrase is ''open sesame,''... right?"

    A classic incantation for opening a treasure vault''s door.

    Hal recited the incantation associated with the story of Ali Baba and invoked Legacy Succession magic. It was a mystic technique he had learned from Solomon''s posthumous writings.

    Seven runes of Ruruk Soun appeared in front of the gun''s muzzle that was pointing at the sky.

    They signified "My disciples or my descendants, you are the successors of Solomon."

    Hal pulled the trigger.

    Shot out from the muzzle, the bullet of light pierced the seven runes and tore through the night sky.

    "With this, the signal is sent. The genie of the lamp will then bring the treasure chest over. It might take a long time, though."

    Solomon''s mystic technique was left somewhere extremely far away.

    In comparison, the distance between Tokyo New Town and New York would be akin to an afternoon stroll.

    Hal said to the girls, "Let''s retire for tonight. We''ll just have to see what fortune awaits next. We should also focus on work and forget the whole mess troubling us for the time being."

    "You are... right. We have to survive the referendum tomorrow first!"

    Considerate as always, Orihime instantly replied with a smile.

    In fact, the "whole mess troubling us" was directed at his childhood friend in addition to Orihime, but Hal did not make it explicit. Asya nodded, calm as always.

    When wearing such an expression, the atmosphere she exuded was frighteningly similar to Auntie Yulia''s.

    In any case, it was already 11pm.

    The date would soon change to welcome the arrival of August 16th. The referendum for approving Hannibal''s candidacy was about to be held.

 Volume 5, 5 - Pain and Gain

    Volume 5, Chapter 5 - Pain and Gain

    Part 1

    Old Manhattan Island was the concession territory ruled by dragon king Hannibal.

    Despite the name of "island," strictly speaking, Old Manhattan Island was a vast sandbank on the mouth of the Hudson River. Following the river downstream, one would pass Old Manhattan Island before reaching the Atlantic Ocean.

    Further downstream of Manhattan Island was Liberty Island whose biggest and only selling point was the Statue of Liberty.

    The giant statue of a goddess bearing a torch was the symbol of the United States of America. Including the pedestal, the Statue of Liberty reached almost a height of 100m.

    Hal and his team were on standby, watched over by the Statue of Liberty, a world heritage site.

    Governors Island was also located on the Hudson River. With an area more than ten times of Liberty Island, it was easily large enough to contain a large theme park. In actual fact, the island had facilities including grassland, parks and merry-go-rounds for citizens to use for recreation.

    Hal''s team was on a grassland in the center of Governors Island.

    "Hmm. Simply waiting is making me impatient."

    "In terms of common sense from the human world, you need to sound even more impatient when saying that," replied Hal to the muttering of Hannibal who was in human form.

    The red dragon king was reclining openly in a chair prepared by the humans, delivering his comment with eyes partially closed in a seemingly good mood. He looked a little restless and quite jubilant. The impression Hal gathered was like that of a child who could not wait for an amusement park to open.

    The two of them were seated with a conference room table between them.

    Five meters behind Hal, three other humans were present. Important people in New York State¡ªthe governor, his aide and Christine, respectively. Same people as last time.

    It was currently August 16th, just past 11pm.

    Together with Hannibal, they were waiting for the outcome of the referendum.

    Seeing as they were in a dragon king''s company, having armed units on standby to protect the governor would be pointless. On the human side, the only other people present were two pilots in charge of operating the transport helicopter.

    ¡ªThe referendum had lasted from 8am to 5pm.

    ¡ªResidents could cast their ballot at temporary voting stations all over New York State. More than five hours had passed since the end of the referendum.

    At this moment, the governor''s cellphone began to ring.

    A call. The handsome governor took out his cellphone from the pocket of his expensive summer suit and lowered his voice to take the call. After roughly thirty seconds, he ended the call, wrote a note on a piece of paper and handed it to his aide.

    The aide walked over to Hal uncomfortably and handed him the note in question.

    His expression was stiff, his fingers were trembling, presumably unable to conceal his nervousness towards the imminent major event. Feeling deeply sympathetic, Hal accepted the note, took a glance then said, "Do you approve of the dragon king, a certain Mr. Hannibal, to run for governor? The outcome of this referendum is as follows: 12% support, 84% against, 4% invalid... Looks like the motion has been rejected by the majority."

    "How regrettable. Sure enough, I failed to win the people''s trust within a short time," said Hannibal quietly with a nod.

    This referendum had been managed and counted by the New York State government completely. Hannibal had not verified the ballots himself, which meant that the government had the chance to tamper with vote counts arbitrarily. That being said, everyone probably believed there was no need to do that.

    Hannibal simply grinned and said, "The first chapter of my attempt to seize power has concluded with failure. Now that the situation has unfolded to this point, I have no choice left but to take a massive gamble in the second chapter to mount a comeback. Look forward to my immediate rebound."

    "I have many ripostes for you, such as you are taking this far too well," Hal retorted rather tactfully.

    "But let''s put them aside for now. I''ve got a question. What will your aforementioned comeback be like?"

    "Hmm. I suppose I have to rule all of New York State before holding an election. Neglecting this step resulted in such pain. I have learned not to hold back."

    "I believe that forcing people to vote at gunpoint wouldn''t be a democratic election. Absolutely not."

    "Really? Do you humans not engage frequently in the same kind of election tactics too?"

    "That''s quite a painful jab, but at a time like this, you should keep quiet and let me apply the principles of democracy. I hereby represent all residents of New York State to express absolute disapproval of using physical force to interfere in politics."

    "Then no helping it. I will thn rely on this to proceed."

    Hannibal patted his right arm and smiled. Hal looked up at the blue sky.

    "Don''t you start getting violent straight away. At least enjoy the election game for a bit."

    "No rush for that. There is the presidential election later on. At the present moment, I will focus on consolidating my foundation before transforming myself into a politician who values democracy above all else."

    Going with the flow was precisely Hannibal''s life philosophy.

    But no matter how laid back he seemed, in truth, he was always subconsciously pondering the question of "what should I do to win?" before putting ideas into practice without reservation. Judging from this aspect, he truly lived up to his name as one who had ascended to become a dragon king.

    Despite his exasperation, Hal still felt impressed and said, "What civilized people like us lack must be that kind of unfounded valor and confidence like yours, definitely... In a contest of the wildness index, I think you have even Asya beaten."

    "I do not understand what you are talking about. However, I do not mind if you loudly proclaim my greatness."

    After making jokes, both sides began to take action on their own.

    Reclining in the chair, Hannibal extended his open right hand towards Hal. Hal summoned his gun of a magic wand to his right hand and aimed the steel-colored muzzle at Hannibal.

    A pictograph of Ruruk Soun appeared on the red dragon king''s palm.

    A symbol consisting of a sharp rhombus connected to the end of a straight line, this was the Rune of the Spear. Hannibal was planning to use his dragonslaying rune!

    "O northern star of the shining spear, grant me the dragonslaying spear!"

    "That seal whose name I''ve forgotten, the second part of whatever he said!"

    Just as Hannibal got up and recited an incantation, Hal stood up as well.

    In the next instant, a two-meter-long black spear with a metallic shaft appeared in the red dragon king''s right hand. The spear tip was the dull color of steel.

    When the black spear appeared, the table between the two of them collapsed like a sand sculpture, pulverized. Clearly, Hannibal had yet to grip the spear properly. All he had done was a light swing with his right hand to the side.

    Hal activated magical sight.

    High-density magical power surrounded Hannibal''s humanoid body and the dragonslaying spear.

    "Firing a gun at someone who looks human really isn''t my cup of tea...!"

    Muttering to himself, Hal still pulled the magic gun''s trigger.

    The fired bullets of red light struck the high-density magical power surrounding Hannibal¡ªThey disappeared, meeting the same fate as the table, collapsing like sand.

    "Come on, aren''t my bullets dragonslaying weapons at least?"

    "Hohohoho. My spear is impregnable... and incomparably powerful too!"

    Hannibal cackled at the sight of Hal''s expression of surprise.

    His smile was filled with childishness, making him seem more like a mischievous child than a dragon king.

    Meanwhile, the helicopter pilots on standby had started up the propellers. The governor, his aide and Christine, the three of them had boarded. Hal took a glance at them and nodded. The close-range exchange just now was meant to buy time for them to escape.

    Thus the helicopter took off, returning to Brooklyn.

    Hannibal did not even bother to look, apparently uninterested in the governor and the others.

    The governor and company had left but a great army arrived instead. A meteor shower was falling from the distant sky¡ªSeveral hundred trails of light were descending upon New York City.

    Needless to say, the truth of this sudden meteorological show was the red dragon king''s summoning of minions.

    Each falling meteor was a lesser dragon¡ªthe dragon king''s small fry.

    "Raptors huh...!"

    "Well, they are still useful in large numbers despite their incompetence. O human, fight me this evening!"

    Keeping the gun aimed at the dragon king, Hal slowly backed away.

    The dragonslaying spear was full of mysteries. Staying vigilant, Hal decided to get himself as far away from the spear tip as possible.

    By the time Hal backed away, the meteor shower had already ceased.

    The meteor shower had lasted less than a minute. During this brief duration, almost a thousand Raptors had already blotted out the sky over their location, the Hudson River, flying in all directions.

    ¡ªNaturally, other interception units were on standby apart from Hal.

    Surface-to-air missiles were fired successively from Brooklyn in New York City.

    Ground forces were stationed all over town, prepared to resist the army of Raptors. Their weapons included self-propelled howitzers and rack-mounted halftrack Stinger missile launchers.

    The thickness of Raptor skin was enough to withstand machine gunfire.

    Although Raptors were referred to as "lizards" by elites, they were still members of dragonkind after all.

    Even so, they inevitably collapsed after taking damage from a few consecutive missile hits. Furthermore, dozens of armed helicopters were flying in to support the ground forces.

    On the other hand, New York City''s population was roughly a couple million.

    80% of them had taken the previous few days of preparation time before the referendum to evacuate out of the city temporarily. No voting stations had been set up in New York City today. All venues were outside New York City.

    New York City had turned into a rather empty wasteland.

    Apart from the National Guard, the American army, air force and navy were also deployed at various locations.

    However, helicopters and ground forces alone were not enough to fight dragons flying in the air. The important responsibility of ensuring air superiority fell upon the leviathans¡ªthe witches.

    At present, a blue figure was gliding in New York airspace to accomplish this mission.

    It was Rushalka in crimson armor. Dragon-like in her Queen Form, the wyvern also had bodyguard knights accompanying her.

    These were the four fierce feline leviathans¡ªThe "serpents" of the WotC.

    Part 2

    The US military transport helicopter had taken off from an airbase in the Boston countryside and was circling in Brooklyn''s airspace near the Hudson River and Manhattan Bridge. Asya was in the helicopter, controlling Rushalka in Queen Form.

    "Witches of the Coast, please focus on controlling your partners in flight. Do not leave Rushalka''s side under any circumstances. I will take full command from here."

    "Understood. We will focus on backing you up, Asya."

    Asya issued clear orders and the familiar Christine obeyed.

    Apart from this lively and outgoing blonde witch, the other members were also listening to the orders of Asya the master-class witch. This included the youngest witch in the WotC, the twelve-year-old Marie, the dignified and well-bred Maneesha of Indian descent, as well as the African-American witch Kate whose slender figure was like a model''s.

    Living up to their name as members selected with an emphasis on personality, all of them were very loyal.

    Had they been assembled from master-class witches, an impromptu team would definitely have people breaking step. But right now, there was no need to worry about that and Asya could gaze upon their partners with reassurance.

    A helicopter was mobilized so that they could supervise this aerial battle from a suitable distance.

    In the airspace around Old Manhattan, roughly a thousand Raptors were flying randomly unchecked.

    Queen Form Rushalka charged straight into the ranks of the Raptors. The four leviathans of the WotC stood on guard, above, below and flanking the blue wyvern respectively. The silver lynx leviathan Tom Cat, the fierce albino tiger leviathan Tiger Cat, the blank panther leviathan Wild Cat surrounded by electrical sparks, and Bear Cat whose figure was round like a bear despite being a cat¡ª

    "Rushalka, expand the range of imperishable protection and enhance defense!"

    Asya used Vision Amplification to enhance her sight. Staring intently at her partner with both eyes, she called out from inside the helicopter.

    Flying several kilometers ahead, Rushalka heard clearly. Pearly light radiated out from her Queen Form body.

    Due to the bond of magic connecting them to each other, Asya''s voice could reach Rushalka.

    The four leviathans of the WotC were also within the expanded range of Rushalka''s protection.

    Next, five Raptors flew in with bared fangs, trying to rip Tiger Cat and Wild Cat to shreds.

    However, Rushalka''s deployed protection bounced the five Raptors far away.

    Indeed. The four leviathans of the WotC were actually sent to the field and tasked with other purposes instead of serving as bodyguards.

    Then the leader of the fireteam, Asya, looked towards the sixth member¡ªThe last witch inside the helicopter.

    "E-Excuse me, is it still not yet time for Minadzuki to be summoned...?"

    "Don''t worry. You just have to summon Minadzuki to assist in defense when we''re in trouble. Think of Minadzuki as a bodyguard and a reserve force."

    Asya nodded at the worried Hazumi.

    Truth be told, one would not place too much faith in the helicopter''s armor even when armed with rotary cannons and missiles. Hence, a bodyguard was essential.

    With that, everything was ready¡ª

    Recently, Asya had been focusing her attention on conquering her childhood friend. Having Rushalka charge into enemy ranks, surrounded by foes, made her feel quite nostalgic.

    Doing unfamiliar things for an extended duration was quite mentally draining after all.

    She must go on a rampage to reaffirm her original self. Fortunately, she had plenty of additional weapons on her side.

    "Rushalka will maintain the deployment of imperishable protection. Christine, Kate, Maneesha and Marie, you will each activate your partner''s pseudo-divinity to launch magical attacks. Since we''re surrounded by enemies entirely, there''s no need to aim in particular. Just defeat the enemies with all your strength!"

    The four witches of the WotC immediately followed Asya''s orders.

    Christine''s partner, the flying silver lynx, Tom Cat, possessed the attribute of Water.

    She summoned a tsunami in the sky¡ªthe raging waves rushed at dozens of Raptors at once, crushing them with water pressure.

    The African-American witch Kate''s black panther, Wild Cat, was of the Lightning attribute. Lightning strikes fell madly like rain, incinerating ten-odd Raptors nearby.

    The witch of Indian descent, Maneesha, was controlling the white tiger, Tiger Cat, whose attribute was Wind. Tiger Cat shot out a wild flurry of wind blades like a machine gun, also slaying ten-odd Raptors as well.

    Then there was the youngest newcomer witch, Marie. Her partner was the ursine feline, Bear Cat. Although her attribute was Gravity, the potency was far less than Luna Francois'', of course. Nevertheless, she still tried her best to manipulate gravity, sending flying Raptors crashing into the ground, killing them directly.

    ¡ªWith that, they succeeded in wiping out seventy to eighty Raptors.

    Asya nodded approvingly. The WotC''s "serpents" were simply considered fire support, but they had proved surprisingly effective in restraining the enemy. After all, the enemies were all minions of Hannibal, hence even the small fry Raptors were empowered by the might of dragonbane.

    Given such circumstances, even Luna would have been unable to oppose them prior to establishing her covenant with Hal.

    Tactically speaking, treating the WotC as flying artillery was the best division of roles.

    "Except for Marie, the three of you please attack using pseudo-divinity again."

    The newcomer witch, Marie, was still Level 1, only capable of using pseudo-divinity once a day.

    The other members immediately obeyed Asya''s command. A tsunami, lightning strikes and wind blades raged across the sky again, instantly killing dozens of Raptors.

    However, Kate and Maneesha were only Level 2 witches and this meant the end of their offensive.

    Level 3 witch Christine continued and summoned a third tsunami, thus depleting the final usage of pseudo-divinity by the leviathans of the WotC.

    They ended up destroying almost 30% of the enemy forces in total, leaving roughly seven hundred of them.

    "I''ll handle the rest. Please call back your ''serpents'' from Rushalka''s side!"

    Basking in the protective radiance deployed by the blue wyvern in Queen Form, the WotC''s four leviathans suddenly vanished. The witches had followed Asya''s request to withdraw their leviathans. Now, Asya had free rein to employ tactical mobility.

    Asya instantly commanded, "Rushalka, equip the Rune of the Bow."

    A pair of arms made of ruby were equipped on Rushalka.

    A crimson longbow manifested on the left arm while eight arrows, made of ice from arrowhead to the fletchings, beautifully sculpted like artwork, appeared over her head.

    The arrows, like exquisite ice sculptures, were products of Water pseudo-divinity.

    Rushalka''s right hand grabbed an arrow, nocked it and extended the bow.

    "Shotgun, fire!"

    The arrow was shot on Asya''s command.

    After being fired, the ice arrow shattered into over three hundred fragments, turning into small and sharp arrowheads to attack the Raptors.

    This hail of projectiles was more akin to the output of dozens of rotary cannons than a shotgun shell.

    The Raptors caught in this storm of ice were instantly destroyed¡ªThey vanished in the blink of an eye.

    This was thanks to the dragonslaying power residing within the shards of ice. This one attack was enough to wipe out roughly a hundred Raptors, but Rushalka was not done firing.

    "Second shot, fire!"

    Rushalka fired the second arrow out of the eight arrows she had just summoned.

    The second shotgun blast of ice took down another hundred Raptors or so.

    In the end, Asya and Rushalka repeated this for a total of seven times, completely annihilating the Raptors summoned to the New York sky.

    Furthermore, her ammunition was not completely consumed.

    Eight arrows had been created just now. Rushalka nocked the final arrow on the bow.

    "Target enemy reinforcements. Rushalka!"

    Asya''s blue partner fired the eighth arrow on her command.

    There was not a single Raptor remaining in Rushalka''s vicinity but other reinforcements were showing up in the distance. Salamander-shaped flames were appearing in the sky over the Old Manhattan Concession¡ª

    The minions known as Hannibal''s personal guard¡ªThe Army of Fire.

    Numbering roughly three hundred. The salamanders descended upon the darkness that was New York City, lighting up the entire metropolis.

    The shotgun blast of ice arrived after the reinforcements arrived.

    However, it failed to work. The ice shards were all destroyed before they could reach the Army of Fire.

    "As expected of his personal guard..."

    Unlike Hannibal, Asya was not the type to take delight in fighting a powerful foe.

    With the arrival of enemies that could not be defeated by the same tactics, Asya frowned inside the helicopter.

    "So you were hiding such a powerful trump card. Well played, Tyrannos of the Bow."

    Not too long ago, the Raptor army in the air had been wiped out by Rushalka in Queen Form.

    However, this scene was nothing more than an exotic side show performance for Hannibal. He spoke quietly in a calm tone while using his right hand to slowly thrust his spear in front of him.

    This was not done to pierce Hal but to aim the spear tip at Hal''s heart.

    "I never expected a counterfeit dragon king... O Queen, so it turns out that you offered ideas to help him?"

    "Ludicrous. Do you believe that I am a woman who would be so considerate as to look after this guy?"

    "Fair enough point. It is truly wonderful to see that death has not changed you at all."

    Hal''s magic gun was replying using Hinokagutsuchi''s voice. Hannibal snickered.

    Meanwhile, listening to the conversation between a former dragon king and a current dragon king, Hal was in no mood for chatting. He aimed his magic gun at Hannibal while Hannibal in human form had the spear pointed at him.

    There was a gap of five meters between them.

    Even so, Hal still could not move. The dragonslaying spear¡ªits tip¡ªwas giving off magical power that enveloped Hal entirely, turning him frozen.

    Twelve runes of Ruruk Soun had appeared on the spear tip.

    Under this arrangement, the runes signified "O spear of mine, gather the northern star''s power to advance with ferocity."

    "A technique of assured annihilation...!"

    Hal deployed imperishable protection. The pearly light enveloped his entire body.

    However, his body still remained stiff. This was probably a special attack that he could not defend completely against using protection alone. Hal realized he was exceedingly afraid of the dragonslaying spear. His entire body was withered and frozen as though he were encountering sleep paralysis.

    Due to the fear and pressure, his throat was parched.

    ...By the time Hal came to his senses, he noticed Hannibal approaching him and making a thrust with his spear.

    "Wahhhhhhh!?"

    Rather than a stab from a spear, this strike felt like being violently bashed by a giant battering ram.

    Such was the power behind Hannibal''s one strike.

    Since the location was a wide open grassland without any obstructions, Hal was blown away entirely, falling forty or fifty meters away. The only reason he survived was due to deploying imperishable protection in advance.

    However, Hal still experienced an impact that felt as though all the bones in his body shattered.

    He still showed confusion on his face after getting up. Hal''s lifeline¡ªthe pearly defensive barrier¡ªhad rapidly disappeared as a result of one attack from Hannibal in human form.

    Even Pavel Galad''s technique of assured annihilation was nowhere this potent!

    "Were you a true dragon king, I would expect far more trouble... In the case of a counterfeit, breaking such protection is effortless for me."

    The strongest dragon king-class enemy spoke casually with a smile.

    Furthermore, he was walking slowly to Hal. I must hurry and escape. However, Hal''s body turned paralyzed again. At this rate, death was all but assured.

    "In that case!"

    Hal focused all his strength in his right index finger. Controlling the physical body with single-minded focus was the only way to forget the fear and pressure. Hal concentrated his mind completely on pulling the magic gun''s trigger.

    Baaaaaaaaaaang!

    A red bullet of light shot out. Hal was firing straight at Hannibal in front of him, but the twelve Ruruk Soun runes of "O spear of mine, gather the northern star''s power to advance with ferocity" continued to glow, displayed in front of the dragon king.

    Hal''s bullet of light vanished the moment it struck this arrangement of runes.

    The magic gun told Hal that this was the dragonslaying spear''s technique of assured annihilation, Thrusting Skyrocket.

    "So it''s not a special move that''s only for offense..."

    "Didn''t I tell you? My spear is impregnable."

    Hannibal smiled proudly and approached, aiming the spear tip at Hal.

    In no rush to run forward, he strode step by step to approach Hal, unhurried in his pace. Rather than charging at high speed, this exemplified a dragon king''s dignity and majesty instead. Such was a king''s march forward.

    Hal trembled. Unless he found some kind of solution, his body was going to freeze up again.

    Hannibal was roughly ten meters away from Hal. The fear of death drove Hal to activate full-auto mode and fire all the bullets in the magic gun. This was his technique of assured annihilation.

    Gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat-gat!

    "Wow, what potent firepower, Tyrannos!"

    The runes of Ruruk Soun saved Hannibal the effort of defending again.

    Even shooting all remaining ammunition in full-auto mode could not breach the twelve-rune arrangement of "O spear of mine, gather the northern star''s power to advance with ferocity."

    All the bullets vanished in midair. However, Hannibal halted too.

    It was this instant. The firepower of twenty-eight consecutive shots finally managed to block the dragon king''s continued advance.

    Although the achievement was meager, in such circumstances, some achievement was better than none!

    "Counting on you, Juujouji!"

    "Very well! Akuro-Ou, please!"

    Hal suddenly shouted. The hidden girl responded to Hal''s call.

    The white fox-wolf, Akuro-Ou, also raced forward like cavalry. Akuro-Ou had shrunk down to her smallest size of roughly three meters, allowing her partner to ride on her back.

    Juujouji Orihime had not gone off with Asya and the other witches, instead staying here on standby to support Hal in case of emergencies.

    The dashing Akuro-Ou used one of her tails to pick up Hal nimbly, allowing him to mount her snow-white back. Thus, Hal was seated right behind Orihime.

    Akuro-Ou then used her momentum to take a leap. Orihime immediately issued orders, "Use the Rune of the Bow and fire magic... Punish him!"

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Pseudo-divinity was activated simultaneously as Akuro-Ou took flight.

    Akuro-Ou''s nine tails each fired a shot, a total of nine black arrowheads. The arrowheads all exploded just before striking Hannibal, turning into crimson flames to attack the dragon king.

    "Hahahahaha! What a grand welcoming party. Looks like I must get serious too!"

    Despite the blazing flames scorching him, Hannibal laughed heartily.

    However, Hannibal''s figure, engulfed in flames, disappeared from Hal''s sight¡ªFor only several seconds.

    The blazing conflagration swirled into a vortex. A red elite dragon suddenly appeared inside it. His body length was roughly twenty meters. The exoskeleton around the chest resembled armor. Holding a long black spear in his right hand, he was standing upright sternly...

    Needless to say, this was precisely the dragon form of Red Hannibal.

    The most powerful dragon king-class opponent was finally fighting in his true form.

    ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAR!

    The red dragon king opened his gigantic jaws and kept roaring fiercely. Hearing these roars while in the air, Hal and Orihime gulped at the same time.

    "Hinokagutsuchi... That thing I told you about, can''t you pick up the pace?"

    "Then give me slightly more power. Fortunately, it is quite close now, so I should not require too much."

    Hal touched the magic gun and asked, prompting Hinokagutsuchi to answer immediately.

    Power¡ªNaturally, that meant magical power. Starting the previous night, Hal and the dragon queen had been secretly using a certain magic continuously. It looked like their efforts had been rewarded.

    In order to output a new pulse of magical power, Hal focused his awareness on his heart.

    Part 3

    The Army of Fire had appeared over the Old Manhattan Concession.

    A great army consisting of roughly three hundred salamander-shaped flames, they were all minions under Hannibal''s command.

    Unlike Raptors, the Army of Fire did not fly all over the place. Instead, they hovered neatly in the air like soldiers awaiting the commander''s orders.

    "If we rush into that army, it''ll be checkmate for us like how they took care of the Raptors last time. That being said, we have no choice but to attack. What troublesome enemies... Hazumi-san."

    "Y-Yes!"

    The obedient junior witch instantly responded in a stiff voice as soon as Asya spoke to her.

    Shirasaka Hazumi was like an angel and did not like conflict. However, she must have felt how terrifying dragon king Hannibal was, thus making her more nervous than during the usual battles.

    Currently, Asya and Hazumi were the only witches remaining on the transport helicopter.

    After the salamanders showed up, Asya immediately instructed the members of the WotC to meet up with ground forces. Even without the ability to use pseudo-divinity for now, four "serpents" still stood as valuable combat potential.

    "First Rushalka and I will test out the enemy. Minadzuki is important backup, so please don''t carelessly enter the combat zone."

    "Understood."

    No good would come out of throwing all their available forces into the front lines.

    Looking back at history, many battles were won through the efforts of reserve forces. After predicting possible mistakes that the still inexperienced Hazumi might make and warning her about them¡ª

    Asya looked at the aerial battlefield again from her vantage point in the helicopter.

    Rushalka was in the sky over Chinatown in the southern part of Old Manhattan. The Army of Fire were in a formation at the center of this wasteland¡ªabove Central Park.

    They were separated by roughly ten kilometers.

    The Army of Fire moved in unison and flew towards Rushalka. In addition, the hands of the three hundred salamanders had gained weapons without anyone noticing earlier. Using the four fingers on their right forelimb, they were wielding black spears dexterously!

    Runes of Ruruk Soun were arranged in front of all the salamanders.

    The runes were all the same, reading "O spear of mine, gather the northern star''s power to advance with ferocity" in every case.

    "¡ª!? Rushalka, evasive maneuvers. Hurry and circle to the back of the enemy!"

    Asya issued emergency orders but a surprising result awaited her.

    Despite always following orders faithfully, Rushalka did not respond this time. She did turn herself to dodge at least, but that was as far as she could go. As her partner, Asya instinctively guessed the reason.

    "Overwhelmed by the enemy''s pressure?"

    In that case¡ªAsya yelled.

    "Retreat, Rushalka! Leave the city and withdraw to the riverside!"

    If attack orders could not be executed due to pressure, perhaps a retreat command was possible?

    Asya was correct. Continuing to face the Army of Fire, Rushalka started flying backwards.

    Ruahalka flew from Chinatown in the south of Old Manhattan to the city''s entrance, Manhattan Bridge.

    Directly below her was the great river flowing north-south in New York State¡ªThe Hudson River''s mouth. Rushalka continued to back away, retreating to the sky over Liberty Island, the Statue of Liberty, Governors Island, etc.

    Asya nodded.

    Ruashalka''s retreat speed was faster than the Army of Fire''s advance. Hence, their separation had lengthened, reducing the pressure on Rushalka somewhat. Asya immediately commanded, "Invoke pseudo-divinity. Wall of Water!"

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Pseudo-divinity activated together with the roar. In the next second, the surface of the torrential Hudson River rose up, forming a gigantic towering pillar of water¡ª

    The great volume of river water was enough to form a sphere surrounding Rushalka in all directions.

    The sphere''s diameter was roughly sixty meters, resulting in a protective layer sufficient to cover the gigantic body of the "serpent" with no blindspots.

    "Add the enchantment of imperishable protection!"

    The shield of water guarding Rushalka began to glow with pearly radiance.

    This was the strongest defensive formation, a combination of pseudo-divinity and a Tyrannos'' power. So long as she persisted in sniping the enemy forces while under protection¡ª

    "Rushalka, although I''m not Orihime-san, we''ll have to fight a Battle of Nagashino here!"

    The partner in Queen Form readied an arrow of light on the crimson bow and shot swiftly.

    This arrow pierced a salamander squarely¡ªThat was supposed to happen but the arrow of light disappeared as soon as it struck the arrangement of Ruruk Soun runes reading "O spear of mine, gather the northern star''s power to advance with ferocity."

    The second and third arrows met the same fate.

    "The enemy side has iron-clad defense too... It''s like a phalanx of spearmen."

    The Army of Fire arrived while Asya clicked her tongue.

    The three hundred salamanders scattered in front of Rushalka all at once, closing in from all angles, using the spears in their hands to stab the water sphere. No matter which direction, there were salamanders everywhere.

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    The blue wyvern roared again, but this time was due to pain.

    Rather than pulling out their spears, the three hundred salamanders pushed their spears deeper into the shield of water. Tormented by pain, Rushalka screamed even more acutely.

    Hannibal''s technique of assured annihilation was capable of inflicting physical damage even with imperishable protection in the way!

    "Rushalka!?"

    Her partner was enduring the pain of being stabbed by three hundred drills.

    Realizing this, Asya looked grim. Considering Rushalka''s current condition, she should be able to completely block even Pavel Galad''s technique of assured annihilation.

    However, this solid defense was being tragically obliterated by Hannibal''s minions.

    "If the general shows up now...!"

    "Asya-san! P-Please look at that!"

    Inside a helicopter circling over the Hudson river, the two witches watched the battle situation.

    Asya looked in the direction indicated by Hazumi and gasped. What she feared had come true.

    On Governors Island where Hal and others had met the red dragon king¡ª

    The island''s ground was ablaze from a magical conflagration. Amid the sea of flames, a gigantic elite dragon¡ªno, Manhattan''s king¡ªwas getting ready to rise.

    Dragon king Hannibal opened his great jaws and roared repeatedly.

    ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAR!

    One could call it a great noise that shook heaven and earth.

    This howling further granted the Army of Fire more power. The salamanders stabbed deeper with their spears, immediately breaking the protective shield.

    The sixty-meter-diameter water sphere barrier guarding Rushalka¡ª

    It began to collapse with water splashing.

    The sphere shrank progressively. In merely a minute or two, its volume had been reduced to half of its original. Hannibal came forward personally, flying slowly to approach Rushalka and deliver the final blow.

    Naturally, the dragon king himself was wielding a spear too. All was lost¡ªJust as everyone thought that...

    ''Please... Hang on a bit longer!''

    Asya seemed to hear the voice of her childhood friend. Rather than her ear, it was the Rune of the Bow surfacing on the back of her left hand that had transmitted the message to her.

    "Rushalka, use the Water Cannon and the Rune of the Bow simultaneously!"

    This was her third time invoking pseudo-divinity today.

    The Hudson River''s water surface bulged up violently again, spewing a water pillar upwards.

    This is a technique using the river below as artillery to fire several hundred tons of water as ammunition. Together with the Rune of the Bow''s firepower, it was upgraded into a dragonslaying attack.

    This attack was evidently effective.

    Water extinguished fire. This time, a natural law of the universe took effect.

    Swallowed by the great flood of water from the Hudson River, the three hundred salamanders disappeared with a sizzle.

    "Unable to withstand attacks from below¡ªor rather, flanking attacks. Sure enough, their strengths and weaknesses are the same as a phalanx..." said Asya quietly after realizing the properties of the Rune of the Spear.

    The water cannon earlier had also allowed Rushalka to bolster her defenses.

    Having shrunk to less than half its size, the defensive water sphere replenished its moisture, returning to its original diameter of sixty meters.

    Used as a cannon, the river water gushed up to a height of seven or eight hundred meters.

    The water pillar then fell swiftly into the Hudson River like a gust of violent wind¡ªIn the next second, Red Hannibal charged in just as this momentary downpour ended!

    "Although I have forgotten how many millennia I have fought with the dragonslaying spear by my side..."

    Hannibal made a straight forward thrust with the dragonslaying spear, flying to make a beeline towards Rushalka in the air over Governors Island.

    "This is my first time fighting an imitation dragon king!"

    "Rushalka!"

    The dragon king tried to pierce the defensive water sphere with the tip of his spear.

    The sphere guarding Rushalka barely managed to block Hannibal''s thrust.

    As a result, the sphere vanished in that instant. Hundreds of tons of river water spilled into the Hudson River.

    "How about that? Your petty tricks end here, right!?"

    Hannibal resumed flying towards Rushalka. The red dragon king extended his spear. Now, the imitation queen no longer had any defensive shield. Asya roared, "Rushalka, retreat first!"

    The partner obeyed Asya''s command and backed away swiftly.

    Hannibal gave chase. Fortunately, their initial speeds were different. The blue wyvern had an overwhelming advantage in speed.

    The time needed for Rushalka to start accelerating from rest was extremely short.

    Within only ten-odd seconds, Rushalka was able to reach maximum speed, displaying her agile and nimble flying form. In contrast, Hannibal glided slowly first before speeding up gradually.

    In a certain way, Hannibal''s leisurely appearance was more fitting of a king''s style.

    Consequently, this battle of pursuit was initially in Rushalka''s favor¡ª

    "Rushalka, please keep your distance and continue to escape. Don''t fight Hannibal head on. You must flank him!"

    Asya kept issuing detailed orders.

    Despite the slow start, Hannibal''s flying speed was quite high once given enough time to accelerate.

    Furthermore, he continued to exude pressure that stiffened Rushalka''s movements. He was not an opponent easy to escape from.

    Rushalka fled to the sky over Liberty Island where the Statue of Liberty was located with Hannibal in pursuit.

    However, after two or three minutes of chasing the blue wyvern, the red dragon king suddenly halted in the air and started to laugh.

    "Hahahahaha! I will need helpers to catch a swift swallow. Then I shall summon some shrikes!"

    Flames¡ªSalamander-shaped flames appeared one after another in Hannibal''s surroundings.

    Roughly three hundred salamanders. With that, Asya understood. Rushalka''s earlier attack had simply extinguished the flames. The Army of Fire was not vanquished. After a while, they would revive like this...

    As expected of a dragon king, the gap in power was too great. The worst-case scenario appeared in Asya''s mind.

    Would she be able to continue? Most likely, she was going to run out of options¡ª

    "Asya-san, please look at this!"

    At that moment, Hazumi, who had been on standby the whole time, handed her a memo.

    Due to focusing on the battle, Asya had not noticed that Hazumi had been in wireless communications with someone. Written on the memo was an instruction from the other person.

    "Rushalka, retreat to the bridge quickly!"

    Rushalka started flying according to Asya''s demand.

    With her back to Hannibal and his great army, she flew north swiftly, in other words, towards Old Manhattan.

    There were only two kilometers to Manhattan Bridge and it would not take the wyvern''s wings very long to get there.

    Hannibal''s army was out in full force, chasing after the fleeing Rushalka.

    The dragon king took the lead with the three hundred salamanders behind him. The king and his pawns each wielded a spear, giving off vibes of determined slaughter.

    Hannibal''s flying in the lead was still sluggish.

    Hence, Rushalka was not going to be caught straight away. But once Hannibal got up to speed¡ªand this time, with a great number of salamanders as hunting hounds¡ªany slight mistake and all would be lost.

    Meanwhile, the transport helicopter carrying Asya and Hazumi was also flying towards Manhattan Bridge.

    This was due to Hazumi asking the pilot to do so.

    Seeing Rushalka only seconds away from arriving over the bridge, Asya said, "Release Queen Form. Next user up!"

    Rushalka flew over Manhattan Bridge.

    The ruby armor and arms vanished. This time, the one who obtained armor and entered Queen Form was Akuro-Ou, on standby at the bridge since a while ago¡ª

    The white nine-tailed fox-wolf was equipped with Queen Form''s armor.

    There was a golden cannon on her back as well.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Akuro-Ou barked sonorously and fired the golden cannon on her back continuously. Shooting out of the barrel were flashes of red light, targeting the Army of Fire pursuing Rushalka.

    However, with Hannibal as the vanguard, the spearmen used that power again.

    Once again, the runic arrangement of "O spear of mine, gather the northern star''s power to advance with ferocity" appeared in front of the dragon king and his soldiers.

    The cannon shots disappeared upon striking the runes.

    Hence, what took credit for halting the army''s advance was not Akuro-Ou but a gigantic "box" descending from the sky.

    Moving towards the ground from the starry sky¡ª

    As a rough description, it was rectangular in shape but enormous enough to serve as a coffin for a thirty to forty-meter tall giant.

    The box was colored white, making it especially conspicuous against the darkness of night.

    It seemed to be made of wood. Indeed, it was a gigantic wooden ship.

    At first glance, it seemed to be descending slowly, but the white ark was actually moving at the river at over fifty kilometers per hour. However, the water surface remained calm without any ripples.

    It looked like the ark''s descent was guided by gravity control magic.

    The landing was quite similar to Genbu-Ou''s arrival in Tokyo New Town two months prior. Perhaps this level of similarity was only natural. After all, the giant turtle Genbu-Ou and the white ark were both created for the same purpose.

    Minions for serving a dragon king or Tyrannos. A mode of transportation to take their masters to the sea of stars¡ª

    "So that''s Solomon''s ark..."

    Asya murmured while looking out of the helicopter at the white ark below.

    The landing site was not far from Manhattan Bridge. This was no accident, because Akuro-Ou was not the only one on the bridge. Hal, the one who had summoned the ark, was there too with Orihime.

    "Oh?"

    Meanwhile, Hannibal muttered while leading his flying army of salamanders.

    "Handiwork related to Ruruk Soun huh? Hohoho, Tyrannos, what exactly are your intentions...?"

    Despite expecting a trap, Hannibal continued to march his army forward.

    The fearless dragon king wished to crush Hal''s group, trap and ark included.

    Part 4

    Solomon''s ark.

    This ship''s hiding place was not on Earth but in the domain called the sea of stars by dragonkind¡ªA corner of the universe. More concretely, its precise location was the asteroid belt lying between Jupiter and Saturn. Since it was within the confines of the solar system just like the Earth, it would be considered relatively near for astronomical distances.

    The effect of the Legacy Inheritance spell that Hal had been casting continuously since the previous day was to summon this treasure chest, containing Solomon''s legacy, from across the unimaginably vast distance of its hiding place.

    This ark took all night to traverse the sea of stars and was now floating on the Hudson River.

    The ship had not been moored with an anchor, yet it was floating motionlessly on the river surface. As expected of a great sorcerer''s ship. Despite being a wooden ship, it possessed the inexplicable ability to break through the atmosphere like the dragons.

    Hal looked at the ark from Manhattan Bridge and spoke over a military transceiver.

    "I''ll open the treasure immediately to take out the items. Asya and Rushalka, continue attacking."

    ''Understood. I hope you''ll power up as soon as possible.''

    Hal and Asya were conversing.

    His childhood friend and Hazumi had also confirmed the battle situation from the helicopter in the air.

    ''I''ve also figured out the characteristics of the enemy''s Rune of the Spear, more or less. I was looking for a chance to make full use of my discoveries.''

    "You''re talking about that, right? Rather than a spear, it''s more like a phalanx rune."

    ''Yes. Since a head on clash won''t work, I''m thinking of inflicting flanking attacks as much as possible. That being said, Hannibal''s version of the phalanx is pretty mobile.''

    Phalanx. This was an infantry tactic dating back to ancient Greece.

    A row consisted of foot soldiers, each equipped with a long spear and a large shield, standing side by side. Then these rows were repeated in a rectangular formation. During combat, the soldiers would march forward while keeping the rectangular formation and attack with their spears. When the front row of infantry was defeated, the next row would step up, thus maintaining offensive strength.

    Due to amassed numbers, the row of large shields could also form a fortress. Defensive strength was obvious. The hedge of spears from the upward pointing spears of the soldiers in the latter rows was also able to block projectile weapons from the enemy.

    This was an ancient Greek military tactic that combined offense with defense.

    However, mobility was relatively low due to how closely packed the soldiers were. This was the weakness of the tactic...

    Asya verified the combat situation after ending her call. Not only was Hal on Manhattan Bridge but Juujouji and Akuro-Ou too. The white fox-wolf had exited Queen Form. Rushalka was not nearby because she had gone off to carry out the next step in the plan.

    Hannibal''s army was currently aimed at the ark, marching forward without impediment.

    Neither the commander-in-chief in the lead nor the salamanders had reached top speed, hence the situation was not too urgent yet...

    "Juujouji, I''m relying on you to stop the lizard army after I open the treasure chest."

    "Very well... Please be careful, Haruga-kun!"

    Hal nodded in response to the worried girl and focused on his task of "opening the box".

    Open sesame. Hal took a shortcut and omitted most of the incantation. From the white ark¡ªseventy-two blue-white ghostlights flew out!

    They were ghostlights shaped like dragons, similar to leviathans in size.

    "Serpent ectoplasm..."

    The catalog of treasures automatically entered Hal''s mind while Legacy Inheritance was in progress.

    As a result, Hal knew everything. The true identities of the serpent ectoplasm were the souls of ancient leviathans that had lost physical form. Despite losing their flesh, they had not lost their magical power¡ª

    The seventy-two dragonoid ghostlights spread their wings like birds and flew all over the sky.

    The ghostlights flew freely with agility, like seabirds flocking by the ocean. Then something tiny and sparkling from the flying serpent ectoplasm fell towards Manhattan Bridge.

    Hal reached out to the sky and opened his right palm.

    The object dropped by the serpent ectoplasm was falling as though in slow motion. Finally, it fell into the hand of Hal the successor.

    "Solomon''s ring..."

    It was a gold ring, the instrument of magic control left behind by the great sorcerer of antiquity. Hal placed the ring onto his right index finger and muttered the ring''s other name.

    "The Rune of the Ring...!"

    A new magic symbol appeared on Hal''s right palm.

    An extremely simple seal of "¡ò," it was the Rune of the Ring, neither a bow nor twin katana. When that rune surfaced, the flock of flying serpent ectoplasm displayed new movement. One after another, they flew towards Hal who was on the ground.

    More precisely, their target was not Hal but the ring worn by Hal. One by one, King Solomon''s legacy absorbed the servants that were flying overhead.

    With seventy-two serpent souls inside, the ring surged with massive magical power.

    And the ring''s successor was able to control this power arbitrarily.

    "!?"

    Apart from magical power, there was another dramatic change.

    From the moment he put on the ring, Hal could feel the presence of hearts.

    First, there were the hearts of the serpent souls gathered inside the ring¡ªThey were overjoyed to return to the earth after thousands of years, liberated from the ark that served as gigantic shackles.

    "So it''s a ring that can listen to the voices of ''serpents'' and sense their thoughts and feelings..." Hal muttered after actually experiencing one of the functions listed in the catalog.

    There was a rumor regarding King Solomon and a magic ring. Legend had it that the archangel Michael had bestowed this ring upon him, granting him the power to make angels and demons do his bidding as well as the ability to listen to the voices of all plants and animals. This was a story recorded in multiple grimoires and the Old Testament of the Bible.

    Hal was using the ring''s power to expand the range of his extrasensory perception.

    Akuro_ou and Rushalka were quite fired up to fight the army of salamanders.

    In addition, the WotC''s "serpents" in Brooklyn were tense due to sensing the dragon king''s presence.

    Like machinery, the salamanders only obeyed the dragon king''s orders.

    "Come to think of it, all of our ''serpents'' are female..."

    Hal was reminded. Due to their appearance as ferocious beasts, without communicating heart to heart in this manner, it would be all too easy to forget that all leviathans, the allies of mankind, were female.

    Akuro-Ou and Rushalka were genuine ladies, the same gender as Orihime and Asya.

    While feeling slightly apologetic, Hal established a psychic connection to their souls. This was to output magical power directly, several times stronger than before, without needing to go through the witches'' hearts. This was also an ability granted to Hal by the ring.

    "All ready. Juujouji...!"

    "Roger that! Akuro-Ou, use a killer move to stop those dragons from advancing. Don''t hold back and use fire magic to bombard them!"

    Orihime responded to Hal''s request firmly and powerfully.

    While the "serpents" were receiving substantial magical power from Hal...

    Hannibal and his three hundred salamanders continued to march on, merely four or five hundred meters away from Manhattan Bridge.

    Their goal was to crush Tyrannos Haruga Haruomi and his followers.

    Having obtained sufficient speed, Hannibal''s army was going to reach Manhattan Bridge in ten-odd seconds. At that moment, Akuro-Ou attacked first from the bridge.

    Nine black arrowheads had manifested over the white fox-wolf''s head.

    These mysterious arrowheads resembled primitive stone tools crafted from obsidian. They were manifestations of the Rune of the Bow as weapons.

    The nine black arrowheads turned into hovering artillery, lined up in a row in front of Manhattan Bridge.

    Aimed at Hannibal''s army, the arrowheads all fired at the same time. Flame projectiles were shot out from their tips at a rate exceeding a hundred times per second.

    Fully automatic fire. This was the technique of assured annihilation that Hal had innovated when forging his magic gun.

    Naturally, the hail of bullets was directed at the red dragon king''s army.

    However, neither Hannibal nor the salamanders following his lead faltered.

    The Ruruk Soun incantation of "O spear of mine, gather the northern star''s power to advance with ferocity" continued to withstand the rain of bullets brought by a technique of assured annihilation. The great army persisted in pushing forward.

    Even so, Akuro-Ou''s technique of assured annihilation succeeded in slowing down Hannibal''s army.

    This was thanks to the unmitigated and overwhelming firepower of full auto.

    "Akuro-Ou... Your pseudo-divinity''s power has increased as expected."

    From inside the helicopter flying above the Hudson River, Asya watched the battle situation around Manhattan Bridge and nodded.

    The potency of the magical power that Akuro-Ou used was even stronger than that of leviathans partnered with Level 5 witches.

    This blessing was not limited to Akuro-Ou alone.

    "If we can benefit from the Rune of the Ring too¡ªRushalka!"

    Seeing that the time was ripe, Asya called out to the blue wyvern that had left the battlefield on her own, flying to the altitude of seven kilometers over New York City, waiting for the opportunity for a surprise attack.

    "Activate technique of assured annihilation while descending. Full burst!"

    This was her fourth time invoking pseudo-divinity today.

    This left only one remaining invocation, meaning that the trump card of Double Casting was no longer available¡ª

    With the situation critical, Rushalka rushed down at Hannibal''s army.

    She returned to Queen Form again. The two arms of ruby reappeared with a crimson bow held in her left and an ice arrow in her right.

    Furthermore, Rushalka was not the only archer.

    After she began her rapid descent, support archers appeared behind the blue wyvern.

    They looked identical to Rushalka in Queen Form¡ªclones, numbering close to a hundred. The clones were all wielding crimson bows and ice arrows.

    The Rushalka army fired arrows while charging at the Hannibal army from above.

    With every shot, a new arrow would be created in the right hand. Rushalka and her clones were all able to fire arrows continuously without pause.

    ¡ªThe Rune of the Spear was impregnable when facing frontal assaults, but was powerless against flanking attacks.

    In order to strike at this weakness, Rushalka had personally gone up into the sky to launch a surprise attack. However, Hannibal''s composure in handling this situation was to a maddening degree.

    "O dragonslaying spear, offer imperishable protection to my great army!"

    The dragon king ordered the spear in his hand, instantly deploying faint pearly radiance.

    The red dragon king''s protection range was not only large enough to cover his own massive body but also the three hundred salamanders under his command.

    Defended by both the runes of Ruruk Soun and imperishable protection, the Hannibal army had no blind spots.

    Akuro-Ou and Rushalka persisted in unleashing techniques of assured annihilation for almost a minute, but not even a single salamander pawn was defeated, much less a dragon king.

    Rushalka''s hundred clones also vanished completely.

    However, Aysa had saved a secret move for last.

    In addition to Akuro-Ou, Rushalka had also obtained extraordinary magical power thanks to the Rune of the Ring''s blessing. Specifically, her total magical power rivaled that of Hannibal, who was dragon king-class.

    A Level 3 witch like Orihime might have been unable to control it completely.

    But in the case of Asya the master-class witch and Europe''s strongest ace¡ª

    "Rushalka, now is the time. Technique of assured annihilation, sun-shooting divine bow!"

    Rushalka lowered her altitude to almost ground level.

    She circled around to the side of the Hannibal army that was advancing towards Manhattan Bridge and used the Rune of the Bow''s ultimate mystic technique.

    Shining with golden splendor, the arrow of light shot out from the crimson bow.

    In her current state, Rushalka was capable of firing the sun-shooting divine bow without Double Casting pseudo-divinity.

    Furthermore, this trump card was made even more effective by the previous barrage of fully automatic fire to weaken imperishable protection¡ªGambling everything on this arrow, Asya watched it fly.

    Roughly fifty meters in length, the arrow of light turned into a great serpent of flame.

    The serpent devoured salamanders one after another, wiping out forty or fifty of them within the blink of an eye. The serpent even entangled Hannibal and tried to swallow him, who tried to stab using his dragonslaying spear, but just as the dragon king raised his spear for a swing¡ªthe great serpent of flame exploded.

    The giant explosion in the air over the Hudson River had enough range to cover the entire Hannibal army.

    Flashing of light, flickering of flames, massive rumbling, and wind from the blast persisted for a minute or two.

    When everything settled, the enemy army was cleanly eliminated. Not a single salamander remained at the scene. Even the gigantic Red Hannibal was nowhere to be seen.

    The only magic beast still in the air was Rushalka in Queen Form.

    "A-Asya-san, you did it!"

    Hazumi immediately cried out in joy and hugged Asya tightly. Inside the same helicopter, she had been watching Asya''s valiant battle with bated breath.

    However, while watching her angelic junior rejoicing, Asya¡ª

    "Rushalka, emergency de-materialization! Hurry... Run away fast!" Asya immediately commanded without having even the time to cast Enemy Detection.

    There was no rational basis. If anything, Asya''s reaction probably stemmed from a rigid belief that a dragon king could not possibly have perished just like that. More importantly, she had sensed an incoming crisis, enough to chill her to the bone.

    Just as Asya issued her command, the dragonslaying spear immediately flew out from the Hudson River.

    The spear flew, targeting Rushalka in the air, piercing the ruby chest armor.

    Fortunately, Asya had commanded a retreat ahead of time. Just before the spear tip skewered the heartmetal inside Rushalka, she vanished instantly.

    In the nick of time. But not unscathed.

    "Gu... ahhhhhhhh!"

    "Asya-san!?"

    The pain from a dragonslaying weapon was not only experienced by the "serpent" but also the covenantee as well.

    Holding her hand to her chest, Asya collapsed forward. She felt as though a massive hole had been gouged out of her heart and had difficulty breathing properly.

    Hazumi hastily supported Asya who was unable to stand on her own.

    Meanwhile, the spear that had forced Rushalka''s exit remained motionless in the air.

    It was faithfully waiting for its master to leave the river and retrieve it.

    "The sudden amplification in power truly surprised me... However, there are limits to a ''mock dragon king'' after all. That being said¡ª"

    Hannibal gripped the dragonslaying spear again and muttered quietly.

    "It might be a different matter if I could fight the queen of the past directly. O Tyrannos of the Bow, you have many toys hidden up your sleeve."

    Dragon king Hannibal gazed upon Manhattan Bridge.

    In the air over the bridge was no longer Akuro-Ou but the Crimson Queen, in other words, Hinokagutsuchi''s physical body when she was alive as a dragon king. One could think of it as Haruga Haruomi''s avatar currently.

    However, Asya felt very uneasy inside.

    Between her and her childhood friend Haruomi was a bond of the covenant and a connection of magic.

    In spite of that, she currently could not sense any presence of the Rune of the Bow from the Crimson Queen. Neither was there any presence of the Rune of the Twin Katana.

    Was that really the Crimson Queen?

    While enduring the intense agony in her chest, Asya prayed for Hal''s safety.

    Part 5

    In fact, Hal had known since putting on Solomon''s ring.

    ¡ªYeah, it''s just as I suspected.

    Everything had gone excessively smoothly, following the script written by the great sorcerer of antiquity. This ideal process had started from the discovery of the grimoire.

    It looked like King Solomon sincerely sought a talented person to be his successor.

    Everything was for the sake of entrusting the ring representing his authority and his rune to the talented person who would appear one day¡ªthen steal everything from him, body, mind, runes and all.

    Was Solomon''s true motive simply to "resurrect himself in the present world"?

    "If possible, please surprise me with a different result... Owww."

    "Haruga-kun, are you alright!?"

    A sudden headache attacked Hal, bringing him to his knees.

    He did not have any spare strength to respond to Orihime who had rushed to his side. His head was hurting as though it was about to split open¡ªno, become pulverized.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Clutching his head, Hal rolled around and screamed.

    He was unable to maintain a sitting posture, much less stand. Sometimes sprawling, sometimes facing up, he kept rolling, enduring the intense pain in his head.

    "A-A Ruruk Soun magic circle...?"

    The "¡ò" symbol appearing on the asphalt where Hal was rolling¡ªIt was the seal representing the Rune of the Ring. At the same time, there were twenty-four runes of Ruruk Soun surrounding the symbol to form a circle.

    The arrangement signified "as Solomon''s successor, you are the sacrifice."

    What a terrifying curse. Of course, the mastermind that had devised this trap was Solomon''s Ring currently on Hal''s right index finger.

    In an attempt to slice off Hal''s mind completely from his body, the ring was currently attacking his mind.

    If Hal were to lose, his body and runes would be stolen by Solomon''s ring¡ª

    "Thinking back... there were definitely many things that were off... Back when I discovered the runes of the Bow and the Twin Katana, they were dormant... Only the ring''s rune had descended from the sky in an awakened state..."

    Hal was getting slightly accustomed to the headache, which allowed him to spout comments despite his unwell condition.

    Gazing at Hal''s right hand, Orihime shouted.

    "Hold on, I will remove the ring for you now!"

    "N-Not yet... Although the ring is causing me a lot of grief, I''m sure it''s still useful. At least during this battle against Hannibal, let me wear¡ª"

    Hal gently rejected the kind girl''s suggestion.

    His head continued to hurt intensely, preventing him from getting up. However, Hal was finally able to stop rolling and he laid himself out face up with arms and legs outspread.

    He turned his face to look at the battle in the sky over the Hudson River.

    It happened to be the moment when Akuro-Ou was unleashing a hail of bullets in full burst mode while Rushalka made her rapid descent.

    Without the ring''s benefits, the operation decided during his brief call with Asya just now would have failed.

    Orihime looked at Hal worriedly and immediately sat down next to him.

    She went out of her way to sit in seiza posture, kneeling uncomfortably on hard asphalt, so that she could rest Hal''s head on her lap. Tormented by unbearable pain, Hal''s only consolation was Orihime''s considerate actions.

    While Hal was watching the battle in such a state, Rushalka finally fired the sun-shooting divine bow.

    With that, the salamander army was wiped out at last. Even Hannibal disappeared. However, Rushalka then had to make an emergency retreat from the dragonslaying spear''s attack. The red dragon king made a comeback from the water¡ª

    "Huh..? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Hal screamed. This time, not only his head was hurting but also his right palm too.

    This pain felt as though the skin of his right palm was being ripped off. On closer examination, he saw particles of red light leaking out of his right palm before rising slowly in the air.

    The leaking particles were quite numerous. The red light gathered together into a gigantic mass almost the same size as a dragon.

    In the next instant, the scene before his eyes filled Hal with disbelief.

    "The Crimson Queen!?"

    The red light leaking from his palm had turned into the Crimson Queen, what one could call his avatar.

    Without even giving Hal a single glance, the queen casually looked around the vicinity of Manhattan Bridge.

    "It''s not your turn to debut... Hurry and come back!"

    Hal''s headache weakened slightly. Lying on the ground, he forced out a shout.

    However, the Crimson Queen did not respond. Only then did Hal notice that the rune visible on his red avatar''s palm was not the Rune of the Bow but the Rune of the Ring!

    "The queen has been stolen..."

    "Ehhhhh!?"

    Orihime exclaimed in surprise after hearing Hal''s whisper.

    It was probably while Hal was using techniques of assured annihilation in succession, which depleted his reserves of magical power, that he presented an opening to be taken advantage of.

    The Crimson Queen''s majestic form hovered in the air over Manhattan Bridge.

    Despite being a size smaller than the dragon king Hannibal, the red dragon lacked neither power nor elegance. A weapon took form in her right hand.

    Rather than the dragonslaying bow, it was a golden ring with a diameter of seven meters or so.

    This was the manifestation of the Rune of the Ring as a magic wand. Currently, Solomon''s ring held control over the queen.

    "Hahahaha! Let us fight again after so long, queen!"

    Hannibal roared with delight and flew towards Manhattan Bridge.

    His intent was to pierce the Crimson Queen with the tip of the dragonslaying spear. Hal did not know if it was because Solomon''s ring wanted to avoid a direct confrontation, but the queen flew up rapidly.

    The red queen of dragons instantly rose in altitude with Hannibal in close pursuit.

    With Hannibal as the opponent, how much of a fight could Solomon''s ring put up? At this rate, Hal might end up losing his trump card, the queen, for nothing...

    Hal wanted to get up but could not muster the strength.

    Perhaps because Solomon''s ring had focused its attention on the Crimson Queen, his headache was much better now. However, Hal still felt exhaustion in his entire body, preventing him from even lifting a single finger.

    "Haruga-kun, I''ll definitely pull out the ring this time!"

    Seeing that the situation was dire, Orihime grabbed Hal''s right hand forcefully.

    But just as she was about to pull off the ring¡ªShe was taken aback in surprise. As expected of a magic item, the ring refused to budge at all.

    "No good after all... Well, I did suspect from the start whether this would happen..."

    "A-Although I am very worried about that too, Haruga-kun, when on earth did your arm turn into this!?"

    Hal simply went "huh?" and cocked his head when confronted by Orihime''s urgent question.

    Unable to comprehend, he then looked at his right arm.

    Solomon''s ring was still worn on his index finger. Luster entered his view¡ªhis entire arm looked as though it had been coated with a layer of glass. It happened to be nighttime and the surface of his arm was reflecting starlight.

    Orihime gently stroked Hal from his right palm to his upper arm.

    The texture felt very like metal, cold and hard, but the joints could still bend and move freely. Hal himself had checked many times previously.

    "...What a pain. This usually doesn''t happen unless I''m focusing too much. I never expected this to happen to my body while I''m contending with the ring."

    Back when he first obtained the Crimson Queen, this change had been limited to his hand, from his fingers to his wrist.

    After acquiring the Twin Katana recently, it had extended to his elbow. Right now, the hardening phenomenon had expanded to his right shoulder. This was presumably an effect of obtaining the Ring.

    "Cold and hard like this, it resembles a dragon''s body."

    "......"

    "Could this be what the man in black was talking about last time!? He said you might turn into a dragon one day, Haruga-kun...!"

    "Maybe."

    The mysterious Sophocles had said this in front of Hal and Orihime once.

    ''In the past, the type of non-dragon creatures known as "hybrid" dragons¡ªIn truth, they were unexpectedly commonplace. Of course, pure dragons were very numerous too.''

    But to think a human could transform into or become reborn as a dragon...

    Hal did not want to look morbid, so he simply lay on the ground and shrugged. Meanwhile, Orihime seemed quite worked up.

    Then her eyes glistened with tears and large teardrops fell.

    "Idiot! Why didn''t you confide in me!?"

    "This kind of thing... would only cause the confidant to agonize and I''d be causing you trouble."

    "Certainly not! We are friends and comrades and I¡ªlove you, Haruga-kun. Whatever it takes, I wish to be of help to you!"

    "...Huh? W-What do you mean?"

    "I... love you, Haruga-kun. Not the kind between friends, but the love for a man. I love you deeply."

    Hal''s reflexive question instantly elicited Orihime''s confession. Furthermore, it was a confession where there was absolutely no room for misinterpretation.

    Orihime gazed fervently at Hal. All the faint suspicions he had had so far were instantly verified this moment.

    Hal was overcome with urgency. He had to hurry up and give Orihime a response.

    Ever since a long time ago, I''ve felt for you¡ªJust as Hal was about to start...

    Orihime''s lips suddenly drew near and kissed him lightly on the lips.

    "Juujouji!?"

    "M-My apologies. I was thinking I might lose to Luna-san if I didn''t offer anything more than a confession..." said Orihime shyly.

    Hal felt his brain was about to boil.

    His thoughts and feelings were extremely confused.

    His entire body was feeling exceptional joy. This was also the happiest moment of Hal''s life. The desire to cherish Orihime''s feelings was almost going to explode. However, he was currently in an urgent crisis. There was the pressing problem of Hannibal to be resolved. Now was not the time to be doing this sort of thing.

    Staring at the flustered Hal, Orihime brought her lips close again.

    This was the second kiss. Longer than the first one, their lips overlapped with a push from Orihime. It probably lasted over twenty seconds.

    She even went as far as to extend her inexperienced tongue timidly.

    Using her tongue, Orihime searched for Hal''s and slowly entangled their tongues together.

    Only after kissing for quite a while did they finally separate their lips and gaze upon each other passionately. They were so close together that their foreheads were almost touching and they could feel each other''s breath clearly.

    "J-Juujouji..."

    "I don''t want to lose... I don''t want to lose to Luna-san or anyone else... This is my first time feeling this way. Haruga-kun, will you forgive me for what I did...?"

    "S-Sure."

    "Will you agree to tell me anything and everything from now on? I wish to become part of your strength, Haruga-kun. I wish to do many things for you, Haruga-kun."

    "S-Sure."

    "Am I allowed... to love you, Haruga-kun? Or is romance within the team forbidden?"

    "O-Of course, you''re allowed, Juujouji!"

    "Thank you!"

    Orihime pounced on Hal, who was lying on the ground, and hugged him tightly.

    Hal''s entire body could feel her wondrous curves and body warmth, making him very flustered. However, times like these required composure. He must recall the sage time he had implemented in the Izu shore last time.

    Meanwhile, Orihime gasped and her face went bright red.

    "S-S-S-S-Sorry. I got swept up in the moment because of the slight confusion from seeing your body''s unusual change... and did that. B-But please know that my feelings are absolutely not a lie, okay?"

    "I-I-I-I-I know. Of course I know!"

    "I honestly love you so much, Haruga-kun... I love you."

    Crap. It was impossible to calm his mind. Orihime was too adorable.

    However, he had other things to worry about at the moment. Indeed, he needed to rack his brain to find a solution to the great crisis of the Crimson Queen being hijacked.

    ¡ªIronically, the solution to this problem lay in Solomon''s ring.

    According to legend, possession of this ring allowed the user to bend angels and demons to their will and listen to the voices of animals and plants. This was how Hal had listened to the hearts of leviathans earlier.

    This function still remained in effect. Even if he wanted to interrupt this function, Hal had no way of taking off the ring.

    At that moment, Hal sensed it. Over on the side, watching her master and partner engaging in displays of affection, the nine-tailed fox-wolf wanted to convey a message.

    "Akuro-Ou... Do you have a way to take the queen back?"

    Orihime also sensed her partner''s thoughts.

    Earlier, the gigantic white beast had unleashed a barrage upon the Army of Fire. Her cool gaze was staring downwards at Hal and Orihime on the road surface when it suddenly shifted somewhere else¡ªAkuro-Ou was looking at where Hal''s magic gun had fallen.

    Hal had accidentally tossed the gun away when rolling on the ground after putting on the ring. Orihime tilted her head and said, "Just use this handgun?"

    Akuro-Ou transmitted the image of a "blade" from her mind.

    The vanquishing of evil to uphold justice. This was a mystic technique of the glorious Twin Katana. Realizing the implied meaning, Hal said, "Juujouji, that''s the move we used at the Dragon Palace Court last time...! It might be a bit inappropriate to call this a stroke of good luck, but with Hannibal helping out by occupying Solomon right now, it should work!"

    "!"

    Hugging Hal all this time, Orihime could not help but gasp in response. She immediately rose up to retrieve the magic gun and committed her resolve.

    "Speaking of which, Haruga-kun, it feels like you are on the same level as Solomon. In a frontal showdown, there is definitely a chance of victory... Haruga-kun! Akuro-Ou and I will make an attempt, so please lend your power to us, Haruga-kun!"

    Saying that, Orihime immediately helped Hal get up then embraced him tightly. Not only that, but Orihime''s voluptuous bust was pressed against Hal''s chest, a sensation that Hal had experienced a number of times now. In addition to being soft and elastic, it rivaled the size of small melons.

    "J-Juujouji, even without injecting my magical power, Akuro-Ou should be able to do it in her current state..."

    "Y-Yes, it might be possible, but I am not too confident in myself, which is why I''d like to follow what we did last time... No?" asked Orihime with a blush.

    Just now, Asya and Rushalka had used the sun-shooting divine bow without Double Casting. However, this did not guarantee that Orihime could do the same.

    Hal relented. At the same time, he felt unprecedentedly nervous.

    He was so close to Orihime that their noses were about to touch and he could look clearly into her watery eyes and passionate countenance. This moment was stimulating his heart rate in a completely different manner from any previous moment.

    "O-Of course you can. Yeah."

    "Thank you. I will definitely... do my best. Th-Then please proceed, like last time, alright?"

    This was also the first time Orihime urged Hal like this. How adorable.

    Hal cried out "Juujouji!" without thinking and embraced her tightly, thus squeezing out magical power from his heart, sending it into Orihime''s heart.

    "Mm... Haruga-kun, I love you so much..."

    Professing her love for him, the girl moaned in ecstasy, gently receiving the incoming torrent of magical power.

    Orihime gently stroked Hal''s back with her right hand.

    Her left hand gripped the magic gun. Suddenly, the manifestation of the Rune of the Twin Katana appeared under the gun¡ªA bayonet with a fifteen-centimeter blade.

    Akuro-Ou''s nine tails changed too. The rightmost tail manifested a large sword while the leftmost tail manifested a smaller sword.

    The tips of the tails were curled like how human hands made fists. The fox-wolf leviathan was wielding the pair of large and small blades with dexterity.

    Raising the two swords overhead, Akuro-Ou formed a cross with the blades.

    Thus, preparations were complete. Orihime continued to support Hal''s body with her right arm while raising the magic gun in her left, pointing it at Solomon''s ring.

    She was aiming at Hal''s dangling right hand, the golden ring worn on his index finger¡ª

    Nineteen runes of Ruruk Soun appeared over Akuro-Ou''s head, signifying "I summon the twin blades of exorcism, to deliver seraphic punishment to nefarious evil dragons."

    Severing a dragonslaying rune''s magical power, neutralizing it.

    Such was the effect of the Holy Cross of the Twin Katana, a technique of assured annihilation. Not only did it erase magical power but it was also an exorcism technique that inflicted damage to the owner of that magical power.

    The two swords raised over Akuro-Ou''s head were beginning to give off a golden glow.

    However, the light blinked, disappearing and reappearing.

    The process was not going smoothly. Simply possessing a great quantity of magical power was not enough to use this technique. Last time, Luna Francois had said that "Holy and evil, right and wrong, yin and yang, demonic and divine... Entrust opposing elements to the twin blades so as to produce an attack embodying the rivalry of complementary opposites. Since this magic requires such complexity in execution..."

    The atrocious act of wielding a sacred and blessed divine blade for slaughter.

    This paradoxical ultimate technique required the coexistence of mutually incompatible elements. To be honest, this would be a challenge for either Luna or Asya to perform on their own.

    Despite obtaining magical power from Hal, it was too difficult for Orihime after all.

    Even so, she still tried to do her best.

    "Wait, Haruga-kun. I will definitely save you...!"

    Holding the magic gun in her left, supporting Hal with her right, Orihime cried out loudly. She was committing her entire body, mind and soul, desperately trying to control the magical power.

    The twin swords over their heads kept blinking.

    However, the golden radiance gradually weakened. Orihime''s attempt was going to end in failure, her desperate efforts rendered futile. But just before that happened¡ª

    "Y-You are very close, Orihime-san. Let me help out too..."

    "Asya-san!?"

    The next thing they knew, Asya had arrived by their side.

    Hal''s childhood friend looked haggard with Hazumi supporting her shoulder. However, she still strained her injured body to reach out, placing her hand on the magic gun held in the junior witch''s hand.

    Orihime and Asya. Holding the magic gun together, the two of them controlled the technique of assured annihilation in unison.

    At last, the twin swords in cross formation released a dazzling golden glow. This blinding light, like the sun''s, shone upon Hal and his companions.

    Using the tip of the bayonet''s blade, Orihime and Asya stabbed Solomon''s ring.

    Separated from from Hal''s finger, the ring fell and rolled on the asphalt road.

    This was the moment of success for the exorcism technique executed by the twin blades and the two witches.

    Part 6

    "That took a lot of work but it''s finally settled down at last..."

    Hal muttered and picked up Solomon''s ring.

    The headache and exhaustion had passed and he was finally able to move at will. This was thanks to the Rune of the Twin Katana dispelling the ring''s power.

    Hal stared at the ring for a while¡ªThen placed it on his right index finger again.

    "Haruga-kun!?" "Haruomi!" "Senpai!?"

    The three witches watching from the side¡ªOrihime, Asya and Hazumi¡ªall jumped in fright at the same time.

    One could hardly blame them. After all, this ring was the culprit of the commotion just now. However, there was no denying that it was extremely useful as a tool. Sure enough, one would not want to waste it.

    ...Intending to deprive Hal of his mind and runes, the ring released magical power again.

    The headache returned. However, since it was the second time, Hal was almost accustomed to the pain. Compared to the first time, it was easy to endure. More importantly¡ª

    Hal focused his mind on the palm of his right hand, instantly causing a cross-shaped seal to surface.

    Empowered to banish evil and uphold justice, simply stated, it was the Rune of the Twin Katana with divine powers of exorcism. Shining with splendor in Hal''s hand, it suppressed Solomon''s curse.

    "Juujouji was right. I''m similar in level to my predecessor, so I shouldn''t lose that easily. Now, I''ve gotten a good feel for his ability."

    "Even so, that was way too reckless..." Asya murmured with an expression of exasperation.

    Hal shrugged and said, "I would never act recklessly without benefits. But this time, the outcome counts as okay."

    Despite having put on Solomon''s ring, he could not sense the hearts of "serpents" this time.

    After all, he still had not mastered the ring''s usage. It would be asking for too much at the current stage. Nevertheless, there were already parts that he could control according to his wishes...

    Hal closed his eyes and imagined the Crimson Queen.

    The image gradually appeared under his eyelids. It was the viewpoint from the queen''s current perspective.

    ¡ªThe sky over Central Park in Manhattan.

    ¡ªThe intense aerial battle in progress against Red Hannibal.

    ¡ªThe golden ring serving as the queen''s weapon, used like a frisbee to execute thrown attacks. Hannibal swung his dragonslaying spear in response to brush it away. The ring returned to the queen''s hand again.

    ¡ªSoon after, the Crimson Queen raised the golden ring to the sky.

    ¡ªThe ring began to emit an extremely unpleasant and dissonant noise, "nyyyaaaarrrllaaaaaathooooooottt¡­¡­@@¡Á¡ñ¡õ¡ò¡÷£«£½*£¤!"

    ¡ªAffected by this bizarre noise, Hannibal lost substantial speed.

    ¡ªThis was a technique of assured annihilation intrinsic to the Rune of the Ring. Nine runes of Ruruk Soun appeared in front of the ring held by the queen, signifying "I play the sound of the star of aggravation to disorient sentient minds."

    ¡ªThe red dragon king roared with excitement and delight, "Petty tricks!" The enemy''s ferocity and annoying obstacles only served to heighten his amusement.

    "Although your fight is all heated up, it''s time for me to take back the queen..."

    Closing his eyes, Hal muttered.

    Immediately, a new development unfolded in the battle shown under his eyelids.

    ¡ªThe golden ring used as a weapon by the Crimson Queen suddenly vanished.

    ¡ªReplacing it was a crimson bow that appeared in the queen''s left hand along with an arrow of light in her right. She drew the bowstring and shot. At the same time as the shot, a new arrow appeared. The Crimson Queen kept firing in succession.

    ¡ªThe arrival of the bow and arrows caused Hannibal to go "Oh?" and narrow his eyes, deploying imperishable protection. The countless incoming arrows were all blocked by the pearly barrier.

    "Judging from the situation, things should be fine for now..." Hal said softly and opened his eyes. He had wrested control of the queen back again just now.

    "I plan on heading over to participate in the final showdown. Asya and Juujouji, why don''t you take a break here?"

    The intense battle so far had depleted Asya''s pseudo-divinity and injured her heart.

    Likewise, Orihime was unable to use pseudo-divinity anymore. Added to that was the fact that she had been quite reckless to perform a technique of assured annihilation requiring elite skills to control, thus utterly exhausting her mind and body. She was in no state for further fighting.

    After hearing Hal''s request, the childhood friend sighed.

    "I got it... I''ll listen to you this once to avoid getting in your way. However, I have a completely unrelated question."

    "What is it?"

    "Why were you and Orihime-san hugging together just now, Haruomi...?"

    "!?"

    Hal was rendered speechless by Asya''s piercing question.

    Speaking of which, his embrace with Orihime just now had apparently been witnessed. After unleashing the sun-shooting divine bow, Asya and Hazumi had asked the helicopter pilot to land on Manhattan Bridge, taking them to meet up with Hal directly. Thanks to them taking such action, the final scene of "Asya coming to the rescue!" was made possible.

    Fortunately, the kissing scene was not witnessed¡ªHal panicked greatly inside.

    Ahem. Orihime coughed lightly and said with a cheerful expression, "Asya-san, just now, Haruga-kun was transmitting magical power to help compensate for my inadequacies, which was why we had to press our bodies tightly together."

    "R-Really?"

    "Perhaps it looked like a bizarre act, but that would be a misunderstanding. We were simply carrying out an essential step for the sake of accomplishing the mission. I hope you won''t misinterpret in a certain way, please."

    Asya could only answer "I see" and nod after Orihime replied fluently.

    Despite her doubts, she had no evidence to pursue the matter¡ªThat was the feeling. On the other hand, Hazumi was as pure as an angel and nodded honestly.

    "Wow... Even that sort of thing is possible, Senpai!?"

    "Yeah, I guess."

    Hal refrained from speaking as much as possible and nodded.

    He secretly made eye contact with Orihime. Having pulled through a crisis, the Japanese girl nodded to him with an accomplice''s eyes. Without speaking, her expression and gaze seemed to read "it would be problematic if a romance within the team were to come to light, so we must maintain confidentiality..."

    Finding Orihime''s response reliable and feeling slightly guilty at the same time, Hal changed the subject.

    "So that''s that. It''s time for me to¡ª"

    "Leave it to me, Senpai. Please, Minadzuki, lend your power to us!"

    As soon as she finished speaking, Hazumi sang a song of summoning.

    The emerald serpentine dragon leviathan¡ªMinadzuki¡ªmaterialized overhead.

    This was their third attack wave they had kept in reserve until now. Although a bit uncertain on the aspect of combat strength, this was the final vassal whom Hal was able to entrust the power of dragonbane.

    "Because I am your assistant, Senpai... Please allow me to follow you to the very end!"

    Hazumi suppressed her unease at the impending battle against a dragon king and declared firmly.

    Hinokagutsuchi''s appearance as a dragon king in the past¡ªThe Crimson Queen.

    By obtaining her heartmetal, Hal had taken a step further and claimed the queen''s physical body. But so far, all he had been able to do was use it in a time-limited manner.

    The bottleneck was the output of Hal''s heart, i.e. heartmetal.

    Hal''s heart was unable to generate the massive magical power necessary for driving and sustaining a dragon king-class body. Reaching that level would probably be essential for conquering the Road to Kingship as Sophocles had said.

    Expanding one''s territory across the Earth and the universe, erecting numerous Monoliths that were akin to devices for generating magical power, extracting magical power from the ground like taxation¡ª

    If he were to follow this sequence, he would probably ascend to the dragon king throne like Princess Yukikaze or Hannibal.

    But currently, the Crimson Queen under Hal''s control still carried magical power rivaling Hannibal''s despite her inability to match the strongest dragon king in direct combat.

    All this was thanks to Solomon''s ring and the Rune of the Ring.

    Not too long ago, this instrument of magic control had absorbed the magical power of seventy-two serpent souls.

    Together with the ring''s own magical power and that produced by Hal''s heart¡ªCombining all these sources together, Hal just managed to cobble together enough power to match a dragon king-class enemy.

    Hence, the Crimson Queen''s physical body did not crumble like in previous battles.

    "Although I''m still not sure how much this ring can do..."

    While muttering, Hal silently spoke to his avatar.

    Please. Continue to draw Hannibal''s attention like this.

    The Crimson Queen was currently looking down at Old Manhattan''s skyscrapers from an altitude of seven hundred meters while engaging Red Hannibal in an aerial battle.

    The two dragons were flying at almost the same height with roughly a kilometer separating them.

    As one would expect, the one to attack first was the queen, equipped with long-range weaponry. Using the crimson bow, she fired consecutively, sending out arrows of light nonstop to produce a hail of projectiles. Even without using a technique of assured annihilation, this wave of attacks already matched the firepower of Akuro-Ou''s full burst earlier.

    Furthermore, this was a concentrated attack with Hannibal as the sole target.

    In terms of damage potential alone, the queen''s consecutive shots were probably more powerful.

    "S-So amazing, Senpai!"

    "I can''t believe there''s such a big gap between a dragon king and our leviathans huh..."

    Hal observed the queen''s archery skills while conversing quietly with Hazumi.

    The two of them were currently at the Rockefeller Center in the heart of Old Manhattan, on the roof observation deck of the GE Building. The top floor of this seventy-story building used to be called the "Top of the Rock" due to its excellent and expansive view of New York''s night scenery.

    The two of them had been transported here by riding on Minadzuki''s palm.

    Although they were two kilometers away from the aerial battle, due to using Vision Amplification magic, they were able to clearly see the two dragons fighting intensely.

    ...The Crimson Queen kept using her prided archery to fire in rapid succession.

    Conversely, Hannibal used a technique of assured annihilation. The runic arrangement of "O spear of mine, gather the northern star''s power to advance with ferocity" appeared in front of him, blocking all of the incoming arrows.

    Wielding the spear, the dragon king advanced forward slowly in this manner.

    However, the queen also took countermeasures¡ªthe trajectory of the arrows curved.

    All the arrows fired head on were blocked. However, the Crimson Queen proceeded to fire arrows along a curved trajectory to skillfully evade the runes of Ruruk Soun blocking in front. Arrows pierced into Hannibal''s gigantic body one after another.

    Like boomerangs, the numerous arrows turned back from behind despite missing the target.

    These arrows attacked Hannibal''s back, head and lower body.

    The red dragon king defended using imperishable protection and yelled, "O shining spear of the northern star, offer to me a thousand spears!"

    Then he released his weapon¡ªthe dragonslaying spear. The spear''s shaft was pitch-black and was comparable in length to the dragon king''s body that exceeded twenty meters.

    Suddenly, a thousand spears completely identical to this weapon appeared in the surroundings.

    In addition to being held in the hand for thrusting, spears could also be thrown as projectile weapons. Naturally, precise sniping like a bow and arrow was impossible, but if one were to deploy an infantry battalion to launch spears at the enemy all at once, there would be no need for aiming.

    Hannibal''s technique of assured annihilation replicated this type of attack.

    Out of the one thousand spears in total, dozens flew at the Crimson Queen first. Naturally, the Crimson Queen deployed imperishable protection to defend but something unexpected happened.

    Normally speaking, imperishable protection would be able to block enemy attacks and deflect them.

    One would expect a similar result this time, but among the dozens of spears, a few pierced the protection guarding the queen!

    "What!?"

    Just as Hal was taken aback by surprise, another few dozen spears flew over.

    Although the majority of this wave of spears were deflected, a few stabbed into the protection again. Then dozens of spears flew in again, leaving a few stuck in the barrier¡ªThis outcome repeated ten-odd times.

    Over fifty spears were stabbed into the pearly shield defending the Crimson Queen.

    Then Hal realized something. The queen''s movements had turned rather sluggish, making the earlier nimble flying ability seem like a lie. Even when he silently commanded "fly" in his mind, the queen did not move.

    There were dozens of dragonslaying spears stabbed into the imperishable protection.

    Their combined weight was hindering the queen''s flight.

    "Come to think of it, the ancient Romans used a similar tactic..."

    Killing was not the only purpose in the tactic of throwing spears.

    Confronted with thrown spears, with sufficient luck, one could block using a shield. However, embedding a heavy spear into a shield would make it difficult to carry, rendering it unusable. Hence, the throwing of spears was also a method of weakening the enemy''s combat strength.

    "I remember the Chinese were the ones who listed the spear as the king of weapons... Uh¡ªGahhhhhh!"

    "Senpai!?"

    The damage inflicted upon imperishable protection resulted in a backlash against Hal''s heart.

    Stabbed by dozens of spears, there was quite a large burden of course. Seeing Hal groan in pain, Hazumi rushed to his side.

    Ignoring Hal and Hazumi, the airborne Hannibal prepared to deliver a critical blow.

    With a line of spears ready around him, he summoned a new dragonslaying spear to his hand.

    "Well then... Tyrannos of the Bow, although I have enjoyed myself beyond expectation, it is time to liberate you."

    The spear Hannibal had summoned this time was almost twice his height.

    The red dragon king lifted this extra large spear to point forward horizontally, sending it flying straight at the immobilized queen. In addition, the runes of "O spear of mine, gather the northern star''s power to advance with ferocity" were deployed in front to provide maximum thrust!

    "I-I guess I have to risk everything on one gamble... Shirasaka, please summon Minadzuki!"

    "Yes, Senpai. I am ready any time!"

    "Huh?"

    When Hal made his request while enduring his pain, Hazumi inexplicably came to his left side.

    The adorable junior student was leaning her delicate body intimately against Haruga Haruomi¡ªleaning herself against the male transfer student who was her senior.

    "Sh-Shirasaka, what are you doing!?"

    "? Because it was like this between you and Nee-sama just now... This will allow me to receive magical power from within you, right?"

    "!?"

    "If there are additional essential conditions, I am willing to do it, whatever it takes. I wish wholeheartedly to assist you, Senpai. Please make your request, no matter what!"

    Indeed, that was how Orihime had explained to Hazumi and Asya earlier.

    On further thought, they definitely needed powerful offense for the situation at hand. Although it was perfectly logical for the responsible junior to think "I need to do that too¡ª" but to subject an angelic girl to such treatment would be truly...

    Hal was hesitating this late in the game, but there was no time left!

    "Sorry, Shirasaka. I''ll kneel or do anything you want afterwards, but lend me your strength!"

    While saying these words, Hal reached out with his right hand¡ªand grabbed Hazumi''s breast.

    "Ehhhhh!?"

    The innocent junior student was rendered speechless in alarm and surprise. Doing what he did as usual, Hal poured massive magical power into her heart.

    "S-Senpai... Mm, mmmmmmmmmm¡ªSenpai!"

    Inexplicably alluring moans escaped Hazumi''s lips as she looked tearfully at Hal.

    Her breast, tracing out beautiful curves despite not being huge, was soft and just the right size to fit in one''s palm. It must have been quite a shock for the innocent junior. However, apologies would have to wait until later.

    "Shirasaka¡ªGive orders to Minadzuki. Use the sun-shooting divine bow!"

    "Y-Yes. S...Senpai, I-I am feeling very strange¡ªMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"

    Hazumi hugged Hal tightly as though suppressing a scream.

    It looked like she was enduring a violent impact that made it difficult for her to even remain standing. The obedient junior student emitted an unexpected cry, her mind seemingly at it limit.

    At the same time, the crystal ball held in Minadzuki''s right hand released extremely powerful white lightning.

    The size of these lightning bolts rivaled Minadzuki herself, who had a body length of ten-odd meters. Furthermore, a total of eight lightning bolts were shot out at once.

    The powerful lightning tore through the darkness of the night, soaring though the sky.

    After blowing away Hannibal''s barrier¡ªthe thousand spears¡ª

    The impact from the eight bolts of lightning finally halted Hannibal''s advance. The paralysis caused by electrocution was apparently preventing him from moving his body freely.

    "Nuu! Stop struggling in vain, Tyrannos!"

    Once the lightning strikes were over, Hannibal sluggishly turned his body''s direction.

    He glared diagonally at Minadzuki below and slowly swung his right arm. It looked like he was planning to throw his dragonslaying spear at her emerald serpentine body.

    The sluggishness was probably an aftereffect of the electrical attack. This was the crucial moment if one were going to decide the match.

    "Queen, use the Rune of the Twin Katana!"

    Responding to Hal''s shout, the crimson bow and the arrow of light disappeared from the queen''s arms.

    Manifesting to take their place was a pair of divine swords, one large and one small. The Crimson Queen brandished the twin swords magnificently and cut down all the dozens of spears embedded on her imperishable protection like shackles.

    Having regained her freedom, the queen charged at Hannibal.

    Targeting the strongest dragon king who was restrained by Minadzuki''s lightning strikes, if one of the two swords could take this opportunity to stab into the dragon''s vital heartmetal¡ª

    However, Hannibal turned to intercept the queen boldly.

    "Hahahahaha! I actually like you very much for struggling on the brink of death. Easy victories are too boring!"

    The dragon king roared with laughter at this critical juncture while spewing blazing flames from his mouth.

    A scorching blue-white conflagration. Even though it was neither magic nor a technique of assured annihilation, it was supernatural fire that had incinerated numerous human cities. Furthermore, these were explosive flames coming from within dragon king Hannibal''s body.

    Wielding the twin swords with the intent to execute slashing attacks, the Crimson Queen was engulfed by the flames completely.

    For a minute or two, incinerated by blue-white flames¡ª

    "Wahhhhhhhh!"

    "Senpai!? Please, Minadzuki, hurry and rescue Senpai and the queen!"

    Due to the heat, Hal screamed as though his heart was being burned. Hazumi panicked and pleaded sorrowfully with her partner. However, it was too late.

    Scorched by Hannibal''s conflagration, the Crimson Queen finally crashed down.

    The crimson body was scorched black all over. In human terms, it would be severe burns all over the body. No more strength remaining to continue the fight, Hal could sense that. All he could manage now was to de-materialize the queen before suffering a fatal blow.

    The owner of the flames that had cremated the queen laughed proudly and casually spread his wings.

    Next¡ªIn that very moment...

    Supposed to have no remaining strength, the queen moved her left arm swiftly, throwing one of her twin swords.

    It was the kodachi out of the pair. The sword shot out like an arrow, stabbing its blade into Hannibal''s chest, right on top of the heartmetal¡ªanalogous to the location of the human heart.

    "Wh...at?"

    Hannibal looked in shock at the kodachi buried in his chest.

    He never expected the queen to have the strength to strike back on the verge of death¡ªHe seemed surprised from the bottom of his heart. As a seasoned veteran of a dragon king, he should not be this careless. In truth, even Hal, the one controlling the queen, had thought that it was over.

    "Was it Minadzuki...?"

    Surprised, Hal muttered.

    He suddenly noticed that seven runes of Ruruk Soun had manifested behind the winged serpentine dragon leviathan. They signified "healing hand."

    Hal remembered it was during the battle against Princess Yukikaze when Genbu-Ou had used this healing magic¡ª

    In front of the surprised Hal and Hazumi, Hannibal began to crash down after the Crimson Queen.

    As one would expect, the heartmetal was a dragon''s most important organ and greatest vulnerability. It looked like even a dragon king could not overturn this fact¡ª

 Volume 5, Epilogue

    Volume 5, Epilogue

    Hal and Hazumi had been watching the battle''s conclusion from the observation deck on a building''s roof.

    To get back down to ground level, they borrowed Minadzuki''s power again. Riding on the left forelimb''s palm, they had Minadzuki transport them from the three-hundred-meter tall roof to the ground.

    The place they landed was a major district known as Broadway in the past.

    Furthermore, this was the crossroads at Times Square, surrounded by towering high-rise buildings, massive screens and gigantic advertisements. In the past, this was the central business district where a large number of New Yorkers and tourists gathered¡ªA well-known attraction until the end of the twentieth century.

    Getting off from her partner''s palm, Hazumi seemed a little unsteady on her feet.

    "Are you okay, Shirasaka? Sorry, just hang in there a little longer."

    "Y-Yes. Sorry for causing trouble for you..."

    "Of course not. We would''ve lost long ago if you and Minadzuki hadn''t been there just now. It''s my fault for pushing you into extra time when you''ve already won the Best Effort Award."

    "Not at all... I couldn''t be more glad to be of help to you, Senpai..."

    Supported by Hal''s arm, Hazumi walked unsteadily.

    Her expression looked a bit out of it. Perhaps there was some aftershock remaining from the transfer of magical power to Minadzuki via her heart. However, the healing runes witnessed earlier had disappeared from behind Minadzuki.

    Did that really happen?

    Hal still could not believe for certain. However, without such a cheat, it would not have been possible to corner Hannibal to that extent.

    The red dragon king had returned to human form. He was sitting on the ground, cross-legged, on a road at Times Square where Hal and Hazumi had landed, currently resting his injured body.

    "You came chasing for the kill huh? A weakened enemy would only get cornered like a drowning dog, to be decapitated... Hmm, this is commonplace on the battlefield."

    Surprisingly, Hannibal was laughing with delight and summoned the dragonslaying spear to his right hand.

    Still in a sitting posture on the ground, he pointed the spear at Hal. The proud grin on his face showed eagerness to fight.

    Even though he could not transform into a dragon due to the damage to his heartmetal, even though he was not even able to stand up, none of that mattered to the battle-hardened dragon king.

    Part of his body could still move and he had magical power remaining¡ª

    In that case, he was going to fight on and intercept the enemy''s follow-up attack. Furthermore, he was going to show his sincere smile without reserve.

    "Rather than a warrior race, dragons seem more like creatures on a different dimension from us in terms of pure valor. Seriously..."

    Holding the magic gun in his right hand, Hal actually felt impressed.

    The Crimson Queen had already vanished, unable to sustain her physical form due to the inflicted damage.

    However, Hal still had his magic gun and Minadzuki was in fine health.

    Overall, the advantage should be on their side¡ªBut in a showdown between a cornered rat and a cornered dragon, Hal had a faint feeling that it was quite risky. There was an annoying sense of foreboding.

    How unbelievable. To think that Hal would experience something that sounded like what Asya would say.

    Wasn''t this precisely what would be called instincts of the wild? However, Hal felt strongly inside that he should follow this instinct, so he said, "So, can we talk for now about a ceasefire?"

    "Oh? A ceasefire?"

    "Yeah. To be honest, I don''t think there''s any benefit to either side if we drag our beaten up bodies into an extermination match. Red Hannibal, that dragon king over in Europe used to be your mortal rival, right?"

    "Hmm."

    To Hannibal, the Black Lightning Emperor was a potential enemy faction carrying more weight than Hal. Just as Hal mentioned that as a deterrent, Hazumi tugged his sleeve.

    "Senpai, hurry and look at that!"

    The obedient junior was uncharacteristically lapsing in manners and her tone of voice was quite urgent.

    Immediately, Hal looked where she indicated¡ªUp in the sky. Hal could not help but gasp. A huge number of flying creatures had appeared in the air above Times Square without him noticing.

    Blue-white ghostlights with dragonoid shapes... Seventy-two serpent souls.

    In addition, they were flying all over the place, circling around the golden ring that was hovering in midair.

    The ring''s diameter was roughly seven meters. Until earlier, it had been wielded in the Crimson Queen''s hand.

    It was the weapon form of the Rune of the Ring. Most likely, it had separated from within the queen just before she vanished, thus staying in the present world!

    Surprised, Hal looked at his index finger.

    Solomon''s ring on his finger was vibrating slightly.

    The golden ring in the air also started to vibrate as though it was resonating with the true ring itself.

    Next, the serpent souls flying in the air began to sing a song.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

    They sounded like the songs of mermaids, calling to passengers on ships, bewitching them and dragging them into the ocean. Beautiful with a hint of melancholy.

    Hal recalled what Orihime had said to him just now.

    King Solomon and Haruga Haruomi were on similar levels. In a direct confrontation, no one could predict the outcome of a fight¡ª

    Seizing the chance when Hal and Hannibal were both exhausted from the intense showdown, Solomon''s ring had launched its counterattack.

 Volume 5, Afterword

    Volume 5, Afterword

    "A¡ñ¡ña actually has a mother who''s like an upgraded version of her and I''m planning to have her debut in this upcoming Volume 5."

    "In that case, it''s probably game over for A¡ñ¡ña, I guess?"

    ¡ªTwo novelists talking shop on a certain day in 2014

    Hello everyone, it''s been a while.

    This series has reached its 5th volume and the stage finally expands beyond the borders of Japan.

    In addition, new characters have debuted one after another. Although compared to the regulars, most of them are conceived as special guest appearances, if a certain mother became a supporting character candidate, her daughter''s position would presumably become more and more precarious¡ª

    "Stop saying such inauspicious things as the author!"

    Oh my, A¡ñ¡ña-san. You arrived quite early this time.

    "That''s because the pages allotted to the afterword for this volume are so few. Forget about that. There''s absolutely no need to write a mother character, is there!?"

    That''s because, you know, everyone loves pretty older ladies.

    Beautiful witches of indeterminate age and beautiful maidens with disguised appearances are standard-issue weapons in the light novel industry. Isn''t that lovely? Stuff like high school teachers who look like middle schoolers despite being in their forties. By the way, I actually know people like that in the real world, but the fine lines at the corners of their eyes will still secretly betray their age...

    "You are making dangerous statements that''ll get you red-carded, but let''s get back to the main topic. I have no objection to middle-aged women characters that stimulate pedophilia, but you don''t have to plunk that kind of label on my mother, right?"

    However, the fact that you have this kind of mother was already decided back in Volume 1.

    "Quit pretending you''re very detail-oriented only during times like these. How dare you say that when your memory of the setting is clearly fuzzy and you keep flipping back to check earlier volumes in the process of your writing... Not only that, but you even made casual reference to the amnesia cliche in another author''s work. Rein in your unruly behavior please!"

    Oh, about that part, I did confirm properly with the one in question himself, so there''s no problem. Yeah.

    "The one in question himself... Are you referring to Madan''s T¡ñgre-san?"

    No, I mean Kawaguchi-sensei who''s the creator. It was during a chat with him the other day.

    "...In other words, about that super tactless dialogue near the beginning, could the other party be..."

    It was simply a product of delusion. Fiction.

    Whether myself or Kawaguchi-sensei, we''re both highly-regarded gentlemen in the industry. We absolutely won''t recklessly use female characters as the butt of that kind of joke!

    "Look me properly in the eye when you go spouting this type of stupid excuse!"

    Now then, this series is gradually approaching a climax.

    "Th-That''s such a crude way of changing the subject!"

    Whether in terms of plot or the cover illustration, next volume will be the time for a certain female character to shine.

    I know many readers had been waiting for this volume thinking that "logically speaking, Volume 5 should be Angel-chan''s turn in the limelight" so in response to your hopes, I will do everything I can. Please wait patiently¡ª

    "...Don''t you find that you''re putting in extra effort to advertise the upcoming volume this time?"

    Actually, that certain character is one that I''ve spent the most effort on, out of all the characters I''ve ever written.

    "Huh?"

    In the past, I wrote "a good girl whose personality was like an angel''s" but the next thing I knew, I already made her dark side awaken because it''d be more interesting.

    "Oh, you''re talking about that shrine maiden from a certain series released by a certain publisher, right? Rather than a good girl, it''d be more apt to describe that little sister as having a ''good personality'' and being wise in the ways of the world..."

    Actually, that would have its own merits, I don''t think there''s anything wrong with that.

    It''s just that I still can''t change the fact that I failed the challenge of "constructing a benevolent character completely purged of all negativity and evil." So this time, to avoid repeating the same mistakes, I deliberately made a big deal out of her angelic traits before her debut, so as to give myself no way out.

    "S-So there''s this kind of inside story behind that kind of telegraphed debut!?"

    Because of these reasons, I hope to make the next volume a grand culmination of the angel challenge.

    Dear readers, if it is not too much to ask, please confirm for yourselves in Volume 6.

    "Huh? Speaking of which, what about my round of romantic comedy invincibility after my awakening?"

 Volume 6, 1 - Aboard Solomonâ€™s Ark

    Volume 6, Chapter 1 - Aboard Solomon''s Ark

    Part 1

    The spaceship Anastasya was equipped with many astounding capabilities.

    First of all, one must introduce the miraculous properties of the QX metal serving as the power source.

    Just by exposing molten QX metal to special radiation then letting it come into contact with "copper," the copper would start flying away at super-high speed in a straight line.

    This allowed for impressive flight capabilities, sufficient to escape the Earth''s surface, break past the atmosphere and fly to the farthest reaches of the universe.

    This massive force of propulsion was generated using the unique properties of QX metal¡ªrestricting the motion of the constituent copper particles to a fixed vector.

    Hal¡ªHaruga Haruomi¡ªwas an adventurer and scientist who had traveled throughout the universe.

    His spaceship, the Anastasya, was fitted with a QX engine. Using the same underlying principle, the QX cannon was able to fire super-high performance nuclear bombs with yields of twenty-thousand kilotons, sinking even the large spaceships of space pirates in a single strike...

    "Senpai, this is my first time hearing about a spaceship that uses metal for fuel."

    It was inside the Anastasya''s control room.

    Shirasaka Hazumi was sitting in the co-pilot''s seat in front of the navigation sheet.

    She was dressed in Kogetsu Academy''s uniform. Hal wondered if he should ask her to change into a form-fitting pilot suit to accentuate her bodily curves.

    Devising a plan with ulterior motives, Hal was in the pilot''s seat. He was also wearing a school uniform.

    "In the past, this would''ve been a very high-tech setting. After all, it''s a retro system capable of flying between the stars for a science fiction journey without using stuff like antimatter or degeneracy reactors."

    "S-So much difficult jargon."

    "Hmm. During a time when it was possible to communicate without using this slightly complicated jargon, like in science fiction or space operas¡ªthose space novels serialized in pulp magazines¡ªthey frequently used copper as a propellant to fly spaceships into the universe."

    Sitting next to his junior/assistant, Hal explained talkatively.

    This was clearly a story set in the distant future, yet he was talking about an ancient, more modest age.

    "They would purchase copper ore and copper products in bulk from hardware stores in town."

    "How long ago was this?"

    "From the 1920s to the 40s... America during the era of Lovecraft, the writer of horror fiction that I mentioned before. He would comment on other authors'' works of science fiction and once wrote ''the only flaw in this story is its use of other planets as the stage''."

    He offered positive comments for the overall story but concluded with that sentence.

    "If I had to use modern Japan as analogy, it''d be like a fantasy novelist at M¡ñ Bunko J criticizing a peer''s romantic comedy ''using a school as the stage is too lowbrow.'' His own novels were clearly published in pulp magazines, in particular, the horror magazine Weird Tales as well as Amazing Stories and Astounding Stories both of which specialized in publishing science fiction novels."

    "I don''t quite follow, but it does sound a bit strange."

    Incidentally, H. P. Lovecraft also seemed to have changed his mind while writing the Call of Cthulhu, a space horror novel.

    He even used extraterrestrial planets such as Kadath to serve as the stage for stories.

    "Old Mr. Lovecraft wasn''t a bad guy, but he often said one or two things that he shouldn''t have. He seemed like a delicate man who was hard to get along with. By the way¡ª"

    Hazumi nodded and even began to take notes.

    Seeing her so innocent, Hal felt his mood brighten up while he continued to make inconsequential conversation.

    "Among readers who enjoy Japanese light novels, there are occasionally people who want to know more about the Cthulhu mythos after seeing references in games or anime. I think it''s pretty interesting to read more works from the past and not rely only on searching information from the internet. Lately, there have been books taking old classics to add explanations and comicalize them. Also, author circles have risen up where experts can come together in their efforts to research Lovecraft, or even someone arguably more important than the experts¡ªlike Mr. Derleth¡ªhave been able to discover information that one wouldn''t learn just from reading catalogs of the Old Ones that are no different from monster picture books."

    "O-Okay."

    Hazumi moved her pen hastily, writing the knowledge into her notes.

    It was a different matter when interacting with his childhood friend or Luna Francois, a bird of the same feather as him, but contrary to what appearances may suggest, Hal actually kept himself under pretty good control when in the presence of Hazumi or Orihime.

    However, he accidentally revealed some of his true depths today.

    "If you''re interested in the Cthulhu mythos, you can dig deeper by reading books written by authors from the same period like R. E. Howard, E. E. Smith, Edmond Hamilton, or works dating earlier such as E. R. Burroughs¡ªDoing research on American science fiction and fantasy novels from that time period can be very fun. Recently in Japan, a bunch of novels popped out inexplicably, revering Burroughs as their ''orginator.''"

    "Mr. Burroughs, is that right?"

    "In simple terms, he''s the guy who created Tarzan the king of the jungle. He''s the one who wrote the original novels in the Tarzan series."

    "I''ve heard of Tarzan!"

    "A Princess of Mars is also considered one of his signature works and Di¡ñney recently made a movie out of it. The granddaddy of adventure stories set in another world, it''s an exemplary masterpiece of ''this is where it all began''... The story is about Captain John Carter, a wounded Confederacy officer during the American Civil War, who looked out into the sky one night and was somehow sucked away to Mars."

    Speaking of which, Hal had casually flipped through a similar novel before.

    Champion? Campiote? The title was something along those lines. In a similar manner, this book kept bringing up scholarly knowledge about mythology from all over the world¡ªOr more accurately, drivel of no particular importance.

    Since it was a different publisher, doing that once in a while was probably harmless.

    While thinking about inexplicable matters on his own, Hal continued, "Look, you''ve probably seen it before, the kind of plot about a Terran getting summoned to another world. Then Captain Carter, who was already a powerful man on Earth, became even more powerful after arriving on Mars. You can even consider him the strongest hero on Mars. Thus, he embarked on a great adventure across war-torn Mars, driven by his sense of justice to extend a helping hand to people in need. He even rescued an imprisoned princess and fell in love, marrying her. Finally, he became Martian royalty. Leading armies on the battlefield in magnificence, he became the great hero who united Mars."

    Summoned to a life of adventure in another world and making it big¡ª

    This pattern had always been very popular in juvenile adventure novels.

    Recently, there was apparently a revival of this trend in Japan, centered in the internet.

    In fact, as the granddaddy of them all, the Mars series practically included all the delicious flavor and essence found in similar stories.

    "Stories of Terrans running over to another world probably existed as far back as two thousand years ago. Still, I believe that Burroughs should be seen as the originator based on the criterion of attaining popularity through novels whose only objective was entertainment of the masses. Descendants and distant descendants continue to show up endlessly even now, subconsciously emulating his works or making minor changes. This might actually be a bit similar to the relationship between progenitors and their kin in vampire novels. Nowadays, there are already many people in the publishing industry who have never even heard of the Mars series..."

    A strange phenomenon took place when Hal reached this point in his explanations.

    The Anastasya was a ship with the highest specs in the solar system.

    Namely, Hal and Hazumi''s spaceship. Reaching almost thirty meters in length, its streamlined teardrop-shaped fuselage shook violently.

    Until now, it had been cruising smoothly on an orbit around Venus.

    The shaking did not happen just once. After that, the fuselage continued to vibrate mildly!

    "D-Did an accident occur?"

    "No, we ran out of fuel. This ship is a total glutton..."

    This spaceship could be operated by a crew no bigger than the number of people needed to run a personally operated small business.

    Yet this tiny craft was the fastest in the universe and equipped with firepower that could only be described as overspec''d.

    This was a tradition tacitly accepted ever since the earliest space novels. Custom made inventions created by genius scientists were innumerable.

    However, there were occasionally stories that would impose weaknesses upon them.

    Hal and Hazumi''s beloved spacecraft, the Anastasya, was one of them.

    "Anyway, this ship is a big eater. Using a human analogy, it needs to be served five snacks and four special meals in addition to the three staples of breakfast, lunch and dinner, not to mention a smoothie before breakfast and dinner has to include a serving each of ramen and chazuke. That''s why it suddenly ran out of fuel and couldn''t continue flying..."

    Hence, the Anastasya began to crash.

    One might consider it fortunate that after losing control, the ship did not end up as scrap metal floating in the endless universe.

    The spaceship crashed into the Venus atmosphere nearby.

    In this time period, the various solar system planets including Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter had been terraformed by future technology to make them inhabitable by mankind.

    However, that did not mean they could be equated to "safe lands."

    The Venus situation was such that the majority of the land was covered by jungle or filled with marshes. Dangerous beasts and monsters inhabited these jungles.

    The Anastasya made an emergency landing at one of these jungles near the equator.

    "It finallys stabilized..."

    "L-Let''s go outside to have a look, Senpai!"

    Hal and Hazumi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    Their energy source, the QX engine was completely silent.

    Even electricity could not be produced, much less propulsion for a spacecraft to take off. Carrying flashlights, Hal and Hazumi opened the hatch manually and exited the ship.

    After that, they walked in the jungle for about three hours.

    Using sizes on Earth as a reference, it would not be strange for the giant trees growing in the jungle to have lived as much as centuries.

    The sky and the sun were obscured by the foliage of the towering trees growing on Venusian soil. It was currently daytime yet the inside of the jungle was dark.

    The air was humid and stuffy.

    The Kogetsu Academy uniforms they were wearing soon became soiled by sweat and mud.

    While exploring under unpleasant conditions, they sent out flying devices equipped with tiny cameras to get a grasp on the surrounding geography.

    They also measured the terrestrial magnetic field to determine their latitude and longitude. This allowed them to confirm on the map that there was a Venusian settlement roughly fifty kilometers ahead.

    Then they took a break at a lake flowing with clear water.

    The great jungles of Venus were all dark and gloomy environments like this.

    However, Hal felt incredibly satisfied amidst all this.

    "Mm-hmm. Speaking of Venus, it''s the planet of giant jungles after all as well as the headquarters of the solar system library or the Galaxy Patrol."

    "Really?"

    "Yeah. This is functional beauty as defined by retro science fiction. Also, Mars is basically a planet that''s one big wasteland, which feels like there maybe ruins left from the extinction of a super ancient civilization or remnants of canals."

    "Fufufufu. That''s wonderful, Senpai! Say¡ª"

    After smiling like an angel as always, soothing Hal''s heart and soul, Hazumi asked, "I''d like to take a bath here. May I?"

    "What did you say!?"

    Hal jumped in shock and alarm and instantly shook his head.

    "No, absolutely not."

    "I can''t...? I''m all sweaty and we finally found clean water, so I''d like to rinse myself."

    Having lost power, the Anastasya could not activate its water purification system either.

    Hazumi should be allowed to make use of nature''s blessings to take a bath as desired. However, Hal still replied mercilessly, "Listen carefully, Shirsaka. Bath scenes offering legal fanservice definitely are the highlights elevating B movies to top-class entertainment, but there''s a common pattern. Heroines who go off alone unnecessarily will most likely meet a fate to please the audience. If you go take a bath on your own, you might get attacked."

    "Ehhh!?"

    "Just in case, I''ll stay on guard next to you. Otherwise, I won''t allow you to take a bath."

    Hal took out his gun from his hip holster.

    But instead of the magic gun he always kept with him, this was a large-caliber blaster, bigger and more in line with retro sci-fi settings.

    In an adorable tone of voice, Hazumi said, "...Excuse me, Senpai. Even for you, that is still ''naughty naughty!'', you know?"

    "Why do you say that?"

    "Because you will see me in the nude, Senpai. Please leave this lake for now, Senpai."

    Hal went "hnng!"

    Simply hearing Hazumi, the obedient girl younger than him, gently scolding him "naughty naughty!" wa enough to fill Hal''s body and soul with indescribable contentment. So adorable. Too adorable.

    He wanted to take the easy way out, but that would not guarantee his protege''s safety.

    Hal did not back down.

    "Then I''ll turn around and look away from the lake and you, Shirasaka."

    "......"

    "That way, even if enemies attacked, I''d still be able to take care of them quickly. If no one shows up, of course I won''t take a single peek at you. What do you think?"

    "Fine... I guess that''ll have to do."

    After some hesitation, Hazumi chuckled and agreed to Hal''s suggestion.

    "On further thought, it''s not like you''ll do anything weird, Senpai."

    "That goes without saying!"

    Hal turned his back to the protege who trusted him completely.

    Then he heard the sound of friction between clothing.

    Hazumi was currently removing her uniform. Then the splashing of water implied she had entered the lake.

    Immediately after that, a sinister beast''s roar was heard.

    GYUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

    "Kyahhhhhhh!?"

    "Just as I predicted!"

    Hazumi screamed loudly. Hal immediately opened his eyes and looked back.

    A giant squid, roughly four meters in length, had appeared out of the water, extending one of its tentacles towards Hazumi who was standing in the lake''s shallows.

    Naturally, Hazumi was unclothed.

    Completely naked, she gave off vibes like a lake fairy that were amplified by the location of a jungle on another planet, and a jungle spring at that.

    Her limbs were so delicate that it seemed like they would break under the pressure of a hug.

    Even so, she was still showing volume in all the right places.

    Only fourteen years of age, her body traced out beautiful curves that made the viewer look forward to her growth. Still, Hazumi''s body was "maidenly" from head to toe without giving anyone the impression of excessive maturation.

    One tentacle had tangled itself around Hazumi''s wrist.

    (...I think I''ve seen this giant squid before.)

    It was identical to the monster they had encountered at the Izu waters before.

    While thinking that, Hal fired four times consecutively from his blaster. One of the shots struck and blew away the tentacle entangling Hazumi''s wrist.

    All that was left to do was shooting and destroying this mysterious giant organism that had appeared in a freshwater lake even though it was a squid.

    My shooting skills are faster than the eye can follow.

    As the hero of this action scene, Hal was virtually unstoppable across the entire universe.

    "Thank you, Senpai!"

    This was followed by what would be a staple scene.

    Utterly grateful, Hazumi threw herself into Hal''s embrace.

    Hal caught his protege''s wet body. Her appropriately bulging breasts was pressed against Haruga Haruomi''s stomach.

    This included those pink parts adorning the front tips of her breasts.

    Ack!

    Crap, crap, form is no different from emptiness, and emptiness is no different from form...

    To suppress thoughts of lust, Hal summoned his sage''s mind that was immovable as a rock.

    Speaking of which, it was not too long ago when he had grabbed Shirasaka''s breast in his right hand to inject magical power directly into her heart.

    Just as Hal''s vivid memory of that sensation were revived¡ª

    He suddenly came to his senses.

    The impressions and memories of physical contact, branded upon the palm of his hand¡ªThey made his consciousness reconnect with his body''s sensations.

    Hal instantly became wide awake.

    "Where am I...?"

    He looked around him.

    There was nothing. If anything, it was just a gray space.

    The background was gray. The was also gray. Before his eyes was just endless "gray."

    There was clearly no floor or ground, yet Hal remained sitting firmly in this gray space. Rather than "sitting," it was more like hovering in the air.

    He was holding Shirasaka Hazumi in his arms.

    In the final moments of the retro sci-fi farce that seemed like a weird dream, he had been holding Hazumi like this¡ªHis current posture was identical to that.

    Hazumi''s eyes were tightly shut. She was sleeping soundly. However, she murmured in her dream, "Sorry, you warned me beforehand, Senpai..."

    She must have experienced the same dream as Hal.

    She was still inside that farce, imprisoned by magic in a strange realm of sleep and dreams¡ª

    Hal suddenly noticed.

    Hazumi was not wearing her school uniform but casual clothes. This was the same set of clothes she was wearing during the battle against dragon king Hannibal at New York during the summer vacation.

    "What on earth happened?" Hal muttered to himself.

    Part 2

    "Let''s see..."

    Hal took a deep breath and began to organize his memories.

    "I remember after the fight with Hannibal, Solomon''s legacy, the Rune of the Ring, had appeared together with the seventy-two serpent souls and they were releasing magical power over our heads."

    His thoughts grew more and more lucid.

    "Next, the Ring said to us in an extremely deep voice..."

    Something about accepting King Solomon''s invitation.

    As one would expect, the reason why the attack struck Hal directly without him being able to defend against the magical power released by the Ring was because an instant before that, his deathmatch against the strongest dragon king had just concluded.

    Right now, he was imprisoned inside a mysterious gray space.

    A world of gray as far the eye could see.

    The scenery remained constant all the way to the far end of the horizon. Nothing resembling an exit was in sight.

    "Is this a prison for locking away Shirasaka and me?"

    Hal muttered quietly, holding his sleeping junior in his arms.

    But he mustered his determination and deliberately laid Hazumi''s delicate body on the ground.

    Like Hal, who was sitting on gray air, the sleeping Hazumi also floated in the air. She happened to hover at Hal''s feet.

    Given this incomprehensible situation, the space must have been created by magic no matter how you looked at it.

    In other words, I should use this to counter it¡ªHal summoned his "magic wand" to his right hand.

    Rather than a retro sci-fi blaster, it was his usual steel-colored magic gun.

    "I wasn''t killed in my sleep¡ª" said Hal to the magic gun.

    "I guess that''s because Solomon-senpai doesn''t have enough power to do that?"

    "You are probably correct."

    Residing inside the magic gun, the former dragon queen, Hinokagutsuchi, replied.

    Her tone was slightly sarcastic as usual and sounded quite malicious.

    "What a wise idea, ambushing a fierce tiger in its sleep... However, if one were to step on the tiger''s tail by accident, they would be torn apart by the awakened tiger''s claws in a single swipe."

    "In that case, might as well let it sleep¡ªIs that what he''s thinking?"

    "Precisely. Solomon has a trickier captive. He cannot afford to spend all his power on you."

    A trickier captive?

    Hal tilted his head then had a flash of insight.

    "Hannibal!?"

    On further thought, the red dragon king should be exhausted just like the rest of them.

    This meant that Hal had to take the strongest dragon''s presence into consideration when planning his escape and counterattack...

    While Hal was putting his mind to work, Hinokagutsuchi said, "Have you noticed, brat? Your trump card was stolen again."

    "Huh?"

    Now that she mentioned it, Hal hastily focused his consciousness on his own chest.

    The heart beneath was specially crafted. It was the organ created by merging with the heartmetal belonging to Hinokagutsuchi¡ªthe dragon queen¡ªin the past.

    It was also linked to her dragonoid body...

    Indeed. The dragon king-class husk of the Crimson Queen which obeyed Haruga Haruomi''s orders.

    However, Hal could not sense the queen''s presence at all right now.

    "Solomon-senpai got me again."

    During the battle against Hannibal, Solomon''s ghost and the Ring had stolen the Crimson Queen from Hal, taking perfect control of her. The same situation had happened again.

    "A practically equal opponent is such a hassle."

    It was a back and forth battle with both sides taking advantage of each other''s openings.

    The thrill and experience was different compared to an intense showdown against a dragon king, far stronger than himself.

    However, Hal was not really the type to indulge in the pleasures of battle itself. He grumbled and bit then sighed lightly.

    No matter what, he had to escape this place and awaken Hazumi.

    "Although fighting a second round isn''t really my thing..."

    No helping it. Hal touched the magic gun and used Dispel magic.

    It was definitely no easy task to overcome the magical power belonging to Solomon, the great ancient sorcerer, but with Haruga Haruomi at a comparable level right now, it should not be impossible¡ª

    Certain of this, Hal extracted magical power from his own heart.

    In the next instant, the surrounding scenery changed.

    Hal''s location was no longer the unnatural gray space.

    He had moved to a stone hall with gigantic pillars of white stone standing upright all over the place. Described using an experiences from Earth, it looked very similar to marble.

    "It reminds me of Islamic mosques..."

    The architectural style was unlike any in modern Japan.

    The ceiling glowed faintly, serving as illumination.

    Hal''s official assistant was lying on the stone floor. The girl went "mm..." adorably and slowly opened her eyes.

    "Senpai... Where on earth are we...?"

    "Probably Solomon-senpai''s ark that we awakened¡ªSomewhere inside it. Anyway, we need to start planning our escape."

    He nodded at the still drowsy Hazumi.

    "It''s like a temple..."

    Hal said quietly.

    Several minutes earlier, after explaining the situation to Hazumi, he had decided to take a quick tour.

    This was inside the building made of white stone. There was not a single person nor did he encounter any wild beasts or monsters. It was quite all around.

    Precisely because of that, this place felt rather holy.

    While the two of them were walking aimlessly along a passage like this¡ª

    "Well, this is the mansion belonging to Solomon-senpai the great sorcerer of legend. Calling it a temple wouldn''t be wrong."

    "Umm, Senpai..."

    Walking next to Hal, Hazumi asked, "I remember that King Solomon was the king of Israel... Wasn''t he?"

    "Yeah. But that Israel refers to the ancient kingdom founded by the ancestors of the Jews, the Kingdom of Israel. Of course, it''s different from the Israel in the modern Middle East."

    According to the Old Testament of the Bible, the first monarch of this kingdom was King Saul.

    The one who succeeded Saul was not his son Jonathan, but Jonathan''s best friend and the great hero who had defeated Goliath the giant¡ªDavid.

    Solomon was the son of David.

    During King Solomon''s reign, the Kingdom of Israel reached an unprecedented height in power.

    However, after the great sorcerer king''s death, the kingdom fragmented into two pieces, one north and one south, never recovering again¡ª

    "But somehow, something doesn''t feel right."

    After walking for an hour or two, Hal felt doubt rising in his mind.

    They had discovered almost ten rooms including small rooms resembling studio apartments as well as great halls where one could hold dance parties.

    One would definitely not consider this an exceptionally extravagant arrangement.

    Most Japanese people would probably understand if the analogy of "pretty much the same as a community hall you can find anywhere" was used to describe the building''s floor area and number of rooms.

    However, this was the strange part.

    Solomon''s ark had been summoned from the other side of the sea of stars.

    This ship was definitely huge. Reaching thirty meters in length, it was definitely big enough to serve as a coffin for a giant, but even so¡ª

    In terms of interior space, wasn''t it a bit too vast?

    "Senpai! There''s an exit!"

    While Hal was feeling puzzled, Hazumi said to him in elation.

    She pointed ahead in the passage with her right index finger. There was a wide exit where dazzling light was streaming in from the outdoors. It looked like sunlight...

    Hal and Hazumi quickly walked to the bright exit.

    They were finally outdoors.

    Overhead was a vast blue sky.

    Hanging high above, the sun was radiant.

    The land underfoot was a small island floating in the air. The island had only one building, the stone temple they had just exited.

    A more careful look revealed several¡ªno, hundreds¡ªof similar islands floating in this blue sky.

    Every island featured at least one temple of similar appearance.

    "What''s with this place!?"

    "This doesn''t look like this ship''s interior!"

    Hal and Hazumi were shocked, but Hinokagutsuchi said in boredom, "This trick isn''t actually that amazing. That guy Solomon simply used magic to expand and contort space. He probably set up some kind of barrier inside the ark."

    Residing within the magic gun, the former dragon queen spoke calmly.

    So far unable to give up an ordinary person''s sensibilities, Hal whispered in a hoarse voice, "So this place is still inside Senpai''s ship huh..."

    "Amazing..."

    Hazumi was dumbfounded in astonishment next to Hal, sweeping her gaze in a circle to look at the endless blue sky before her.

    Part 3

    "Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    It was rare for the obedient and gentle Hazumi to scream like this.

    One could hardly blame her. This was because she was currently skydiving without a parachute or a lifeline, holding hands with Hal.

    The location was the starting point where Hal and Hazumi had just woken up¡ªA sky island.

    Standing on the edge, they took a great leap into the air.

    Naturally, the two of them began to free fall, crashing down headfirst. The intense howling of strong wind rushed past their ears.

    "Don''t worry, we''ll land safely!"

    Hugging Hazumi, Hal yelled out.

    Naturally, he was falling together with his protege, which was why Hal used Feather Fall magic. Thrown off Akuro-Ou mid-flight, Asya had used the same magic in the past.

    Immediately, their rate of fall decelerated sharply.

    Hal and Hazumi floated downwards lightly like a falling feather.

    This speed could not be called free fall anymore. Used to counter gravity, the magic felt like a giant''s hand, setting the two of them down gently.

    "Senpai! We''re flying in the sky!"

    Hazumi''s screaming instantly turned into words of joy.

    The magic developed by the modern magic association, SAURU, could not control a skill as high-level as flight.

    But it could allow one to take on the sky a bit in this manner.

    "If possible, I''d like to try ascending in addition to landing," Hal muttered while concentrating.

    This was to correct their falling direction. A number of sky islands were floating in the air within their view.

    However, there was no telling which island they would land on if they simply allowed themselves to fall. In such a situation, the two of them would drift left like a dandelion seed as soon as Hal thought "to the left a bit" to himself.

    They enjoyed a very buoyant and unusual free fall for about five minutes.

    Then they landed on a certain sky island.

    Like the island at their starting point, this one had a "temple" too.

    Its size and appearance resembled a "grand stadium" except built entirely with white marble.

    There were ancient ruins of temples in the Mediterranean and Middle East¡ª

    This temple was reminiscent of that kind of architecture. Perhaps this was the architectural style of the ancient Kingdom of Israel.

    "Anyway, let''s search this place too."

    "Yes!"

    After the first island, Hal and Hazumi stepped into the temple on the second island.

    Roughly one hour passed...

    Walking out of the temple, Hal looked dissatisfied while Hazumi had a confused expression.

    The brilliant sun hanging up high continued to radiate heat and light, illuminating the blue sky where hundreds of islands were drifting in the air. Even so¡ª

    The mood was gloomy.

    "Let alone food, we can''t even find water..."

    "I am a bit hungry..."

    "Given her poor fuel efficiency, Asya would surely be raising a fuss by now if she were here. But then again, she might be able to find food using her beast-like sense of smell..."

    Inside the building that was styled like a solemn temple, there were no usable supplies at all.

    If anything counted as something they found¡ª

    "Although the search wasn''t a waste of time, we still need a way to handle hunger."

    From his pocket, Hal took out the result of their search.

    It was a piece of pure gold, but only as big as the tip of one''s little finger.

    Gold, silver, treasure and gemstones could be found all over the temple on this sky island.

    Hal had chosen "something that looks very valuable, but the smaller the better" and pocketed it. To avoid it getting in the way during their escape, he did not take very much.

    "B-But Senpai, is this really okay? Taking things without permission..."

    "I think so. This is inside Solomon-senpai''s ark and I''m legitimately inheriting his fortune as the successor."

    He replied decisively to the apologetic Hazumi.

    Prior to the battle against Hannibal in New York, Hal had carried out the Legacy Inheritance ritual, which resulted in Solomon''s ark flying over from space.

    In a certain sense, one could say that Hal had already obtained the original owner''s consent.

    Completely unfazed, he continued, "Of course, a proper archaeologist wouldn''t do this, but I¡ªWe treasure hunters rely on these things to supplement our incomes, because our work necessitates many expenses."

    "You''re right... I guess."

    Hazumi smiled immediately after a moment''s hesitation.

    "Perhaps that is how things work. Fufu."

    She seemed to realize Hal''s reason for saying "we."

    Despite some weight on her conscience, the girl who loved adventure stories about the likes of gentleman thieves and grave robbers set in ancient ruins still chose to become an "accomplice."

    "But right now, I''d rather find bread and wine than treasure¡ªThat''s my honest opinion. If only investigative magic was working."

    Hal specialized in magic including Sense Magical Power, Heat Sensing, Enemy Detection, etc.

    Probably because the interior of the ark was within King Solomon''s barrier, Hal could not gather any information even when using those spells.

    That was why they had to charge into the temple without knowing anything.

    In the end, they did not see any humans, animals, magical creatures or mechanical lifeforms. Even the most necessary food and water could not be found.

    At this rate, they were going to faint from malnutrition and lack of calories.

    "If you think about it, this place is the coffin and graveyard for the long dead Solomon-senpai. The serpent souls placed along with him are like non-corporeal ghosts. Even if gold, silver and treasure were put in as grave goods, I suppose they wouldn''t prepare stuff like food, right...?"

    Hal made an ominous deduction.

    They were originally hoping to find the exit at least, but that was in vain too.

    "The only method left is to catch Solomon-senpai and make him release us through either brute force or negotiation. But that requires locating Senpai first."

    "Senpai, wouldn''t it be better to fly by using Minadzuki as a mount?"

    "That''s definitely more efficient than floating down slowly."

    Hal began to ponder Hazumi''s suggestion.

    However, there was a problem with that method too.

    ''Serpents'' were extremely conspicuous due to their strong magical power and great size. Flying in the sky with virtually no obstructions, they would be discovered sooner or later. Even if they used stealth magic like during the infiltration of the Dragon Palace Court, effectiveness would still be unknown.

    That being said, flying would definitely make movement and exploration much easier. Hal nodded in agreement.

    "I wouldn''t be surprised if Solomon-senpai has discovered that we''ve lifted the sleeping spell. In that case, let''s pick the fastest method to get us out of here. Counting on you, Shirasaka."

    "Yes!

    Thus, Hazumi summoned her partner.

    The emerald serpentine dragon leviathan, Minadzuki, featured a pair of wings glowing with golden radiance. Despite using up substantial stamina during the Hannibal battle, her physical condition and magical power had recovered during the time when Hazumi had been imprisoned by the dream magic.

    Originally over twenty meters in length, Minadzuki was currently much smaller.

    She had shrunk down to five meters or so at Hazumi''s request.

    Even so, she was still a size larger than the majority of large reptiles such as crocodiles.

    Hal and Hazumi mounted the miniaturized Minadzuki together near the spot where the pair of wings sprouted.

    As a side note, Hazumi was sitting in front as the "pilot" with Hal behind her.

    "I''d like to get a grasp on the overall situation inside the ark. Can we fly up first?"

    "Very well. Please do that, Minadzuki."

    Responding to the witch''s request, the serpentine dragon leviathan began to soar.

    Speaking of which, Minadzuki apparently used unbelievable magic during the battle earlier¡ª

    Hal remembered. Back then, Hannibal was about to deliver a fatal blow to the battered Crimson Queen. However, Minadzuki''s use of healing magic had helped the Crimson Queen to recover slightly and launch a counterattack with her blade...

    Carrying Hal while he contemplated, the emerald serpentine dragon flew into the sky.

    She twisted her body while moving forward, resembling swimming more than flying.

    However, about ten minutes after she started flying, a creature came out from nowhere and blocked in front of their graceful journey in the air.

    Simply stated, it was a gray winged dragon.

    Like Rushalka that Hal and Hazumi knew so well, it was a gigantic winged creature.

    It lacked forelimbs despite resembling the bodies of dragonkind. Instead of arms, a pair of wings were connected to the shoulders. Furthermore, this wyvern featured even more striking characteristics.

    Its head had a crest and the beak was also extraordinarily sharp.

    As it result, its entire head looked like a triangle to Hal.

    "A pteranodon...?"

    The appearance of this flying creature was very similar to the most famous species of pterosaur.

    Rather than a category of dragon, it was a winged dinosaur in paleobiology. However, one would have to assume there were giant pteranodons from the Cretaceous Period with wings spanning twenty meters in the first place.

    This winged dragon flew directly towards them.

    With its wings spread wide, it rode the wind to glide with agility.

    The pair of eyes on the triangular head stared straight at Minadzuki as well as Hal and Hazumi who were riding on her back.

    "Maybe we accidentally invaded that thing''s territory?"

    "W-What should we do, Senpai!?"

    "Anyway, let''s try driving it off first."

    BANG!

    Sitting on Minadzuki''s back, Hal summoned his magic gun and casually fired a shot.

    The bullet of red light traced out a curved trajectory in the air to shoot at the gigantic pteranodon. Hal had no intention of making a direct hit. He wanted the bullet to fly past the pteranodon''s head and scare it.

    However¡ª

    "Runes of Ruruk Soun!?"

    Fifteen magic symbols appeared in front of the giant pteranodon.

    This arrangement of runes formed a defensive wall to deflect the magic gun''s warning shot. The fifteen elite runes signified "shield."

    Hal realized.

    "Something not a Raptor and not an elite but dragon-like and capable of using Ruruk Soun magic... Is it an ancient leviathan!?"

    Genbu-Ou in Princess Yukikaze''s service. The octopus dragon subspecies appearing at the Izu waters.

    This winged dragon was one of their kind as well as the ancestor of modern leviathans like Minadzuki.

    The serpent souls that had appeared during the Hannibal battle were the spirits of ancient leviathans that had lost their physical bodies. However, a leviathan had evidently survived to the present day.

    In other words, she was one of King Solomon''s minions¡ª

    Realizing the giant pteranodon''s origin, Hal immediately commanded, "Hurry and deploy imperishable protection!"

    Minadzuki instantly responded.

    Pearly radiance covered the serpentine dragon leviathan''s entire body as well as Hal and Hazumi riding on her back.

    In the next instant, the giant pteranodon flew past Minadzuki with a "whoosh" directly above.

    When passing by Minadzuki''s head, the winged dragon''s right hind limb¡ªthe four talons on the tip of its foot were like giant sharp swords¡ªdelivered a kick at Minadzuki.

    This attack was blocked by the light of protection.

    Hal felt a pain in his heart. Damage blocked by imperishable protection would accumulate bit by bit in Haruga Haruomi''s heart.

    "P-Please look at that!"

    "As expected of Solomon-senpai''s minion... It can use the same tricks as us, right?"

    Hazumi pointed out hastily and Hal muttered quietly.

    The ancient leviathan in pteranodon form, featuring a wingspan of twenty meters by visual estimates, was also enveloping her gigantic body in pearly light.

    Indeed. King Solomon possessed the Rune of the Ring.

    Conversely, Hal was the heir to the Bow and the Twin Katana. They were both holders of dragonslaying runes. However, Minadzuki had currently shrunk herself to a size of five meters or so.

    There was a decisive disparity in body size.

    Furthermore, she was carrying two people on her back.

    Fighting a melee air battle under such circumstances could accidentally drop Hal and Hazumi.

    "We have a crisis..."

    "Senpai! That magic from just now, please use it again!"

    Just as Hal gulped in nervousness because of the dire combat situation, Hazumi made a suggestion.

    "Okay!"

    Realizing her intent, Hal instantly took action.

    Carrying his junior''s delicate body in his arms, he jumped out. From Minadzuki''s back, he leaped into the air, like jumping off the roof of a building. Hal instantly shouted, "Counting on you, Shirasaka!"

    "Yes! Don''t worry about us, Minadzuki!"

    While falling, Hal cast Feather Fall magic on Hazumi and himself.

    Meanwhile, Hazumi ordered her partner to cancel miniaturization. The serpentine dragon leviathan swiftly returned to her original size of twenty meters or so.

    Hence¡ª

    Inside the ark of King Solomon''s legacy, a battle began between leviathans, one ancient and one modern.

    What a wondrous and unbelievable showdown.

    Part 4

    Just by using the magic of Feather Fall, one would float lightly towards the ground like a feather.

    However, that was only when used by witches. After leveling up repeatedly as a Tyrannos, Hal had even surpassed the power of Level 5 witches.

    With Hal as the one using this magic, the rate of descent could be reduced even further.

    Falling merely a few centimeters in one minute¡ªSuch a difficult feat was possible.

    Virtually stationary in the air, Hal watched the violent clash between two leviathans while holding Hazumi in his arms.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Kushahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Minadzuki cried out shrilly while the giant pteranodon roared.

    In the next instant, the two leviathans attacked simultaneously. They discharged scorching breath from their mouths.

    However, these attacks did not succeed into coming into contact with the other''s body.

    Due to the pearly light guarding them¡ªimperishable protection¡ªthese giant monster breath attacks were kept outside.

    "If only I could summon the Crimson Queen at least..."

    Seeing both sides well-matched in power, Hal commented quietly.

    In that case, he could either overpower the enemy by going two against one or powering up Minadzuki by having her switch to Queen Form. However, this option was not available.

    "But Senpai, although winning is impossible if this continues, we won''t lose either," pointed out the junior fighting by his side.

    Hazumi was experiencing slow free fall together with Hal.

    She looked like she was enjoying this stalemate situation a bit.

    Despite being a witch, Hazumi had a gentle and honest personality. She probably wanted to minimize harm on both sides.

    But in the next instant, the stalemate was broken.

    The giant pteranodon used new magic.

    "Eh? I remember that''s¡ª"

    Seeing the fourteen runes of Ruruk Soun, Hal was surprised.

    The fourteen high-level runic symbols were shining over the crest on the giant pteranodon''s distinctive head. It signified "armistice." Armistice meant "the lowering of weapons."

    Hal recalled seeing this arrangement of runes somewhere before...

    Just as Hal was puzzling over it, Hazumi widened her eyes.

    "Th-The protection vanished!"

    "Seriously..."

    The two leviathans, one modern and one ancient, were facing off in the air.

    The pearly radiance surrounding their gigantic bodies suddenly disappeared. First was the giant pteranodon''s protection followed by Minadzuki''s.

    Hal remembered.

    "It was True Genbu-Ou! That guy used the same kind of magic to seal away the Rune of the Arrow and eliminate the Rune of the Bow!"

    "D-Do your best, Minadzuki!"

    Watching the battle with Hal, Hazumi cried out.

    Next, the emerald serpentine dragon began to call out with a voice as beautiful as a musical instrument.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª

    It was a song for invoking pseudo-divinity and using the Rune of the Bow. The air suddenly began to flow, swirling around in a vortex of air currents.

    The two leviathans were engaged in aerial combat.

    The air around them turned into howling wind, then immediately developed into a tornado to swallow the pteranodon.

    Unable to resist the storm''s mad rotation, the giant pteranodon was at its mercy.

    Minadzuki''s pseudo-divinity of Wind was imbuing the tornado with powerful strength and sharpness like blades. The raging wind ravaged the giant pteranodon while turning into vacuum blades, slicing the gigantic body all over.

    In addition, it was also infused with the Bow''s dragonslaying magical power.

    The giant pteranodon''s blue blood splattered in the air, turning the spinning storm into a light-blue tornado.

    It was quite a tragic sight.

    However, Hal still could not rejoice even after seeing Minadzuki gain the upper hand.

    "She''s cautious as always, but..."

    It was possible that Minadzuki committed to using a finishing move because she knew the enemy was very strong.

    She understood that under the command of the peaceful Hazumi, the situation would get more and more unfavorable as the battle dragged on. However¡ª

    Swallowed by the tornado, even with thousands of lacerations ripped across her body, the pteranodon still refused to fall.

    Fifteen runes of Ruruk Soun¡ªthe "shield"¡ªprotected her body, helping her to barely survive Minadzuki''s magic attack.

    Next, when the raging storm finally ceased, when the killing wind stopped...

    All covered in wounds, the giant pteranodon glided unsteadily to show she was still alive and even used magic.

    Over the flying winged dragon, seven runes of Ruruk Soun appeared.

    The arrangement signified "healing hand." The "serpent" serving King Solomon had all her injuries rapidly healed, restoring her to her original condition.

    "It''s like with True Genbu-Ou... A leviathan that has awakened goddess power?"

    "Senpai! I will have Minadzuki use that once more!"

    "No, let''s wait first," said Hal to his brave junior.

    "I''ve got a plan. It''ll probably be tough on you, but I hope you can have Minadzuki buy us a bit of time. Just stay on the defensive and focus on resisting the enemy''s attacks."

    "A-Alright!"

    Hazumi agreed to Hal''s request and clasped her hands together before her chest.

    Entering a prayer pose, she wished for her partner to fight vigorously and safely.

    Meanwhile, the showdown between giant monsters in the sky was¡ª

    The giant pteranodon finally switched to offense after healing herself. Riding the wind, she swiftly approached Minadzuki and attacked using her four-clawed hind leg.

    The serpentine dragon leviathan''s body was a beautiful emerald color.

    Four scratch wounds were carved on her dragon scales, bleeding four trails of blue blood.

    Of course, the battle was not over with this. Minadzuki craned her neck and counterattacked by attempting to bite the enemy.

    However, the giant pteranodon rose up swiftly and succeeded in evading.

    The pteranodon flew at high speed and attacked Minadzuki again with four claws. Thus, she attacked and evaded repeatedly using this "hit and away" pattern¡ª

    Hal glanced at Minadzuki, whom the tides of battle had turned against, and surveyed their surroundings.

    There were five sky islands within the airspace of the battle.

    Assuming there were no other enemies apart from the pteranodon, that should most likely be over there. Hal nodded and fired five consecutive shots with the magic gun in his right.

    The five magic bullets flew towards different targets¡ªThe five sky islands.

    Every island was more than ten kilometers away from Hal and Hazumi who were floating in the air.

    Next, Hal closed his eyes.

    This was to scout out everything on the ground at each of the five bullet''s destinations. This was to confirm what was present and to detect the unorthodoxy.

    This was not a feat that a human could accomplish, not even a master-class witch.

    However, it was possible for Haruga Haruomi the magic gunner and great sorcerer. As much as he hated to admit it, his magical power had definitely surpassed human limits.

    Hal''s five magic bullets reached the sky islands and pierced into the ground.

    At the same time, he sensed the magical pulsation coming from a temple on a certain island.

    "Over there, I see..."

    Should he use the magic gun to snipe? No.

    Hal shook his head. It was not his style to act like a merciless sniper. More importantly, it would be a poor influence on his assistant and protege.

    Then go with a warning. There was one magic spell that came in handy in this kind of situation.

    "No helping it. I''ll try out that arrangement."

    "Huh¡ª?"

    Hazumi stared blankly, presumably due to the five runes of Ruruk Soun appearing in front of Hal.

    They signified "heat and explosion." Hal''s formidable enemy in the past, Pavel Galad, had used this magic before. Hal shot this runic arrangement with his magic gun and the red bullet of light flew forward along with the five runes.

    Naturally, the destination was the sky island where Hal had sensed the pulsation of magic.

    "S-Senpai! You''re able to use the magic of dragonkind too!?"

    "Yeah, I can use it as long as it isn''t magic that''s too difficult," answered Hal with a sigh.

    Due to his increase in power as a Tyrannos, Hal was finally able to draw out the wisdom of Ruruk Soun from his "magic wand," the magic gun.

    At this time, the runes of "heat and explosion" reached the target sky island.

    The five runes caused a violent explosion on the ground.

    Like the previous island they had visited, all these sky islands had was a stone temple, but the flames and blast would not affect the interior. Hence, Hal''s objective was only to issue a warning.

    "Okay..."

    Hal summoned magic symbols to his hand again, three this time.

    They were runes of Ruruk Soun, signifying "telepathy." Suppose the other party was a sapient lifeform, it would allow them to communicate across barriers of language and race.

    After casting this magic on Hazumi and himself, Hal addressed the giant pteranodon that was using "hit and away" tactics to bully Minadzuki, "Help me pass this message to your partner¡ªExcuse me for making such a cliched threat, but if you don''t cease this battle, I won''t miss my next shot."

    The winged enemy paused so Hal continued.

    "I wish to speak with your master and we will be heading to that island now. If you dare escape... I regret I''ll have to snipe you in the back. Unless you are an expert highly adept at magic, I don''t think you can escape from an attack of the Rune of the Bow, can you?"

    He added another threat to prevent the other party from escaping.

    When Hal finished, the giant pteranodon suddenly vanished.

    The message evidently got through. Obeying the witch with whom she shared a covenant, the ancient leviathan de-materialized.

    Next, all Hal had to do was make his way to that sky island¡ª

    Hal shrugged at Hazumi and said, "I had a hunch that her partner definitely was nearby. How should I put it? It''s because she acted a bit similar to how Rushalka behaves under Asya''s command."

    This was intuition honed from his many years of observing his childhood friend cooperating with her partner.

    Moreover, he was certain that the giant pteranodon''s partner was not King Solomon. Otherwise, she would have been using the Rune of the Ring frequently.

    Hal had skillfully resolved the situation and Hazumi looked at him in admiration.

    "You are amazing, Senpai... I can''t believe you drove away the ''serpent'' so easily."

    "Not at all. I was just lucky."

    This was not modesty. Hal was quite serious.

    In the event that their encountered opponent was True Genbu-Ou, this trick would not have worked.

    Furthermore, Haruga Haruomi made his living as a treasure hunter. Being praised in an area outside his field of expertise would only make him blush.

    That being said, this battle might hold important significance.

    Hal glanced at the sky island where he had caused a runic explosion.

    There was a witch there who controlled an ancient leviathan. She was probably someone in service of Solomon the great sorcerer¡ª

    Finally a chance to obtain information.

    Hal nodded firmly and prepared to meet the witch he had never seen before.

    Part 5

    Many lacerations had been left on Minadazuki''s body from the pteranodon''s claws.

    The wounds were definitely not light.

    Fortunately, none of them were critical. At this level, the resilient life force of a "serpent" was sufficient for natural healing.

    Riding on Minadzuki''s back, Hal and Hazumi moved to the newest sky island.

    The witch controlling the giant pteranodon should be in the temple on this island.

    "Thank you, Minadzuki."

    After thanking her partner, Hazumi dispelled her physical form.

    Then she entered the temple with Hal.

    The ancient kingdom governed by the legendary King Solomon... This facility was probably built during that time period.

    Its style was quite similar to Doric architecture as exemplified by the Parthenon of ancient Greece, adorned with simple decorations all over the place without glamor.

    Overall, the temple gave a solemn impression, perhaps because only white stone was used to build it.

    She was standing next to the entrance.

    "I apologize for earlier. My name is Haruga Haruomi and this is my associate, Shirasaka Hazumi. I would greatly appreciate it if you could tell us your name."

    Standing next to him, Hazumi nodded in support of Hal''s self-introduction.

    The other party was a beautiful woman in the prime of youth.

    Her deep-set facial features had an exotic air to them. Black hair.

    Her figure was extremely outstanding. The red cloth wrapped tightly around her body made her image strongly reminiscent of a passionate exotic dancer.

    However, Hal felt something was not quite right.

    Just as he was puzzling over "what is this feeling?" The beauty gave her name.

    "Shamiram."

    A calm and beautiful voice. However, something was still strange.

    In any case, Hal decided to ignore this unknown sense of dissonance. The conversation came first.

    "So, Shamiram-san."

    Although he was still gripping the magic gun, Hal tried to converse in as cordial a tone as possible.

    "It''s definitely a bit much for me to demand this after doing that with this gun, but I hope you''ll talk to us. We don''t intend to be unreasonable, so please help¡ª"

    "Perfect."

    The beautiful Shamiram said lightly as though interrupting Hal.

    The smile hanging on her lips was beautiful enough to be called seductive. Or perhaps bewitching would be the right word.

    "Lord Tyrannos of the Bow... I intend to seek your help too."

    "Huh?"

    "I believe in your power and implore you to extend a helping hand... I hope you could release me from the curse imposed upon me by my master."

    "Uh¡ª"

    Hal was very confused by the beautiful witch from an ancient kingdom, staring at him intently.

    Expecting nothing but a brief chat, starting up a conversation first to see whether he could gather any hints to figure out the ark.

    That was Hal''s original plan, but the other party suddenly brought up an unexpected request. That was not the only problem.

    ...Hal thought silently to himself.

    This older lady''s eyes are so sexy. I can''t say no to her...Wait, hold on.

    He must not allow the ladies to discover such lustful thoughts of his.

    He tensed his mind and deliberately asked in a firm voice, "Lady, could you tell me who is this ''master'' you speak of?"

    "Of course, it is none other than His Majesty, Master Solomon the great monarch of my kingdom. He is the great sorcerer who had inherited the power of the dragonslaying ring¡ªLike you."

    "......"

    "Serving my master, I was one of the followers of the unorthodoxy. Prior to his death, he commanded me to guard this ship, thus I boarded the ship together with the serpent souls."

    "Oh..."

    In other words, the manager of a tomb¡ªA gravekeeper?

    Shamiram smiled at the nodding Hal, looking like she was tempting him.

    "My master''s magic cannot be dispelled even if one were to gather a thousand mediocre spellcasters."

    "I''d think so too."

    "But you are different. At first glance, Lord Tyrannos of the Bow, your power as an adherent to the path of the unorthodoxy is equal to my master''s¡ªGiven that is the case, I am certain you will be able to lift this spell."

    Shamiram the beautiful witch looked at Hal seductively.

    Bowing his head to glance at his magic gun as though to escape her gaze, Hal inquired of his gun.

    "Hey, do you know what kind of curse Solomon-senpai cast on her?"

    "''Follow my orders with absolute obedience''...This is a curse of coercion."

    As expected of a former dragon king. Hinokagutsuchi saw through it at a single glance.

    A curse of coercion¡ªHal cocked his head.

    "I can''t believe he used this kind of magic on his own subordinate. Isn''t he being a bit too petty and distrustful?"

    It was hard to understand.

    Hal did not want to take rash action without figuring out the situation clearly, but¡ª

    "Excuse me, Senpai. Can''t we help Shamiram-san to lift her curse? I can''t believe a spell of absolute obedience was cast, I feel so sorry for her..."

    Having remained silent behind him until now, Hazumi walked to Hal''s side and spoke sympathetically.

    She must have heard Shamiram''s request and Hinokagutsuchi''s analysis and was moved to pity. Unlike Hal, this junior student was very pure of heart.

    If possible, Hal really wanted to reassure Hazumi, but...

    He went straight to the point.

    "Why did Solomon-senpai cast a curse of absolute obedience on you? Unless this is cleared up, I really can''t help you."

    "It is very simple. Lord Archer, may I ask you to step over here, please?"

    Shamiram beckoned with her hand. Hal walked forward, stopping in front of her.

    At that very moment, the beautiful witch from the ancient kingdom took Hal''s right hand and drew him closer, making his hand sink into her breast forcefully.

    Furthermore, with her left hand superimposed upon Hal''s right hand, she exerted more force.

    The fabric of Shamiram''s garment was quite sheer with a rather low neckline. Thanks to this clothing, Hal was forced to experience "her texture" regardless of whether he wanted to or not.

    "B-Boob!?"

    He cried out incoherently. Bluntly stated, she had a massive bust.

    This extraordinary volume was clearly beyond Orihime''s and had even surpassed Luna¡ª

    Meanwhile, Hazumi had her eyes widened staring intently at Hal''s hand on Shamiram''s breast.

    It looked like her mind had froze, unable to keep up with the unexpected development.

    Then Hal finally recovered from his shock.

    "Umm, Shamiram-san?"

    "What is it?"

    "Your skin is extremely cold... like ice. And it''s very taut and hard, not soft at all..."

    He commented honestly.

    Shamiram smiled back seductively.

    "Fufufufufufu."

    "Also, I can''t feel any heartbeat, pulse or body temperature suggesting life. I don''t know if I should say this, but your body seems identical to rigor mortis..."

    "Ufufufufu."

    "Meaning that, don''t tell me you''re¡ª"

    "It is just as you surmise. I am of the non-living. This body has died once already."

    " "!?" "

    Hearing this overly shocking truth, not only Hal but Hazumi was also rendered speechless.

    The earlier sense of dissonance must have been this. By his instinct as a mage, Hal had subconsciously sensed one of the non-living, the presence of death¡ª

    "When Master Solomon assigned my mission to me, he took my life... He ordered me to follow him to the grave. Furthermore, my master revived me as the ''living dead'' to serve as the gravekeeper in the ark."

    The living dead, the undead.

    In fantasy RPGs, those in such a state would gather to form a powerful faction. The most representative of them was probably the zombie. Ghouls, ghosts and vampires also fell in this category.

    Facing the speechless Hal, Shamiram then admitted, "After all, the living cannot be expected to stay on watch inside the ark with the serpent souls for a thousand years. That must have been what my master thought. In other words, Master Solomon is both my former liege and the one I detest."

    Shamiram smiled seductively.

    However, all emotion suddenly vanished from her face to show a terrifying and merciless expression, the very image of a death mask.

    It was so intimidating that Hal could not help but feel a chill along his spine.

    "Consequently, my master cast this curse of obedience on me to prevent me from ever defying him. However, Lord Tyrannos of the Bow, if you could be so kind as to lend your assistance... I would be able to regain my freedom."

    What are your thoughts?

    Hal did not know how to answer. He never expected the first person to encounter in the ark would be a beautiful witch with this kind of background.

    An unexpected development was gradually unfolding upon the battle and grand adventure revolving around Solomon''s legacy.

 Volume 6, 2 - The King of Magi Returns

    Volume 6, Chapter 2 - The King of Magi Returns

    Part 1

    The bold and unfettered personality of Hannibal the red dragon king was publicly recognized without contention.

    One could call him sloppy or doing things with no planning at all. At this very moment, the strongest king of dragonkind was following his whims, taking a break.

    "Well, I guess I''ve got to get properly rested no matter what."

    Lying on the ground uncouthly, he released a great yawn.

    This was Hannibal''s human form, a well-built red-headed man. He finally took off the red coat that never left his side, casually rolling it up to use as a pillow.

    Hannibal''s current environment was extremely peculiar.

    It was a gray space extending to the horizon. Hannibal was trapped in a bounded field where there was nothing apart from himself.

    "Hmm... My last time as captive was four thousand years ago, maybe? Or was it five thousand?"

    He tried to recall his vague memories but immediately gave up.

    There was no need to remember the exact time. The key point was that "it was very long ago." This kind of adventure surely felt nostalgic.

    Hannibal noticed that he was actually quite excited.

    "This really takes me back. I used to go around looking for this kind of fun once in a while."

    Captured and imprisoned in the enemy commander''s castle.

    However, he would make full use of his wits and martial prowess, setting himself free and proceeding to exterminate the enemy army for a bit of payback.

    During captivity, the spices of boredom, hunger and torture would be added too.

    Now that Hannibal thought back, every memory was so wonderful.

    Currently, Hannibal had reached the pinnacle of strength and would occasionally reminisce about the fear and nervousness he had felt back then.

    "Hmm. I might as well give up a dragon king''s power and ''start over.'' That''ll be pretty amusing."

    Grinning, he suddenly began to fantasize.

    In addition, the prime culprit imprisoning him was the ghost that the successor of the Bow had summoned from the sea of stars recently. He was haunting the weird ark.

    It looked like he was the Tyrannos possessing the Rune of the Ring...

    "What a rude and careless guy, he didn''t even drop by to say hi."

    After locking Hannibal into the gray prison, the other party had not shown up at all.

    However, dragon kings possessed extreme senses like beasts. He knew that the enemy or the enemy''s lackey was monitoring him from outside the prison at all times.

    Hannibal could faintly sense the other party''s gaze and wariness.

    "Waste of effort."

    The red dragon king grinned slightly in mockery.

    They should know just by focusing their mind a little.

    During the showdown against the Bow user, the red dragon king''s heartmetal had suffered serious damage, causing his healing speed and magic recovery to slow down.

    It was not time to make a move yet. He could wait longer for more power to return.

    That was precisely why Hannibal was yawning in leisure, lounging away to kill time in lethargy. In his current state, he must focus on recuperating.

    Hence, the person outside need not be so nervous.

    At least for the time being¡ª

    "Someone who doesn''t get that must be human... Or rather, a human who has never turned into a dragon before?"

    He muttered to himself while thinking back.

    Princess Yukikaze had inherited the arrow''s dragonslaying rune. The adorable white dragon king.

    Only capable of an incomplete transformation, that little lass would be considered a half-human, half-dragon existence. However, she understood this principle well.

    In that case, should this be relegated as a question of aptitude?

    Ultimately, members of the human race were still living creatures, companions of beasts.

    Most humans refused to acknowledge and accept this fact, unwilling to take a further step towards becoming "beasts."

    On further thought, they were such a weird bunch.

    "Well then, what about this kid?"

    The young man and Tyrannos who was controlling an "imitation dragon king," a most extraordinary tool.

    Hannibal recalled the Bow''s successor. What might that guy be doing right now?

    "Come, come, Lord Haruga. A drink for you."

    "Oh my oh my, ahaha."

    "Wow, what a bold drinker you are. Come, another cup."

    "Oh my oh my, ahaha... Uh, Shamiram-san, it''s a bit much when you''re using distilled water to pretend to serve wine."

    "Despite saying that, you seem to be quite enjoying yourself."

    "Oh my oh my, ahaha."

    The dead beautiful witch, Shamiram, was holding a narrow flask in her hand.

    From the flask, she poured drinking water into the wine cup in Hal''s hand, encouraging him to have a drink.

    Looked after by the "pretty older lady" with immaculate care, Hal was feeling a little lustful.

    Furthermore, this handcrafted flask looked as though an amateur had sculpted it sloppily.

    Bluntly stated, its shape was very ugly. The color was also a dull reddish brown. However, according to Shamiram, the distilled water in the flask never ran out no matter how much you poured.

    It was an excellent magic treasure in contrast to its humble appearance.

    ''Anyway, I''d like to secure food and water first... Do you have any ideas?''

    Just earlier, Shamiram had made a request to Hal.

    After some contemplation, Hal finally used Dispel magic.

    Then after breaking King Solomon''s curse, it was Hal''s turn to ask for a favor to sate his hunger and thirst. Thus Shamiram led the two of them to a certain sky island.

    She said that the temple on that island had treasures capable of creating water and food.

    What transported them from one island to the next was the giant pteranodon.

    Named Ashkelon, she was the "serpent" under Shamiram''s control. With her master, Hal, and Hazumi riding on her back, this ancient leviathan flew lightly to their destination.

    Thus, Hal and Hazumi finally tasted food for the first time in a while.

    However, it was definitely not a sumptuous meal. The only drink was the distilled water poured out from the magic flask. On the other hand, the only food was¡ª

    "Senpai, here you go."

    Hazumi handed over an big earthen plate.

    This plate was also handcrafted and covered with irregularities. One could tell that its creator had very poor craftsmanship. However, this plate was also a magic treasure.

    Just by praying to it, white bread would appear on the plate.

    Thus, the plate was currently carrying white bread, summoned by Hazumi''s prayer. While thanking his diligent protege, Hal tore off a piece of bread.

    ...Munch. What terrible taste.

    If he concentrated hard, he could sense a bit of sweetness from that starch.

    But that was all. Judging from the Japanese standard of putting large amounts of cream and butter into their bread, this was practicably on the level of "tasteless."

    This was still very nutritious¡ªShamiram had told them.

    "The manna mentioned in the Bible could very well taste like this," muttered Hal while chewing the almost tasteless bread.

    As the creator of the bread, Hazumi smiled with purity and responded to Hal.

    "I''ve heard of that. I remember it was God''s food, wasn''t it? When Jesus and Moses prayed to God, something that fell from the sky and resembled frost."

    "Yes, you''re right, that''s the one."

    "Let me make you something delicious after we escape this place. Although my cooking is nowhere as good as Nee-sama or Asya-san... Will you be willing to try it?"

    "That goes without saying!"

    "Fufufufu. Thank you."

    Hal nodded vigorously in response to Hazumi''s suggestion.

    This was a heart-to-heart moment between an upstanding senior and his junior. However, Hazumi immediately came back to her senses and looked away stiffly.

    It was as though she could not bear to watch the senior''s foolishness any longer.

    Ahem. Hal cleared his throat and said to Shamiram in a serious tone of voice, "Excuse me, can I ask you to stop messing around?"

    "Oh?"

    The beautiful witch, Shamiram, used her index finger to lightly caress Hal''s inner thigh and said mischievously, "And what do you mean by that?"

    "L-Like this kind of inappropriate conduct! Also, there''s no need for you to sit next to me and show off your probably H-cup bust and cleavage to me¡ª"

    "I can''t (stroke-stroke)?"

    "O-Of course not."

    "But Lord Haruga, I feel as though your face is saying ''more, more''..."

    "Unfounded speculation, I can assure you."

    Hal protested while feeling surprised and alarmed inside.

    Of course, his expression was very serious. However, Shamiram was calmly and confidently using her body to launch a "smiling and stroking" offensive to strike back.

    "Is that truly so?"

    "A-As the one in question here, my words absolutely cannot be wrong."

    "Fufufufu. There is also the possibility you are lying, Lord Haruga. I wish to investigate thoroughly."

    Shamiram''s commitment to service was very strong.

    Apart from letting Hal grope her breast in the beginning, she would touch Hal''s body like this from then on, pouring water for him, teasing him in every way possible.

    To be honest, the thought of "if only she wasn''t dead" had crossed Hal''s mind as well as "isn''t being alive or dead just a minor detail?", possibly as part of the closet pervert in every man.

    Crap, crap. Form is no different from emptiness, and emptiness is no different from form.

    When Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara practised the deep Prajnaparamita, he saw that the five skandhas were empty; thus he overcame all ills and suffering...

    Hal recited the Buddhist scripture that was about "things with form ultimately end up no different from that which is formless¡ª" in an attempt to coldly push away the beautiful witch from an ancient kingdom.

    However, the pair of ostensibly H-cup breasts was making his mind spin, preventing Hal from taking action in a timely manner.

    "P-Please wait!"

    At that moment, Hazumi suddenly shouted.

    "Excuse me, but Senpai already asked you to stop. Shamiram-san, it''s time for you to come over and begin your meal too!"

    "No no. I have no need to eat. After all, I am already dead."

    "!? Sorry, I forgot..."

    Hazumi was at a loss when the plate of bread she presented was refused. In contrast, the beautiful witch Shamiram continued nonchalantly.

    "Furthermore, Lady Hazumi, this is ultimately only part of my gratitude in return."

    "Really...?"

    "Indeed. To forget favors and to repay kindness with betrayal would be morally bankrupt and unfit to be called a human being. I wish to be of service to my savior Lord Haruga as much as possible."

    "B-But¡ª"

    "And judging from Lord Haruga''s facial expression, he doesn''t seem to be an unwilling participant, does he?"

    "That is not true! Senpai isn''t supposed to be like that!"

    Hazumi yelled at the ancient witch. It was rare to see her so worked up.

    It almost seemed like she was jealous of Shamiram. Hal widened his eyes in surprise. On the other hand, Shamiram spoke with a laid back face, "On the contrary. Men at this age are undoubtedly like this. Despite being dead, when a peerless beauty like me takes initiative in approaching him... Lord Haruga''s lust will assuredly be stimulated. The evidence is how he furtively glances at my chest."

    "I-Is that true, Senpai!?"

    Seeing Shamiram explain convincingly, Hazumi wavered and asked with uncertainty.

    Naturally, Hal would not be careless enough to show his true colors at such a time. Making full use of his acting skills, he strained to feign composure.

    "S-Silly child, how could I possibly do such a thing?"

    "Fufufufu. Lord Haruga, you are not very honest, I see," said the deceased, beautiful witch happily.

    She even puffed out her chest to show off her pair of breasts that seemed to symbolize the fruits of the land.

    Form is no different from emptiness, and emptiness is no different from form. Okay, no problem, sage mode activated successfully.

    Shamiram stared at Hal suggestively and said softly, "Well, let us assume that he truly does not have that intention."

    She winked. Clearly she was already dead, but why was she still so sexy?

    Hal found the witch''s mysterious allure unbelievable. In front of him, Shamiram continued to make problematic statements.

    "Having caressed my breast with such passion previously, Lord Haruga and I have clearly crossed the line in our relationship."

    "Th-That''s because you pulled my hand to touch yourself, Shamiram-san."

    "Yet you were fondling rather thoroughly..."

    In his shock, Hal had accidentally persisted in fondling her. That was the truth and he had nothing to say in defense of that.

    However, it was not lust. At least not on the surface. Just as he intended to launch a rebuttal, Hazumi spoke before him.

    "Th-Then in that case, it''s the same for me!"

    "Oh? It is the same for you too, Lady Hazumi?"

    "Yes! Senpai has groped me in the chest too! Forcefully, squeezing hard! Shamiram-san, you are not the only special one!"

    "S-Shirasaka!?"

    "Oh¡ª?"

    The adorable junior''s sudden confession caught Hal unprepared. Shamiram crossed her arms.

    "Lord Haruga... So you are the same as Master Solomon, I see?"

    "Eh? What do you mean by that?"

    The ancient witch answered Hal''s question decisively, "Putting his paws on the maidens in his service, philandering outside, wooing them with deception to marry them as concubines¡ªThat is what I mean. In the past, I too, was one of Master''s beloved concubines, serving at his side."

    "......"

    "......"

    The unexpected situation left Hazumi speechless.

    Hal was the same, but he managed to gather his thoughts together, just barely. It would be bad if he continued to remain in this position of disadvantage. It was time to seize initiative back from the deceased witch whose speech and behavior were all so shocking.

    "Uh, I''m very interested in Solomon-senpai''s exploits alright," said Hal in a serious tone to change the subject. "But let''s first discuss our next move. I believe we have two options. One is to have Shamiram-san take us to the exit so that all of us can leave the ark together."

    "That probably will not work," the beautiful witch replied apologetically. "There is only one person able to open the ark''s entrance arbitrarily, namely, its owner. Naturally, under the current circumstances, it means Master Solomon."

    "Then our only choice is the second option."

    Hal shrugged and deliberately tried to sound nonchalant.

    "We must work together and hijack this ship¡ªin other words, take control by brute force so that we can control it freely."

    Part 2

    After chatting, refreshments and a meeting...

    Hal and Hazumi parted ways with the beautiful witch from an ancient kingdom and were back being alone together.

    Riding the miniaturized Minadzuki, they took flight into the sky inside the ark, filled with sky islands. As before, Hazumi rode in front with Hal behind her.

    Unlike earlier, they now had a clear target.

    Solomon''s ark apparently had a control room like in human ships.

    Shamiram entered its coordinates into Hal''s "magic wand," the magic gun. Truly impressive, an ancient witch. She performed such a high-level technique effortlessly.

    "But are you sure we should be splitting up from Shamiram-san?"

    "Just as she said, she would have greater freedom to act alone compared to staying with us, who are so conspicuous. She''ll extend a helping hand in secret when we''re in danger."

    After Hal replied to alleviate Hazumi''s worries, he lowered his voice.

    "Also... In the event that she''s lying, it''d be dangerous to be around her too."

    "Lying about what?"

    "Lying about hating Solomon-senpai and betraying him when she actually intends to conspire against us. Moving around as a group with a traitor in our midst would be quite a hassle since you never know when you''ll get stabbed in the back."

    Rather than working together while worrying, it would be better to go separate ways¡ª

    That was what Hal thought. He wanted to believe in human benevolence as much as possible but they had yet to establish any trust. Trust was not something to offer to others unconditionally.

    In contrast, it seemed like Hazumi had not considered that possibility at all.

    Stunned over there, she looked like she wanted to argue, but she paused to think before speaking. Finally, she said, "You are right... After all, we just met her."

    "Yeah. It''s unfortunate, but for us, sometimes it''s definitely necessary to be more vigilant."

    Hal gradually felt his soul soothed by his junior.

    Because Hazumi''s pure heart, refusing to suspect others unreasonably, moved him a bit.

    "B-By the way..."

    Hazumi started up another topic of conversation, probably to change the gloomy atmosphere.

    "I feel that Solomon-san was not a very decent person."

    "Definitely. Forcing a woman who had an intimate relationship with him to follow him to the grave and even using a curse to force her to be his gravekeeper for all eternity, that''s definitely beyond fiendish."

    "Can''t you use your magic to help her, Senpai?"

    "I doubt it. I don''t think I have any spell that''ll come in handy. By this point, even if I release her from her undead state, there''s no way for her to reincarnate as a human. There''s no spell to help her pass on to nirvana either."

    "What a... pity."

    Hazumi suddenly stammered then said stiffly, "B-By the way, Senpai, I am so sorry for earlier. I can''t believe I said something like ''Shamiram-san, you are not the only special one!''"

    "Oh, sure. You surprised me there."

    "Umm... I don''t quite understand it myself, but at the time, I felt compelled to speak at all costs. I couldn''t hold it in no matter what. I felt that had the situation continued, Senpai would''ve become Shamiram-san''s¡ª"

    Hazumi was jealous after all?

    Jealous of the beautiful ancient witch who seemed like she was about to monopolize Haruga Haruomi with her bold behavior. The instant he realized this, Hal breathed a sigh of relief.

    (Has my "big brother" flag finally been raised...!?)

    It was just yesterday when he had told Hazumi that "You''re feeling jealousy when girls approach me. In other words, this is the sense of loss stemming from your perception of me as something beyond a senior¡ªan older guy akin to an big brother!"

    At that instant, Hal felt an indescribable surge of emotions in his heart.

    "I am truly sorry. Also, I just realized.""

    "O-Oh? What did you realize?"

    He feigned calmness but could not stop his feelings inside from getting stirred up.

    Hal could not help but start to fantasize. He imagined Hazumi confessing to him, "Senpai, you are already ''Onii-chan'' to me!" in a shocking development.

    What a conundrum. Am I finally going to gain a little sister of no blood relation?

    However, what Hazumi said was completely outside his predictions.

    "Senpai... Do you do the same thing with others as what you did when you touched my breast? Umm, like with Nee-sama or Asya-san..."

    "Ah, uh¡ªI won''t do that kind of stuff to Asya. Absolutely not."

    Strictly speaking, he had done something similar during Rushalka''s rebirth.

    Even so, Hal still thought of it as a one-time exception that probably would not happen ever again. In fact, his childhood friend was able to use the sun-shooting divine bow successfully without Hal''s help. However¡ª

    "Th-Then Senpai, sure enough, towards Nee-sama and Luna-san, you will..."

    "......"

    Hal realized his mistake. To think he had acknowledged the truth with his own mouth!

    "I-In order to win against those dragons, there was really a necessity."

    All he could do was relate "the truth itself."

    Hal did everything he could to tense up his expression and speak in an extremely serious tone. At this rate, he was going to lose his dignity as the "senior."

    To break out of this crisis, he spoke from the heart, "In truth, I''ve never had the luxury of sparing thoughts on other matters during battle."

    ...This was the truth close to the deepest part of his psyche.

    He also knew that "other matters" actually surfaced in his mind during the instants when he had touched Orihime and Luna.

    That being said, Hazumi still nodded and agreed with his slightly exaggerated admission.

    "I-I get it! Last time, I was facing a great showdown against Hannibal-san too. B-But it''s definitely as you say, Senpai... Huh?"

    The two of them were riding on Minadzuki, who had shrunk down to five meters or so.

    Sitting in front of Hal, Hazumi suddenly held her sides and bent over forward.

    "Ah... Ooooooh. M-My stomach hurts..."

    "Sh-Shirasaka!?"

    Hal wrapped his arms around Hazumi''s shoulders from behind and examined her face.

    The pain lasted roughly three or four minutes before Hazumi finally recovered. With a haggard look, she said softly, "Sorry... I suddenly acted weird when it crossed my mind that Senpai has done the same thing with Nee-sama and Luna-san, which means they also experienced that kind of feeling."

    "I-I see."

    It was most likely a stomach cramp caused by severe stress.

    Health problems were common for the delicate Hazumi.

    Did this mean that the mere thought of a certain guy getting intimate with other girls apart from her would cause stress, then wasn''t this the same as an unrequited love...?

    No no no. No way that could be possible.

    Hal rejected his thought halfway through.

    No matter what, this delusion was too self-centered and narcissistic.

    Suppose Hazumi "felt that way" towards him, of course, he would almost die from overjoy, but Hal believed this was definitely impossible.

    He should first distract Hazumi''s focus from the mysterious source of stress.

    Hal changed the subject.

    "Speaking of which, can you be more specific on what ''that kind of feeling'' is like? It''s when I was sending magical power into your heart, wasn''t it?"

    Strictly speaking, it was a ritual to transfer magical power by touching a witch''s breast with his palm.

    Even now, Orihime and Luna still refused to tell Hal what they had felt. The third test subject, Hazumi, thought in silence for a moment before speaking softly, "It is very hard to describe, but... It felt very pleasurable..."

    "Oh? Pleasurable huh."

    "Yes. Like being in paradise, every inch of my body was very warm. But as soon as that moment passed, it felt extremely tiring."

    Some kind of blissful feeling? Hal hoped it was not addictive like drugs.

    Thinking "I see" to himself, Hal nodded.

    Hazumi then asked, "Umm... What about you, Senpai?"

    "What about me?"

    "This body part of mine isn''t as big as Nee-sama''s or Luna-san''s... or Shamiram-san''s."

    She pressed her right hand on her chest lightly.

    Then speaking softly with uncertainty and worry, she said, "I feel very sad... as soon as I wonder if you might dislike this kind of size, Senpai. Sorry, if only I were bigger."

    "W-W-W-What are you talking about, Shirasaka!?"

    Hal shouted in shock.

    "Although I''d definitely say ''the bigger the better'' if forced to pick, that doesn''t mean I reject the value of flat chests! I really like ones on the small side like yours too!"

    Only after saying that did Hal realize he had misspoken.

    He thought "what the heck did I say in desperation¡ª" to himself but the weird thing was that Hazumi listened to his problematic statement to the very end and nodded.

    And she even smiled with happiness.

    "Really? Fufufufu, I am so glad."

    "......"

    Seeing his junior react with unexpected cuteness, Hal felt his heart skip a beat with a forceful "badump", then immediately¡ª

    Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡ª

    Minadzuki called out softly.

    Minadzuki was the "serpent" with whom Hal had established a covenant through Hazumi. Hence, he could immediately sense her intent. This was a warning.

    Through her superlative senses of a leviathan''s, she had detected the approach of a dangerous enemy.

    "Shirasaka, land at the nearest island."

    "U-Understood. Is it Solomon-san?"

    "Very likely. Be careful."

    Hazumi also understood her partner''s warning.

    She immediately followed orders with a "Yes!", gently stroking Minadzuki''s back.

    As a a result, the emerald serpentine dragon flew to the sky island three or four kilometers ahead, landing on it and taking a prone position.

    Hal and Hazumi instantly leaped to the ground.

    Then they turned their heads to search the sky. A crimson elite dragon was slowly flying over from a certain direction. The two of them spotted the beautiful figure surrounded by flames.

    Unmistakable. It was the Crimson Queen.

    It was the body of the dragon king that King Solomon had stolen from Haruga Haruomi.

    "A direct showdown against Senpai at last huh..."

    Muttering to himself, he summoned his magic gun.

    Part 3

    Hal and Hazumi arrived at a new sky island and prepared for battle.

    As the only leviathan available, of course Minadzuki was expected to play a pivotal role. Shrunk down in size previously, Minadzuki now returned to her original size at Hazumi''s orders.

    The emerald serpentine dragon craned her neck over Hal and Hazumi, staying vigilant.

    The Crimson Queen was up ahead within view.

    Originally used by Hal as a trump card, the dragon king body had now fallen under King Solomon''s control. She flew slowly to approach the sky island where Hal and Hazumi were.

    Following the queen were seventy-two blue-white ghostlights.

    The flickering ghostlights in the air all had the same shape¡ªDragonoid forms.

    "They are all ''serpents'' that have lost their physical bodies... Aren''t they?"

    "Yeah. The spirits of leviathans¡ªserpent souls."

    Hazumi asked uneasily and Hal replied calmly.

    "Speaking of which, Shirasaka, I suppose you didn''t get to see it? Before Akuro-Ou received her physical body, she was also hanging around in shadow form like that."

    "S-So many..."

    "The story of the seventy-two demons serving King Solomon probably came from them. That being said, I totally can''t tell which one is Baal and which one is Asmodeus."

    Baal, Dantalion, Marchosias, Asmodeus, etc.

    These were all the names of demons that had served Solomon. Many of them originally came from "pagan gods outside of the Jewish faith."

    Demoting the gods of foreign peoples and countries to evil deities and monsters was an act of narrow-mindedness and intolerance.

    In any case, the elite dragon clad in crimson flames was flying over, leading an army of what looked like blue-white fireballs¡ª

    Hal''s lineup consisted only of himself, Hazumi and Minadzuki. It was worrying.

    In addition, several hours earlier, Minadzuki had fought Shamiram and her "serpent" Ashkelon, using up one invocation of pseudo-divinity in the process.

    Minadzuki''s partner, Hazumi, was a Level 2 witch.

    She could only order Minadzuki to use pseudo-divinity one more time today...

    "Shirasaka, take care to choose your timing for using pseudo-divinity."

    "Y-Yes!"

    "By the way, during the fight against Hannibal, Minadzuki used healing magic at the end¡ªIs there any way of having her use it again?"

    "Sorry, I... do not know how."

    She probably felt very guilty for giving a negative response.

    Hazumi looked at Hal sadly with a layer of gloom on her adorable face. Her gaze seemed almost magical. Hal felt as though he was going to be sucked into that pair of large eyes.

    "Since it was magic that Minadzuki used without my awareness... Also, even if I asked her to do the same thing again, the request probably won''t reach her. That was what Hinokagutsuchi-san said before."

    "Come to think of it¡ª"

    Hal recalled the conversation on the whale watching cruise.

    Trying to exert wanton control over creatures connected to the lineage of the gods would be an act of disrespect.

    Mankind''s only method of approaching the gods was to offer sincere prayers.

    Well, it''s probably because of that, thought Hal. Precisely because of that, Hazumi, who was purer and more innocent than any other modern witch, was the only one who drew out "goddess power" from her partner¡ªA very likely possibility.

    "I understand. I''ll just think of it as a stroke of luck if it works out smoothly. Anyway, let''s focus on defense first."

    "Yes!"

    "Follow the enemy''s movements and the rest is just improvising."

    They did not have enough combat power to strike preemptively... Hal deliberately withheld this.

    The crimson dragon king leading blue-white ghostlights versus the emerald serpentine dragon leviathan.

    King Solomon''s vassals were going to clash violently with Haruga Haruomi''s vassal.

    First, the serpent souls started to sing.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

    Hal realized suddenly in alarm. He had heard this song not too long ago.

    During the intense battle against Hannibal in the New York wasteland, when Hal was facing off against the injured dragon king, the serpent souls had been singing in unison as they were doing now. After hearing that song, Hal and the others had lost consciousness...

    Definitely beyond a doubt. It was a kind of psychological attack.

    Its purpose then was to capture Hal, Hazumi and Hannibal in one fell swoop while they were unprepared¡ª

    "Come closer, Shirasaka!"

    This time, Hal must protect the bodies and minds of himself and his protege.

    He waved and Hazumi rushed to his side with a "Yes!" Hal jumped in surprise next because Hazumi hugged him tightly as though throwing herself into his embrace.

    "N-No need to be that close, you know!?"

    "S-Sorry! I got too excited, also¡ª"

    Holding Hal tightly, she replied, slightly troubled.

    "Senpai, Nee-sama and you were doing this before... So I was wondering whether it was necessary when receiving magical power."

    After replying, the fourteen-year-old Hazumi cringed in embarrassment.

    She was probably embarrassed now that she became aware of her and Hal "hugging together." As a result, she was about to move away when Hal said hastily, "S-Staying in this posture is fine too. It''s pretty convenient as well!"

    After saying that, Hal deployed imperishable protection.

    The pearly light first enveloped the hugging senior and junior then expanded to cover the entire body of Minadzuki who was in the air preparing for the incoming attack.

    Last time, Hal and Hannibal had exhausted themselves to the point of being unable to deploy imperishable protection.

    Whether or not his defenses hold this time¡ª

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!

    The instant the choir of the seventy-two serpent souls reached the climax, the Crimson Queen opened its jaws wide and expelled a gray shadow.

    Carrying evil magical power, the "grayness" gradually swallowed Hal''s group.

    It swallowed Minadzuki''s giant body that was facing off against the queen in the air as well as Hal and Hazumi, hugging on the ground¡ª

    But this time, imperishable protection''s vaunted absolute defense blocked the attack for them. The gray shadow was rendered powerless. They neither fell asleep nor entered a dream.

    However, Hal''s heart had to suffer through twenty seconds worth of intense pain.

    No helping it. This was the price for maintaining imperishable protection.

    "So this is Solomon-senpai''s killer move huh..." Hal muttered to himself.

    Sacred words were glowing over the head of the stolen Crimson Queen.

    Seventeen runes of Ruruk Soun were arranged to signify "You will be enthralled by the land of dreams to wander in the lost garden for eternity."

    In addition, by the time Hal noticed, the golden ring had also manifested in front of the queen.

    A diameter of seven meters. This was the appearance taken by the Rune of the Ring after manifesting as an instrument of magic control.

    "This is a trump card that was able to take out a dragon king and us together in a one-hit knockdown. It''d be too much of a cheat unless it only worked when the opponents left themselves wide open."

    In boxing terms, it would be a hard punch achieving a one-hit knockout.

    However, it would be the type that was effortless to defend against because the motion was so telegraphed that one could tell from a single glance.

    They would never fear that type of attack again¡ªAs much as Hal wanted to say that, he frowned. If he and Minadzuki were to collapse from exhaustion, they would not be able to defend against this trump card.

    In that case, he must avoid fighting a protracted battle of attrition...

    Unconcerned with Hal''s worries, the Crimson Queen and Solomon''s ring started to move again.

    First, the seventy-two serpent souls behind the queen flew up one after another, circling around in flocks. This action did not seem very meaningful.

    However, the serpent souls offered magical power to Solomon while they flew, supporting him.

    Their presence alone was already helping him. With their support, the Crimson Queen reached out with her right hand to grab the golden ring.

    It was the manifested Rune of the Ring. As though throwing a frisbee, the queen launched it out.

    The target was Minadzuki, the emerald serpentine dragon.

    "Minadzuki, please!"

    Hazumi shouted from the ground.

    The serpentine dragon, twenty meters in length, responded to her plea and squirmed with agility, dodging the ring the enemy had thrown.

    That lightning-like speed was like a snake on a hunt.

    Furthermore, Minadzuki attacked the Crimson Queen while evading. She tried to bite the red dragon king''s throat.

    However, her teeth were blocked by imperishable protection.

    The Crimson Queen had immediately deployed the pearly barrier.

    If Hal was a Tyrannos, so was King Solomon. As fellow holders of dragonslaying runes, in addition to magical power, their defensive ability was virtually equal too¡ª

    Thus, Minadzuki and the queen fought in the air.

    The queen extended her crimson right arm, attacking Minadzuki''s head with her five sharp claws.

    Minadzuki''s slender body of a serpentine dragon twisted like a whip and struck the queen''s body.

    However, both sides were defended by imperishable protection, thus both attacks failed to inflict damage.

    Even so, they still did not give up, engaging in an intense melee battle.

    For instance, the queen opened her jaws to bite Minadazuki and she bit back.

    Minadzuki wrapped herself around the queen''s gigantic body, constricting her. Using her dragonoid limbs as human arms and legs, the queen punched and kicked Minadzuki¡ª

    Pointblank range, completely merciless, a violent back and forth.

    However, every attack proved ineffective against imperishable protection no matter what. Both sides remained unscathed. Even so, this battle was not perfectly balanced.

    "Ugh...!"

    "Senpai! Your chest¡ªIs your heart hurting!?"

    Hal and Hazumi had been hugging the whole time.

    However, Hal suddenly fell to his knees. Hazumi frantically tried to catch and support him.

    Earlier, the Crimson Queen had thrown the golden ring¡ª

    Like a fierce bird of prey with its own consciousness, it kept flying in the air, inflicting damage by crashing hard into Minadzuki while she was wrestling against the queen.

    In other words, Minadzuki was facing two enemies alone.

    Even with the defense from imperishable protection, attacks imbued with dragonslaying power would still transmit to Hal''s heart.

    Whenever the golden ring flew into Minadzuki''s back, body, or back of the head, Hal would feel an impact against his heart.

    He and Minadzuki had been roped into an unavoidable battle of attrition.

    "It looks pretty bad..."

    "Oh! Please look into the sky, can you see it!?"

    Hazumi suddenly said to the groaning Hal.

    He looked at the sky where she was pointing.

    A winged dragon was flying at high speed. The altitude was much higher than where the queen and Minadzuki were fighting. Flying to approach them, it seemed as though she were about to traverse the battlefield¡ªIt was Ashkelon.

    The pteranodon leviathan was the partner of the Shamiram the beautiful witch.

    "Shamiram-san has come to aid us!"

    "Looks like it, but... she''s probably having a tough time, unable to get close to us."

    "Huh?"

    Hazumi was very surprised. Hal sighed and said, "By the way, Ashkelon is also one of Solomon-senpai''s vassals. Even if she wants to fly over here and help, she can''t oppose her original master."

    "......"

    "That''s why the most she could do was watch from afar."

    Hazumi looked at Hal in worry while he explained.

    Then she looked up with determination and stood up. Showing strong resolve in her eyes, she looked into the air, staring intently at the Crimson Queen and the golden ring.

    Their combined offensive struck Minadzuki again and again.

    "If even Shamiram-san can''t help you, Senpai... Then I will be the one to try!"

    Hazumi declared loudly but Hal shook his head.

    "Hold on, Shirasaka. By trying, what kind of method are you going to use...!?"

    "I will make a request of Minadzuki to attack the queen with the most powerful magic."

    "I-It''d be good if it worked, but you probably won''t be able to do it alone. If only one of either Asya or Juujouji were here, perhaps it''d be worth a try¡ª"

    "H-However!"

    In that instant, Minadzuki called out in a clear voice.

    Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª

    The emerald serpentine dragon leviathan''s right forelimb was holding a jewel. The jewel was glowing white with dazzling brilliance. At the same time, Hal sensed it.

    Something resembling a sacred presence was currently descending from the sky.

    This presence was absorbed into Hazumi beside Hal.

    "Oh?"

    Having remained silent all this time, Hinokagutsuchi mused from within the magic gun.

    For a self-styled devil, it was definitely a rare expression of praise. Next, Hazumi herself shook as though shocked by electricity and her eyes went blank.

    But she immediately regained her senses and moved in close to Hal who was kneeling on the ground.

    "Senpai, please stop releasing power here."

    Her tone was solemn while she stroked Hal''s chest with her right hand.

    It was right above the heart. The sudden instruction made Hal go "huh?" blankly.

    "This little lady has received an oracle. If you do as she says, something good may happen."

    Speaking from within the magic gun, Hinokagutsuchi''s low voice seemed like she was snickering.

    Hazumi was gazing at Haruga Haruomi with eyes of serious sincerity.

    This was a suggestion she had offered without going through a normal sequence of explanations. However, Hal nodded subconsciously and followed her directions.

    Oh well, either way, it''s a hopeless crisis in front of us.

    He focused his consciousness on his heart, the heartmetal that he had inherited from Hinokagutsuchi¡ª

    It was the most important organ of dragonkind. Hal ceased its functions completely. Next, the magical power provided by Hal was cut off abruptly, causing the light of protection surrounding Minadzuki to disappear without a trace.

    However, the pearly glow around the Crimson Queen also vanished immediately.

    "Huh!?"

    Hal was greatly shocked. Before his eyes, the Crimson Queen even froze.

    It remained motionless, unable to even hover in the air. The Crimson Queen began to fall. At that very instant¡ª

    Kushahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    The giant pteranodon, Ashkelon the ancient "serpent" howled loudly.

    It was the partner of the witch Shamiram who had been observing the battle from afar the whole time. Ashkelon''s entire body gradually became enveloped in orange flames.

    Like Akuro-Ou, Ashkelon possessed the pseudo-divinity of Fire.

    Rather than a fiery bird, she had turned into a flaming pteranodon, flying at the Crimson Queen at high speed. Then with her body in such a state, she collided, sending the Crimson Queen flying.

    This attack caused the Crimson Queen to start crumbling.

    The dragon''s giant body turned into particulate matter, gradually collapsing.

    In addition, the seventy-two serpent souls circling in the air also scattered and fled.

    "That was so easy..."

    The unexpected victory left Hal stunned on the spot, muttering to himself. Then he noticed.

    The Crimson Queen belonged to Haruga Haruomi to begin with. The heartmetal it used as a source of magical power had also merged with Hal''s heart.

    In that case, if he were to stop providing magical power, of course the queen would be affected¡ª

    It was a very simple principle.

    But in the midst of battle, it was not that easy to realize this principle. The one who had informed him of this, Hazumi, was currently watching Hal with a gentle smile.

    The gentleness, innocence and adorability in her expression was making Hal''s heart pound.

    "¡ª!?"

    At that moment, he jumped in surprise.

    The golden ring had suddenly appeared over Hazumi''s head.

    With a diameter of seven meters or so, it was the manifestation of the Rune of the Ring¡ªSolomon''s instrument of magic control. The instant the ring released magical power, Hal also pulled the magic gun''s trigger.

    Full auto fire.

    This was his last resort of self-defense held in reserve until now as a precaution.

    Fired upon by thirty bullets of red light, the golden ring vanished.

    Unfortunately, rather than being destroyed by the attack, it had escaped. After suffering a certain degree of damage, Solomon''s ring made the call to escape and vanished as a result.

    However, this was after casting a curse that fell under the category of psychological attacks.

    Invading Hal''s brain through his ears, the curse began to rampage madly.

    "Warghhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    "Senpai!?"

    Hazumi cried out in panic.

    Hal wanted to tell his adorable protege "don''t worry" but was unable to voice these words. His consciousness gradually faded. His thoughts lost clarity.

    Hazily, he thought to himself.

    Looks like the second round ended in a double knockout... I''ve got to put an end to this next time.

    Then his vision turned into total blackness.

    Part 4

    "...So, Haruga-kun, I would like you to show some serious contrition," said Juuouji suddenly to Hal.

    Hal went "huh?" and tilted his head, then asked, "Contrition for what?"

    "Despite knowing my feelings, you still did that with Luna-san and even subjected Hazumi to it too. You must repent for your grave sins."

    "Oh, umm..."

    Very recently, Haruga Haruomi and Juujouji Orihime''s relationship had advanced further.

    ''Am I allowed... to love you, Haruga-kun? Or is romance within the team forbidden?''

    ''O-Of course, you''re allowed, Juujouji!''

    The above exchange even took place between them.

    Hence, Orihime had the right to admonish Hal.

    Hence, there should be nothing wrong about her scolding Hal like this.

    "Haruga-kun, you are a boy, so I cannot blame you for being a ''closet pervert''... However, when you keep making perverted moves on other girls when you already have me, there is a huge problem! Because as a man¡ªno, as a person¡ªtwo-timing is the worst!"

    "Uh, I-I guess it''s bad?"

    Orihime was condemning him for his perversion and being the worst.

    Rather than indignation spurring him towards denial, what Hal experienced first was he felt intensely shaken inside.

    In truth, he felt quite guilty too. Although there was a kind of legitimacy, engaging in that behavior was ultimately not too good.

    Only roughly a month had passed since the summer vacation began.

    During this short period, he had already touched Orihime, Luna and Hazumi''s breasts...

    "I-I have to defend myself a little," Hal stammered.

    "Unless I did that, I wouldn''t be able to send magical power to you or the others. On those occasions, I only did it because you were not by my side. I tried my best to stay away from perverted thoughts... I think... I have evidence to prove my innocence..."

    Under Orihime''s angry gaze, his speech grew more and more incoherent.

    In the end, in addition to Orihime''s accusations, Hal was burdened by a guilty conscience inside as well, thus preventing him from denying allegations assertively.

    Hal was painfully aware of this fact.

    ...Oddly enough, now that he thought about it, things had been different prior to summer.

    Previously, Orihime was the only one whose breast he had pressed his palm firmly against in order to contact the heart. Back then, the girl named Juujouji Orihime already held a special place in Haruga Haruomi''s heart.

    Indeed. In fact, he had never met a girl like her.

    Very feminine yet lively and outgoing. Lacking neither kindness nor courage...

    When they first met, Hal even wanted to keep his distance from Orihime¡ªNo, that was because he found Orihime''s special traits too dazzling to behold.

    He could not help but feel gradually attracted to a type of person he had never interacted with before.

    The reason why Hal had deliberately stayed away from Orihime was very likely because he had some vague self-awareness...

    "Huh?"

    Hal suddenly felt doubt when his thoughts reached this point.

    How could Orihime know that he did that to Hazumi?

    Hazumi had personally told her¡ªImpossible, because they had parted ways during the Hannibal battle and never had a chance to meet up again so far.

    Hence, Hal decided to stop thinking about his relationship with Orihime for now.

    He should have spent the past half a day or so with Hazumi, planning how to escape the ark¡ª

    "Wait, Orihime-san!"

    These words came from a new arrival.

    "You are not the only one who loves Harry!"

    "Luna-san, when did you arrive!?"

    Luna Francois was standing between the dumbfounded Orihime and Hal.

    "Fufufufu. Orihime-san, you may have been the first to win Harry''s affections... However, I would advise you not to forget this."

    The lips of the blonde beauty in the black formal dress curled to reveal an alluring and bewitching smile.

    "I was the first to confess. I was also the first to share a passionate kiss with Harry. Not only that, but I never faltered at the prospects of marrying Harry and starting a new life. Bluntly stated, in terms of resolve, you are no match for me, Orihime-san, not even you..."

    "Th-This isn''t a matter of doing things earlier or later!"

    Orihime complained defiantly. However, Luna remained calm and composed.

    "You are correct. However, Orihime-san, my love is more ''substantial'' than yours in various ways, isn''t it?"

    More aggressive than anyone, the American girl spoke softly.

    She leaned herself against Hal all at once, even whispering in his ear. The pair of G-cups were pressing against Hal''s chest.

    Volume and softness that could not be ignored, yet that was not all.

    The sensation also felt unbelievably elastic.

    "Furthermore, Harry."

    "Y-Yes?"

    "If you were to choose me, Luna Francois Gregory, as your partner... I am confident that I will make sure you never regret it. You know that, don''t you?"

    Luna Francois was brilliant, calculative and deeply in love.

    She was definitely capable of turning this declaration into reality. More importantly, the thought of "the calculative Luna willing to sacrifice so much for me" was quite a clinching factor for Hal¡ª

    Hal knew it himself.

    Rather, he was deeply moved by what would be a bad girl''s depth of affection.

    In addition, he felt free and unfettered when working with Luna, unlike the sheltered young lady who had no exposure to shady underground work. There was a "sense of liberation" as though returning to one''s homeland.

    Luna Francois and Juujouji Orihime.

    Facing these two, Hal felt extremely shaken.

    How should he decide and act? His mind was filled by this question.

    However, Hal noticed something else that was odd. Why was Luna here as well? He had clearly asked her stay in Tokyo New Town¡ª

    At this moment, he heard faint crying from somewhere¡ª

    "I get it now."

    Hal figured it all out. So that was what was going on.

    "This kind of psychological attack is Solomon-senpai... or rather, the ring''s specialty."

    He closed his eyes and focused his consciousness on his heart.

    Producing magical power from his heart, he used it to activate the power of dragonbane in his right palm.

    What Hal selected was not the Bow but the Rune of the Twin Katana. Although he could not confirm due to his tightly shut eyes, he felt the cross-shaped rune surfacing on the center of his palm.

    "Excuse me but I''ve had enough of the ring''s psychological attacks."

    Hal poured magical power into the rune on his right hand and slowly opened his eyes.

    Instantly, Orihime and Luna Francois disappeared from his side. More precisely, they were Haruga Haruomi''s indecision and distress that had manifested through the Ring''s psychological attack.

    Magic for severing and erasing malicious spells, evil energies and wicked spirits¡ª

    This was precisely the domain of the Rune of the Twin Katana. It succeeded again.

    His vision turned dim again.

    In the next instant, Hal returned to the sky island.

    Lying on the ground, he had apparently slept for several minutes.

    Hal immediately got up. However, since he did not want to stand yet, he sat cross-legged.

    ...Hazumi was staying by his side.

    There were traces of tears on her face, presumably due to extreme worry for the unconscious Hal.

    "Senpai, you came back!"

    "Sorry, it looks like I worried you. But I''m already ok¡ª"

    He jumped in surprise because Hazumi suddenly hugged him. As though trying to topple him over while he was sitting cross-legged, she pounced on him.

    "Sorry! It was all because I asked you to stop your magical power...!"

    "D-Don''t say that."

    At a loss what to do, Hal comforted Hazumi gently.

    "It''s all thanks to your suggestion that we were able to fight off Solomon-senpai swiftly. My injuries are nothing."

    Also, the distant crying he had heard during the psychological attack¡ª

    At the time, Hal was convinced that it was definitely Hazumi''s voice. She must have been crying, feeling responsibile for the situation.

    Precisely because of that, he had come to his senses at that instant and counterattacked.

    "I''m doing great, so you don''t have to cry so much."

    He patted Hazumi''s back while she sobbed quietly, asking her not to cry.

    Even if he really had a little sister, Hal doubted whether he would comfort her like this. Ever since he was young, Haruga Haruomi had been a cold egoist. Acting like a reliable older man as he was doing now did not match his style and was making him feel a little embarrassed.

    However, if this was enough to stop the tears falling from his junior''s eyes, it would be a trivial burden to bear.

    "Sorry, I panicked a lot when I thought you would never open your eyes again, Senpai..."

    The kindhearted girl immediately stopped crying.

    Hazumi''s eyes were red from crying, but she still smiled demurely at Hal and quickly separated herself from him.

    He had forgotten. Until just a moment ago, they had been hugging together.

    Finally, Hazumi sat down politely in seiza roughly half a meter away from the cross-legged Hal, face to face.

    Then she smiled again.

    This time, it was an angel''s smile. Her innocent smile as always.

    "Fufufufu. I don''t know the reason, but I currently feel the same as I did earlier. Very happy and satisfied."

    "As you did earlier?"

    "Yes. Umm... Like when you said that chests like mine are fine too."

    "......"

    The angelic smile was always supreme in soothing Hal''s soul.

    However, this time it made Hal''s heart skip a beat. For some reason, he sensed something "womanly" about Hazumi''s vibe.

    Was it because he had touched her chest earlier and delivered magical power into it?

    Was it because the discussion topic had been a bit perverted just now? Was it because he had felt the sensations of her delicate limbs directly after embracing Hazumi earlier?

    Or was it because¡ªsome kind of change had occurred to Hazumi?

    Could it be all of the above?

    The pounding of his heart was disrupting Hal''s thoughts more and more. At that moment¡ª

    "Lord Haruga."

    Shamiram called out to him. Unnoticed by him, she had arrived by his side.

    Truly elusive in her comings and goings. However, she was an ancient witch and no ordinary person. This was nothing to be surprised about. Hal replied calmly, "It was quite a close shave, but at least we overcame the crisis."

    "I am terribly sorry for not helping much. After all, my covenant was formed with Ashkelon, who is also one of the vassals serving Master Solomon..."

    "Helping to deal the final blow to the Crimson Queen was more than enough."

    Hearing Hal say that, Shamiram smiled.

    "Thank you, Lord Haruga. It is most fortunate that you and Lady Hazumi are unharmed and even hitting it off."

    "Hitting it off?"

    "Fufufufu. Excuse me but I saw everything. The moment when the two of you embraced passionately, confirming each other''s safety and affections."

    "......"

    Shamiram smiled suggestively.

    Hal wondered if he should clear up the beautiful witch''s misunderstanding but chose to shut up in the end. If she viewed Hazumi as "Hal''s romantic partner," she would rein in her overly passionate services.

    Hazumi said happily, "Do Senpai and I seem that close?"

    "Yes. Besides, Lady Hazumi, for you to do that undeterred by the fact that Ashkelon and I were watching from the side, do not claim that you two are not hitting it off."

    No, but don''t brothers and sisters hug each other too?

    Next to Hal who was thinking silently, Hazumi smiled innocently.

    "That is definitely true... I am somewhat glad. Fufufufu."

    What was going on? From appearances, Hazumi seemed almost like a girl secretly in love with Hal, except that she had not discovered these feelings herself.

    ...Could it be that?

    ...No no no. Definitely not likely.

    Anyway, one must not jump to conclusions. Also, if such thoughts of his were to come to light, it would undermine his dignity as the senior.

    "By the way, Lord Haruga. The rune you used just now¡ª"

    While Hal was desperate, trying hard to stop the pounding in his heart from showing on his face, Shamiram said to him, "An interesting spiritual power seems to reside within it. The vanquishing of evil to uphold justice¡ªA grand technique of exorcism, how astounding. Lord Haruga, do your powers of dragonslaying include more than just the bow?"

    "It seems to be a rune of twin swords."

    Hal opend his right hand to reveal the cross-shaped runic symbol.

    After examining it for a while, the ancient beauty said in puzzlement, "Hmm... With just the spiritual power of this rune, it should only take you one hit to purify dead souls lingering in the living world such as myself or my master."

    "You can see that? You''re amazing."

    Hal was very impressed by Shamiram''s eyes of wisdom.

    The Rune of the Twin Katana was capable of severing evil energies. In that case, one would expect it to be very effective against the likes of ghosts and the living dead.

    However, an ordinary slash could not inflict a critical blow against a ghost of King Solomon''s level.

    Ultimately, Hal hoped to land a strike powered by a technique of assured annihilation.

    "This rune is a bit hard to control. Right now, I don''t think I can draw out more power than I did just now."

    Hal still did not trust her completely, so he gave an ambiguous reason.

    The twin katana''s technique of assured annihilation was a mystic technique of extreme difficulty. Even Asya and Luna Francois were unable to use it singlehandedly.

    Even if he asked Hazumi, his only companion at the moment¡ª

    Very unfortunately, given her capabilities, it most likely would not go well.

    "What a shame when you have this rare sharp blade... No, hold on."

    Shamiram suddenly began to ponder.

    "In that case, allow me and Ashkelon to confer the spiritual power of exorcism to your Bow, Lord Haruga."

    "Huh?"

    Hal was taken aback. Shamiram continued, "If you attack my master using two types of dragonslaying power simultaneously... Victory might be yours."

    "Is that kind of thing possible!?"

    "Leave it to me. After all, like Lady Hazumi, I possess the ability to control a goddess'' spiritual power."

    If the sword of exorcism alone was unable to erase the evil spirit, just add a bow of exorcism.

    The beautiful witch from the ancient kingdom brought up a simple theory effortlessly. The modern and inexperienced witch asked in surprise, "E-Excuse me. May I ask what do you mean by like me?"

    "Didn''t you experience it just now? Minadzuki is her name, isn''t it? Praying to a ''serpent'' that has a goddess'' divinity residing within her so that she sends down an oracle to show you the right path."

    Like healing magic, it was an outcome arising from special techniques.

    "I remember that move, isn''t it impossible to perform using pseudo-divinity of ordinary alignments...?"

    Hal muttered.

    Modern leviathans basically fell under one of the four attributes of Earth, Water, Fire or Wind. At the same time, there were "serpents" with extremely special attributes, such as Rushalka''s Moon or Glinda''s Gravity.

    However, goddess power did not belong to any attribute.

    "Well, Lady Hazumi, you seem to still be unfamiliar with this path... However, a priestess capable of awakening the ''sacred goddess'' aspect of a serpent'' is extremely rare."

    The ancient priestess stared straight at Hazumi and spoke quietly.

    "I believe you are already amazing simply for achieving this. Yes."

    There was nothing alike between the uninhibited Shamiram and the innocent Hazumi.

    However, Hal expected Shamiram would be considered as having a special and outstanding talent among the priestesses serving King Solomon, possibly even surpassing modern master-class witches.

    Sufficient to be chosen as the gravekeeper out of King Solomon''s numerous retainers and favored concubines.

    Apparently skilled in ''this path'' since ancient times, the senior witch was showing an expression of worldly wisdom while praising the junior who had been born in the modern era.

 Volume 6, 3 - The Ringâ€™s Whereabouts

    Volume 6, Chapter 3 - The Ring''s Whereabouts

    Part 1

    Conferring the spiritual power of exorcism onto Hal''s Bow.

    After announcing that, Shamiram looked up at the sky. A pteranodon with a wingspan of twenty meters was slowly circling overhead.

    The deceased covenantee summoned the ancient leviathan, Ashkelon.

    "O Ashkelon, my friend who shares our covenant. Grant me the power to lead lives that have returned from the realm of the dead back to where they belong¡ªthe garden of repose!"

    Ashekelon was flying ten-odd meters over the island where Hal, Hazumi and Shamiram were.

    With her wings outstretched, she was gliding on the wind, circling according to the air currents. As soon as she heard instructions, she flapped her right wing gently.

    Next, nine runes of Ruruk Soun descended from her right wing.

    They signified "purification of evil spirits." This was the spiritual power of exorcism¡ªThe sacred mystic technique used by Shamiram and Ashkelon as a team.

    From what Hal could tell using his eyes of a Tyrannos, there was nothing suspicious about this mystic spell.

    Still, just to be on the safe side, Hal decided to confirm.

    (Is that magic really okay?)

    (Oh? You are quite distrustful, brat.)

    (It''s true Shamiram-san helped us out just now... But ultimately, Solomon-senpai hasn''t been destroyed.)

    Hal was speaking to Hinokagutuschi who was mocking him from inside the magic gun.

    Since they were conversing mentally through a bond of magic, no one else could hear their dialogue.

    (The battle could''ve been staged to win our trust.)

    (Indeed that is possible. Regardless, the spell used by not-completely-dead woman seems to be above board.)

    (Got it. Say, are you in any position to mock another person as ''not-completely-dead'' when you''re a ghost?)

    In any case, it seemed fine.

    Hal pointed the magic gun up at the sky. The runes of Ruruk Soun falling from Ashkelon''s right wing were all absorbed by the "magic wand."

    Thus, it was imbued with the power of exorcism.

    "Next up is a decisive showdown against my master."

    "Yeah, but we just fought a great battle."

    Hal glanced at the other witch.

    Hazumi had made Minadzuki use pseudo-divinity twice today. As a Level 2 witch, she could not issue the order again.

    "Let''s take a break for now. We need to catch our breath."

    "Is that so? By the way, Lord Haruga, may I ask you for a favor?"

    Shamiram suddenly made a suggestion.

    "Suppose things were to progress smoothly, after we escape from this ark... I would like you to slice me with your twin blades."

    "But, if I do that..."

    Hal understood. She was different from King Solomon.

    Once he did that, she would disappear from this world in an instant. Hoping for her own "death," Shamiram showed an aloof expresion in front of Hal for the first time.

    Without any lingering attachments to "life" as a member of the undead, she showed thorough enlightenment on her face!

    There was even a calm smile on her face.

    "It has been over a thousand year since I followed my master to the grave. Unlike the peers of dragonkind, the Tyrannoi... such as my master or you, Lord Haruga, I find that these long years have been too protracted and too burdensome for a mortal like me."

    "......"

    "It is about time for me to make my way to the underworld."

    Hal still did not trust this ancient beautiful witch completely.

    However, he wanted to believe in her words. Hal was just about to nod in agreement when Hazumi spoke before him.

    "N-No, you can''t. How could anyone say they want to go to the underworld..."

    "This is nothing. In my current state, I am no different from having one foot in the coffin."

    "B-But... How about this? When Senpai seizes Solomon-san''s ship, he could let you be the captain, Shamiram-san, to go wherever you wish..."

    Coming with all kinds of ideas, she tried to change Shamiram''s mind.

    Without responding directly, Shamiram told them, "Lady Hazumi, you are truly a kindhearted girl. However, this is the one thing I cannot agree. If you wish to be a priestess serving at Lord Haruga''s side, to become the spokesperson for a goddess¡ªa ''serpent''¡ªto aid in his grand conquest... There is one obstacle that must be surmounted no matter what."

    The sudden advice stunned Hazumi on the spot.

    The witch from the ancient kingdom remained composed the whole time.

    "No need to worry, this is not something difficult. Lady Hazumi, your heart and soul already possesses the aptitude for it."

    After that, they discussed their next move and overall strategy.

    Shamiram would set off first for "a certain purpose."

    Hal and Hazumi would only start moving after casting multiple layers of stealth magic. Riding Minadzuki, who had miniaturized again, they set off on a journey through the air.

    However, they did not have a destination.

    Their plan was to fly casually in the sky to hide for an hour or two.

    "Senpai, are you still unable to trust her?"

    "Well, I''d really like to trust her."

    Hal replied to Hazumi, who was sitting in front. Naturally, by "her" they were referring to Shamiram.

    "By saying that, you mean¡ª"

    "I... ''m not worried at all. I believe that Shamiram is a really good person."

    The two of them were riding Minadzuki the serpentine dragon.

    Sitting in front of Hal, Hazumi looked back on purpose, showing a smile of purity.

    But right now, Haruga Haruomi was also the guardian of his adorable junior.

    Once in a while, unpleasant as it may be, he had to give her the realistic view.

    "Without clear evidence, it''s not good to draw conclusions based on impressions."

    Hal deliberately made himself sound cruel.

    "We must prepare for the worst-case scenario at all times."

    "Although it might not count as evidence, I think there is still a reason for believing her, because Minadzuki did not react towards her."

    "Minadzuki?"

    "Yes. Whenever anyone untrustworthy approaches me... She will instantly stay on alert. She is very smart."

    "I see, so there''s such a move huh."

    Hal nodded indifferently without revealing that his heart had been melted by Hazumi''s smile.

    It was definitely quite like a girl to make decisions based on impressions.

    Logically speaking, he ought to rebuke this sort of opinion. However, to bring up a "serpent," a supernatural being, as a reason, perhaps this could be what was extraordinary about Hazumi.

    Hazumi was not only pure but also had down-to-earth intelligence...

    "Oh?"

    A smiling voice came from behind.

    Hal turned his head back to see that the kimono-clad Hinokagutsuchi had materialized without his knowledge. Sitting on the miniature Minadzuki''s back, she had her legs sticking up in the air.

    "You are quite stubborn and cowardly, brat."

    "I don''t deny that, but can''t you add cautious to that too? Say¡ª"

    Hal asked the former dragon queen who was casually appraising him.

    "What''s your opinion of her?"

    "Hmm? Irrelevant. If she is aiding you sincerely, make good use of her. If she has ulterior motives, then use your jaws to crush her together with her trap. Brat, this is what it means to show a king''s mettle."

    "Thank you for your completely uninformative opinion."

    Hazumi giggled after listening to Hal and Hinokagutsuchi''s conversation. Then with a sudden realization, she asked, "Excuse me... The ''obstacle that must be surmounted no matter what'' which Shamiram-san mentioned, how do I surmount it specifically?"

    Supposing Hazumi wished to become the spokesperson for a goddess¡ªa "serpent"¡ªto aid in his grand conquest.

    This was the prior assumption in her advice. Confused, Hazumi said, "Do I truly have the aptitude for that? It''s not like I''m good at magic, so I really can''t feel any aptitude in myself."

    "Oh... About that."

    "Hmph."

    Seeing Hal nod, Hinokagutsuchi smiled with malevolence.

    "It appears that the brat has deduced most of it."

    "Come on, clearly you''re the one who already knows everything."

    Hazumi widened her eyes, very excited.

    "Please do tell me! I wish to be of even more help to Senpai and all of us!"

    "Hmm... Sorry, I won''t tell you."

    Of course, instructing her would not be hard. However¡ªHal shrugged.

    Taking care of everything for her would not necessarily be a good thing, although he might feel a momentary sense of "superiority" as the instructor.

    Conversely, it could also cause the one being taught to weaken in "comprehension ability."

    Although Hal was young for someone in the workforce, he also possessed extraordinary abilities, hence, he decided to leave Hazumi to her own devices.

    "Rather than having others tell you directly, it''s better to figure things out on your own."

    "I-I see."

    "Yeah. Even more so for work and professional skills. Well, I think there''s nothing to worry about."

    Due to his protege looking very worried, Hal added the latter sentence.

    In fact, he could have omitted the reassuring words, but there was no helping it. Hazumi was his adorable student.

    "Despite her personality being like that, Shamiram-san seems to be a good judge of character. Shirasaka, you do have aptitude¡ªor rather, I believe that your temperament is very suited to developing yourself in that direction."

    "V-Very well."

    Hazumi nodded resolutely. Feeling his heart and soul soothed by Hazumi''s reaction, Hal then looked at Hinokagutsuchi.

    Through the earlier conversation, Hal came to realize now that he thought back to it. The words casually spoken by the ancient beautiful witch seemed to be very profound¡ª

    "Sorry for suddenly changing the subject but I''ve got a question for you. I remember that pure-blooded dragons don''t like to take human form, isn''t that right?"

    Pure-blooded dragons. Beings that were born as dragons from the start.

    In contrast to them were the hybrid dragons. They were living creatures that were not dragons to begin with, humans for example, but guided by the path of the unorthodoxy, they had been reborn as dragons.

    Currently, Hinokagutsuchi the former dragon king had materialized herself in the form of a prepubescent human girl.

    "By taking this form... It means you''re a hybrid, right?"

    "Oh? Who knows."

    "If it''s not too much to ask, I hope you won''t play dumb as usual."

    "I am not playing dumb. I simply cannot remember."

    Hinokagutsuchi haughtily tossed a casual reply at him.

    She even puffed out her chest, looking very superior.

    "Because it was truly too long ago. Well, I am not against telling you should I remember one day. Go ahead and wait patiently, but do not get your hopes up."

    "I see..."

    The cunning former dragon king had lived for who knew how many thousands of years.

    Hinokagutsuchi smirked craftily, apparently finding Hal''s question ludicrous. Hal fell into deep thought.

    Shamiram had said this just now:

    ''It has been over a thousand year since I followed my master to the grave.''

    ''Unlike the Tyrannoi... such as my master or you, Lord Haruga, I find that these long years have been too protracted and too burdensome for a mortal like me.''

    At this point, Hazumi suddenly spoke up, "Senpai, Minadzuki seems to be ready now!"

    "Looks like it."

    The three of them were currently riding on the back of Minadzuki the emerald serpentine dragon leviathan.

    She suddenly released potent magical power from her entire body, stimulating the senses of Hal''s group. The usage counter of pseudo-divinity had recovered.

    Hal took out a pocket watch.

    It was currently 6pm or so on August 18th.

    Leviathans would recover their magical power during the night. Although one could not distinguish night and day within the ark, Minadzuki''s biological clock(?) still sensed the presence of night.

    Furthermore, the battle against Hannibal had ended at roughly 11pm on August 16th.

    They had been locked inside here for forty-three hours¡ªAlmost two days.

    "It''s time to settle things with Solomon-senpai."

    Hal focused his consciousness on his heart, i.e. heartmetal.

    The Crimson Queen, which he had snatched back earlier, the gigantic body of a dragon king appeared out of thin air. Her body ablaze with intense flames, she arrived by Minadzuki''s side. As though intending to fly alongside her, she glided at the same speed.

    "We''re lucky we didn''t get attacked while waiting for Minadzuki to recover."

    "It''s all thanks to Shamiram-san''s help!" answered Hazumi.

    Hal had asked the beautiful witch to act separately as a "diversionary tactic."

    He hoped she could buy time by drawing the attention of King Solomon and his subordinates during the one or two hours before night fell. Meanwhile, Hal and Hazumi would use stealth magic to cover their tracks until then¡ª

    "Also, it''s thanks to stealing back the queen."

    For the enemy, the Crimson Queen was also a trump card.

    Hal now held the advantage in terms of combat strength... Theoretically speaking. However, the ark was the battlefield¡ªThe interior of King Solomon''s legacy. The enemy still held the advantage of home field.

    No matter what, Hal''s group had finally managed to reach the endgame.

    The target was their original destination¡ªThe control room. For this purpose, they ordered Minadzuki and the queen to fly faster.

    Part 2

    The ark was a legacy of the late King Solomon of the ancient Kingdom of Israel.

    Hal had no idea specifically how large was the "sky" inside it. In any case, Hal''s party finally reached the airspace that was the center of this sky.

    It was their ultimate destination.

    Shamiram had told them that the ark''s control room was there.

    "It''s shaped like a ship..." Hazumi murmured.

    She and Hal were still riding the miniaturized Minadzuki''s back.

    The red dragon¡ªthe Crimson Queen¡ªwas leading the emerald serpentine dragon. Meanwhile, Hinokagutsuchi had de-materialized and returned to the magic gun.

    Unlike previous times, what awaited them ahead was not a sky island.

    It was a giant rectilinear ship hovering in the air.

    The ship was roughly a hundred meters from prow to aft with a width of thirty meters or so.

    "This size feels similar to Noah''s Ark."

    The Old Testament of the Bible had mentioned the legendary ship.

    Hal brought up the very famous name. In order to escape the deadly flood, Noah and his family¡ªand all animals¡ªhad taken refuge on that ship.

    The Ark''s dimensions were given as "300 cubits in length, 50 cubits in width and 30 cubits in height."

    There were many interpretations on the correct length of the "cubit" mentioned in the Bible.

    However, according to the current prevailing view, "300 cubits x 50 cubits x 30 cubits" would basically match the size of the box-shaped ship before Hal and Hazumi''s eyes...

    The deck did featured neither a mast nor a cabin. It was all flat.

    It looked like a ship but actually was not.

    Shamiram had called it "the magic device for controlling Solomon''s ark."

    "As expected, it''s not gonna be unguarded huh!"

    With the Crimson Queen in the lead, Hal''s party would reach the "ship" in about 200m.

    At that moment, dragons¡ªbronze statues shaped like them¡ªsurrounded the "ship."

    These dragonoid sculptures spread their wings and started flying like living beasts.

    They bore a great resemblance to lesser dragons in size and appearance. The motions of their necks, bodies and limbs were also the same as Raptors. These were no ordinary statues.

    They were gargoyles granted temporary life by magic.

    Deciding that Hal''s party must be intercepted, the twelve gargoyles flew towards them!

    "Senpai, let''s have Minadzuki grow big!"

    "Don''t worry, it won''t be necessary."

    Hal and Hazumi were both riding Minadzuki''s back.

    Sitting in front as the rider in control, Hazumi had looked back and spoken nervously. Hal remained calm.

    Minadzuki had shrank herself to a body length of five meters or so to serve as their flying mount.

    It was not necessary to undo miniaturization yet. Despite lacking Asya''s special skill of using wild instincts to detect danger from the enemy, Hal still knew.

    The magical power released by the twelve gargoyles were not that strong.

    "Even someone like Solomon-senpai won''t be able to magically craft subordinates capable of matching leviathans. The queen is enough to take care of them."

    Hal''s past formidable foe, Pavel Galad, had used alchemy to create powerful minions.

    However, King Solomon had remained within "human" boundaries during his lifetime. Hence, his magical power could not reach that level of potency.

    One could surmise that he went to develop the techniques for synthesizing leviathans for the purpose of bridging this gap.

    In front of the confident Hal, the Crimson Queen was the first to unleash fiery breath. The dragon king-class body discharged flames that swirled through the sky with a blast of scorching air.

    The twelve gargoyles were completely incinerated by the flames into ash.

    The entire process took no more than a few seconds. Engulfed in flames, the gargoyles did not even have enough time to struggle against the fire, vaporizing with a sizzle.

    "Now that he has become a ghost, he should be much weaker than during his prime when he was still alive..."

    Even if Hal chose a direct showdown, it was more than likely that he would not be stuck in a difficult battle.

    Deduction gradually turned to certainty. Hal silently thought to himself, "hence¡ªI expect Senpai to devise a surprising tactic to counterattack..."

    In any case, Hal''s party eliminated the obstructions and approached the "ship."

    Just like the main ark that had descended upon the Hudson River, this control device was also a wooden ship.

    Like satellites, the Crimson Queen and Minadzuki, who had returned to normal size, circled the wooden ship on high alert. Next, Hal and Hazumi finally stepped onto the wooden deck.

    "Then let''s begin."

    Hal summoned his magic gun near the center of the deck.

    Rather than shooting, his purpose was searching.

    There were many secrets of Ruruk Soun hidden inside the "magic wand" of a gun...

    Rapidly searching through the grimoire passed down by dragonkind since antiquity, he found a "usable incantation."

    "This is the one."

    Hal touched the magic gun and drew out magical power from his heart.

    In the next instant, thirteen runes of Ruruk Soun appeared on the wooden ship''s deck.

    They signified "seize control." The act of snatching away the right to control a magical artifact or familiar, bringing it into one''s possession¡ª

    This was the secret behind this spell.

    King Solomon had used it repeatedly to steal the Crimson Queen.

    It was time to give him a taste of his own medicine. However¡ª

    "This magic is taking effect abnormally slowly."

    Hal had expected this to steal Solomon''s ark in one go.

    He frowned. The magic gun told him that he had currently seized only 30% control. The remaining 70% was still held by King Solomon.

    However, the figure was gradually rising to 31% then 32%.

    Why was it happening like this? Hal searched in puzzlement.

    He instantly found the runes for "spell resistance," whose purpose was to block specific incantations. If blocking was impossible, it would reduce effectiveness as much as possible.

    This was a secret technique of Ruruk Soun with magic defense as the goal.

    "Did Solomon-senpai cast this magic on the control device in advance?"

    A watertight defense to prevent others from imitating himself.

    As expected of the great sorcerer of ancient times. Despite similar power levels, the other party still held a slight upper hand in strategy. But thanks to that, Hal learned a great spell.

    Touching the magic gun again, he looked at the Crimson Queen.

    Four runes appeared over the red dragon''s head¡ª"spell resistance."

    Even if King Solomon tried another surprise attack, this spell should be able to protect the queen. Under unexpected circumstances, Hal learned a technique in magical combat.

    "On further thought, this kind of strategic contest might be a first."

    "Senpai, you are so amazing. Honestly¡ªalthough this may sound weird¡ªyou are truly like a sorcerer," said Hazumi from next to the muttering Hal.

    Truly like a sorcerer. Realizing the meaning behind these words, Hal could not help but smile wryly.

    Indeed, every instance of SAURU magic that Haruga Haruomi had used so far was very low-key, somewhat different from how ordinary people would picture "Magic!"

    However, the wisdom of Ruruk Soun was definitely not a field of study he wished to delve deep into.

    Hal subconsciously said, "I don''t really want to accumulate knowledge or experience in this area, that''s all."

    "Eh? Why is that? I believe it''s a wonderful thing to be able to use magic with increasing skill."

    "That isn''t the whole of it, which is why I find it a nuisance."

    It would probably take at least twenty minutes to seize 100% control of the ark, right?

    While thinking "I wonder if Solomon-senpai might show up during this time?", Hal responded absent-mindedly to Hazumi... Then came to a sudden realization.

    He had apparently made a slip of the tongue just now.

    His words would expose a certain secret that he had kept concealed so far.

    Furthermore, the listener was Shirasaka Hazumi¡ªthe girl who faithfully paid attention to Hal''s every word, even taking notes on the side, never neglecting to study them¡ªHad he been too careless in saying that just now...?

    Hal could only hope that Hazumi had missed it.

    Apprehensively, Hal examined her face.

    "Excuse me, what did you mean by ''that isn''t the whole of it''...?"

    His hopes were dashed. Hazumi gazed at Hal, looking extremely worried.

    Should he muddle through with a random excuse?

    However, Orihime knew a long time ago. Luna Francois had also grown suspicious of the risks from wielding the power of dragonbane.

    And Asya too¡ª

    Perhaps Hal''s childhood friend might¡ª

    Making full use of her wild instincts and the miraculous powers of their inseparable bond, perhaps she might have noticed something was off, but had intentionally refrained from bringing it up. No, but it was very likely that she really had not noticed yet.

    In any case, Hal sighed.

    His Tyrannos level had risen to the point of being able to use the magic of Ruruk Soun.

    Maybe it was time for him to confess the "bad news" to his circle, not just the good news...

    "Actually," Hal prayed that his tone sounded as relaxed as possible, "it seems like I''ll turn into a dragon if my power continues to grow."

    Part 3

    The man in black, Sophocles, had said the following to Hal before.

    ''By conquering water, sky and earth, successors to the power of dragonbane can become even stronger.''

    ''The more you increase your territories, the greater your power will grow, while at the same time, the closer you will get to becoming a dragon king.''

    ''In the past, the type of non-dragon creatures known as "hybrid" dragons¡ªIn truth, they were unexpectedly commonplace.''

    Sophocles had calmly explained the rules of the dragonslaying game, the Road to Kingship. While explaining that, he was also telling Hal about the possibility of Tyrannoi turning into dragons.

    The scene returned to the vast sky within Solomon''s ark.

    Standing on a wooden ship''s deck, a place never in his wildest dreams would he ever expect himself to be, Hal told Hazumi the whole story.

    Just as what Sophocles had explained for him previously.

    "That being said, I''ve no idea how long it''d take for me to turn into a dragon."

    Hal rolled his sleeve up to his elbow and presented his right arm to Hazumi.

    The entire arm was giving off a glassy luster. The hard texture felt like metal.

    Previously, Orihime had also noticed these "changes to the physical body."

    Seeing Hazumi gasp, Hal shrugged and pulled his sleeve back down.

    "Because I''ve been leveling up very successfully lately, I guess. I think it''s time I start taking more care."

    Acting as the confidant, Hazumi was dumbstruck, too stunned to take any notes.

    It must have been quite a shock for her. However, ever since inheriting the dragonslaying rune Hal had suspected whether there might be risks, hence this news was nothing unexpected for him.

    "Well, if you look at it from a different angle..."

    Speaking on behalf of the dumbfounded Hazumi, Hal continued on his own.

    This was because he found the silence inexplicably awkward. It felt very somber.

    "This risk might not be that big after all. Think about it, I can still take human form after becoming a dragon. It''s the same for Yukikaze, Hannibal and Hinokagutsuchi. To the point that it''s hard to tell whether their true appearance is a dragon or a human."

    "W-Well¡ª"

    Hazumi finally spoke. Her voice sounded far more uncertain than Hal''s frivolous tone of voice.

    "I believe... If you truly think that, Senpai, you wouldn''t have kept this a secret for so long."

    "......"

    "Is there anything else you''re hiding? Apart from turning into a dragon, is there anything else very serious that will happen!?"

    Sure enough, Hazumi was very smart. Despite her inexperience with matters of the world, on a fundamental level, she was a very wise girl.

    Having pointed out the crux of the matter straight away, she left Hal no choice but to surrender. If possible, he wanted to keep this secret to the very end¡ªNo.

    That was not it. In fact, it was the opposite.

    Hal was aware of the fragile parts of his own heart.

    Very likely, he actually wanted to find someone to discuss this. Hence, that was why he was prepared to tell this young girl about his speculation while sighing...

    "Hinokagutsuchi said earlier that she couldn''t remember if she started out as a dragon or a human because it was really too long ago," Hal said calmly.

    "Based on my deductions, it''s more than likely she was originally human. Then as her dragon powers grew stronger, she lost her memories from that time. However, I don''t know if it happened before or after she became a dragon king..."

    "Sh-She lost her memory?"

    Hazumi jumped. Hal shrugged and said, "Who knows? Maybe it''s like how we naturally forget our childhood memories, they gradually forget the memories from when they were still human. You''ve probably forgotten everything from your days as a baby, right?"

    "Y-Yes."

    "That''s the basic gist I''m getting."

    For hybrid dragon kings (and Tyrannoi), their human phase would be equivalent to "infancy."

    After all, they were superbeings that could live for hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of years. The mere decades of a human''s life expereince was nothing than a blink of the eye.

    Hence, they would forget. They would naturally forget their time as a human.

    Apart from that, their self-awareness as "a former human" would gradually fade away. Through the passage of time, their mental side would also change progressively.

    From human to former human. Turning into an entity closer to dragonkind.

    Human-like aspects would slowly deviate from one''s original character, finally developing into a more monster-like personality.

    Indeed. A personality as befitted a dragon king¡ªthe status belonging to dragonkind''s sovereigns.

    Hannibal''s bold and unfettered ways, Princess Yukikaze''s childishness and charisma, Hinokagutsuchi''s haughtiness, perhaps these were the outcomes of such a transformation...

    Hal explained his theory to Hazumi calmly.

    From a long time ago, he had started secretly suspecting this possibility.

    "Clearly my body is still a human''s, but previously, Shamiram-san had called the Tyrannoi ''peers of dragonkind''."

    "......"

    "As a result, I think she''s probably talking about the mental side of things. It wouldn''t be weird for ordinary humans to go crazy after living for thousands of years, but I think what happens is that we lose our past and awareness as humans, living on through the years no matter what¡ªas dragons."

    "...B-But¡ª"

    Hazumi interrupted, finally able to squeeze out a voice and her thoughts.

    "All this is all from your imagination, Senpai, isn''t it?"

    "Pretty much."

    "Then it''s also possible that reality is different from what you think!"

    "But it wouldn''t make sense otherwise. Based on all kinds of circumstantial evidence, I can be virtually certain that Hannibal and Princess Yukikaze are so-called hybrids... But you also know that they definitely see humanity as ''another race.''"

    Hal recalled the way they spoke and behaved.

    They should be humans to begin with, but Hannibal showed genuine curiosity in human culture, always treating humanity as another race. Yukikaze was similar.

    Perhaps Haruga Haruomi would end up like that eventually.

    "As I turn more and more into a dragon¡ª"

    Hal said quietly.

    "Not only my body, but even my mind is affected... I might totally forget these past fifteen or sixteen years of my life. I''ll end up not recognizing you, Asya, Juujouji, Luna and forget my relationship with everyone."

    Indifferent to people in general, Hal did not actively cultivate social relationships.

    For someone like him to lose all ties to friends and acquaintances, to begin a new life as part of the warrior race of dragonkind¡ª

    What a truly worrying blueprint of the future.

    Sigh. Hal sighed lightly and shook his head.

    Yet of all times, Hinokagutsuchi did not show up now. She did not say "on the contrary" to Hal... Did this imply that she was tactfully affirming Hal''s speculation?

    "C-Could it be that¡ª"

    Hazumi spoke in trepidation.

    "You refrained from responding directly to a confession from someone as outstanding as Luna-san¡ªIt was because you were worried that you might turn into a dragon eventually and lose your memory?"

    "Yeah... Maybe."

    The two of them had finally built up a good relationship, yet he had to worry about something like this.

    There would probably be many problems...

    Now that Hazumi brought it up, Hal definitely felt that "this won''t do" as well. Although he had not been aware of it, perhaps this was the sort of mindset that became a hindrance.

    Hazumi continued to speak to Hal, who had fallen into deep thought.

    Furthermore, it was an attack that blindsided him.

    "Furthermore¡ªI apologize if I misunderstood, but¡ªSenpai and Nee-sama... There are signs that you didn''t start going out despite harboring mutual affection for each other, sure enough, the reason is also¡ª?"

    "!?"

    The fresh bomb dropping out of the blue left Hal at a loss how to react.

    Due to his theory that "romantic relationships within the team would cause many problems," Hal was prepared to answer "of course not, that''s definitely not the kind of relationship I have with Juujouji"¡ª

    In the end, under Hazumi''s candid gaze, Hal found himself at a loss for words, whether to respond or to skirt the issue.

    "Well, umm, how should I put it...?"

    However, Hal did not have sufficient experience on this front to be able to speak fluently.

    Panicking more and more, Hal desperately racked his brain on how to explain himself.

    "I guess it might be impossible for me to deny that I hold certain special feelings for Juujouji, yeah. It is evident that the other person involved, Juujouji, might possibly... or rather, more than likely, holds feelings for me beyond what one would reserve for an ordinary male friend..."

    "Uh, in other words... Both of you are aware of each other''s feelings, isn''t that right?"

    "Yeah, something along those lines."

    Hazumi had summarized the crux of the matter in a single sentence. Hal nodded stiffly.

    In fact, they had "taken a small step forward" in progress, but Hal found it too embarrassing to talk to his junior about this sort of thing.

    Furthermore, it was possible that Juujouji would want to keep it a secret from her cousin too.

    Taking care not to say anything reckless, Hal finally turned to face Hazumi.

    "Say, Shirasaka, when did you notice ''that kind of relationship'' between Juujouji and me?"

    "I think it was around the time before the summer vacation."

    While Hal was thinking "Eh? She already noticed back then?" in surprise, Hazumi said softly, "I love both you and Nee-sama very much, which is why I am always watching you two... Then seeing you two together, I feel that there is a nice atmosphere between you."

    "O-Oh¡ª"

    "It struck me that ''Nee-sama and Senpai are walking so close together.'' I also sensed different vibes from the two of you together compared to back in early spring."

    "I-I see."

    Hal jumped in surprise. So we were already acting "weird" all the way back then.

    But on further thought, Luna had named Orihime as her foremost rival after confessing to him. Weird rumors were also circulating in school...

    Was Asya, given her extreme lack of feminine charm, the only one who had failed to notice?

    Hal was frozen on the spot by embarrassment.

    "So, Senpai... How will you handle your relationship with Nee-sama?" Hazumi asked in a murmur.

    For some reason, the emotions on her face were mixed with sorrow and worry.

    "Will you start going out as an official couple¡ª"

    "......"

    The directness of Hazumi''s question left Hal unsure how to proceed.

    ''Am I allowed... to love you, Haruga-kun? Or is romance within the team forbidden?''

    ''O-Of course, you''re allowed, Juujouji!''

    Indeed. This conversation with Orihime remained a vivid memory.

    However, suppose Orihime had spoken words that were more direct and specific at the time, such as what Luna had said to Hal, "Let''s start by going out then give the future some serious thought, okay?"

    Would he have been able to give an affirmative reply immediately?

    Just now, when Hazumi had asked him why he had not responded directly to Luna''s confession, the same doubt had surfaced in Hal''s mind.

    How much longer could Haruga Haruomi maintain his personality and self-awareness as a human?

    "Well, of course I''m very glad that she likes me. But someone like me... Am I allowed to have that kind of relationship with a normal girl?"

    Hal voiced his thoughts honestly.

    "Although one shouldn''t think too much during times like these, from the perspective of animal instincts and love theories, dashing straight to the finish might be the correct answer after all."

    Of course, there also existed the kind of love that blazed intensely because time was running out.

    However.

    Unfortunately, being slightly over-rational, Hal would not do that. For better or worse, he had a tendency to think too much.

    After Hal brought out his own view, Hazumi spoke to him firmly "as someone currently still human."

    "B-But Senpai, you are shouldering the toughest job... I believe you are the one who needs a g-girlfriend or family to support you the most!"

    "No no no."

    In the process of speaking his mind, Hal had organized his thoughts and feelings.

    "Putting stuff like romance or love as the first priority in life doesn''t suit my personality after all. I am really grateful to Luna and Juujouji for their feelings, but it''s best to leave our relationships at the stage of ''more than friends but less than lovers.''"

    "Please don''t suppress yourself like this¡ªNnnnn!"

    "Shirasaka!?"

    Hazumi suddenly fell on her knees, clutching her gut.

    Her stomach seemed to be in great pain, twisting her adorable visage in suffering, causing her to break out in cold sweat. Hal recalled what had happened earlier.

    Was it another stress-induced stomach cramp?

    "What on earth is happening to you?"

    "I don''t know... But Senpai, I suddenly feel a stomachache as soon as I imagine you going out with Nee-sama and Luna-san."

    "Don''t be silly. Didn''t I just say that I won''t be going out with them?"

    "Th-That''s wrong! I believe you must make as many happy memories as possible, Senpai. Ever since you obtained a dragonslaying rune, you''ve been working or making preparations for the future, always busy beyond belief, getting little rest even at night..."

    Before losing his awareness as a human, before turning into a dragon...

    Hal instantly understood that Hazumi had omitted these final words out of consideration for his feelings.

    Despite the sudden stomach pain tormenting her, she was still trying her best to be considerate for others. This kindness was truly in Hazumi''s style. Hal could not helped but feel touched.

    "Fufufufu."

    At that moment, a devil''s voice, opposite to an angel''s, could be heard.

    Hinokagutsuchi finally materialized, cackling while she stared at the two of them.

    "Worry not, Hazumi. Although this brat has pulled out a ton of nonsense logic... He is a man, all things considered. Furthermore, he is a man whose heart conceals an astounding amount of desires of the flesh."

    She suddenly began to utter rubbish.

    "This guy has already kissed the priestess whose name is Orihime."

    "Ehhh!? Senpai, didn''t you kiss Luna-san last time too¡ªRight!?"

    Hinokagutsuchi revealed the secret with a smug and knowing look, greatly shocking Hazumi.

    Hal wanted to accuse her of invasion of privacy, but the self-styled devil was not finished.

    "Well, simply stated, despite his eccentric and difficult personality, this guy still finds desires of the flesh impossible to resist."

    "D-Desires of the flesh? Sorry, I don''t know what that means..."

    A term that could be designated R15 was making Hazumi tilt her head in puzzlement.

    "Is it like a ''desire to eat meat''?"

    "A bit off but not too far away. Your intuition is quite accurate. Please check the dictionary on your own later."

    "Y-Yes!"

    "Shirasaka, don''t check that kind of term! Y-You, stop teaching her weird things!"

    "This is nothing weird, brat. Know that it is a grave matter concerning your future."

    Hinokagutsuchi smiled at the indignant Hal.

    She seemed to have picked this timing to jump out and speak for the sake of causing trouble. Furthermore, the former dragon queen casually added, "I know not whether your theory is right or wrong, because I have already forgotten everything from when I was a Tyrannos, prior to becoming a dragon king."

    "I knew it."

    "Be that as it may... That little girl, Yukikaze, was definitely human once."

    "As suspected."

    "Now that I reflect upon what you said earlier in light of this¡ªFufufufu. Indeed, there are many points which make sense. Brat, I concede that focus of your argument is quite amusing. Allow a former queen such as I to offer a few words of praise to your discerning eye."

    "Even if you praise me, it doesn''t make me happy at all..."

    Hal could not feel any joy from receiving extremely rare praise from the former dragon king.

    Hinkagutsuchi laughed at the scowling Hal and turned to look at Hazumi.

    "Hazumi. You wish for the brat to live slightly more ''normally'' as a human, is that correct?"

    "Th-That''s exaggerating quite a bit... I simply wish for Senpai to live happier."

    "The meaning is the same. You have noticed too that he is man who would brush normal life aside and immerse himself in work for the sake of pursuing his goals."

    She seemed to be mocking Hal.

    However, Hal was unable to muster a rebuttal.

    Impressive as always, the former queen. She was unexpectedly sharp and had seen through Haruga Haruomi''s true nature.

    Indeed she was correct¡ªHal was someone who did not care about elements of happiness such as having droves of friends, self-indulgence after school, social networking on the internet, a clean and tidy home, fulfilling meals, sufficient sleeping time, family warmth, social gatherings, weekend dates... etc. The focus with which he buried himself in work was enough to label him a workaholic.

    Never stingy with effort that would make life easier for himself¡ªThat was Hal''s motto.

    But conversely, this could also be construed as doing whatever it takes to succeed.

    "Yes. Senpai is always sloppy about his own personal matters, which is why I worry a lot..."

    "Even for a man of this sort, so long as thoughts of lust persist in his heart¡ª"

    The young girl in the kimono laughed.

    "There will still be temptation he would find difficult to resist. Like secretly kissing your cousin, for example."

    She was imparting inappropriate knowledge to Hazumi who was worrying about Hal.

    Her words were like Satan''s whispers, tempting the pure-hearted Eve, who was living together with Adam in the Garden of Eden, making her aware of "wisdom and desire."

    "W-What kind of temptation is it?"

    "For example, if your cousin were to offer up her magnificent body and demand to spend a night of passion in his company."

    "!?"

    "Suppose this were not enough, then have that lass named Luna do the same."

    "Luna-san too!?"

    "By this point, if he is still grumbling this or that, Hazumi, you could simply join in and tempt the brat too."

    "M-M-M-M-M-Me too!?"

    "H-Hold on a sec, what are you trying to make Shirasaka do!?"

    Hazumi was left dumbstruck by the series of outrageous statements, so Hal screamed on her behalf. Hinokagutsuchi puffed out her chest proudly and snickered.

    "I feel that developments would take for an amusing turn next, which is why I wanted to guide her along the path of love."

    "I knew it, you were planning nothing good!"

    "It is not like you have nothing to gain from this, so just shut up."

    "Don''t tell me to shut up! Stop putting strange ideas into the angelic Shirasaka''s head!"

    He was the only one who could protect his junior''s pure and innocent soul.

    Filled with righteous fury, Hal protested against the young girl who was the devil incarnate. He also asked Hazumi, "By the way, Shirasaka, you don''t think of me like that, right?"

    "Huh? Like what?"

    Hazumi was taken aback for a moment. Hal asked more explicitly, "As a romantic prospect, someone to develop a man-woman relationship with."

    "Uh, umm, well... Of course I love you very much, Senpai. I wish to maintain a good relationship with you forever, and sometimes I think ''wouldn''t it be wonderful if only I had an older brother like Senpai?'' B-But, I''ve never thought about going out with you or getting married..."

    As expected, Hazumi denied it.

    Hal nodded. Indeed, their relationship ought to remain platonic, starting as senior and junior then finishing as a pseudo-sibling relationship.

    ...However.

    He would be overjoyed if Hazumi really thought of him as a potential partner.

    Ignoring Hal, Hinokagutsuchi asked the girl, "I see. So you have never thought about it before? Then what about now?"

    "Huh?"

    "Hazumi. After the battle against the Red Flame Emperor... known nowadays as ''Hannibal,'' you have been experiencing frequent stomachaches. Every time, you were thinking about this brat, weren''t you?"

    "Y-Yes. I was thinking about Senpai and Nee-sama."

    "Fufufufu. The pure little lass has finally awakened her jealousy? Well, the embers of carnal desire do get lit by the bond of unorthodoxy linking her to the palm and heartmetal of the man she admires..."

    Hinokagutsuchi was speaking as though Hazumi was harboring affections for Hal.

    Hazumi also sneaked a glance at Hal before lowering her head immediately. It seemed as though she was too embarrassed to show her face to anyone, unable to organize her thoughts and feelings.

    What the heck? Hal was thrown into confusion.

    This atmosphere makes it almost like Shirasaka actually likes me in that way¡ª

    "By the way, brat."

    Hinokagutsuchi suddenly spoke to the confounded Hal.

    "Suppose your assumptions are correct, it would not be strange for your mind to show symptoms of ''losing one''s memories and self-awareness as a human,'' would it? Allow me to help you confirm."

    A smile was hanging on the young girl''s face.

    "Fufufufu. You have known that girl named Asya for many years, have you not? When and where did you first meet her? What were you two doing together at the time?"

    "Now that''s a really sudden question from you."

    The subject had changed without warning. Hal could not help but grumble.

    However, this turned out to be perfect for dispelling the awkward mood between him and Hazumi.

    "I remember it was eleven years ago when we were five. The two of us... were lost in a certain European country, so we bought either a burger or a hotdog to share. Back then, it was either Asya or me who paid, I guess?"

    Hal answered fluently.

    He remembered very clearly, so it took no effort to recall.

    "Anyway, I don''t think there''s any problem with my mind."

    "Apparently so. It would be very entertaining if you turned into a fool as quickly as possible."

    Hal and Hinokagutsuchi bickered.

    Listening from the side, Hazumi tilted her head slightly in puzzlement, perhaps unable to keep up with the two who had dispelled all sense of gravity from the situation.

    Just as Hal was about to explain to Hazumi¡ª

    The silhouettes of seventy-two dragons suddenly appeared in the sky over their location of the wooden ship''s deck. Naturally, they were the serpent souls.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

    The serpent souls began to sing a mournful melody.

    King Solomon had finally arrived at the "climax."

    Part 4

    Seeing the final opponent''s arrival, Hal motioned to Hazumi with his eyes.

    Stop the conversation, it was time for the final showdown¡ªHazumi instantly nodded to acknowledge Hal''s message.

    They were standing on the device used to control King Solomon''s ark.

    Hazumi''s partner, Minadzuki, was flying around the ark''s control device on guard.

    In an adorable voice, Hazumi called out to the emerald serpentine dragon leviathan.

    "Minadzuki, please!"

    Minadzuki flew to a spot roughly ten meters over Hal and Hazumi.

    She craned her neck like a poisonous snake on a hunt, glaring at the sky afar.

    The seventy-two serpent souls serving King Solomon were flying in a flock over there, roughly two or three hundred meters higher in altitude.

    The serpent souls were not flying in uniform formation.

    Scattered all over the place, they kept tracing out elliptical trails in the air, circling repeatedly.

    The serpent souls always took this action when supporting King Solomon. Not to be outdone, Hal issued orders to his minion.

    "Come over here, queen. Come to our side."

    He was speaking to the Crimson Queen on alert near the wooden ship.

    The red dragon king descended next to Hal and Hazumi, on the wooden ship''s deck. The ship was massive with a length reaching a hundred meters, so having a dragon land on it was no problem at all.

    Hinokagutsuchi swiftly disappeared, returning to inside the magic gun.

    Now they were fully prepared for the incoming battle. Meanwhile, King Solomon''s faction suddenly did something unprecedented.

    ''...Impressive as ever, the one who obtained the key to my legacy.''

    A deep and authoritative male voice was heard from the sky.

    It sounded like thunder. However, the vast blue sky inside King Solomon''s barrier did not have a single cloud.

    ''...O bow user, I never expected you to be such a thorn in my side.''

    "In other words, you''re Solomon-senpai?"

    ''...Indeed.''

    Even this brief answer was deep and solemn, resounding across the entire blue sky.

    Although Solomon himself could not be seen, this was still quite an elaborately staged performance.

    If this had been taking place in the world of Japanese animation, a super famous voice actor would most likely be hired to portray his wonderful voice. In any case, it was very deep. Hal felt that the voice acting fee would be very expensive.

    "I-It''s like God."

    Unlike her senior who was entertaining frivolous thoughts, Hazumi expressed sincere admiration from the heart.

    In contrast, Hal nodded the same as usual.

    "Hmm. I think I know where this performance comes from. In the Old Testament of the Bible, there were prophets who could hear the voice of the one true God in heaven. Before the arrival of Jesus Christ, it always played out this way. There are many other versions too."

    He began to explain, seeming unexpectedly laid back.

    "Speaking of which, the Old Testament of the Bible recorded the story of the Jew''s ancestors¡ªthe people ruled by Solomon-senpai''s ancient kingdom of Israel. In terms of ethnic lineage, they are part of the Semitic peoples, although the sky gods appearing in Semitic myths are actually the origin of the ''God'' in the Bible''s Old Testament. Treated as a demon in the Bible, Baal was actually a sky god of the Semites but not the Jews, and the chief god in the pantheon to boot. You can actually find traces of ancient religions like this all over the Old and New Testaments of the Bible."

    "Y-Yes."

    Hazumi nodded but she was clearly lost.

    She was probably unable to understand why Hal could be this calm. In contrast to Hazumi, the amazing voice from the sky sounded a bit delighted.

    ''...Tyrannos of a later era, you are speaking of things outside my knowledge, are you not? That is quite calm and composed of you.''

    "I''m good, thanks. Because your background is the same as mine, Senpai... Someone halfway in between, more than human but not yet a dragon king. Compared to the likes of Hannibal, facing you is a bit easier."

    Despite sounding relaxed, Hal did not lower his guard at all, of course.

    This was a showdown between two people of similar power. A moment''s carelessness would be taken advantage of. However, just as Hal said, he was having an easier time on a mental level.

    This was thanks to the experience he had accumulated over numerous intense battles¡ªA fact that truly did not bring him any joy now that it was brought up.

    Regardless, as a bookworm diametrically opposed to warrior races, Hal was currently facing off against this voice in the sky.

    "I guess your goal is that tired cliche, you''re going to steal my body, right?"

    ''...You are correct. If a Tyrannos capable of finding my legacy were to appear, I would steal his body and dragonslaying power to allow me to rebuild my kingdom... That is my plan.''

    As expected. Hal shrugged.

    That being said, dismissing it as a tired cliche was probably because Hal lived in the modern age. For a human living in the pre-Christian era, King Solomon''s resurrection plan was definitely a pioneering notion beyond its time.

    He said, ''...Be that as it may, you have been no pushover. I have been forced to take many great pains.''

    "That''s the way it is. Those lower than me in level won''t be able to get here, but if your opponent was a dragon king instead, Senpai, you''d be the one in trouble. By the way¡ª"

    Hal changed the subject.

    "I am actually a little optimistic."

    ''...Oh? Optimistic about what?''

    "The fact that you''re coming out directly and even conversing with me¡ªDoesn''t that imply that you''ve finally used up all your sneak attacks?"

    ''......''

    "Cloak and daggers are pretty much my thing, but I''m starting to miss the earth, so I''d like a frontal showdown to bring this incident to a close."

    ''...Then keep your eyes peeled, bow user.''

    King Solomon''s ghost spoke to Hal in a cheerful voice.

    ''...This is the final ploy I have devised for the sake of defeating you. Fufufufu... O seal of purity and justice discovered from the secret annals of the sea of stars.''

    "Huh!?"

    "Senpai, what is that!?"

    Hal and Hazumi reacted with alarm and shock.

    Responding to King Solomon''s summon, a brightly shining pentagram appeared in the sky. Indeed. Black flames were leaving trails in the air to trace out a giant seal.

    For those knowledgeable in magic in the modern day, that pentagram would be considered a familiar symbol.

    ''...Heed my call and let the archdemon descend upon the world. I, King Solomon, hereby pray for the arrival of a new servant. Gods¡ªI implore you to listen to my request!''

    Before the two modern humans'' eyes, the pentagram changed into a "¡Þ" shape.

    Then it transformed into the body of a gigantic magic beast. It was a dragon¡ªidentical in appearance to the Crimson Queen too.

    However, the new queen and the flames shrouding her body were black, in contrast to the red dragon king.

    The color of her body was akin to the "blackness" of black lotus. The surrounding flames were also pitch black. If one had to give her name, it would probably be the "False Black Queen."

    "I didn''t expect such a move... Now that''s my Solomon-senpai."

    Feeling impressed, Hal muttered to himself.

    "After all, he''s the originator who came up with the technique of leviathan synthesis. Also, he not only created a ''serpent'' suddenly¡ªbut even copied my queen too!"

    Eloim Essaim was a magic incantation only privy to those in the know.

    The false queen, summoned by this sacred incantation, roared ferociously.

    ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    The atmosphere shook as a result. The power was no less than the Crimson Queen''s.

    Sensing the flow of magic, Hal could see the serpent souls flying far above in the air currently offering magical power to serve as the false queen''s energy source.

    The magical power rivaled that of the Crimson Queen that was connected to Hal''s heart.

    ''...Bow user, you are correct.''

    After roaring loudly, the false queen said to Hal, ''Now that it has reached this juncture, victory will go to whichever of us proves to be superior. Let us settle this!''

    King Solomon''s magnificent voice came out of the black dragon''s mouth.

    For the sake of defeating Hal''s faction in a direct confrontation, he had possessed the ancient leviathan he created himself, to face off against Hal and the queen.

    "Senpai, that dragon looks really strong..."

    "Yeah. But she probably can''t last for too long. Didn''t our queen collapse pretty quickly last time?"

    Hal reassured the worried Hazumi.

    That dragon was ultimately just a replica. Its specs could not possibly be higher than the real thing. However, it would probably take twenty or thirty minutes before she collapsed.

    Not long but not short either. It was also possible to end the battle within this duration.

    "So pitting trump cards against each other would be the wise choice huh..."

    The False Black Queen began to descend from the sky above.

    Naturally, she was moving towards the wooden ship where Hal and Hazumi were. Her movement did not appear fast because they were some distance away, but in terms of actual speed, she was probably moving faster than a hundred kilometers per hour.

    The false queen arrived within the blink of an eye. Hal aimed his magic gun at her.

    At the same time, the Crimson Queen also summoned the Bow to her hand.

    It was a crimson longbow¡ªthe weapon manifested from the Rune of the Bow. However, she had yet to call forth the all important arrow.

    Hal issued orders, "Shirasaka, use pseudo-divinity!"

    "Yes! Minadzuki, please!"

    The bond of the covenant established by the rune allowed them to communicate through thoughts.

    Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡ª

    Hearing Hazumi''s wish, the emerald serpentine dragon cried out sonorously. Using the pseudo-divinity of Wind, she summoned thunderclouds in the sky.

    Tearing through the sky, a bolt of lightning descended into the Crimson Queen''s outstretched right hand.

    Holding the crimson bow in her left, the Crimson Queen formed the lightning in her empty right hand into "an arrow of electricity," turning it into the queen''s weapon.

    The red dragon king placed the arrow onto the bow and fired.

    Naturally, the target was the False Black Queen. Hal also pulled the trigger of his magic gun at the same time. In the next instant, the arrow of lightning shot by the Crimson Queen became enveloped by nine runes of Ruruk Soun.

    Hal had imbued the arrow with the power of exorcism¡ªthe magical power of "purification of evil spirits."

    This was the "goddess power" that Shamiram had bestowed upon the magic gun earlier.

    "Counting on you!"

    Imbued with the spiritual power of exorcism, the arrow flew forward to intercept the approaching false queen.

    Hal watched with anticipation. After using this arrow to damage King Solomon''s spirit body, he would then have the Crimson Queen swing the Twin Katana to seize victory.

    Seeing the arrow arrive, the false queen¡ª

    ''...O sacred shield!''

    King Solomon''s voice recited a defensive incantation.

    In the next instant, a gigantic cross, rivaling a dragon''s body in size, suddenly manifested in front of the false queen, serving as a shield to block the arrow of exorcism.

    This alone would not have surprised Hal. It was a very common type of defensive magic.

    However, chained to the cross was the massive body of a pteranodon.

    It was Ashkelon. Not only that, but the beautiful witch from the ancient kingdom was also tied to Ashkelon''s throat by a smaller chain. A beautiful captive.

    Her head hanging, eyes tightly shut, she seemed unconscious.

    "Shamiram-san!?"

    Hal cried out in surprise.

    At the same time, he subconsciously redirected the arrow.

    Responding to Hal''s thoughts, the arrow of exorcism deviated greatly from its trajectory. Just before striking Ashkelon and the cross, it changed direction¡ª

    It flew up into the sky.

    ...Had he contemplated calmly, Hal would have known.

    Shamiram hoped to disappear from this world, so she did not mind getting caught in the fray of battle.

    Since there was no way to rule out the possibility of her betrayal, naturally, Hal could have made the cruel choice of "piercing her together with the target."

    He could have come up with a number of "smarter options."

    However, Haruga Haruomi was not a member of a warrior race. None of these options was a choice he could make in desperation. More importantly, he did not want to do so. However, he paid a heavy price for it.

    ''...This is quite a irrevocable mistake, bow user!''

    The false queen roared with King Solomon''s voice.

    A golden ring appeared on her pitch-black right hand. With a diameter of seven meters, it was the Rune of the Ring manifested as a weapon.

    An unpleasant and dissonant noise erupted in the air next.

    The golden ring emitted a sound of "nyyyaaaarrrllaaaaaathooooooottt¡­¡­@@¡Á¡ô¡õ¡ò¡÷£«£½*£¤!"

    This evil sound was targetting Hal and the Crimson Queen.

    "Warghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Hal could clearly feel the excessively abnormal noise invading his brain through his ears.

    His brain stem was boiling. His innards felt stirred and uncomfortable with a rising wave of nausea surging up his throat, making him want to abandon all human thought, giving himself up to relentless screaming.

    However, Hal still noticed. This was a technique of assured annihilation.

    Nine runes of Ruruk Soun had appeared over the false queen''s head.

    The arrangement signified "I play the sound of the star of aggravation to disorient sentient minds"¡ª

    Furthermore, the false queen, i.e. Solomon, did not stop attacking. Using the golden ring as a frisbee, she tossed it out to strike the Crimson Queen.

    The queen''s giant body was sent flying by this attack.

    Combined with the physical and mental damage caused by the weird noise, the queen could not stand up again, simply lying limp on the wooden ship''s deck. The same went for Hal.

    Feeling his knees go weak, he sprawled on the ground.

    "Ughhhhh..."

    "Senpai!"

    Hal could only groan.

    Hazumi hastily rushed over to Hal''s side but stopped halfway.

    This was because the False Black Queen was descending from the sky, approaching the wooden ship. Hazumi was the only one left who could attack.

    Hazumi glanced at Hal helplessly then immediately looked up.

    Facing the approaching false queen squarely, she prepared to fulfill her duty, even though her adorable face was tense from worry.

    Sure enough, that was the kind of girl she was.

    Thinking hazily amid the chaos in his mind, Hal looked at the magic gun in his right.

    Despite his current sorry state, he still had the strength to pull the trigger. Should he exhaust the remainder of his meager power to aid Hazumi...? No. Hal deliberately refrained from doing so.

    Instead, he spoke in a barely audible voice.

    "Can I ask you to pass a message for me...?"

    The damage from the weird noise had rendered Hal barely capable of moving his lips.

    However, his intent evidently reached his target. The presence of the self-styled devil and guardian vanished from inside the magic gun.

    Part 5

    "Hu... Hwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

    Red Hannibal was locked in a gray space.

    Lying on the ground, he opened his mouth wide to let loose a yawn, tears welling in his eyes.

    "These guys are too inconsiderate... I have napped for so long, the boredom is killing me."

    Literally bored to tears. He had nothing to do at all.

    From the bottom of his heart, Hannibal was thinking, wasn''t it time for interrogation or torture?

    Also, "these guys" referred to the one who had captured Hannibal, of course.

    If these guys showed themselves, Hannibal intended to complain right off the bat.

    A prison consisting of absolutely tasteless gray extending to infinity was far too sloppy. Put in a little effort and make serious preparations.

    However, not a single person appeared.

    "Could the intention be for me to go insane and die of boredom?"

    Hannibal began to ponder "hmm..."

    He had survived all kinds of crises but "boredom" was the one thing he absolutely had no idea how to deal with.

    He enjoyed killing time doing nothing. Napping was nice too.

    However, in those cases, he had to ride the wind and float in the air with white clouds as his pillows and the blue sky as his bed.

    Spending time in this gray space without nothing to do did not suit his interests.

    "...In that case, it is time to say goodbye¡ªNow then."

    What was the situation outside the prison like?

    Acting with caution more like a warrior than a dragon king, Hannibal wanted information.

    Bold and unencumbered was more his style, but he was unable to transform into a dragon for the near term. Gathering detailed information was necessary once in a while, but¡ª

    "It might be a different kind of fun to make some rounds in this form and see how far I can get."

    Struck by a sudden whim, he stuck out his tongue and licked his lower lip.

    Hannibal''s original plan was to wait until his magical power and stamina had recovered to the point of allowing him to transform into a dragon before taking action.

    But on further thought, trying to escape while using a human body was clearly much more interesting. A challenge to see how far he could go in his current state was not a bad idea either.

    He sat up.

    In that instant, he sensed a familiar presence, so he spoke, "Greetings, Crimson Queen. It is wonderful to see you in good health."

    "I am simply not completely dead. There is no good health to speak of."

    The girl dressed in red silently appeared next to the yawning Hannibal. It was the human form belonging to the dragon king once known as the Crimson Queen.

    Speaking in sarcastic tones as usual, the queen grinned.

    "However, there is a bunch of fellows causing a ruckus outside."

    "Oh? How enviable. Is that why this prison has been so lax in security, even allowing you to find this place so easily? In that case¡ª"

    Hannibal smiled with satisfaction.

    "Queen, why have you come to see me?"

    "Merely on a whim. I know that you enjoy crowds, hence if I were to inform you of the situation outside... You will surely go on a rampage of your own. Then all I need to do afterwards is take advantage of that."

    "Hahahaha!"

    Hearing his old acquaintance''s self-centered reasons, Hannibal laughed heartily.

    Hinokagutsuchi''s tongue remained harsh as ever even after her death. Furthermore, her knowledge of the strongest dragon king Hannibal''s personality remained impeccable.

    "Well, apart from that, I am also bringing a message from the brat who inherited my bow."

    The former queen revealed a malevolent expression and added.

    "''A temporary alliance until we get out of here, how about it?''"

    "Indeed... It is a rare festival and it would be quite boring to leave me alone here. Let me join in despite the tardy arrival."

    He nodded firmly then whispered, "How is the situation outside? From what I can see, the Tyrannoi of the Bow and the Ring... are evenly matched in power, though the Ring''s side holds a slight upper hand in strategy."

    "That is the long and short of it. The bow brat has just been checked, but¡ª"

    The queen shrugged in the form of a young human.

    "He has hidden an ace up his sleeve too. The decisive battle only begins now."

    A melee battle finally unfolded in the air.

    The False Black Queen and the emerald serpentine dragon Minadzuki were locked in a struggle.

    However, the false queen was holding the upper hand. One could tell at a glance, because the gigantic black body remained motionless in the air, confident and composed, barely moving from her position at all.

    On the other hand, Minadzuki was dashing this way and that, trying to find an opening.

    As Hazumi''s partner, the serpentine dragon possessed a long and slender body like a snake''s. Slithering her body, she flew back and forth, searching for opportunities to bite her enemy.

    Minadzuki widened her jaws and instantly flew up to the false queen. Her movements were as fast as lightning.

    However, the imperishable protection surrounding the false queen defended against the attack.

    In contrast, Minadzuki did not have imperishable protection on her, because Hal the provider was collapsed on the ground in a delirious state.

    Ravaged by the bizarre noise, his body remained immobilized.

    However, his thoughts were gradually recovering in clarity.

    Hal tried to get a grasp on the situation.

    Hazumi was up ahead, not too far away, watching the aerial battle with worry. She did not glance back at Hal at all.

    But that was the correct thing to do. To look away and worry about others in such an emergency would be hugely problematic.

    At this very moment, Shirasaka Hazumi must focus wholeheartedly on the battle.

    Meanwhile, the false queen was facing off against Minadzuki.

    Possessed by King Solomon, the false queen''s defenses were solid as rock due to imperishable protection.

    No matter how Minadzuki bit ferociously, attacking bravely with her teeth, the pearly light always deflected her effortlessly. Then the unscathed false queen would use her gigantic body of a dragon to attack the emerald serpentine dragon.

    Using her five-clawed hands to attack Minadzuki, her talons ripped through her body.

    Using her muscular arms to seize Minadzuki''s body, she executed a bear hug. It was almost like a sumo wrestler using a sabaori move on an opponent.

    Not only that, but the black dragon was also biting Minadzuki.

    Minadzuki would scream with every inflicted injury.

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    "I''m so sorry, Minadzuki! But please, try harder...!"

    Hazumi desperately cheered for Minadzuki.

    There should be one more use of pseudo-divinity, but it did not look like she was going to use it yet.

    She was biding her time¡ªNo, most likely, she lacked the resolve. In the event that she used her last chance but did not succeed...

    Were Asya here, she would focus her mind and heart on a single gamble.

    She would commit her determination and put everything on the line. However, Hazumi was unable to make such a decision. Her inborn personality and lack of battle experience caused her to hesitate.

    Sprawled on the ground, Hal watched over his protege in a crisis.

    He did not have the strength to stand up, but if it was just pulling the trigger of his magic gun... No.

    Hal mustered every last ounce of strength and turned his body around. He was now lying flat on his back instead of sprawling. This gave him a more expansive view.

    He muttered to himself, "So the ring is still unscathed huh..."

    The false queen and Minadzuki were dogfighting in the air.

    Behind them, the golden ring was hovering in midair.

    ''nyyyaaaarrrllaaaaaathooooooottt¡­¡­@@¡Á¡ô¡õ¡ò¡÷£«£½*£¤¡­¡­nyyyaaaarrrllaaaaaathooooooottt¡­¡­@@¡Á¡ô¡õ¡ò¡÷£«£½*£¤¡­¡­''

    The ring continued to emit weird noise from its technique of assured annihilation.

    The volume was not as deafening as in the beginning. Instead, it was at a softer volume as though reciting a cursed incantation nonstop. Even now, this sound continued to torment Hal''s body and mind.

    "The Rune of the Ring... has mostly attacks for assaulting the mind or depriving the target''s freedom..."

    He remembered.

    In ancient Europe, the ring also symbolized "restriction" and "obedience." It was a kind of curse and magical tool.

    One interpretation of wedding bands and similar items as proof of restricted social status stemmed from such symbolism.

    Perhaps that was the distant origin of the Rune of the Ring.

    "Anyway, looks like there''s no choice but to get rid of that thing..."

    At that moment, a change occurred in the aerial battle.

    The false queen picked up a new weapon in her hand¡ªThe gigantic cross.

    It was what King Solomon had summoned earlier to use as a shield against Hal''s arrow of exorcism. The gigantic pteranodon, Ashkelon, was still bound to it...

    After that, the cross had remained hovering in the air.

    Holding it, the false queen used a dragon''s arm strength to execute a mighty swing, striking the nearby Minadzuki squarely in the head with a massive thud.

    The cross was made of wood, so it immediately shattered into fragments.

    Tied to the cross, her restraints now shattered, Ashkelon began to fall.

    Like a baseball struck by a bat, Minadzuki''s giant body flew back as well. However, even after seeing the situation, Hazumi did not cry out her partner''s name first.

    "Shamiram-san!"

    Indeed. The beautiful witch from the ancient kingdom was still tied to Ashkelon''s throat.

    Thrown into the air, her delicate body fell.

    Furthermore, this was a world consisting of scattered sky islands without any ground beneath. Shamiram''s body kept falling like that.

    Continuing to fall, the beautiful witch and Ashkelon disappeared from Hal and Hazumi''s sight.

    "Minadzuki! Hurry and save Shami¡ª"

    Hazumi closed her mouth mid-sentence.

    She must have realized it was too late. Furthermore, to turn her back to the false queen at this time and leave the battlefield would not be possible.

    Because she and Minadzuki were the only ones remaining who could still fight properly¡ª

    Meanwhile, Hal grew increasingly unsure whether to pull his magic gun''s trigger or not. He could add auto-homing magic to the bullet, allowing it to track down Shamiram and Ashkelon''s whereabouts.

    However, in the next instant, Hal heard a whisper.

    (Lord Haruga...)

    "Eh? Shimiram-san, where are you now?"

    He could hear but not see her. Shamiram seemed to be using magic to send her voice to his ear.

    (I have fallen on an island... Or rather, crashed into one. As a result, I did not fall into the abyss of hell.)

    "That''s great to hear. We''ll go pick you up once the battle is over."

    (Oh, no need for that. You do not need to take the trouble. I will head over to converge with you two once I make myself presentable.)

    "Presentable...?"

    (Yes. After all, I did fall from quite a great height. My skull has cracked open and my guts have burst out of my abdomen. Little of my prided beauty remains intact and my limbs have been bent in bizarre angles. As for my right arm, everything beyond the elbow is¡ª)

    "I get the picture. I look forward to your swift return."

    Despite her condition, she sounded rather cheerful and energetic.

    As expected of the dead, I guess? Or perhaps, he should praise Solomon''s curse for the fact that Shamiram still failed to pass on despite suffering such grave injuries?

    (My apologies. I only ended up like this because I was captured by the master when flying around as a diversion.)

    "Please don''t let it bother you. I was the one who asked you to help in the first place."

    Hal himself was still immobilized but his discomfort had lessened somewhat.

    As though chatting in leisure, he said, "I''m relieved now. It looks like you''re in unexpectedly good health(?)... But if that''s the case, couldn''t you have used magic to struggle free before you got attacked?"

    (Indeed that is so. My reason for not doing so is most likely identical to yours, Lord Haruga.)

    Shamiram seemed to have noticed that Hal had held back.

    (Lady Hazumi is a good girl as expected. Just as we have hoped¡ªShe is finally approaching the time of her awakening.)

    "...For real?"

    Hal looked at his protege again.

    There was a pulsation of what seemed to be spiritual energy from Hazumi''s petite back as a faint green glow slowly rose. Unmistakable. It was the phenomenon of magical power leaking out.

    Like Hal, witches also used their hearts as their source of magical power.

    Hazumi was currently drawing out magical power from her heart, beyond what her body could contain.

    "Sorry... I must stop you no matter what."

    Hazumi stared resolutely at the "enemy" and spoke solemnly.

    She was standing on the deck near the wooden ship''s prow. The target she was looking up towards from there was, of course, the False Black Queen.

    Dominating the sky battlefield was the false black dragon.

    This was the enemy that had caused Minadzuki suffering and sent Ashkelon and the beautiful witch Shamiram to their graves.

    However, the false queen¡ªor more precisely, King Solomon who had possessed her¡ªdid not seem to hear Hazumi''s declaration. With Hazumi''s words falling on deaf ears, the false queen looked down upon the world contemptuously in leisure.

    The Crimson Queen and Haruomi-senpai were overpowered by the Ring, immobilized.

    Her partner Minadzuki was battered all over.

    She could not keep relying on others. She must depend on herself.

    Hazumi took a deep breath.

    What a nostalgic feeling¡ªIn the past, when Tokyo New Town had her as its only witch, Hazumi always headed out to the battlefield alone.

    But back then, her opponents were primarily Raptors.

    As long as she had Minadzuki''s power, she could not possibly lose. All she had to do was issue orders casually and her partner would take care of the rest.

    After gaining comrades, she had always listened to the commands of the older witches and Haruomi-senpai.

    But now it was different. The enemy was King Solomon the great sorcerer and the false queen. An enemy that she had no chance of defeating even if she mustered her full strength. But even so, she still had to confront¡ª

    "I will work my hardest, so Minadzuki, you too... Please!"

    Not simply a sincere prayer, this wish was also fueled by burning determination.

    Its foundation was blazing wrath and firm willpower.

    This was wrath born out of seeing injury done to one''s loved one and someone who had treated her with kindness. It was unshakable willpower, determined to rely on no one but herself no matter what¡ª

    Just as these emotions surged from the depths of her heart...

    Extremely potent magical power exploded from Hazumi''s heart, so great the quantity that it was beyond her body''s capacity to contain. Turning into a faint green glow, the magical power leaked out of the body.

    She was experiencing this for the first time. In that very instant, she realized.

    "Oh¡ª"

    She disliked conflict and was not good at magic.

    This notion had often led to her stagnation in controlling her "serpent" in battle... However, it no longer applied to her as she was now. Her firm willpower, to "do it herself" no matter what, forbade her from faltering.

    Perhaps this was the reason.

    The magical power filling up her entire body felt lighter and more agile than ever before. She was able to control it freely as she wished.

    Next, all she needed to do was what Hinokagutsuchi had instructed, to offer sincere prayer to the partner possessing goddess power¡ªdespite being an imitation¡ª

    "To protect us... Use this power, Minadzuki."

    With her hands clasped before her chest, Hazumi whispered quietly.

    At that moment, the false queen happened to attack Minadzuki. Flying at Minadzuki, she was about to rip the emerald body to shreds with the sharp claws on her hands.

    She had not noticed the change in Hazumi at all.

    ...That was why things were progressing so well. Suddenly, a whirlwind blowing from Minadzuki''s entire body struck the false queen head on.

    Next, nine runes of Ruruk Soun appeared over the gentle serpentine dragon''s head.

    They signified "purification of evil spirits"¡ªThe power of exorcism that Hal had used just now. Enveloped by the whirlwind imbued with the spiritual power of exorcism, the false queen screamed loudly.

    ''...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?''

    This pained shout was, of course, King Solomon''s magnificent voice.

    After Hazumi and Minadzuki had dealt King Solomon a devastating blow using "purification of evil spirits"...

    The false queen toppled backwards. Even so, instead of crashing down, she barely continued to fly, distancing herself from Minadzuki unsteadily.

    Hal was certain she was trying to escape from follow up attacks.

    The ring''s power still restrained him, but in that instant, Hal pulled the magic gun''s trigger.

    The gun''s muzzle shot out thirty bullets of red light in full auto mode. Every bullet was imbued with the magic of auto-homing, each tracing out a curved trajectory in the air, heading towards the false queen¡ª

    All met their mark without fail.

    ''...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?''

    King Solomon screamed again. It looked like he had suffered substantial damage this time.

    The false queen''s giant body finally began to fall. Lying on the ground, Hal praised Hazumi from his heart after firing his magic gun.

    "You''re so amazing, Shirasaka... You really did it with your own strength."

    In the end, what Hazumi lacked was probably the willpower "to rely on herself no matter what."

    That was what Hal thought. In fact, until now, all early signs of Hazumi''s awakening had mostly occurred when she took action on her own initiative.

    Hence, Hal had refrained from helping out this time.

    However, this was also a decision that he had made under the prior condition that he must not recklessly use up his last hope¡ªthe magic gun''s thirty bullets.

    Hence, he had not chosen to wait and see in the hot-blooded shounen battle manga fashion of putting faith in "Hazumi will definitely be able to do it!"

    "I guess this outcome is acceptable, although it was close as hell..."

    (This was also thanks to Lady Hazumi being an honest and forthright young lady. Lord Haruga, you are truly fortunate to have such a fine lady in love with you¡ª)

    "No truer words."

    That part about being in love was a misunderstanding... But Hal agreed that he was lucky indeed.

    At that moment, ten-odd meters away from Hal, the junior who had just accomplished a great feat suddenly cried out "Ahhh!", stunned on the spot.

    Halting her fall into the depths of hell, the false queen recovered.

    "Was it not enough...? Queen!"

    Saying that, Hal clicked his tongue.

    The Crimson Queen still could not move. Like Hal, she had suffered from the Ring''s technique of assured annihilation and was lying on the wooden ship''s deck. Hazumi had also used up her two counts of pseudo-divinity.

    They had nothing left to oppose the false queen and Solomon.

    "Hahahahaha! Do not forget my presence!"

    At that moment, Hal heard dragon king Hannibal''s voice for the first time in a while.

    He focused his eyes and saw a well-built man flying lightly in the air. With his red coat billowing in the wind behind him, that figure undoubtedly belonged to the strongest dragon king.

    "O Tyrannos of the Bow! I have accepted your invitation and gone out of my way to come here!"

    In front of the flying Hannibal was the golden ring hovering in midair.

    He opened his mouth wide and breathed out fire despite his human form. His target was the ring¡ªThe Rune of the Ring that was preventing Hal and the Crimson Queen from taking action.

    Scorched by fire, the golden ring began to melt¡ªThen finally, it disappeared.

    Naturally, the weird noise of ''nyyyaaaarrrllaaaaaathooooooottt¡­¡­'' also ceased.

    In the next instant, Hal was able to move freely. He stood up all at once.

    "Shirasaka!"

    "...Senpai!"

    Hearing Hal''s call, Hazumi looked back, of course, She immediately rushed to him.

    Also, as soon as she arrived in front of the liberated Hal, she swiftly turned around with her back towards him.

    "Senpai, please! Do what you did last time!"

    "Huh? But Shirasaka, I don''t think you can still use pseudo-divinity¡ª"

    It was mid-sentence when Hal noticed.

    Until now, Hazumi had always been a Level 2 witch. But now, the plentiful magical power inside her had already surpassed quantities dictated by that level.

    During her awakening just now, did her level as a witch advance as well?

    She had probably reached Level 3. However, Hal was still hesitant despite discovering this. This posture meant that Hazumi was requesting for him to use "that method."

    However, Hazumi said firmly, "If it is Senpai... If it is you, Haruomi-senpai, I am fine with it. Please use Minadzuki and my power to avenge Shamiram-san¡ªPlease!"

    "Shirasaka!"

    Seeing Hazumi so brave, Hal dispelled his indecision completely.

    He reached out with his right hand and grasped Hazumi''s breast tightly with his palm where the Rune of the Bow had appeared. Although she was still growing up, for a fourteen-year-old, this volume was more than enough¡ªHal felt the softness in his palm beyond a doubt.

    In fact, seeing Hazumi show such rare initiative, Hal silently felt moved in his heart.

    The massive amount of magical power produced in Hal''s heart was completely transmitted into the girl''s body without any loss.

    "Nnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"

    He heard Hazumi''s voice of pain.

    In addition, his young protege used the same voice to force out a request to her partner.

    "Nnnn... Minadzuki, please¡ªUse Hinokagutsuchi-san''s bow to shoot that black dragon!"

    Ra¡ªahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Minadzuki roared loudly. The emerald serpentine dragon leviathan was holding a crystal ball in her right forelimb. From there, a gigantic bolt of white lightning shot out.

    This was the technique of assured annihilation, the sun-shooting divine bow.

    Unable to resist, the False Black Queen was gradually erased by the light of the deadly lightning.

    Only an ambiguous black shadow remained. Realizing that was precisely King Solomon''s soul, Hal commanded at the same time.

    "Queen!"

    The Crimson Queen flew towards the black shadow.

    She was wielding a long sword in her right and a kodachi in her left, manifestations of the Rune of the Twin Katana. Slashing from left and right, the queen seemed to slice through the black shadow in a cross shape¡ª

    ''...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!''

    King Solomon''s screaming resounded all around. However¡ª

    Although the twin blades'' power caused the black shadow to shrink all at once, it did not disappear because the queen had held back. This was so that Hal inflict upon King Solomon a move of retribution that had just occurred to him.

    "Runes of Ruruk Soun!"

    Responding to Hal''s call, five magic symbols appeared around the black shadow.

    They signified "absolute obedience." A curse of coercion. In the past, King Solomon had cast this magic on his lover and priestess¡ªShamiram.

    After casting this spell, the Crimson Queen devoured the black shadow¡ªSolomon''s ghost.

    She opened her mouth, took a bite and swallowed.

    "I''m sorry... but you''ll have to live under my control, just like what Shamiram-san had to endure," Hal spoke quietly.

    However, Solomon did not respond. King Solomon''s soul was barely alive after being struck by the twin blades, virtually devoid of strength or ability to think.

    Precisely because of that, "absolute obedience" was able to take effect even though it was normally ineffective against enemies of the same level.

    King Solomon and his rune had now become Hal''s possessions.

    The seventy-two serpent souls circling in the air far above floated down one after another and were absorbed into the red queen.

    In that very instant, Hal came to inherit the great king''s legacy completely.

    In addition, the "seize control" spell he had used to take possession of Solomon''s ark also reached completion at this time, achieving 100% control.

    Now that the time was right, Hal ordered the ark to return immediately to the earth.

    Part 6

    Overhead, countless stars were hanging in the night sky.

    Rather than inside the bizarre bounded field filled with a large number of sky islands, this was the night sky as seen from the earth. Similarly belonging to the earth, a light breeze blew across, gently caressing Hal and company.

    The season was summer. The location was on the vast ocean.

    Hal and company were riding on a wooden ship, i.e. the control device of Solomon''s ark, drifting on the sea.

    He hoped that their location was somewhere in the Atlantic, or near the mouth of the Hudson River where he had fought Hannibal, because in that case, they would not be far from New York City.

    "Hmm, compared to a nonsensical prison, this place is still better."

    In human form, Hannibal muttered to himself.

    He was probably using magic. Hannibal was relaxing in the sky, using the air as his bed and mattress, reclining slothfully.

    His posture was both elegant and childish.

    Ignoring the lazy dragon king, Hal and Hazumi stood on the wooden ship''s deck.

    The two of them were facing the beautiful witch from the ancient kingdom. Shamiram''s beautiful face and body were intact. Presumably, Ashkelon had cast healing magic on her.

    After having made herself "presentable" flawlessly, she smiled at Hal.

    "Well then, Lord Haruga... It is time that I ask you to do what you promised."

    At her request, Hal pointed his right palm at Shamiram.

    Appearing on the center of his palm, the Rune of the Twin Katana severed King Solomon''s curse that was binding Shamiram, one of the living dead, to this world.

    Next, Shamiram showed a gentle smile before vanishing instantly.

    Without any touching scene, this was how they parted ways with the ancient witch. However, this type of decisive farewell was probably what she preferred, instead of setting off on her journey in sorrow.

    Hal exhaled and said, "With that... This commotion has finally come to an end, I guess?"

    "Looks... like it."

    Hal and Hazumi spoke softly, smiling as they gazed at each other.

    The two of them had surmounted many trials and tribulations to finally return to the earth. In terms of time, this journey had probably taken only two days, but in the process, the two of them seemed to have grown closer.

    Hence, they were gazing at each other, smiling.

    At the same time, Hinokagutsuchi materialized without warning.

    "Hey brat."

    The former dragon king spoke to Hal, who was filling his lungs with air from the earth''s surface.

    "I must apologize for this sudden question, but you ought to have remembered by now, have you not?"

    "Remember what?"

    "Eleven years ago, what you ate together with that girl named Asya on your first encounter."

    "Now that''s a really sudden question."

    Hal sighed and replied, "I remember we were lost in Luxembourg and Asya used all her remaining cash to buy a hamburger. Then she shared half with me... No wait. I''m pretty sure Asya ate more than me. What about it?"

    "Nothing. It is good that your memory is sound."

    Even when confronted with a sudden question, Hal was able to reply fluently.

    The adorable junior was watching from the side. Hal was relieved to have preserved his dignity as the senior. Incidentally, Hazumi was staring at Hal with widened eyes. There''s no need to be so surprised, is there? He thought.

    Hal was finally able to release that heavy weight in his heart.

    Despite encountering a mountain of problems, he had managed to take care of them all. Next, all he needed to do was return to his friends at New York¡ª

    He began to think. First of all, he must confirm the current location.

 Volume 6, 4 - Then Back to Tokyo

    Volume 6, Chapter 4 - Then Back to Tokyo

    Part 1

    It was the night of August 18th when they had returned to the surface world.

    Shirasaka Hazumi and Haruomi-senpai were riding the wooden ship¡ªthe control device of King Solomon''s legacy, the ark¡ªand had gone back to somewhere unknown on the ocean.

    After that, Haruomi-senpai immediately used Spatial Perception and Location Information magic.

    "Off the coast of Long Island... The nearest port is Montauk? Roughly two hours by car... from Brooklyn. That''s wonderful!"

    Rather than drifting in the middle of the Atlantic, they were near a coast.

    And very close to New York City too. In the end, they summoned the Crimson Queen and sat down in the center of her palm.

    Then they had the queen fly to the nearest port.

    They contacted SAURU''s New York branch, went to a rental company that was still open, rented a car, and returned to Brooklyn after an absence of two days.

    Back to one of New York''s five boroughs, the district where SAURU''s branch was located¡ª

    Hazumi barely managed to return with Senpai just before the calendar date changed again.

    After a grand welcome from Orihime, Asya and SAURU staff, she returned to the hotel, finally alone in her own personal bedroom.

    "Phew¡ª"

    Hazumi exhaled and entered the shower stall first.

    Utterly exhausted, she actually felt like going to bed directly, but no matter what, she wanted to take a shower first.

    While washing off dirt and fatigue accumulated over the past two days of adventuring, Hazumi murmured to herself, "I caused so much trouble for others again..."

    Under the shower, she naturally thought of Haruomi-senpai.

    For the past two days, she had been together with Senpai the whole time, while trapped in sleep magic as well, hence it might even feel longer than two days.

    Possibly due to that...

    When she was alone such as now, she felt extremely lonely...

    However, there were things to be happy about too. From the battle against Hannibal to the decisive victory against King Solomon, during this period, Hazumi had managed to be of help to Haruomi-senpai even on her own.

    Naturally, it was because Minadzuki and Shamiram were helping her.

    Even so, she still found a way to persevere to the very end. Hazumi felt glad from the bottom of her heart.

    To be honest, this was more important to her than her leveling up as a witch.

    "Oh, but¡ª"

    Hazumi suddenly remembered.

    Prior to taking off on the Crimson Queen, Haruomi-senpai had stepped aside for a private conversation with Hannibal in his human form. It seemed like they were reaching some kind of agreement.

    Then grinning cheerfully, the red dragon king bid them farewell and left the wooden ship.

    When she asked Haruomi-senpai what he had said to Hannibal, all he replied was "I''ll tell you once the discussion bears more fruit."

    Hazumi thought, if only I could become more trusted by Senpai so that he''ll confide in her even before important secret talks of that sort¡ª

    "No, that is what I must become!"

    The vague wish in her heart turned into a goal, but unbelievably, the moment this notion surfaced in her mind, the sense of loneliness intensified.

    Of course, when morning came around again, she would be able to see Haruomi-senpai immediately.

    However, she wanted to see him now, even though they had only parted ways an hour ago.

    "If I call his cellphone this late... Senpai will be disturbed, right...?"

    Hazumi spoke softly, suppressing her sad feelings.

    Due to staying under the shower this whole time, her entire body had warmed up. However, she felt as though her body temperature had fallen to the pits. Why?

    Just as Hazumi was feeling puzzled and confounded¡ª

    "You there."

    "Y-Yes!?"

    Someone was suddenly speaking to her from outside the shower stall.

    A voice filled with a queen''s pride. It was evidently Hinokagutsuchi. Unnoticed, the elusive former dragon king had come to Hazumi''s room.

    "Hazumi, I wish to chat with you."

    "R-Right now?"

    "Yes. It concerns your ''Senpai.'' Be quick."

    "Senpai..."

    "Kukukuku. Have you not noticed? Peculiarities about the brat."

    "! I-I''ll be right out!"

    Hazumi immediately responded to the queen''s grinning whispers.

    She shut off the faucet and hastily went for the bathroom door.

    "The closer one approaches transforming into a dragon, the more one''s awareness and memories as a human will fade."

    Inside the hotel room, a girl in a kimono was sitting on the bed.

    It was the former dragon king, Hinokagutsuchi, who had apparently been human in the past. Despite the serious subject, she looked rather jovial even though one would not peg her as noble-minded in the first place.

    "The brat has definitely set his eyes on the right spot. However, he is still too inexperienced..."

    Hinokagutsuchi laughed mysteriously, "fufufu."

    In contrast, Hazumi the listener did not share her mood at all. She could not even smile and her expression was so stiff that she could feel it herself.

    This concerned Haruomi-senpai''s future.

    Incidentally, she had exited the bathroom after drying herself hastily with a towel, so her hair was still wet.

    Hazumi did not even waste time on putting on clothes, simply wrapping herself in a bath towel. While admiring Hazumi''s appearance with satisfaction (for some reason, she was pleased to see the naked skin of females despite being of the same gender), Hinokagutsuchi took her time to speak, touching upon the core issue.

    "These are things that one might forget unwittingly¡ªDo you not agree?"

    "!?"

    Hazumi reeled back in surprise, That was precisely what had bothered her. Seeing her reaction, Hinokagutsuchi nodded and continued explaining with a smile.

    "As with all things, it was worth testing out, so I asked the brat about his past with that Asya girl. I seem to have heard the story before somewhere."

    "Probably... that time when I asked Senpai," Hazumi lowered her head and said, "I asked Senpai how he met Asya-san."

    For the past few months, Hazumi had more opportunities to travel with Haruomi-senpai by car.

    She remembered clearly that she had asked this question when chatting during a leisurely drive.

    As a ghost, Hinokagutsuchi frequently went invisible, hanging around Senpai like a guardian angel. Hence, she probably had some recollection.

    However¡ª

    Haruomi-senpai''s initial answer was subtly different from the one he had given inside the ark.

    ''...I remember it was eleven years ago when we were five. The two of us... were lost in a certain European country, so we bought either a burger or a hotdog to share. Back then, it was either Asya or me who paid, I guess?''

    The overall response was similar but he was vague on the specific details.

    "It has been almost half a year since the brat became a Tyrannos. During this time, he has acquired plenty of power, causing him to gradually turn into a dragon in body and soul."

    "That''s why Senpai is slowly losing his memories..."

    At this rate, Haruomi-senpai would forget one day. Forget everyone. Forget he was ever part of the human world. Also, forget Shirasaka Hazumi¡ª

    Hazumi felt darkness dominate the future before her eyes.

    However, she immediately changed her mindset, because she remembered what had happened after they returned to the earth.

    "P-Please hold on! However, Hinokagutsuchi-san, you asked the same question twice, didn''t you? The second time, Senpai definitely recalled his memory with Asya-san!"

    Haruga Haruomi''s second response was the following:

    ''I remember we were lost in Luxembourg and Asya used all her remaining cash to buy a hamburger. Then she shared half with me... No wait. I''m pretty sure Asya ate more than me.''

    Hazumi argued emotionally and Hinokagutsuchi nodded.

    "In fact, I intentionally asked a second time expecting this to happen, because the brat is a pervert."

    "Huh?"

    Hearing the unexpected answer, Hazumi was taken aback.

    "A pervert... I remember it means ''a guy with dirty thoughts,'' isn''t that right?"

    "Indeed. Even someone like you would know that much."

    "Y-Yes. I know. Speaking of which, Senpai sometimes calls himself a ''closet pervert.''"

    Hazumi recalled what Haruomi-senpai had said when praising her swimsuit look last time.

    But why? The sense of joy and bliss from the memory of Haruomi-senpai praising her was more than anything could compare.

    She even thought "if it would make Senpai happy, I don''t mind wearing a swimsuit again¡ª"

    But why did the fact that Senpai was a "pervert" mean that his memories could recover?

    "Obtaining combat power and the wisdom of the unorthodoxy would lead Tyrannoi and hybrids to become more like dragons... Conversely, the opposite situation can happen too. Pleasures that could only be enjoyed as a human would occasionally cause someone farther along the path of becoming a dragon to revert back to human appearance."

    "Pleasures...?"

    "Did you know? Pure-blooded dragons are very different from you humans. Not only in body but also mind and soul. This is dragonkind''s inborn nature. It is commonplace for hybrids to be devoured by the natural tendencies of dragons, losing themselves and descending into madness."

    "......"

    "Perhaps because of that, hybrids who have climbed up to the lofty position of dragon kings, such as Hannibal and that little girl Yukikaze, often retain desires and hobbies from their time as humans, staying the same even after becoming the strongest dragons. One might presume that they preserved their serenity of mind and soul through such a manner."

    Indeed. Hazumi nodded silently.

    The dragon kings mentioned by Hinokagutsuchi all had personalities that were the furthest from "asceticism." Right in front of her, Hinokagutsuchi was also the type to indulge her desires aplenty.

    Meaning that¡ªHazumi instantly understood.

    "I understand! As a closet pervert, Senpai would feel pleasure from engaging in perverted activities and revert slightly towards human... And his past memories returned too!"

    "Yes. You comprehend very quickly."

    "Oh, but what happened between the first and second times you asked that was perverted? I can''t think of anything..."

    "Silly girl. Did the brat not grope you in the chest?"

    "Ehhh, but!"

    Hazumi was shocked by Hinokagutsuchi''s bluntness. However, she immediately refuted, "That was a means for sending magical power into my heart, which is why I feel... Senpai didn''t do it with those kinds of feelings. Senpai seemed very serious at the time."

    "Hmph. There is nothing more ridiculous than that."

    Hinokagutsuchi asserted with a know-it-all look.

    "The brat simply created a touching atmosphere to prevent you from discovering his lustful thoughts. He must have enjoyed it greatly."

    "So that is what happened!?"

    Having had all kinds of questions resolved, Hazumi instantly felt her mood brighten up.

    Catering to the joys of the incomparably closeted Senpai would help him to return to being human.

    "I will try my hardest!"

    "Oh?"

    "U-Umm, but if Senpai is happy... with touching even my kind of chest, I hope he will do it more. So..."

    To enable Haruomi-senpai to feel pleasure, she would work hard.

    However, Hinokagutsuchi shrugged sardonically in front of the determined Hazumi.

    "If only things were that simple."

    "W-What do you mean by that?"

    "Human desires grow progressively. A man who is initially satisfied by breasts would gradually grow tired of them if that was all he received. One day, he would also¡ª"

    "Oh no..."

    Hazumi was instantly dismayed. Then she thought of something.

    Back when Hinokagutsuchi said that things would work out as long as they could offer Haruomi-senpai temptation.

    Like having Orihime request to share a night of passion with him, for example. And have Luna Francois do the same supposing that was not enough. If even that was not enough, Hazumi herself too¡ª

    Could it be that this was truly necessary?

    Hazumi felt uneasy as soon as she pictured Haruomi-senpai "strengthening his friendship" with Orihime-neesama and Luna-san. Pangs of pain surged up in her heart.

    However, if all this was for Senpai''s wellbeing, she would feel more glad.

    The moment she thought that, the pain lessened slightly.

    "I-I will do my best. If necessary, I''ll ask Nee-sama and Luna-san to help, we will leave no stone unturned in trying to help Senpai!"

    "Oh?"

    Hearing Hazumi''s declaration, Hinokagutsuchi narrowed her eyes.

    "Your attitude is commendable. Well, give it your best attempt."

    "Yes!"

    "However, you are such a peculiar girl. I absolutely cannot fathom what is good about that brat with his personality twisted to such an extent."

    The former dragon king shook her head. Hazumi could not help but answer, "N-Not at all, Senpai is very cool."

    This rebuttal had escaped from her lips before she could think. She subconsciously wanted to defend Haruomi-senpai. Staring intently at Hazumi, Hinokagutsuchi tossed out a remark.

    "Do you need your eyes checked?"

    "If it''s visual acuity, both of my eyes tested 1.5."

    "That brat acts sloppily and shows no enthusiasm for things outside his interests. Apart from that, he is an insolent fellow who is extremely arrogant and often rambles on and on with twisted logic. Not cute in the slightest."

    "I-I think those traits are what makes Senpai very cute."

    "Neither brave nor gallant, nor stylish, nor handsome. Very poor at getting along with others."

    "In spite of that, Senpai is still a wonderful person!"

    "...Really?"

    "...S-Sorry."

    This was Hazumi''s first time rebuking another person''s opinion.

    How unbelievable. She did not want to back down. She did not want to lie about anything regarding Haruomi-senpai¡ªThese thoughts surfaced in Hazumi''s mind.

    Finally, Hinokagutsuchi spoke in a rare and poignant tone of voice, "It is very admirable that you love him to such an extent."

    "Huh?"

    "You love the brat as a member of the opposite sex, do you not?"

    "N-No... I have no intention of¡ªHuh? B-But, so I actually, Ehhhhhh!?"

    The true name for the feelings she felt for Haruomi-senpai.

    This was the instant when Hazumi first became aware. All along, her feelings had clearly been vague, but now they finally took on distinct form.

    The following was merely speculation.

    Supposing Haruga Haruomi were present¡ª

    He would surely protest vehemently against Hinokagutsuchi, the self-styled devil, "What are you doing, planting such nonsensical ideas into Shirasaka''s head?"

    On the the other hand, the former queen of dragonkind would reply haughtily, "Given your unruly and arrogant ways, how could I ever pass up the chance to see you all panicked and flustered... Naturally, I felt compelled to speak out. Fret not, this would turn out to be quite an excellent experience from your perspective."

    Regardless, Haruga Haruomi''s destiny was to undergo even more momentous changes.

    Part 2

    Knock knock.

    There was gentle knocking outside the door.

    "Who could it be? It''s so late already..."

    Inside the hotel room, Hal grumbled before making his way to the door, thinking "could it be her?" while the subject''s face surfaced in his mind.

    ¡ªSeveral hours earlier, Hal had finally reached Brooklyn.

    He met up with Asya, Orihime and the SAURU staff all of whom he had not seen for two days, reported what happened, and made arrangements to retrieve the wooden ship at Montauk.

    After taking care of many matters, Hal finally had time to himself.

    Just as he was about to get changed and go to bed, a visitor arrived.

    It was already past midnight. Visiting at such an hour would be too counter to common sense. However, Hal joyfully went to open the door. Click.

    As soon as he opened it, he found the expected person waiting for him.

    "Haruga-kun...!"

    "Juujouji!"

    Juujouji Orihime rushed into the room.

    She immediately closed the door, looking like she had sneaked over.

    In fact, there was an unwritten rule between the two of them: they must keep their relationship a secret from the rest of the group. During the gathering earlier, Orihime had smiled the whole time, feeling happy for Hal''s return.

    However, she had suddenly winked to Hal.

    ''Later... Could I visit you?''

    Feeling that Orihime was asking him that, Hal had nodded silently.

    Then now, Orihime had sneaked over to his room. The smile on her face had vanished. Looking almost like she was about to cry, she threw herself at Hal.

    "Honestly¡ªI was so worried!"

    Orihime''s words conveyed all kinds of thoughts and feelings.

    She had pounced as soon as she stepped into room, presumably unable to wait any longer. The instant Hal caught Orihime in his arms¡ª

    "Kyah!"

    "Woah!?"

    Definitely not a muscular guy, Haruga Haruomi stumbled, unable to withstand her weight.

    Orihime ended up knocking him over, sending both of them to the ground.

    "I am so sorry..."

    "I''m the one who should apologize. Sorry, I haven''t worked out enough..."

    "No, I believe that your physique is very normal, Haruga-kun. I-I am the one at fault, because I weigh more than the average girl..."

    "You''re definitely quite substantial in various places..." Hal remarked without thinking.

    At this very moment, the weight of her limbs and her entire body was on top of Hal.

    The two of them were pressed intimately together. Naturally, he was able to fully savor Orihime''s softness, fragrance, and more importantly, the wonderful sensation from her breasts that were sufficient to call gigantic.

    They took away Hal''s self-control, causing him to accidentally speak his mind with a sigh.

    However, Hal immediately realized he had misspoken.

    Because Orihime swiftly looked up while maintaining her posture weighing against him.

    "Haruga-kun¡ªA-Am, am I really very heavy...?"

    "Th-That''s not what I meant!"

    Hal hastily explained to the adolescent girl who seemed quite distressed by the comment.

    "What I meant by substantial is your figure. Just your figure, nothing else. Also, the force was so big just now only because you pounced on me. Relax, Juujouji, your weight definitely doesn''t exceed the average for your age. I guarantee it."

    That being said, Hal actually had no idea what the average weight was for a sixteen-year-old Japanese girl.

    Trying his best to put on a serious face, he made it up on the spot.

    No helping it. He could not think of any other solution except for a "white lie." Fortunately, Orihime was willing to listen to Hal''s reasoning.

    "R-Really...?"

    "Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"

    "Maybe three or four times..."

    "Uh, well¡ª"

    Hearing Orihime''s serious response, Hal scratched his head. Orihime continued, "But... whatever. I''ll believe you this time. You are right, it was your fault just now, Haruga-kun, for not working out properly when you''re clearly a boy!"

    "That''s right, Juujouji!"

    After reaching consensus, the two of them looked at each other and smiled.

    Then they noticed. Hal was sitting on the ground with Orihime resting her weight on top of him. All this time, they were pressed together tightly.

    Their faces were also very close together. Extremely close.

    If they brought their faces together slightly, they would be kissing.

    "......"

    "......"

    Staring at each other, they remained silent.

    Not only Hal but Orihime as well knew that they could do "it" right now.

    She looked away shyly, trying to avoid making eye contact with Hal as much as possible, which was why Hal could tell from a glance.

    Also, Orihime''s face had turned red faintly, she was sitting uncomfortably, looking very embarrassed.

    Hal was not much better. Even after realizing the two of them could kiss, he remained hesitant, delaying at length.

    However.

    Their faces gradually drew close together. Finally, their gazes met.

    Hal recalled what he had said to Hazumi inside the ark: "It''s best to leave our relationships at the stage of ''more than friends but less than lovers.''"

    "I... might end up turning into a dragon."

    "I know."

    Hal muttered and Orihime nodded.

    Even so, they continued to slowly shrink the distance between them.

    "That does not matter. Haruga-kun, even if you are going to turn out that way, I still wish to convey my feelings, more or less, to you before that happens... I wish to experience your feelings too, Haruga-kun."

    "Juujouji¡ª"

    "I love you. I really love you. I love you so much," Orihime smiled and said to Hal.

    In the next instant, their lips came together tightly. It happened so naturally that no one could tell who kissed first.

    ¡ªBut I might even forget you too.

    Hal thought silently to himself. He clearly felt that this was something he ought to tell Orihime, but could not bring himself to speak. He was unable to suppress the thought, what if their relationship changed as a result of this?

    He was able to act with full professionalism in the context of work, but could only behave this way when confronted by women.

    Just as Hal realized his powerlessness, Orihime timidly inserted her tongue into Hal''s mouth. Her motions were stiff and clumsy.

    At that moment, all hesitation was blown away.

    "Juujouji...!"

    "Haruga-kun...!"

    Hal embraced her tightly, sucking her tongue forcefully.

    Using his lips to seal Orihime''s soft mouth, he reached out with his tongue and licked, causing their tongues to entangle with each other, impatiently savoring the sensation of Juujouji Orihime''s interior.

    Orihime responded with all her might.

    Using tongue to respond to tongue, she reacted to Hal''s kiss with equal passion.

    Yet at the same time, she accepted Hal''s awkward forcefulness with maidenly delicacy.

    In the end, their kiss lasted five or six minutes. Engaging in mutual stimulation using their lips and tongues, they vented their heightened emotions on each other.

    Finally, the two of them separated their lips at the same time to catch their breath.

    "Haruga-kun... Let us have a good chat tonight, alright?"

    "O-Of course it''s alright. We can chat all night long if you want."

    Hal gave an instant reply to Orihime''s gentle whispers.

    However, the inappropriate words of "I don''t want to leave tonight" surfaced in his mind. Orihime suddenly looked intently at Hal''s face and asserted, "The seriousness of your facial expression seems very deliberate... You are having dirty thoughts again, aren''t you?"

    "!? Not at all!"

    "Seriously... Haruga-kun, do know that I am well aware of your thoughts and habits."

    "Hahahahaha..."

    "I-I believe that sort of behavior is still too soon for us. Of course... After a bit more time... Who knows what developments might hold in the future..."

    Despite clearly refusing him, she seemed inexplicably sexy.

    Orihime''s attitude of shyness combined with a willingness to accept him was very seductive, causing Hal''s heart to skip a beat. He began to feel dizzy.

    At that moment, the cellphone in Hal''s pants pocket vibrated.

    Someone had texted him.

    Hal took out his phone and looked at the screen, only to see a single sentence of "I''ve arrived¡î"

    "What does that mean?" Orihime tilted her head in puzzlement.

    They were leaning very close together, which was why Orihime could read the text too.

    In the next instant, they heard knocking at the door. Someone had apparently arrived at their door!

    Hal and Orihime exchanged nods and pulled away from each other.

    They stood up at the same time. Then Hal opened the hotel room door slightly¡ªAnd was shocked.

    "It''s been a while, Harry. After receiving word that you are safe, I flew over?"

    Standing outside was Luna Francois Gregory.

    She was wearing a shoulder-less black nightdress, which accentuated her seductive figure that one might describe as perfection. In addition, the low-cut knitted cardigan was see-through purple with a definitely adult flavor.

    Hal invited Luna Francois into the room and moved to the sofa.

    SAURU had arranged quite an excellent room for him, though it was unknown whether they were offering Hal luxury treatment now that he had leaped into the ranks of the VIPs. Apart from the bed, sofa, table, etc, the room was fully furnished, even providing a desk for computer use.

    Business hotels in Japan would be too cramped to accommodate such furnishings.

    Thanks to that, Hal could sit leisurely on one of the sofas with Orihime seated on the other end.

    This left Luna, who selected an unexpected spot as her seat.

    "Umm, my lap is not a chair, okay..."

    "Who cares? We were separated on different continents for so long, I missed you so much, Harry."

    Luna Francois was sitting sideways on Haruga Haruomi''s lap.

    She was even leaning against Hal''s torso, rubbing her beautiful face and blonde hair against Hal''s face.

    This action caused Luna''s prided body, superior to Orihime''s in stats, as well as its outrageous voluptuousness, to rest its entire weight against Hal''s upper body, attacking him with an indescribable feeling of satisfaction.

    However, Hal definitely must not get carried away.

    Orihime was right in front of him, staring sorrowfully at Luna and Hal''s indecent appearance.

    "It''s only been half a month or so since we left Japan, you know?"

    Form is no different from emptiness, etc, okay. Hal desperately focused his mind and replied stiffly.

    However, Luna spoke in a voice as sweet as honey, whispering in Hal''s ear.

    "For a girl in love, this duration would be equivalent to eternity. Harry, you must know that I am so infatuated with you. I don''t wish to separate from you ever again?"

    Luna was not simply expressing her love in a joking manner.

    Making full use of her natural initiative, she kissed Hal on the earlobe. Then the cheek. Then she rubbed her face against Hal''s to enjoy skin contact¡ªThen suddenly.

    In the blink of an eye, Luna kissed Hal.

    "Mmmmmmmmmph!?"

    "Welcome back, Harry. I seriously regretted it when I heard that you and Hazumi-san had gone missing. Sure enough, I should have come along to New York too," she said in rapture while pecking Hal lightly on the lips.

    Luna''s tongue slowly entered Hal''s mouth and even hooked and pulled Hal''s own tongue. Pressing forward with her tongue to lick and savor, it was like two snakes intertwined with each other.

    The deep kiss that came without warning made Hal jump in fright, putting him in a submissive position.

    When Luna parted her lips slightly to breathe, Hal wanted to tell her "Oh, uh, that''s enough, okay..."

    However, his mouth was instantly sealed again.

    In the next second, Orihime reached the end of her patience and yelled, "L-Luna-san! This is too sudden no matter how much you love Haruga-kun! He wanted to tell you to stop just now, didn''t he!?"

    "Fufufufu. Sorry, I couldn''t help myself. By the way¡ª"

    Luna suddenly examined Hal''s lips with a serious expression.

    "Do you actually suffer from dry lips, Harry? It doesn''t seem so to me."

    Hal was just about to say "I don''t" when he realized something.

    He had been kissing Orihime just now.

    During the kiss with Orihime, he had enjoyed the smooth texture of her lips and a faint minty fragrance. Most likely, the Japanese girl had used lip gloss.

    Thinking "don''t tell me that¡ª", Hal instantly replied, "Oh right. I do have dry lips, which is why I applied lip gloss just now."

    "Oh?...I didn''t expect you to pay attention to such things too, Harry."

    Could it be that Orihime''s lip gloss had transferred to his lips during their kiss?

    Then the witch dressed in black had astutely deduced "something had happened"?

    To resolve this crisis, Hal made up a reason. However, Luna Francois still showed slight doubt in her eyes.

    Hal did his best to put on a natural smile.

    "Hahahahaha. W-Well, I do pay attention once in a while."

    "That reminds me! I wanted to ask you about something, Luna-san!"

    Orihime extended a helping hand. She had noticed that Luna was suspecting something too.

    "Luna-san, didn''t you stay behind in order to protect Tokyo New Town? Now that you rushed all the way here to America... Will there be a problem?"

    "Oh right, I wanted to ask about that too."

    At least one witch had to stay in Tokyo New Town to defend it from the threat of dragonkind.

    That was why Hal had not allowed Luna to accompany him on this trip. At least that was the way things were supposed to be. However, the American girl smiled tenderly.

    "Don''t worry about that. While you were away, I found helpers."

    "What helpers?"

    "I called over a bunch of witches I became acquainted with in Europe before... and they owed me many favors. I asked them to hold the fort in my absence, so don''t worry a thing."

    "Ehhh!?"

    There existed free agent witches like Asya who did not belong to any organization exclusively.

    However, they were all spirited women, extremely rare and highly skilled. Naturally, they were in very high demand too.

    To suddenly call upon such personnel, asking them to come to Japan, the price must have been quite high. However, Luna Francois acted carefree while reporting this and even added, "Hence, Harry, I am completely free during this trip. I intend to go shopping tomorrow, so please keep me company?"

    Hearing this matter-of-fact demand, Hal nodded reflexively.

    Part 3

    "So the conclusion is that you are going out with Luna?"

    "Yeah, I''ve got to keep her company for tonight. But we''re not alone. Juujouji is with us too."

    Hal gave a ready response to the exasperated Asya.

    They were having breakfast. It was the next morning after the ark''s return. Hal had found a text message on his phone when he woke up. It was an invitation from his childhood friend to have breakfast together.

    "Say, why couldn''t we have eaten breakfast at the hotel?"

    "It''s not a bad idea once in a while. I''ve wanted to eat at this kind of place on occasion."

    Breakfast was provided at the hotel they were staying at.

    But that morning, at Asya''s suggestion, they had gone to a food truck, the kind commonly found in North America, and casually ordered their choice of food.

    It suddenly struck Hal that had Luna been the one to suggest this¡ª

    Most likely, he would have suspected Luna of taking him somewhere away from the other girls to spend time alone. Thinking that, Hal smiled wryly.

    Presumably, his childhood friend with the hearty appetite simply missed the taste of more pedestrian fare.

    Also, Hal had ordered toast, a fried egg sunny side up and crispy bacon. Asya''s breakfast consisted of a bagel with an omelet topped with cream and a hash brown on the side, quite a small breakfast.

    "Are you still on a diet?"

    "Please don''t use such a weird description. I''ve simply decreased my food intake. This is the standard amount for my physique."

    "Well, I guess that''s right."

    Hal was still concerned but Asya ate her breakfast as though nothing had happened.

    However, their gazes suddenly met a number of times. Every time he made eye contact with Asya, Hal felt his heart pounding.

    He had already known this childhood friend for countless years, yet now, from her clear blue eyes... Hal found her gaze indescribably alluring.

    Speaking of which, a few days ago, she had ___ him.

    Hal did everything he could to avoid thinking back to that, but unbelievably, Asya also did not mention it at all. Currently, both of them were "pretending to have forgotten" what had happened.

    (What nonsense am I thinking about Asya now?)

    Feeling angry at his own ineptitude(?), Hal was very agitated.

    "By the way..."

    The childhood friend happened to speak up, startling Hal.

    "W-What is it?"

    "You agreed to go out with Luna in the evening, which means you''re free during the day, right? Can you accompany me to Montauk later? I''d like to have a look at the ark''s control device for future reference."

    "Oh, sorry, I''ve got something for the morning too."

    This was the truth, so Hal replied quite fluently.

    "It''s Chris and the WotC from the New York National Guard. They wanted to throw us a party to celebrate Shirasaka and my return."

    "Then what about the afternoon?"

    "I''ve also got another appointment I can''t cancel, so let''s pick another day. Since we have to go eventually, why not have Juujouji, Shirasaka and Luna, of course, join in for the ride too?"

    "I can''t believe that Haruomi declined an invitation from a girl so readily!?"

    After breakfast, left alone, Asya randomly entered a park.

    She was sitting on a bench, connected to the internet through a tablet, having a video chat with someone back in Japan at Tokyo New Town. Naturally, she was grumbling to President M.

    "To think I specifically brought him out of the hotel, made him overly conscious of the beautiful maiden that is me and even invited him out for a date, my combo skill was so perfect..."

    ''That Haruga guy used other girls to decline your invitation huh...''

    President M mused poignantly.

    ''Meaning that he has progressed significantly?''

    "Progressed!?"

    ''Under the accumulation of coincidental and inevitable circumstances, Haruga have had more opportunities to be surrounded by women. Added to that are the bold approaches from American girls, increasing his personal combat experience¡ªHence, he must have learned to some extent the evasive techniques used by popular men.''

    "Ughhhhhh! What is that Haruomi getting carried away for!?"

    After complaining, Asya calmed down. Unlike before, after her metamorphosis, Anastasya Rubashvili was a calm hunter of love.

    "In other words, it might be time for me to fire the second arrow to continue my makeover."

    ''Do you have some kind of idea?''

    "The biggest obstacle to making progress in my relationship with Haruomi is the fact ''we grew up together like siblings.'' It''s the whole reason why Haruomi thinks of me as family and strongly resists seeing me as a member of the opposite sex..."

    Previously unable to understand her childhood friend''s heart, Asya had him all figured out now.

    "Although things are not quite the same as when we last talked, I wonder if there''s a way to make Haruomi lose his memory? Like pushing him down a cliff into the ocean or something. To reset his memory and build a new relationship!"

    ''Well, as long as he doesn''t end up rolling down the jagged cliff, it''s worth a shot, isn''t it?''

    What a sloppy answer.

    ''Using handy magic of that sort would be another method.''

    "I''m this stuck precisely because there isn''t any magic of that sort. Can''t this be dealt with using one of your shady skills with a quick ''zap!''... President?"

    ''No such skill exists. It''s not like I am an alien with beams shooting out of my eyes.''

    "Really? President, I always get the feeling that your true identity might unexpectedly turn out to be something like a New-Type with awakened abilities due to the human species evolving after the arrival of dragonkind."

    ''Enough with such nonsense. It is time for you to return to Tokyo.''

    "Huh?"

    Asya jumped in surprise, because President M suddenly turned serious.

    ''I have been feeling uneasy the whole time recently. There is a very strong premonition¡ªSomething huge will happen to the city in the near future and might need your party''s power.''

    Undoubtedly, this was a declaration from a psychic with shady powers of prescience.

    President M''s "warning" caused Asya''s expression to tense up.

    While the silver-haired master-class witch was contacting Japan...

    Juujouji Orihime and Luna Francois Gregory were meeting in the hotel lounge, having a morning coffee together after breakfast.

    At this moment, Shirasaka Hazumi arrived.

    "Hazumi, did you sleep well last night?"

    "I heard from Harry that you two went through tough times."

    Hazumi greeted the two girls who were her senior then said, "Well, Nee-sama and Luna-san... I have a matter to discuss with you, actually. It''s about Senpai¡ªHaruomi-senpai''s state of health."

    Hearing Hazumi speaking in such a serious tone of voice, Orihime and Luna Francois were both stunned for a moment.

    Unbeknownst to them at the time, the web of personal relationships centered around Haruga Haruomi was about to undergo a dramatic change triggered by this moment¡ª

    Part 4

    The majority of the twenty-three wards of Tokyo in the past had become the dragon concession territory of "Old Tokyo."

    Important modes of mass transportation such as the Yamate Line were now just part of a wasteland.

    In Tokyo New Town, there was a new railway that could be called the New Yamate Line.

    Namely, the Tokyo New Town Loop Line. The Yamate Line used to be a looping railway that circled the inside of the city. Similarly, the New Yamate Line also circled through Tokyo New Town along an elliptical track.

    Kitasenju, Narihirabashi, Ryougoku, Shin-Kiba, Kasai Rinkai Park, Koiwa, Kameari, Ayase, etc...

    These were the train stations along the route.

    "Ho..."

    By the time he realized, he had already chuckled out loud.

    Recently, taking the New Yamate Line had become a guilty pleasure of his. By sitting in the train, he was able to get an expansive view of this human settlement of Tokyo. A city that was to become his possession in the near future.

    The feeling of "power" that he was eventually going to wield¡ª

    It boiled his blood and excited his emotions, turning into his source of fighting spirit.

    "I cannot wait. Soon, the opportunity shall arrive... It is not far off now, Princess Yukikaze, as well as my rival of fate, Haruga Haruomi," he muttered to himself.

    There were people staring at him. Taking the train along the New Town Loop Line on his own, he was leaning against the door, looking out the window at the scenery.

    Two nearby female humans on the same train kept sneaking glances at the side of his face.

    Judging from their identical attire, he could tell that they were known as "female high school students."

    In the past, he did not know why people stared at him, but now he did. These females were apparently attracted to him. What a pain.

    His reflection on the train window was a handsome face. In addition to his extraordinary handsomeness, there was his tall stature exceeding 180cm and beautiful silver hair. All things considered, he stood out very much.

    He was already very used to his human attire consisting of a white shirt paired with slacks.

    With the top buttons unfastened, the neckline of his shirt offered glimpses of a silver chain.

    This exceptionally conspicuous handsome young man was named Pavel Galad. A pure-blooded dragon and Tyrannos, successor to the Rune of the Sword.

    In the middle of the clear blue sky...

    "I''m so excited," said Princess Yukikaze softly.

    Maintaining her human form, dressed in a white one-piece dress, she was standing over a thousand kilometers above the ground.

    Previously called "Ginza," this wasteland had a towering gigantic triangular prism of pure black¡ªa Monolith. Princess Yukikaze was standing alone at the pinnacle of the Monolith, feeling the howling wind blow past her.

    However, mere wind of the earth could not possibly restrict the white dragon king''s freedom no matter how forcefully it blew.

    While casually enjoying the feeling of the raging wind blowing against her, she whispered, "Time to stop lurking... Haruomi, I wonder how are things on your end?"

    This was the name of the successor to the dragonslaying rune of the Bow Stars of the Southern Sky.

    Paired with Princess Yukikaze who had inherited the Arrow of Sirius, the man of destiny might turn out to be him.

    It was almost time to "play" with that sleepy-looking young man. Would it be tomorrow, the day after that, or a month later?

    Princess Yukikaze grinned aggressively and sucked the air of the clear blue sky into her lungs.

    No matter what, it was going to be the not too distant future. Such a premonition surfaced in the princess'' heart.

 Volume 6, Afterword

    Volume 6, Afterword

    Hello everybody, it''s been a while.

    The sixth installment of this series could be considered a special side story, I guess. Briefly summarized, it''s "let''s have a great adventure in Demon King Solomon''s dungeon!" This product was designed for chatting with Hazumi-san and showing off sweet moments with her whenever there were casual scenes in the adventure.

    (rustle rustle) Note: the sound of someone hiding in the shadows

    In a way, this volume''s main theme is "this month''s special: Shirasaka Hazumi." Actually, it''s a "Shirasaka Hazumi Fan Disc Project" with elements of "why not have a short story collection with Hazumi-san as the main heroine?" (laugh)

    I came up with many different versions for the outline, but the previous volume ended at that kind of spot after all...

    So in the end, this kind of story was what turned out.

    This volume was one spent on describing the main character''s various characteristics along with Hazumi-san.

    His insight and initiative are outstanding when confronted with his realms of expertise, but completely disinterested in the face of subjects outside his specialty. A personality of extremes. Starting next volume, he will be swept into a tumultuous(?) romantic comedy, so my plan was to give supplementary lessons to him and Hazumi-san, a pair who are inexperienced at dealing with this sort of stuff.

    (stare stare) Note: onomatopoeia for poking one''s face out to gesture with one''s eyes

    By the way, I don''t put too much personal feeling into characters making their appearances, so I place all of them at roughly the same level while I watch from afar.

    But I definitely wrote this volume with a desire to give preferential treatment to Hazumi-san. (laugh)

    Given her personality, she''s not going to get too much screen time normally, so a bit of favoritism should be fine once in a while. On this point, I suppose one could say it''s a reward for her daily conduct.

    Only limited to this volume, she literally became the main heroine...

    (agitation, restlessness) Note: onomatopoeia indicating a bad mood for being ignored

    I don''t think any character in the story would complain about this level of favoritism, so just think of it as an occasional celebratory project... Oh my, however¡ª

    Technically, I think I can think of one character who might have complaints, but in a certain way, she gets special treatment in every volume''s afterword.

    Hence this time, I deliberately promoted Hazumi who''s normally positioned third or fourth.

    Oh, I''m not trying to explain myself to a certain someone.

    (Hmph¡ª!) Note: the sound of someone angrily snorting through their nostrils

    ...Darkness seems to be lurking restlessly outside the window.

    If this were happening inside a creation myth of cosmic horrors, I think writing "The window! The window!" (Note 1) here would make it the final climax where one can''t help but throw a punchline "Stop writing your diary, novel or whatever it is there so leisurely and start running!" Or would it be the final scene where I sing "Cthulhu fhtagn! I?! I?! I?!" (Note 2) while setting off for the nostalgic ocean?

    For readers who don''t get the references, let me explain.

    Note 1 is a story about a monster outside the window, an evil deity''s minion.

    Note 2 is a story about a reckless human wanting to uncover the secrets of a great deity hidden in the underwater ruins of R''lyeh. Turned half-fish by ominous black magic, he swims happily to return to the ocean.

    I think I''d better flee as quickly as possible...

    "Hold it right there!"

    Ah. The window! The window!

    "Ignoring me the whole time from the very start, what are you trying to pull!?"

    ...You''ve got me wrong, Asya-san. I was thinking perhaps I should stop using this style of "dialogue with a character in the story" afterword that''s more representative of the 1990s. You mentioned it before too.

    "What!? What are you talking about? By this point, readers would be expecting this¡ªor rather, they''re expecting me to make an appearance!"

    But I think everyone already predicted this kind of pattern.

    After all, more than likely, Asya''s gonna make a big scene in the afterword again¡ªSomething like that. Wouldn''t it be entertaining to give readers a surprise~?

    "R-Responding to reader expectations is part of the spirit of service, you know? And everyone is looking forward to someone barging into the afterwords of this series!"

    As such, I have invited another guest for our readers today.

    "Huh?"

    From Volume 2 of Why not go to JUSCO, Valkyrie? (Å®òTÊ¿¤µ¤ó¡¢¥¸¥ã¥¹¥³ÐÐ¤³¤¦¤è) that''s being released this same month, I''ve specially invited one of the heroines, Princess Po. Please come in.

    "Ehhhhh!?"

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï

    JUSCO!

    Hello everyone. My name is Princess Po.

    I shan''t take offense from anyone who is thinking "who the hell are you?" right now.

    I permit you to swiftly make your way to the nearest bookstore to purchase the first two volumes of Why not go to JUSCO, Valkyrie? published by MF Bunko J.

    Or rather, everyone, please buy these books.

    Well, if one really had to explain to those who know absolutely nothing about this series, it is an epic story about a princess of the Magic Horizon, the beautiful maiden known as Polilifa the "Buttercup Princess"... i.e. myself, on a quest together with my trusted knight and beautiful maiden, Clauzela, in search of the utopian realm of JUSCO located somewhere on Earth.

    It is a wholesome adventure story unfolding across Gifu Prefecture on the boundary between land and sea with absolutely nothing to do with terms like "h-game", "rape", "tentacles", "ugh, kill me now!", "gufufufu, looks like making you depraved won''t be that easy", "a run-of-the-mill pervert", "sadness on the level of a ''common rural story'' would be too realistic, so it won''t be used to promote urban development even if it ends up animated, right?", "super steady borefest", etc.

    The 580 yen (tax not included) x 2 volumes from everyone will surely enable me to get a step closer to JUSCO.

    Thanks!

    ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï

    ...I''ve been wondering whether I should find someone like this as a partner for the afterword.

    "W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-What are you thinking¡ª!?"

    I also have plans to borrow the school idol Water God-san (note: tentacles included) from next door, asking him to speak in human language for once.

    "You''ve already got me, a beautiful maiden from this series, why on earth are you summoning characters from other series!?"

    I happen to be writing the afterword in a conference room at Media Factory.

    Then my old friend¡ªa certain Mr. Itou Hiro, author of JUSCO¡ªwas there too, so I asked if I could borrow Princess Po for a moment and he agreed.

    "Both the person who asked and the one who granted permission are messed up in the head!"

    Oh dear. Volume 6 has a kind of side story feel, so I wanted the afterword to be more fun too.

    "Ughhhhhh. So that''s why middle-aged guys who prioritize their own hobbies during work have no future..."

    It''s important to find a breather during hectic work. If you''re too busy, making your nerves tense all the time, you could easily have a nervous breakdown.

    "Please don''t use well-known sayings to wrap up your malicious pranks! Oh, you''ve already used up quite a few pages on the afterword. Isn''t it time to finish?"

    Ehhh!

    "Then I''ll save this gag for next time..."

    No helping it. Let''s put it away for now.

    "(Phew)."

    Okay. Volume 6 focused on Shirasaka Hazumi and the plot also pushed forward.

    Starting next volume, I expect the stage to finally return to Tokyo New Town with major battles and a climax in the plot.

    A formidable foe from the past will rise up from past setbacks, working in secret to regain his honor.

    Then the final boss and "true heroine" will return to the main story in peak form.

    Illustrator Nimura-san also said "I want to draw Princess Yukikaze."

    I guess I might as well trouble him to draw Princess Yukikaze on the cover again. As the author, since a long time ago, I''ve¡ªOh, what''s the matter, Asya-san?

    "Nothing. This is a rare chance to announce important news of great memorable value, but somehow I get the feeling that the focus has been cleverly obfuscated..."

    Fufufufufufu.

    "I can''t believe you''re getting in the way of my moment under the spotlight... (muttering)"

    How should I say this. I definitely committed it firmly to memory. During the 2014 Summer Heroine Contest, Asya-san, you achieved the excellent result of fourth place overall.

    "!?"

    In fact, I have prepared a place for you to celebrate.

    I''ve already booked a table at a certain restaurant and secretly called up the usual lineup... So tonight, please enjoy yourself.

    "W-What is with this sudden change of heart of yours!?"

    Nothing of particular significance. I do occasionally want to repay you, Asya-san, for leading this series. I did this purely out of goodwill and benevolence.

    "This response seems so fake and suspicious..."

    Stop being so distrustful. Isn''t it time for you to get going?

    If you refuse to participate, I''ll just have to call everyone who are gathered over there to "forget Asya-san and just have fun on your own"¡ª

    "Oh, no. I intend to enjoy myself first and ignore this stuff for now. Naturally, you''re paying for the meal, right?"

    ...Yeah, that''s right.

    "Very well. I''ll be going then! Also, pick me for the cover of Volume 7! Since you''ve rotated through the heroines once, I think I should be on the next cover as the true main heroine!"

    I''ll consider it... But it might be nice to suddenly let certain supporting characters take the spotlight next time. Like Mutou-san or Funaki-san. The cover might turn out to be them as a surprise...

    "(Yelling while running) What did you just say!?"

    Nothing. Nothing. Well then, take care, dear readers.

 Volume 7, 1 - September Revolution

    Volume 7, Chapter 1 - September Revolution

    Part 1

    "How boring¡ª"

    Luna Francois Gregory sighed.

    "The plan is proceeding smoothly without any impediments at all. And to think that I painstakingly prepared countermeasures ahead of time to win over various people involved with SAURU in the Kantou region, for the purposes of poaching, tempting, bribing, negotiating, intimidating, threatening or extorting personnel."

    "Miss Gregory, I believe it is a good thing for the plan to be proceeding smoothly."

    "Of the countermeasures you listed, isn''t the latter half somewhat problematic in character?"

    Hiiragi Yukari had responded with a cordial smile while Kenjou Genya chimed in casually from the side.

    Hiiragi-san was an intellectual beauty with spectacles in her twenties and served as the chief of SAURU''s Kantou branch in Japan. In charge of SAURU''s Tokyo New Town office, Kenjou was a good-looking man with unkempt facial hair.

    The three of them were meeting at Yokohama''s Chinatown.

    The trio was sitting at the open terrace section of a Chinese restaurant that was a brief walk from the train station.

    The dishes on the table not only included staples of Japanese-adapted Chinese dishes like chilli shrimp and mapo doufu but also luxury delicacies such as shark fin soup and abalone steak.

    These were ordered by Luna, the master-class witch commanding an extraordinary income.

    Yokohama City was the heartland of SAURU''s Kantou branch.

    Hiiragi Yukari''s office was also situated in the city. As an executive of SAURU, Luna Francois Gregory had come to this city to meet face-to-face with members of the organization¡ª

    Naturally, this was to discuss clandestine plans.

    "Because everyone was so cooperative. ''Are you willing to join us...?'' The new organization, the GUILD, formed around Tokyo New Town''s witches and Haruga Haruomi, requiring them to quit SAURU depending on circumstances¡ªI can''t believe that currently 68% of the Kantou personnel have agreed at the first opportunity."

    Luna Francois was holding several A4-size sheets of computer printouts.

    Having curled up the stack of paper, she was fanning herself.

    It was the name list of hundreds of SAURU members active in the Kantou region. Those who had answered "YES" were crossed out in red.

    The papers were marked full of red lines.

    In addition, those who consented were enchanted wtih oath magic, sworn to absolute secrecy.

    "I am happy that time was not wasted, but it is rather boring."

    "It''s only natural for people to decide this way."

    "Because everyone at SAURU knows... At this rate, mankind will only continue to suffer under the dragons'' oppression, headed on a slow course for destruction."

    The master-class witch at the tender age of seventeen¡ªLuna Francois.

    As representatives of ordinary people, the two adults, Hiiragi and Kenjou, responded to her tactless lament.

    "Whatever, things will soon be getting hectic anyway." Luna pouted with displeasure and used magic.

    The list she had been using as a fan suddenly started to burn. Within the blink of an eye, the paper was incinerated into ash by a mysterious flame, disappearing into oblivion.

    At the same time, the flame vanished. This was Tinder magic.

    The entire process only lasted but an instant, hence nearby people would not notice.

    Even had someone noticed, they probably would have convinced themselves it was merely a fire started from a lighter.

    Such was the magical power and stylishness of a Level 5 witch, whose skill in even the smallest of magic spells would still dwarf that of weaker witches.

    "Looks like there are no issues in the first stage of our plan, ''in any case, let''s take over the Kantou region first.'' Could you two continue with advance preparations inside the Kantou branch?"

    "By the way, don''t we need to deal with that guy?" Kenjou nodded and asked after receiving orders from Luna.

    "That elite dragon has been reported lurking at Tokyo New Town in human form. I remember the first time when he appeared before us Japanese, the location was..."

    "In front of the Yokohama Landmark Tower, right?"

    Hiiragi Yukari was referring to a super tall building standing at a height of 296m.

    As long as the sky was clear, It was possible to see this majestic structure even from Chinatown.

    "An entity named Pavel Galad, a false dragon king like Haruomi-kun."

    "Leave him be. Or rather, given the current circumstances, we have no choice but to ignore him for now."

    Luna showed a serious look on her face for the first time since sitting down in the open-air seating in Chinatown.

    The silver dragon, successor to the Rune of the Sword, was a formidable foe who posed a threat to Harry, the boy of her love. He was very likely going to be their biggest obstacle apart from the few dragon kings.

    "During the summer vacation, we had the Metropolitan Police Department search New Town but all that turned up were a few eyewitness accounts. If an elite dragon with high intelligence and magical power was truly serious about infiltrating human society, it would be very difficult to root him out... Our long-time worries have now been proven true."

    During the summer, Hal and company had gone off on expeditions one after another to Izu, the American East Coast and other places.

    With the turbulent vacation concluded a few days ago, September was now rolling around. For high school students like Luna Francois and Haruga Haruomi, it was also the beginning of the second school term.

    After returning to Japan from New York, while drafting up plans for the GUILD, Luna and others have not lowered their guard against "the enemies."

    The enemies. Countless dragons as well as Pavel Galad.

    Most prominently, there was the queen who had declared Tokyo as her territory. The white dragon making her temporary residence at the Old Tokyo Concession, Princess Yukikaze¡ª

    President M, a wielder of mysterious powers whom even Luna could not ignore, had issued the following warning.

    ''I have been feeling uneasy the whole time recently.''

    ''There is a very strong premonition¡ªSomething huge will happen to the city in the near future and might need your party''s power.''

    Would the cause of a huge incident be Princess Yukikaze? Pavel Galad? Or a dragon previously unencountered?

    Regardless, Tokyo New Town''s current situation must be very dangerous.

    Part 2

    "Uwah... This is weird after all~"

    Funaki-san¡ªFunaki Kyouka¡ªlooked at her hand and frowned.

    She was sitting in a train, what would be known as commoner''s locomotion, taking the New Town Loop Line which circled Tokyo New Town, gazing at the pocket watch she had taken out from her schoolbag.

    "It''s been like this all the time recently."

    This was a old-fashioned pocket watch with a long hand, a short hand, and a hand for indicating seconds.

    The watch was just big enough to hold in one''s hand. Currently, the three hands were spinning nonstop, like a compass under interference.

    This was not Funaki-san''s own possession. Her classmate, Haruga Haruomi had lent it to her.

    This classmate, reputedly a treasure hunter and a mage for two generations starting from his father, always looking sleepy, had cast a certain spell on his personal pocket watch before lending it to her.

    This was Sense Magical Power.

    "When something or someone possessing powerful magic is nearby... Or some kind of creature, the tip of the long hand will point directly at the source¡ªI remember that''s what Haruga-kun said."

    He apparently used this spell for hunting treasure.

    Before the summer vacation, Funaki-san had asked him to lend her a "searching tool" so that she would instantly know whenever the silver dragon in the guise of the super handsome guy was nearby.

    His answer was "Stealth magic can counter it, so just remember this thing isn''t infallible."

    However, if the other party were using stealth magic, the hands on the watch would simply remain still''. Normally speaking, the hands would not spin nonstop like now.

    This response had started appearing late August.

    She had discovered it while strolling around New Town.

    "So this means that something weird is going to happen all over Tokyo... Right?" Funaki-san murmured.

    ''Haruga-kun, are you there? I''m at Class F''s homeroom.''

    "I''m still in school, killing time on the roof right now," Hal''s answer sounded even more lethargic than usual.

    It was early September, during the second school term, on an afternoon after lessons were over.

    The one calling Hal''s cellphone was his classmate Mutou-san. Recently, she had been helping out as a part-time employee with business matters in the founding of the GUILD.

    Also, in contrast to Hal, Mutou-san''s tone was energetic as always and full of cheer.

    ''What? That''s just upstairs. I''ll go find you. Don''t go anywhere.''

    "You''re going to make a special trip?"

    ''Yes, I need to return the report to you. The collection of dragon trivia that''s usually treasured secretly at the Haruga residence.''

    "You sure read fast. Didn''t I lend it to you only three days ago?"

    ''Because it''s interesting stuff. If possible, please bring me something else to read tomorrow. See you later.''

    Mutou-san hung up, so Hal put his cellphone away.

    It had probably been two months since he started providing knowledge about dragons and magic to Mutou-san. Extremely thirsting for "knowledge of that sort" to begin with, the classmate read the materials with unexpected speed, reaching a level of comprehension that would put even SAURU members to shame.

    I must keep increasing the number of people famililar with this type of knowledge...

    Leaning against the railing, Hal thought to himself absentmindedly.

    Looking down at the sports field from a height of fifteen meters, he naturally noticed.

    "As one might expect... Much fewer than before."

    Hal was referring to the number of people hanging around on campus.

    Students participating in club activities or on their way home seemed to be fewer than even during the first school term¡ª

    This was merely Hal''s personal impression, so he could be mistaken. However, it was the truth that after suffering dragon attacks repeatedly, some of Tokyo New Town''s residents had decided to "move away or evacuate temporarily."

    "Oh, I found you at last. Hello, Haruga-kun."

    A voice called out to him from behind.

    The telephone conversation had ended less than ten minutes ago and Mutou-san was already here. She was a short-haired girl with plenty of energy in both mind and body.

    "Here you go. This is what I need to return to you."

    Receiving the documents she handed to him, Hal nodded. "I got it. Then I''ll pick out something for you tomorrow."

    "Sorry for troubling you all the time. Say, Haruga-kun, are you currently writing that GUILD proposal?"

    "Yeah, I even used your opinion for reference, to make a revised version."

    "Have you addressed the part that everyone was concerned about? Basically, it would be desirable to have a theme that could serve as the mission statement for the second stage of ''the first stage is establishing the new organization GUILD, while the second stage is to take control of Japan''s Kantou region,'' something that could represent the organization.""

    "This aspect is still fluid, so there''s currently no way to make an official announcement yet."

    Hal was quite vague.

    "But we have a number of plans prepared behind the scenes. While I was in America, I came up with many different ideas."

    "Oh?"

    "Well, when the time comes, I''ll ask you to help out."

    "Understood~ Oh right, on an unrelated note..."

    Mutou-san suddenly pointed behind her¡ªThe entrance to the school building''s roof. The metal door had separated from its hinges and was lying on the floor.

    "What''s with that door?"

    "Oh... During summer, it was malfunctioning a bit and couldn''t be opend. I think someone broke it off by force."

    "Oh~ And that door was so sturdy too."

    Mutou-san widened her eyes, very impressed.

    In fact, the hinges were made of metal too. If one were to look closely, they would discover that the hinges were ripped apart by brute force.

    Fortunately, Mutou-san did not seem to have noticed.

    Smiling, she bid Hal goodbye and left the roof.

    "Kukukuku... Even you do not have the guts to admit that you were the perpetrator, huh?"

    "Duh? I intend to finish my school life as ''an unassuming male student.'' Besides, no one will believe that it was done by someone like me who looks like a weakling."

    After Mutou-san left, a young girl in a kimono appeared.

    Needless to say, this was the haughty and conceited former dragon king, Hinokagutsuchi. Laughing maliciously, she was looking at the top of Hal''s head.

    "The wisdom of Ruruk Soun¡ªYou are fairly experienced at using it now."

    "So-so, I suppose. But this time, even I think I overdid it. This is beyond using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, it''s using a sledgehammer to smash a speck of dust."

    Someone with magical sight, such as a witch, probably would see five magic symbols on top of Hal''s head, releasing potent magical power.

    They were runes of Ruruk Soun, different from any language in the world.

    The arrangement signified "telekinesis." This was magic for moving objects by emitting mental energy invisible to the naked eye.

    ¡ªThirty minutes earlier, Hal wanted to come to the roof but discovered that the door could not be opened. It looked like it had malfunctioned over the summer break.

    Hal originally thought of giving up, then an idea occurred to him.

    Could the telekinesis magic used by the first elite dragon he encountered, Raak Al Soth, be applied to this kind of situation?

    ...The reason why he had used such a mystic technique in this situation was ultimately due to his unease, probably.

    Hal and his faction''s current position was quite precarious. Even disregarding President M''s warning, it was still necessary to be on maximum alert.

    In that case, shouldn''t Haruga Haruomi get used to "the wisdom of dragons" that he had yet to explore?

    Since he did not know when he might need this power...

    "Although I accidentally broke the door because I didn''t control my strength with enough care¡ª" Hal said quietly. "I feel like praising myself on a job well done, actually. As long as I master this magic, it''s definitely possible to uproot the entire school building and suspend it in the air. The power of elite dragons is truly amazing..."

    "Hmph. Compared to elites, your current power is closer to the dragon kings."

    Hinokagutsuchi did not hide the smile of mockery on her face at all.

    "Let alone suspending a building in the air, pulverizing it would undoubtedly be an easy task."

    "Sheesh... Whatever, looks like there''s no problem. It''s time for me to leave. I still need to meet with Luna and the others."

    "Oh?"

    Hal shrugged and the eyes of the former queen of dragons instantly brightened up.

    "Will the little lass with the big appetite be there?"

    "No, but one of either Juujouji or Shirasaka will come. Hii¡ªthe adults on good terms with us might be present too. What''s it to you?"

    "Nothing of consequence. Just do your work, brat."

    Hal turned his back to the maliciously smiling Hinokagutsuchi and walked to the entrance that was missing a door.

    His expression was lacking in motivation and passion, the same as usual. However, Hal was feeling quite anxious inside.

    Hii____. Ke____.

    He could not recall the names of the two adults who were on very good terms with his group.

    What a disgrace to be so forgetful at the young age of sixteen. Pretending nothing had happened, Hal took out his cellphone and swiftly operated the touchscreen to check his contact list.

    Oh right. Hiiragi-san and Kenjou-san.

    Hinokagutsuchi''s sharp gaze was stabbing into Hal''s back.

    Just before leaving, Hal glanced back, only to see the self-styled devil in the guise of a young girl seeing him off, gazing at him gently as though she were observing the ecology of an exotic beast.

    Part 3

    After Hal left the roof of the school building, three hours went by all at once.

    The venue for his meeting with his companions was a suite in a luxury hotel. Luna Francois'' room.

    He came here from school, but¡ª

    "...So as things stand, Harry, SAURU''s Kantou branch is practically standing on our side. Young and possessing the power of dragonbane, our ability to gather support is far higher than those conservative Grandmas at the Salem headquarters."

    "I-I see. Yeah, not surprising..."

    After listening to Luna''s report, Hal replied stiffly.

    He was lying on a bed so large that having just one person sleeping in it would be a waste.

    He was not relaxed. In fact, it was the opposite. His voice was high-pitched and his entire body was stiff from tension.

    "Although they contributed to SAURU in the past, those Grandmas'' policy... ''Not letting commoners know of the existence of magic and witches'' is far too behind the times."

    "Yeah. It''s only because they used to be irreplaceable."

    In contrast, Luna was very calm.

    "More importantly, Harry, how are you feeling right now?"

    "A-Awkward, I guess, or maybe uncomfortable..."

    "Just relax your body. Let yourself go and leave everything to me."

    Luna Francois was speaking in a sultry yet calm voice.

    She was sitting on the same bed that Hal was lying on, resting his head on top of her soft thighs.

    Apart from that, Luna was using a wooden ear pick, gently cleaning Hal''s ear canal.

    "How is it? Is it getting more and more pleasurable?"

    "Ah... Well... Yeah."

    "Fufufufu. Harry, you''re finally being honest?"

    Luna''s service was not limited to ear cleaning.

    She was dressed in a purple China dress, apparently bought from Yokohama''s Chinatown.

    Famous for the way it accentuated a woman''s curves, it clung tightly to Luna Francois'' magnificently well-developed body.

    Hal thought back to thirty minutes agao.

    ''My apologies, but I cannot go today.''

    ''Sorry, Senpai, please send my regards to Luna-san.''

    Soon after entering Luna''s room, Hal received these two texts.

    They came from Juujouji Orihime and Shirasaka Hazumi respectively. Hal dared to visit the room of the boldly affectionate Luna only because he heard they were coming along.

    He had not expected to be alone with her.

    Furthermore, Luna was dressed in an extremely seductive China dress.

    Just as Hal felt his heart rate rise, Luna told him to sit on the bed. He obeyed on reflex then¡ª

    ''By the way, Harry, I have a great idea!''

    Thus, Luna started to clean his ears. Unable to refuse, he was stuck and the situation unfolded to this point.

    Perhaps he should have acted like a man to refuse her with determination.

    However, one could hardly blame him. Because Luna had tearfully begged him "if you don''t let me clean your ears, my motivation to work might be gone irrevocably" in practically a threat. As a high school boy, trying to reject the temptation of a beauty in a China dress was truly a tough challenge...

    "How are things on your end?" Luna suddenly inquired. "Haven''t you been contacting people involved in Tokyo New Town''s efforts to resist dragons?"

    "Yeah."

    The gentle movements in his ear felt more and more comfortable.

    More importantly, Luna''s soft thighs were perfect in temperature. Savoring the indescribable sense of satisfaction, Hal said, "I asked Juujouji''s grandfather for a favor... to let me contact some of the sponsors of witches in New Town and the Kantou region."

    So-called sponsors made up the "committee" that funded witches and leviathan operations.

    This included businesses, capitalists, religious organizations, NGOs, and local authorities based in these lands. In fact, as an important figure in certain publicly listed companies, Orihime''s grandfather was also a member of this type of committee.

    "It doesn''t matter whether or not we''re part of SAURU. The key point is our ability to assist in defending Tokyo and the Kantou region as before... That''s what they said."

    "In other words, we''re not allowed to take Orihime-san and Hazumi-san away, is that right?"

    "Yeah. As long as we agree to this stipulation, they basically don''t care if SAURU turns into GUILD¡ªSomething like that."

    "A verbal agreement alone isn''t very reliable..."

    "Maybe contract magic can be used for assurance..."

    "Leave this to me to handle."

    A seductive smile appeared on the corners of Luna''s lips in stark contrast to her gentle motions in Hal''s ear.

    In this area, she and Haruga Haruomi were "birds of a feather" and so could quickly reach consensus. The two of them were not naive enough to easily trust in other people''s benevolence and verbal promises.

    "Say, Harry... Why are you shutting your eyes?"

    "Huh?"

    Hal was lying on his side to let Luna clean his left ear.

    His other ear and the right half of his face was buried in Luna Francois'' thighs. He was keeping both his eyes tightly shut.

    "Simply stated, it''s so that I won''t lose to my own cowardice..."

    "What do you mean? Please explain concretely?"

    Luna was questioning Hal in a teasing manner. Her hand did not pause in her ear cleaning motions. Extremely high on the impish attribute, she must have seen right through Haruga Haruomi''s mind.

    However, Hal would rather die than admit defeat, so he tried to resist.

    "Because I''d be at a bit of loss where to look if I opened my eyes."

    "There is nothing in this room that you''re not allowed to look at, you know? Even Luna Francois in the bath, fully nude, is a sight I will allow you to enjoy for free."

    "W-Well..."

    "Fufufufu. Harry, look into my eyes. Please."

    Luna''s voice was incomparably seductive.

    She finally stopped her hand and gently caressed Hal''s hair.

    If he were to lose to this sweet temptation, he would have to offer his soul... These were the devil''s whispers. Despite knowing that, Hal ultimately succumbed to temptation.

    He opened his eyes and looked up.

    This was to gaze upon Luna Francois'' lovely face¡ªBut there was something obstructing his view.

    Ostensibly G-cup by visual estimates, the magnificent bust was in front of him, preventing Hal from seeing the blonde beauty''s eyes and face.

    Due to Luna wearing a China dress, the size and shape of her bust was clear to see.

    Speaking of which, he had experienced something similar before.

    It was when he had fainted at an open-air bath in Izu and Orihime had used her lap as a pillow for him to lie on. However, he had closed his eyes instantly back then, so it was hard to say that he truly "saw."

    But this time was different.

    He stared intently and directly at the view before him, engraving it into his mind concretely.

    "Do you know, Harry? If you look at me so passionately... It makes me nervous."

    "Ehhh!?"

    Hal jumped in surprise due to the suddenness.

    "Look."

    Luna picked up Haruga Haruomi''s left hand and guided him to touch her magnificent bust of cheating proportions.

    Badump. Badump. Badump. Badump.

    Her heartbeat could be felt through the palm of his left hand.

    This was the same heartbeat he had felt a number of times so far when using the sun-shooting divine bow, a technique of assured annihilation.

    "How is it? Can you feel... my heartbeat?"

    "Y-Yeah."

    "Perhaps this isn''t bad after all. I could get addicted to this."

    "W-What isn''t bad?"

    "Letting you touch me when it''s not battle related. It feels so reassuring. Don''t hold back, I allow you to touch me any time, okay?"

    "I think I... need to hold back."

    "Fufufufu. Harry, you''re such a liar."

    "W-Why do you say that?"

    "Because it''s clearly written on your face, ''I don''t want to hold back''."

    "......"

    "Hey Harry, if possible, try to make me more nervous, okay? Also, I''d like to make your heart beat faster and faster so that we pass the same time together."

    "We could... play a game or something?"

    "Jeez, Harry, you''re lying again. Look at your face, you know clearly what we need to do. There''s a bed here, we''re alone together, and night happens to be falling soon¡ªThere is so much time left. Don''t you think it''s an excellent opportunity?"

    "U-Uh, well, what can I say!?"

    Hal felt as though he was slowly getting caught in a spider''s web.

    Things would be bad at this rate. He might fail to resist. For some reason, Juujouji Orihime''s face surfaced momentarily in Hal''s mind, then he thought of his childhood friend''s current residence. Yes, using this as an excuse would be more natural...

    "I have an appointment with Asya later. Isn''t she living in the suite next to yours? I was thinking now that I''m here already, I might as well discuss things with her too!"

    "Oh dear, is that so? What a shame."

    Unexpectedly, Luna did not push the issue.

    Bringing her lips to Hal''s ear, she spoke softly in a gentle voice contrary to her usual diabolical image, "But remember this well, Harry. The door to my room will remain open to you at all times. If you ever feel the need to make memories with Luna Francois, be it midnight, 3am or 4am, come over immediately. Got that?"

    Rather than the devil, Luna''s words seemed to evoke more of an image of a tender loving goddess.

    Hal nodded subconsciously.

    "Haruomi, did you take an afternoon nap? Your face looks all energized."

    Asya''s question made Hal jump in surprise.

    He was certain that he had his expression suppressed calmly as usual with no signs of being subjected to temptation in Luna''s room just now.

    Recently, the silver-haired childhood friend had been quite sharp in unusual areas.

    "I didn''t take a nap. It''s probably because I slept in later than usual today. Now that the plan has entered the execution stage, I have far fewer things to do as the one in charge."

    "The color in your face definitely looks better than before the summer break."

    Hal picked a safe reason and Asya did not press the matter.

    The two of them were taking the New Town Loop Line towards Narihirabashi. This was the station closest to Hal''s home. Instead of sitting down, they were standing, Gripping the overhead handhold rings.

    It was 7pm on a weeknight but there were few passengers.

    "By the way, you don''t really need to send me all the way home."

    "Why not? I happen to be free. You had a meeting with Luna before coming to find me, right?"

    "...Yeah."

    "Then let''s chat until we reach your house."

    "Sure."

    "By the way, have you read Funaki-san''s report? She said that the magical power detector has had mysterious responses all over New Town."

    "Sure enough, it must be that Galad guy or some other dragon, right?"

    "Could it be Princess Yukikaze?"

    "I don''t think the princess would stoop to such silliness."

    Hal found it odd when conversing with Asya.

    Was his childhood friend, whom he had known for so many years, ever the type to seize initiative when dealing with him?

    Asya had been acting weird lately. Her bottomless abyss of a stomach had now become smaller than a normal person''s capacity, while her behavior emanated a kind of subtle "femininity"¡ª

    When in her company, he could not stop thinking ridiculous thoughts.

    Indeed, Asya even kissed him that time in New York.

    This had been hanging on Hal''s mind ever since. The same kind of "atmosphere" had not arisen again between the two of them, but somehow, he could not forget it just like that...

    Hal suddenly thought of Orihime.

    Undoubtedly, Orihime was a special member of the opposite sex from Haruga Haruomi''s perspective. While reporting on work progress to his inseparable childhood friend, he would subconsciously think of Orihime. Just now when spending time with Luna too, and currently while talking to Asya¡ª

    Doing this sort of thing made him want to see Orihime badly.

    At that moment, Asya launched a surprise attack as though she had read his mind.

    "This is a goodnight kiss. See you tomorrow."

    It happened just as he reached Narihirabashi, got off the train, and was walking along the street at night, chatting about all kinds of things.

    Asya suddenly kissed Hal on the cheek.

    Furthermore, she departed swiftly without looking back, leaving Hal rooted to the spot, so shaken that he could not utter a single word.

    While Hal was staring blankly at his childhood friend walking away, the following thought occurred to him again.

    I really want to see her face¡ªOrihime''s.

    There should be a few pictures on his cellphone, taken by chance. Hal took out his phone, thinking of looking at Orihime''s face, and discovered something.

    There was a text from Shirasaka Hazumi.

    ''If you have time, Senpai, would you mind paying a visit to Nee-sama''s house? Together with her, I will be waiting for you there.''

    Not only Orihime but even her cousin Hazumi were there.

    Hal rushed back home and took out the scooter parked in the yard. He had started riding it recently to travel more efficiently around the city.

    Part 4

    Juujouji Orihime''s home was situated at Monzen-Nakach¨­ Station.

    It was an ancient and magnificent samurai house and surrounded by a perimeter wall with glazed roof tiles.

    Hal parked the scooter near the main entrance and took off his helmet. Then he heard the adorable junior student''s voice. She happened to be walking from the opposite direction.

    "Senpai!"

    "Did you go out for some shopping?"

    "Yes. The weather is still quite hot, so I bought some ice cream. I bought your share too, Senpai."

    Carrying a small plastic bag, Hazumi was in her school uniform.

    Displaying a smile of 100% purity towards him, Hazumi was even more like an angel than a real angel. Hal would not be surprised to see a holy glow behind her.

    However, Hazumi suddenly looked serious.

    Judging from her expression, Hal was confused to see that she had resolved herself in some way. At that moment, the adorable junior student took a few steps to approach him and did something unexpected.

    "I-It''s very hot outside! Let''s hurry indoors!"

    Hazumi hugged Hal''s right arm.

    And she hugged very tightly. The fourteen-year-old girl''s delicate body was pressed firmly against his arm. Hal could feel the warmth and softness of Hazumi''s body through her uniform.

    During early September, the summer heat still had not left Tokyo New Town.

    Pressing this tightly would feel even hotter¡ªEven though Hal thought that, the sudden surprise and the sensation of Hazumi''s body had made him lose composure, making him unable to say anything except "O-Okay."

    "Nee-sama is waiting for you too. Come, please enter."

    "N-No need to pull me. I can walk by myself!"

    "I don''t want you to get lost!

    Hazumi took Hal''s hand considerately and led him to the entrance.

    Although the courtyard was comparable to a small Japanese garden in size, Hal had visited several times previously. There was essentially just one path, so there should not be any risk of getting lost no matter how you looked at it.

    Still, he could not bring himself to reject Hazumi''s hand and her benevolent wishes.

    In the end, Hal obediently allowed Hazumi to lead him by the hand into the entrance. There, greeting him was another girl.

    "Haruga-kun, welcome. Sorry for being busy in the afternoon and not going over to Luna-san''s place. I suddenly had to take care of something."

    "Don''t worry about it. It didn''t cause any problems anyway."

    She had probably come to greet Hal and Hazumi after looking out the window and seeing them walking in the courtyard.

    After answering Juujouji Orihime who had been waiting at the entrance, Hal suddenly felt alarmed. He was still holding hands with Hazumi.

    He and Orihime had "that kind of relationship" going on, sort of.

    Even though Hazumi was a second-year middle schooler, his junior and Orihime''s cousin to boot, wouldn''t it be bad to let her see him so close to another girl...?

    Hal did not know if Orihime was feigning ignorance or actually unaware of Hal''s worries, but she said cheerfully, "Have you had dinner yet? I cooked your share too, so if you don''t mind, please join us."

    "D-Don''t worry. The only thing I''ve eaten today was that salt candy I had at noon."

    "Good grief. You haven''t changed the slightest, not eating your meals properly."

    "I was too engrossed in my phone, so I forgot."

    "In any case, you were reading work-related documents, weren''t you? Don''t push yourself too far, or you''ll die of overexhaustion even before you start fighting dragons."

    Hal smiled wryly as he listened to Orihime nagging at him with his best interests in mind.

    "Say, what about your grandfather? I need to greet him."

    "He isn''t here. He will be back quite late tonight, which is why I wanted to have Hazumi¡ªand you¡ªover for dinner. Although my cooking is not as good as Asya-san''s, please note that I made every dish myself."

    "Senpai, I helped out too!" Hazumi smiled and added after listening to Orihime.

    As a side note, Hal and Hazumi''s hands were still together.

    ...After that, Hazumi only released his hand when she went towards what would presumably the kitchen, saying she had to put the ice cream away.

    Hal''s heart was still beating hard when Orihime led him to a spacious Japanese-style room.

    Orihime''s home was a Japanese mansion so there were no western living room or dining hall. A large table was on the tatami floor, covered with all kinds of dishes.

    There was salad with bean curd and mashed yams, pickled eggplant, ratatouille made from a suitable selection of summer vegetables, a large amount of fried chicken, bitter melon stir fried with bean curd, etc. The dishes lacked a unifying theme, which contributed to a home-cooking flavor.

    After a while, the trio began their meal.

    Probably due to the excessively hot weather lately, Hal lacked appetite. But compared to the last few days, he ate quite a lot during dinner tonight.

    Perhaps it was due to chatting with Orihime and Hazumi while eating.

    Compared to eating rapidly within five minutes, spending one or two hours to slowly enjoy a full meal was better for digestion and allowed greater quantities to be eaten.

    After the meal, they even ate the ice cream that Hazumi had just bought earlier.

    Hal frequently ate alone, finishing his food in two or three seconds without talking to anyone. For Hal, eating like he did on this occasion was quite incredible.

    Forget about eating out at shops, even at home, he could not possibly chat while eating.

    Hal was aware that this was not his home but the Juujouji residence, yet he was still able to relax himself as though he were in his own territory.

    This was evidence of how close he had become with Hazumi and Orihime.

    The three of them spent their time peacefully. Hazumi left first to head for home before it was too dark, leaving Hal and Orihime alone in the house.

    The dining table was already cleared. Also, night had only just begun.

    However, Hal suggested he should leave for home earlier.

    "It''s time for me to go."

    To be honest, he really wanted to enjoy this "alone time between the two of them."

    However, Juujouji Orihime''s grandfather was quite a hassle. He would mercilessly (or rather, childishly) repel all males who approached his granddaughter. Furthermore, Hal had done "that" previously, so meeting him would be very awkward...

    "Oh my? Grandfather called."

    Orihime''s phone rang.

    Her family conversation lasted merely three minutes.

    "Early this morning, Grandfather went to Chiba to visit an old friend he had not seen for many years... He is not coming home tonight, apparently."

    "Was there some kind of accident?"

    "No, Grandfather said that he started drinking a lot before sundown because he hadn''t seen his friend for so long. He sounded like he was in a good mood and said he was going to drink with his friend all the way until dawn."

    "...Glad to hear that. It sounds like he''s in good health."

    "That''s because Grandfather trains in martial arts. He nags a lot but has no ability to refuse alcohol at all. Every time he goes out drinking, he basically starts during the daytime."

    "From what I''ve heard, athletic people drink like fish when they gather together."

    "At gatherings organized by Grandfather and his friends, it''s taken for granted that they will continue into the after-party and the after-after-party."

    Orihime''s grandfather gave off an intensely serious and stubborn image.

    Recalling that extremely solemn face, Hal smiled wryly. Meanwhile, the conscientious and reliable granddaughter suddenly became restless and murmured, "So, Haruga-kun... Are you about to leave?"

    "Uh, yeah."

    The only obstacle standing in the way of unexpectedly good fortune had been eliminated.

    Hal and Orihime made eye contact. In the next instant, they sprang into action like water from a ruptured dam. Walking towards each other, they embraced and kissed passionately.

    Savoring each other''s lips in the Juujouji living room, they remained lost in each other for a very long time.

    Finally releasing their lips, Orihime murmured in rapture.

    "I''ve always wanted to do this with you..."

    "Me too, Juujouji..."

    Of course, they did not resent Hazumi for being a third wheel.

    Both of them loved the adorable junior and younger cousin, welcoming her presence any time.

    However, this was a totally separate matter.

    As a couple whose hearts and minds finally came together during midsummer in New York, wouldn''t it be human nature to desire reaffirming "this kind of relationship" whenever an opportunity presented itself?

    That was what Hal thought, and luckily, it was probably the same for Orihime.

    Finally, they moved to the sofa, embracing each other tightly like two threads woven into a yarn. Rubbing their cheeks together playfully, they kept kissing each other nonstop.

    "Sorry, I haven''t had time to spend alone with you..."

    "Don''t worry, that''s because you are very busy. And previously, we also decided not to tell everyone else about our relationship."

    Generously accepting everything Orihime spoke softly then suddenly began to sulk.

    "However, you were having a meeting alone with Luna-san, weren''t you...?"

    "I''m sorry to say this, but that''s because you two canceled on me!"

    "I-I know, but it couldn''t be helped. B-But given Luna-san''s proclivities, I am certain she must have shown her affections to you passionately... Right?"

    "Uh, well¡ª"

    "I know everything. Just now, you were holding hands with Hazumi too."

    "U-Uh, sorry."

    "Oh... I''m not scolding you. I understand too that we don''t want to mess up the team atmosphere. Because everyone ____ you."

    "? Juujouji, what did you say?"

    "N-Nothing. Anyway... What did you do with Luna-san?"

    "Oh!? By what did I do, you mean?"

    "Like the way we kissed just now, or hugging her tightly, that sort of thing."

    "Of course not. We totally didn''t do anything that crossed the line so much..."

    "Really?"

    "...If anything, there was the lap pillow."

    "I knew it."

    Hal did not dare to reveal the ear cleaning part, so he simply gave a half truth.

    Orihime was a little angry and turned her back to him. She got angry after all?¡ªJust as Hal was surprised by the reaction from the girl he loved...

    She leaned her back gently against him.

    "Juujouji!?"

    "I could let you lie on my lap too, but you already did that back in Izu, so even if I did that, it only makes me even with Luna-san¡ªSo, Haruga-kun, you will be my cushion. If you agree to this, all will be forgiven."

    "Let alone a cushion, I''m fine with being your human chair!"

    Sitting together with Orihime on the sofa, Hal made a slightly confused declaration.

    Currently, he was using his whole body to support Orihime''s back, feeling the weight and warmth of her body. Sitting on Hal''s lap, she was definitely not light.

    However, what Hal experienced was an overwhelming sense of fulfillment and bliss.

    Perhaps it was due to the fact that he was pressed tightly together with the unguarded Juujouji Orihime, feeling her warmth with his entire body.

    (Speaking of which, this posture...)

    It suddenly occurred to Hal that this posture was identical to when using techniques of assured annihilation.

    Every time so far, he had reaching around to Orihime''s chest from behind, to inject magical power into her heart.

    "Ah!? H-Haruga-kun, your hand¡ª!"

    "Eh? Oh, sorry!"

    Hal''s right hand had subconsciously grabbed Orihime''s bust.

    He was completely unaware of it. It looked like his hand had moved automatically just as he thought "it''s a bit similar to those times."

    Orihime''s breast was quite massive and about to overflow from his palm.

    The sensation of his five fingers sinking into her soft flesh was a little erotic. Simply touching Orihime''s bust was already filling Hal''s heart with an exhilarating sense of pleasure.

    "Geez... Haruga-kun, you are so perverted."

    "Sorry, my hand moved before I noticed."

    Hal intentionally spoke in a serious tone of voice.

    "I''ve never told you, Juujouji, but in truth, I really love your breasts. Of course, I really really love you as a person too. I promise you, even if your breasts weren''t so large, my feelings for you still wouldn''t change the slightest."

    "No matter how serious you make your tone of voice, it still doesn''t change the fact that you are a pervert..."

    "I-I''m terribly sorry."

    "...So, would you like to continue?"

    "Ehhh!?"

    "Since you already said, Haruga-kun, you love me so much, allowing you to touch more... isn''t entirely out of the question. Because I love you too."

    "Juujouji!"

    "Mmm, Haruga-kun!"

    Hearing that from the girl he loved, Hal instantly felt his mind blank out.

    By the time he realized, his hands and fingers were already grabbing Orihime''s breasts forcefully. He hastily controlled his grip while gently squeezing the breasts that could not be held in one hand, trying to contain them in his palms.

    Intimately pressed to Orihime, he placed his palms on top of her breasts¡ª

    At this very moment, Hal experienced the happiest moment of his life.

    "Th-This seems to feel so calming."

    "M-Me too, it seems. By doing this, my entire body feels like I am one with you. I feel¡ªso very happy."

    "Juujouji..."

    "Haruga-kun..."

    Just as Hal felt deeply that his body and mind were gradually relaxing, in the next instant¡ª

    He was struck by a sudden wave of drowsiness.

    "Haruga-kun, did you fall asleep?"

    Turned into a human cushion, Haruga Haruomi was supporting Orihime''s body.

    Becoming Orihime''s most beloved existence over the past few months, this young man had started breathing slowly steadily at some point in time. He had fallen asleep. One could hardly blame him.

    Although his hectic life had eased somewhat, he was still busy devising "the plan" and did not even have enough time to sleep.

    Incidentally, after losing consciousness, Hal still did not let go of Orihime''s bust.

    While exasperated, Orihime could not help but feel impressed by the tenacity displayed by the self-proclaimed "closet pervert." After that, she also experienced a deep sense of happiness surging in her heart.

    "Jeez... Seeing him so happy would make me feel an urge to indulge him and allow him to do even more. Luna-san had clearly reminded us earlier..."

    Juujouji Orihime, Luna Francois, and Shirasaka Hazumi.

    The three girls were jointly involved in a "secret mission."

    The whole thing started since their return from New York, after her cousin Hazumi reported to them, ''At this rate, Senpai will lose his human memories and turn into a dragon!''

    This was the trigger that prompted the trio to start comparing notes on Haruga Haruomi.

    As a result, many things were laid out on the table. His transformation into a dragon was progressing without impediment, and his memories as a human were going to vanish while his powers increased¡ª

    Now, it was finally approaching a point of no return.

    However, if he could experience intense pleasure as a human (such as satisfying his lust as a "closet pervert"), his memories and human qualities would show signs of recovery...

    After learning of this fact, Luna Francois had been the first to speak.

    ''...I have decided. I shall do many things to make my dear perverted Harry happy, thereby delaying his transformation into a dragon for as long as possible.''

    ''M-Me too!''

    Surprisingly, even the obedient and gentle Hazumi declared immediately too.

    Orihime was the only one left speechless, but Luna Francois made a suggestive look and said, ''I presume you will be doing the same, Orihime-san, hence all of us ought to join forces.''

    Thus, the progressive American girl began to make suggestions.

    ''What worries me most is... whether we should allow "the final line" to be crossed easily or not. Personally, I would love to do it and I''m pretty certain Harry would gladly go along. However, humans tend to get used to and grow tired of happiness that is offered to them automatically. As such, we must set our boundaries in advance regarding how we please Harry.''

    The two Japanese girls were dumbfounded by her upfront candor.

    In the end, using Luna''s suggestions as a foundation, the two girls joined in to form a united Japanese-American front.

    They did more than secretly share information. For example, today, Orihime and Hazumi were "coincidentally" occupied and unable to join the meeting, allowing Haruomi to spend time alone with Luna Francois, facilitating her advances¡ª

    This was also part of their cooperation.

    Furthermore, Asya was not a member in this. This too, was Luna''s opinion.

    ''Let''s leave her out. I worry that her feminine charm isn''t enough, so Harry would only see her as family¡ªlike a sister¡ªand dismiss her as that kind of prospect from the start. The key point is that I feel the situation would get very troublesome if Asya were to join in.''

    Thus, the current situation emerged.

    Juujouji Orihime and Haruga Haruomi were still in "that kind of relationship," sort of. This she had neither told Hazumi nor Luna. Joining the united front without revealing this placed her in a very complicated position.

    With Haruga Haruomi grabbing her breasts, she murmured to herself, trying to sound the least furious possible.

    "I do all this for Haruga-kun¡ªfor you. Were it not for the sake of the world, I would never allow you to do this."

    This was something she originally found intolerable, but the thought of doing it for his sake made Orihime feel that she could now accept it. How unbelievable.

    Juujouji Orihime was surprised by this.

    At that very moment, the cellphone on the living room table blared with an ear-splitting siren.

    "!?"

    Orihime hastily brushed away young Haruomi''s hands and picked up the phone to check the message.

    This cellphone was set up so that it would only sound this siren when receiving news about fighting dragons¡ªa witch''s mission. She swept the cellphone''s touchscreen then immediately roused Haruga Haruomi from his slumber.

    "Haruga-kun, this is bad! Dragons have appeared in Tokyo Bay!"

    Inside Tokyo Bay, Raptors were heading towards the vicinity of Urayasu City. They numbered roughly a hundred¡ª

    Unbeknownst to Orihime and Haruomi at the time, this incident was caused by a long-absent old foe, and that Haruga Haruomi and his companions were about to face their greatest crisis yet...

 Volume 7, 2 - A Gathering of Old Foes

    Volume 7, Chapter 2 - A Gathering of Old Foes

    Part 1

    Urayasu City in Chiba Prefecture was on the coast of Tokyo Bay.

    Located there was what used to be the nation''s biggest theme park.

    However, when the Old Tokyo Concession was established roughly twenty years ago, the former capital was turned into an uninhabited wasteland. The population in Tokyo and its surrounding areas was dramatically reduced.

    Tourist numbers went down as a result and the theme park was moved to the Kanagawa area...

    "If possible, I''d rather this be a usual raid."

    A high-speed helicopter was flying over the former site of the giant theme park.

    Riding a helicopter on a beeline to Tokyo Bay, Hal spoke quietly.

    The visit to the Juujouji residence was already last night. The next morning at 5am, he had boarded the helicopter.

    "Instead of attacking New Town, the invading Raptors yesterday gathered at a mysterious island that had suddenly appeared in Tokyo Bay... An elite or even higher ranked dragon must be behind this, no matter how you look at it."

    "Senpai, so it must be a dragon king after all?"

    "Either a dragon king or someone¡ªor rather, a dragon¡ªin the same position as me. That''s the most likely case."

    Hal replied to the only witch present in the helicopter cabin, Hazumi.

    ...At roughly 8pm last night, Raptors had flown down from satellite orbits. At the same time, a cataclysmic event happened in Tokyo Bay.

    A sudden shift in the Earth''s crust¡ª

    The seabed suddenly bulged up, producing an island within the span of merely one night.

    Then a hundred Raptors gathered, circling over the island and its vicinity. The witches of New Town had exterminated them last night.

    Nothing worthy of note had happened during the elimination process. The mission was accomplished without issue.

    After exploring the island using investigative magic and drones equipped with night vision cameras, they finally made their way to the scene this morning.

    "So that''s the island huh..."

    Coming into a view was an island floating all alone in Tokyo Bay.

    It was roughly the area of a fort built on reclaimed land.

    This piece of land was quite breathtaking. The center of the island rose up high, looking like an underwater volcano that had become active and surfaced from the ocean due to volcanic activity.

    Hal sighed.

    "Were these waters located near the Ogasawara Islands or the Izu Islands, it''d still be possible to explain this as volcanic activity along the Pacific Ring of Fire, causing an underwater volcano to surface."

    "It took us less than thirty minutes to fly here from Tokyo..."

    "Because this place is pretty close to Tokyo, after all."

    This was not a part of the sea with tectonic activity. This part of Tokyo Bay was visible from the shore of Urayasu City¡ªthe former site of a large theme park.

    Hal and Hazumi were sitting in the back seats with the cockpit in front of them.

    The pilot and the co-pilot were seated in the cockpit, in charge of operating this JMSDF high-speed helicopter. They were currently on a mission.

    "Excuse me. Please let us off here, just as the plan dictated," said Hal to the pilot and the co-pilot.

    They were about to get on the island to start investigating.

    However, it would be to risky to deploy their entire team at a clearly unsafe place.

    Hence, the trio of Asya, Orihime, and Luna Francois were on standby at the theme park''s former site. Hal took only Hazumi with him.

    Her partner, Minadzuki, was also flying in front of the helicopter.

    The emerald serpentine dragon was moving her gigantic body gracefully, swimming through the sky over the sea.

    Normally, the job of entering a dangerous area as the vanguard should be left to the strongest witches such as Asya or Luna, but Hal had chosen Hazumi on purpose.

    After a while, the helicopter landed on the rocky and uneven shore.

    Hal and Hazumi were the only ones to disembark. The pilot and the co-pilot waited inside the helicopter. They were to fly away immediately if any emergency situation came up.

    "Senpai. Minadzuki... is wary. She says there is a unpleasant smell¡ªand it''s a smell she has encountered before!"

    "Figures, so it is someone from before, huh?"

    For the time being, the two of them were making their way to the center of the island.

    The center rose up like the peak of a mountain. One could even call the entire island a mountain.

    However, it was a lifeless mountain of rock. Since it had been under the sea until half a day earlier, the lack of life was only normal. However, there was not even a single weed growing out of the ground.

    Only rocks no matter where they went, it was a land devoid of vegetation.

    Furthermore, the ground underfoot was moist from seawater, giving a sticky feeling when walking over it.

    Fortunately, they had brought slip-resistant hiking boots. The two of them advanced to the center while taking care not to slip or fall. Suddenly, Hazumi cried out.

    "Senpai, that''s¡ª!"

    "I sort of guessed it, but I''d really prefer if I didn''t have to meet him."

    The giant body of a dragon suddenly appeared at the peak in the center of the island.

    He had probably used teleportation magic. The dragon was ten-odd meters in body length, his silver scales glittering brilliantly under the sunlight.

    Pavel Galad, the Tyrannos who had inherited the Rune of the Sword.

    The peak where Pavel Galad had appeared was a few kilometers away from Hal and Hazumi''s position.

    Spreading his silver wings in leisure, he flew slowly towards them.

    "It has been a while, Haruga Haruomi, successor to the dragonslaying Rune of the Bow."

    Despite the distance between them, the silver dragon''s youthful and beautiful voice reached Hal and Hazumi''s ears with great clarity.

    A type of sound transmission magic must have been used. Pavel Galad''s voice was as clear as if he were speaking while standing in front of them. Hal responded normally since Pavel could hear him regardless.

    "So it seems like you''ve been skulking around Tokyo lately?"

    "Have I been discovered? You are truly a man not to be underestimated."

    Despite having more than a kilometer betwen them, they could converse normally.

    "So the reason why you''ve entered the stage openly... It''s for that, right? This time, you''re going to have a showdown against Princess Yukikaze for real?"

    "Oh? How rare to see you asking such a question."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Given your intelligence, I would expect you to know without needing me to explain."

    "......"

    "Needless to say, I returned only to cross blades with Princess Yukikaze. Nevertheless, Haruga Haruomi, you are an important rival too. I regard you as one that I must defeat..."

    "I wish you could be more friendly to me, if possible."

    Pavel Galad''s gigantic body was flying straight towards them.

    Slowly and carefully, he lowered his altitude. A double-edged longsword suddenly appeared in his right hand. It was a rugged silver sword.

    Hal had seen this sword before. It was the manifestation of the Rune of the Sword...!

    "Hohohoho, I hereby swear that I shall defeat you this time. No matter what obstacles I must surmount, I will be victorious against you!"

    "Damn it! I don''t want to see that sword ever again!"

    An additional layer of pearly light surrounded the silver dragon that was wielding the dragonslaying sword.

    Imperishable protection. This was the defensive barrier that Hal and others regarded as a valuable treasure too. Fully armed, Pavel Galad approached by air¡ªAnd that was not all.

    "I offer prayer to the seal in my possession, that of the Divine Sword of the Heavens. Let the thunder god''s sword manifest here and now!"

    "Uh, a finishing move right off the bat!?"

    Nineteen magical symbols appeared along the blade of the dragonslaying sword.

    All runes of Ruruk Soun. Hal had some recollection of this arrangement, which signified "I summon the thunder god''s sword to unsheathe in haste"¡ª

    In the next instant, the dragonslaying longsword flashed with electrical radiance¡ª

    Together with the dragon wielding it, the sword descended upon Hal and Hazumi swiftly from above!

    "Let my mystic sword serve as the signal to herald a new war. Here I come, Haruga Haruomi!"

    "You''re hot-blooded as always, never stingy with the big moves!"

    Hal grumbled, looked at the witch beside him and requested, "I''m counting on you, Shirasaka!"

    "Yes! Minadzuki¡ªProtect us!"

    Hazumi''s order was quite vague, but for her partner, this was enough.

    This leviathan was not only intelligent, but among Hal''s comrades, the power she had mastered was also the most special and rare.

    The serpentine dragon leviathan, Minadzuki, had been waiting ready behind them the whole time.

    She charged head on towards Pavel Galad who was flying at them. Held in Minadazuki''s right forelimb was a white jewel.

    Inside that glowing orb, a magical symbol similar to a half moon appeared.

    It was Hal''s seal, the Rune of the Bow. After a long absence, the sword was finally reunited with the bow. These two powers of dragonbane¡ªdid not clash.

    "Thanks, Minadzuki!"

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    The prayer of Hazumi and the howl of Minadzuki, a sacred beast rather than a demonic beast, resounded in all directions.

    Fourteen runes of Ruruk Soun appeared behind the serpentine dragon leviathan''s back. This arrangement signified "armistice," abandoning the use of force.

    The runic arrangement for the lowering of weapons¡ªenacted a miracle!

    "Oh!?"

    Pavel Galad was very shocked.

    This was because the dragonslaying sword, enveloped in lightning of maximum power, had vanished from his hand.

    The jewel held in Minadzuki''s forelimb also disappeared at the same time. This was a mystic rite for sealing away the weapons and dragonslaying powers of both sides.

    Only Hazumi and Minadzuki, a "serpent" that had awakened this kind of goddess power, were capable of using such a spell.

    Seizing this opportunity to attack was Hal''s job¡ª

    "Queen! Use a technique of assured annihilation!"

    The giant dragon, standing twenty meters tall, instantly appeared.

    It was Hinokagutsuchi''s form in the past¡ªThe Crimson Queen. Enormous and dignified, it even made Pavel Galad look inferior in contrast.

    The giant dragon, akin to Hal''s avatar, was holding a bow in its right forelimb.

    A crimson longbow. The dragonslaying bow. The queen nocked the arrow¡ªan arrow of light and flame¡ªdrew the bow and shot it.

    "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

    Attacked by the arrow and the scorching blaze, Pavel Galad howled loudly.

    Currently, twenty-one runes of Ruruk Soun had appeared overhead of the archer, the queen.

    The arrangement signified "I will fire the sun-shooting divine bow at the sky, to exterminate the sun."

    This was Hal''s most powerful trump card. The result of mastering even King Solomon''s legacy, the Rune of the Ring, meant that he was finally capable of firing the sun-shooting divine bow on his own.

    ¡ªSealing away both the enemy''s and one''s own power of dragonbane, then unleashing the most powerful attack.

    Hal had chosen to bring Hazumi with him in order to execute this surprise attack.

    Just as planned, the crimson arrow struck Pavel Galad directly. Wailing while scorched by intense flames capable of even burning dragons to ash¡ª

    "H-Hohohohohoho."

    "Senpai!?"

    "No way..."

    Seeing the silver dragon laughing to himself despite being immolated, Hal muttered to himself.

    Next to him, Hazumi was speechless. She knew better than anyone that the holy mystic technique of a goddess had definitely sealed away Galad and Minadzuki''s powers of dragonbane.

    However, the dragonslaying sword reappeared in the silver dragon''s hand.

    In addition, the sword was pointed straight at them. Using the tip of the sword, he blocked the arrow¡ªthe divine bow''s arrow.

    The arrow, capable of shooting down the sun, shattered that very instant.

    Pavel Galad extended his longsword and seventeen runes of Ruruk Soun manifested on the body of the blade.

    The arrangement signified "O blue sky, I beseech you to grant the sword god''s favored affection unto my blade."

    Hal widened his eyes. Blue-white flames surrounded the entire dragonslaying sword.

    The flames were imbued with extremely powerful magic. Presumably because of the flames'' effects, the dragonslaying sword''s potency and magical power had greatly increased.

    In the next instant, the ground underfoot shook violently, accompanied by a thunderous "BOOM!"

    The Tyrannos who had defended against the surprise attack and technique of assured annihilation¡ªPavel Galad¡ªlanded on the ground.

    "I thought we''d made that sword go away..."

    "Do not underestimate me. For the sake of fighting you again, I too have made many preparations."

    "Here you go again, doing things that dragons don''t normally do..."

    "What are you talking about? I learned all this from you. Precisely when you cannot match a formidable opponent in strength do you have to rack your brain and struggle with every power at your disposal. Hohohoho."

    Having effortlessly countered Hal and Hazumi''s surprise attack, Galad laughed with satisfaction.

    If one were to use an RPG analogy, Pavel Galad would undoubtedly be a "hero"-class dragon and larger-than-life character. Hot-blooded and possessing excessive righteous fighting spirit.

    However, in the case of the Road to Kingship where the dragon king''s throne was the goal¡ª

    Confronting enemies head on, fair and square, could lead to death.

    Now, Galad had finally grown accustomed to this excessively challenging and unfair game.

    "You don''t have to use me as a strategy guide..."

    Every dog has its day.

    Hal recalled this idiom¡ªHow uncharacteristic of his style.

    During the battle against Princess Yukikaze before the summer break, Hal and allied temporarily with Pavel Galad. Perhaps what he had seen and experienced back then had changed him.

    No matter what, this crisis must be resolved. Hal switched mindsets.

    "...Huh?"

    There was a strange feeling in his chest.

    His heart¡ªor rather, his heartmetal¡ªwas scorching. His entire body also heated up. Furthermore, something was also happening to the Crimson Queen.

    The red body of the former dragon queen was entirely covered in flames.

    The intense blaze instantly expanded.

    Using the sun-shooting divine bow had pulled some kind of trigger, as though turning heightened fighting spirit and magical power into burning flames¡ª

    Crap. At this rate, the Crimson Queen was going to awaken for real!

    Hal was utterly terrified.

    "S-Senpai? Are you okay...?"

    Probably noticing the color was off in Hal''s face, Hazumi inquired in concern.

    As expected of the angel on earth, she was considerate and attentive. However, Haruga Haruomi was currently too preoccupied to answer. All he did was touch his chest¡ªthe area near his heart¡ªin surprise.

    The next instant...

    "Fufufufufu. I, Yukikaze, smelled a fight and came to look. Surprisingly, it was you two."

    An adorable and gallant voice descended from the sky.

    Hal looked up. Just as expected, a girl dressed in a white one-piece dress entered his view. She was standing confidently on top of her "flying surfboard" of a magic wand, looking down with amusement at the silver dragon and Haruga Haruomi who were facing off on the ground.

    "Hello again, both of you. I see that the two of you have taken great pains to prepare a venue worthy of receiving my presence. This place is not half bad!"

    A nostalgic voice entered Hal''s ears.

    During the summer break, he had met Princess Yukikaze at Izu.

    Watching with delight at the desperate struggles of the two lower-ranked Tyrannoi¡ªThis was the confidence and composure of the current queen.

    The elusive dragon king, Princess Yukikaze, had arrived.

    Part 2

    "We didn''t work together to make this special arena," said Hal to Princess Yukikaze, putting aside his strange feeling and crisis awareness for now.

    Now that even Princess Yukikaze had shown up, who had time to deal with that kind of stuff?

    "That guy over there seems to be responsible, though I don''t know the details either."

    "Yes. I devoted a fair amount of effort for the sake of eliminating my fated rival and the white dragon king at the same time. A mighty fine job, if I should say so myself..." Wielding the dragonslaying sword, Pavel Galad declared proudly.

    Present here was the Crimson Queen, armed with the dragonslaying bow, and Pavel Galad with his prided massive body of metallic silver. In appearance alone, both of them looked stronger than Princess Yukikaze.

    However, the young girl who was stronger than everyone here smiled in leisure.

    "Well said, silver dragon! In that case, I, Yukikaze, hereby command you."

    Perhaps because she was standing on a flying surfboard, roughly thirty meters off the ground...

    Princess Yukikaze was "in a higher position" both physically and mentally, looking downwards at Hal and Galad, issuing a royal decree.

    "Defeat Haruomi first then call for me. You must redeem yourself for your past defeat and prove that you have the ability to challenge a king."

    "That was my intention all along. O Princess, thank you for accepting my challenge."

    "Do not thank me so hastily. It appears that you have learned plenty, but petty tricks of that sort belong more in Haruomi''s domain. Whether the dragonslaying sword can reach the same heights as I, Yukikaze... I certainly look forward to finding out."

    "Uh, excuse me¡ª"

    Galad looked all fired up with hot blood while Princess Yukikaze brought up Haruga Haruomi''s name as though showing off her own toy.

    Hal still had self-awareness as a mortal, more or less. He cautiously suggested, "I''d rather join forces with one of you to take out the other opponent first..."

    As "members of a warrior race," elite dragons could not possibly agree to such a request.

    Hal was merely saying it as a test. Princess Yukikaze scoffed while Pavel Galad showed no reaction, completely ignoring it.

    Oh dear. Hal shook his head and changed the subject.

    "Then at least postpone the battle until tomorrow. You suddenly asked me to fight, but I''m not mentally prepared yet."

    "Oh?"

    Pavel Galad''s reaction was quite mysterious.

    He first stared at Hal then shifted his gaze to the Crimson Queen. After some thought, he muttered "I see now" to himself.

    Hal shuddered.

    He felt a wave of unease as though he had been stripped naked completely.

    "I do not mind. If you have such a need, would you like to change the duel''s venue too?"

    "......"

    How surprising. This small island that had suddenly appeared on the surface of the ocean must have been land created by Galade through magic. In other words, this was completely enemy territory.

    It was anyone''s guess where the traps were located on this island.

    Hal originally thought Galad would naturally want to fight here.

    Apparently seeing through Hal''s thoughts, the silver dragon said nonchalantly, "We are capable of soaring the skies. After the battle commences, we could fly to wherever we want."

    "Well, that''s true."

    "Then let us set the duel to begin tomorrow morning. Anywhere in Tokyo is fine with me. Just call my name at your preferred location and that would be where the battle begins. Will that do for you?"

    "...Nah, this place is fine."

    It looked like Pavel Galad intended to treat Tokyo New Town as a battlefield without any restrictions.

    Realizing this, Hal rejected the suggestion. Though this small island was suspicious, the fact that it was uninhabited was pretty convenient.

    Also, since the day of the duel could be postponed to tomorrow, there was time to come up with countermeasures...

    "In exchange, I want to investigate this island and see if you''ve cast weird spells or set traps. If I find anything, I''ll decide whether I eliminate them or postpone the battle further."

    "Very well. Investigate as much as you like."

    Still the same as always, Galad answered with full seriousness.

    Spreading his pair of silver wings, he flew south.

    Investigate as much as you like¡ªTrue to his word, it looked like Galad did not intend to get in Hal''s way. For an opponent demanding a personal duel, he was quite fair and upstanding.

    As for the other dragon¡ª

    "Fufufufu. The day of our duel is drawing near... The assumption is that you must defeat that silver dragon."

    By the time Hal noticed, Princess Yukikaze had lowered the altitude of her surfboard.

    From five or six meters above Hal, she gazed down upon him.

    "Do your best, Haruomi. We are the ones who hold the bow and the arrow forming a pair. Muster your full power, bearing in mind that I, Yukikaze, desires fervently to fight you."

    Leaving these parting words, Princess Yukikaze flew away too.

    She went west¡ªmaking a beeline for the Old Tokyo Concession.

    Even a randomly tossed comment had such a poetic quality to it. This princess was full of personality as always. Feeling nostalgic while finding her too dazzling to behold, he muttered, "Everyone just talks without listening."

    Staring off into the sky where his foes had disappeared, he recalled Funaki-san''s report.

    Eyewitnesses had spotted Pavel Galad''s human form at a number of locations. In addition, the use of investigative magic across New Town resulted in the detection of strange signals recently¡ª

    Was this island actually a red herring while the true trap was hidden in Tokyo New Town?

    If that was the case, then sure enough, fighting inside Tokyo would be very risky. Declining Galad''s suggestion had probably been the right decision.

    "Dragons are clearly battle maniacs, yet they still cause me such headaches..."

    Unable to put his mind at ease, Hal thought to himself.

    In many ways, the silver dragon Pavel Galad had changed from before. Hal had to wage a great decisive battle tomorrow against such a monster¡ªWhat a burdensome feeling.

    Three hours later, Hal left the island after conducting various investigations.

    In addition to investigative magic¡ªSAURU''s magic¡ªHal even made use of Ruruk Soun''s magic to investigate carefully. The leviathan Minadzuki also used her sense of smell and a sacred beast''s super sensitivity to help search for anything unusual or dangerous.

    Other than the surface, deep underground was also included as part of the search.

    However, nothing suspicious was found anywhere. It was merely "a small island raised up from the seabed by the magic of dragonkind."

    "Anyway, I asked Luna to go over there and take over the investigation in our place."

    To return to Tokyo New Town, they had asked the JMSDF to send a small transport ship.

    Inside the seventy-meter-long ship, Hal was speaking with Hazumi in a cabin.

    "That being said, I''m guessing the investigation won''t come up with anything."

    "What about Nee-sama and Asya-san?"

    "I asked them to investigate New Town because I heard that Galad has been wandering all over the place for the past few months. However¡ª"

    Hal sighed.

    "To be honest, I don''t think any clues will turn up. If anything could be found, I''m sure one of us would''ve discovered it long ao. After all, Tokyo is our territory."

    "Yes. Minadzuki hasn''t warned me this summer."

    "I''m putting the odds at fifty-fifty. If he really didn''t play any tricks..."

    "Or perhaps Galad-san was very cautious and even came up with measures to counter magical investigation when he was setting up his trap..."

    "Yes, that''s right. You really know a lot, Shirasaka."

    "That''s because you taught me a lot, Senpai."

    Hazumi was smiling demurely at Hal from up close.

    This was a cramped cabin inside a transport ship. Hal was sitting on the bed as so was the excessively pure junior student.

    Not only was she sitting on the same bed as Hal, but she was leaning very close to him.

    Why was she sitting here when there was clearly more space? To be honest, Hal was completely baffled. However, leaning against him, offering support, Hazumi''s touch and warmth made him feel very comfortable in mind and body.

    Letting this continue might not be half bad¡ªJust as this notion surfaced in his mind, Hal shook his head.

    "Oh¡ªShirasaka, shouldn''t we give each other a bit more space?"

    "But Senpai, you looked so unwell just now."

    "Just now?"

    "Yes. When the dragon king¡ªPrincess Yukikaze¡ªshowed up, you looked like you were beleaguered by coldness, like you had a high fever, the look on your face was very scary..."

    "Oh."

    Hal could now understand why Hazumi was leaning against him. However, he found it odd.

    Even so, this distance was too close. What was Hazumi thinking? Even if it were out of worry... This was virtually... As his thoughts reached this point, Hal jumped in surprise.

    Because Hazumi reached out gently with her left hand and touched his right hand.

    The junior student''s sudden action made his heart skip a beat. Hal did not know if his adorable protege was aware of his feelings, but she said worriedly, "Also, Senpai, your body is so cold and hard."

    "R-Really?"

    "Yes. It feels like metal, you know?"

    "..."

    Metal. Hal recalled the giant lifeform he had been fighting several hours earlier¡ªthe silver dragon¡ªand could not help but think.

    Perhaps he too might turn into something like that...

    Try as he might to not think about this, such a possibility was impossible to rule out no matter what.

    Just as he was about to be imprisoned in this pessimistic mindset¡ª

    "Senpai, your body is really cold. E-Excuse me!"

    Sitting next to him, Hazumi suddenly took off her shoes and moved over the bed.

    Kneeling on the bed, she hugged Hal''s head. As a result, Haruga Haruomi''s face was buried into her bosom¡ª

    "Sh-Shiraska!?"

    "Can.. we stay in this posture for a while? I''d like to do something."

    Hazumi''s voice sounded full of determination.

    Her usual self, polite and reserved self, was nowhere to be found. Next, the junior student began to stroke Hal''s head gently. Round and round, it seemed like her motions intended to massage and soften the hard surface.

    During this time, Hal''s face remained buried in Hazumi''s chest.

    For a fourteen-year-old, Hazumi was "very well developed" and fairly busty. Hal never thought he would ever get a chance in his life to confirm the sensation of her chest in this manner¡ª

    "Oh, Senpai, you''re relaxing a little now."

    "I-I see. That''s good to know."

    Damn it. Form is no different from emptiness, and emptiness is no different from form... Exercising self-control to prevent his mind from having inappropriate thoughts, Hal mentally thanked Hazumi for her care and concern from the bottom of his heart.

    The kind-hearted junior student was probably doing this out of worry for Hal''s health.

    Of course, Hal felt very embarrassed that he was being held and comforted in this posture like a baby. However, Hazumi''s kindness and her voluptuous¡ªwere soothing his heart even more. Both his mind and body were relaxing...

    Feeling an indescribable sense of comfort, Hal''s consciousness gradually faded.

    "Oh right..."

    On further thought, he had made the Crimson Queen use the sun-shooting divine bow by his own power alone.

    This was his first time to attempt this. His magical power was surging to the point of overflowing. His entire body felt unusually hot. Conversely, he must have accumulated a lot of fatigue too.

    Now that Hal finally obtained reprieve for his tensed mind, his exhausted body was attacked by the onslaught of drowsiness.

    "Senpai, did you fall asleep...?"

    With his face buried in Hazumi''s bosom, Haruomi-senpai drifted into slumber.

    She could hear gentle breathing. Trying to avoid waking him up, Hazumi kept her movements as light as possible while shifting her arms and body to lay Senpai down on the bed.

    Having confirmed that he was sleeping peacefully, Hazumi reached out again.

    She touched Senpai''s face. Not only was Haruomi-senpai not fat, his physique was on the skinny side. However, his cheeks were very soft and fleshy to pinch.

    Then she even touched Senpai''s head, right arm, left arm, feeling his body nonstop.

    "Thank goodness. Looks like what I just did is working." Hazumi exhaled in relief and a smile finally surfaced on her face.

    After that¡ªafter the Crimson Queen had used the technique of assured annihilation¡ªHazumi had felt bothered ever since.

    Today, Haruomi-senpai was wearing a t-shirt with pants.

    After using the technique of assured annihilation, the parts of his skin not covered by clothing, such as his face or his arms, would reflect sunlight from time to time, shining brightly. It did not seem like an illusion at all.

    It shone as though the surface was covered by a layer of glass.

    Worried, Hazumi had stuck closely to Senpai as soon as they had entered the cabin, so as to confirm the texture of his skin, and was greatly shocked.

    In addition to appearance, even the tactile sensation was like glass.

    Cold and hard.

    Furthermore, Haruomi-senpai himself had failed to notice this. Most likely, this was one of the symptoms of transforming into a dragon¡ªHazumi felt certain of this. Just as he had been unaware of his memory loss, it was also very difficult for him to notice the hardening of his body.

    Hence, Hazumi had forcibly suppressed the shock in her heart to prevent Senpai from noticing. However¡ª

    "I shouldn''t have pointed out Senpai felt like metal to the touch..."

    As soon as he heard these words, Senpai''s face turned dark.

    Hence, to make up for her mistake, she had hugged Haruomi-senpai''s head. She guessed that such intimate contact might possibly cause Senpai''s body to change in a positive direction.

    After pressing her bosom against Senpai, she found the change she was hoping for.

    Haruomi-senpai''s hardened body gradually turned soft, recovering a human body''s "pliable" texture.

    "Fortunately, it''s just like what Hinokagutsuchi said..."

    Hazumi currently breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of her heart. She even felt overjoyed.

    "Senpai recovered... Does this mean that even a body like mine is able to make him happy?"

    At New York during August, the former dragon queen had said, ''Obtaining combat power and the wisdom of the unorthodoxy would lead Tyrannoi and hybrids to become more like dragons...''

    ''Conversely, the opposite situation can happen too. Pleasures that could only be enjoyed as a human would occasionally cause someone farther along the path of becoming a dragon to revert back to human appearance.''

    Indeed. According to this logic, Senpai would derive intense satisfaction as a closet pervert from erotic behavior and revert slightly to being human.

    Hence, Hazumi mustered her determination to give it a try this time.

    If only things would continue to be this easy¡ªHazumi sighed with worry and suppressed the uncertainty in the bottom of her heart.

    Part 3

    "That silver dragon... Pavel Galad, yes?" Hinokagutsuchi spoke with mockery in her voice.

    She was with Hal and Asya, walking in Kogetsu Academy''s campus. Roughly half a day had gone by after the wielder of the dragonslaying sword had reappeared.

    The morning sun they had witnessed from the tiny island in Tokyo Bay was already setting in the west. It was roughly 7pm right now.

    "Yes. How did that dragon become so strong within just a few months? I can''t believe even Hazumi-san''s trump card didn''t work..."

    "Hmph, what is there to be surprised about?"

    Asya was baffled while Hinokagutsuchi remained unfazed.

    Inside the school, the young girl in a scarlet kimono should be quite conspicuous, but it was already after school and evening to boot. Practically no students could be seen along the path to the library.

    Walking with her head up and chest puffed out, Hinokagutsuchi smiled arrogantly.

    "The brat did it too. Do you believe the silver dragon to be less capable than he is?"

    "I see, so that''s the principle here?"

    "Warrior, mage, hero... I''m confident that I''m inferior to him in talent for every job class," Hal could not help but agree.

    Furthermore, Hinokagutsuchi continued, "If only that was all there is to it... Fully knowledgeable dragons would embark on long adventures for the sake of conquering the Road to Kingship. Up into the heavens, down into the oceans, deep into space, even crossing dimensions on occasion. Only by discovering flints and the power of dragonbane during their arduous travels can individuals become Tyrannoi¡ª"

    "A treasure hunting quest, in other words."

    Hidden in the possessions left behind by Haruga Haruomi''s late father was a treasure of dragonkind¡ªa flint.

    Only the flames generated when this type of stone shattered were able to awaken dragonslaying runes. Whether the Rune of the Bow or the Rune of the Twin Katana, both would be nothing more than symbols without the flints.

    Hal had experienced this first hand. In other words¡ª

    "Having completed that challenging quest, Galad''s abilities as a ''treasure hunter'' might be superior to mine¡ªI guess this could be a possible deduction..."

    "The items and knowledge he obtained over the course of his travels ought to be quite abundant too..."

    Previously, Pavel Galad had limited himself to "only sending the hero into battle."

    But this time was different. Was he going to bring out all of his abilities in his attempt to defeat Haruga Haruomi followed by Princess Yukikaze?

    After pointing this out, Hinokagutsuchi vanished into thin air.

    They had reached the library, chatting while they walked. However, rather than the library, Hal and Asya''s destination was the cultural clubs building opposite to it.

    "Huh? No one''s here."

    Hal tilted his head. He had agreed to meet up with his companions here.

    Juujouji Orihime, Shirasaka Hazumi, and Luna Francois. None of the trio were here.

    "Let''s get going first, since they will be coming later anyway. It''d be a hassle to keep that person waiting."

    "You''re right," Hal agreed with Asya''s suggestion and walked up the stairs of the cultural clubs building.

    The destination was the third floor. The room of the UFO Research Club.

    "So you two have come."

    The one they sought was waiting behind the door.

    President of five cultural clubs, namely the Drama Club, the Mass Media Research Club, the Literature Club, the Science Insider Club, as well as the UFO Research Club, and at the same time, an extremely suspicious prophet.

    Dressed in an outfit resembling maternity wear, gender indeterminate.

    Her name was President M. Calling herself the "mother" of all club members, she was a superhuman unparalleled in both physical and mental greatness.

    "I have been waiting here, focusing my mind, only because you lot requested for a discussion with me."

    "Much appreciated. What we wanted to discuss is the same as what I mentioned over the phone last time," Hal immediately went straight to the point.

    "I''ll cut to the chase... We don''t know if our enemy, who could potentially wreck Tokyo, be setting up some kind of trap?"

    "How would I know? I am neither a clairvoyant nor Zhuge Kongming."

    President M immediately offered a valuable oracle.

    "Well, considering various circumstances, why not just handle things flexibly?"

    "Is this a suggestion coming from one of your skills?"

    "No, Haruga, this is simply my personal opinion and common sense."

    "Hahahahaha."

    Laughing wryly, Hal conversed with President M.

    Forget it. He had not hoped for much to begin with. Trying to push the issue could end up bringing divine retribution. These were the feelings behind his wry smile.

    Asya frowned.

    "Can''t we think of a solution? This is a crisis that could sink not only Tokyo but even all of Japan. It might even be the prelude to the world''s destruction. Please offer us more of your guidance."

    "My, how greedy you are."

    They were on fairly good terms, perhaps because Asya had been under President M''s tutelage on a one-to-one basis.

    Asya made her request assertively, believing there was no need to be formal with President M. The prophet and possibly revolutionary species of human closed her eyes and began to meditate. The atmosphere was quite solemn.

    "Let me see... From our conversation over the phone, there is one matter that bothers me greatly¡ªThat... trump card?...Which the little angel used, you said the enemy blocked that move."

    "Oh, yeah, that''s right. The mystic ritual of a goddess to eliminate dragonslaying weapons." Asya nodded.

    Still with her eyes closed, President M continued, "Rather than blocking it... The enemy rekindled the flame instead. That is the answer to the riddle."

    "How did he do it?"

    "I am not the one who should be figuring that out."

    "Got it. Can you give us more concrete advice?"

    "How shameless of you. When encountering situations where feminine charm cannot be applied, you really turn into a monster the farthest thing away from being useless."

    "W-Why are you bringing up feminine charm now!?"

    "Fine, fine¡ªOh, but I seem to be seeing something vaguely. Let me see, ''Counter a treasure with another treasure. You are advised to release the stored goods''."

    "Such a cryptic oracle..."

    "Something is better than nothing. A drowning man would gratefully grasp for even straws."

    President M suddenly opened her eyes and stopped meditating.

    It looked like that was her last piece of advice. As far as Hal and Asya knew so far, President M''s prophesies always matched "the future''s outline." Hopefully, it would be the case this time too¡ª

    Regardless, the paradoxical being of the "Amazon of indeterminate gender" told Hal and Asya, "Allow me to add a final word. When it is time to make a decision, think about the future¡ªthree months from now, three years from now. What consequences will your decision have on the future... If you take that into consideration, things will work out perhaps?"

    "In a way, the President might be the most reliable of all humans."

    "That''s because the President often gives us honest advice, though it''s mostly impossible to understand."

    "This time, she was like a real fortune-teller, leaving so much room for interpretation and concluding with a suggestion that''s like life advice."

    "I really wish she''d give hints that were easy to understand."

    Hal and Asya exchanged remarks poignantly.

    They had left the UFO Research Club''s room and were standing in front of the clubs building again.

    It was almost 8pm but Orihime, Luna, and Hazumi still had not arrived. They could not be reached by cellphone either. What happened?

    While Hal was puzzling over this, Asya suddenly said, "Anyway, let''s go. I think there must''ve been a minor mistake or accident. If it''s a serious incident, I''m sure Hiiragi-san would contact us, so there shouldn''t be anything to worry about."

    She made a good point.

    Hence, Hal and Asya began to wander aimlessly on campus during the evening.

    The school yard was deserted. All the students in athletic teams and clubs had apparently gone home already. In an unexpected turn of events, Hal and Asya got to spend time alone with each other.

    "But are you sure you don''t need to have dinner?"

    "I ate a sandwich before coming to school, so that''s plenty enough."

    Plenty enough! Hal could not believe he heard these words coming from Asya on the subject of eating.

    The bottomless abyss of a stomach and humanoid typhoon¡ªRecalling his childhood friend''s former image, Hal was overcome with a strong wave of nostalgia.

    But he ought to accept this sort of change with an open mind, probably.

    Hal switched mindsets and decided to change the subject.

    "Say, I never thought we''d be studying at a normal school."

    "And we''re taking our studies pretty seriously too."

    "By the time I noticed, even though it''s not a lot, I''ve gotten to know a couple of people I can call friends."

    "Didn''t you gain a whole bunch of female friends over the past six months?"

    "Well yeah, but the people I know have always been skewed towards the female side. After all, my line of work revolves around witches."

    "True, but¡ª"

    Walking side by side with Hal, Asya poked fun at him, "Haven''t you always insisted you''d never date a witch?"

    "That''s because all witches are weird... No, all witches have too much personality. They''re fine as coworkers, but dating is out of the question."

    "That''s what you claim, but what''s the truth? Right now, Luna is pursuing you, Hazumi-san calls you ''Senpai?'' and super likes you, Orihime-san is on really good terms with you, and finally, even the WotC in New York..."

    "Oh dear."

    "But judging from the situation, it looks like you''ve retracted your statement."

    "Retracted?"

    "What you said just now, that ''dating is out of the question.'' It''s quite infuriating, but at the same time, I feel a sense of relief too."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Because¡ªIt means that I count as one of your romantic prospects."

    "Huh...?"

    Asya''s sudden bomb drop caused Hal to freeze on the spot.

    Just as he was thinking "what did Asya just say?" in surprise, the childhood friend continued.

    "You still don''t get it? I think of you as a prospective romantic partner and I want to go out with you¡ªas girlfriend and boyfriend."

    "......"

    "Speaking of which, didn''t we kiss in New York last time?"

    "Oh¡ªUh... yeah."

    "Then how much do you fail as a man if you still don''t get how I feel? Yet when it comes to others, you''re always so nitpicky."

    Asya chuckled with a smile and looked up to gaze at Hal''s face.

    The two of them naturally stopped walking. The silver-haired childhood friend was shorter so of course, she had to look up. Hal''s heart skipped a beat.

    The way she was looking at him seemed to emphasize her adorable and fairy-like face.

    Being together with Asya like this¡ªIt could very well be the first time.

    Furthermore, her gorgeous lips looked irresistible, as though urging him to do something. All Hal needed to do was bend over slightly, and Asya to tiptoe a little, and they could probably touch. A kiss was within reach.

    Hal was certain of this¡ªthen he jumped in fright. What on earth was he thinking?

    He knew his heart was beating rapidly.

    Hal was at a loss. The person in front of him was neither Luna Francois nor Juujouji Orihime, yet she was making him feel in this way...

    In addition, he had no choice but to admit this.

    At this very moment, Haruga Haruomi was seeing his childhood friend, whom he originally considered family, as a girl!

    "U-Uh, although it was so long ago, New York, umm..."

    "Those were my feelings for you. It was an action I took, hoping you''d understand that I love you."

    Asya''s response could not be more direct. There was no room to misinterpret.

    "It''s because I can''t lose to Luna. Or Orihime-san. Or Hazumi-san."

    "I-I don''t think this is a contest..."

    "No, but precisely this is the kind of issue we have here, winning and losing is quite important. Perhaps you''re currently very conscious of the girls around you, causing you to spontaneously set your sights on others, making it hard for you to express a clear stance."

    "I-It''s not like that."

    As soon as he spoke, Hal remembered last night.

    This memory made Hal unable to make any counterarguments. While he was silent, Asya added, "Actually... I am very certain."

    "Certain?"

    "Yes. Even though you are surrounded by many girls right now, I''ll definitely become number one in your heart."

    "......"

    Asya asserted with secret confidence in her words.

    Adorable and mischievous, it seemed like she was teasing her childhood friend Hal.

    There was an attractiveness in her movements and expression that Hal had never seen before. While surprised by this new side of Asya, whom he knew for so many long years, Hal also found it very novel and refreshing.

    Faced with this Asya who was practically like a different person, Hal felt his heart pounding nonstop.

    "Fufufufu. It''s almost time to change the subject. Too serious a chat might affect tomorrow''s decisive battle."

    "I-I''m glad you''re willing to change the subject."

    "But Haruomi, please don''t forget. Once the matters of Princess Yukikaze and Pavel Galad are resolved... I''ll show you my true power."

    "True power!?"

    "Yes. I will make sure you know that even Luna, Orihime-san, and Hazumi-san will seem to have no presence when compared to my charm. Even someone as dense as you will be able to easily decide whom to choose."

    Asya''s gallant declaration sounded even a bit awesome.

    Incredibly, her confidence and assertiveness did not feel off-putting. Rather, it would be better to say that it paired well to emphasize her coolness and charm.

    Feeling that the gallant Asya from the battlefield seemed to be making an appearance in everyday life, Hal was rendered speechless. His childhood friend was undoubtedly a beautiful maiden of limitless attractiveness right now.

    If he had to find a flaw to nitpick, there was only one thing at most.

    Indeed. At most, there was a tiny sliver of doubt, was Haruga Haruomi''s childhood friend really someone like this...?

    "Okay, let me have a look over there."

    After parting ways with Haruomi in the school yard, Asya went back the way she had come.

    Her destination was somewhere between the cultural clubs building and the library. This time, instead of the UFO Research Club, she was headed to the underground level of the library.

    She entered an underground floor that only SAURU personnel had authorized access.

    Asya had locked one of the rooms there. Furthermore, this was Padlock magic cast by a master-class witch.

    Finally releasing the lock, Asya stepped into the room.

    "Sorry everyone, thanks for being patient."

    Asya greeted first. Three girls responded to her.

    "A-Asya-san!"

    "My goodness! Where did you run off on your own while imprisoning us here!?"

    "How dare you set a trap for me..."

    Shirasaka Hazumi, Juujouji Orihime, and Luna Francois Gregory.

    They were the trio who had failed to make the appointment. In fact, Asya had called them to the library''s underground level ahead of time, trapping them here and confiscating their cellphones.

    This was all done so that she could spend the evening with Haruomi alone.

    The kindhearted Orihime and Hazumi simply looked uncomfortable, but Luna Francois was clearly very displeased.

    Asya told her three companions very simply, "I went to see Haruomi¡ªSince all of you have been secretly seducing the Haruga family''s Haruomi-kun behind my back lately... Please allow me to ask¡ª"

    Deciding she should cut to the straight directly, Asya inquired, "What on earth are you trying to hide by excluding me?"

    " "!?" "

    The two honest Japanese girls jumped in surprise and looked at Luna.

    She was evidently the one who had issued the order to leave Asya out. The American girl shrugged and grumbled with displeasure, "You really haven''t been acting like yourself recently. I never thought you''d be woman enough to notice something like this."

    "I am no longer my past self. Please don''t underestimate me."

    On the evening prior to the decisive battle, Asya''s purpose for imprisoning the three girls was not just for the sake of spending time alone with Haruomi.

    "Not just you three, but Haruomi himself is also acting sneaky."

    "Indeed... Asya, I admit that you are no longer the same. The reason why I excluded you was because I feared your feminine charm was too lacking¡ª"

    "So that''s why..."

    "After all, this matter is of paramount importance to Harry currently. But since you have devoted so much thought into this already, perhaps I could allow you to help..."

    Luna Francois sighed.

    "But do know that this is a very depressing topic. The situation is more serious than Harry himself realizes and he will soon become cornered. Do you still wish to listen?"

    "Gladly."

    Step by step, Luna Francois began to explain the situation.

    After understanding the whole story, Asya found her heart dominated by surprise and anxiety.

    Part 4

    Night went by and the promised day agreed with Pavel Galad arrived.

    It was roughly 8am. The JMSDF dispatched an escort ship to sail towards the small island that had appeared off the coast of Urayasu. Both Hal and Asya were on the ship.

    Seeing Hal suppress a yawn, Asya said to him, "How much sleep did you get last night?"

    "Around five hours. I''d prefer if I could sleep for triple that amount of time, but there''s an important event today, after all."

    "Then the opening ceremony and the event itself would have to be canceled just because you overslept."

    "I''d rather cancel it if that were possible, but I naturally woke up at dawn, probably because this event gives me stomach cramps."

    The two of them were walking along the deck since there was nothing to do inside the ship. Staring off into Tokyo Bay, they waited for the operation to begin.

    Hal and Asya''s ship was not the only one to be mobilized.

    In addition, there were two other escort ships and three submarines moving through these waters. A JASDF base nearby also had helicopters and fighter jets ready to sortie as dictated by the situation.

    All this was for the sake of supporting Hal''s team.

    Incidentally, Orihime and Hazumi were participating in the operation on a separate ship.

    As the commander, Luna Francois was working alongside the two Japanese girls.

    Only the childhood friends combo of Hal and Asya were together on this ship, because the two of them had to serve as the vanguard and be the first to land on the island.

    This was to avoid deploying all their forces at once and getting wiped out.

    Their approach was the same as yesterdays, but the trump card would only be debuting today.

    The combination of Haruga Haruomi with Asya and Rushalka was unsurpassed in all aspects including combat strength, adaptability, and coordination, making them the best suited to taking on this role.

    Even Luna had not raised any objections.

    Hence, Hal and his silver-haired childhood friend were together right now, enjoying the sea breeze.

    (So I guess last night''s topic of conversation will be postponed...)

    Her declaration of "I''ll show you my true power."

    Asya had said she would put this matter aside for now because of today''s decisive battle.

    From their previous meeting several hours ago till now, Asya had not broached the subject again. Thanks to that, Hal was able to chat casually with her without worrying¡ª

    Leaning against the guardrail on the edge of the deck, Hal breathed a sigh of relief.

    Asya suddenly came beside him.

    Their elbows and upper arms were touching, a distance that was too close.

    "A-Asya!?"

    "Haruomi, let the two of us seize victory today. It''s a promise, okay?"

    With a calm and confident expression, his childhood firned smiled at him.

    Her adorability and her fairy-like beauty amplified each other, leaving a deep impression in Hal''s mind, setting his heart pounding.

    Fufu.

    Leaning close to Haruomi, Asya nodded mentally to herself while maintaining the refreshing smile on her face.

    Just as she expected, Haruomi was unsettled. Every attack from her, conducted with feigned naturalness, were striking right on target. There was no better description than "Just as planned!"

    Asya was certain that the two of them, leaning close together on the escort ship''s deck, definitely looked like a young and inexperienced couple to the eyes of outsiders!

    Of course, they might feel that it would be unseemly for them to be acting lovey-dovey just before a crucial and decisive battle.

    However, Asya had learned the bad news of "Haruga Haruomi was currently turning into a dragon" through last night''s interrogation...

    The trio of Orihime, Luna, and Hazumi seemed to be hiding something¡ª

    The past Asya most likely would not have noticed, but in her current state with augmented womanly powers, she had discovered the symptoms, just like how she sensed danger during battles.

    Obtaining dragonslaying runes had forced her childhood friend to confront a life-threatening crisis.

    Now that she knew, there was no way she would not provide assistance. Making physical contact with him unobtrusively, or touching him directly, she would repeat this again and again, so as to contribute to Haruomi''s recovery!

    It was also thanks to her augmented womanly powers that Asya was able to come to this decision.

    (I knew it, that magic is so useful!)

    Hypnosis magic had resulted in an unnatural increase of abilities like doping.

    Just as Asya was overjoyed at its effects from the bottom of her heart, next to her, Haruomi suddenly spoke, "I-I''m going for a drink of water."

    "Sure. I''ll wait for you here."

    Haruomi turned around and left, looking like he could not withstand the insane pounding of his heart.

    He was distracted and there was a lack of calmness in his expression, tone, and movements. However, he did not look unhappy. Rather it was because he was too conscious of Asya''s "girlishness."

    Asya felt satisfied and fulfilled as never before.

    She had been fighting dragons since childhood, but combat and victory had never brought her such a strong sense of fulfillment...

    Humming happily, Asya unintentionally slipped her hand into her pocket.

    She was wearing her usual military jacket, but it was time for her to buy a new one. There must be clothing more suited to her¡ª

    "Oh?"

    There was a memo in her pocket.

    She unfolded it and saw the words "it will be too late by the time you regret it," written in red. This bubbly handwriting was familiar to Asya. For the past few months, she had been training herself under this person''s tutelage. And this handwriting was identical to what this person had wrote on whiteboards and notebooks...

    Come to think of it, Asya''s breakfast this morning consisted of a banana and a cup of cafe au lait.

    "It''ll be fine. I managed to pull through during the battle against Hannibal too. I... should be able to do it!"

    As though engaging in self-suggestion, Asya voiced the words in her heart.

    The ship had already arrived near the island that was to serve as a special arena. The plan was for Asya and Haruomi to land here as the vanguard to fight against Pavel Galad¡ª

    Instantly tossing matters of love to the back of her mind, Asya began to focus on combat.

    This was a job she had been doing since childhood. Again, she would return to form as "Anastasya Rubashvili, Europe''s strongest Shootdown Ace."

    Asya had a feeling.

    Seeing her in action, Haruomi would most likely become captivated by her all over again.

    At that moment, a giant silver-white body flew in from the southern sky.

    Pavel Galad, the elite dragon that had inherited the dragonslaying Rune of the Sword. Even though she was familiar with this mortal enemy''s appearance, Asya doubted her own eyes.

    "Four of them?"

    Indeed. There was more than one silver-white dragon of the sword.

    Four dragons, identical to him in appearance, were approaching, flying in formation like a squadron of fighter jets.

    "Magic of Ruruk Soun!?"

    An alarm of "Dragons sighted!" blared inside the ship.

    Hearing the alarm, Hal rushed out to the deck and looked at the southern sky using the magic of Enhanced Vision. Four Pavel Galads were approaching at high speed.

    There were seven magical symbols behind the four dragons.

    Naturally, runes of Ruruk Soun. They signified "clones."

    " " " "Hohohoho. Welcome, humans!" " " "

    The four Pavel Galads spoke simultaneously.

    His stylish and beautiful voice resounded all around the island serving as the duel arena.

    The real one should be hidden among the four dragons. Presumably, the other three were either illusions or fake copies of Pavel Galad created using magic.

    However, even through the eyes of a Tyrannos, it was impossible to tell which was the genuine article!

    The intricacy of these counterfeits was praiseworthy, succeeding in confusing Hal''s faction.

    "Followers of my mortal rival, good work so far¡ªBut pray forgive me!"

    "This is a duel between successors to dragonslaying runes!"

    "There is no room for interference from you humans!"

    "Please leave immediately!"

    One after another, the four silver dragons declared war.

    Undisguised in each of their right hands was a longsword¡ª

    The dragonslaying sword, of course. The four longswords shot out lightning from their blades, launching an indiscriminate attack in all directions, striking the sea surface and the escort ships carrying Hal and the others. Perhaps even the submarines underwater were caught in the attack.

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

    Hal''s escort ship was struck on the side by the lightning and about to be sunk¡ªNo.

    "Rushalka, use imperishable protection!"

    Hal heard his childhood friend issue a command.

    The blue wyvern materialized in the sky over the escort ship, giving off pearly radiance from her entire body.

    This was "imperishable protection," the defensive barrier protecting dragon kings and Tyrannoi. This glow enveloped not only Rushalka but also the escort ship, blocking dragonkind''s lightning in the nick of time.

    As expected of Asya the Shootdown Ace, she managed to protect the ship with her swift reaction.

    As for the other escort ship...

    Akurou-Ou, Minadzuki, and Glinda¡ªThree leviathans had appeared in the sky above it.

    The nine-tailed fox-wolf, the emerald serpentine dragon, and the three-headed lion chimera. These three leviathans also deployed imperishable protection to defend their ship from Galad''s lightning attack.

    However¡ª

    There was another escort ship that had neither witches nor leviathans on board.

    That ship was struck directly by the lightning and could only sink into the sea!

    The human side swiftly mustered a counterattack against the four silver dragons responsible for the destruction. From close range, the ships carrying Hal and Orihime launched anti-air missiles designed for a range within thirty kilometers while firing 127mm machine guns continuously, aiming at the silver dragon and his three clones!

    However, the four Pavel Galads also glowed with pearly radiance.

    Imperishable protection. These barriers were difficult to breach unless using attacks on the level of assured annihilation techniques. Naturally, human attacks were thoroughly blocked, a mockery of their impotence.

    "Well, not surprising..." As someone equipped with the same defenses, Hal muttered to himself.

    However, he immediately went "Huh!?", doubting his vision.

    "Glinda¡ªis falling?"

    Indeed. Luna Francois'' partner started to crash.

    The lion leviathan was supposed to be flying in the sky to intercept the four silver dragons.

    Her majestic figure crashed helplessly towards the surface of Tokyo Bay, almost as though someone had ordered her to "jump into the sea."

    Simply floating on the sea like a buoy, Glinda did not return to the battlefield.

    She remained motionless. Incidentally, in the next instant, Akurou-Ou and Minadzuki¡ªthe partners of the Japanese witches¡ªalso fell into the sea.

    Like Glinda, these two leviathans were also floating on the sea.

    "What the heck is going on!?"

    His companions on the other ship were apparently confronting some kind of emergency.

    Just as Hal was about to check on their status using his cellphone¡ªno, the power of the runes¡ªhe heard his childhood friend''s acute voice.

    "Haruomi, let me use the Rune of the Bow!"

    The silver-haired beauty was running towards him.

    Her face was beautiful as ever, but the vibe was completely different from just earlier. She not only looked cool but also dignified and fearless. For some reason, Hal breathed a sigh of refief.

    Asya''s warrior expression was the look familiar to Hal.

    "No matter what, Rushalka must singlehandedly oppose those four dragons at the same time. The rune is essential!"

    "Got it! Do it however you want¡ª"

    "As if I would allow you to do as you wish."

    The instant Hal was responding to Asya''s request, someone interrupted their exchange.

    Out of the blue, a SDF officer walked up to the two of them.

    The man was wearing the predominantly white uniform of the JMSDF, but for some reason, Hal could not get a clear view of his face. Something haze-like was obscuring his face.

    Hal realized with sudden alarm that this was stealth magic.

    "Witches... Isn''t that what your ilk is called? I apologize for ambushing small fry like you, certainly a taint on the honor of dragonkind, but¡ªHonestly, you lot are very much in my way."

    This beautifully masculine voice belonged to Pavel Galad.

    The SDF officer of unknown appearance extended his right hand. A symbol consisting of three "<" in a series appeared on his palm.

    It was the Rune of the Sword. Pavel Galad''s mark.

    Aiming at the silver-haired beauty, the mysterious SDF officer fired white light from his rune¡ª!

    "Asya!"

    The instant Hal came to his senses, he summoned the magic gun to his right hand.

    Fire. Without hesitation, he opened fire on the SDF officer. Imperishable protection was deployed, defending his entire body, resisting Hal''s attack.

    However, the impact caused the SDF officer to lose aim.

    The light fired by the SDF officer, meant to pierce Asya, ended up missing her, deviating to the right slightly.

    "Well defended, Haruga Haruomi."

    Despite failing to strike his target, the SDF officer spoke in a carefree manner.

    The haze obscuring his face dissipated. A head of silver hair. Pale complexion, handsome face. Hal remembered this face, which he had seen once before¡ªIt was Pavel Galad''s human form.

    In the next instant...

    "En garde!"

    Galad in human form charged forward with a thrust of his longsword!

    Hal blocked the blade using imperishable protection. Naturally, the sword was the dragonslaying sword. Instantly, the opponent''s attire transformed into a summer jacket, a shirt, and pants, probably disguised using illusory magic previously.

    "So the four dragons rampaging in the air¡ªThey''re all fake!?"

    "Smart as always. I had considered, if presented with the opportunity... I would attack your retainers in this form, to eliminate them secretly."

    "!?"

    "Nevertheless, as one might expect of your followers, they were all very sharp and alert. I had a feeling that it would not be easy to dispose of them even if I disguised my appearance, hence¡ª"

    Hal was in shock for a moment, but immediately stopped worrying.

    He was originally afraid that the three leviathans had crashed because something had happened to the witches, but that was apparently not the case. Even now, Asya had started to sprint at full speed, distancing herself from Galad''s human form.

    She ran into the ship from the deck to avoid getting in Hal''s way.

    "Anyway, Haruomi! I''m leaving the rest to you!"

    Asya never did anything reckless beyond the limits of her own abilities.

    Impressive as always, the judgment of a seasoned warrior. However¡ªRunes of Ruruk Soun suddenly appeared under her feet, signifying a "binding curse."

    Asya''s sprint was halted unnaturally.

    The silver-haired childhood friend had been immobilized by restraining magic!

    "Asya!"

    Hal yelled then witnessed with his own eyes.

    Soaring gallantly in the sky, Rushalka stopped flapping her wings and crashed.

    After falling into Tokyo Bay, she floated helplessly on the sea surface like timber from a shipwreck. The other three leviathans were in the same state.

    "You used the same ''binding curse'' on the others too!?"

    "Yes. As for you¡ªI would like us to embark on a journey together."

    Runes of Ruruk Soun were shining over the head of Galad''s human form.

    A total of four runes. Their arrangement signified High-Speed Flight. Hal''s body immediately floated off the ground.

    "Haruomi!?"

    Even though her body could not move, Asya could still use her voice, apparently. Hal heard her scream in surprise.

    However, Hal did not stop flying as a result, Together with Galad''s human form, he rose up gradually, flying away from his childhood friend and the escort ship.

    "Sure enough, transforming into a human is quite tiring."

    Galad''s human form began to shapeshift in front of him.

    Within the blink of an eye, the handsome young man turned into a silver-white elite dragon. His height also increased all at once from 180cm or so to a body length of seventeen or eighteen meters.

    "Where are you taking me!?"

    "First to Tokyo, I suppose. Now that I have eliminated the hindrances around you, Haruga Haruomi, I should be able to take my time dealing with you..."

    Hearing that "hindrances" were "eliminated," Hal looked downwards in shock.

    Thirteen runes of Ruruk Soun had appeared on the sea surface. They were extremely large, almost the same size as the 130m-long escort ship.

    The arrangement signified "Open, door to another world."

    Teleportation magic. A spell for transporting objects to another location...

    "I''m not letting you succeed!"

    "Excuse me, but those are exactly my words to you."

    Hal immediately used Dispel magic, trying to erase the teleportation spell.

    Dispel failed to produce any effect. Upon closer examination, he noticed that runes of Ruruk Soun for "spell resistance" had appeared before the chest of his enemy''s gigantic body, having returned to a dragon''s form.

    Negating magic cast at extremely close range, it was a type of defensive magic.

    Breaking through this spell required pouring in magic on the level of a technique of assured annihilation or pulling the spellcaster away to create some distance¡ªThat was what his magic wand, the magic gun, told him.

    But it was too late.

    The leviathans floating on the sea¡ªRushalka, Akuro-Ou, Minadzuki, and Glinda had disappeared, sucked away by the thirteen runes of "Open, door to another world."

    This was not offensive magic burying them at the bottom of the sea or annihilating them completely.

    Instead, it transported them to somewhere else.

    "Asya! Juujouji! Shirasaka! Luna!"

    Hal kept calling out to this companions. Not only were they companions but also individuals who were connected to Hal through magical bonds, hence, he immediately noticed.

    (...They''re gone.)

    No matter how loudly he yelled or how desperately he searched, he could not reach the girls.

    Haruga Haruomi''s retainers¡ªtheir very existence¡ªhad vanished off the face of the Earth. Even though instinct told him that the four girls were not dead, Hal still felt that they did not exist anywhere on the Earth...

    Galad''s mystic spell of "Open, door to another world."

    This magic''s terrifying effects caused not only the leviathans but also their partners to vanish from the escort ships.

    "Where did you transfer them to!?"

    "...All I can tell you is none of the above. Try to search carefully after you defeat me."

    Hal interrogated the dragon in front of him, but the other party remained nonchalant.

    While Galad was moving Hal to Tokyo at lightning speed, Hal wanted to sigh from the bottom of his heart.

    "You put that island in such a conspicuous spot simply as a diversion?"

    "Yes, indeed. Anything would have sufficed. So long as it drew your attention¡ªpreventing you from realizing my intentions."

    "So separating me from the witches was also part of your plan."

    Were their positions reversed, Hal definitely would have done the same, Hal thought gloomily.

    The first step towards cornering Haruga Haruomi required eliminating the witches who assisted him.

    "Still, I never thought I''d fall into your trap..."

    The obsession with victory belonging to the warrior race of dragonkind.

    And the meticulous caution lacking in the warrior race of dragonkind.

    Having witnessed how terrifying his old foe had become after changing his ways, Hal gulped hard. How much resistance could he put up against such a monster?

    Guarded by pearly protection, his body and mind were tensing up from uncertainty and nervousness.

    Once again, Hal became painfully aware that "I''m not suited to battle after all." Haruga Haruomi was a not a fighter whose will to fight would ignite under such circumstances.

    Even so, he had no choice but to take the bull by the horns.

    Driven by duty rather than fighting spirit, Hal yelled with reckless abandon, "Queen, I beg you! Act as my limbs and settle the fight with this guy!"

    With Tokyo New Town as the stage, the second round of the duel between Tyrannoi was finally beginning.

 Volume 7, 3 - New Town in Turmoil

    Volume 7, Chapter 3 - New Town in Turmoil

    Part 1

    At Kogetsu Academy, Year 1 Class F was having second period.

    Attendance was roughly down by 20% from the beginning of the first school term, due to the frequent dragon strikes in recent months.

    Futhermore, three regular attendees were absent today.

    Haruga Haruomi, Anastasya Rubashvili, and Juujouji Orihime¡ª

    To Mutou-san and Funaki-san, they were friends and "colleagues." Though they did not know the precise reason, the two girls realized vaguely that something big must have happened seeing as three important members of Tokyo''s defense line, involved in the field of fighting dragons, were absent at the same time...

    Perhaps because of that...

    In the middle of second period, when the speakers installed all around town suddenly broadcast an emergency evacuation alarm, Mutou-san and Funaki-san were not surprised at all.

    ''Citizens, please remain calm and head over to the designated shelters¡ª''

    The female voice announced the approaching of dragons and the need to evacuate. Notifications for guiding citizens to evacuate also arrived one after another on their cellphones.

    During this time, most of the people in the class were quite calm.

    At most, there were a few anxious students. After all, they were living in the twenty-first century, an era when the existence of dragons had become taken for granted.

    Just as they were preparing to evacuate in an orderly manner¡ª

    "Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

    Noticing something alarming outside, a female student near the window screamed.

    She pointed outside. Two giant creatures were flying at low altitude¡ªaround a hundred meters. One was crimson, the other was silver-white.

    Of course, the two creatures were dragons, but both were much larger in size than Raptors.

    In addition, both were giving off pearly glows that looked like barriers.

    The silver-white dragon held onto the crimson dragon tightly, even using its right forelimb to choke the opponent''s throat, dragging the crimson dragon towards the Sumida River!

    "Isn''t that the dragon from last time!?"

    Seeing the silver monster, Mutou-san stood up.

    Before the summer holiday, she had met a handsome young man by chance. Before parting ways, he had transformed into that silver dragon, in the same manner as space warriors whose color schemes chiefly consisted of red and silver.

    "These two would both be categorized as elite dragons."

    Through her classmate Haruga Haruomi, she had learned a great deal about dragons. That power and gigantic body, as well as the glint of intellect in their eyes. Unmistakable.

    "I never thought I''d see this in person one day..." murmured Mutou-san, utterly moved.

    However, the surrounding people were not as laid back.

    The two elite dragons had flown past extremely close by, almost brushing the edge of the school yard. Furthermore, their bodies seem to be releasing magic-like energy, causing the classroom windows to suddenly shatter all at once.

    "Kyahhh!" "Wahhh!?"

    Girls screamed again, followed by that of boys.

    Fortunately, class was in progress, otherwise, students next to the windows would have gotten hurt.

    Thanks to lesson time, everyone were at their seats and nobody was injured by the broken glass. However¡ª

    Instead, chaos broke out. Students and even the teacher rushed out of the classroom in panic, fighting towards the stairs, trying to leave the school as quickly as possible.

    The students running in the corridor were not limited to those of Year 1 Class F.

    The other homerooms¡ªno, the entire school¡ªwere doing the same. An astounding number of students were congesting the corridors completely.

    That being said, around a quarter of the students still remained calm.

    They were calling to the other students, telling them to calm down, but to no avail.

    Naturally, Mutou-san was among the calm minority.

    "...Listen to me."

    Someone tugged at her uniform sleeve. It was the twintailed girl, Funaki-san.

    "Judging from the situation, we won''t be able to evacuate for the time being. Wanna go see what''s up with those two dragons?"

    "Oh, good idea."

    Funaki-san pointed at the classroom ceiling and Mutou-san immediately understood.

    "Then let''s go?"

    "Yeah. Say, once we find that silver dragon, does that mean we''ll be able to see that handsome guy again?"

    "Assuming he¡ªthat dragon¡ªis willing to transform for us."

    The two of them left the classroom.

    Shoving and squeezing, they made their way arduously to the stairs. Year 1 Class F was located on the fourth floor of the five-story school building. Compared to the school entrance on the ground floor, going up was an easier destination of course.

    Furthermore, everyone else was moving downwards.

    Hence, the two girls arrived at the roof relatively easily.

    "Eh? It''s the prez!"

    Seeing someone already on the roof, Mutou-san jumped in surprise.

    It was the senior student and president of the UFO Research Club¡ªPresident M.

    "It appears that you and I thought the same."

    A hundred and twenty kilograms by visual estimates, the president was standing there with Old Tokyo''s scenery as a backdrop.

    The Old Tokyo Concession was actually less than a kilometer away from Ryougoku where the school was located.

    Tokyo''s former city center¡ªthe Yamanote Line, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Roppongi and other urban areas had become a wasteland of scrap iron and debris, silent and desolate.

    However, Old Tokyo''s landmark remained intact to this day.

    The Monolith, a triangular prism of pure black, stood at the land that used to be called "Ginza." Towering at a height of a thousand meters, it could be seen very clearly from the school.

    "The two dragons crashed over there."

    President M pointed north¡ªtowards Komagata and the Azuma Bridge.

    It was near the Sumida River. This first-class river served as a boundary between Tokyo New Town on its east and the Old Tokyo Concession on its west. Komagata was clearly on the east bank...

    Mutou-san was stunned.

    "Meaning that there are two dragons in New Town, hostile to us..."

    "In my opinion, I don''t think both dragons are hostile."

    "What do you mean by that!?"

    "The red one is probably Haruga''s dragon."

    "Really!? Then things might not be as serious as they seem!" Funaki-san exclaimed happily.

    President M''s superpowers¡ªor rather, psychic abilities¡ªseemed capable of seeing into the future. Not only Mutou-san but Funaki-san too were aware of President M''s prowess, but¡ª

    "However, his situation does not look good either. I feel... that Haruga is fighting alone, apparently separated from his companions."

    "Ehhh!?"

    "At this rate... It might be over for him."

    President M exhaled solemnly with a "mm-hmm."

    The two first-year students held their breaths and stared at the weirdest weirdo in the school with uncertainty.

    Part 2

    "O wisdom of Ruruk Soun, grant me power!"

    "What he said. Grant me power too! Please!"

    The two Tyrannoi recited incantations for using magic.

    Pavel Galad was using the magic of High-Speed Flight to soar the sky. This was magic allowing dragons to increase their flight speed dramatically, breaking the sound barrier.

    However, Hal also invoked the magic of Telekinesis.

    This was to use an invisible force to impede the enemy''s supersonic flight.

    The silver dragon''s speed was supposed to be able to reach Mach 10 or even Mach 20.

    Hal''s telekinesis was limiting the speed to fifty or sixty kilometers per hour. However, Galad was using his own telekinesis to counter Hal''s, causing their speed to become comparable to that of an automobile on a highway. Moving from off the shore of Urayasu to Tokyo New Town, they crossed the Sumida River¡ª

    Finally, they crashed somewhere in the Asakusa area in the Old Tokyo Concession.

    Asakusa was an urban area famous for tourist attractions such as Kaminarimon and Sens¨­-ji. The two elite dragons, one crimson and the other silver-white, both slid across the wasteland of former Asakusa like baseball players.

    Smashing into a high-rise building near Asakusa Station, they finally stopped.

    Pavel Galad happened to end up on top of the Crimson Queen. At that instant, Hal ordered the queen, "Kick him!"

    "Take that!"

    "Hohohoho. Your strength has increased!"

    Galad was sent flying, kicked by the queen''s left hind leg.

    However, the kick that should have sunk into the silver-white belly was blocked by imperishable protection, leaving the dragon hero completely unscathed.

    Still, the queen was likewise unscathed too.

    The queen launched seven runes of Ruruk Soun like a restraining device to seal off the opponent''s movements. Since this did not inflict physical damage, imperishable protection could not be used to defend against it.

    However, Pavel Galad was all too familiar with handling this type of magic.

    Extending his left palm, he blocked the seven runes shot out by the Crimson Queen.

    "O shield for purifying vicious magic!"

    Two runes of Ruruk Soun appeared on his silver-white palm.

    Signifying "shield of the sacred spirit," it was magic for sealing away evil curses. The queen''s immobilizing curse clashed with this runic arrangement and vanished without a trace.

    "So the enemy holds the upper hand in mage technique, huh?" Hal remarked quietly.

    Using two types of Ruruk Soun magic simultaneously and instantly selecting appropriate incantations as counters, the pureblooded elite dragon was still the better mage.

    However, Hal had his own advantage.

    "Solomon-senpai¡ªLend me your power."

    King of ancient Israel and great sorcerer of old, Solomon.

    During the summer vacation, the Crimson Queen had swallowed his soul together with the Rune of the Ring. The great king''s soul was currently akin to Haruga Haruomi''s servant.

    By allowing the queen''s heartmetal to unleash its full power, combined with Solomon''s ring and spiritual energy¡ª

    "Oh?"

    "This move was able to oppose Hannibal at least...!"

    Hal had been in this same state during the decisive battle against the red dragon king in New York.

    Back then, King Solomon was helping him with ulterior motives, but now, Hal was had the great king and the ring''s power under his full control.

    With a body length close to twenty meters, the queen was shrouded in a platinum glow.

    "The Rune of the Bow¡ª" Hal muttered, feeling deeply that this very moment, the queen had obtained magical power surpassing Pavel Galad''s.

    "I''m leaving the rest to you!"

    Spreading out the pair of crimson wings, the crimson dragon took off from the ground again.

    The dragonslaying bow manifested in the left hand while a fireball appeared in the right. The queen placed the fireball on the bowstring, drew the bow, and fired.

    "This power rivals that of the vaunted dragon kings... Splendid!"

    "Here goes!"

    The fireballs multiplied into nine and crashed towards the ground.

    Every fireball was targeting the massive silver-white body. A full burst technique of assured annihilation. The dragonslaying sword suddenly manifested in Pavel Galad''s hand too.

    "O sword, immolate..."

    The familiar longsword began to change.

    Like yesterday, the body of the blade burned with blue flames, together with fourteen runes of Ruruk Soun encircling the blade...!

    The arrangement signified "I am the user of the sword of divine alacrity."

    "Sever with haste the inauspicious instruments that begrudges dragons!"

    With lightning speed, Pavel Galad swung his sword nine times.

    The blazing longsword instantly pierced the nine fiery projectiles. The entire process might have taken less than a tenth of a second.

    Furthermore, the fiery projectiles instantly vanished after being pierced by the tip of the sword...

    Nine consecutive thrusts executed with miraculous speed of the sword. However, what Hal noticed was something else.

    "The Rune of the Sword¡ªhasn''t it become more powerful than before?"

    The Bow and the Sword. Two powers of dragonbane, their techniques of assured annihilation clashing, erasing each other.

    This was the exchange just now. However, a draw could not occur unless both sides were virtually equal in power. The weaker side would have been blown away. When invoking the technique of assured annihilation, the Crimson Queen had used dragon king-class magical power.

    The fact that Galad''s sword could stand up to her implied that his sword had dragon king-class power too, right?

    "In that case, here I go again!"

    "The outcome is not going to change. Bring it on!"

    The queen fired nine fireballs again and the silver dragon pierced them all with nine consecutive thrusts.

    The same pattern of exchanges repeated like a replayed video. In other words, the power that Pavel Galad demonstrated earlier was not coincidence...!

    "It appears that neither you nor the Flame Emperor noticed that¡ª"

    The silver dragon began to speak. The Flame Emperor was how dragonkind addressed Hannibal the dragon king.

    "I sent minions specialized in stealth to the North American continent to record the battle between you two. Haruga Haruomi has come to possess power approaching that of the dragon kings. This is a fact long known to me."

    "Here you go again, using little tricks that don''t match your image."

    Hal frowned and casually mocked Galad.

    "This sort of stuff should be left to small potatoes like me. You should keep maintaining your dignity as one of the strong."

    "Hmm. I am precisely imitating what you would do."

    Galad''s response was unexpected. Then he said something even more surprising to the stunned Hal.

    "In order to surpass you, I studied and analyzed the man named Haruga Haruomi, as well as the race called humanity. In the end, this is what I think¡ªAs a human, you have many ways of doing things that are worth learning from... Want to try imitating?"

    "W-What are you talking about?"

    "Fettered by the ways of dragonkind, it is impossible to become king. In that case, the only solution is to change myself. Hohohoho, you taught me this, you know?"

    Pavel Galad seemed to be thanking him.

    Hal was dumbstruck. The dragon hero proceeded to give him an even greater shock.

    "However, I am not the only one who changed, you know? Speaking of which, you are the first to transform into a non-human creature."

    "Huh?"

    "You were no longer human the instant you absorbed a dragon king''s heartmetal."

    "......"

    "Then after that, you kept growing as a non-human practitioner of magic, obtaining sufficient power to outclass us Zizou in such short time¡ªIn fact, I was quite touched yesterday to witness how much you have changed."

    Pavel Galad''s voice was trembling with excitement.

    Evidently, despite his shift in philosophy and pragmatism, his hot-blooded personality remained wholly intact. However, Hal noticed something.

    The whole time, this Galad bastard hasn''t looked at me at all when speaking to me.

    "Acquiring a heartmetal and magical power beyond human has led to gradual changes in your physical body. From what I have heard, this happens to the majority of human Tyrannoi¡ªWill Haruga Haruomi follow the same path, I wonder?"

    Currently, the silver-white dragon was gazing at the Crimson Queen.

    The silver dragon was staring into the eyes of the giant red dragon as though conversing to Haruga Haruomi himself while holding the dragonslaying sword in his silver right hand.

    ¡ªHold on a sec, where the hell am I?

    Hal finally discovered that he had started hovering above ground at some point!

    He was floating in the air, roughly ten meters away from Galad and the queen.

    While clothed, his body was exhibiting translucence.

    (This isn''t corporeal... Am I in a state similar to a soul!?)

    He immediately corrected himself. Not "similar to" but he was in fact a spiritual entity.

    All the things he had said to Pavel Galad just now had been transmitted out from the Crimson Queen''s heartmetal.

    Most likely, the silver-white dragon did not even see Hal''s spiritual entity.

    (Or rather, it''s possible that my real body is about to turn into the queen.)

    This terrifying possibility occurred to him.

    Were he corporeal right now, he would most likely be trembling all over. Meanwhile, Pavel Galad grew more and more elated.

    "I isolated you from those imitations and witches in order to secure my victory. Now that you are alone and unaided, together with my minions, I shall take care of you."

    He pointed the tip of his dragonslaying sword to the sky.

    Hal guessed that runes of Ruruk Soun would appear and he was right. However, Hal paled in alarm when he saw the massive rune in the sky.

    The Rune of the Sword in the air, consisting of three inequality signs of "<" in a series.

    Its size was frightening. If one were to draw a circle around this dragonslaying rune, the circumference would probably reach forty kilometers.

    That would be comparable to the length of the Yamanote Line encircling Tokyo in the past.

    The excessively large Rune of the Sword began to descend, scattering tiny golden particles across Tokyo New Town as though it were snowing.

    No way¡ªHal gulped.

    Was Pavel Galad intending to conduct some kind of large-scale magical ritual on all of Tokyo New Town?

    Through the Crimson Queen, he transmitted a message to Galad.

    "I heard you''ve been lurking all over Tokyo for the past two months... Sure enough, you''ve set up that crazy looking magic, right?"

    This was not confirmation. Hal was already certain.

    "What exactly did you do?"

    "Anything too obvious would have been discovered by your faction. I simply synthesized some steel and mixed it into the large amount of stone and metal used in the construction of this city of Tokyo, thereby allowing it to react swiftly and sensitively to my magic."

    "Speaking of which, alchemy is your specialty too..."

    Synthesizing all kinds of enchanted metals according to their purpose then imbuing them with magical power.

    Alchemy magic was Pavel Galad''s specialty. Doing all this singlehandedly, and only requiring two months, this was impossible for any ordinary human.

    However, if one applied the skills of elite dragons¡ª

    This would be nothing difficult. What exactly was going to happen next?

    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

    The instant Hal wondered, he heard a thunderous crash.

    "!?"

    The two of them were at Sumida Park on the shore of the Sumida River.

    A fairly large park in Tokyo New Town, this was a famous spot for flower viewing. Next to it, parallel to the Sumida River, was the New Town Expressway, previously called the Shuto Expressway.

    A portion of this highway suddenly exploded.

    The raised section and the massive supporting pillar underneath it exploded without warning, sending concrete debris of varying sizes flying in all directions.

    ...In addition, what looked like steel rods could be seen mixed among the fragments and debris of the explosion.

    The steel rods began to twist and deform, turning into the shape of a creature''s skeleton within the blink of an eye.

    Concrete fragments adhered to it one after another.

    "Is this a type of golem...?"

    Hal witnessed the birth of a magic creature formed from concrete and a steel skeleton. Its size and shape was quite similar to a Raptor.

    And there were more than one. The scattered fragments were all combining, transforming.

    At a rough estimate, there were two hundred?

    Their shapes were not identical either. Most looked like Raptors, but others resembled serpents, insects, fish, etc...

    Featuring a body length of around seven meters, every golem flew into the air.

    "Rune of Ruruk Soun..."

    Hal immediately used magic. The single rune for Eye appeared.

    This rune rose into the sky, offering an overhead view of the scenery below, a type of magic to facilitate the gathering of intelligence.

    Just as he suspected, the same calamity was happening all over New Town. Hal was not surprised at all, but a little speechless.

    "In other words..."

    The explosion of the expressway in front of Hal and Galad''s location at Sumida Park was not the only one.

    A large number of golems were emerging from Horikiri, Mukoushima, Ryougoku, the Kiyosu Bridge and dozens of other locations.

    Hal now understood Pavel Galad''s plan.

    "Using steel and concrete from buildings all over Tokyo as materials, you''re trying to make a huge number of golems¡ªAn army under your command!"

    In contrast, none of Hal''s companions were by his side.

    The witches and leviathans aiding him were all absent.

    Isolated without reinforcements, did Haruga Haruomi have a chance of winning? A battle with dismal prospects was about to begin.

    Part 3

    Tokyo was meant to be protected by four witches.

    However, they had all fallen victim to Pavel Galad''s mystic technique, disappearing from Tokyo Bay together with their four partners, the "serpents."

    At the same time, the witches also gradually lost consciousness¡ªThis went on for a few minutes.

    When they woke up, they first jumped in surprise. The situation was completely unexpected.

    "Weren''t we at Tokyo Bay? When did we teleport to these whatever sand dunes? Sand dunes of a certain prefecture where major cafe chains and convenience stores are pitifully lacking."

    Luna Francois was grumbling with displeasure.

    The four girls were currently on sandy ground.

    White sand dominated the view as far as the eye could see, looking as though it stretched all the way to the other side of the horizon. It was vast enough that one could call it a desert. Instead of Tokyo Bay, this was a sea of sand.

    "That being said, it is doubtful whether this is within the borders of Japan itself," Luna remarked sardonically.

    The sky was gray.

    However, this was not due to overcast weather, because there was not a single cloud in the sky. As though painted by watercolors, the sky itself was wholly gray without even a sun.

    The air temperature was around twenty-eight degrees Celsius. Definitely not cool but not unbearably hot either.

    It was impossible for a desert to have no wind, yet the air was completely still here. This was an anomalous world lacking in this thing and that.

    Luna Francois shrugged and said to her fellow master-class witch, "Asya, can you send Rushalka out to scout?"

    "Understood. But instinct tells me... Don''t get your hopes up about finding useful information about this extremely bizarre space."

    "I agree. I''m willing to bet a hundred US dollars that this ins''t Earth."

    "Because this place is definitely too weird."

    While the two witches were discussing this anomalous world, next to them, Juujouji Orihime said to her cousin Hazumi, "Hazumi, have you noticed anything?"

    "Well, Nee-sama, Minadzuki says that this place is very similar to Solomon-san''s barrier that trapped Senpai and me during the summer vacation. The feeling seems to be the same..." The introverted Hazumi reported timidly.

    Asya and Luna Francois nodded and remarked poignantly with a look of comprehension.

    "Well, there you have it."

    "We''ve been rendered captives in a dragon''s castle?"

    "Separating us from Haruomi so as to defeat each in isolation. Although it doesn''t match the battle maniac style of the dragons, it''s definitely a commonly used and wise tactic."

    King Solomon had created an astoundingly vast barrier inside his ark and invited Haruga Haruomi as his guest. Pavel Galad was a Tyrannos like King Solomon, but his power level was thoroughly superior.

    Even if he was using the same kind of barrier as King Solomon did, it would not be strange at all.

    Ten-odd minutes passed.

    "Anyway, I''ll have Rushalka make one round."

    The blue wyvern flew over Asya and the witches'' heads.

    Rushalka''s flying speed was especially fast among "serpents," possibly unparalleled. Precisely because of that, she had been chosen for reconnaissance.

    "A few dozen kilometers to the northwest, there''s something resembling a set of ruins. Fairly large. No creatures such as dragons."

    "Even if there aren''t any right now, any number of them could be summoned if magic is used," Luna Francois replied.

    Asya concurred, "I agree. Also, this is a completely barren land with nothing apart from that set of ruins, just as we suspected."

    "I suppose the only way to break out of our predicament is to pay this place a visit? Let''s take potential trouble into consideration."

    "There is also the option of staying here, waiting for a rescue that may or may not arrive, but without food and water, who knows how long we can hold out for."

    "With neither a roof nor walls, plus sand everywhere, personally, I''d rather not do that."

    The two master-class witches reached a consensus and decided to take a gamble.

    The two Japanese witches respected their seniors'' opinion, hence it was decided immediately. The four girls summoned the rest of their leviathans.

    A body length of ten-odd meters was the default size for "serpents."

    They shrank their leviathans down to around one third of their original size. This was a command available to experienced witches. Riding their miniaturized partners, the girls began to move.

    The quadrupedal Akuro-Ou and Glinda ran over the sand.

    In contrast, Rushalka and Minadzuki flew at low altitude to avoid detection.

    It was a journey across a plain of sand. With no particular obstacles, all they needed to do was move in a straight line. Boring and uneventful.

    After roughly twenty minutes, the witches finally reached their destination.

    "According to what Rushalka saw from the air, these ruins cover quite a wide area. You can put a dozen or so Tokyo Domes in it."

    Asya was able to convert the scenery seen by her partner into visual information.

    This set of ruins inside Pavel Galad''s barrier¡ª

    Simply stated, it resembled an "open-pit mine."

    With a bowl-shaped depression gouged out of the ground, underground veins of red-brown minerals were exposed. This open pit for mining probably had a diameter reaching two kilometers.

    "I-It''s huge, Nee-sama!"

    "My goodness! How can it be so big!?"

    The four witches were standing at the edge of the "bowl-shaped open-pit mine."

    The sight was so grand that it would probably be listed as a world heritage site if it existed on Earth. Due to overwhelming emotion, Hazumi and Orihime had their eyes widened, looking down upon these ruins that resembled an open-pit mine.

    By visual estimates, the depth exceeded five hundred meters.

    Furthermore, there was a building on the bowl''s sloping surface.

    The building resembled a temple given the style of its roof and tower. The building material seemed to be a kind of stone with a texture similar to obsidian. Using structures from the human world as a comparison, the architectural style most resembled Greek.

    In the sky over this open-pit mine, there was a transparent crystal ball hovering midair.

    With nothing supporting it underneath or suspended from above, it was floating motionlessly in the air. With a diameter of fourteen or fifteen meters, it was roughly the size of a leviathan.

    "That crystal ball looks very suspicious."

    "...Oh. Could you all listen to me, everybody?" Orihime suddenly spoke stiffly after Asya gave her comment. "That hole¡ªSomething smells ominous about it. Akuro-Ou suddenly tensed up. It feels like this could be the enemy''s scent."

    " " "......" " "

    Akuro-Ou was the nine-tailed fox-wolf leviathan.

    A member of the canid family in form, Orihime''s partner had the keenest sense of smell among the four leviathans here.

    Carrying Orihime, she started to growl softly.

    Next¡ªDragons surged out of the red-brown slopes of the bowl-shaped open-pit mine. Not from a single location but emerging from every corner like bamboo shoots in spring after rain.

    A large number of lesser dragons, Raptors, showed up.

    Before the girls'' eyes, five of them popped out, then seven, followed by another nine¡ªIt was endless.

    The newborn Raptors did not spring into action right away. Instead, they were spacing out without moving from their spot.

    However, if they were to attack at the same time... The witches could not help but gasp at the thought of that.

    "Prepare for battle, everyone!"

    Asya swiftly jumped down from her partner''s back.

    In the next instant, Rushalka soared through the sky, gradually increasing in size. Her miniaturized body returned to its full size of ten-odd meters.

    The other three girls followed suit, letting the three leviathans expand in size.

    The quadrupedal Glinda and Akuro-Ou remained on the ground, standing by near the outskirts of the open-pit mine. Minadzuki stayed motionless in the air overhead, watching over the witches.

    "But there are too may of them."

    As though trying to encourage herself and her companions, Orihime said, "Raptors can''t use runes, so we will manage somehow!"

    "Wait, Orihime-san, that''s...!"

    In a rare moment, Luna Francois showed a frozen expression.

    She was staring at the bottom of the pit. A blue spark shot out from there, striking the hovering crystal ball in the air¡ªcausing the suspicious sphere to explode.

    The fragments scattered, leaving a magical symbol in the air.

    Platinum light traced out a rune consisting of three inequality signs, "<" in a series.

    "It''s the Rune of the Sword!?"

    The same instant as Asya exclaimed in shock¡ª

    The endless stream of Raptors emerging from the open-pit mine finally increased to around five hundred. Like a brand, the Rune of the Sword appeared on the forehead of each Raptor.

    Originally very weak, these lesser dragons began to transform.

    Their mouths and snouts merged, turning into what resembled swordfish bills. Sharp at the tip and sword-like in shape.

    Dragonslaying swords were equipped on the snouts of the Raptors!

    Next, the army of five hundred Raptors flapped their wings at last, intending to fly into the sky to attack their enemies.

    One after another, the dragons took flight, aiming to exit the open-pit mine.

    The enemy army was like a flock of feeble butterflies, flying unsteadily, but even so, they still made their way to the vast sky outside the pit, gradually raising their altitude. Although their speed had yet to go up, one could tell that they were going to awaken completely sooner or later.

    And they were even fitted with dragonslaying swords too.

    Asya said to her comrades, "Do we have a way of using the Rune of the Bow?"

    "Doesn''t seem to work, probably because Harry isn''t here. As humans, we''re not capable of magic that can pass through this kind of barrier and communicate with him¡ª"

    When witches obtained the power of dragonbane, the corresponding rune would appear on the back of their left hand.

    Currently, no emblem could be seen. Whether the Bow, the Twin Katana, or the Ring, no dragonslaying rune appeared.

    It was the same for Orihime and Hazumi in addition to Asya and Luna Francois.

    "W-We clearly can''t use the runes, but why can those dragons use the Rune of the Sword¡ª!?"

    "This is the enemy''s home field, after all. Surely it must be related to the crystal and the spark we just saw... We''ll have to look into it later."

    Ignoring the panicking Hazumi, Luna shouted, "Glinda, pin them to the ground! Gravity Pressure!"

    The three-headed lion leviathan invoked pseudo-divinity.

    In the next instant, the more than five hundred Raptors that were flying unsteadily, almost about to fly beyond the open-pit mine, fell down swiftly, crashing hard into the pit''s sloping surface.

    Glinda had used her Gravity attribute to pull them down by force.

    Drawing the Raptors downward from the sky, she smashed them into the ground.

    The reason was quite simple, but targeting every single one of these five hundred Raptors and achieving this feat effortlessly was only possible due to the skills of the master-class witch Luna Francois.

    "Luna-san, you''re so amazing!"

    "B-But those dragons still look energetic...!"

    Orihime praised in admiration but Hazumi voiced her worries.

    Immobilized inside the pit by gravity, the five hundred Raptors were struggling, flapping their wings and thrashing their limbs, but could not even lift their bodies up from the ground. However, it was true that their movements were strong and forceful with plenty of vitality.

    The force of the fall evidently did not inflict much damage to the overly resilient Raptors.

    This was most likely the blessing of the Rune of the Sword. Creatures granted the power of dragonbane would become extremely durable. Haruga Haruomi had experienced it firsthand himself, but¡ª

    "Although I don''t know how long I can keep them restrained without Harry''s help, I will pin them down for as long as possible. I leave the rest to you!"

    Luna Francois called out loudly.

    In the process of using pseudo-divinity, Glinda the three-headed lion had her limbs extended, stomping the ground at ful force, roaring fiercely.

    ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

    Glinda''s entire body was releasing magical power.

    This was to reinforce the potency of the pseudo-divinity imprisoning the Raptors inside the pit. Among the five hundred Raptors, ten-odd of them struggled desperately, broke free, and were about to take flight again.

    However, the gravity crushing the dragons to the ground increased again.

    Even the Raptors about to fly crashed with a thud, their chins and upper torsoes smashed against the sand, unable to move.

    Orihime was the first to take action next.

    "In that case... Akuro-Ou!"

    The nine-tailed fox-wolf leviathan¡ªAkuro-Ou.

    Orihime''s partner used the pseudo-divinity of Fire, discharging vortexes of flame from the tips of her nine tails, immolating the Raptors that were trapped inside the pit!

    This attack succeeded in burning around fifty of them to ash.

    The strong Raptors were reaching the limit of their stamina too.

    "Minadzuki will help out too!"

    The emerald serpentine dragon leviathan¡ªMinadzuki¡ªopened her mouth, firing a white heat beam at the Raptors.

    Seven Raptors perished at the same time. Having her partner refrain from using pseudo-divinity was evidence of Shiasaka Hazumi''s growth as a witch.

    Among them, Minadzuki was the only one capable of relying on "goddess power" to use healing magic.

    Hazumi had learned how to decide the timing of pseudo-divinity, so as to be ready when her comrades were injured. In past battles, before she gained mastery in the realm of magic, she had never thought this far ahead.

    "Rushalka, begin the attack. One hit one kill."

    Asya issued orders calmly and mercilessly.

    Currently, Glinda''s pseudo-divinity was keeping every Raptor pinned to the ground.

    To make the best of this opportunity, Rushalka descended swiftly from the air then ascended rapidly, repeating this over a dozen times. Using her hind legs to grab the heads of the immobilized Raptors, she twisted and broke their necks, causing fatal injuries.

    However, the Raptors continued to struggle, trying to break free of their restraints.

    Luna Francois and Glinda''s magical power and concentration were not limitless. The shackles of gravity began to weaken. The number of Raptors dragging these shackles while taking flight unsteadily increased one by one.

    The situation was getting more dangerous, but Asya remained calm and composed.

    She issued orders one after another. "Rushalka, enter dogfighting range. Blitz them."

    Seeing Raptors flying unsteadily, Rushalka approached swiftly.

    Using her body, she knocked them away, crushing the startled enemies'' heads with her jaws, instantly rendering her enemies dead or incapacitated.

    However, the restraints of gravity control were gradually weakening while Rushalka continued to fight.

    More and more Raptors recovered their agility, looking so menacing that their prior sluggishness seemed like a lie. Charging at Rushalka, they tried to stab her with their sword-like bills.

    Unfortunately for them, the pair of Shootdown Aces remained calm and merciless.

    "Rushalka, avoid head-on confrontations and prioritize attacking from behind."

    "Rushalka, I allow you to use your breath, but only in emergencies."

    "Rushalka, prepare to attack with your horn."

    Every time the situation changed, Asya instantly issued commands.

    Moving spectacularly, Rushalka circled behind the backs of Raptors, biting her prey''s necks instead of attacking with her breath, then stabbed them using the horn on her forehead. Repeating this almost like a flow process, she kept slaughtering the Raptors.

    Asya the seasoned warrior and her partner Rushalka.

    In fact, the blue wyvern did not wait to listen until the final word in Asya''s orders. The moment the silver-haired witch called her name, Rushalka would perform the action required by her partner.

    Linked in mind and soul. As soon as Asya thought, her intent would reach her partner.

    For the Shootdown Ace partnership renowned as Europe''s strongest, words were merely an auxiliary means of communications.

    Rushalka accurately put into action what the experienced Asya pictured in her mind.

    Indeed. One could not rule out the possibility of Pavel Galad sending reinforcements.

    The use of pseudo-divinity, with its limited usage count, had to be minimized, but complete abstinence would not be wise either.

    "Asya, I''m planning to cast gravity on them again. Can I trouble you to guard Glinda while I am charging up?"

    "Got it!"

    Luna made her request just before the restraining gravity ran out.

    Most of the Raptors had regained their freedom and were flying out of the pit again to attack the four "serpents."

    It was currently the most chaotic moment of the battle.

    The enemies were down to three hundred or so. A few dozen of them were wandering on the ground near the brave Glinda, about to attack her with the swords on their snouts...

    Rushalka flew right into the middle of those Raptors.

    With wings outspread, she stopped in the air. Asya swiftly issued orders.

    "Rushalka, while flying over to take the position directly above Glinda, use pseudo-divinity and exterminate them. Frost Breath!"

    Frost Breath was a killer move combining pseudo-divinity of Water with a breath attack.

    Rushalka discharged white breath mixed with shards of ice and snow.

    Not just in front but behind and to the side as well, the whole area surrounding the blue wyvern was turned into an enchanted territory.

    When Raptors inhaled the cold air, their hearts¡ªor rather, their heartmetals¡ªstopped.

    They were frozen to death. In the next instant, the Raptors'' physical bodies immediately crumbled into dust like ice sculptures that had been smashed by a hammer...

    In the end, out of the thirty-eight Raptors, thirty-six were killed instantly.

    Only two Raptors that happened to be on the edge of the freezing death territory survived due to good luck without suffering much apparent damage.

    They flapped their wings to dissipate the cold air and flew into the sky again to attack.

    At that moment, Asya''s expression changed in alarm.

    "...Eh?"

    Instinct had told her that her attack would crush all targets in front of her without exception.

    However, her sense of judgment had been off. She failed to take care of two Raptors.

    One surviving Raptor used a headbutt on Rushalka, sinking the sword on its snout deeply into her left shoulder, digging in forcefully.

    Then it shook its head up and down hard.

    Rushalka''s wing¡ªthe wing sprouting from the left shoulder in place of an arm¡ªwas amputated at its root.

    Next moment, Asya was struck by an illusory feeling... She felt like her own left arm had been chopped off.

    "Ah."

    Even though it was an illusion, she still felt a sharp pain from the base of her left shoulder.

    The Raptor was Pavel Galad''s minion and was empowered by the Rune of the Sword. When damage was inflicted to a leviathan by a dragonslaying rune, the pain would transmit to the partner too.

    Losing one wing while in the sky, Rushalka was severely injured.

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    "Owwwwwww!"

    Rushalka screamed in pain and began to fall.

    Asya fell upon her knees in pain, pressing her head against the ground. Her left shoulder had lost all feeling, evidently from excessive pain. Her consciousness was fading too.

    As for the other surviving Raptor, it flew over Glinda, stabbing the lion leviathan deeply in the back using its snout sword the moment it was directly overhead.

    "Kyahhhhh!"

    This time it was Luna Francois'' turn to scream. She fainted.

    Like Asya, she experienced her partner''s pain. Glinda also seemed to be grievously injured, collapsing on the side.

    "L-Luna-san!?"

    "Are you okay, Asya-san!? Hang in there!" Hazumi cried out.

    Orihime was speechless too.

    However, the elder Japanese witch immediately called Akuro-Ou to her side.

    This was to protect the heavily injured Rushalka and Glinda, who were right beside them, and Minadzuki, who was relatively close to the four witches.

    The remaining Raptors immediately converged upon them.

    The circled slowly, biding their time to launch a heavy assault. Akuro-Ou and Minadzuki growled to keep them at bay.

    "Looks like we are in for a last stand."

    Luna Francois was unconscious on the ground. Asya was groaning, holding her left shoulder.

    Orihime glanced at the two senior witches and remarked softly. Although Hazumi walked over to Orihime''s side with a determined look, there was no hiding the fear and worry on her face.

    "Haruga-kun, it looks like we are facing a critical moment..."

    Calling to the young man who was not by her side, she clenched her left hand.

    The Rune of the Bow. The Rune of the Twin Katana. Normally speaking, the dragonslaying symbols would appear here on her hand. This time, the girls were deprived of aid from the power of dragonbane¡ª

    Part 4

    The elite dragon Pavel Galad and the Rune of the Sword.

    Naturally, Hal regarded him as a formidable foe.

    However, no matter what, he was probably nowhere as powerful as Red Hannibal or Princess Yukikaze¡ª

    Perhaps this kind of optimistic thinking existed vaguely in Hal''s mind. As though mocking Hal for his naivete, the dragon hero used unusual moves, one after another, which were surprising to Hal¡ªor perhaps, more potent than he imagined.

    No witches by his side. Using mysterious flames to bolster the Rune of the Sword. Summoning a large quantity of golems.

    "He''s totally coming at me, pulling out all stops..."

    Still in spirit form, Hal watched the battle situation, muttering to himself.

    Currently, the battlefield was in the sky over Tokyo New Town. Two dragons¡ªthe Crimson Queen and Pavel Galad¡ªwere flying back and forth across New Town in an aerial battle.

    Problematically, it was still not a one-on-one battle.

    "I don''t have a single ally here!"

    Pavel Galad had used alchemy magic to create a whole bunch of golems.

    Golems born from concrete and the remains of steel-framed structures, certainly abundant in manpower.

    There were winged lizards resembling Raptors, serpents, and giant lizards without wings.

    Praying mantises with sword-shaped forelimbs, stag beetles with swords for horns, swordfish whose bills were as long and sharp as swords, flying fish with sharp blades for wings and could serve as swords.

    Also sharks, killer whales, crocodiles, and salamanders.

    Plesiosaurs, pteranodons, ammonites, trilobites...

    All of them were golems that had been born before Hal''s eyes earlier. Reptiles, insects, fish, etc. There were more than two hundred of them in this airspace alone.

    Every one of them was flying freely in the sky with the Rune of the Sword appearing on their foreheads.

    Each golem was empowered by the rune, turning their swords into "dragonslaying swords." Even though Hal did not think he would be careless, it would be best to avoid being hit continuously by dragonslaying attacks. However, that was not possible.

    Using the advantage of numbers, the golems swarmed in from all directions.

    "Aiming at them one at a time is too slow..."

    Full burst. Hal ordered the queen to use a technique of assured annihilation.

    "Queen, take them out in one go!"

    The Crimson Queen raised the dragonslaying bow and casually shot it into the sky.

    Fired directly upwards, the arrow of light exploded like fireworks, producing a shower of roughly a thousand lights falling to the ground.

    Mere contact caused golems to vaporize with a resounding sizzle.

    In the end, Pavel Galad''s creations, more than two hundred of them, were eliminated in an instant, returning the queen''s surroundings to silence.

    "Find that Galad. Who knows where he''s hiding?"

    The silver dragon was nowhere in sight.

    Receiving orders, the Crimson Queen flew downstream of the Sumida River.

    For better or worse, now that Hal had turned into a spiritual entity hovering in the air, tagging along was relatively effortless. Following the queen, he was just about to use investigative magic when¡ª

    "They finally gathered here, huh..."

    A large number of enemies were flying from the Arakawa¡ªthe eastern part of Tokyo New Town.

    Golems had been born from debris of concrete and steel again. Resembling Raptors, serpents, lizards, mantises, stag beetles, swordfish, flying fish... All shapes and forms as earlier. Their foreheads showed the mark of the Rune of the Sword.

    This time, the golem army numbered roughly three hundred.

    "What''s the situation in other places?"

    Earlier, Hal had shot the magic symbol of the Eye into the sky over Tokyo.

    He closed his eyes and ordered the magic eye to show him an overhead view of Tokyo''s entirety.

    "I knew it..."

    Seeing the scenery revealed to him, Hal groaned.

    Pavel Galad had picked the former Shuto Expressway as his "mountain of raw materials." This highway network circulated in a giant oval shape in Tokyo New Town, allowing one to drive in a continuous circuit.

    Explosions had occurred at sixty or seventy locations on the highway, becoming sources for the monster armies.

    As a result, a casual count showed over a thousand golems flying unchecked in the sky over New Town as though it were their territory.

    Furthermore, all of them were converging upon Hal''s position at Mukaishima¡ª

    "Whatever, I''ve already resigned myself."

    Hal sighed.

    Pavel Galad''s trap covered quite a broad area, probably calculated to hunt down Hal no matter where he fled and corner him. Even if he tried to jump through space using teleportation magic, interference magic would probably stop him.

    In other words, he was going to encounter large numbers of golems no matter where he went.

    Not like he could use a technique of assured annihilation to take care of things every time.

    That would greatly deplete Hal''s stamina and mental focus. Extremely draining.

    Previously, he always had witches and leviathans to help share the burden, but this time, he was all alone and must handle things himself¡ª

    "Increase elevation first. Leave the ground!"

    The Crimson Queen and Hal''s spiritual form began to ascend.

    Their altitude kept increasing. 150m, 200m, 250m above ground¡ªBy the time he reached a height where he could overlook New Town''s streets as though viewing from the Tokyo Tower in the past, Hal was finally able to see the movements of the golem armies with his naked eye.

    Coming from east, west, south, and north.

    Over a thousand golems of various shapes and forms were flying in from all directions, trying to surround the Crimson Queen.

    "Fire!"

    Hal ordered the queen to launch the offensive first.

    The queen began to fire in succession. Repeatedly, the dragonslaying bow shot arrows of light, shooting down Pavel Galad''s minions one after another.

    But the enemy also closed in during this attack.

    Just as both sides got close enough for close quarters combat, Hal suddenly felt a pain in his heart.

    "Uwah!?"

    Originally firing, the Crimson Queen froze in the air.

    A flying fish golem was roaming nearby. Every time it brushed past, it would attempt to slice the queen using its wings.

    The flying fish''s wings were simultaneously sharp blades, dragonslaying swords.

    Naturally, a mere minion''s slices would not be able to breach the queen''s barrier. However, attacks blocked by imperishable protection would inflict minor damage to Hal''s heart, i.e. heartmetal¡ª

    Incidentally, this was only a prelude to a heavy offensive.

    A mantis, a Raptor, a serpent¡ªThree golems of such types approached swiftly, using the "swords" fitted on their bodies to slash the queen!

    "Gah...!"

    The queen blocked all attacks using imperishable protection, but it caused waves of pain to Hal''s heart.

    Furthermore, the attacking golems flew away after one strike without engaging continuously with the queen in the air, but new arrivals kept attacking.

    Up, down, left, right, front, back, all directions.

    Raptors, serpents, lizards, stag beetles, swordfish... All sorts.

    The Crimson Queen immediately breathed fire, burning to death the golems approaching from the front. This was a chance to use the sun-shooting¡ªNo.

    It was still too soon. Hal changed his mind and ordered the queen, "Switch weapons! Use the Rune of the Twin Katana!"

    Despite his spiritual form, the dragonslaying rune still appeared clearly on the palm of Hal''s right hand.

    Previously, it had been "the tilted half-moon," a pictograph representing the bow, but now it changed into "a cross shape" to represent a pair of katana.

    The queen''s weapons also transformed from bow and arrows to two swords, one big and one small.

    Switching from a shooting battle to close quarters combat, the Crimson Queen equipped the larger sword in the right hand and the smaller sword in the left, slicing apart the golem in front and shoving it down.

    At the same time, the queen used her tail as a whip, knocking away a golem approaching from behind.

    As for enemies from below, she used her hind legs to kick them away, following up with fire breath of course. Using more than just the two swords wielded in her left and right, the queen used her entire body as a weapon, ready to take on incoming enemies.

    In addition, there was imperishable protection.

    Even though the golems attacked with all their might, all they accomplished was inflicting minor twitching pain to Hal''s heart. In contrast, the Crimson Queen''s effortless yet powerful strikes were able to deliver instant death to her prey. It was like moths drawn to a flame.

    An impregnable stance as befitted a dragon king''s body.

    Rely on numerical superiority, the golems attacked endlessly. However, all the Crimson Queen needed to do was block the enemies'' suicidal tactics calmly and confidently then counterattack as necessary.

    "If only I could wait for victory like in those Whatever Musou games."

    But of course, reality was never so ideal.

    Hal''s spirit muttered to himself while imagining a certain action. Next, the Crimson Queen acted according to the image in his mind. Crossing the swords held in her left and right, she formed a "¡Á" shape.

    BOOOOOOM!

    CLAAAANG!

    Instantly, a thunderous crash resounded in all directions.

    Initially, it was a sonic boom produced from breaking the sound barrier. This was was followed by the noise from a violent crash of metal.

    Using the crossed pair of swords, the queen blocked a slash from Pavel Galad.

    "Hohohoho. It seems that you have no intention of allowing me to win so easily!"

    "You took the words out of my mouth!"

    Galad and the dragonslaying sword had appeared instantaneously.

    Blocked by the crossed blades, the dragonslaying sword was burning with blue-white flames. Sensing intense magical power from those flames, Hal stared at the fearsome magic swordsman.

    Runes of Ruruk Soun, High-Speed Flight¡ª

    It allowed Pavel Galad to reach a speed of Mach 1.2 or so.

    Seeing Hal and the queen losing concentration, he had suddenly closed in with supersonic flight to deliver a deadly strike of the sword. Hal only noticed it thanks to the Eye in the sky.

    In addition to a wide visual range, the Eye was even able to capture supersonic speed.

    Thanks to that, the queen just managed to draw with him. Had Hal not set up the magic eye ahead of time, defending against a sword flying at supersonic speed would have been impossible.

    It was definitely a close call. Furthermore, the clash brought an unexpected windfall.

    "You sword is almost equal in power to my twin katana... After a long absence, you''ve added some weird decoration too."

    The dragonslaying sword in front of the Crimson Queen was burning with blue-white flames.

    Looking at it from up close, Hal nodded vigorously. Rather than deducing through logic, a mage''s instinct told him the answer.

    This¡ªthe fire controlled by Galad¡ªHal had seen it before!

    Apart from that, there was another discovery worth celebrating.

    "The fire is starting to die down. Are you sure that''s okay?"

    Just as Hal pointed out, the fire on the dragonslaying sword was gradually weakening.

    In the next instant, the twin katana and the sword were no longer in stalemate. Cracks appeared on the dragonslaying sword pushing against the cross of steel¡ªthe swords wielded in the Crimson Queen''s hands, one big and one small.

    "Hmm!?"

    Pavel Galad panicked a little.

    The cracks grew, spreading all over the blade.

    Proportional to the blaze of blue-white flames, the magical power on the dragonslaying sword also gradually decreased. In contrast, the queen''s twin blades still possessed dragon king-class magical power.

    The gap in magical power was reflected in strength and durability. The battle was shifting in the favor of the twin katana...!

    "My hidden stash of treasure!" Galad suddenly shouted.

    The flames on the dragonslaying sword instantly recovered their original intensity with a "boom!" The cracks on the blade also vanished without a trace.

    Once again, the magical power of the sword rose to equal that of the twin katana.

    Yesterday, President M had given a warning, could it mean that¡ªSuddenly inspired, Hal asked Galad, "These flames granting power to a dragonslaying rune... Is it actually something I already know?"

    "Oh? You realized it? Clever as always," Pavel Galad replied, impressed. "To be honest, I did not expect you to notice so soon."

    "I don''t claim any credit. I was simply lucky to run into someone who gave me advice. Without her, I probably wouldn''t have figured it out."

    "No need to be modest. Luck is part of a warrior''s aptitude."

    "Cut that nonsense out. I''m not some kind of warrior!"

    Hal instantly retorted, but the silver dragon was no longer in front of him.

    He suddenly flew away, swiftly leaving the Crimson Queen.

    It was imperative to chase him. However, before Hal could do that¡ªThe enemy army counterattacked. The frightening number of golems attacked the queen again.

    "Damn it...!"

    Wave after wave, golems of all sorts attacked.

    Hal deployed imperishable protection in a wide area, defending all attacks regardless which direction the enemies attacked from.

    The pearly barrier surrounded the Crimson Queen.

    Golems in the shape of Raptors, pteranodons, swordfish, wasps, boars, sharks, killer whales, etc, approached the pearly light and slashed with their swords¡ª

    No matter how relentless the offensive, the swords of mere minions could not threaten imperishable protection.

    Backed by secure protection, the queen slowly exhaled fiery breath, striking back using the greater sword and the kodachi in her hands, casually dispatching the golems within reach.

    But amidst all that, one Raptor-shaped golem charged the queen.

    Noticing the golem''s unusual magical power, Hal swiftly used Ruruk Soun magic of Dispel.

    "Queen, be careful!"

    Just as he suspected, the Raptor-shaped golem began to slowly transformed after being hit by Dispel, turning into Pavel Galad with the dragonslaying sword in his hand. He had disguised himself using transformation magic.

    "Hahahahaha, you found me again!"

    CLAAAAAAANG!

    The dragonslaying sword with blue flames and the twin katana clashed intensely again for the second time today.

    The queen held the pair of swords in a cross, blocking the longsword''s downward swing. Seeing that the surprise attack failed, Pavel Galad simply flew away from the queen at high speed.

    Once again, Hal missed the chance to deliver a follow-up attack.

    This was because as soon as Galad left as the leader of the army, the golems would start attacking the queen again.

    "Is he gonna stick to hit-and-run the whole time today...?"

    Hal understood.

    Using the mass produced golem subordinates as diversions to occupy the enemy, making full use of them, while Pavel Galad himself mustered all his power and wit to slice the queen in half.

    Such tactics were hardly fair and square and did not seem to belong to a hot-blooded opponent at all.

    Hal knew. In terms of pure power¡ªHe and the queen surpassed Galad by far.

    Precisely because of that, Galad had used so many tricks to compensate for the gap. Separating Hal from the witches, using massive resources to pin down the enemy, using those flames to strengthen the dragonslaying sword.

    All this was for the sake of defeating Haruga Haruomi and his powers of dragonbane.

    To defeat such an enemy¡ªNaturally, maximum offensive power was needed.

    The bow and the technique of assured annihilation, the sun-shooting divine bow. This time, he must use a full-powered attack to achieve victory and avoid repeating the same mistake as yesterday.

    "I will fire the sun-shooting divine bow at the sky, to exterminate the sun," Hal recited the incantation softly.

    Enemies were all around. Gathered here, the number of golems reached several thousand. They were all attacking the Crimson Queen and Pavel Galad was lurking somewhere.

    Surrounded by enemies, the queen finally turned her weapon into the crimson divine bow and nocked an arrow of light on the bowstring.

    Then she fired. Up towards the sky.

    The arrow of light exploded at a height of a thousand meters above ground, turning into a shower of thousands of lights...

    It was similar to the full burst attack earlier.

    But this time, the bullets were not being fired randomly.

    Every light had to meet its mark. This was sniping. A technique of assured annihilation, aimed at the thousands of golems in Tokyo New Town.

    "Please!"

    Hal drew out even more magical power from his heart, i.e. his heartmetal.

    Magical power was sent to every corner of the queen''s gigantic body like blood, even added to the thousands of shining lights shot out from the bow.

    Currently, the Crimson Queen was Hal''s physical body.

    Every arrow shot from the dragonslaying bow could even be considered Hal''s avatar.

    Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue. Pursue!

    The technique of assured annihilation, the sun-shooting divine bow, had fired thousands of lights.

    Every light was a magical projectile of guaranteed death for exterminating enemies.

    The instant a golem was pierced in the head or the heart by light, its entire body erupted in a fiery blaze.

    The thousands of magical creatures created from enchanted steel and concrete all exploded amidst immolation, no exceptions. Numerous remains were scattered all over New Town.

    Letting not even a single bullet go to waste, the Crimson Queen had enacted this miracle.

    The whole process had taken ten-odd seconds. This massacre would have been a fitting feat for the past dragon queen who prided in her divine archery skills.

    "Where did that Galad run off to?"

    Hal''s voice was emitted from the Crimson Queen¡ªthe dragon jaws.

    After firing the divine bow, the queen''s physical body and Hal''s spiritual form began to meld together.

    When using a top-class technique of assured annihilation to perform this task, the magical power in the heart, i.e heartmetal, belonging to Hal and the queen had risen to critical point, bringing the spirit and the body to virtually complete synchronization. Hence, the two merging into one was a result that could not be more natural.

    "Enemy Detection..."

    Hal, i.e the Crimson Queen, muttered quietly.

    Although it was a small spell frequently used in the human world, Enemy Detection was quite useful. This time, Hal could immediately sense all enemies flying within three kilometers.

    After that, all he needed to do was confirm using the Eye in the sky.

    "I see."

    The magic eye informed him that the enemy had used Invisibility to conceal his entire body.

    However, the Eye created by the wisdom of Ruruk Soun had seen through it at a glance. A silver dragon, carrying a blazing longsword in his hand.

    "The final blow..."

    Hal, i.e the Crimson Queen, spoke mechanically in monotone.

    He nocked an arrow of light onto the crimson divine bow, preparing to unleash a technique of assured annihilation. This time, Hal selected the bird-downing divine bow.

    This was a mystic technique for piercing a prey''s vital with one arrow, taking its life.

    "We''ve known each other for a while now, but it''s time to end things."

    Hal muttered in a flat voice of indifference.

    However, certain dark emotions were occupying his heart.

    The sense of triumph from being able to kill the strongest prey. The sense of conquest from being able to personally crush such a fierce and powerful creature. This was an expression of the hunting instinct dormant deep in his soul, an impulse stemming from killing instinct, as well as the awakening of an instinct for strife.

    Hal, i.e. the Crimson Queen, finally shot the arrow of light.

    "Go."

    With the solemnity of someone closest to reaching the dragon king throne, he issued a brief yet powerful command.

    During its launch, the arrow of light instantly increased five fold in length and girth, turning into what could be considered a spear of light, streaking across the sky.

    0.2 seconds later, the arrow of light easily pierced the chest of the invisible Pavel Galad.

    Thus the silver dragon of the sword became enveloped in crimson flames. A great explosion. A glorious demise in the air without leaving any flesh or scales behind¡ª

    Dark joy surged in Hal''s heart. In the next instant, Hal, i.e. the Crimson Queen, jumped in surprise.

    He immediately spread his wings and backed away as fast as he could, but it was too late. Pavel Galad suddenly appeared in front of him, swinging the dragonslaying sword down¡ªOf course, Hal failed to dodge this deadly strike of the sword. Neither could he deploy imperishable protection in time to defend.

    The blade, capable of exterminating even dragons, stabbed Hal, i.e. the Crimson Queen, cleanly in the chest.

    The wound was deep enough to reach the heartmetal, or the heart organ of humans.

    "How uncharacteristic of you..." said Pavel Galad, the formidable foe who had stabbed using the dragonslaying sword.

    "Following the instincts of warriors and hunters to execute a vicious blow is fearsome indeed... But that belongs to the ways of dragonkind. The Haruga Haruomi I know is not like that."

    Didn''t I defeat you?¡ªNo no no.

    It was a very simple trap. Galad simply kept a golem in reserve then used magic to turn it into his decoy. Then all he needed to do was ambush Hal, i.e. the Crimson Queen, during his intoxicating moment of triumph to bring about a quick conclusion...

    Perhaps due to the sword wound, "Haruga Haruomi''s way of thinking" was gradually recovering.

    But it was a bit too late.

    Pavel Galad said proudly, "What a shame. To be devoured by a dragon''s soul at the final moment, thus losing your sense of self. Since you have gotten so close to the secrets of Ruruk Soun, this would be hardly unexpected¡ª"

    I see, so that''s what it feels like inside a dragon''s brain?

    Hal wanted to sustain that state longer for further research.

    However, he did not want to repeat the same mistake. Furthermore, he was evidently out of time and energy... How did this happen!?

    "Let me offer you a parting gift. Your minions¡ªthe female humans known as ''witches'' are currently facing a hopeless situation. I will see to it that everyone sets off for the afterlife. Rest assured, you will not be traveling alone."

    The same as always, Galad was very polite in strange ways.

    Although Hal wanted to retort "like hell anyone could feel assured after hearing of something like this!", he was unable to make even a sound.

    Unaware of these thoughts of Hal, Pavel Galad drew out the sword from the queen''s gigantic body.

    The Crimson Queen no longer had the strength to fly and started to fall, crashing directly towards the streets somewhere in Tokyo New Town.

    While Hal''s consciousness was gradually fading, the faces of the witches surfaced in his mind.

    Shirasaka Hazumi, Luna Francois, Juujouji Orihime, and Asya. He began to focus his mind, trying to reach the witches and their partners, the leviathans, telepathically¡ª

    Of course, it was too late.

    Even so, Hal, i.e. the Crimson Queen, still clenched his right hand forcibly.

    He grabbed something. This sensation felt nostalgic. Soft yet elastic, adhering firmly to his hand. One of them felt small and containable in one hand while the other surrounded Hal''s hand instead.

    "Asya... Juujouji..."

    He called out softly to the young maidens closest to him.

    I must hurry and reunite with them. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry... His thoughts grew more and more dull. So did the pain from his chest.

    Soon after, Hal could not think at all, finally losing consciousness.

 Volume 7, 4 - Lost Witches

    Volume 7, Chapter 4 - Lost Witches

    Part 1

    The equilateral triangular prism of pure black, towering at over a thousand meters, stood in the Old Tokyo Concession at the former district of Ginza.

    People called this type of object a "Monolith." However, dragonkind simply called it a "wedge."

    Of course, humans of Earth were unaware of this difference.

    The only exceptions were probably Haruga Haruomi, who had frequent contact with dragons¡ªand one other person.

    That man was named Sophocles.

    A tall handsome man in the prime of life with very mature airs.

    His complexion was too dark for a Caucasian, his facial features too deep-set for an oriental, no negroid characteristics. Let alone his real identity, even his race was indeterminate.

    Sophocles was standing on the top of the Monolith.

    Again, he was dressed in a black suit today, always showing up in front of others in this attire.

    "Princess, your mood seems... not too great."

    "Say no more. I cannot believe that Haruomi dared to lose before our duel... Defeated by the likes of that silver dragon. What a disgrace!"

    The eccentric dressed in black inquired why Princess Yukikaze was unhappy.

    This was a height over a thousand meters from the ground. Strong gusts of wind were blowing across the top without any hindrances.

    In spite of that, the princess and Sophocles were conversing normally.

    "The Road to Kingship, a game whose participants are Tyrannoi aiming for the position of dragon king... Shouldn''t this victory be seen as a brilliant comeback executed by the latecomer Pavel Galad? Such open-mindedness is only fitting for a dragon king."

    "I, Yukikaze, could not care less."

    Princess Yukikaze''s tone was clearly sulking.

    Acting in this manner when her appearance was that of a fourteen or fifteen year old made her seem very childish. In contrast, Sophocles was talking to her with a calm and respectful attitude the whole time.

    "Then why did you allow that dragon to have a match against the young man?"

    "Do you even need to ask? This was to tell Haruomi that he is not worthy of dueling me, Yukikaze, if he were unable to overcome a trial of that level."

    "Meaning you had no intention of fighting Pavel Galad from the very start?"

    "Not necessarily. However, to this day, I, Yukikaze, have confronted similar opponents countless times. It has long become stale and boring. In that case, I prefer to fight Haruomi. He¡ª"

    Princess Yukikaze was outlandish, seeking not just simple victory or life and death but also pleasure on the battlefield.

    Due to this type of personality, she asserted firmly, "He is far more interesting than others and pleasing to me."

    "But that young man lost."

    Sophocles'' tone was gloomy.

    "Just as you say, princess... He is not even worthy of competing against current royalty, much less ascending to the position of dragon king. Your discerning eye has proven this."

    "Hmph."

    Even when praised, Princess Yukikaze still turned her head away with displeasure like a sulking child.

    She was the youngest dragon king. Very youthful in mind as well as appearance¡ªOr rather, young. Full of childishness.

    Preciesely because of that, her mood would not improve simply because a suspicious human being offered her a few words of praise.

    However, it was not like she would sulk nonstop.

    "Fine. I, Yukikaze, shall reward that silver dragon a little as befits the victor. I shall personally send him to the afterlife."

    "Take care."

    "Your name is Sophocles, isn''t it? What are your plans?"

    "I¡ªThere is a matter that intrigues me."

    If Princess Yukikaze was a conqueror and warrior, then Sophocles was the game master who saw through everything from a god''s eye view. Out of a game master''s sense of responsibility, he said calmly, "Pavel Galad gained the advantage by carefully setting up the combat arena. However, the young man''s allies¡ªthose priestesses¡ªhave yet to exit the stage."

    "Now that you mention it, there were always a few humans hanging by Haruomi''s side."

    "Those girls are fairly resourceful. Perhaps they may become the key to victory¡ªThe second key."

    "...Oh?"

    Noticing Sophocles'' intent, Princess Yukikaze finally smiled.

    It was a radiant smile exuding pride and ambition. It was also evidence that the beautiful maiden, reminiscent of a snow fairy, had switched to a seasoned warrior''s countenance.

    "In other words, you believe there could be further twists and developments."

    "Who knows? Mere speculation on my part. I cannot make any guarantees to you about whether the situation would unfold in this way unless I bear witness with my own eyes."

    "Hahahaha. In that case, make haste and be on your way. Use your eyes properly to watch clearly!" Recovering her former vitality, Princess Yukikaze commanded gallantly.

    "In the meantime, I, Yukikaze, shall play with Pavel Galad a little while waiting for your good news. Off I go to enter the fray. Heaven and earth shall bear witness¡ªEven with the Rune of the Sword in his possession, the dragonslaying arrow cannot be stopped!"

    Part 2

    Inside the barrier created by Pavel Galad...

    A great battle was taking place in the mysterious ruins resembling an open-pit mine. Four witches and four leviathans were cornered.

    A huge number of Raptors had them heavily surrounded.

    The initial pack of more than five hundred dragons were finally reduced to three hundred or so.

    However, the girls were still severely outnumbered.

    Furthermore, the aces Asya and Luna Francois were incapacitated. They lacked the power of dragonbane on their side yet the enemy possessed the Rune of the Sword.

    No chance of victory at all.

    Even so, Juujouji Orihime still stood up straight and glared at the Raptors flying freely in the sky, equipped with the dragonslaying sword.

    The enemy had yet to launch an offensive, because Akuro-Ou and Minadzuki were growling to keep them at baby.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Akuro-Ou kept her head and upper torso low while raising her rear in a threatening pose. The nine tails were standing on end, completely extended, like an open fan.

    On the other hand, Minadzuki was hovering closer to the witches.

    Instead of intentionally putting on a ferocious appearance, the emerald serpentine dragon growled, staring aloofly at the enemies in the air.

    Looking at her injured companions, Minadzuki''s gentle partner showed worry.

    "Everybody..." Hazumi said sadly.

    Glinda had a massive wound on her back while Rushalka had her left wing completely amputated. Luna had fainted and looked unconscious. Sprawled on the ground in pain, Asya was groaning.

    All Hazumi had to do was ask Minadzuki and she would be able to use the power of healing to cure everyone.

    But doing so would present an opening to the enemy. The instant Minadzuki stopped keeping them at bay, would the Raptors in the air attack at the same time?

    This premonition gave pause to Hazumi. It was probably not paranoia on her part.

    Then at that moment, the witches jumped in surprise.

    The one most dear to them was thinking of them, worrying about their safety¡ªFor some reason, they knew with certainty.

    "...Eh? Senpai?"

    "It''s Haruga-kun!?"

    The feeling just now only lasted a brief instant. Hazumi and Orihime were stunned.

    Alone on the Earth''s surface, stuck in a crisis¡ªHe had transmitted his thoughts through a brief connection. In his fight against a fellow Tyrannos, he had been stabbed by the dragonslaying sword in the end. With his fading consciousness, Haruga Haruomi recalled his companions and transmitted his thoughts...

    "Oh no! At this rate, Senpai will¡ª"

    "Then no one can go save him? Oh my goodness...!"

    Thinking of the worst outcome, the two girls were very shocked.

    Such a reaction was very normal for Hazumi and Orihime who had grown up in Japan.

    Indeed. They were the exemplars of kindhearted girls and wholesome humans. Hence, Anastasya Rubashvili was highly unusual to think of such things.

    That was the way things were. The difference between her and the Japanese witches was as great as night and day to begin with.

    "What the heck..."

    The phantom pain felt as though her left arm had been severed whole.

    While groaning because of this unbearable pain, Asya figured things out at the same time. In a powerless voice as though on her last breath, she murmured, "The link between our minds with Haruomi''s... did not disappear¡ªIt''s just hard to confirm its presence because we''re on a different world line..."

    However, thanks to Haruomi''s intense worry for the witches'' safety, their minds had connected for an instant.

    In other words, this spiritual link could be created through artificial means. In abject agony, Asya was certain of this.

    It was apparently thanks to that mysterious crystal ball that the enemy was able to use the Rune of the Sword¡ª

    Such methods were unorthodox.

    However, if Europe''s strongest Shootdown Ace and her companions were doing it, her senses and magical power as a witch were sufficient. Through my own strength, I must reproduce the link with Haruomi!

    The pain had caused Asya''s recent pursuit of "increased feminine prowess" to vanish from her mind completely.

    Probably because of that, at this very moment, Asya began to perform a magic technique of extremely challenging difficulty, as a "complete witch" devoid of all impurities.

    "O ancient... divine seal of purity. Once again, grant me and Rushalka power."

    She petitioned the pentagram worshiped by witches and leviathans.

    It was not a prayer. Rather, she was "extracting" power from that magical emblem.

    Naturally gifted, Asya had been certified as a master-class witch at an early age, hence, her understanding of magic was founded upon inborn instinctive sensing rather than knowledge.

    So-called magic was not a method where one prayed to others, hoping for someone else to make your wish come true.

    Suppose magical power existed here. Powerful magic that could demolish an entire city if one were to mistime one''s breathing by a fraction of a second¡ª

    Using the spellcaster''s sensitivity and knowledge to subjugate such power and make it obey.

    That was magic.

    Failure never crossed her mind. Even if she actually failed, she would not care either. Even if it meant that a city would be blown away, there was no helping it. She would simply succeed next time.

    Only by attaining a realm of such an extent could one achieve Ars Magna, epic magic.

    Prayer, altruism, or some such should be left to any random religion. Arrogant recklessness, certainty of one''s success, self-centeredness, only those with their soul tainted by darkness and fiendish qualities could attain the same realm as exemplified by Asya and others!

    "...Gah!"

    Sprawling, Asya barely managed to lift her upper torso.

    Her left shoulder was in excruciating pain. In fact, it was impossible for her to move normally in this state. But by this juncture, even pain itself had turned into an important factor to increase concentration instead.

    She focused her mind to forget her body''s pain, then felt it.

    On her chest¡ªthe left breast, closest to the source of magical power''s creation, a witch''s heart. Something was fondling her small breasts, in the same manner as how Haruomi had done so in the past.

    "Rushalka, use the Rune of the Bow."

    Almost about to faint from pain, Asya smiled confidently.

    The "tilted half-moon," the emblem of the Rune of the Bow, appeared on the back of her left hand.

    Traversing worlds, a spiritual link between her and Haruomi had been reconstructed. The brief instant earlier had told Asya the key principle to this magic. Simply stated, all that was required was recreating "the same feeling as from that time." Even though it was a difficult undertaking, Asya succeeded in her goal through her natural magic talent.

    That being said, Haruomi seemed to be unconscious in the other world, wandering on the brink between life and death¡ª

    Oh well, he should be able to hang in there a little longer. He could watch his life flash before his eyes or whatever, so long as he endured until Asya executed her attack.

    "Rushalka, begin attacking with pseudo-divinity. Technique of assured annihilation!"

    Asya yelled hoarsely, as hard as she could.

    Her blue partner was no slouch either. Having lost one wing, fallen on the white desert, groaning, she was in no state to fight. However, Rushalka still raised her head bravely, glaring forcefully at the sky, and roared with all her might.

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Two white arrowheads suddenly appeared over Rushalka''s head and hurtled towards the dead center of the three hundred Raptors in the sky that were biding their time to launch a heavy offensive.

    Thus, through Asya and Rushalka''s desperate efforts and magical power, a technique of assured annihilation was unleashed.

    "Isn''t that¡ªHaruga-kun''s power!?"

    A smile bloomed on Orihime''s face.

    Rushalka had suddenly used offensive magic. Ice, snowflakes, and cold air were blowing in the sky above, rampaging unchecked, slaughtering the sword-wielding Raptors.

    Apart from the blizzard, Rushalka also created white arrowheads.

    Similar to ceramics in material, their texture resembled white porcelain.

    These beautiful arrowheads were vicious too. Firing sweeping blue-white lasers from their tips nonstop, they sliced through the Raptors'' bodies.

    Unmistakable. Asya-san was using the Rune of the Bow!

    Orihime glanced at Asya the senior witch, lying on the ground nearby.

    The feedback of Rushalka''s pain had rendered Asya unconscious, but the former Shootdown Ace of Europe had succeeded in her difficult task.

    Attacked by the technique of assured annihilation, the Raptors in the sky above were now in disarray.

    Preoccupied with fleeing from the dragonslaying laser beams, they even forgot about attacking Orihime and the others on the ground. However, whether this attack alone was able to wipe out the enemies... One could not be so sure.

    Orihime had a faint feeling that Rushalka would probably exhaust her strength before then.

    Was it a witch''s instinct? For some reason, Orihime was quite certain. She had to do something herself too.

    "Akuro-Ou... Lend me strength."

    If Asya-san could do it, so can I.

    Such a thought did not cross Orihime''s mind at all. Juujouji Orihime had neither the talent nor that kind of confidence. However¡ª

    "Simply stated, all that was required was recreating the same feeling as from that time...!"

    After feeling "connected" to Hal for a brief instant, Asya had immediately summoned the rune.

    Through this, Orihime reasoned out the cause on her own. She knew that chances of success were not high, but regardless, what she needed to do now was do everything in her power and struggle as hard as she could.

    Taking the challenge. Courage. Determination. Foolhardiness. Resignation. Trusting to chance.

    Orihime''s mindset was optimistic and a little irresponsible, while very resigned to the notion that "In the end, success still depended on whether God was accommodating"¡ª

    She thought of the boy she loved the most in the whole wide world.

    To be honest, she felt that Haruga Haruomi had quite a lot of flaws despite his areas of excellence. Lack of sociability, keeping many secrets, inexplicably obstinate.

    But even after pointing out so many of his flaws, Orihime could not help but say.

    (But I love you. I love you so much.)

    She truly dared not say this in front of others. Too embarrassing.

    These words should be left until a time when the two of them were alone. Besides, Orihime thought, I love Haruga-kun so much, and Haruga-kun also _____ me, so¡ª

    "The bond between us should be enough for him to transmit magical power to me across worlds."

    This confidence allowed her to recall the feeling when she was "one with" her beloved.

    Then Orihime felt it.

    Something was fondling her chest¡ªthe left breast nearest to a witch''s heart. Probably as before, it was his right hand groping randomly.

    "My goodness. Sure enough, Haruga-kun is so perverted."

    By now, Orihime had already memorized the sensation of these hands.

    "I will let you... grope as much as you want. You are the only one I would say these words to. Because that is how much¡ªI love you."

    Carefully savoring her loving feelings for Haruga Haruomi, she reconstructed her spiritual link.

    The Rune of the Bow appeared on the back of her left hand. Then all she needed to do next was use a technique of assured annihilation as usual, unleashing magical power to the max¡ª

    At that very moment, Orihime and her partner Akuro-Ou underwent a dramatic change.

    Feeling as though she were struck by lightning, Orihime came to a sudden realization.

    Part 3

    In the past, Haruga Haruomi had said the following to Juujouji Orihime.

    I don''t think you''re cut out to be a witch. You are too upstanding, too wholesome. However, former dragon king Hinokagutsuchi had said that descent into darkness and unorthodoxy was not the only path available.

    ''It is a principle of nature that the sacred light of the priestess can be used to bring the demonic ''serpent'' closer to divinity.''

    Orihime reestablished her link with the companion in another world.

    Originally, Orihime''s power should not be capable of accomplishing this, but she knew¡ªHer thoughts and feelings for her beloved would be sufficient to enable her to surmount this challenge.

    Even without tainting herself with darkness and fiendish qualities, she could still become stronger.

    This confidence pulled Orihime to a higher realm, granting her new blessings.

    "Light...?"

    Orihime whispered lightly.

    The affinity of her partner, Akuro-Ou, was Fire.

    However, leviathans with multiple affinities would occasionally arise. There were two of these rare cases right by Orihime''s side.

    Asya''s "Blue" Rushalka had dual attributes of Water and the Moon.

    Luna''s "Good Witch of the South" Glinda had dual attributes of Gravity and Illusion.

    Both were renowned leviathans whose stature in the witch world had earned them monikers, due to their powerful magic, varied abilities, and capable partners.

    Orihime had personally seen these "Shootdown Ace-class" leviathans in action.

    Hence, she instantly understood the identity of what resided within Akuro-Ou, the fire-aligned leviathan.

    "Another power..."

    It was an awakening, growth.

    Rather than darkness granting Akuro-Ou a new power, it was the growth of a witch with a sacred heart and soul that allowed a second pseudo-divinity to appear in Akuro-Ou¡ªthe new power unleashed by Orihime.

    This happened to take place just as Rushalka''s full burst attack ended.

    "Akuro-Ou, use sun magic!"

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Roaring, her partner invoked the second pseudo-divinity.

    Akuro-Ou was an emulation of a fire deity. The new power was the Sun. Emitting light and heat to illuminate the world, it was a solar deity''s power to banish darkness.

    What this sacred power created was of course¡ª

    At the ruins that resembled an open-pit mine, there were four leviathans and hundreds of wounded Raptors.

    Seeing the product of Akuro-Ou''s pseudo-divinity, hanging high above¡ªin the sky¡ªHazumi was very touched.

    "It''s really like the sun... Nee-sama, you are so amazing!"

    Akuro-Ou had created a "gigantic sphere of light" in the sky.

    Seventy or eighty meters in diameter, it was giving off sacred golden light.

    This sphere occupied the air above them. The targets¡ªthe hundreds of Raptors equipped with swords¡ªwere circling there. Even though Akuro-Ou and Minadzuki were growling to keep them at bay, they continued to fly haphazardly in the air, looking for a chance to attack.

    Next, the offensive began. The sphere of light fired invisible rays in a frenzy.

    Without activating magical sight, Hazumi would not be able to see these rays.

    From all over the "giant sphere of light," the rays shot out in every direction.

    Even a glancing blow was fatal. Raptors melted with a sizzle when struck, instantly vaporizing. They were like snow sculptures coming into contact with super-high temperatures.

    Accuracy in aim was not high, but the rays were too many to count.

    Furthermore, they were invisible and impossible to dodge. The Raptors were vaporized one after another.

    This was a combined skill between the pseudo-divinity of the Sun and the Rune of the Bow that had crossed worlds to grant Orihime power. Its potency made Hazumi watch in fascination. At that moment, she heard a feeble voice call to her.

    "H-Hazumi, -san."

    "Luna-san! Are you okay!?"

    Just earlier, Glinda had been struck by the dragonslaying sword.

    After fainting from the resulting pain, Luna Francois now regained consciousness. Hearing the senior witch''s voice, Hazumi rushed over to her side.

    "I will ask Minadzuki to heal you now!"

    "No... Before that, we need to do that together first."

    Supported by Hazumi, Luna Francois managed to sit up.

    It must be very painful. Luna had her right hand pressed against her magnificent bust¡ªin the area over the heart. Her beautiful face also looked haggard.

    However, the blonde master-class witch was gazing at Hazumi with intense energy in her eyes.

    "Namely, to slice open this barrier by using the same method as Asya and Orihime-san to borrow Harry''s rune. It should be possible if the Rune of the Twin Katana could be used."

    "B-But will I manage?"

    Hazumi''s cousin Orihime had awakened Akuro-Ou''s dual attributes.

    Hazumi believed instinctively that Orihime''s power as a witch was most likely even greater than the Level 3 Shirasaka Hazumi.

    Hearing Hazumi''s question, Luna Francois replied without hesitation, "I suppose not. Orihime-san''s current power is probably Level 4... Possibly master-class, even, but you haven''t reached that yet. So, you will be in charge of supporting me. Just as you can see, I am in this sorry state."

    Due to the earlier damage, Luna was all haggard. Speaking faster than normal, her usual mischievous composure was nowhere to be seen.

    "But rest assured, there is no reason why I can''t do it if Asya could in her injured state. So please help me out, because controlling the twin katana is harder than the bow. Understood?"

    "But Luna-san, in your condition..."

    "Silly child. Don''t think about such matters until we succeed in the magic!"

    "B-But¡ª"

    "If you used other magic first, you might forget the feeling of Harry''s touch just now. Because of that, we have to finish before that happens."

    Without the slightest hesitation, Luna chose her pride as a witch over the condition of her body.

    Common sense would dictate the opposite. Rather than bothering about stuff like magic, it would be only right to worry about a companion''s health from a humanitarian perspective. However, Luna reprimanded Hazumi for having the wrong notion.

    This was her "rotten" side that she normally masked using gentle words and behavior.

    "Hurry up. Orihime-san can''t possibly last forever!"

    "U-Understood!"

    Hazumi extended her left hand and clasped the senior witch''s left hand, thinking single-mindedly about Haruomi-senpai who was in a different world.

    A minute or two later, a cross-shaped emblem appeared on the backs of their left hands.

    "A-A reaction!"

    "...Excellent. According to the feeling just now, Harry was clearly about to croak, but it looks like he managed to survive. Did someone perform first aid...?"

    Compared to Hazumi who simply felt innocent joy, Luna was thoroughly practical.

    Despite seeing the same Rune of the Twin Katana, the two girls reacted completely differently. It was not simply because of age and experience, but presumably related to a difference in resolve and mental strength too.

    I must work even harder¡ªHazumi thought intensely to herself.

    Just as during the summer break in New York, what she had learned from Shamiram inside that ark.

    Meanwhile, Luna Francois finally got ready to activate the technique of assured annihilation.

    "Yin and yang... Combining diametrically opposed elements into an attack embodying the rivalry of complementary opposites. Even without Harry here, I must make it succeed...!"

    Holding hands with her junior, the master-class witch declared boldly.

    Hazumi secretly glanced to the side.

    "Good Witch of the South" Glinda was collapsed powerlessly on the white sand. No signs of standing up. The twin katana did not look like they were going to appear.

    Even with a master-class witch''s power, was this highly challenging task too great a burden?

    However, Luna gave a great shout, "The opposite powers of light and darkness must reach a balance in order to use this rune. Compared to the ''darkness'' I am responsible for, the ''light'' seems to be too weak. Holy and evil, right and wrong, yin and yang, demonic and divine... Hazumi-san, you and Minadzuki need to become even more sacred existences!"

    "Y-Yes!"

    Hazumi did not know what counted as sacred existences.

    She simply knew she must not falter. Picturing her ideal single-mindedly, making maximum effective use of her magical power and partner, she strove for that goal, just as what Luna Francois was doing right now.

    "I wish... for all the people I treasure to be safe and sound. I don''t want to see them hurt. So please, Minadzuki!"

    She conveyed her sincere prayer to the leviathan.

    Hovering near them at that very moment, Minadzuki cried out clearly.

    Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Nineteen runes of Ruruk Soun appeared over the emerald serpentine dragon''s head, glowing with platinum splendor.

    ''I summon the twin blades of exorcism, to deliver seraphic punishment to nefarious evil dragons.''

    This arrangement signified exorcism and the purification of evil magical power.

    Minadzuki possessed two forelimbs. Her right forelimb usually held a jewel, but this time, the jewel had transformed into a great blade at some point.

    Naturally, the kodachi was held by the left forearm. With a sword in each hand, she became a dual-wielding swordsman.

    However, unlike the stances of human swordsmen, she was holding both swords in reverse grip. Using the two swords¡ªslicing vertically with the larger and horizontally with the smaller of the two¡ªMinadzuki carved a cross on the ground of sand.

    This was the mark of the twin katana. Hazumi rejoiced from the bottom of her heart.

    The serpentine dragon leviathan then stabbed the twin blades into the ground as though concluding, pouring a great quantity of magical power into the cross emblem on the sand!

    "We did it... Thank goodness!"

    Not only that, but Minadzuki used magic again. This time, seven runes of Ruruk Soun appeared to signify "healing hand."

    The effects were readily apparent.

    Wounded in the back by the dragonslaying sword, collapsed on the ground until now, Glinda the chimera¡ªthe lion leviathan with a goat head on her right shoulder and a dragon head on the left shoulder¡ªslowly stood up.

    She stretched. The wound on her back had healed!

    "Well... In the end, you still used the power of healing."

    "S-Sorry!"

    The painful expression vanished completely from Luna Francois'' lovely face.

    Her quickened breathing also returned to normal. She seemed to be in much better shape. Now that her partner had recovered, the pain felt by the witch also vanished.

    However, Hazumi apologized on reflex. Doing so had clearly gone against orders.

    "Don''t worry, though I don''t think you needed to apologize," said the blonde genius witch calmly.

    She had regained her usual composure, probably because the healing was very effective.

    "This would seem to be a huge matter for you. Besides, the all-important mission is accomplished. I have no reason to complain."

    Minadzuki had stabbed the twin blades into the desert at a point.

    With that point as the center, a zone twenty or thirty meters in radius had turned into an "ocean."

    What had been clearly an endless white desert earlier now had this one sea-blue zone turning into seawater.

    Rather than a vivid blue, it was the color of Tokyo Bay.

    Once the transformation into seawater was complete, they would be able to return to their original world... Informed this by instinct, Hazumi listened to Luna Francois.

    "In our world of witches, results are everything. Regardless of means taken, the winner dictates what is considered right and proper. Hence, Hazumi-san, well done."

    "I-I see."

    Luna Francois winked casually at her and made a thumbs-up.

    Hazumi was dumbfounded by her frivolous attitude when it happened.

    The pseudo-sun that had been firing invisible rays nonstop¡ªIt suddenly vanished.

    There were some remaining Raptors left in the gray sky. Although only a few dozen, surviving remnants were still targets. Why had the attack stopped when there were still enemies remaining?

    "Nee-sama!?"

    Orihime was collapsed nearby.

    Staring at the gray sky the whole time, she had ordered Akuro-Ou to use pseudo-divinity of the Sun. Unfamilar magic had sapped her strength excessively, finally causing her to collapse.

    The nine-tailed Akuro-Ou also dematerialized and vanished.

    Now that the rays that had been killing enemies every few seconds vanished, the sword-equipped Raptors fleeing all over the sky calmed down.

    There were fifty or sixty enemies remaining in the sky.

    On their own, they flew towards the ground¡ªto attack again!

    However, Minadzuki still had her twin blades stabbed into the "sea-blue ground." Pouring in her own magical power, Glinda supported the dual-wielding swordsman.

    "L-Luna-san, what should we do!?"

    "Minadzuki needs to control the twin katana while Glinda needs to maintain her assistance. Neither of them are free to intercept the enemies..."

    At this rate, they were sitting ducks to be slaughtered by the Raptors.

    Just as they held their breaths nervously, an unexpected savior descended from the heavens.

    Ruahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Blue Rusahlka. Her lost wing had been restored. Hazumi''s earlier prayer for the safety of everyone she treasured had not only healed Glinda but Rushalka too.

    The wyvern with the lone horn on her forehead charged into the flock of Raptors.

    A blizzard and dragonslaying lasers. Another full burst attack. She had used the Rune of the Bow.

    "I guess she''s trying to make up for her spectacular failure just now..." Luna Francois murmured.

    In the next instant, Hazumi, Luna and the fainted Orihime suddenly began to sink. The sea-blue ground finally transformed into "total seawater."

    The three witches gradually sank into the sea.

    "!?"

    Hazumi looked up at what was no longer a gray sky but dim seawater.

    The dozens of Raptors and Rushalka also disappeared gradually from sight, replaced by the seawater surrounding them in all directions¡ª

    Then the overhead view turned into the blue sky of Earth.

    Instead of sand, their foothold was the JMSDF escort ship that had been transporting them several hours earlier¡ªOn the deck.

    Minadzuki''s super senses detected that the air smelled the same as that of Tokyo in September.

    By using the Rune of the Twin Katana to slice through part of Pavel Galad''s barrier, they finally managed to return to their original world.

    Naurally, the escort ship carrying Hazumi and company was floaing in Tokyo Bay rather than a desert.

    Returning together with the witches, the three leviathans¡ªGlinda, Minadzuki, and Akuro-Ou¡ªdematerialized. The "serpents" gradually disappeared.

    "How is Nee-sama!?"

    Hazumi hastily looked for her cousin and was relieved. Orihime was lying close by.

    A peaceful sleeping face. The moment she exhaled, Hazumi realized something.

    "Where is Asya-san...?"

    She looked around but could not find any signs of the silver-haired witch.

    Did she hide? Or¡ªWorry surged from the bottom of Hazumi''s heart.

    Shrugging, Luna Francois said very calmly, "Once we finish gathering information to figure out the current situation clearly, we must make haste to set off. Harry is more than likely in a crisis. We need to work as hard as we can."

    It seemed like she had chosen her words on purpose to ignore the fourth person.

    Part 4

    "At last¡ªIt''s over for now, huh?"

    After some time, Asya could finally take a break and relax.

    Although it took quite some work, Asya finally wiped out every Raptor that Pavel Galad had left inside the barrier.

    This was after the three witches and three leviathans had returned to the Earth together.

    Asya and Rushalka had used the Rune of the Bow to attack the flock of Raptors with sweeping fire for ten-odd minutes. Then after that, she watched out for reinforcements but no signs showed up even after ten minutes.

    Hence, it was worth it for her to stay behind on purpose to help her companions retreat.

    The white desert stretched endlessly towards the gray sky. Right now, there were no living creatures in this extremely bizarre world apart from herself and Rushalka. At least, within her vision.

    Holding the rear to help everyone else escape¡ª

    Asya made the call that this job must be left to her.

    "That being said, the price is I have to stay back alone. There was no other way," she told herself.

    Back then, no one else could complete this task. Also, there was one reason that she could not ignore.

    "I wouldn''t be able to sleep at night unless I repaid my debt to Luna."

    The reason for Rushalka and Glinda suffering heavy wounds during this battle.

    In particular, Asya was to blame due to her mistake. Back then, she had taken action with the belief she could wipe out all the enemies surrounding Glinda in one fell swoop¡ªIn the end, two enemies survived.

    This caused the two master-class witches'' partners to suffer severe injuries.

    "Luna is so smart. I''m sure she noticed."

    The two of them were equals. Even if Hazumi and Orihime did not notice, Luna Francois must have discerned Asya''s mistake.

    Rather than getting mocked by Luna for this later, it would be better to settle the score upfront first.

    She would be lying if she denied having such thoughts. Hence, Asya had left the group discreetly to take on this responsibility.

    The rightful star of the battlefield, Shootdown Ace Asya, must tend to this backstage role¡ª

    "......"

    No. Actually, there was another option.

    Heroically making playthings out of the approaching Raptors in the air, then accelerating swiftly during the seven or eight seconds before her friends returned to Earth, descending. Meeting up with them at the last second to return as one group¡ª

    Too early a descent and she would end up drawing the enemies to her friends.

    She needed Rushalka to fly faster than every other leviathan without any miscalculation in timing. Asya and her partner should be up to this task.

    However.

    Instead of doing that, Asya chose the safe route.

    She had a premonition. She might be a fraction of a second late in timing her descent, or she might fail to make Rushalka fly at her rightful top speed.

    "My sensitivity and magical power has dulled a little, even though in all honesty it is just a tiny bit..."

    Under the gray sky, Asya was standing alone in this abnormally white desert.

    Perhaps only because no one could hear her talking to herself, Asya was able to voice these words. Finally admitting her long-held doubt, the words slipped out of her mouth.

    The self-hypnosis to improve feminine prowess. Loss of appetite as an apparent side effect.

    Along with that came doubts of "My power as a witch seems to have weakened!?"

    Many symptoms had came up over the past month or so, but Asya had relegated things to the back burner because they had survived the intense battle against dragon king Hannibal.

    More importantly¡ªShe was reluctant to admit it.

    It was precisely thanks to the feminine prowess granted by that hypnosis spell that she had found the opportunity to make a comeback on the romance front.

    She had not dared to consider the possibility of this magic having side effects. But this time, the hypnosis'' effect surfaced to the forefront in this manner...

    "I''m so hungry."

    Gurgle rumble rumble rumble. Her stomach growled for the first time in a long while.

    After using hypnosis magic, Asya''s stomach had never growled. Most likely, it was injured Rushalka''s feedback of pain that had caused her witch nature to become exposed.

    What an annoying noise.

    Asya desired nourishment intensely. Calories, fulfillment¡ªThe source of magic.

    "Urghhhh. But all my earlier efforts would be for nothing if the spell fell apart now..."

    Asya was wearing her usual military jacket.

    The jacket was not cute at all, the furthest thing from feminine. But it was durable and she did not need to worry about getting it dirty. In addition, it featured Asya''s own clever design.

    She had added several secret pockets to the inner lining.

    Due to force of habit over many years¡ªThese pockets always carried small packets of food at all times.

    Ten-odd candies, biscuits, heat-resistant chocolate commonly issued as part of US military rations, assorted dried fruits and nuts, cereal bars, beef jerky, crackers, powdered milk, niboshi, sports youkan, energy jelly, seasonings such as salt, pepper, and sugar...

    Even after her appetite was reduced to a normal person''s, Asya still replenished and replaced the food in her jacket.

    She never found the chance to wean this habit. Or perhaps somewhere in the back of her mind, she was worried whether this food might come in handy one day.

    Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble.

    A low noise. Her stomach growling again. This was the longest rumble yet.

    At least I''ll have a candy¡ªJust as Asya reached for her secret pocket, she shook her head forcefully a few times. All would be lost if she ate this.

    She was informed by instinct. That candy could very well render her hypnosis magic to lose effect.

    If she were to lose her hard-earned feminine prowess, her life could very well become hopeless!

    "I get the feeling it won''t succeed even if I tried to hypnotize myself again..." Asya murmured.

    This was her instinct as a witch. Conversely, if hypnosis could be applied repeatedly¡ªThat would be quite dangerous too. After all, it was powerful hypnosis capable of altering personalities, a kind of brainwashing, even leading to the possible collapse of one''s ego...

    "A-Anyway!"

    She raised her voice in an attempt to distract herself from hunger.

    Asya suddenly raised her right arm. Rushalka flew down from the sky, but not in her usual giant body length of ten-odd meters. Asya had shrunk her down to roughly one third in size.

    The severed wing had been restored successfully.

    It was all thanks to Hazumi and Minadzuki''s healing magic.

    Asya had already cast Leaping Power Enhancement on herself. Light as a swallow, she jumped nimbly onto Rushalka''s back.

    Next, she was going to travel, riding on her wyvern partner''s back.

    In front of her was the mysterious set of ruins resembling an open-pit mine. Her destination was the bottom of the pit, over five hundred meters deep by visual estimates.

    "By strengthening the Rune of the Sword, Pavel Galad was able to oppose Haruomi''s whose power had risen to the point of matching Hannibal..."

    Earlier, a blue spark had shot out from the bottom of the ruins.

    This was what produced the Rune of the Sword and the reason why Asya and her companions had fought such a difficult battle.

    "If the secret of the power up is as I suspect..."

    There was no other witch here to aid her in using the Rune of the Twin Katana to execute the technique of the rivalry of complementary opposites, so she had no way of escaping this dimension either. In that case, satisfying her own curiosity would be more constructive.

    Hence, Asya and her partner took flight, making her way to confirm whether her hypothesis was correct or not.

    Part 5

    When Hal regained consciousness, the first to appear in his mind was a question.

    (...Who are these people?)

    He was lying face up on the ground with three boys and girls next to him.

    If this were a bedroom, they would be standing next to the pillow, but this was a soft lawn. Hal felt a sharp pain in his chest¡ªHis heart.

    He seemed to remember getting stabbed by a sword there...

    A bit lost, Hal decided to sit up first.

    "Thank goodness! Haruga-kun woke up~!"

    "But it looks like he''s not fully conscious yet. He''s spacing out, there''s no light in his eyes."

    The trio seemed to be worrying about him.

    Two girls and a boy.

    The two girls were making a lot of noise. One seemed to be a lively short-haired girl while the other was short and wearing her hair in twintails. They both looked like they knew Hal.

    The third person, the boy, had his head bowed, looking at Hal silently.

    He was wearing a summer knit hat. With a slender physique, his entire being oozed style. Few of Hal''s acquaintances cultivated this kind of image.

    The trio seemed to be high school students. Although their uniforms had differences due to male and female styles, they belonged to the same school.

    Okay, who the heck are these people? Hal was very perplexed.

    (They know my name, so they''re acquaintances after all, right?)

    Besides, why was he lying on a lawn?

    This park looked quite large. What had I been just before losing consciousness? He had faint memories of falling from the sky and his right hand grabbing something...

    Hal clenched his right hand into a fist subconsciously then everything came to him.

    He had grabbed something soft and elastic at the time¡ªRecalling that instant, he remembered the name of the classmates in front of him.

    "Uh. Mutou-san and... Funaki-san. Why are you here?"

    "Wow¡ªHaruga-kun, you finally went back to normal."

    "So true. You weren''t reacting at all just now. I was worried, wondering if we should send you to the hospital~"

    Mutou-san grinned and Funaki-san sighed in relief.

    "The prez told us ''I am a bit worried the red dragon might lose'' so we came to check things out. But man, the prez is amazing. She predicted ''you might run into Haruga'' and she was right."

    "The prez¡ªOh, President M?"

    "Of course."

    The one referred to as the prez by Hal and Mutou-san was the eccentric President M of the UFO Research Club.

    Hal managed to remember President M too. However, he glanced at the silent handsome guy. This guy... Who was he? No idea at all.

    Was this their first encounter, or had Hal rudely forgotten him?

    "Oh right, Haruga-kun, you''ve never met him. He''s a member of the UFO Research Club too. This is Sakuraba-senpai. I think I''ve mentioned him to you before, right?"

    "Yeah, now that you mention it," said Mutou-san.

    Sakuraba-senpai¡ªHal had definitely heard this name before.

    Priding upon his superior investigation abilities, he spent all his time chasing scoops outside of school.

    Since he seldom visited the clubroom, Hal had never seen him before. They met at last today...

    However, Sakuraba-senpai remained quiet the whole time. Even after Mutou-san introduced him to Hal, he did not say a single word.

    Simply looking at Hal''s face, he nodded silently in acknowledgement.

    "Maybe he doesn''t come around the clubroom because he''s shy and doesn''t like to talk?"

    "Correct. But it was thanks to Senpai that we were able to find you. When the silver dragon¡ªthe one transformed from that handsome guy¡ªand the red dragon flew into New Town, he did not evacuate. Instead, he was taking photos from a rooftop in Kinshich¨­."

    Mutou-san made thumbs-up towards Sakuraba-senpai.

    "When the fight between the two dragons was won by the silver one and the red one fell here¡ªKiyosumi Park¡ªhe caught it on his camera too. Also when the prez ordered all of us to find the red dragon, Sakuraba-senpai told us the red one fell here as soon as we called him."

    "Wow..."

    Sure enough, his ability to gather information was far beyond a student''s.

    In addition, Mutou-san told Hal that she and Funaki-san had biked over from Ryougoku where the school was located.

    A distance of roughly two train stations, but traffic over road and rail was restricted during dragon strikes. Apart from aircraft, bicycles were the most efficient means of locomotion in Tokyou currently.

    "Say, what was the situation when you found me?"

    "Well... Sakuraba-senpai said ''I saw the red dragon fall in this park!'' so we followed his testimony and entered to check things out. Then we found you lying next to the unconscious dragon."

    "...But the red dragon isn''t next to me anymore."

    "It suddenly vanished before you woke up. That''s called ''dematerializing,'' right?" Still learning magic terms, Mutou-san explained to him.

    Hal focused his mind and examined the state of his heart¡ªThe heartmetal. It had been aching ever since he woke up.

    (The current output of magical power... Probably about 30% of the usual.)

    However, the damage was lighter than imagined. How incredible.

    His heartmetal, i.e. heart, had been pierced by a deep stab of the dragonslaying sword. It would not have been surprising if the Crimson Queen had perished together with Haruga Haruomi''s soul that had merged with her.

    However, both of them had survived. Since his heartmetal was fine, he should be able to resummon the queen.

    (It''s Asya and Juujouji who saved me...)

    For some reason, Hal was deeply convinced of this. Although just for an instant, Hal had connected his hazy consciousness with the minds of the witches who had disappeared from Earth.

    After that, he should have entrusted the power of the runes to the witches who seemed to be in a crisis of their own.

    This part of his memories was quite vague, but there was something he remembered clearly¡ª

    The sensations from his right hand came in two categories. The really small belonged to Asya while the overflowingly abundant was Orihime''s.

    Having personally experienced how they felt to his touch, his memory could not possibly be mistaken.

    For some reason, contact with the girls had decreased the synchronization between Hal''s soul and the queen.

    That was probably the reason. When the wound was inflicted on the queen''s chest, only 30 or 40% was reflected onto Hal. As a result, he survived luckily.

    Putting aside for now why "the sensation of breasts" would have this kind of effect.

    Hal raised another question. "The silver dragon didn''t come to deliver a final blow?"

    "Nope. Because it looks like he''s busy. Over there."

    Mutou-san pointed at the sky. In the direction indicated, there was an aerial battle in progress.

    Wielding the dragonslaying sword, the silver dragon Pavel Galad was chasing a white dragon¡ªit was the dragon king''s gallant form that had not made an appearance for a very long time.

    Princess Yukikaze''s dragon form was much more slender than the Crimson Queen''s.

    Successor to the Arrow that formed a pair with the Rune of the Bow in Hal''s possession, she turned her white body into a single dragonslaying arrow. Pavel Galad flew as fast as he could, trying to attack the fearsome Princess Yukikaze, but¡ª

    Unable to catch her. Unable to catch her. Unable to catch her.

    The princess was not only fast but her flight trajectory was also very complicated.

    Zig zags, sudden turns, spiral flight. Pavel Galad was no slouch in the speed department, but he picked the wrong opponent.

    "He''s playing such an intense game of tag, of course he doesn''t have the time to come to me..."

    It looked like Princess Yukikaze saved his life.

    Phew. Hal sighed. Time for a change of pace. Right now, he had to drive the happily rampaging dragons out of Tokyo.

    Next, Hal was inspired to play a little trick that even he found "a bit underhanded."

    "Let''s try it, I guess...?"

    The ones who rescued him, Mutou-san, Funaki-san, and Sakuraba-san were looking worriedly at Hal, who did not seem quite alright. Despite a whole pile of mysteries, the trio did not try to pry and question him. Surely, it must be because they knew it was currently an emergency situation.

    Normally speaking, he should hurry and tell them to evacuate. However, Hal made the following suggestion intead, "Hey everyone. If it''s okay with you guys, I''ve got a favor to ask."

    Meanwhile, he wondered to himself. Perhaps President M predicted even this as well?

    After parting ways with his school mates, Hal was left alone.

    Walking steadily along the Kiyosu Bridge, he was making his way to the front lines where Pavel Galad and Princess Yukikaze were fighting.

    Currently, an emergency evacuation alert had been issued in New Town.

    A great number¡ªcountless cars were stopped on the streets.

    Apart from designated emergency vehicles, all road traffic was prohibited during the alert. Drivers immediately abandoned their cars and checked on their cellphones for the nearest shelter.

    Places such as stadiums, parks, river banks, or schools with vast sports grounds were used as shelters.

    The residents in this neighborhood seemed to have all evacuated. Hal was the only person walking on the road, surrounded by silence.

    Along the way, Hal went "Huh...?"

    How odd. Noticing something felt off about himself, he paused in his steps.

    Rather than physical discomfort, it was a matter of the mind. Those fellow members of the UFO Research Club whom he had been talking to earlier¡ªThose three.

    Hal had forgotten their faces and names again.

    Apart from that, his memories of the sixteen years that he had lived as Haruga Haruomi were fuzzy.

    Come to think of it, what am I? A human? A high school student? A treasure hunter? A Tyrannos who had inherited dragonslaying runes?

    No way¡ªHal realized a certain possibility.

    Could it be that his transformation into a dragon had progressed all at once because there was no one to chat with him?

    All kinds of memories had gone fuzzy, but there was one thing he remembered very clearly.

    The battle with Pavel Galad. The battle he had experienced only hours earlier. Towards the end, he had merged with the Crimson Queen to clash head on with the silver dragon...

    The enemy was a hot-blooded Tyrannos. Feeling fervor and fighting spirit from up close, Hal had fought intensely with him.

    He recalled every second vividly in his mind.

    The enemy used the dragonslaying sword to attack him and he defended with imperishable protection. However, the impact and magical power unleashed by the blade was transmitted mercilessly to Hal¡ªno, the queen¡ªshaking his skeleton and internal organs...

    What remembered these details was not Hal''s brain but his heart, i.e. heartmetal, probably.

    The most important organ of a dragon told him that this was what dragonkind considered supreme joy and pleasure.

    "S-Sure, whatever... I don''t want to experience that ever again..."

    His conscious fading, Hal denied with all his might.

    However, these thoughts did not reach his heart, i.e. heartmetal. The thoughts of ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Ága ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Áomi held very little power to command now. After all, he could not even remember his own name exactly, much less the events of his life...

    "Hey brat, the situation is bad here."

    He heard someone''s bored voice by his ear.

    However, Hal could not even tell who was speaking. Most likely someone who knew ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Ága ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á...

    "Oh."

    By the time he noticed, his stride had lengthened.

    Every step would take him a great distance forward. His footsteps also sounded inexplicably heavy. Hal stomped the ground with a "thud!", shaking the road surface and even flattening the railing.

    Before he knew it, his eye level had risen in height.

    While walking, he could gaze down on traffic lights and utility poles...

    He noticed that his leg length, body weight, height¡ªeverything had increased to outrageous levels. Right now, he was probably standing around twenty meters tall.

    A long, thick tail seemed to be extending from his coccyx...

    He looked at his hand. It was covered with crimson dragon scales.

    His arms, his chest, his torso, below the waist, everything was a dragon''s.

    "Oh..."

    Thud. Thud. Thud. With heavy footsteps, Hal marched on forward.

    The urban scenery around the Kiyosu Bridge followed a "trendy metropolitan" style, but to a dragon''s eyes, it was nothing more than paper props, instantly wreckable with a gentle poke...

    In fact, it definitely would be wrecked. Because right now, his was a dragon king''s body.

    However, his legs felt harder and harder to move.

    "My condition isn''t too good, I guess?"

    His chest¡ªthe heartmetal¡ªwas hurting. The wound had clearly closed up¡ªHal did not know if someone performed first aid on him¡ªbut it seemed to be rupturing now.

    The dragonslaying sword had forcefully pierced this energy source of a dragon''s body.

    Forget about a puny human, in his current state, there was no way he could move a dragon king''s body.

    "I suppose I''ll... rest for a bit."

    Pavel Galad and Princess Yukikaze were engaged in a fierce battle somewhere in the sky over New Town.

    Fortunately, it was not nearby. He should be able to find a quiet place to lie down and let his heartmetal rest. But time was running out.

    "If I take too long, the princess might dismember Galad..."

    Purely in terms of power as a dragon, Pavel Galad was no match for Princess Yukikaze at all. No matter what, the innocent-looking beautiful maiden was a dragon king. That being said, the silver dragon had no choice. Hal could not imagine him gracefully admitting defeat either.

    "This seems like a nice spot."

    There was a middle school next to the Kiyosu Bridge. Hal entered the school premises.

    There were no people inside. They had probably evacuated. Passing through the courtyard that happened to be in the shade, he curled next to the school building.

    He entered a coiled up sleeping posture.

    Using ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Áomi''s knowledge, he thought to himself, if this were a J. R. R. Tolkien novel, I would be using an underground dwarven treasure vault beneath a mountain as my bed...

    Thus, he nodded off for now. Not deep slumber, but just a nap.

    When the crimson dragon smelled humans¡ªand female at that¡ªhe shifted his body slightly. Rather than one, three females were approaching. Footsteps were heard too.

    Grrrrrrrr... hhhhhh.

    He growled as though talking in his sleep. His eyes remained tightly shut. Neither did his posture change.

    I just want to sleep. What are these people doing here?

    Are they trying to mess with me? If that''s the case¡ª

    The napping dragon snickered. How should he deal with these rude people? Breathe fire on them? Swat them away with his tail?

    Or should he give them riddles to solve, devouring them if they failed to give the right answer?

    Everything depends on how I, the dragon, am feeling.

    Waiting for the human visitors, the dragon whose former identity was ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á ¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á¡Á napped while entertaining himself with fantasies of their demise...

 Volume 7, 5 - Revival

    Volume 7, Chapter 5 - Revival

    Part 1

    Asya''s childhood friend, Haruga Haruomi, once said, "The hiding place of treasure will reflect the owner''s personality... Sometimes."

    Avoiding a direct assertion, it was very much in line with his cynical style.

    In any case, the young man whom Asya had known for many years was an expert in this area. She ought to respect the rule of thumb arising from his experience.

    Furthermore, there was an example that served as corroboration.

    The former dragon king, Hinokagutsuchi. The reason why she had hidden that there was shockingly arbitrary, stunning Asya when she first heard about it, but it was quite reasonable in hindsight and difficult for others to find.

    Then there was Pavel Galad.

    This hot-blooded and rigid man.

    Given his personality, surely he would hide treasure in the depths of a building with excessive security, locked in an impregnable treasure vault, sealed with many layers of magic on the door.

    "...But not cowardly to the extreme extent of ''hoarding without using,'' which fits that hot-blooded hero''s ''style,'' I guess."

    Locating what she expected to find, Asya nodded to herself.

    "Because he would take out his treasure and make effective use of it when needed..."

    Inside the desert barrier where Pavel Galad had trapped the witches, there was a set of mysterious ruins resembling an open-pit mine.

    Its shape was like a bowl-shaped "hole" that had been excavated, with a radius of two kilometers and a depth of five hundred meters.

    Riding on the miniaturized Rushalka''s back, Asya arrived at the bottom of the pit.

    In the center was a black stone in the form of a rectangular prism. It looked like an altar. If a two-meter-tall human lay down on it, his feet would probably not stick out.

    An elite dragon could pretty much rest its palm on top.

    There were two kinds of things placed on top of it.

    One kind consisted of small stone fragments. Black in color, it was almost pulverized.

    The other kind consisted of two sharp stones with virtually no smooth part on their surface. These stones were black too. Using minerals on Earth as a comparison, they resembled quartz.

    Asya was seeing these things for the first time. However, she knew very well what they were.

    "Flint..."

    She heard that Haruomi''s late father had hidden one inside his pocket watch.

    She heard that one had been casually left in the garden of Hinokagutsuchi''s palatial residence, the Dragon Palace Court.

    She heard that it was the fire-starting stone for reviving the "conqueror''s runes." Without this stone, a dragonslaying rune on its own was a wasted treasure.

    This stone could be considered the beginning of everything that had roped Haruga Haruomi into this war.

    "Two flints... And one flint''s worth of fragments. So Pavel Galad kept three of these precious stones here."

    Why was one of them shattered? Asya could guess the answer.

    It had shattered just before the Raptors began their attack just now.

    When the flint shattered, it shot out a spark that activated the Rune of the Sword in the air, turning into the prime mover that had forced Rushalka and the others into a tough predicament...

    Asserting as a master-class witch, she was certain she had seen the same fire yesterday too.

    On that "island" that had appeared in Tokyo Bay to serve as bait, Pavel Galad had strengthened the dragonslaying sword in order to resist the dragonslaying bow.

    The flames enveloping the sword''s blade looked similar to the flint spark she had seen just now.

    "Flint... It looks like it can be used as a magical catalyst for all kinds of purposes. This is a secret treasure that dragons would devote lifetimes to find. How many did he stock up?"

    Pavel Galad was probably carrying a few on his person right now.

    This was to use them as a trump card to oppose Haruomi''s dragonslaying bow. Perhaps the silver dragon had discovered a mineral vein of flint instead of single stones.

    "Impressive as always, President M. Her oracle was right on the money."

    Rather than blocking it... The enemy rekindled the flame instead.

    Just as President M described, Minadzuki''s mystic technique of "armistice" had definitely sealed away the Rune of the Sword. However, the silver dragon had used a flint''s flame to revive the dragonslaying seal.

    The president had said something else, Asya remembered it was¡ª

    ''Counter a treasure with another treasure. You are advised to release the stored goods.''

    Asya came to sudden realization. She had jumped conclusions, thinking this advice was aimed at Haruomi, but¡ªNow she understood.

    "So... that advice was for me!"

    The instant she felt certain of this, her imagination began to roam freely.

    Right now in the mortal realm, Pavel Galad was probably using flint as the catalyst for magic to strengthen himself, putting Haruomi in a difficult battle. And the secret treasure used by the enemy as a trump card was right in front of Asya. If only she could take it back¡ª

    "This idea... isn''t very realistic. It''s not like I found a way to get back."

    Despite what Asya was saying, she actually realized it early on.

    The Rune of the Twin Katana used by her friends to return was definitely hard to control. Chances of using it successfully on her own were extremely low. However¡ª

    Low chance or no chance¡ªNo way to tell until she tried.

    Naturally, doing this would challenge a witch''s limits. Unless she devoted her entire mind and soul to it together with Rushalka, drawing on their full power, it would be futile.

    Asya recalled something else. There was more to President M''s advice.

    ''When it is time to make a decision, think about the future¡ªthree months from now, three years from now.''

    ''It will be too late by the time you regret it.''

    With trembling hands, Asya searched her jacket''s secret pocket.

    Taking out a small packet of chocolates, she clutched it while staring at the two flints in front of her, murmuring to herself, "Even if I could return, the rest might not necessarily go well..."

    Asya felt the words of denial get stuck in her throat, impossible to shake off.

    Naturally, this was an illusion. But thanks to that, she was unable to keep finding reasons to justify herself. Instead, she found it impossible not to think about Haruomi, who was most likely in the middle of a battle. In all the battles so far, he had prevailed over his enemies splendidly.

    In a way, this was because he had encountered opponents that he was good at dealing with.

    During Pavel Galad''s counteroffensive, she reached a clear understanding.

    If the enemy was an elite dragon or dragon king unconcerned with details, Hal would be able to use the little tricks that were his specialty and overcome the crisis no matter who he faced. However, if the enemy were to carefully study ways to defeat Haruga Haruomi, then appropriate support was essential.

    Because Asya''s childhood friend was neither a warrior nor a soldier...

    "Hmmmmmm."

    She was also very worried about the witches who had returned to Earth.

    Pavel Galad was not the only enemy. After him, waiting for them was Princess Yukikaze, the formidable foe of outrageous proportions. Without Shootdown Ace Asya, how much resistance could they shore up against Princess Yukikaze?

    "B-But if I return to my past self... The hypnosis will surely lose effect¡ª"

    Holding the bar of chocolate, her right hand kept trembling.

    Conflicted. Distraught. Self-deception. Guilty conscience. Sincerity towards Haruomi and her witch companions. Maidenly feelings. A selfish desire to attain the happiness she was entitled to. Her pride as a witch. Hesitation. Hesitation. Hesitation. Hesitation. Hesitation...

    Asya did not know how long she stood there in one spot.

    But in spite of it all.

    Arduously, her trembling fingers opened the packet of chocolates, took out a piece, then struggled to deliver it to her mouth¡ªAt that very instant...

    It was the sound of a pebble kicked by a the tip of a leather shoe.

    Asya looked back in surprise, speechless. This was inside a dragon''s barrier. At the bottom of an open-pit mine that was like a world heritage site.

    A man dressed in a black suit¡ªA human male was walking towards her!

    "Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am known as Sophocles to the lords of the dragon world as well as Tyrannoi of both human and dragon origin."

    Recalling Haruomi''s report, Asya glared at the man in black.

    Sophocles. Juujouji Orihime had apparently met him once. This man was in charge of observing dragonkind''s game that was called the Road to Kingship and would occasionally contact participants.

    "Please forgive my sudden visit. My apologies."

    "N-No need to apologize... How did you get here?"

    "Didn''t the Crimson Queen tell you? I can show up at any corner of the world, be it the surface of the Earth, the distant sea of stars, or passing through the dimensional portal to reach the secret realm of dreams."

    He spoke of his elusive arrival in this kind of place as though it were no different from a gentleman''s hobby.

    Asya finally met the mysterious man named Sophocles. It looked like he was even more of an eccentric than rumored.

    "In truth... Predicting that you are about to embark on an extremely dangerous yet meaningful adventure, I had to come meet you no matter what."

    Sophocles was quite respectful in attitude, even earnest.

    But Asya was certain that this man appearing in front of her was surely the devil''s kin and must not be trusted easily.

    "O witch. If you are prepared to make a desperate effort to move forward, I am willing to provide all the assistance you need for your adventure. That is how much value I see in the challenge you will be undertaking."

    Part 2

    "As much as I''m reluctant to admit it... The emergency situation is finally here."

    Luna Francois sighed.

    An hour or two ago, the trio of witches had finally made their way back to Tokyo Bay. After getting up to speed on the situation, they requested a high-speed helicopter to transport them over to Kiyosumi-Shirakawa in the center of New Town.

    This was because they had received news that the Crimson Queen had crashed there.

    However, they were taken by surprise when flying over a certain middle school. The Crimson Queen was curled up in the courtyard, sleeping peacefully.

    In addition to Luna, Juujouji Orihime and Shirasaka Hazumi were present too.

    They immediately ordered the helicopter to land in the school yard, then hurried to the red dragon''s side¡ª

    "With Harry gone missing, I had a bad feeling about this."

    The Crimson Queen was sleeping alone in this kind of place.

    One could accept that. Although she was like a puppet, she was a creature after all and probably needed sleep.

    However, Haruga Haruomi was not nearby. Did he go somewhere else to get something done, leaving this monster here for now? This was hard to imagine.

    Apart from that, Luna was informed by instinct.

    She could sense something similar to thoughts from the sleeping dragon. They could be considered feelings too.

    So far, the Crimson Queen had been a puppet that acted according to Haruga Haruomi''s thoughts. The impression it gave was a lack of emotion, without any intelligence or consciousness.

    In addition, there was one more thing. The sleeping red dragon seemed to be giving off an aura of dragonslaying power...

    Luna Francois said to her companions, "What do you think?"

    "She feels different from before. More like an elite dragon..."

    "This might be a weird way of putting it, but to me, she seems more like a human than an animal. B-But it''s probably just my imagination!"

    Orihime commented worriedly while Hazumi had doubt in her words.

    The three witches were in agreement. The sleeping dragon in front of them could very well be the transformation their companion underwent in the worst-case scenario.

    Grrrrrrrr... hhhhhh.

    The red dragon suddenly made a muffled growl.

    Orihime and Hazumi jumped at the same time, huddling together nervously. On the other hand, Luna Francois was very calm, observing the dragon on her own.

    The dragon''s eyes were still shut. No change in posture either.

    Sleep talking? Although the truth was unclear, it seemed like the dragon was not in deep slumber.

    "Looks like a knight needs to be summoned as a guard. Glinda, immediately¡ª"

    Luna was just about to tell Glinda to "immediately come forth."

    But before her partner could materialize, the red dragon shifted its body slightly.

    It even exhaled deeply, blowing a gust of wind across the three witches, though it was impossible to tell if it was a snore or a breath.

    "Kyah!?"

    Hazumi screamed lightly. The wind had startled her.

    The red dragon opened its eyes slowly.

    Its directed its unfocused gaze at the witches before it.

    Luna Francois could read some displeasure, curosity, and a tiny amount of killing intent from the dragon''s eyes. As a serpent-summoning witch and a seasoned warrior, Luna could not possibly mistake the warning signs of danger.

    "I think... this dragon resembles Senpai a bit..." Staring at the dragon''s eyes intently, Hazumi murmured.

    She did not assert directly, but her words were as solemn as a divine oracle conveyed by a priestess. The witch who had obtained goddess power apparently noticed something missed by Luna Francois, the specialist in dark domains.

    "It''s true that this dragon is completely different from the ''queen'' in the past."

    Luna sighed and waved her hand.

    Miniaturized to around three meters in body length, her partner immediately materialized. The lion leviathan with a dragon head and a goat head on her shoulders appeared. Regarding matters of a magical beast, it would be best to ask a magical beast.

    "Glinda, what relationship do you think this dragon has with Harry?"

    Luna was dumbfounded in the next instant.

    Grrrrrrrrrr¡ª¡ªghhhhhhhhhh!

    The red dragon growled. Hearing this sound, the miniaturized Glinda shuddered in fright, before vanishing without a trace even though Luna had materialized her on purpose...

    " " "!?" " "

    The witches sensed it. Just now, the dragon had used its status as a Tyrannos and holder of dragonslaying power to command Glinda to leave immediately. As a vassal serving the bow and twin katana runes, Glinda obeyed her master''s orders and dematerialized.

    "Haruga-kun!?" "I knew it!" "It really is Harry!?"

    Grrrrrrrrr... hhhhhhhhhh.

    The red dragon, i.e. Haruga Haruomi, growled again in front of the stunned trio, sounding a bit impatient but lethargic. But that was not all.

    Grrrrrrrhhhhhhhhgrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhgrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhh¡ª¡ª

    Impossible to understand. Not only Luna, but the other two had no clue either.

    Grrh. The red dragon, i.e. Haruga Haruomi, grunted unhappily as though disappointed with the three utterly baffled witches.

    "W-What is Haruga-kun saying?"

    "There seems to be meaning in his sounds, but I can''t understand it at all. Did he forget human language, or he hasn''t gotten used to using his vocal cords yet? Assuming dragons use vibrating vocal cords to speak, that is."

    "Senpai..."

    While her two elders were whispering to each other, Hazumi took a step forward.

    Perhaps she was worrying about the young man who had turned into a dragon. The worry in her heart compelled Hazumi to walk towards the giant red monster¡ªEliciting a roar as a result.

    Ggrrrrrrhhhhhsh!

    "Kyah!?"

    The approaching Hazumi lost strength in her legs due to fright, falling backwards on her bottom.

    It was actually not that loud in volume, but the red dragon''s acute roar carried magical power, turning into a physical telekinetic force to reject Hazumi.

    "I-It''s me. I''m Shirasaka! Senpai, don''t you recognize me!?"

    Hazumi stood up with difficulty and spoke to the red dragon.

    The red dragon was still curled up in a lazy sleeping posture, but he opened its jaws slightly, exposing teeth that were as big and sharp as sword, looking very ferocious. He seemed to be declaring to everyone¡ªI will kill anyone who dares to approach.

    Grrrrrrrrhhhhhh.

    Another growl. The deep noise was enough to shake the witches to their innards.

    Luna sighed and said, "Is he trying to say that he''ll punish us if we mess with him...?"

    The kindhearted Hazumi did not catch it¡ªOr rather, she was unable to catch it.

    But unfortunately, Luna Francois Gregory knew that there was slight intent to kill in the dragon''s voice and gaze. If they were to do anything to aggravate him, the red dragon might bite them mercilessly. As birds of a feather, Luna naturally understood.

    (I need to call Glinda out again...)

    While observing every move of the red dragon that was Haruga Haruomi, she pondered.

    To summon Glinda again, this time she must increase the magical power and mental strength of herself and her partner to the very limit so as to prevent interference. However, this would still be a most difficult task.

    Because the red dragon swiveled his eyeball, staring at Luna intently.

    He was observing her reaction. Under the red dragon''s gaze, the master-class witch was frozen from head to foot.

    Her throat was parched. The dragon''s gaze immobilized her. Luna Francois had never experienced this before.

    "S-Sheesh, Harry. You look like you''re not in a good mood. Don''t you remember me?"

    She wanted to feign composure, but her voice went a little off-pitch.

    (The situation is bad. I have a dragon''s eyes on me...)

    Luna gulped. She knew.

    The magic of dragonkind was not limited to runes of Ruruk Soun. They used mystic techniques from many systems. In this short amount of time, Luna already witnessed magic that could be activated "simply by looking at the other party" or "simply by breathing"...

    Just by looking at her, the dragon''s eye was able to keep master-class witch Luna Francois intimidated.

    Feeling one''s life was threatened in the face of a magic beast, a dragon¡ªThe magical power in a dragon''s eye amplified the terror originating from this, thus pressuring Luna. Of all people, he had to threaten Luna Francois Gregory, Shootdown Ace of the Pacific Ring area. How infuriating.

    "I-I willl give you some good loving once you return to normal."

    Just as Luna, driven by anger and pride, prepared to face off against the red dragon, i.e. Haruga Haruomi¡ª

    "Haruga-kun, I understand..."

    Juujouji Orihime walked towards the red dragon with determination on her face.

    "You always look lethargic, like you didn''t get enough sleep. I-In any case, I''m sure you''re trying to say ''let me sleep a bit more'' or ''another thirty minutes, okay?'' Something like that, right?"

    Speaking to the dragon while she walked, her voice was trembling.

    Hazumi did not notice the killing intent exuding from the dragon, i.e. Haruga Haruomi, but Luna apparently did. Regrettably, Juujouji Orihme also sensed it vaguely.

    Samurai blood ran in the Juujouji family, after all, and every generation had always devoted themselves to the pursuit of martial ideals.

    She could sense "that kind of vibe" from the opponent''s eyes to some extent.

    Even so, Orihime did not stop walking. She forced herself to ignore the fear in her heart. So-called bushido meant fearlessness in the face of death. Hence, she was fine. She should be fine.

    Step by step, Orihime slowly approached the dragon¡ª

    "H-However, we all need you. The one we need none other than you... The one we cherish is you. The one we love is you. Do you understand?"

    Speaking softly, she took another step.

    She knew. If his transformation into a crimson dragon had turned him into a monster incapable of logic or reason, a carnivore that would show them neither compassion nor consideration, he would rip her apart in less than two seconds, devouring her...

    However, even if that was the case...

    Juujouji Orihime still did not stop walking.

    On further thought, this had always been the case. Despite his vast knowledge and worldly experience, a boy who was great at his job, he had poor social skills and was clumsy and passive in his interactions with others. Without any one guiding him properly, he would immediately retreat into his shell. Quite a difficult character to deal with.

    Getting along with such a boy required Orihime to dedicate a lot of thought to him.

    Slowly increasing the amount of conversation.

    Patiently bringing their hearts closer, bit by bit.

    Starting with chatting, communicating about work, then gradually delving into each other''s private affairs.

    Starting from early spring when she first met him, Orihime had been carefully building up a smooth relationship with the young Mr. Haruga. In addition to caution, she would occasionally employ a bit of forcefulness to bring the two of them closer together.

    By the time she knew it, she began to find him very endearing, wanting to be with him forever¡ª

    (At first I clearly thought of him as a difficult and exasperating guy.)

    However, he had always been a responsible person from the time they first met, although it was also true that he was lacking in charm as a romantic prospect.

    (Haruga-kun likes me too... Right? So please, I am begging you. Don''t do anything scary¡ªAlright!?)

    Five more meters and Orihime would be able to touch the red dragon.

    Using feelings of love to distract herself from the fear in her heart, she approached slowly. Approaching.

    Four meters remaining. Three meters. It seemed fine. So Haruga-kun does recognize me...? Orihime told herself while advancing. However.

    Hoooooooooooo!

    The red dragon, i.e. Haruga Haruomi, suddenly exhaled brusquely.

    This breath carried magical power. It was wind, a wave of "blades" to slice apart everything that rubbed him the wrong way.

    "Nee-sama!?" "Orihime-san!"

    Her companions cried out in worry.

    The magical wind ripped through Orihime''s blouse and skirt. There were countless tears all over her clothing, exposing glimpses of the pale skin underneath.

    With perfect control and intricate skill, the red dragon only sliced her clothing with the air blades.

    There was not even a scratch on her skin.

    Was it a warning? Orihime was frozen stiff in fear.

    It felt like a close shave with razor blades. Furthermore, within the blink of an eye, the air blades made cuts on Orihime''s clothing, one after another... The slightest deviation and let alone her skin, even her blood vessels would have been severed, most likely.

    The chest portion of her blouse was also sliced open.

    This resulted in a clear view of her cleavage. However, Orihime simply stared blankly at the the dragon that used to be human, even forgetting to cover up her exposed skin.

    "Aren''t you afraid I''ll die if you do something so dangerous...!?"

    With great difficulty, she squeezed out a trembling voice.

    Orihime was so frightened that she could not even lift a finger, barely managing to stand. It would be perfectly normal to collapse limply or go incontinent from fear.

    As a result, she could only gaze at him.

    ...The red dragon looked back.

    He stared at Orihime''s face and entire body as though watching for her reaction. From his sharp gaze, one could sense curiosity and sapience.

    His eyes were full of energy, making the sleepy look earlier seem like a lie.

    At that moment, Orihime suddenly understood.

    "Haruga-kun, don''t tell me that you are..."

    Whenever he showed this kind of gaze, there could be no mistake.

    It might be the case this time too. This guess was unfounded, but Orihime had no alternatives. More importantly¡ª

    Supposing the expression earlier was an indication of the human nature lingering in his consciousness...

    "Y-You always put on an extremely serious face whenever you don''t want others to discover you were having dirty thoughts... I-Is that happening again right now...?"

    Orihime raised her arms stiffly while asking.

    She did that in order to unbutton her blouse. Her heart was beating rapidly from fear and her fingertips kept trembling, forcing her to proceed slowly. Even so, Orihime still unfastened the buttons in sequence from top to bottom.

    Then she removed the blouse and the tank top underneath.

    She also removed her tattered skirt as quickly as possible, leaving just a set of pure-looking blue underwear. Rather bold of her.

    The red dragon''s eyeballs turned, staring intently at Orihime''s body.

    "L-Listen, I have already stripped this far. With no weapons on me, you should know... I have no intention of fighting you, Haruga-kun... Understood? A-Also, I think," said Orihime timidly. "You probably enjoy seeing me like this, right¡ª?"

    Grrrrrrrrhhhhhh.

    A low growl came from the dragon''s mouth.

    She could not tell if he was agreeing or disagreeing. Come to think of it, it was impossible to be certain whether the growl conveyed meaningful words either. However, she decided to take the gamble and go all the way.

    "I-I know that erotic things are your favorite. Although as I''ve said before, it''s a bit too soon for us."

    One step, followed by another step. Orihime finally started advancing again.

    She could feel the breath from the dragon''s giant jaws¡ªthe flow of air. The memory of her clothing getting sliced reappeared in her mind. However, she did not stop walking.

    "Nevertheless, if you wish to return to our side... I would probably feel very thankful and might even think that getting married during high school is fine. Although it is strange to hear myself say this, I am the type who makes decisions on momentary impulse... O-Of course, I won''t force you if you''re unwilling, also, we still need Grandfather''s permission..."

    Currently, the crimson magic beast''s big and long snout was right before her eyes.

    Making her way here had not been easy. The dragon''s eyes were frighteningly serious, sharp and intense.

    He was still lying on the ground, curled up.

    However, the earlier impression of sleep deprivation was long gone.

    He extended his neck, bringing his massive snout, teeth, and lower jaw towards Orihime. Any intent to kill... Unknown. Getting too close made it harder for her to keep abreast with the dragon''s overall vibe.

    Orihime could feel his breath. Maybe he might use air blades again.

    Or devour her in one bite? So frightening. So frightening. However, Orihime steeled her determination and tossed out her last gambling chip.

    On her own initiative¡ªShe hugged the dragon''s snout.

    Orihime pressed her voluptuous bust against the dragon''s snout, telling him her thoughts softly.

    "As I have said many times, I love you so much. Please, I beg you, Haruga-kun, remember...!"

    Grrrrrrrrr... hhhhhhhhhh.

    The response she got was a low growl. Knowing it was imbued with magic, Orihime braced herself. Did the dragon finally deem her a rude human female, deciding to eliminate her?

    (Please, God!)

    Like most Japanese, Juujouji Orihime visited Shinto shrines on New Year''s and attended funerals conducted by Buddhist temples.

    Without singular devotion to a single religion, Orihime closed her eyes and prayed to a higher existence of indeterminate religious affiliation, waiting for the impending attack.

    Several seconds later, pop. It was the sound of her bra unclasped by telekinesis.

    "Eh... Kyah!?"

    Alarmed, Orihime let go of the dragon''s snout on reflex.

    The bra fell to the ground, leaving her upper body completely unclothed. She hastily covered her breasts with her right arm.

    "Th-This wouldn''t be your doing, Haruga-kun, would it!?"

    She questioned the dragon that had almost certainly stared squarely at her upper torso''s complete nudity.

    Face to face with Orihime, the culprit was showing an aloof expression that read "I don''t understand human language." However, he immediately exhaled with what sounded like affection, actively bringing his giant snout towards her.

    "Y-You want me to hug you like this?"

    Rather than a dragon, this behavior made him seem more like an affectionate dog.

    Orihime could not refuse. She sighed and pressed her magnificent bust against the dragon''s snout again, embracing "him" gently.

    "My goodness... You are so perverted and exasperating."

    She whispered lightly, as though soothing him, with an indulging tone in her voice.

    Grrrrrrrrr... hhhhhhhhhh.

    Another growl. Orihime now understood this was an expression of love. He cared even less for whispering sweet nothings than when he was human, probably because he had turned into a dragon.

    Anyway¡ªWith this, she could finally try out "that method" now.

    "Listen to me. It seems to help you recover your memory when we do things to please you, gradually returning your mind and body to human."

    She kissed the dragon''s cold scales.

    "So, allow me to hug you longer, alright? Although transforming into a dragon is quite cool, I would prefer if you continued being human, Haruga-kun."

    Lying down in the middle school courtyard, the red dragon was curled up. On the gigantic body, a human suddenly appeared¡ªThat of a teenage boy.

    Part 3

    The white dragon king, Princess Yukikaze.

    Of all the dragons that had attained the rank of dragon king, she was the youngest. Her age was probably less than a thousand. Possibly because of that, there was a slight instability in her powers.

    Namely, the ability to transform into a dragon.

    Princess Yukikaze usually went around in human form.

    However, she was unable to transform into a dragon on her own volition. Only when excited with raging emotions did she naturally turn into the white dragon. Apart from her, there were no dragon kings like that ever.

    The Flame Emperor¡ªRed Hannibal¡ªcould transform at will.

    Pureblooded dragon kings such as the Black Lightning Emperor or the Blue Sea King were incapable of taking human form to begin with.

    The youthful Princess Yukikaze''s constitution was a little unstable as a dragon. Perhaps it reflected her free and unfettered personality?

    However¡ªInstability did not imply it was her weakness.

    Princess Yukikaze''s unstable constitution was due to her unfettered, outgoing, and whimsical personality. These traits also served as the origin of ambition, vigor, and animated spirit.

    Especially when she was also the dragon king who had inherited the Rune of the Arrow.

    Some measure of instability did not pose any problem at all, because an arrow''s specialty was to fly far, fast, and incisively.

    "...I hereby decree to my emblem, the Arrow of Sirius." Finally in dragon form, the white dragon king murmured.

    Until two minutes ago, she had been in the sky over Tokyo New Town, engaged in an aerial battle against Pavel Galad who had defeated Haruga Haruomi.

    But now, Princess Yukikaze was overlooking the entire islands of Japan, not just Tokyo.

    Using her specialty of hyper acceleration to speed up, she reached the boundary between space and the atmosphere all at once. Below her was the blue Pacific Ocean and white cloud cover, as well as the landscape of the eastern Eurasian continent.

    Descending from this height for a sneak attack, she would instantly turn her enemy into dust...!

    "I, Yukikaze¡ªwill now transform into the dragonslaying arrow."

    As soon as she spoke, Princess Yukikaze began to descend at high speed.

    Instantly breaking the sound barrier, she descended from the sky like lightning.

    From the perspective of a ground observer, it would probably be like a blazing meteor crashing down from the sea of stars. The silver dragon occupying New Town''s airspace was about to meet her in battle¡ª

    At that moment, Pavel Galad was in the sky at an altitude of roughly four hundred meters.

    Wielding the dragonslaying sword, he was motionlessly waiting for the dragon king''s arrival!

    "Choosing to take on my attack instead of fleeing, huh? Silver dragon! How foolish!"

    "No, princess! I am convinced that this is the only method to defeat you!"

    Princess Yukikaze was rushing in with supersonic speed.

    The white dragon king''s entire body was enveloped in the pearly glow of imperishable protection. All she needed to do was smash directly into Pavel Galad, then surely the silver dragon''s body would be pulverized, turned in billions of scraps of flesh, scattering all over Tokyo New Town.

    Pavel Galad swung the sword in his hand down to intercept the supersonic attack of white.

    "Sever with haste the inauspicious instruments that begrudges dragons!"

    Runes of Ruruk Soun encircled the dragonslaying sword.

    "I am the user of the sword of divine alacrity." Increased to godlike speed literally, the sword succeeded in chopping Princess Yukikaze''s supersonic descent head on.

    Furthermore, the blade was burning with blue-white flames.

    Against Princess Yukikaze, Galad was also using strengthening magic with flint as a catalyst!

    Unfortunately, the result was rather tragic.

    The blazing sword had clashed head on against Haruga Haruomi and the Crimson Queen without losing, despite their increased power. But because Haruga Haruomi had attained a level extremely close to a dragon king''s, Pavel Galad did not manage to neutralize the impact completely at the time.

    Besides, this time he was up against Princess Yukikaze at maximum speed and momentum.

    The destructive power of her charge was probably the highest among all dragon kings¡ªA direct clash between the dragonslaying arrow and sword. Without any suspense, the sword proceeded to lose and blown far away.

    He fell. Falling to the ground.

    Pavel Gald crashed into a commercial district in New Town.

    Sliding along the road with the friction producing sparks, he knocked over a number of buildings and houses¡ªAnd finally stopped.

    "Guh¡ªhahh!?"

    Pavel Galad groaned.

    The silver dragon also had imperishable protection deployed but when struck by a violent attack, the damage would pass onto the user. In order to sustain the barriers only available to dragon kings and Tyrannoi, the heartmetal was put under heavy strain.

    Galad''s heartmetal suffered an impact that was painful enough to think his heart ruptured.

    Also, the silver dragon was mercilessly wounded by the dragonslaying arrow''s residual power that imperishable protection had failed to block. His right forelimb, the one wielding the dragonslaying sword, was severed at the shoulder, blown away to parts unknown.

    His right wing and everything below the knee of the right hind leg were also blown off.

    Broken, contorted, then fallen off like the forelimb.

    "Hohohoho. Even though it was only a single strike, the match has been decided, hasn''t it?"

    In her white dragon form, the princess landed gallantly, speaking with pride.

    Princess Yukikaze was not unscathed either. Swung down with godlike speed, the dragonslaying sword had struck her, though imperishable protection managed to block all of its power. The damage inflicted to the barrier was transmitted to the heartmetal, turning into waves of sharp pain...

    That being said, the silver dragon was in no shape to continue the fight. It was Princess Yukikaze''s overwhelming victory. However¡ª

    "Oh?"

    The white dragon king narrowed her eyes.

    Something was gathering around the battered Pavel Galad.

    These were some of the remains of the thousands of golems wiped out by the Crimson Queen''s use of the sun-shooting divine bow. Asphalt, concrete, iron bars, steel plates¡ªThe fragments of the minions that the silver dragon had created out of various construction materials.

    The remains of the golems began to combine and transform.

    This was to reconstitute the right forelimb, hind leg, and wing that the silver dragon had lost.

    The final product consisted of ugly limbs and a wing in mixed colors of black, gray, and steel. Pavel Galad''s physical body had recovered it original shape for now.

    This was alchemy magic that processed the remains of his minions to be reused!

    "O silver dragon, you created a new body!?"

    "I do not have minions capable of using healing magic. I could not continue the fight unless I resorted to such crude measures."

    Pavel Galad was the silver dragon that had inherited the dragonslaying sword.

    Previously, he had been a beautiful silver dragon.

    But now, the limbs and the wing created from artificial stone and steel were rough in texture with unpleasant colors. There was no unity to speak of and one could even apply the description of ugly. Although he had used alchemy magic to enhance hardness while adding flexibility, thus presenting no problems with functionality...

    Princess Yukikaze looked upon his ugly body with pity instead.

    Narrowing her dragon eyes, she sighed in praise.

    "You wish to fight me to the bitter end, going so far as to pick up the corpses of minions? I, Yukikaze, acknowledge your mettle."

    "Furthermore, princess, this is also the only strategy capable of bringing about your demise."

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Admittedly, taking on your attack resulted in my dismemberment. However, back then... It is true that the dragonslaying sword struck your body."

    "......"

    During the violent clash just now, Princess Yukikaze had charged, using her own body as the dragonslaying arrow. Pavel Galad had intercepted her using his sword of godlike speed.

    A frontal clash. As a result, the silver dragon''s body was worse for wear, smashed into a number of pieces.

    However, the princess'' heartmetal also suffered damage and was still hurting.

    "I just have keep repeating the same move until your heartmetal shatters. In this manner I shall obtain victory."

    "Hahahaha. Every time you use your sword to strike me when I have turned into an arrow, your body will gradually crumble, you know? Before my heartmetal ceases to function¡ª"

    Princess Yukikaze laughed coldly at her foolish enemy.

    "Your body will turn into dust from head to foot, leaving not even a single scale behind. Do you intend to create a new body to swap into every time?"

    "Precisely. So long as I can defeat you, giving up my body is nothing to worry about."

    "Foolish."

    "For me, one who is not a dragon king, to challenge you, Princess Yukikaze, this is the only way."

    "Hahahahahaha!"

    Princess Yukikaze laughed. Unlike the cold laugh earlier, this was laughter of delight.

    For elite dragons, the head and the brain were considered fairly important organs.

    Even if their heads were blown away in one go, so long as the soul and the heartmetal were intact, it would still be barely possible to use the secret arts of Ruruk Soun. Then as long as "a substitute for the brain" was created at super-high speed to replace the lost head, it would still be possible to fight.

    However, chances of success were probably no more than 50%.

    What a foolish strategy, but if pulled off without a hitch, the gamble would pay off with great efficacy.

    For Pavel Galad to challenge Princess Yukikaze right now, this was definitely the only method.

    Because unlike Haruga Haruomi, a real dragon king would never be naive enough to be caught unprepared by a bit of trickery...

    "Fufufufu. I really enjoy the small acts of cleverness from Haruomi, though your foolishness entertains me too¡ªHmm?"

    Princess Yukikaze did not know if it was because she said his name.

    But she suddenly felt a "certain presence." It was the bond with the man of her destiny, which could only be sensed by the successor of the Rune of the Arrow.

    "Not only the silver dragon, but did I underestimate you too?"

    The young man she sought single-mindedly was apparently recovering his strength rapidly.

    To be frank, despite her acknowledgement of his wit and resourcefulness, Princess Yukikaze rated him poorly on the aspects of durability and willpower to live. Hence, Princess Yukikaze gave up on him the moment she saw him defeated.

    Never did she expect¡ª

    "Then allow me to offer you another chance. You must satisfy me properly this time, Haruomi," said the white dragon king quietly.

    The holder of the dragonslaying arrow was extremely sensitive when it came to the presence of the complementary bow.

    Princess Yukikaze used the Rune of the Arrow.

    The seal was an oval shape surrounding an acute isosceles triangle.

    In fact, this was a pictograph of the star named Sirius by humans on Earth. Incidentally, the Rune of the Sword was based on the three stars in Orion''s Belt. The Rune of the Twin Katana was the cross-shaped constellation of Cygnus.

    Then there was the Rune of the Bow. Also called the Bow Stars of the Southern Sky.

    Its prototype was Canis Major.

    The ancient Greeks interpreted the constellation as shaped like a "dog" while the secret archives of Ruruk Soun viewed it as a "bow with a nocked arrow."

    Of this bow and arrow in the sky¡ªthe part corresponding to the arrowhead was actually Sirius.

    Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, was also known as Alpha Canis Majoris.

    The constellation, recorded in the secret archives of Ruruk Soun as "a bow and arrow," was viewed as a set even by humans.

    Shining together in the sky, that was how close together the two were in position.

    Who was going to emerge as the victor? Pavel Galad? Or the one who shared a destiny with the arrow''s holder? The time for a decisive battle was drawing near again.

    Part 4

    Dreams were truly the stuff of self-satisfaction.

    Until earlier, it had been a nightmare. Hal¡ªHaruga Haruomi¡ªhad finally turned into a dragon, just as he had feared. He had offered many "dragon-like" riddles for the witches to solve when they encountered him by chance, but none of them understood dragon language.

    However, Juujouji Orihime came to his side.

    Hal was quite violent like a dragon at the time, but she disregarded her own safety and did that for him to soothe the displeased dragon¡ª

    By the time anyone noticed, Hal had appeared on top of the Crimson Queen.

    The red dragon king''s body was currently coiled up, lying on the ground. The human Haruga Haruomi was lying on top¡ªnear the center of the coiled up body.

    Hal''s eyes were spacing out towards Tokyo''s blue sky.

    His eyes lacked spirit but he had some awareness of the current situation at least. Juujouji Orihime¡ªand it was such a shame that a girl like her was paired with Hal¡ªSharing his bed was something that could only happen in dreams.

    As a side note, she was virtually nude.

    (My goodness. Look at that leering face of yours...)

    A human should not be able to read a dragon''s expression.

    However, Orihime said that after looking at the face of Haruga Haruomi when he had transformed into a giant magical beast. Despite scolding him, her tone conveyed indulging affection¡ªIt made him feel happy.

    Orihime still had some clothing on.

    But apart from the underwear covering her hip area, she was not wearing anything.

    Almost naked, she was in direct contact with Hal, staying by his side. The warmth from her tender skin was quite comfortable. If he could move, he might hug her body as hard as he could, embracing her tightly. Unfortunately, Haruga Haruomi was unable to lift even a finger in the dream.

    Orihime''s figure was miraculous as always, voluptuous yet slender in all the right places, just like a goddess.

    She even rubbed cheeks with Hal, casting an extremely gentle gaze upon him. This was already enough to feel her love.

    ¡ªSuch a wonderful dream. I guess I should continue sleeping.

    As a self-respecting natural-born adherent of laziness, Haruga Haruomi found this sleeping environment so perfect that he could not help but make this decision. However, there were even more wonderful things waiting for him.

    (Orihime-san, I will help out too.)

    (E-Even you, Luna-san, why are you joining in!? A-And looking like that!)

    Luna Francois had climbed onto the dragon''s coiled up body as well.

    She was reclining on the left side of the sleeping Hal, opposite to Orihime who was on his right side. In addition, she was pressing her magnificent body, whose charm surpassed that of the Japanese maiden and school idol, against Hal.

    Pushed tightly. Pressure. Squishy bouncy supple softness.

    In his dream, Hal enjoyed the sensation of a G-cup bust pressed against him.

    Furthermore, Luna Francois was completely nude.

    She had removed her usual dress, her brassiere, and the underwear that should be covering her lower body. Even bolder than Orihime.

    As a result, Orihime was very flustered, plunged into panic.

    (Y-Y-Y-You can help out, sure, we did agree before that we''d satisfy Haruga-kun together so that he can stay human, I also hope the three of us can make equal contributions of effort, it''s been like this for the past month too, b-b-b-b-but, umm, haven''t you gone too far with stimulation when you look like that!?)

    (I don''t think you have any right to say that, Orihime-san, when you were the first to strip...)

    (I-I am fine. I didn''t strip completely! B-But Luna-san, you are totally naked!)

    (It is all for the sake of my beloved Harry. Also, haven''t you earned a lot of credit by being the first one? I don''t think I''ll make enough impact unless I do this.)

    Luna had Hal''s left leg clamped between her legs.

    The smooth interior sides of the American girl''s thighs were not only soft but very elastic. She even tickled Hal mischievously with the soles and tips of her feet.

    ¡ªWhy is my dream catering to my tastes so much!?

    The desires dormant in the bottom of his heart were way too wanton. Hal wanted to apologize to everyone in the world. Meanwhile, he also wanted to praise his own delusions and imagination. Oh well, who cares if I indulge myself a bit in this rare and wonderful dream? Master Freud, the closet pervert in my heart is definitely severe enough to lead to mental illness...

    (I-I want to help too!)

    (Oh my, Hazumi-san, you are very driven.)

    (W-Wait. H-Hazumi, you''re wearing nothing too!?)

    (But Nee-sama! Luna-san is doing that too, and I believe that Senpai... Haruomi-senpai definitely prefers it this way!)

    (!?)

    (Well, I think she''s probably right. Given Harry''s personality.)

    (I totally agree, b-b-b-b-b-b-b-but this is still too soon for Hazumi!)

    (B-But Senpai is still like this. We need to give him even more pleasure.)

    Wow, how did this happen? Hal was deeply aware of how steeped in sin he was.

    Even his adorable protege, Shirasaka Hazumi, was appearing in his dream.

    Furthermore, she was buck naked, without a shred of clothing on her delicate body.

    As expected of Orihime''s cousin, a promising future seemed to be in store for her. Her bust was already above average while the curve of her hips was in full view.

    Lying on Hal''s right side was Orihime while Luna occupied the left.

    This left Hazumi with the only choice of taking the position on top of Hal, pressing her light and still maturing body and tender skin against him. The kindhearted junior even reached for Hal''s cheek, caressing him gently.

    (So cold, so hard... Senpai won''t turn back to human like this...)

    The maiden''s voice was filled with uncertainty and worry.

    Next to her, Luna Francois nodded vigorously too.

    (Yes... In order to help Harry recover, we need to combine our efforts. This is also for canceling the initial credit you earned, Orihime-san...)

    Huh? Hal thought to himself in doubt.

    Even Luna and Shirasaka know that I might turn into a dragon?

    Only Juujouji was supposed to know¡ªBecause this is a dream, did some of the factual details get sloppy?

    At that moment, Hal realized.

    Lying on top of the queen, the human version of Haruga Haruomi was naked. Under the sunlight, his entire body was glittering brightly, because it was covered by a transparent coating that resembled glass.

    Just as Hazumi pointed out, he felt cold and hard to the touch.

    By the way, was the towel covering his crotch a considerate touch left by the god of dreams?

    (L-Luna-san, you revealed your honest thoughts! M-My goodness. Everyone is acting like cheaters in rock-paper-scissors who play their moves late... I-If that''s how you want to play, I too will¡ª)

    Orihime was clearly very confused.

    The excessively anomalous situation had caused her to lose normal judgment, as evidenced by her rubbing her leg, trying to remove "the final article of clothing" using just her lower body and her hand while lying by Hal''s side...

    Hal was shocked. Even in a dream, shouldn''t she show more propriety?

    He was already satisfied. It was time to invoke a gentleman''s self-restraint¡ª

    In the next instant, Haruga Haruomi''s consciousness finally awakened.

    "Oh dear, I was having a wonderful dream... Huh?"

    Hal cocked his head in puzzlement.

    Just woken up, he slowly sat up.

    He should be sleeping on his bed at home. Despite having this kind of dream, he thought he had been sleeping in his stuffy and messy study that was also his bedroom.

    But right now, Hal was sleeping on a curled up dragon.

    In addition, he was naked with only a towel over his crotch.

    Orihime was lying by his right side. She had already removed her "final article" down to near her knees. On his left was the naked Luna Francois. And he was even straddled by his naked junior, Hazumi...

    "Haruga-kun, you returned to normal!"

    "Sheesh! I was so worried about you, Harry!"

    "Th-Thank goodness, Senpai!"

    The three girls exclaimed at the same time. Their faces were overjoyed with tears glinting in their eyes.

    Surrounded by the witches, Hal tilted his head again. How odd. Were those self-satisfying developments just now not part of a dream...?

    "I-I see. I think I get the gist."

    In the courtyard of a middle school on the Kiyosu Bridge road, Hal nodded.

    Roughly twenty minutes passed after his miraculous awakening. During this time, he hastily searched his surroundings and fortunately found his usual clothing. Hal was now clothed.

    In addition, the Crimson Queen was still sleeping behind him.

    It looked like the queen had yet to recover her power completely.

    "By experiencing human fulfillment, my body and mind reverts from a dragon back to a human. Knowing this, all of you did so much for me..."

    "Yes, indeed, Harry," replied Luna Francois with a cool expression.

    No longer naked, she was wearing her usual black dress. Orihime and Hazumi had also put on their clothes. However, the two Japanese girls seemed to have recovered their sense of shame and had their heads down, too afraid to look straight at Hal.

    "S-Sorry... It looks like I caused a lot of trouble for everyone..."

    "Don''t let it bother you. At least I was a willing participant. Because¡ªI love you more than anyone in the world."

    "Th-That''s why I was able to revive?"

    "Yes. But in my opinion, what Orihime-san said earlier was very problematic... It sounded like she was your girlfriend, madly in love with you and willing to marry you just like that. I pretended not to hear because it was an emergency just now, but..."

    Luna smiled and suddenly started to pursue the matter.

    However, the master-class witch''s eyes were not smiling. Instead, they showed firm determination that would send Raptors flying with brute force if necessary. Hal suddenly remembered it. Now that she mentioned it, that scene which he thought was a dream¡ªOrihime had definitely shouted something like that.

    Orihime herself was stunned on the spot.

    It was probably only now that she remembered her promise to Hal. To avoid causing conflict within the team, their relationship needed to be kept secret for a while...

    Even Hazumi was showing shock on her face while looking back and forth between her cousin and Hal.

    "Speaking of which, Nee-sama definitely said that just now..."

    "Oh, that! Haruga-kun and I are just pure classmates! Although we might be considered a couple whose relationship progressed with lightning speed, and it''s not like we didn''t discuss dating with an eye for marriage, putting each other into our plans for the future...!"

    Orihime lost composure completely.

    She was very poor at handling trouble of this sort. Hal found this quite adorable of her and almost failed to suppress the urge to shout, "Sorry for keeping it from all of you. We''re actually dating. I feel very attracted to Juujouji, and happily, the feeling is mutual with Juujouji¡ª!"

    Hal was an energy-saving human who was extremely lazy in the areas of romance and real life.

    Just as he was finally about to tear off this label, Hal suddenly detected "a certain presence."

    "Now way... Is she coming?"

    It was something that could only be sensed by the successor of the Rune of the Bow¡ªA bond. The holder of the dragonslaying bow was extremely sensitive to the complementary arrow.

    The witches also fell silent instantly, probably noticing Hal''s nervousness.

    Two seconds later, that nostalgic voice, full of vitality, was heard again.

    "Haruomi, you survived, didn''t you? Whether you or the silver dragon, none of the latest additions to the ranks of the Tyrannoi are to be underestimated!"

    Needless to say, what descended from the heavens was Princess Yukikaze''s voice.

    Part 5

    Hal and company were at the courtyard, facing the school yard.

    The white dragon king descended leisurely on the school yard. By her side was the other dragon, Hal''s old foe Pavel Galad.

    "Eh!?"

    Hal thought he was imagining things.

    The beautiful silver-white body was now a tragic sight.

    The right forelimb, right wing, and right hind leg below the knee¡ªAll these formerly silver body parts had turned into a disgusting mixed color of black, gray, and steel.

    Rough in surface, their forms were also distorted and ugly.

    The texture seemed like a pointless alloy created by dumping fragments of concrete and asphalt into molten steel.

    "W-What happened to your limbs!?"

    "Nothing of particular consequence. I simply sparred with the princess while you were away. Nothing less expected of a dragon king. Had I not mended myself using alchemy magic, I would have lost already," reported Pavel Galad nonchalantly.

    On the surface, it looked like Princess Yukikaze had not suffered much injury. Comparing the two dragon''s gigantic bodies, Hal sighed. Unless Minadzuki''s healing magic was used, Pavel Galad''s lost body parts probably could not be restored.

    "Remodeling himself as a cyborg huh..."

    Hal did not know how to react besides sighing. Sure enough, the minds of the warrior race that was dragonkind were abnormal.

    Unwilling to play along with their farce and wanting to "conserve energy" as much as possible, Hal made his suggestion, "Feel free to continue your fight. I''m basically defeated, so you two can just go ahead and decide the winner between yourselves."

    "What nonsense are you suggesting? According to convention, we two must fight to the death first as Tyrannoi."

    "Precisely. Defeat the opponent on your own level before challenging the king who is I, Yukikaze. Haruomi, this is the trial you must face."

    It would be easiest if the two dragons took out each other.

    Even though the Tyrannos and the dragon king could not possibly understand Hal''s calculative intentions, they flatly rejected Hal''s energy-saving plan. Hal had no interest in playing along with dragonkind''s excessively dangerous foreign culture.

    Furthermore, Princess Yukikaze even said casually while still in her dragon form, "However, Pavel Galad was severely injured during his fight with me. For fairness'' sake, perhaps I should amputate an arm and a leg of Haruomi''s before you two start fighting again..."

    "I see, that would be logical."

    "H-Hold on a sec! That''s definitely unfair, so hear me out, okay!?" Hal instantly pointed at something.

    Near the top of the outer wall of this middle school building, there was a large round clock. The old mechanical kind, using a long hand and a short hand to represent time.

    The time happened to be 4pm exactly. It was already afternoon.

    "I will end our match before the long hand moves from ''0'' to ''5.'' If our fight still isn''t done by then, the princess can give Galad a hand... How''s that!?"

    "Oh? You intend to settle our score in merely five minutes?" Pavel Galad nodded. "I see. The longer the fight drags on, the worse the stamina drain on my injured body, which would tip the scales in your favor. You wish to relinquish this advantage on your own?"

    "Yeah, that''s the idea."

    Galad''s attitude was surprisingly candid, putting Hal at a bit of a loss.

    Elite dragons and dragon kings were capable of understanding all languages on Earth.

    Naturally, he could read Arabic numerals. However, the silver dragon had nodded in agreement without needing Hal to explain the "five minutes," a human measuring unit of time¡ªHal was very surprised.

    So this guy even practiced how to read clocks?

    Against someone so studious, would that move work? However, unconcerned about Hal, Pavel Galad talked to the dragon king on his own.

    "I have no objections to Haruga Haruomi''s proposal."

    "Very well. If you are not opposed to it, I, Yukikaze, have no opinion either. You two can go about it however you wish."

    Princess Yukikaze nodded generously and agreed at once.

    "The winner shall earn the right to have a rematch with me, Yukikaze. Begin."

    The white dragon king declared haughtily and transformed.

    Her majestic body instantly shrank, swiftly turning back into the beautiful girl in the one-piece dress. Sitting on her flying surfboard to increase altitude, she approached the round clock that showed the time limit.

    "Do your best, Haruomi. I have already witnessed the silver dragon''s mettle. It is your turn to exhibit your potential."

    The princess'' entire being exuded royal authority.

    Pavel Galad spread his wings and flew into the sky over the school yard to enter a combat stance.

    Left on the ground, Haruga Haruomi sighed and turned to his witch companions.

    "...So there you have it. I''m counting on you, everyone."

    "Okay, Harry. I will pursue the details later."

    "N-Nee-sama, don''t tell me you and Senpai..."

    "Forget about that for the time being! We need to focus, Hazumi!"

    Luna Francois winked at Hal, Hazumi still seemed unsettled, while Orihime remained flustered. Furthermore, Asya''s absence was a massive hit to their combat potential. She apparently stayed back alone in Pavel Galad''s barrier in order to help her companions escape...

    Regardless, the three witches materialized their partners.

    The nine-tailed fox-wolf, Akuro-Ou. The three-headed lion, Glinda. The emerald serpentine dragon, Minadzuki.

    The three giant beasts, ten-odd meters in body length, appeared.

    "Anyway, this should be the final bout, Harry."

    "If anything, it''s more like the last round when playing mahjong through the whole night." Hal shrugged and replied to Luna. "After all, this is more like gambling than fighting..."

    Would the trap he had laid from a flash of inspiration work?

    Now that it had come to this, all he could do was believe in the horse he had his bets on.

    Also, the incident this time had made Hal realize once again, Haruga Haruomi was not suited to fighting. Unless absolutely necessary, it would be best to avoid acting cool as much as possible...

    The Crimson Queen was behind him, curled up in a ball.

    Deciding to ignore the fierce and violent nature sleeping within the queen, Hal looked at the clock.

    "Four minutes and a bit left... I''m counting on Glinda and Akuro-Ou to handle Galad first. During this time, I''ll tell the Crimson Queen to get her bow and arrow ready. Shirasaka, can Minadzuki''s power of healing still be¡ª"

    "No problem! It can still be used, though only once!"

    "Excellent! Then please help the queen recover!"

    While Hal was issuing orders, precious time was ticking away.

    The witches reacted swiftly Orihime drew out the power of the Rune of the Twin Katana from Hal where as Luna used the Rune of the Bow, then applied them to their partners.

    Akuro-Ou''s nine tails¡ªBlades resembling Japanese swords appeared at the tips of her tails.

    Glinda''s three heads¡ªA cannon protruded out from each mouth of the lion, the dragon, and the goat.

    "Akuro-Ou, we have the advantage in blade quantity!"

    Orihime was the first to encourage her partner.

    Obtaining nine swords instead of two, the fox-wolf rushed into the air to attack Pavel Galad who was waiting in the sky.

    Slice. Slice. Slice. Slice. Slice. Slice. Slice. Slice. Slice.

    Akuro-Ou''s nine tails moved freely as though they were made of rubber, even more dexterous than human arms, swinging the nine swords to attack Pavel Galad continuously.

    However, the nine blades were all blocked by the dragonslaying sword.

    A single longsword. The holy inscription of Ruruk Soun, "I am the user of the sword of divine alacrity," appeared along the sword''s blade.

    "Hohohoho! How could a mere nine swords prevail against my sword of divine speed!?"

    The dragon''s roar resounded across the sky.

    Luna shouted, "In that case, how about this!?"

    Akuro-Ou swiftly retreated to get out of range.

    At the same time, Glinda began to fire her cannons at the sky. From the lion, the dragon, and the goat''s mouths, the three cannons shot glowing projectiles one after another.

    Using imperishable protection¡ªthe personal barrier with a pearly glow¡ªPavel Galad deflected the projectiles of light.

    Hal glanced at the clock. Three minutes and five seconds remaining.

    The Ruruk Soun runes of "healing hand" appeared over Minadzuki''s head.

    The emerald serpentine dragon unleashed the magic of healing, to inject vitality into the red dragon that was still curled up on the ground.

    The Crimson Queen with the damaged heartmetal finally got up.

    She slowly stood on her feet and gradually extended her pair of red wings to the sides.

    Her movements were definitely not quick. However, the queen''s eyes gradually regained vigor. The massive body, twenty meters long, began to release potent magical power.

    The heartmetal, whose magical power output had dropped to 30% or so, gradually increased its rate of output.

    From 40% to 50%, then 55%, 60%...

    However, this was not yet enough to use techniques of assured annihilation. Defeating his formidable foe would require the strongest attack from the sun-shooting divine bow.

    "Senpai! Looks like it will take some time!"

    "Don''t worry... Akuro-Ou and Glinda will help stall for a while longer..."

    Rather than to alleviate Hazumi''s worries, Hal''s words seemed more directed at himself.

    Two minutes and forty seconds left. Orihime finally ordered Akuro-Ou to execute a technique of assured annihilation using her nine swords.

    "Akuro-Ou, use fire... No, use sun magic!"

    The nine blades sprouted from the fox-wolf''s nine tails glowed golden¡ªthe sun''s radiance¡ªall of them turning into "swords of light."

    However, the sword of dragonbane was also burning with blue-white flames!

    "O fragments of the flint star, grant me power!"

    Pavel Galad recited an incantation while swinging his flaming sword nine times.

    The dragonslaying sword''s attacks were aimed at Akuro-Ou''s nine tails and nine blades. Every time it sliced audibly through the air, a clang would be heard from a sword of light, breaking from the resounding impact.

    Next, a critical strike sliced through the white fox-wolf''s body.

    "A-Akuro-Ou, hurry and disappear!"

    Furthermore damage could mean the loss of her partner''s life.

    Realizing this, Orihime commanded and Akuro-Ou instantly vanished. She had dematerialized. Two minutes and ten seconds remained. But with this development, it meant that there was no longer any worry about friendly fire¡ªA mad barrage began.

    "Glinda, fire everything!"

    Luna Francois instantly commanded.

    The heads of the lion, the dragon, and the goat finally engaged in rapid fire at a rate of thirty shots per second.

    The projectiles of light formed a curtain of anti-air fire, with each bullet imbued with the power of dragonbane. Faced against this wave of attacks, Pavel Galad relied on more than just his defense from imperishable protection.

    While using the pearly glow to block the projectiles of light, he even used a technique of assured annihilation.

    "O god of the sword, fill the blue heavens with the wisdom of Ruruk Soun!"

    Thunder clouds gradually blotted out the blue sky. Nineteen runes of Ruruk Soun also appeared in the air. "I summon the thunder god''s sword to unsheathe in haste."

    The technqiue of assured annihilation, the thunder god''s sword. It was the most powerful mystic technique boasted by the dragonslaying sword.

    Gathered in the sky, the thunder clouds kept striking the dragonslaying sword with lightning, successfully charging up the sword of dragonbane with the thunder god''s power.

    Not only that, but Glinda''s sweeping fire of glowing projectiles were also erased by the lightning.

    Pavel Galad slowly turned the dragonslaying sword to point at the three-headed lion. Lightning erupted from the sword''s tip, striking Glinda''s left shoulder¡ªThe goat head.

    This lightning was also an attack imbued with the power of dragonbane. Further injury would be bad news. Luna clicked her tongue.

    "Retreat, Glinda!"

    The lion leviathan also dematerialized and left the mundane world.

    One minute and thirty seconds remaining. The Crimson Queen was finally ready to fight. Standing imposingly, she glared at the sky¡ªPavel Galad in the sky.

    The dragonslaying bow appeared in her crimson left hand!

    "I''m counting on you, queen. Use your full power."

    Hal prayed to the queen. Currently, the heartmetal''s output of magical power was about 85%.

    Not completely revived, but it should be able to draw out enough magical power¡ªAn arrow of light appeared in the queen''s right hand at last.

    Nocking the arrow onto the dragonslaying bow, she drew and released.

    "Incoming, the queen''s divine bow, huh!?"

    "As much as it runs counter to my personality, I''m gonna settle things with you fair and square!"

    The arrow shot by the queen produced a vortex of swirling flame in its wake, attacking the silver dragon''s body that was no longer smooth.

    The aerial target raised his dragonslaying sword up high and swung down. The longsword was currently in an excessively decorated state with both blue fire and massive lightning.

    The mystical sword of lightning and fire swung down on to the sun-shooting vortex of conflagration.

    The vortex of conflagration was like a tsunami.

    It was large enough to easily swallow the ten-odd-meter-long Pavel Galad. Massive threatening tide seemed as though it was going to burn all creation into ash. Currently, the holy words of "I will fire the sun-shooting divine bow at the sky, to exterminate the sun" were glowing radiantly over the Crimson Queen''s head.

    However, this conflagration failed to burn away the white lightning released by the dragonslaying sword.

    Galad was pointing the longsword forward. The blade''s body and the lightning acted like Moses'' prayer to part the sea, chopping open a gap in the vortex of conflagration. Holding the dragonslaying sword, Pavel Galad was staying unscathed in that gap.

    "My heartmetal, pour all power into the dragonslaying sword¡ª!"

    "Hang in there! Shirasaka already went out of her way to heal us!"

    Galad spoke to the power source inside him while Hal shouted at the Crimson Queen.

    In theory, offering encouragement to a heartmetal and the queen was practically pointless. However, this was a battle of limits where each side attempted to overpower the other with their most powerful technique of assured annihilation.

    This was a contest of willpower and endurance in addition to magical power and martial force.

    Whenever the vortex of fire inched forward, the sword''s lightning would push it back. Both sides kept pushing nonstop.

    This simple yet intense battle was like two sumo wrestlers pushing each other in a contest of pure strength. Perhaps because of the simplicity in the manner of contest, time was slowly ticking away mercilessly.

    One minute and five seconds left. Fifty-five seconds. Fifty seconds. Forty, thirty, twenty-five seconds...

    Vying for supremacy just a moment ago, the conflagration and the lightning exhausted their magical power simultaneously and vanished.

    "Damn it! Is that the limit...?"

    "What comes next is a battle of pure power without relying on my sword or your bow!"

    Hal clicked his tongue while Galad shouted with delight.

    Twenty seconds remaining. Akuro-Ou and Glinda had exited the stage. The remaining combatant¡ªHal instantly gestured to her with his eyes. The junior student nodded and repied, "Minadzuki, protect us!"

    Rahhhhh¡ªahhhhhhhhhh!

    Minadzuki had been maintaining some distance from the sword-swinging Galad in the air. The gentle serpentine dragon bared her fangs ferociously and flew at Pavel Galad.

    The mortal rival of silver calmly pointed his sword of choice at the serpentine dragon''s face.

    A flash of yellow light shot out from the dragonslaying sword''s tip. Minadzuki deployed imperishable protection to block the attack, but only fifteen seconds remained until the time limit...

    Hal nervously gulped. It was finally about to end.

    In fact, he had been using a certain spell the whole time, the Eye that had helped him out so much several hours earlier. This magic offered an overlooking view of the surrounding area, providing "god''s eye."

    The battlefield was the yard of middle school at Kiyosumi-Shirakawa.

    Two high school girls happened to arrive at the school gate at this moment. Their uniforms did not belong to this middle school but to Kogetsu Private Academy¡ªthe high school where Hal and his friends attended.

    Perhaps the dragon hero was using magic under the same system and saw these two girls.

    But Hal was very confident because instinct informed him that Galad''s attention and focus were on the Crimson Queen and the hindrance in front of him¡ªthe leviathan Minadzuki.

    (Galad only targeted the witches because they''re my companions¡ªHaruga Haruomi''s. Mere "high school girls you can find anywhere" shouldn''t be enough to attract his attention...)

    Next, there was the sound of gunfire. Not one shot, but a fully automatic burst.

    Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang!

    One of the high school girls¡ªthe one wearing her hair in twintails¡ªhad slowly taken out a semi-automatic pistol from her schoolbag, then pulled the trigger. This gun was primarily steel in color with golden decoration all over it. Magnificent and rugged in construction.

    The rest was Hal''s job. He imbued the thirty bullets of light, shot out from the handgun, with magical power.

    Dragonslaying power¡ªfor piercing Pavel Galad''s heart.

    The two high school girls were his classmates, Mutou-san and Funaki-san. The pistol was Hal''s usual magic gun which he had personally handed over to them eariler. As a result, this task was quite easy.

    The thirty dragonslaying bullets reached the silver dragon''s chest, striking it, rotating, then burrowing into it.

    Normally, the bullets should have been blocked by imperishable protection, but the silver dragon had exhausted his magical power just now in his contest of techniques of assured annihilation with Hal. Pouring all magical power into the technique of assured annihilation had caused his defense to diminish greatly.

    "What...?"

    Galad was shocked. The pain from his chest told him he had been shot, injured.

    He was stunned for only a moment, but this created an irrevocable opening, a perfect opportunity for Hal and Hazumi to attack.

    "Shirasaka, counting on you!"

    "Y-Yes! Minadzuki, use the Rune of the Bow. Please!"

    Their shouts caused the emerald serpentine dragon to roar again.

    Minadzuki discharged "laser breath" at Pavel Galad. Furthermore, due to the Rune of the Bow''s power, this shot was imbued with the power of dragonbane.

    "A-Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

    Struck directly by the dragonslaying laser, Pavel Galad screamed.

    Under the light, the silver-white head and body turned into dust and gradually crumbled. The arm, wing, and hind limb with mixed colors of black, gray, and steel were also blown away.

    Time remaining: five seconds.

    Having exhausted all his power, the successor to the Rune of the Sword vanished from Hal''s sight.

 Volume 7, Epilogue

    Volume 7, Epilogue

    "Th-The gorgeous guy dragon disappeared!"

    "All we did was bring the gun over... W-Was that enough?"

    It was after the silver dragon Pavel Galad had disappeared.

    The two "helper" high school girls came over to Hal and the three witches who had exhausted all their energy in a short amount of time.

    They were Funaki-san, who had fired the magic gun, and the accompanying Mutou-san.

    "You were lifesavers. Really, thank you very much," Hal thanked them sincerely.

    The reason why he had handed the magic gun to fellow club members who had entered the combat zone was because it suddenly occurred to him that "when a nearby high school student opens fire on him without warning, even Galad would be startled, right?" as well as¡ªA bit of pride.

    Galad had definitely studied Haruga Haruomi and his allies, the witches, in depth, and apparently learned quite a lot of knowledge about human society.

    But no matter how enthusiastic a learner he was, Pavel Galad was ultimately still a dragon hero who loved battle. How serious could his interest in "humans" be...?

    Wanting to send Galad the message "don''t underestimate humans," he had given his magic gun to his fellow club members.

    Regardless of the gun''s location, Hal could instantly sense it and remotely imbue it with magical power. If necessary, he could summon it with a single thought. At the time, he had entrusted Funaki-san with the magic gun on a momentary whim as insurance.

    Unexpectedly, he was roped into a return match, and with a handicap condition to boot.

    Hal had no choice but to turn his "momentary whim" into a "trump card." As a result, he had to create a situation where he and Galad were pitting their techniques of assured annihilation against each other at least, so he proposed the five minute deadline rule in an attempt to make effective use of the "passing high school girls."

    "Luckily, that guy accepted my suggestion..."

    It was a great gamble combining all kinds of factors.

    He had asked the Mutou-Funaki team to standby near the Kiyosu Bridge road. After Orihime and the girls saved him from his dragon transformation, the Mutou-Funaki team had rushed over to the school in five minutes.

    More importantly, there was a secret hero behind the scenes.

    "Here''s your gun back! I''ve never seen a magic gun that talks and tells me what to do. It made me jump in surprise!"

    "It was pretty haughty. And quite amusing too."

    "Hahahahahaha."

    Mutou-san chimed with a comment while Funaki-san handed the magic gun over.

    Laughing artificially, Hal accepted the gun. The great guardian of the magic gun who had led the way for the two high school girls spoke directly to his mind.

    (Brat, know that I do not mind if you were to prostrate yourself with tears of joy to express your gratitude.)

    (I''m surprised you can say that so brazenly. While I was a dragon, it seemed like you were enjoying the show quite a bit.)

    (Kukukuku. After all, it had nothing to do with me. A perfect way to kill time.)

    Residing in the magic gun, the former dragon king Hinokagutsuchi replied conceitedly.

    That being said, she still agreed to Hal''s request to bring his two classmates and the magic gun over here while he was fighting Pavel Galad. I guess I could let it slide this once?

    "By the way, what happened to Sakuraba-senpai?"

    "Well, as you know already, he values gathering data even more than his own life."

    "He said he had to capture the battle just now as photos and videos... So lugging his equipment, he ran up to a building''s rooftop~ What amazing perseverance," replied Mutou-san with a wry smile.

    On the other hand, Funaki-san looked very impressed.

    Hal laughed in response too while thinking about another question. After the match was decided, that dragon king girl should be flying over here instantly in all likelihood¡ªPrincess Yukikaze¡ªBut why hasn''t she come to find me yet?

    In the next instant...

    The three witches, who had used up a great deal of their stamina in battle after battle, looked up in surprise.

    "Senpai, look!"

    "The magic of dragons can even do that!?"

    "Harry, it looks like... We haven''t won yet!"

    Sudden warnings. Their gazes were directed towards an unexpected revival ritual.

    Particles as tiny as sand were gathering at a point in the sky to create a dragonoid form. A body reaching ten-odd meters in length, a long and thick tail, sharp teeth¡ªIt reached completion swiftly in ten seconds.

    "Pavel Galad huh...?" Hal said quietly.

    The dragon manifested in the sky was very similar to his old foe.

    However, the beautiful body of lustrous silver-white was no longer.

    The revived Pavel Galad''s body featured an ugly surface color of black, gray, and steel. No part of it was smooth. It was like an alloy forcibly mixed and created by pouring concrete and asphalt fragments into molten steel¡ª

    "The instant he suffered the critical blow, he used those materials to forge a new body!?"

    "Hohohoho, correct, Haruga Haruomi. This magic is difficult to control... I only succeeded after going through great trouble, so it is with relief from the bottom of my heart that I sigh now. It would appear that the curtain has yet to fall for our duel."

    The indomitable warrior smiled with satisfaction using his grotesque body.

    Should he be called a dragon or a combat automaton made in the shape of a dragon? Regardless, Pavel Galad''s tenacity and magical power had reached frightening levels.

    Naturally, the xenomorphic dragon was holding the dragonslaying sword.

    The match had yet to be decided¡ªwhich was why Princess Yukikaze did not arrive.

    Hal gasped. Would he be able to emerge victorious? Since the enemy had used such reckless means to revive, he should be in poor shape, but Hal''s magical power was in short supply too, making him akin to an empty shell.

    The remaining leviathan, Minadzuki, could not use pseudo-divinity again either.

    The only option was entrust fate to Haruga Haruomi''s marionette¡ªthe Crimson Queen.

    However, the body was no longer a simple puppet. Probably sensing Hal''s nervousness, the queen opened her jaws slightly, growling so softly that one had to listen carefully to pick it up.

    The soul inhabiting the Crimson Queen¡ªthe basic instinct of dragonkind began to awaken.

    Fighting in such a state, would what happened earlier repeat itself...?

    The Tyrannos of the sword, who had gone as far as to replace his entire body, said to the terrified Hal, "Although the time limit you actively proposed has passed, I also spent substantial time on my revival, so both sides are at fault. Now let us restart¡ª"

    Galad probably wanted to say "restart the battle."

    But he did not get to finish his sentence. Instead, a noise resounded all around.

    ¡ªCling clang cling clang cling clang cling clang cling clang cling clang!

    It was the metallic sound of chain links bumping against one another. Five chains flew in from the sky, entangling Pavel Galad''s neck, right elbow, left elbow, right knee, and left knee.

    Then a girl''s adorable voice read out holy words of death.

    "I hereby pray to my seal that shines in the sky, the Chain of Heavenly Imprisonment. This time, that dragon that narrowly escaped death¡ªSend him to hell."

    These were command words.

    In the next instant, the five chains effortlessly dismembered Pavel Galad''s body, tearing him apart.

    The head and limbs of the xenomorphic dragon, formerly silver, flew in the sky.

    Next, as though adding a finishing blow, a shot of laser breath struck Galad''s chest¡ªthe location where the heartmetal lay dormant¡ªthoroughly eliminating any possibility of revival.

    Witnessing the entire process, Hal muttered to himself, "Rushalka...?"

    It was the blue wyvern that had delivered the finishing blow to Galad.

    She suddenly materialized in the air over the middle school''s yard that had become a battlefield. Adorning Europe''s strongest leviathan''s head like a crown were runes of Ruruk Soun.

    A total of sixteen symbols, signifying "O jailer of heavenly imprisonment and chain of the executioner, accomplish your second mission."

    The five chains that had killed Pavel Galad were shot from around the center of this series of runes.

    "You are too careless, Haruomi. What''s the point of cornering the target if you''re going to let him revive? That''s why amateurs are such a pain."

    With wings outspread, Rushalka was waiting in the sky.

    The girl directly under her lectured Hal. This was frank advice from a combat expert, the silver-haired witch dressed in a durable military jacket.

    "Asya-san!?" "Asya!?" "You''re okay!"

    Seeing their companion return safe and sound, Orihime, Luna, and Hazumi were very emotional.

    Asya raised her hand lightly in acknowledgement and quickly walked over to Hal.

    "Asya... Thank goodness you''re okay, but that rune is¡ª"

    "That one, the dragonslaying rune you guys retrieved from the Dragon Palace Court, belonging to the former dragon king called the Gray Aristocrat. I dug it out and recycled it," said Asya calmly.

    Of course, Hal was intrigued.

    "Don''t you need that kind of stone to activate a dragonslaying rune!?"

    "That''s right. It''s all thanks to Pavel Galad stockpiling those flints¡ªsecret treasures of the sea of stars. I stole a couple of those stones from the deepest part of his barrier and returned to Earth, then went to school to find the dragonslaying rune kept in underground storage. I''m glad I rushed like mad, because I barely got here in time at the critical moment."

    After explaining how things happened, Asya showed a weary expression.

    "But pushing myself this much made me hungry. Got any food?"

    "Nope. I don''t carry extra food around."

    "Haruomi, how can you be so useless when you''re my childhood friend...?"

    "Don''t you keep emergency rations on your person? Why not eat that?"

    "Finished it a long time ago. Right now, I need to replenish at least nine thousand calories of nutrition."

    "At least ninety thousand, if you ask me."

    In other words, Asya had become a Tyrannos just like Hal.

    Incredibly, upon seeing his childhood friend who by all logic should have changed a lot, Hal felt a wave of nostalgia instead.

    Probably because there were no signs of Asya''s recent nonchalant spate of inexplicably feminine behavior. And her appetite too. Genius Asya''s outstanding magical power originated from excess intake of food¡ªThis hypothesis was very well-known in SAURU.

    Hal nodded firmly.

    He even thought, Now this is truly Haruga Haruomi''s childhood friend.

    However, many questions surfaced in his mind. He had not sensed Asya using the Rune of the Twin Katana single-handedly at all. How did she return to Earth? Trying to claim someone else''s dragonslaying rune as your own was supposed to have a very low success rate. Did she succeed by luck alone?

    But these questions had to wait until later.

    "Haruomi, the great demon lord is about to descend at last..."

    "Yeah. Coming at me one after another, I really wish they''d give me a break..."

    The white dragon king slowly descended upon the school yard where Hal and the others were.

    Wearing a one-piece dress of pure white, the beautiful maiden was standing on her flying surfboard. Princess Yukikaze, the dragon king who had inherited the Rune of the Arrow.

    "Fufufufufu. Haruomi, you have finally earned the right to stand before me. I, Yukikaze, almost gave up on you!"

    Back when he returned to Tokyo New Town after an absence of three years, never in his wildest dreams did Hal expect this future to be in store for him.

    To think that he would embark on an adventure revolving around the threats to mankind that were dragonkind and the dragonslaying runes. He had been in the presence of dragon kings so many times that he had lost count.

    However, Hal had a feeling. What was about to start would be the most intense battle to date.

    Uncertainty and fear surged in his heart. Hal straightened his back and gazed straight at the white dragon princess'' adorable and beautiful face.

 Volume 7, Afterword

    Volume 7, Afterword

    Hello everyone, it''s been a while.

    Following Volume 6 after a bit of a gap, Volume 7 is finally for sale.

    "Although ''the insiders'' were involved in the production of a drama CD, so the blank period doesn''t feel real to me~"

    ...You showed up at the beginning this time, Asya-san. Matter-of-factly too.

    "What''s the problem? It''s not like we''re strangers."

    I was thinking, since it''s already the seventh volume, perhaps I should ask Luna-san or someone else to appear, to break the mold, so to speak...

    "What!? Why ask Luna!?"

    Purely an idea on whim. I think it''s time to change the format of the afterword.

    "Objection! This afterword is basically my sanctuary!"

    Last volume, I used your sanctuary as a playground, so what are you getting so hung up about by now?

    Well, switching people so suddenly is a bit much, so let''s continue like this.

    "That''s right! Nice thinking!"

    Many events have taken place to push the main plot into the climax.

    But let''s put that aside for now while we''re in the afterword and have a chat with Asya-san instead.

    "Then let''s advertise what is being sold simultaneously with this book."

    Yes, right on it. The drama CD "Haruga Haruomi on Holiday with the Witches" that''s being bundled together with Volume 7, right? Exclusively sold by Japan''s Comic Toranoana¡ª

    "Although that''s very important too, don''t forget the other product. Didn''t they start selling a well-received body pillow of me¡ªAsya¡ªnot too long ago?"

    Eh... Ohhh. That definitely exists.

    "What''s with the lack of enthusiasm!?"

    Oh dear. I can''t believe they produced a body pillow for a character who clearly doesn''t provide much practicality in that area. I think it''s very challenging and admirable. But this also raises a purely academic question on my part, I wonder how much demand is there in the market for this product... (wry smile)

    "O-Of course it will be wildly popular! It''s an alluring item that allows a super beautiful maiden like me to descend upon your bed, keeping you company at night!"

    There you have it, the well-received new product on sale, catching the eye of everyone involved. Interested readers, please consider purchasing it!

    "So, it''s time to talk about the drama CD!"

    This is exclusively sold at Toranoana, but apparently you can also order online from major shopping platforms to have them buy from Toranoana.

    The script was written by the original work''s author¡ªme.

    "Also! They even succeeded in hiring Tange Sakura to voice me¡ª!"

    Asya Tange Sakura-san

    Haruga Haruomi Saiga Mitsuki-san

    Orihime Saitou Yuka-san

    Hazumi Yahagi Sayuri-san

    Luna Francois Niina Ayano-san

    Hinokagutsuchi Hirohashi Ryou-san

    The above voice actors form the cast list.

    The bonus booklet also includes little anecdotes about casting and recording, presented as short skits¡ªor rather, dialogue form.

    "It''s that thing that appeared together with President M and me. It also covers the reason why the president didn''t appear in the drama CD. And then the all-important plot of the drama CD..."

    The content is quite slice-of-life.

    The story is about the usual gang visiting a public bath (not a hot spring).

    "That''s definitely quite slice-of-life, to go to this kind of place that''s not very special, instead of a hot spring."

    But there are many parts that are worth a listen. Like a certain character whose sweet voice reads out a poem to set your heart pounding, a gourmet who skips class, and the ultimate combo of massages and debauchery.

    If interested, dear readers, please do purchase it to check it out.

    Due to the plot moving towards the climax, in this volume, there is a trend of decreasing levity. Perhaps pairing with the drama CD would give a pretty good balance.

    "Will the next volume finally be the showdown against Princess Yukikaze?"

    Not just in combat. My plan is to let this true heroine show off her real power in the romantic comedy arena at last. From there, I''m thinking of charging full steam ahead to the finish line in one breath, so if possible, let us meet again with Volume 8!

 Volume 8, 1 - The Moon Palace

    Volume 8, Chapter 1 - The Moon Palace

    Part 1

    The critical moment had arrived.

    At this very point in time, the greatest and most powerful enemy was standing right before Haruga Haruomi''s eyes.

    Princess Yukikaze¡ª

    The black-haired young beauty, dress in a white summer dress. The lovely yet haughty dragon king''s human form. Her elegant face bore an expression of excitement and extreme joy, almost like "a little girl who finally got her wish to visit an amusement park."

    Simply stated, "she could hardly wait."

    (Why is she getting so excited when the opponent is someone like me?)

    Hal thought to himself poignantly. He really wanted to stare up into the sky and sigh.

    However, Hal carefully avoided her since they were "fated rivals of destiny!" after all. This girl was probably not petty enough to launch an attack while her opponent''s gaze was directed elsewhere...

    Indeed. The two of them possessed the runes of the Bow and the Arrow respectively.

    Among the dragonslaying runes, this pair was a special combination.

    Ever since time immemorial, the successors of the Bow and the Arrow in every era would feel strongly drawn to each other, clashing in conflict, to duel intensely¡ª

    "...Fated rivals of destiny, huh?"

    "Hmm? What is the matter, Haruomi? Why the surprised look?"

    "Nothing much. It just struck me how I''ve come this far by the time I realized, doing something that really doesn''t suit my personality."

    "Fufufufu. By this juncture, you still speak incomprehensible words like these."

    A dignified smile appeared on the princess'' adorable face.

    The "flying surfboard" under Princess Yukikaze''s feet was her magic wand. Like Hal''s magic gun, it was a magic artifact for controlling the power of dragonbane.

    Whoosh. The white dragon king jumped down lightly from the surfboard.

    Standing the on the same ground as Hal, she stared sharply at him.

    The location was a certain middle school''s yard¡ª

    None of the school''s students were within the premises. However, Hal and Princess Yukikaze were silently watched by Asya, who had become a Tyrannos at some unknown point in time, Juujouji Orihime, Luna Francois, Shirasaka Hazumi, as well as Hal''s classmates, Mutou-san and Funaki-san.

    This was because the duel between Princess Yukikaze and Hal would determine the fate of all humanity.

    At this very moment, the white dragon king stood before the cowardly human, speaking with superiority, "No matter. This is part of your style. As a powerful dragon king, I, Yukikaze, shall display great magnanimity, even regarding your unique style as one of many amusements."

    "Really? Then I hope you could do me a favor."

    "Oh?"

    "Actually, about that duel of destiny, I''d like you to postpone it for a few days."

    "What?"

    Princess Yukikaze suddenly became quite displeased, glaring viciously at Hal.

    "Haruomi, I have quietly waited for the conclusion between you and Pavel Galad. Are you asking me, Yukikaze, to wait further?"

    "Uh, that''s because I just finished such an intense battle."

    Not even fifteen minutes had passed since the death of the formidable foe who wielded the Rune of the Sword.

    "Let''s be honest here, I''m all drained, half dead from fatigue. I''d lose miserably in thirty seconds if I fought you in this state. Unless you''re fine with that."

    "Mu."

    "Since you''ve already waited until now, what does three or four days more matter?"

    "Muu."

    Princess Yukikaze bit her lower lip hard, like a sulking child.

    Were this a regular battle against a regular warrior, negotiations would be out of the question entirely.

    As the defending champion, all the princess needed to do was pummel the weak and exhausted Hal with her overwhelming strength.

    However, since the princess wanted an all-out fight against a special Tyrannos¡ª

    "Let me be clear on this. My patience has limits, understood?"

    "Yes, indeed, but I think you''re only choice is to wait. I may look fine right now, but an hour ago, I almost died."

    "Grrrrr."

    The princess frowned with displeasure.

    Although this situation was quite bizarre, so long as she desired a spectacular fight more than Hal did, Hal would hold the upper hand in negotiations. It was with full understanding of this that Hal had seized the opportunity to make his proposal.

    As expected, the princess agonized for quite a while before speaking unhappily, "...Very well. I shall wait three days and no more."

    "Really? Thank you so much!"

    "You must rest properly during these three days in preparation for our duel, understood?"

    "Of course! Leave it to me, I''m an expert in relaxing and doing nothing."

    "Running away is forbidden, got that? You must rest your body and mind for the upcoming duel, staying within my sight at all times, understood?"

    "That goes without saying! I won''t let your kindness go to waste!"

    "Excellent. Then come with me."

    "Huh?"

    The princess grinned when Hal agreed so readily.

    As though responding to a playmate''s prank with an equally crude prank, it was a childish smile.

    "Fufufufu. I, Yukikaze, shall allow you to rest thoroughly for these three days, but on one condition. You must stay by my side the whole time. Otherwise, we fight immediately!"

    "Ehhhhhhh!?"

    The unexpected condition made Hal jump in surprise.

    "I''m not going to run away even if you don''t go so far, okay!? Regardless, I can''t escape a dragon king''s eyes no matter where across the Earth I escape to!"

    "Yes... You definitely will not escape."

    Staring intently at Haruga Haruomi''s face, Princess Yukikaze asserted.

    Hal felt a chill. He had a feeling, the princess'' adorable eyes seemed to possess a dragon king''s eyesight, capable of seeing through a person''s true character in but a single glance.

    "Nevertheless, I know not whether you will listen to me and rest properly. Haruomi, despite your superficial image as a lazy good-for-nothing, aren''t you excessively serious in odd areas?"

    "Oh, umm¡ª"

    The princess was perfectly right. Hal scratched his head.

    THe princess'' age was estimated to be over a thousand despite her child-like appearance and personality. She was apparently a dragon king who had existed since the Kamakura period.

    Would Princess Yukikaze be offended if one were to call her "the older the wiser"?

    In any case, she smiled smugly, posturing like an elder sister.

    "To prevent you from not resting, I shall supervise by your side. Relax, I am not asking you to remain in my presence at all times. All you need to do is recuperate for a period of time by my side."

    "No helping it..."

    It would be far better than fighting right away.

    The instant Hal was about to nod in agreement, he mentally jumped in surprise.

    He and the princess were standing in the school yard of a middle school one could find anywhere.

    By the time he noticed, there were twenty-four runes of Ruruk Soun underfoot

    The sequence of symbols meant "O starship, become my wings." Even the surfboard hovering in the air¡ªa magic wand¡ªbegan to glow with silver-white light.

    "Fufufufu, I knew you would agree. Let us waste no more time. I shall invite you to my territory immediately. Worry not, it will be a comfortable stay."

    "Eh? So soon!?"

    Staring at the happily smiling Princess Yukikaze, Hal was rooted to the spot.

    Standing so close to Princess Yukikaze, he should have noticed something at least, such as focusing one''s mind to cast a spell, the flow of magical power, breathing, a look in her eyes, etc.

    Without any change, the princess had silently used magic without any sign.

    The way she used magic was as natural as breathing!

    (This is a super strong skill used by some kind of master!)

    In that case¡ªResistance was futile.

    He might have been able to put up a fight using defensive magic, but it was too late by now. The glow from the runes of Ruruk Soun swallowed Hal, seizing him tightly with mysterious power.

    As one might expect, the gap between a dragon king and a dragon king-esque human was too great...

    Painfully aware of the vast chasm between the two, Hal then heard familiar shouts.

    "Harry!" "Senpai!?" "Haruga-kun!" "Haruga-kun!?"

    The master-class witch from America, the underclassman who was like a reincarnated angel, the two girls from the UFO Research club who were classmates too¡ª

    They were all calling for Hal worriedly.

    In addition, there were two others.

    "I won''t let Haruomi be alone!"

    "Don''t forget us!"

    Two girls rushed over to grab Haruomi.

    They were the silver-haired childhood friend and the black-haired Japanese classmate¡ªAsya and Juujouji Orihime. In the next instant, they grabbed Hal, and he felt a mysterious floating sensation.

    An illusory feeling like his body was forcibly lifted, as well as an unpleasant sense of nausea.

    The two feelings attacked simultaneously. The scenery all around him became contorted.

    The school yard and his friends'' figures gradually became warped, like a fish-eyed view¡ª

    By the time he realized, Hal was in space.

    Tens of thousands of stars were shining in the darkness. Orihime was holding Hal''s right hand, whereas Asya was holding his left.

    Before him was the smiling Princess Yukikaze.

    Hal and the rest of them were currently standing at the very center of the cosmic abyss.

    Twenty-four runes, "O starship, become my wings," were underfoot in an oval arrangement, glowing like a magic circle.

    In the distance below the runes was a magnificent blue planet.

    Hal had seen this many times before. They were images taken by observation satellite of the Earth, the planet that nurtured life.

    "We will presently arrive at my castle, Haruomi. Welcome."

    "Castle... Is it something like the monolith at Old Tokyo?"

    The Old Tokyo Concession, formerly the heart of Japan as represented by the twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, was currently under Princess Yukikaze''s occupation.

    One would be highly likely to encounter the princess by visiting to pitch-black triangular prism of a "Monolith" towering in the Ginza district.

    Hal had speculated on his own that the princess had made her base there.

    "That is a secondary residence on Earth, a villa of sorts to me. I, Yukikaze, have invited you to my domain located in the sea of stars. Be grateful to me."

    "The sea of stars, in other words, I knew it...."

    It was what dragonkind called space. Hal sighed.

    Thanks to dragonkind''s wisdom that he had learned as a Tyrannos, Hal actually understood the instant he looked underfoot. This arrangement of runes was used for jumping through space to traverse between planets.

    "So we''re travel through space in the flesh, huh..."

    "Genbu-Ou... The minion responsible for my transportation is dead. Consequently, I must use magic. Haruomi, you ought to show me your gratitude."

    "Taking me to your Old Tokyo villa would''ve been enough."

    "On the other hand, surely I did not invite those two little lasses, you know?"

    Glaring at the girls at Hal''s sides, Princess Yukikaze grumbled quietly.

    The dragon king displayed obvious displeasure. Even the two fairly brave girls were intimidated to the point of straightening their backs.

    However, Asya tensed her countenance and spoke candidly.

    "I know I might be overstepping my bounds to say this, but I believe I have the right to come along."

    "Oh?"

    "Because... Although it happened only recently, I am the Tyrannos inheriting the Rune of the Chain, after all. In terms of position, I am Haruomi''s equal, right?"

    "Indeed that is correct. Nevertheless, you are his equal merely in position."

    Confronted with the Earthling girl who held her ground, the adorable dragon king laughed "fufu."

    "There are many sorts of Tyrannoi. Putting aside those like Haruomi, who have the necessary achievements... A newcomer who has never fought another Tyrannoi, much less a dragon king, has no right to challenge me, Yukikaze, to a fight."

    "......"

    "However, I do not dislike your mettle."

    "Meaning¡ª"

    "Hmph. Do as you wish."

    Suppressing her terror and nervousness, Asya had displayed resilient determination.

    Perhaps it paid off. Princess Yukikaze generously permitted Asya to accompany them. Then her sharp gaze turned to the other girl¡ªJuujouji Orihime.

    At that moment, before the princess spoke, Orihime seized the chance.

    "B-Because Haruga-kun and I are partners!"

    "''Partners''?"

    "Meaning we are companions who must not separate no matter what, I suppose? Surpassing the level of an irreplaceably dear friend, the other half to one''s soul, an intimate relationship where we can know through the same breath what the other person is thinking... I-In any event, if I were gone, Haruga-kun could very well drop dead all of a sudden!"

    Orihime finished in one breath and sneaked a glance at Hal.

    "Am I right, Haruga-kun!?"

    "Uh, yeah. Juujouji is right. Without her, I can''t sleep, I have no appetite either. So I hope you''ll agree to let her come with us!"

    "Simply stated, she is your minion?"

    Hearing Hal concur, Princess Yukikaze inclined her head with doubt in her tone.

    "On further thought, I used to enjoy the company of Genbu-Ou. Very well. Black-haired girl, I, Yukikaze, permit your presence."

    "Thank you very much!"

    Princess Yukikaze displayed generosity probably because Orihime''s forcefulness won out.

    The white dragon king was a magnanimous maiden to begin with. Just now, she had been displeased only because someone had intruded on her "alone time" with Hal, making her sulk.

    (I really don''t need this kind of uncute jealousy...)

    Hal could not help but smile stiffly.

    He reasoned that Princess Yukikaze''s feelings for Haruga Haruomi could not possibly be love and admiration. She probably regarded Hal as a rival or playmate.

    The princess merely disliked her "duel, belonging to the two of them only" to be disturbed.

    Meanwhile, the one who should be on Hal''s side, Asya, had narrowed her eyes for some reason, glaring at Hal and Orihime.

    "That explanation just now sounds like you are lovers, Orihime-san and Haruomi, lovers bound together by the red string of destiny..."

    "D-Does it really!?"

    "O-Of course not. Asya, don''t get the wrong idea!"

    Orihime and Hal hastily refuted together.

    At that moment, Hal noticed that the magnificent Earth, directly below just now, had become a small bead.

    Conversely, a beautiful white satellite was gradually approaching.

    "Is that the destination...?"

    Like the blue Earth, Hal had frequently seen this satellite in photos too.

    Always presenting the same side towards the Earth¡ªThe Moon. This was the satellite known to Earthlings since time immemorial.

    Part 2

    "L-Luna-san! Senpai, Nee-sama and Asya-san have been taken away!?"

    "Yes. It seems that we were blindsided."

    In contrast to the panicking Shirasaka Hazumi, Luna Francois was quite calm.

    "However, the situation shouldn''t develop into the final battle immediately as long as Harry keeps things going as the current pace. I don''t really know if I should call it fortunate or not, but Asya and Orihime-san went along with them."

    The instant after the runes of Ruruk Soun had warped space...

    The white princess of dragonkind as well as Hal and his two companions had been swallowed by a ball of white light, flying towards the sky with a "whoosh!"

    Fast as a rocket.

    "Especially Asya. I don''t know what happened, to think that she managed to become a Tyrannos like Harry in such short time. Were this taking place in a Japanese manga, this would be one of those scenes where you tell everyone ''no need to rush''."

    "B-But..." murmured Hazumi, who had entered a state of shock when the transportation magic activated.

    However, Luna Francois, who had remained calm the whole time, spoke in a relaxed tone like a commander overseeing the whole situation.

    "The snow princess is a monster capable of charging into the Science Patrol headquarters from Ultraman as easily as taking a stroll after dinner. Had she the desire, the fight could begin three minutes later. In the end, it all comes down to Harry whether he can stall long enough to recuperate."

    "I-I suppose you are right."

    "By the way, I deliberately chose not to grab onto Harry just now."

    "Eh!?"

    "Someone capable of taking control of the whole situation and issuing commands to various parties needs to stay behind... Though I know very well it was an excellent chance to throw caution to the wind, stick to Harry, and show my love aggressively."

    Luna frowned, murmuring quietly as though trying to persuade herself.

    This would be a display of her calculative wits¡ªcalm wisdom¡ªthat earned her nickname as the little devil.

    "When Harry returns, I will surely have him make it up to me."

    "L-Luna-san, you are so amazing. I can''t believe you thought so much in such short time."

    Shirasaka Hazumi praised Luna with an adorable expression like an reincarnated angel. One would presume that her only thoughts were of the safety of their companions.

    Luna chuckled and smiled at the middle school girl who was her opposite.

    "In any case, let''s get in touch with SAURU''s Kantou branch first, as well as Tokyo New Town''s government departments and the Ministry of Defense."

    "Yes!"

    "May I request you two to help?"

    Luna winked at the two other high school girls.

    They were Mutou-san and Funaki-san, Haruga Haruomi''s classmates and members of the UFO Research Club. During the fight against Pavel Galad, they had been a lot of help.

    "I will add hazard pay and special compensation on top of your official wages."

    "Really!? Ahaha, rich people really are quite something."

    "Oh well, I''m guessing the evacuation shelters won''t be much safer, so I might as well earn some money, of course."

    Energetic as always, Funaki-san''s eyes glowed with excitement.

    Mutou-san was an athletic girl with an androgynous short haircut. As usual, her response was based on her traits of rationality and being on top of all the latest gossip.

    "By the way, shouldn''t we get our club boss over here?"

    "Oh¡ªright. President M said she was going to stay at school, waiting for us, instead of evacuating."

    "You''re referring to the most mysterious woman in the world, right?"

    Luna Francois had heard a little about her too.

    President M, an eccentric who possessed superpowers completely different from those of witches and magical races. Her presence would definitely be more calming.

    "Leave the front line to Harry and company. Let us work behind the scenes to do more preparations. This will be busy."

    "Hmm."

    Red Hannibal looked up at the moon in the night sky and muttered quietly.

    He was currently in human form, a brawny man dressed in a red coat. He was standing alone on the roof of the Empire State Building, one of Old New York''s landmarks.

    "The other side is making a move at last, huh?"

    The human Hannibal grinned.

    It was supposed to be noon in Tokyo, but late night in New York. Due to the thirteen-hour time difference between the two, a clear bright moon was hanging high in the night sky.

    It was not yet a full moon, which would probably arrive in two or three days.

    The moon and its surroundings would be considered a special place for dragonkind.

    The random attacks against the Earth''s surface by small dragons, Raptors, were known as "dragon strikes." Raptors mostly began their journey from either the Moon''s surface or their lair on satellite orbit, then broke through the atmosphere with their own strength, venting their urge for destruction on the cities of the human world...

    "Very well. The princess should be capable enough to prevent him¡ªthat Tyrannos brat who demanded to strike a deal with me¡ªfrom getting his way..."

    Smiling, Hannibal imagined how the young lad and lass would end up.

    Hannibal had lived eons as a dragon king. Whether the Tyrannos or Princess Yukikaze, both were akin to newborn little snakes to him.

    How much could they achieve?

    With great anticipation, Hannibal watched the night sky.

    "O dragonslaying spear, for now, let us bide our time together for the opportunity to arrive."

    In addition to the bright moon, there were countless stars in the night sky.

    Among them was the seal symbolizing the Rune of the Spear, the tail portion of the constellation known to Earthlings as Ursa Minor.

    A long tail with a stationary star at its tip.

    Mankind called it the North Star. Dragonkind called it the royal star. Ursa Minor''s tail was the "spear shaft" while the North Star was the "spear tip."

    "So be it, if the princess defeats the brat. Conversely¡ªsuppose he were to demonstrate the ability to subdue the princess... I shall seriously consider making a deal with him."

    The strongest dragon king calmly muttered to himself.

    Part 3

    "Although Princess Yukikaze proudly declared she would lead us to her domain, the buildings and rooms here are so desolate."

    Orihime seemed a bit disappointed.

    "As one would expect, these are ancient runes constructed by the dragons, right?"

    Hearing Asya''s comment, Hal also voiced his opinion. "Really? I doubt they''d construct buildings with staircases. Perhaps these were left behind by an ancient alien civilization on the Moon?"

    "Aliens? I''ve heard of them. They look similar to an octopus, right?"

    "Unfortunately, that''s a Martian."

    "And the H. G. Wells version to boot. Like War of the Worlds''."

    Hal and Asya spontaneously shared in a joke.

    Princess Yukikaze brought the group to a corner in her "castle."

    There were twenty or thirty towers resembling square buildings, standing randomly on a lunar plain. Hal and company were currently inside one of these towers. Built completely from stone, they were a gloomy white in color.

    This tower was four stories tall. Hal and company were on the top floor.

    Judging from the use of stairs to move between floors, the building structure quite resembled architecture on Earth. However, there was no partitioning within individual floors. Each entire floor was a single room. Very plain.

    Hal, Asya and Orihime, the three Earthlings, were gathered here.

    After bringing them to the Moon, Princess Yukikaze said "make yourselves comfortable wherever you like" and flew away.

    The trio had no choice but to find a random tower to serve as their temporary accommodations.

    "If I were to critique from a science fiction angle," Asya wagged her finger and observed, "This is clearly a mysterious historical site on the surface of the Moon, yet you can breathe normally inside, experiencing gravity identical to the Earth''s, how implausible... Terraforming here must have taken place on an absurd scale."

    "I gave up on critiques back when I visited the Dragon Palace at the bottom of the sea."

    "Now that you mention it, there was no consideration for water pressure or being in the sea. Everything was handled with ''magic takes care of everything because this place is related to dragonkind''."

    "May I ask a question, Asya-san? What was that terra- something you just mentioned?"

    "Terraforming. It''s a word invented by science fiction writers in the past, basically modifying another planet''s environment to become more like Earth''s."

    "Insistence on this issue is an indicator of science fiction mania."

    "Yes indeed. Like a loyalty test, even if you don''t go to the summer and winter comikets, you have to attend the annual SF Convention."

    "By the way, a recent Japanese anime used Mars as a setting, but unbelievably, the gravity was identical to Earth''s. They must have erred on purpose."

    "Not surprising. No matter how much detailed research or fact checking you put into it, you''re not going to be pleasing modern audiences much. I would''ve done the same."

    "Sorry, you two are delving into a world unfamiliar to me."

    The trio chatting looked like it could have been a scene on Earth.

    However, if one were to lean out of a window, where there was no glass, and look up at the sky¡ª

    "Hmm¡ªThe Earth is blue as ever."

    "We have absolutely nothing to do here. No giant step for mankind, that''s for sure."

    "I never thought I''d have a chance to leave Earth."

    Following Hal, Asya and Orihime came to the window.

    Over the trio''s heads was a sky filled with stars.

    There was no air on the Moon, hence, nothing to scatter sunlight to make the sky look blue. The view overhead was a jet-black sky filled with stars.

    Mankind''s cradle, the blue Earth looked about the size of a basketball.

    Blue oceans covering 70% of the Earth''s surface, white clouds, greenery and the earthen color of land stood in stark contrast to one another. But this was also a view that felt surreal.

    "Is it because I''m witnessing this without going through astronaut training like certain brothers?" Wondered Hal in a tone that even he himself found unmotivated. "What a pity that I don''t feel touched."

    "I guess it''s the same principle as ''catching your own fish tastes better''," answered Asya poignantly. "But Haruomi, since dragonkind''s return around 2000, the Moon and the satellite orbits have essentially been their territory. I heard there are many Raptor lairs in that zone, but monitoring work hasn''t progressed very much. Perhaps we could earn some pocket money by making detail records of the situation here."

    "Oh¡ªNASA or JAXA might be willing to buy information from us, right?"

    "More importantly, Asya-san, now that Princess Yukikaze has left, it''s about time you tell us in detail what happened."

    Hal and Asya were going off on a tangent about economics completely removed from the dreams of space, Orihime clapped her hands once.

    "When exactly did you learn to use the Rune of the Chain?"

    "Yes¡ªas I mentioned earlier, I simply stole a flint from Pavel Galad''s stockpile and drew out the Rune of the Chain. In the process, I did cheat a little, asking that rumored person to give me a hand."

    "That rumored person¡ªYou mean Sophocles?"

    "Yes. Just as I had heard, he''s an extremely suspicious man. I can''t believe he came all the way into the barrier... Anyway, that''s what happened."

    Asya extended her hands.

    Proof of her identity as Hal''s vassal, the Rune of the Bow, originally imprinted on the back of her left hand, but had disappeared without a trace now. Replacing it was the new rune in the center of her right palm.

    The magical symbol resembling the "ËÈ" character¡ª

    This was the Rune of the Chain that they had seen during the summer holiday excursion.

    "I am now the successor to this rune."

    Even Hal''s childhood friend, whom he had known for more than ten years, had inherited a dragonslaying rune. Hal was planning to complain about this, but swallowed his words before he could speak.

    In truth, he had been using multiple spells of investigative magic while they were chatting.

    One spell had provided intriguing information.

    "What is this?"

    "Haruga-kun, what''s the matter?"

    "Nothing really. I used runes of Ruruk Soun to create an Eye to observe this historical site and the surrounding geography. By the way, expressed in lunar landscape terms, our location is the northeastern part of ''Sea of Showers'' in the northern hemisphere."

    "Huh? We''re in a sea!?"

    "So-called seas on the Moon are areas whose surfaces are covered by dark basalt. When viewing the Moon from the Earth, these areas look black." Hal explained to the surprised Orihime.

    "Why don''t you try using visualization magic too? We''re currently on the Moon''s surface. From a bird''s eye view, you can clearly see famous lunar features like the Sea of Tranquility and the Aristoteles crater. Moreover, something unusual is happening in this historical site''s vicinity."

    "On the Moon''s surface?"

    Just as Hal nodded in response to Asya question...

    The wand he had been holding in his right hand the whole time, the magic gun, said quietly, "Hey brat."

    Hard, cold, heavy, the touch of steel. Apart from the soul residing in this magic vessel, no one else on Earth would address Haruga Haruomi as "brat."

    Using Hinokagutsuchi''s child-like voice, the magic gun spoke haughtily, "I know not whether this could move you, but should you desire to see something interesting, why not investigate that anomaly in detail?"

    "What do you mean?"

    Intriguing words, but¡ª

    Hal jumped in surprise just as he was about to lean forward. The building they were inside was shaking violently.

    Next to the window, Hal hastily poked his head out. Then he understood.

    A dragon king''s gigantic body whooshed past the sky above. Ten-odd meters in length, it was a white dragon with massive wings outspread.

    The white dragon king, Princess Yukikaze.

    This was the lively young beauty''s dragon form.

    ''Haruomi, I, Yukikaze, must speak with you! Come out!''

    The huge voice came from the sky.

    Booming like thunder, nevertheless, it was clearly the princess'' adorable voice.

    The dragon king flew past in the sky over the tower containing Hal and company, then slowly flew back.

    Her flying was quite vigorous, worthy of a king''s.

    Deciding that pretending to be absent would be highly unlikely to work, Hal grumbled.

    "And collecting information is so important too."

    These were his honest thoughts as a treasure hunter, not a warrior.

    If possible, he wanted to rush over to "a certain scene" as quickly as possible. If he were to answer the dragon king''s summon, the anomaly could end in the meantime.

    "So, Juujouji, I''ve got a favor to ask of you."

    "Eh? Me?"

    Orihime stared wide-eyed. A white furry fox-wolf was lying prone on the ground behind her.

    As big as a thoroughbred horse, with nine tails to boot¡ªAkuro-Ou shrunken down to minimum size. In case of emergencies, Orihime had summoned her ahead of time.

    As expected of a leviathan whose appearance resembled a canid fox, Akuro-Ou not only had a sharp nose but also sensitive hearing.

    "Crouching" on the stone floor, she stared at the ceiling¡ªtowards the sky¡ªgrowling in a warning voice.

    Part 4

    "Haruomi, do you find my celestial palace comfortable?"

    "Although the scenery is even more desolate than the desert planet where Luke Skywalker grew up, I guess it isn''t exactly uncomfortable." Complaining surreptitiously about his accommodations, Hal asked, "What was it you must speak to me about?"

    "Fufufufu. What are your thoughts on how I look¡ªthis magnificent form¡ªto you?"

    Princess Yukikaze''s answer was unexpected.

    They were located at a plaza in the heart of the neighborhood where dozens of stone towers stood. Hal and Asya had just sprinted here with Asya. The two of them were panting heavily.

    Fierce and stately, Princess Yukikaze looked at the two humans below.

    Her form as a dragon measured ten-odd meters in length.

    The white dragon king had landed in front of them in this manner.

    "Even if you ask for our opinion... All I can reply is ''so big,'' okay?"

    The sudden question left Asya confused, who cocked her head and said, "But maybe Hannibal has a slight upper hand in physique and impressiveness, if I remember right."

    "You didn''t remember wrong. Hannibal is definitely two sizes bigger than her."

    Despite the dragon king''s powerful body in front of their eyes, the two of them still discussed calmly.

    This was a far cry from long ago when the sight of an elite dragon¡ªRaak Al Soth¡ªwould scare them stiff. For better or worse, they were used to it.

    Facing these two rude humans, Princess Yukikaze seemed quite offeneded.

    "Tyrannos lass, I did not ask you. Speaking of which, I, Yukikaze, summoned only Haruomi alone."

    She was grumbling quietly in a fuming voice.

    Nevertheless, even one sentence such as this, when uttered from a dragon king''s mouth, would resound all around, shaking the atmosphere like distant thunder.

    Even so, Asya remained unafraid despite being a new Tyrannos. Impressive as ever, Asya.

    "What does it matter? Haruomi and I have declared war on you."

    "Tsk. No matter. In any case, Haruomi, I, Yukikaze, would like you to take a careful look at my majestic appearance."

    "Why? I knew long ago how powerful you are."

    "Nothing much, because I am unsure whether I will be able to transform next time, when I duel you."

    "What do you mean?"

    The unexpected answer made Hal jump. The princess proceeded to tell him, "Fufufu. Apparently due to my young age, I cannot successfully take dragon form every time unless I am sufficiently excited."

    "I see..."

    Princess Yukikaze was probably a human who had turned into a dragon king¡ªIt appears that Hal''s earlier guess was correct.

    Hal nodded vigorously. The princess continued, "However, I am in excellent shape today, possibly because I invited you here. My transformation succeeded straight away. Hence, this is my reward for you."

    "Meaning?"

    "Fufufufu. I, Yukikaze, allow you to admire my magnificent form as a dragon. Let the sight of my powerful body burn onto your retinas."

    "This is more like mental torture than a reward..."

    Princess Yukikaze''s unconventional thought process compelled Hal to grumble. The thought of "praising the powerful body of an imminent enemy''s" was something a muscle fetishist might have, but not a nerd like Hal.

    However.

    Observing the princess'' dragon form at such close range, Hal could not help but exclaim.

    "Well, you look very awesome right now, or maybe pretty is the word. From that perspective, I guess it could be considered a reward."

    "Pretty?"

    "Yeah. Hannibal is definitely bigger and looks stronger too. But you, Princess Yukikaze, definitely look prettier. White and slender, you resemble those humanoid weapons drawn by a certain designer and manga artist whose settings tend to be overly surreal."

    "Haruomi, are you referring to those M¡ñrtar whatevers that were later renamed into Goth¡ñc something or others?"

    "Yes, that''s right. The designs are a bit similar. My boyish mind is strangely excited by this."

    "...What on earth are you talking about?"

    Hal accidentally started chatting with Asya about a topic only comprehensible to the two of them, causing Princess Yukikaze to glare coldly. He hastily put on a smile to appease the princess.

    "Simply stated, your dragon form is very wonderful, yeah."

    Hal''s praise was quite clear.

    However, the princess simply scoffed and ignored him, remaining in her dragon form. Evidently, she valued power and ferocity far more than intangible beauty.

    (Is she an elementary schoolboy?)

    (I got it. She''s the type that would find space-age humanoid military mecha cooler the more feathers it has on its back, like the Str¡ñke Freedom.)

    (Personally, I also like those that attack with maces or wrenches.)

    While whispering to Asya, Hal pondered.

    Bringing his childhood friend along was for the purpose of drawing the white dragon king''s attention together. Meanwhile, their companion was supposed to be using this time to investigate "a certain lunar anomaly."

    With the duel against Princess Yukikaze so imminent, perhaps this was pointless curiosity.

    However, the lazy self-styled devil had unexpected given Hal a push.

    What exactly was the meaning in her words? Hal thought silently, hoping to hear Orihime''s report as soon as possible.

    "U-Umm, Kagutsuchi-san? Will Akuro-Ou really be alright?" asked Orihime apprehensively.

    She was outside the tower that served as their temporary lodgings. Ahead of them was the northeastern sky where her partner Akuro-Ou had flown.

    "Even if Akuro-Ou is a leviathan, she is still a creature of flesh and blood after all. Would it be too much to have her fly outside without any equipment..."

    "Too much? Nonsense," coldly replied the magic gun that Haruga Haruomi had entrusted to her. "There is nothing to fear from even the void of the sea of stars as long as you have imperishable protection. Furthermore, are you aware that the territory under your feet is this safe only because of Yukikaze''s protection?"

    "I-I know very well..."

    The white dragon king''s territory. A mysterious historical site on the Moon.

    In truth, this area was secured to an air-tight degree, by a pearly dome-shaped barrier¡ªimperishable protection.

    Outside of the protection lay an endless desolate scenery of white sand and rocks.

    The exterior was a zone affected by a variety of problems encountered only outside of Earth such as vacuum, low gravity, low temperature, ultraviolet light, radiation, space dust, etc.

    It was not a place where Earth creatures could venture in the flesh.

    However, Akuro-Ou was a "serpent"¡ªa leviathan.

    Orihime was wearing just a school uniform against the Moon''s harsh environment.

    It was truly surreal. Orihime sighed and shook her head. I have to focus and change my mindset.

    "Very well, seeing as I''ve ventured into the bottom of the sea and alternate dimensions, what is there to fear from the Moon now..."

    Telling herself this, Orihime pictured the white fox-wolf in her mind.

    Akuro-Ou was heading somewhere on her own. Orihime began to link her partner''s soul with her own to enable remote control.

    "Akuro-Ou, respond to me!"

    The instant Orihime prayed, their souls were successfully linked.

    Her soul left her body and flew as though swimming in the sea to Akuro-Ou, who was hovering over the Moon''s surface.

    They were on the Moon''s northern hemisphere, flying in the vicinity of the north pole.

    Their location just now was the Sea of Showers on the Moon.

    Nearby were the Sea of Serenity, the Sea of Tranquility, Montes Appeninus and Montes Archimedes, etc. As for Orihime and Akuro-Ou''s destination¡ª

    "Akuro-Ou, that place is apparently called the Plato crater."

    This was the biggest crater on the Moon.

    It was relatively close to the Sea of Showers, but in more concrete terms, it was about several hundred kilometers away.

    "Let''s accelerate using magic!"

    The white nine-tailed fox-wolf obeyed Orihime''s command and invoked the pseudo-divinity of the Sun.

    This was the ability that Orihime had obtained through her power up several hours prior. After spending forty or fifty seconds to charge up, Akuro-Ou started to move at the same speed as sunlight.

    Whoosh¡ªThey swiftly arrived on top of the gigantic crater.

    Practically instantaneous movement.

    They were currently a thousand meters or so above the Moon''s surface. Under Akuro-Ou was a majestic lunar feature resembling a gaping mouth, the Plato crater, with a diameter of a hundred kilometers and an average depth of a kilometer or so.

    "Oh my?"

    In spirit form, Orihime drew closer to her partner.

    Casting Enhanced Vision on herself, she saw an astonishing sight the instant she activated magical sight.

    "Something... is emerging from the Moon!?"

    Despite distortions, the Plato crater was essentially round.

    Many spheres resembling gas or soap bubbles were emerging like mad from the center of the hundred kilometer long diameter.

    "Th-There must be hundreds here..."

    A casual glance revealed over three hundred spheres.

    The spheres were all transparent and colorless, glinting iridescent like soap bubbles. However, their surface seemed hard, resembling crystals a little.

    "Is this what you wanted us to see, Kagutsuchi-san!?" Orihime cried out to the accompanying Hinokagutsuchi who resided in the magic gun. "What on earth is¡ª"

    "Hmph. Confirm with your own eyes now that you are already here."

    "I-I suppose you are right. Akuro-Ou, get closer!"

    Hinokagutsuchi sounded a little impatient. Orihime nodded in agreement and ordered Akuro-Ou to speed up immediately.

    The white nine-tailed fox-wolf swiftly descended. Even if they were not on the Moon, only spiritual entities would be capable of flying at such high speeds.

    Thanks to that, Orihime was able to witness a shocking scene soon after.

    "Aren''t these Raptors!?"

    Sleeping inside each sphere was a Raptor.

    There were slight variations in body size, ranging from seven to eight meters in length. These were the small dragons called "winged lizards" by the elites.

    They lacked forelimbs for grasping objects and the ability to speak or use magic.

    The three hundred or so spheres were hovering inside the Plato crater, with dormant dragons hidden in them.

    "Oh my? They... seem smaller than usual."

    Orihime nodded. There was no mistake.

    The Raptors sleeping in the spheres were half as big as usual.

    Furthermore, their color was different, not the steel gray Raptors usually seen. The small Raptors on the Moon were clearly lighter in color.

    Upon closer examination, even their facial features were less sharp...

    "They seem to be juveniles?"

    Orihime commented based on intuition, then a thought came to her.

    Hundreds of crystalline spheres with young Raptors sleeping inside them. They were like the eggs of amphibians, insects or reptiles...

    "......"

    She focused her senses as a witch.

    Don''t think, feel. This was the trick to magic that Asya had taught her before. The wise words of a great martial arts master. Orihime followed Asya''s advice and felt the flow of magic that filled the entire crater. Below¡ª

    What Orihime focused her attention to was not the hundreds of "eggs" hovering throughout the air, but below¡ªthe Moon''s surface.

    She concentrated, squeezing out the necessary power.

    Magical power whooshed out, causing Orihime''s senses to become even sharper. As a result, she saw the gigantic rune near the center of the crater.

    It was an infinity sign.

    "I''ve seen this design before..."

    In fact, this was a very familiar symbol for witches like Orihime.

    When summoning a leviathan, a pentagram magic circle would first appear in the sky. Then the pentagram, signifying evil exorcism, would immediately transform into an infinity sign.

    "Please do not compare this with the imitation you humans use. For dragonkind, this is the one and only source of life, the Rune of the Mother Dragon."

    However, the former dragon king residing in the magic gun, Hinokagutsuchi, spoke softly as though mocking her idea.

    The Rune¡ªof the Mother Dragon.

    The instant Orihime''s heart was shaken by these words, the situation changed.

    Every "egg" started to crack all at once.

    The small Raptors sleeping in them hastily opened their eyes, spread their wings and flew unsteadily.

    Some flew off to elsewhere on the Moon while others headed to the Earth.

    There were also a few Raptors going off in completely different directions. Furthermore, some of the small Raptors immediately formed flocks.

    "Are you stunned? Priestess, this is birth for dragonkind."

    "Kagutsuchi-san!?"

    Orihime looked to the side, only to see that Hinokagutsuchi had manifested in the air at some pointin earlier.

    It had been a long time since the young girl dressed in a red kimono left the magic gun.

    "There are no so-called women among pure-blooded dragons, no females. What gives birth to them is the land itself, with the Rune of the Mother Dragon carved upon it."

    "I see now..."

    The Crimson Queen of the past then said to the astonished Orihime, "Most of the newborn winged lizards will encounter death somewhere. But over decades and centuries, individuals might accumulate enough wisdom and magical power, suddenly awakening into elites. Disregarding hybrids such as Hannibal, this would be the likely origin of Pavel Galad."

    "A rune giving birth to pure-blooded dragons...!"

    The polar opposite of dragonslaying runes.

    The secrets of life were truly too profound. Having witnessed this scene with her own eyes, Orihime was stunned speechless.

 Volume 8, 2 - The Rune of the Mother Dragon

    Volume 8, Chapter 2 - The Rune of the Mother Dragon

    Part 1

    The temporary lodgings for Hal and company¡ªA historical site on the Moon.

    The "front side" from the Earth''s perspective.

    The Moon''s rotational period and orbital period were both roughly twenty-seven days. As a result, the Moon always presented the same face to the Earth.

    The back side, normally unseen, was pockmarked and very ugly.

    The front side, always facing the Earth, glowed white with a tranquil sense of beauty.

    A rotational period of roughly twenty-seven days meant that daytime persisted for fourteen days on the. Similarly, nighttime also lasted fourteen days.

    Roughly twelve hours had passed since Hal was taken to the lunar historical site.

    It was daytime throughout this duration.

    Hal and his companions spent the night at the tower they had chosen randomly. Hal was to alone on the top floor while the two other girls used the area downstairs.

    At the moment, Hal was taking a stroll alone in the historical site.

    He was walking like normal, unaffected by the weightlessness in space or the Moon''s gravity that was one-sixth of the Earth''s. What a place far removed from common sense.

    "A rune that gives birth to all pure-blooded dragons, huh..." Hal muttered to himself.

    The dragon birth ritual conducted in the Plato crater on the Moon. Seeing it in progress with an eye of magic, Hal had also sent Akuro-Ou to investigate.

    From what was reported back, it was a magic symbol in the form of an infinity sign that gave birth to countless Raptors.

    "Right, I had asked Hinokagutsuchi before how dragons were born. Back then, she cackled at me and avoided giving a straight answer."

    Did they lay eggs or give birth to live young? Speaking of which, was there a distinction between male and female?

    Hal had asked what would be fundamental for any species, but Hinokagutsuchi glossed over the issue, deeming it "too complicated" and that he would understand eventually, so the matter unded up dangling unresolved all this time.

    Back then, he had just gotten to know the self-styled devil.

    But this time, Hinokagutsuchi mentioned a term.

    The Rune of the Mother Dragon¡ª

    "She''s finally doing things different from her usual style."

    The former dragon queen was providing information, a rare act indeed.

    Hal was quite intrigued by her intentions. Furthermore, he also wanted to investigate that "Rune of the Mother Dragon"...

    "Hmm?"

    He was suddenly jolted out of this thoughts.

    The Rune of the Bow in the center of his right palm was telling him that his complementary rune was approaching.

    "Haruomi, lend me a moment of your time!"

    "You! I knew it."

    Princess Yukikaze had flown in from the sky above.

    Riding her magic wand, the surfboard, she arrived like the wind.

    By the time Hal noticed, she had already caught him by the back of the collar, forcibly dragging him onto her surfboard.

    Princess Yukikaze, dressed in a one-piece dress, was right beside him. In other words, they would be considered riding together.

    "Woah!"

    Hal immediately fell flat on his bottom against the surfboard.

    He did not think his sense of balance was good enough to stand properly on this unstable means of locomotion.

    "Hahahaha, how unsightly!"

    "What choice do I have!? This obviously isn''t meant for two riders!"

    The princess'' laughter was so lively that Hal could not sense any intention of mockery from her. Hal grumbled in response.

    The magic surfboard swiftly ascended vertically, easily overcoming the Moon''s gravity¡ªexceeding Mach 8 in speed.

    Underfoot, the white moon gradually receded.

    Kept out of harm''s way by imperishable protection, the princess and Hal did not feel any burden, but...

    "Where the heck are you taking me!?"

    "I have something to discuss, so accompany me for a while. I shall show you my residence!"

    "Ehhh!?"

    Their altitude was probably over a hundred kilometers.

    Hal and the princess were headed towards an asteroid. Orbiting the Moon, it resembled an oval disc, large enough to place the entire Old Tokyo Dome.

    Princess Yukikaze seemed to be his fated rival.

    Including today, only two days remained for his recuperation before his duel with this girl¡ª

    Once he could catch his breath, Hal''s first words were a complaint.

    "There''s no need to go all the way to this kind of place, if all you want is to talk to me."

    "It is quieter here and the view more beautiful than below. I like it here."

    There were ruins on this asteroid too, filled with plain stone towers.

    But different from the Moon, there was also an elegant building here.

    It was a castle built with a transparent material with a faint blue tint¡ªice. Its roof was sharp like an ice pillar, tapering off like a cone.

    The silhouette of the "ice tower" was reminiscent of a delicate ice sculpture.

    The castle featured a great hall that seemed to be for receiving audiences. In this place where the floor, the walls and pillars were all transparent as ice, Hal faced Princess Yukikaze.

    "Then why not bring us here from the beginning?"

    "Ridiculous. As the saying goes, boys and girls must not sit together after the age of seven. Even if it is you, Haruomi, since you are a man, how could you possibly live under the same roof as me?"

    "But you clearly left me together with Juujouji and Asya..."

    "?"

    Princess Yukikaze blinked.

    She apparently could not comprehend the meaning of Hal''s words.

    Princess Yukikaze looked like she regarded the Japanese girl and the master-class witch, who was also a Tyrannos like him, as "cats kept by Haruga Haruomi." She probably did not see those two as individual persons.

    Just as Hal felt stunned, thinking "nothing less expected from a dragon king"¡ª

    "Allow me to have a look at your face."

    The princess suddenly closed in face to face.

    Hal''s height was almost 170 cm, definitely not considered tall. Even so, he was still taller than the princess, who stood roughly 150 cm tall. The white dragon king even stood on tiptoe.

    "The color in your complexion has improved. It appears that you have listened to me and rested obediently indeed."

    "All thanks to you."

    "Praiseworthy, Haruomi. Keep this up in preparation for the day of the duel."

    Princess Yukikaze nodded happily.

    The princess'' face was right before his eyes. Though her age was estimated to have surpassed a thousand, her facial features remained child-like.

    Hal felt a vigorous beat of his heart.

    So near. Their noses were almost about to touch. This distance was like that time with Juujouji Orihime.

    Badump badump. His heart raced faster. By the way, Princess Yukikaze was truly adorable.

    (Just like her name, she''s really like a snow fairy.)

    An uncharacteristically romantic comment rose up in Hal''s mind.

    He did not harbor the slightest impure thought towards the beautiful maiden of a dragon king. However, this excessively cute member of the opposite sex had suddenly drew so near to him, despite being a member of dragonkind.

    This was the reason why his heart raced.

    (Crap. How should I put this...? I already have Juujouji, I can''t feel something for another person¡ª)

    Hal tensed his face and deliberately feigned an unfazed attitude.

    "Oh?"

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Nothing. Haruomi, I did not know you could make such a manly expression."

    "Of course, I am a man after all."

    "Well said. Fufufufu. To think an anomalous Tyrannos like you would possess manly mettle, I am quite surprised¡ªand pleased."

    "Wondeful. In fact, a gentleman''s pride is one of the things I brag about."

    Juujouji Orihime had seen through it in an instant.

    The fact that Haruga Haruomi''s facial expression would tense up particularly whenever he entertained lecherous thoughts.

    However, in certain ways, Princess Yukikaze was even more innocent than the Japanese witch.

    Hearing Hal''s answer, the princess partially closed her eyes with satisfaction.

    "Is that so? Then keep up your efforts, because it is your duty to maintain the image that I prefer."

    "Eh? Why is that?"

    "Did you forget the promise!?"

    Hal widened his eyes. Princess Yukikaze pouted.

    Even though she was pouting childishly, it only felt like another charming side to her. Beautiful maidens were truly in a class of their own.

    "Did I make some kind of promise to obey you?"

    "Indeed. It was that night when we first clashed as the successors to the Bow and the Arrow, I must have told you¡ª"

    "Oh that time before the summer vacation. Genbu-Ou was part of it too."

    His first battle against Princess Yukikaze was almost three months ago.

    That time, Hal had defeated Genbu-Ou, a gigantic minion with a length exceeding a hundred meters. True Genbu-Ou, wielding a goddess'' power, had emerged from the gigantic turtle, plunging Hal into a difficult fight...

    Hal suddenly remembered.

    That night, Princess Yukikaze had rushed over to tell him:

    ''Haruomi, ours is a relationship where a decisive duel between us is inevitable. If I defeat you and you''re fortunate enough to survive¡ª''

    ''You can become my minion.''

    ''If you turn out to be a warrior capable of surviving an encounter against me on the battlefield... A reward of this level would be richly deserved. Do your best, Haruomi!''

    Indeed. Like a demon king who would tell the protagonist to "join my side" before the final battle, Princess Yukikaze had issued a one-sided declaration to him.

    "Do you remember now?"

    Princess Yukikaze grinned.

    "Naturally, the necessary condition is that you survive instead of dying after the duel... You are the man who bears the fate of becoming my servant. In that case, becoming the type the master prefers¡ª"

    "Is my obligation¡ªSo that''s what you mean?"

    "Precisely."

    "That doesn''t really count as a promise to me."

    "What did you say!?"

    "Because you left without waiting for my answer."

    "Grr."

    "Well, it''s true that it''s a pretty good deal, offering me my life in exchange for my allegiance, but I''ve got my pride too. Wagging my tail and agreeing to someone''s one-sided offer, that''d wrong for a man, right?"

    As for his honest thoughts...

    Of course, becoming the beautiful dragon king''s slave would be a thousand times better than getting killed. He definitely hoped the princess would hire him. Hal valued his own life more than dying for pride, but if he were to confess truthfully¡ª

    Princess Yukikaze would probably scold him "No manliness at all!"

    It would be scary too if Princess Yukikaze said "I changed my mind" when he actually lost, hence Hal intentionally went contrarian. By creating the best impression possible for the princess in preparation for his moment of defeat¡ªThat was the gist of his calculations.

    (Well, I don''t think she''s the type to get angry just because I talk back to her.)

    Since he understood the princess'' personality, he boldly said, "Besides, it''s a bit much to make a promise before he duel with the assumption that I''d lose. What if you happen to lose... What do I get from you?"

    "I, Princess Yukikaze, would lose to you, a mere Tyrannos?"

    "Yeah."

    Princess Yukikaze glared at him, causing Hal to secretly break out in cold sweat.

    She was not genuinely angry. The princess'' slightly displeased eyes made Hal a bit scared, but he decided to feign courage as much as possible and chose his words carefullly.

    "Because it''s a match, right? An unexpected situation might arise, no¡ª"

    Hal declared assertively.

    "I will definitely make it happen."

    The usual Haruga Haruomi would not have been able to speak like this.

    Perhaps it was because these lines were completely contrary to his usual self. The assertive words easily rolled off his tongue. Since he was merely taking his usual self and acting in an opposite manner, he was able to instantly come up with he needed to say.

    (I guess this is what actors feel when they ad-lib on stage.)

    What a frivolous self production.

    As for the response from Princess Yukikaze, who belonged to a race of natural born warriors¡ª

    "Well then, Haruomi, the day that I, Yukikaze, loses to you shall be the day when I become your minion!"

    Like a noble warrior, she declared gallantly.

    Sure enough, the princess was still too young. Her naivete was a bit adorable.

    "Got it. But personally, I''m a bit put off by the idea of taking in minions, so I won''t collect on the deal if I win."

    Hal had no wish to force a small girl to become his servant or slave.

    Spurred by morals and a conscience, Hal offered the princess a slightly hypocritical answer... Although the main reason was because he could not imagine the situation after the duel with the princess at all.

    However, the seasoned warrior who had lived over a thousand years did not seem quite impressed with Hal''s conservative response.

    "What lax conditions. Are you trying to offer charity to me, Yukikaze?"

    Hal hastily explained himself to Princess Yukikaze, who had stiffened her expression.

    "Th-That''s not what I mean."

    "Hmph. Accepting generosity from a mere Tyrannos would only humiliate me. In the event that I, Yukikaze, were to lose¡ªGo ahead and treat me as your possession, do not hold back!"

    "Huh¡ª!?"

    "Naturally, there is no reason for me to lose to a brat like you!"

    The angry dragon king maiden asserted sternly.

    Hal anxiously wondered "did I go too far?" but immediately changed his mind.

    Whether or not this conversation had taken place, Princess Yukikaze was not going to go easy on him. Doing this was not going to make things any worse for Hal.

    Princess Yukikaze''s personality was straight as an arrow.

    Rather, the problem was¡ª

    (Although I made a cool speech just now, my chances of winning are minuscule no matter how I think about them.)

    That being said, that was no excuse for sloppy battle preparations. It was time to discuss that with her¡ªHal changed the subject.

    "Say... Isn''t there a certain crater on the Moon with a huge rune of Ruruk Soun is carved on it?"

    "Oh?"

    Princess Yukikaze, who looked like an angry sulking child just a moment ago, changed her expression instantly.

    With a profound and knowing smile, she gazed upon Hal.

    "What sharp eyes you have, to think you noticed that already."

    "I''m not that amazing. That thing gives off a pretty weird presence and occasionally creates a great many Raptors."

    "Fufufufu. That symbol is apparently named the Rune of the Mother Dragon."

    Princess Yukikaze replied matter-of-factly.

    "The polar opposite to the dragonslaying runes we use, it is a seal for giving birth to dragons."

    "How surprising. You seem uninterested in that. Seeing as it''s so close to this palace, I would''ve thought it was yours for sure."

    "If one had to attribute ownership, it would belong to all of dragonkind."

    The princess spoke in a tone of solemnity, fitting for a dragon king.

    "I simply wanted to establish a base near the Moon. Only after settling in this castle did I learn that the Rune of the Mother Dragon had manifested in that location."

    "I see..."

    After learning the term "Rune of the Mother Dragon," Hal was now able to find information about the birth of dragonkind from his magic wand, the magic gun. In the universe, there was apparently a number of celestial bodies like the Moon, carved with runes for giving birth to dragons.

    After operating for several centuries, Runes of the Mother Dragon would exhaust their energy and enter dormancy for tens or hundreds of thousands of years.

    Once the power of conception recovered, the rune would reappear on the celestial body''s surface¡ª

    The infinity sign on the Moon had gone through a long period of dormancy before reactivating in July of the year 1999 CE. Indeed, that was the year when the dragons returned to Earth. Dragon kings and elites, who had left Earth or went dormant, became active in concert with the rune''s revival...

    What a huge inside story. However, this was none of Hal''s business right now.

    He shrugged and said, "Then it''s fine if I go investigate the rune, right?"

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Because it isn''t yours, right?"

    The princess glared at him, causing Hal''s heart to skip a beat. There was intimidating wrath in the girl''s eyes.

    "Haruomi, do not forget that I, Yukikaze, ordered you to rest properly. It would not do if you delayed your recovery due to unnecessary matters. The days before our duel are running out, you know?"

    "That''s exactly why I need to go investigate. I might end up finding something¡ªThat could come in handy when I''m fighting you."

    "What?"

    "Rest is the priority but I still want to make a final struggle for the duel."

    For the sake of the imminent duel¡ªHal put these magic words to use.

    "Hmm."

    Hugging her shoulders, Princess Yukikaze fell into deep thought.

    "After all, the Rune of the Mother dragon is merely a symbol for creating dragons and cannot be employed in a battle between a dragon king and a Tyrannos."

    The princess sounded like she was criticizing Hal, but did not persist in stopping him.

    She respected Hal''s opinion. Since the princess had spoken so, the rune probably could not be used as a trump card on the battlefield, but¡ª

    Hal had many of his own ideas.

    (A dragon king... surely wouldn''t think of this.)

    He decided to try it out first. The adorable dragon king princess suddenly issued orders.

    "Go if you must, but you have to return to me after you finish your business. Should I see any slowing trend in your recovery, I will force you to rest obediently even if I must tie you to a bed!"

    She clearly thought of Haruga Haruomi as a pet or a plaything.

    Part 2

    "My, aren''t you enjoying your chat with Princess Yukikaze?"

    "Asya, why are you suddenly saying this?"

    "Haruga-kun and the princess sounded so happy when they were chatting. The tone was quite cheerful."

    "You too, Juujouji!?"

    "It even led to the princess declaring ''I will become yours'' to Haruomi... Orihime-san, he''s unforgivable, don''t you agree?"

    "Seriously, it gives me this vibe of ''who does Haruga-san think he is, getting so carried away?''"

    "You''re head over heels when talking to the princess."

    "I-I was desperately handing the princess for the sake of the mission, okay!? Besides, how do you know I was head over heels if all you heard was my voice!?"

    "I knew it when I heard a different tone of voice, unlike your usual pretenses."

    "Asya-san is correct. Just now, you were acting different from your usual self."

    "W-What choice did I have? I was trying my hardest to chat with her, trying my best to divert the princess'' attention."

    After chatting with the princess for a long time...

    Hal bid her goodbye and returned to his companions. He took out the cellphone he had been carrying secretly and used audio recording software to replay his conversation with the princess for the two girls.

    After listening, both the childhood friend and Juujouji Orihime started to reprimand him.

    "I can''t believe I used my precious battery power to record the conversation. There''s no way to recharge cellphones here, you know..."

    He had originally hoped to save time on explaining by making a recording, but it turned out to have the opposite effect.

    In any case, Hal put his feelings in order and said, "No matter what, the princess agreed, so we can strut about and travel on the Moon. It''d be problem if she dragged me away in the middle of the investigation."

    "Going to the princess after investigating, right...?"

    "After all, the princess ordered you to return to her..."

    "Conversation is over! We don''t have much time left. Let''s get on with our work."

    Further squabbling would affect the mission coming up next.

    Hal said to the two girls who had finally settled down.

    "Head straight to the crater to investigate that Mother Dragon rune."

    The task of climbing the Plato Crater would require Earthlings to prepare an orbiter spacecraft, but Hal was able to skip such a step. He used the Ruruk Soun rune of Teleport.

    "We arrived in an instant..."

    "Because it''s teleportation."

    "I can''t believe I''d come to somewhere like this by relying on Haruomi''s magic... Half a year ago, I never would''ve thought of this," said Asya poignantly.

    Just earlier, Hal and his childhood friend were still in a room inside the stone tower.

    But now, they were standing on a vast land of white. White¡ªdry sand as far as the eye could see. They had finally arrived on the surface of the moon.

    "Doraemon''s Anywhere Door would definitely be convenient if it actually existed, but the joy of traveling would instantly diminish to zero. Speed and fun are mutually exclusive."

    "This time, we''re taking the practical route."

    The two of them were wearing casual clothes from Earth.

    They did not have access to channels for purchasing spacesuits worth over a billion yen apiece. Neither did they need to buy them. Using the power of Tyrannoi, they summoned imperishable protection¡ªA colorless and transparent barrier to cover the body.

    This protection normally manifested in the form of a pearly glow, but because Asya commented "I don''t care about it during battle, but... The color of our protection gets in the way when we''re investigating," so they tried erasing to color.

    Although it made for less ambiance, prioritizing practicality was the point here. Hal nodded and took a casual step forward.

    "Uwah!"

    He was startled. With just a tiny step, his body floated up lightly.

    "Even with imperishable protection, we''re still not completely free from the effects of low gravity."

    "This is a defensive ability to begin with. It''s still better than hopping around like astronauts. We simply float a little."

    "It''s fine as long as you pay attention. But ahead of us..."

    After examining the place carefully for a while, Hal and Asya summoned two runes of Ruruk Soun.

    This simple arrangement signified "Flight."

    Hal levitated into the air. He had never undergone training for moving around on the moon, but with this, he could fly anywhere he wanted. The gravity, one sixth of the Earth''s, no longer affected him.

    "I see, so you use it this way, huh?"

    Murmuring, Asya stared at her right hand.

    On her palm was the Rune of the Chain, a symbol similar to the "ËÈ" kanji. The master-class witch and native Earthling swung her right hand¡ª

    She summoned the same "Flight" runes as Hal.

    Whoosh. Asya likewise floated into the air, flying effortlessly next to Hal.

    "Impressive as ever, Asya. You''re able to use Ruruk Soun magic now."

    "I can only use the ones involving a few runes. Unless I get more familiar, I most likely won''t be able to use magic that''ll be useful on the battlefield."

    Once again witnessing how much of a prodigy his childhood friend was, Hal felt quite impressed. However, Asya herself merely shrugged nonchalantly.

    "Unlike you, I don''t even have a magic wand yet."

    "On the other hand, I think you''re more amazing for using magic without a wand."

    The two of them started moving to their destination using flight magic.

    The flying was quite stable. Even if they were holding cups in their hands, the water inside would probably just tremble slightly.

    However, they were actually flying at up to four or five hundred kilometers per hour.

    After all, too slow a speed would be no good for flying around inside a crater with a diameter of a hundred kilometers. For human standards, this was extremely amazing high-level magic. Without a leviathan''s assistance, even master-class witches could not achieve this.

    However, Hal said, "From the perspective of dragonkind, this magic is even easier than radio calisthenics... Probably like ''lighting a match.'' Thus, I don''t think this will accelerate my transformation into a dragon."

    Conversely, one could also say¡ª

    Haruga Haruomi had already become this close to being a dragon.

    Hal deliberately kept this last comment to himself. Asya did not pursue the matter either, probably out of consideration. It was just like in the past when Hal avoided broaching the subject of Rushalka''s lifespan running out.

    "By the way... Your earlier loss of appetite seems to have recovered. What was the reason after all? You''ve been acting strange lately."

    Hal had not had a chance to spend time alone with his childhood friend for quite a while. The duel against Princess Yukikaze was also coming up soon. Perhaps he should get this cleared up first.

    Worried that it might affect his coordination with Asya, he made his decision to ask about that.

    "Do you remember? Take for example the time when we were alone in that hotel in New York..."

    "!?"

    Before the battle against Dragon King Hannibal at New York, his childhood friend had kissed him. Furthermore, she had told him something profound. This scene, which had caused Hal much agitation lately, was like a fish bone stuck in his throat.

    It caused him to think "Huh? Does Asya actually feel that way about me..."

    Hal thought it might be a boy''s tendency to consider themselves more attractive than they actually were, common during puberty, but what if it was not the case this time?

    When he cautiously asked, his childhood friend reacted emotionally.

    "W-What are you talking about, Haruomi!? Recently, my magical power has been in a poor state. There are even times when I don''t remember what I''ve done. Did I do something in front of you!?"

    "Eh? Is that what''s been happening?"

    "That''s right! So I''d be very happy if you could be generous and forgive me for my mistakes!"

    "I see..."

    The one who had acted suspiciously was now very nervous and panicking.

    Hal felt it would be bad to pursue the matter any further, so he stopped.

    Asya immediately raised another question, "Putting that aside, there''s something that bothers me about your dragonification. While I was away, weren''t you merging with the Crimson Queen?"

    "Don''t worry, the others helped cure me."

    "That''s precisely it. How did they cure a body that had dragonified completely?"

    "!?"

    Hal''s heart instantly went cold.

    "Th-They didn''t tell you?"

    "They didn''t. There wasn''t enough time last time so I know nothing about the details. Orihime-san did mention to me that Luna and Hazumi-san helped and it apparently took a lot of work."

    Apparently, his childhood friend was not aware what Orihime, Luna and Hazumi, the three young maidens in a state of nudity, had done for Hal when he had turned into a red dragon.

    "Having become a Tyrannos myself, I''m quite curious."

    "Relax. I already know how to cure you if you turn into a dragon in the future."

    "W-What do you mean by that!?"

    The trigger for Haruga Haruomi''s recovery was apparently rooted in lust.

    In that case, Asya''s was "gluttony" of course. Fully satisfying human desires was the key to avoid dragonification.

    Thinking he would explain this later, he told Asya, "I''ll explain in detail to you later... Right now, let''s prioritize the mission."

    Using flight magic, Hal and Asya arrived near the center of the Plato Crater whose diameter was a hundred kilometers.

    On the surface of the moon, a couple hundred meters below them was an infinity symbol, roughly five or six kilometers wide and half that in length.

    This was apparently the Rune of the Mother Dragon.

    Its color was black. On the moon''s white surface, it was particularly striking.

    However, humans without magical sight could not see it. Were it visible, the observation center on Earth would have discovered it long ago.

    In any case, they had flown for roughly ten minutes in total.

    The two of them finally arrived just above the edge of the infinity sign.

    "This comment is like a very old gag now, but I''m reminded of the Nazca Lines."

    "Indeed. Weren''t we seven when we went to look at the Nazca Lines together¡ªHmm?"

    Just as they descended rapidly and were about to land on the surface of the moon...

    Hal widened his eyes. To encounter an acquaintance here out of all places. Given that unique manner of dress, Hal could not have recognized the wrong person.

    "Uh, fine," Hal muttered in a grumbling voice. "I shouldn''t be surprised this guy ran all the way to the moon."

    Hadn''t he said before?

    ''So long as it is to see you, Tyrannos and dragon king, I am willing to venture anywhere, not just on Earth but even the far ends of the sea of stars.''

    The man who kept his word was named Sophocles.

    Too dark a complexion to be Caucasian. Too deep set his facial features to be oriental.

    Of indeterminate race, yet he was undoubtedly a handsome man. Like Hal and Asya, the mysterious man was dressed in a manner that completely ignored their environment in space. In his case, he was wearing a black suit under a black coat.

    Alone, he was standing on the white moon.

    Part 3

    "Long time no see, young man."

    The instant Hal and Asya landed, Sophocles greeted them.

    His voice was reminiscent of rusted metal.

    Still, it was a beautiful voice, deep and magnetic. Combined with his cool and handsome face whose expression barely changed, perhaps he might prove popular with housewives if he were to act in television dramas.

    However, this man had sided with dragonkind despite his human identity.

    Lowering his voice, Hal said to his childhood friend, "Although I''m in no position to criticize, this is truly a bizarre situation for us to have a normal conversation despite being on the moon."

    "Because he''s using magic, just like us. Look."

    Asya was looking behind Sophocles'' back.

    Three runes of Ruruk Soun were hovering in the air, signifying "transmit my voice yonder." This magic allowed one to communicate in all conditions.

    In fact, the same runes were present behind Hal and Asya too.

    After leaving the ruins to visit the true surface of the moon, they had used this magic in order to communicate to each other through the vacuum of space where sound could not travel.

    Hal shrugged and responded to the strange man in black.

    "You keep showing up after every incident. It really doesn''t feel like a long time to me."

    "Wonderful. I would like to maintain a long relationship with you, if possible."

    "Hard to say. Despite how I look, I''m someone who could end up dead any moment."

    Sophocles calmly spoke to Hal, who was harboring pessimism towards his own future, "Do not put things that way. Even if you have encountered a few problems, you have made astounding growth in a few short months, charging along the road towards dragon kingship. Given your ability, asending to the throne just like that would also be¡ª"

    "Hmm¡ª"

    Smiling wryly, Hal looked back Sophocles who was goading him earnestly.

    Why? Despite clearly looking like an ascetic with strict self-regulation, Hal always wanted to address him as "the devil" from the first moment he met him.

    "I think you were being disingenuous just now."

    "Oh?"

    "Come on, you''ve spent thousands, tens of thousands of years observing the Road to Kingship. I''m sure you''ve noticed long ago, right? I''m actually unsuitable to becoming a dragon king at all."

    "Fufufufu, what are you talking about?"

    Sophocles seemed to smile.

    But his cheek merely twitched a little, so it was hard to be certain if he was actually smiling.

    "Without anyone''s guidance, you have climbed the dragon king ladder step by step, rely on your own exclusive methods that no one can imitate. How could someone like you be ''unsuitable''?"

    "But I don''t have any cheating methods available to me anymore."

    With a sense of helplessness from having exhausted everything at his disposal, Hal declared lightly.

    "My body is probably turning into a dragon soon. But perhaps because I''m lacking in wild instinct or something like that... Once I turn into a dragon completely¡ªturn into an intelligent beast¡ªI might not be able to continue using petty tricks like before."

    Yesterday, Hal had turned into a dragon in the middle of his fight with Galad.

    Taking on the form of ferocious monster, he had fought the silver dragon¡ªand was easily driven back. Hal completely lacked the wild quality that would have made the difference in that situation.

    "A dragon''s nature... The qualities of a ferocious wild beast are completely incompatible with the cheap tricks of a lowly commoner like me. I''m civilized to the core. In this sense, Asya over there could very well have more potential to become a dragon king..."

    "Hmm. That girl, yes?"

    "I met you only yesterday. Thanks for your help."

    Asya said she had met this strange man inside Pavel Galad''s barrier.

    It was soon after she discovered the flint. Apparently, under Sophocles'' guidance, his childhood friend had become "dragon king-like" Tyrannos.

    Hal asked, "How did he help you?"

    "When I was trapped inside Galad''s barrier, Sophocles opened a path to the ground surface. That''s why I was able to get back to Tokyo so quickly."

    It was the moment just before Pavel Galad had survived, turning into a monster to wreak destruction.

    Asya and Rushalka had used the Rune of the Chain to deliver the final blow against the silver dragon that was on the verge of death. Had Asya not arrived, Hal did not know if he would still have a chance to visit the moon.

    "Also, I used a trick when inhering the Chain."

    "A trick?"

    "You know, right? When trying to steal someone''s dragonslaying rune, even if the owner is dead, the chance of success is still pretty low."

    "Yeah. Hinokagutsuchi said the probability was less than 40%."

    "When guy cast a spell to raise the chance to around 70%."

    "So that''s how you managed to inherit the rune!?"

    "Although it boils down to luck in the end, raising the probability from below 40% to more than 70% is quite a lot. It was a huge favor."

    "I see."

    Pavel Galad had revived himself, going as far as to remodel his body that was supposed to have died.

    Hal''s childhood friend''s cold chain had severed Galad''s obsession. Having one question resolved, Hal brought up his next biggest doubt:

    "Did he propose some kind of condition in exchange for doing such a big favor for you?"

    "Umm... Nothing at all."

    Asya stared at Sophocles from the side, totally suspicious of him.

    "He said ''With every additional Tyrannos in this era, I become one step closer to my wish.'' But we can''t have me turning into a dragon too, so I don''t really want my power of dragonbane to grow stronger."

    "I said this yesterday. That does not matter to me."

    Sophocles'' tone of voice was quite sincere.

    "Holders of dragonslaying runes do not always progress even if they thirst for power. Conversely, there also exist those who become immensely powerful and approach the dragon king throne without any intention of becoming king. This young man is an excellent example. Everything depends on destiny and a person''s talent."

    " "..." "

    "Regarding the birth of Tyrannoi, all I have ever done is offer them chances."

    Hal and Asya silently stared at Sophocles.

    They felt like they could almost see a "devil''s tail" behind him, but this strange man remained the same as always, looking so honest, speaking every word from the heart.

    Even though his actions always felt like there was some ulterior motive behind them.

    "However," Hal switched the subject and spoke to Sophocles.

    He wanted to understand more about the true nature of the man who served dragonkind despite his human identity.

    "I can''t believe you even picked a witch like Asya... the sworn enemy of dragonkind, to become a Tyrannos. Do you have any principles at all? What is your intention?"

    "You have misunderstood something," asserted Sophocles calmly.

    The man who seemed extraordinary despite the ordinary suit he was wearing remained expressionless.

    "For the game revolving around dragon kings and runes of dragonbane... The Road to Kingship, I serve as a facilitator. This does not imply that I am dragonkind''s servant at all."

    "What are you trying to say?"

    "Allow me to rephrase. I am not dragonkind''s friend. Rather, it is the opposite. Whether now or in the past, I have always been trying to help the beautiful planet that nurtured mankind¡ªas well as the humans living upon it."

    Sophocles pointed at the brightly shining blue planet in the distance.

    Despite being on the moon, his every action was no different from how one would behave on Earth, but Hal and Asya were in no position to criticize others in this regard.

    Sure enough, this man possessed extraordinary magical powers as well.

    "Haruga Haruomi. I believe our aspirations are the same despite our differences in standpoint."

    "Oh my, that can''t be possible."

    "Please. You and I¡ªWe are kindred in a certain sense, you know?"

    "How so?"

    "For example, I have a rough idea as to why you came over to observe the Rune of the Mother Dragon. On the other hand, dragonkind¡ªespecially dragon kings¡ªwould find it impossible to comprehend."

    "I don''t believe you." Hal scoffed at Sophocles. "Or maybe you used magic to read my mind?"

    "No, I simply tried to imagine your intent. First of all, to investigate this Rune of the Mother Dragon to see if it could prove useful in the battle against Princess Yukikaze."

    "That goes without saying, but anyone can guess this much¡ª"

    "Next, I am afraid you intend to destroy it."

    "......"

    "The Rune of the Mother Dragon is clearly a threat to mankind, most probably producing dragon children endlessly. In that case, it is necessary to find out whether it can be destroyed... This is what the Haruga Haruomi I know would think."

    "Uh¡ª"

    Seeing his thoughts revealed, Hal was rendered speechless. He licked his lips.

    Sophocles was right. If possible, this was something he ought to destroy before the battle against Princess Yukikaze.

    Before Haruga Haruomi died, or turned into a dragon completely.

    "Whenever you encounter problems, more than coming up with solutions to overcome the predicament at hand, you are more predisposed towards putting large-scale structural reforms into motion, to eliminate the problem itself. Am I correct?"

    "I am just... lazy."

    Hal finally interrupted Sophocles'' long-winded speech.

    "It''s a lot of work initially, but ultimately, this way of doing things means less hassle after the fact. Anyway, the less effort the better, that''s the kind of person I am."

    "Indeed. In fact, I am the same."

    Sophocles nodded expressionlessly.

    "Allow me to offer you some advice as a kindred spirit. The power of dragonbane cannot destroy the Rune of the Mother Dragon. It cannot be destroyed unless you are powerful enough to erase all dragons from the entire universe¡ªa power equal to the god of creation. Nowhere in the universe will you find such an exceptional being."

    "H-How did the scale of things suddenly get so big..."

    Despite the excessively grandiose warning, Hal still summoned his magic gun to his right hand.

    Words alone could be exaggerated to any extent. It could be a bluff. He could not be certain of the truth unless he tested it for himself...

    Realizing Hal''s intent, Asya exclaimed in alarm, "Haruomi!?"

    "Go!"

    He aimed the muzzle at the ground and pulled the trigger.

    The target was the crater directly below, with the infinity symbol carved upon it. With investigative magic added to the bullets, hal fired three red magic bullets in succession¡ª

    Bam bam bam!

    The three glowing projectiles struck the white sand definitively, but he did not feel like he had shot anything.

    The firepower and magical power were completely nullified. It was like firing bullets at a cosmic abyss, futile.

    "Then how about a technique of assured annihilation..."

    If he summoned the Crimson Queen and fired the sun-shooting divine bow with maximum firepower¡ª

    Thinking that, Hal slumped his shoulders. Trying would be pointless. The investigative magic he had added to the bullets just now had already told him Sophocles was speaking the truth...

    This infinity sign was a magic symbol equivalent to the god that had created dragonkind.

    Hal dispelled his magic gun and muttered, "Impossible to destroy, huh? Looks like you''re right."

    "I am pleased that you understand."

    "But on behalf of humanity, I''d like to call you out on that ''I am the friend of Earth and mankind'' comment. Why would someone with such sentiments go around doing things to help dragon kings and dragon king candidates?"

    "Allow me to ask you a question in return¡ª"

    Sophocles'' tone was sincere as always.

    "Do you really believe that we humans can win against dragon kings?"

    "Huh?"

    "Of course not. In fact, just like you, I... am a man who became a Tyrannos by chance. One day, I suddenly realized: At this rate, our planet and all of humanity would get roped into civil conflict between dragonkind¡ªThere is no path but demise."

    "......"

    "The Road to Kingship is where elites, Tyrannoi and dragon kings fight one another. This game cannot be left unattended. When their conflict and competition intensifies, the world will one day collapse. Such is the astounding competitive instinct and destructive impulse of dragonkind."

    The mysterious man''s voice remained sincere.

    "So long as dragonkind exists, the Road to Kingship needs an administrator to control the game so that it unfolds in mankind''s favor. That person needs to serve the dragon kings and Tyrannoi while surreptitiously make sure that competitors from the human side continue to join in."

    "Now that you mention that..."

    Hal understood and muttered.

    "The dragon kings I know... Hannibal, Princess Yukikaze, and the Crimson Queen¡ªthey were all hybrids who used to be humans, right?"

    "Correct. And of the current dragon kings, both the Black Lightning Emperor and the Blue Sea King are purebloods."

    "The number of hybrids... is slightly greater."

    "Yes. Would you believe me if I said this was because I brought dragonslaying runes to Earth?"

    Sophocles calmly revealed the truth.

    "Human have no means to fight dragons, but it is a different matter for humans who inherit dragonslaying runes to take part in the Road to Kingship. To drive away dragonkind by the hand of these heroes, thus prolonging the lifespan of the human world and the Earth that nurtures humans¡ªThat is my wish."

    "N-No no. But¡ª"

    There was a decisive flaw in what Sophocles said.

    Did he not notice it? Or did he not care at all? Feeling he had to make sure, Hal asked in a trembling voice, "Even if you share the dragonslaying runes with humans like this, these humans end up dying in the process or losing their memories as humans, you know? In the end, isn''t all you''re doing just instigating ''a war between dragon king-class competitors with Earth as the arena''? In that case, the Earth''s demise will happen sooner or later..."

    "Indeed, that is one viewpoint. I concede that."

    The strange man in the black suit nodded unfazed.

    No mistake. Hal was sure of it. This man was mad.

    "No matter what, in this era when dragonkind has started becoming active in earnest, there is no fate waiting for humanity but demise. However, so long as ''humans capable of killing dragons'' are born from the seeds I have sown, humanity''s lifespan could extend somewhat."

    "Extension of lifespan..."

    "Haruga Haruomi. That is precisely what you are doing now."

    Hal gasped.

    He realized why he thought this man¡ªSophocles¡ªwas the devil.

    His actions were definitely not unreasonable. His views had grounds to support them. With this as the starting point, upgrading continually, perhaps one day, humans really could obtain the means to resist dragonkind. However¡ª

    Sophocles could no longer do it.

    He had become a machine-like being that executed the plan he had devised thousands, tens of thousands of years ago. That was why he resembled the devil.

    His mind had most likely died long ago.

    Hybrid dragon kings maintained the vitality of their minds by indulging in human feelings and pleasures.

    But Sophocles had not done so. He lived this long, most likely only to execute his mission. This was the result.

    (Perhaps...)

    Hal felt a chill.

    (If one seals away the power of dragonbane while in the virtually immortal state of a Tyrannos, to prevent oneself from turning into a dragon... Perhaps this is the outcome.)

    As a living thing, humans lived to at most a hundred years or so before dying of old age.

    What awaited Hal several thousand, tens of thousands of years later, was perhaps a state akin to insanity like this man''s. Moreover...

    If Haruga Haruomi were to continue this current state, neither human nor dragon...

    Would he eventually get stuck in a dead end like Sophocles? Realizing this possibility, Hal shuddered from the bottom of his heart.

    Part 4

    "Sophocles-san... He said that!?"

    "Yeah. He''s even more crazy than we thought."

    At the ruins located in the Sea of Showers in the moon''s northern hemisphere.

    Dozens of stone towers were built here. Juujouji Orihime was on the top floor of one of them, talking to her friend, the senior witch Asya who had just returned from the moon surface.

    Also, Haruga Haruomi was not present.

    Claiming he had errands to run, he had split up from them.

    "Although I cannot fully agree with his views, I have to admit it makes a bit of sense."

    "Really? Isn''t the world safer with fewer Tyrannoi and dragon kings?"

    "Think of it from a different angle. Those who hold dragonslaying runes are essentially enemies to all of dragonkind."

    With a knowing look on her face, Asya was the very image of a knowledgeable witch.

    "Imagine this. What would happen if a herd of deer were to reproduce on an island without natural predators? The deer will eventually eat all the vegetation on the island, causing a severe ecological imbalance. If dragonkind did the same on Earth¡ª"

    "...It will lead to the destruction of Earth''s civilization."

    "Yeah. And currently the only beasts capable of hunting dragons are the dragon kings and Tyrannoi with their ability to use dragonslaying runes."

    "......"

    "In that case, why not leave dragon kings and imitation dragon kings alone, and give humans the power of dragonbane, thereby managing the risk. This is Sophocles-san''s methodology."

    "Oh my? Now that I hear you say this, why does..."

    Orihime realized something and tilted her head in puzzlement.

    "The goal Haruga-kun and Luna-san said they would achieve through GUILD¡ª"

    "Are very similar, right? In this sense, he is quite similar to Haruomi."

    "Does that man... want to do something to Haruga-kun?"

    "He probably doesn''t care what happens to Haruomi, sincerely."

    "Eh?"

    "It''s fine if Haruomi turns into a dragon king. If he ends up dead in a ditch instead of turning into a dragon, then there are no loose ends to tie up, very convenient. I think what he truly doesn''t want to see is Haruomi doing nothing, living as a hermit without achieving anything. Because the rare power would become meaningless."

    "You are very right."

    As expected of the genius witch and combat expert.

    Asya''s analysis was impressive. Exhibiting excellent powers of observation, the witch and friend tossed a gloomy glance towards Orihime.

    "Putting that aside, Orihime-san."

    "W-What is the matter? Asya-san?"

    Orihime was a little startled.

    In fact, she had been feeling "guilty" towards her friend since summer.

    Anastasya Rubashvili, the genius witch.

    She harbored feelings towards her childhood friend Haruga Haruomi and Juujouji Orihime had noticed faint signs of this. However, so much had happened between him and Orihime this summer, admitting to each other that they were dearest in each other''s heart¡ª

    And they had kissed many times.

    Then there was (Haruga-kun, good grief, always towards my breasts...) and yesterday, even Luna Francois and her cousin Shirasaka Hazumi had joined in, all of them engaging in something absurd together.

    Logically speaking, the European-born Asya should not know anything about what had happened, however.

    (Has Asya-san finally found out!?)

    Unable to speak about it, Orihime had kept Asya in the dark.

    Was she going to expose that secret? With somber eyes, Asya opened her mouth solemnly and shook as she yelled!

    "We were invited by a dragon king to the moon, don''t you think it''s weird that there isn''t even a banquet? I-I finally regained my appetite and yet I have to sate my hunger on such crude food...!"

    "Oh..."

    Hearing Asya''s heart-rending yell, Orihime nodded.

    At this moment, the two of them were sitting at a humble wooden table with a large porcelain dish before them.

    This dish was an amazing magic artifact. All one needed to do was concentrate and food similar to white bread would appear on the dish.

    Eating this was enough to get a full meal with sufficient nutrients¡ª

    That was what Haruga Haruomi had said. He had apparently experienced this inside King Solomon''s secret base. There was also a magic pot that produced unlimited distilled water.

    However, this magic bread had no flavor.

    Even if one focused their sense of taste to the maximum, one could at most taste faint sweetness.

    The texture was also dry. For a gourmand who sought pleasure from food, this was desecration of food, absolutely impossible to accept.

    As one would expect, Asya began to roar.

    "Meals are more than about replenishing nutrients! The true pleasure of eating is about nourishing the soul in addition to the body! Carbohydrates should be obtained from wheat, rice, tubers, legumes except for soybeans, corn, while protein comes from meat and fish, of course! Anyway, meat! Juicy steaks! Fatty premium ribs! Kansai-style sukiyaki made with A5 black Wagyu marbled beef! Deep-fried pork chop cutlets, thick on the inside, crispy on the outside, served as a set meal! Fried chicken that leaves your hands and mouth greasy and sticky! Mince meat cutlets the size of a sandal! Pork belly stew! Genghis Khan grill! Hamburger with fries and shake!"

    "L-Let us all go out for dinner once we get back safely!"

    The witch companion recited a long list of high-calorie foods.

    Silently finding Asya quite adorable, Orihime proceeded to soothe her.

    "I could ask my grandfather to take us out to a delicious sushi restaurant."

    "Speaking of whitefish, there''s sillago, sea bream, halfbeak, and black porgy wrapped in kombu kelp is good too! As for bluebacks, there''s horse mackerel, marinated mackerel and spotted shad! Surf clams, egg cockle, orange clam, abalone and conch! Tiger prawns, mantis shrimp, sea urchin, salmon roe, squid, and the chu-toro and o-toro cuts of tuna! Other than nigiri sushi, there''s kakiage and bamboo shoots with their own special appeal which are quite nice. To conclude the meal, kanpyo sushi rolls made with egg and eel are a must!"

    "Impressive as ever, Asya-san, you are very knowledgeable about sushi too..."

    "J-Just a personal hobby... Oh, one more thing, Orihime-san."

    Asya seemed to have calmed down.

    She lowered her voice and suddenly asked, "How did you help Haruomi recover when he merged with the Crimson Queen? For some reason, Haruomi won''t explain it clearly. When I asked him earlier, he seemed a bit nervous."

    "Y-You are asking about this!?"

    "Why are you panicking too?"

    "It is really nothing special. Nothing worth paying so much attention to¡ª"

    "Of course I''m curious as it could very well happen to me tomorrow. Or is there some reason why you can''t tell me?"

    "Uh, umm, how should I put this¡ª?"

    In fact, Orihime had never been this flustered when chatting with female friends.

    (I-I was too careless...!)

    The silver-haired genius witch looked suspiciously at the flustered Orihime.

    Asya''s recently emerged feminine charm had vanished as soon as her appetite recovered. Hence, Orihime totally did not expect her to raise this question.

    At this rate, she might not be able to keep the secret any longer¡ª

    (Haruga-kun, hurry and save me!)

    Ultimately, Orihime was just as ill-equipped to deal with romantic rivalry.

    She really wished the absent one could return soon. With the two of them together, there might still be a way to keep Asya in the dark...

    Orihime desperately cried for help in her thoughts.

    Part 5

    "Perhaps you have realized to some extent."

    "......"

    "Time is nigh. Half a year has elapsed since spring this year. You have spent your days in leisure, however¡ªYou will soon reach your limit."

    "Yeah."

    After returning from investigating the moon and the conversation with Sophocles...

    Hal had gone out for a stroll alone.

    Leaving the ruins under imperishable protection that were filled with stone towers, he walked about listlessly on the moon.

    Protecting Hal was also imperishable protection, adjusted to be colorless.

    The only one accompanying him was dead and did not need protection. The young girl dressed in a red kimono, Hinokagutsuchi who had not manifested for a long time, was by his side.

    "Brat, even though you narrowly escaped a crisis yesterday... You may not be so fortunate next time. Were you to turn into a dragon again, it might be the end for you in spite of having the devil''s own luck."

    Hinokagutsuchi''s words were scathing as ever.

    "Payback is a bitch, so to speak."

    "I think the same goes for you."

    "Oh?"

    "You, the self-styled devil, won''t last much longer either, right? You''ve clearly popped up way less recently."

    "...Hmph."

    The two of them picked a random place to stop.

    This former dragon queen and high school boy had met in an alley in Tokyo New Town. After that, days of turbulence had persisted for several months, finally even landing on the moon.

    Right now, they were chatting casually¡ª

    "Back when I obtained the Crimson Queen, you said ''I might very well vanish if I did not find something to possess''."

    Precisely because of that, Hinokagutsuchi had possessed Hal''s magic gun.

    "Even with a replacement, you are soon reaching your limit, right?"

    "Well, this body of mine ought to have exhausted all energy a thousand years ago, and I ended up using so much power for the past half a year."

    Hence, her limit was near¡ª

    Hinokagutsuchi would rather die than spell it out.

    Out of pride, she was simply refusing to confirm or deny. However, after coming to the moon ruins, Hinokagutsuchi had become a little more honest, willing to provide information.

    Because her end was near? ¡ªHal did not entertain this thought.

    He realized this possibility but deliberately ignored it.

    The kind of behavior of seeking mutual confirmation to achieve a connection of minds, was completely unnecessary for these two. Haruga Haruomi and the self-styled devil were practicalists to the core. All they needed was cooperation when their interests were aligned. That was enough.

    Hence, Hal brought up this topic.

    "Roughly eight hundred years ago, when you were still queen, Princess Yukikaze was the one who defeated you, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Then you asked me, who lives in the twenty-first century, to duel with that princess. In that case, she can be considered our common enemy, right?"

    "Do you really think that one as great as I would bear a grudge against Yukikaze this whole time?"

    "Because your personality isn''t great enough to let go of a grudge that is only eight hundred years old."

    "Hmph."

    "Anyway, I will need to duel our common enemy soon. I hope the great former dragon king will make good use of her grudge, one that compelled her to go so far as to exploit me."

    "Your insolence knows no bounds, brat."

    "I need information and advice. Hoping for your contributions in this regard won''t bring divine retribution¡ªThat''s what I''m thinking."

    "Then it depends on whether you are clever enough or not."

    Hinokagutsuchi sneered.

    "Neither am I certain you have the mettle to best Yukikaze in battle..."

    "All I can do is use cheap tricks to close the gap like before. By telling me about the existence of the Rune of the Mother Dragon, aren''t you asking me to make use of it?"

    "You think I am that considerate?"

    "No, but even a demon from hell might show mercy on a whim sometimes. It''s not like I''ll lose anything by being hopeful."

    Despite Hal''s frivolous tone, his expression was quite tense.

    Of the cheap tricks that could come in handy during the battle against Princess Yukikaze, he could think of one more apart from the Rune of the Mother Dragon.

    However, using it required guidance from an experienced predecessor...

    This was his greatest gamble ever. Everything depended on luck, not just the talents and efforts of himself and his companions. How deep a bond existed between him and the self-styled devil with the twisted personality¡ªThat was the most crucial of all.

    Hal braced himself and spoke, "Actually, I''ve got an idea. I might be able to defeat Princess Yukikaze so long as I become your¡ªthe self-styled devil''s¡ªsuccessor."

 Volume 8, 3 - The Start of a Gamble

    Volume 8, Chapter 3 - The Start of a Gamble

    Part 1

    Hal was standing in the middle of the space.

    The abyss of the macrocosm lay in all directions around him. Entering Hal''s view was not complete darkness but an ever-changing canopy of night, decorated by the glow of countless celestial objects.

    "The secret archives of Ruruk Soun... The grimoire passed down generations of dragonkind."

    He called out to the endless seas of stars.

    ...Actually, this was not the real cosmos. At this moment, Hal''s body was meditating in a certain tower in the moon ruins.

    This was an imagined world that he had entered through meditation.

    Through a vision, Hal was reading the secret archives of Ruruk Soun¡ªa grimoire that recorded dragonkind''s mystic wisdom¡ªwhich had become part of his consciousness.

    In the past, his formidable rival Pavel Galad had also activated the secret archives of Ruruk Soun during battle.

    The silver dragon had used it to practice back when he had yet to grow accustomed to the dragonslaying sword. Hence, this cosmos could be manipulated according to Haruga Haruomi''s thoughts...

    "Show me a more complete view, which will make it easier for me to find the treasure I want. Zooming out is fine."

    The macrocosm suddenly shrank.

    Countless stars gathered around Hal in succession. Ten-odd seconds later, a huge number of spiral galaxies appeared in front of Hal. This also included the solar system where Earthlings lived.

    An intricate miniature model of the universe containing countless galaxies.

    If one had to use mundane objects for an analogy, this magnificent entity was roughly the size of a classroom blackboard.

    Hal focused his eyes. In the secret archives of Ruruk Soun, doing so would allow him to see fine details on a microscopic level.

    He was trying to find the seventy-two celestial bodies that Hinokagutsuchi had told him about.

    They included stars, planets and satellites.

    Some had been discovered by humans while others remained unknown to this day.

    After finding seventy-two celestial bodies scattered all over the universe and summoning them all at once...

    "O stars constituting mystic power and knowledge, gather in my hand."

    Dozens of stars, scattered all over the place, traversed tens of thousands of light years to gather in Hal''s right hand, lining up neatly to form a circle. There were exactly seventy-two of them.

    "This is a bit too many..."

    Hal released magical power and compressed them.

    The seventy-two stars were reduced to forty-two, which then turned into runes completely.

    This was the moment when forty-two runes of Ruruk Soun¡ªmagical symbols very familiar to Hal nowadays¡ªwere born. By summoning this arrangement, he should be able to invoke a certain spell.

    "Assuming Hinokagutsuchi didn''t trick me." Hal sighed.

    This secret technique was apparently invented by the self-styled devil, which meant that he would not know how to use it if he left it to the magic gun as usual.

    The only way to learn this spell was for her to instruct him on the arrangement of runes.

    "Anyway, this is my last lifeline..."

    Hal muttered to himself and blinked.

    The moment he opened his eyes, the cosmic abyss and mini-galaxies vanished. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor inside a room in the moon ruins used as a bedroom.

    Phew. Just as Hal exhaled deeply and stood up...

    Kyuaaaa¡ªahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    "Rushalka?"

    He heard a familiar voice.

    Asya''s partner, Blue Rushalka was flying towards him.

    With her head extended towards Hal''s window on the top floor, she kept flapping her wings, hovering midair like a hummingbird.

    Rushalka was a wyvern with a body length of ten-odd meters.

    Apart from the fact that she lacked forelimbs, she was quite similar to elite dragons in form and appearance.

    The flapping of her wings alone was noisy enough. With every flap of her wing, Rushalka blew strong wind against Hal''s face.

    "What a racket..."

    "I called her."

    "What, so you''re here too, Asya?"

    Hearing his childhood friend''s voice, Hal turned to face the source.

    This window was over ten meters above ground. Nevertheless, Asya was outside the window.

    She was hovering in the air¡ªno, flying in the air.

    Next to the gigantic face of the blue wyvern hovering in the air, Asya was flying in the sky.

    "This is the Flight spell you learned yesterday, right? You''ve already mastered it completely."

    "That''s not all. Watch."

    "A magic wand!?"

    Unfazed by the sight of his childhood friend flying, Hal reacted with surprise this time.

    A silver chain was wrapped around Asya''s slender body with an arrowhead on one end serving as a counterweight.

    The silver chain was like a living snake, clanging as it moved.

    The counterweight on the chain''s tip rubbed itself affectionately against Asya''s face, like a snake playing with a snake charmer.

    "You mastered the magic wand in just one day. You made that chain, right?"

    "Yes. After all, I heard you explain what you did before."

    "Amazing. You are very smart, or should I say, a genius."

    It was only after Asya ended up in the same situation as him that Hal finally got a poignant sense of her natural talent.

    However, the genius master-class witch, who used to be Europe''s most powerful Shootdown Ace, frowned and said the following extremely coldly, "Learning synthesis magic on this level sooner isn''t going to help much in tomorrow''s battle."

    "No no no. Just having a wand makes controlling magical power much easier."

    "What''s important is whether it has practical use in combat. I wouldn''t be worried if it''s just an ordinary elite dragon, but our opponent is Princess Yukikaze. Oh well, to me it''s just consolation at this point."

    "What are you so pessimistic?"

    "Not really. Even though it''s consolation, something is better than nothing. Because fighting dragons without any consolation would be way too difficult."

    "Hahahaha."

    Words of a brave and seasoned warrior, impressive as ever.

    Before acquiring a dragonslaying rune, his childhood friend had fought armies of Raptors all over the world, as well as the occasional elite dragon. Precisely because of that, she was able to say this kind of thing so calmly.

    "Putting that aside, Haruomi, Rushalka and I will go there again."

    "Again? Didn''t Juujouji just finish investigating the Rune of the Mother Dragon?"

    "Yes, but that rune is a more important trump card than a magic wand. I want perfect preparations, and that includes checking one last time."

    Asya not only had natural talent but also devoted herself to training and effort, never succumbing to pride and complacency.

    The prudence exhibited by someone like her, fully worthy of the genius label, deeply impressed Hal.

    Just then...

    Clang clang clang!

    Asya picked up her silver chain and swung it swiftly.

    This small movement summoned the runes of Teleport on top of Rushalka''s head. The blue wyvern and her partner instantly vanished.

    Apparently, she had gone to look at the Plato crater, just as she had said she would.

    "So she even learned that spell, huh...?"

    He definitely could not match Asya in talent for magic. Hal was reminded of this fact again.

    His childhood friend the genius witch, the Rune of the Mother Dragon, Juujouji and Akuro-Ou who had awakened the power of the Sun¡ªand that particular arrangement as well.

    Perhaps there really was a way to deal with Princess Yukikaze...?

    "I hope so."

    Hal hoped sincerely. There was less than twenty-four hours remaining until the duel with the princess was set to begin.

    "Anyway, I have to continue with my preparations."

    He was pretty much done with all the preparing that could be done indoors. Hal exited the stone tower through the window.

    Part 2

    "Haruga-kun, where did you go?"

    "Outside. I went outside the ruins to use runes to send messages to Luna and SAURU on Earth."

    When he returned to the stone tower that served as their base of operations on the moon, Hal found Orihime inside, waiting for him.

    Using the Ruruk Soun runes of "transmit my voice yonder," Hal had conducted interplanetary communications.

    His original intention was just to test it out, but it succeeded even better than he had imagined. However, Hal did not tell them about a certain arrangement he had learned earlier.

    He wanted to keep it a secret as much as possible. The girls would definitely stop him if word got out...

    "By the way, Haruga-kun, could you please... undress?"

    "Huh!?"

    When Orihime timidly made a request, Hal stepped back in surprise.

    Could it possible that saintly compassion had suddenly surged in Orihime''s heart, making her willing to cross the final line with Haruga Haruomi who could very well lose his life in the duel tomorrow? No no no, but a considerate move of this sort would be very unlike a well-bred young lady such as Orihime¡ª

    "D-Do not get the wrong idea. This is a regular check up!" Orihime declared, blushing to her ears.

    "Doesn''t your body harden to become dragon-like when you use too much of your powers? I must check regularly."

    "O-Oh, now I see."

    Hearing Orihime''s explanation, Hal understood. The guilt of his weird delusion made him reluctant to refuse Orihime. He hastily removed his shirt, leaving his upper body naked.

    He found a random pedestal to serve as a seat.

    Orihime circled around to his back, then started a "tactile examination" of Haruga Haruomi''s not very muscular back.

    "You don''t need to examine so closely."

    "I will be the one to decide that."

    Orihime''s right hand gently slid from left to right, checking how Hal''s back felt to the touch.

    "You girls helped cure me last time. I''m totally fine now."

    Part of his skin hardened with a glass-like shine.

    This symptom had appeared recently, a warning sign that acquisition of dragonslying power led to dragonification.

    Hal muttered, "I''ll be a good boy and report any that that comes up. Trust me."

    "That rests on the assumption that you won''t deceive."

    "Uh, well¡ª"

    Orihime took a shot at Hal then continued her examination.

    First the shoulder then below, then even lower down. Finally after gently checking the texture at his waist, Orihime nodded.

    "It looks like you are definitely fine. Nothing hardened."

    "See? I haven''t used much power after coming to the moon either."

    "Since the back is fine, I suppose there isn''t a need to check the front? Your body really seems to be fine."

    "Huh? Don''t tell me... You were planning on touching the front side too?"

    Even caressing his chest and abdomen gently with her right hand.

    Hal could not help but wonder what he could do to make Orihime change her mind about ending the examination here. His facial nerves tensed up, a reflexive action whenever he did not want others to notice his dirty thoughts.

    However, this was enough for Orihime to discern Hal''s thoughts.

    "You seem to be thinking about something inappropriate..."

    "No, of course not. My mind is filled with nothing but gratitude for the gentle you."

    "Goodness gracious. What a pervert you are!"

    Though Orihime was a bit angry, she sighed in the next instant.

    "I don''t want you to turn into a dragon, but¡ªSure enough, I have to take this situation into consideration after all..."

    "Hahahaha."

    Orihime''s face was shrouded in gloom out of worry for Haruga Haruomi.

    Hal laughed out loud, a warm feeling flowing through his heart. Perhaps this was what people called happiness.

    He had never experienced this before when he was always alone.

    Precisely because of that¡ª

    He was afraid of loss. Logically speaking, Hal was going to lose everything, even his meager life, in the duel tomorrow. 99% certain.

    Princess Yukikaze had mentioned "If I defeat you and you''re fortunate enough to survive..."

    But he knew that the probability of such a future approached zero. This charity condition of "surviving an all-out attack from the dragon king Princess Yukikaze" was as fragile as a thread of spider''s silk.

    Hal''s stomach began to hurt.

    He even broke out in cold sweat. This was a stomachache caused by stress. In fact, Hal had been experiencing these stomach pains every now and then ever since arriving on this asteroid.

    Extremely uncomfortable. He had difficulty sleeping at night, unable to achieve unbroken sleep till dawn.

    "Because the previous battles always happened right away... There was no time for me to feel stressed. This time, with so much time, it''s quite an ordeal, almost like ''having an execution scheduled a few days later''..."

    He muttered, his eyes gloomy.

    Ignoring the physical body, Hal''s mind was still too human to be viewing things with detached perspective.

    Stress was building up the longer he spent time at the moon ruins.

    If only his opponent was a mere elite or Tyrannos.

    But this time he had to confront dragon king-class, the strongest of dragonkind, and definitely stronger than him.

    So far, Hal had twice fought dragon kings and survived, but that was because he had gambled his life on strategies that succeeded by chance. It was also thanks to him possessing trump cards unexpected by the two dragon kings¡ªPrincess Yukikaze and Hannibal.

    "It will be fine. Asya-san is helping with research on how to use that Rune of the Mother Dragon, and didn''t Kagutsuchi-san say ''it appears that prior preparations are sufficient'' after listening?"

    "More precisely, she said ''You could consider it sufficient, but possible not enough too''."

    Translated into plain English, it was "I don''t know!"

    In addition, there was the trump card that Hal had secretly prepared, but there was not telling whether any of his cards would actually end up useful. There was nothing he could do about that.

    "The previous battles" against Princess Yukikaze and Hannibal.

    Now that he thought back to them¡ªNeither of them were battles to the death. Both sides had reached a ceasefire before that point. But this time, it was going to be a duel to the death...

    "Haruga-kun."

    Orihime secretly walked up to Hal''s side.

    She drew very close, so the two of them were pressed intimately together. How unbelievable. Simply the touch of her body warmth was enough to calm his thoughts a bit.

    "Did you forget? Akuro-Ou and I are very strong in critical moments."

    "Now that you mention it, yeah, that''s true. How should I put it...? Perhaps you two are like goddesses of fortune. It was the same in the first battle against Pavel Galad."

    Thinking back to past experiences, Hal looked up.

    "Probably thanks to your naked body, my luck has surged¡ª"

    "H-Haruga-kun! You still remember that!?"

    "Of course! How could I possibly forget that wonderful image!?"

    "And you snapped aback indignantly!"

    "Anyway, basically it boils down to this... Sure enough, you''re the only one who can be my mental support. It''s the same in love matters too, you have to be my guardian goddess of luck¡ª"

    "W-Wait a second, Haruga-kun. What... What did you just say?"

    When the panicking Hal slightly calmed down, it was Orihime''s turn to be flustered.

    She stared nervously at Hal, like she was hoping for something.

    So cute. Hal immediately replied.

    "Uh... Goddess of love and protection."

    "In other words, you mean¡ªlove for me? For me and Haruga Haruomi to nurture human love, romantic feelings, and man-woman affection between the two of us..."

    "Yes. All of them."

    "Fufufufu."

    "Juujouji!"

    "Haruga-kun!"

    In a state of heightened emotion, the two hugged tightly together.

    Then they kissed passionately.

    ...This could be considered "a dialog in preparation for the decisive battle tomorrow." But in fact, this was also a tryst for them at the same time.

    "Tonight again, I will come over to find you after Asya-san falls asleep."

    "Yeah."

    "Even if you suffer from insomnia, I will still stay by your side."

    "Yeah."

    "Although you probably won''t sleep better simply because I am next to you, I still want to do something for you no matter how small."

    "Not at all. I''ll feel at peace just from having you by my side."

    "Fufufufu¡ªAh, here you go again exaggerating. I haven''t finished talking, you know?"

    "Sorry, I accidentally¡ª"

    Orihime''s love and affection made Hal kiss her again.

    Gazing gently at this good-for-nothing of a man, Orihime kissed Hal back.

    "By the way, I actually thought of something. Probably because I''m just a step from leveling up to becoming a dragon, a new idea occurred to me."

    "Specifically?"

    "Lend me your ear. I''ll explain to you."

    "We are the only ones here. Is there any need to whisper?"

    "Who cares? Whispering is more intimate."

    "Here you go again, honest at a time like this... Go ahead, tell me."

    "Yeah, thanks. Specifically, it''s¡ª"

    Orihime swept her long hair behind her ear, exposing it.

    Hal brought his lips close to whisper in her ear. There was something problematic with what he said, and even the Japanese girl with the sunny open-minded disposition glared at him with a "Haruga-kun¡ª" in protest.

    Even so, Hal still continued apprehensively and said, "So that''s the long and short of it. Will you stay with me to do some mental training?"

    "If this is definitely necessary for the duel against Princess Yukikaze¡ªI won''t refuse. However, is that really true?"

    "Of course! Trust me!"

    "Of course I trust you. But can you promise that you are sincerely doing this without ulterior motives?"

    "......"

    "How very honest of you. You cannot promise, can you?"

    "Well..."

    "Seriously... You must not say such things to any girl other than me, okay? If you promise me that, umm, then it''s not like I can''t make an exception and practice with you..."

    "Juujouji..."

    "Haruga-kun¡ªAh... I-Is this part of training too?"

    "There''s more to it. Well, sure enough, I really love doing this with you..."

    "Sheesh. You are too honest... Ahhh!"

    "S-Sorry. Was I too rough?"

    "Don''t worry¡ªThis is fine... Umm, I think I enjoy doing this with you¡ªmmmmm!"

    "Me too!"

    Unlike previous occasions, the main reason for doing this was no longer for the sake of transferring magical power to a vassal sharing the same dragonslaying power.

    Driven by emotions and impulse beyond that, the two of them embraced each other.

    Clenching his right hand where the Rune of the Bow had surfaced, he tightly squeezed the left breast¡ªthe body part closest to the heart¡ªof the girl he loved most in the whole world. In return, Orihime passionately allowed him to do as he pleased, in a state of ecstasy, accepting Hal''s caress.

    This was a world that belonged to just the two of them.

    However, exhaling hot breath, Orihime suddenly spoke, "By the way... Asya was suspicious of our relationship earlier."

    "Asya?"

    "Yes. I was originally hoping you be there to help, but I managed to explain on my own and barely pulled the wool over her eyes."

    "I see..."

    Juujouji Orihime was not only inexperienced in love but also a little airheaded.

    Her personality was also extremely straightforward. It was hard to imagine her female friends getting fooled, but right now, Asya had lost her feminine skills that she had acquired previously.

    Thinking "well, it should be fine," Hal refocused his mind on the training.

    "Juujouji¡ª"

    "Mmmm! Haruga-kun... Remember clearly how I feel, okay?"

    "Yeah. I surely... won''t forget."

    "Mmmmmmmm...!"

    Once again, they entered a world of their own, but...

    Just as Orihime''s slender body swooned and leaned back...

    ''Ufufufufufu...''

    An adorable but sinister giggle was heard from outside the room.

    It was the suggestive giggling from someone they knew well¡ªhis childhood friend and witch companion. Orihime froze in her posture, still with Hal holding her breast.

    "Asya-san!?"

    "Indeed... It is I. Feeling a bit worried, I quickly finished what I needed to do, but to think I would see such as scene on my return. Although your stammering was quite suspicious, Orihime-san, I did have a faint feeling before that...!"

    Hal''s childhood friend Asya walked into the room.

    She was smiling but did not look happy at all. This was merely a smile used to control the anger that had nowhere to go.

    Oh right, even with her feminine skills diminished, Asya''s bestial instincts were still intact.

    Only now did Hal think of that. Then he said to Asya, "Yeah, to be honest, this is actually the kind of relationship we have."

    "What the hell!?"

    "I love Juujouji more seriously than anyone else, and Juujouji, you feel the same way towards me, right?"

    "Y-Yes. I love Haruga-kun very much."

    "H-Haruomi¡ª"

    Probably because Hal made his declaration too naturally.

    Orihime immediately followed up after a brief pause. On the other hand, Asya was so shocked that she could not close her mouth.

    For Hal, Asya was neither an older nor a younger sister, instead, she was a childhood friend known for many years.

    Perhaps it was fate that she became the first one he told. And it was right before the day when his fate was going to hang between life and death...

    In any case, Hal released his hand from Orihime''s breast as though nothing had happened.

    He made the call to admit everything and started to explain.

    Part 3

    "Oh right, tonight will be the night of the full moon."

    Hal glanced at his pocket watch and said softly.

    A mechanical pocket watch made with bronze. The time was just after three in the afternoon on September 10th. Furthermore, this pocket watch was also a Clockwork Mage used exclusively by members of SAURU.

    For Hal as he was now, it was a redundant tool, but he still kept it by his side.

    "Is it that? I recall an event known as the viewing of the mid-autumn moon." Hinokagutsuchi spoke with mockery in her voice.

    "If they are going to organize an event, why not hold one where beautiful women are admired under moonlight...? I believe this occurred to me in the ancient past."

    "Don''t forget you''re a former queen. Say something that fits the mood better."

    "Hmph, staring at the moon is too boring. Incomprehensible to me."

    "Fine. Anyway, it''s an event that used to take place on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar. Since adjustments are needed to fit with the current calendar, it happens on a different day every year."

    Hal and Hinokagutsuchi looked up at the night sky together.

    There was no full moon among the scattered stars of the night canopy, instead there was a round Earth roughly the size of a coin. The moon was underfoot.

    Leaving the moon ruins, Hal walked to another plain on the moon, the Sea of Showers.

    The black of "seas" on the lunar landscape was the color of basalt, terrain formed from lava that had erupted from underground then cooled.

    Observing from the Earth, one could see a black area on the white moon.

    Recalling this, Hal said poignantly, "I never thought I''d spent a night of the full moon on the moon itself."

    "Who knows? If you draw your last breath before admiring the moon, then it would not really count as ''spending'' the night." Hinokagutsuchi laughed maliciously.

    She had come out from the magic gun that she had possessed, materializing into a young girl in a kimono.

    This could very well be his last. Three days ago¡ªat around 3pm on September 7th in Japan¡ªHal was taken to the moon.

    Princess Yukikaze had told him she would only wait three days.

    A quick calculation showed that seventy-two hours had just passed. It would be natural for the princess to come pick a fight any moment.

    "Although I''ve made lots of preparations for this battle, how much difference do you think our struggling will actually make?"

    "Against that lass Yukikaze?"

    "Yeah. And it''s Princess Yukikaze in serious mode."

    "Simple. If she is serious about taking your life¡ªNo matter how it happens, Yukikaze is guaranteed to win."

    Hinokagutsuchi predicted gravely. She did not look like she was joking.

    Since she spoke without thinking, Hal reflexively argued back.

    "Uh, this is a contest, you know? There''s that saying, you never know who''ll get the last laugh, right? Didn''t I squeak through last time?"

    "Because the battle to defeat Genbu-Ou was ''war.''"

    "?"

    "Whereas this time is a ''fight.'' Do you understand the difference?"

    "...I see. Sort of."

    Realizing what the self-styled devil was trying to convey, Hal sighed.

    In war, one would retreat to regroup once losses mounted to 20-30%. This was because casualties of this extent would affect an army''s tactical plans. It was a general''s job to regroup before further losses occurred.

    A fight was different.

    How far a fight went would depend on both sides'' perseverance and will to fight...

    "In addition, there is another decisive difference. Brat, you have grown far too strong."

    "......"

    "Yukikaze might show mercy if it were merely an angry puppy biting her. However, given your current strength, if you were to bite, she would probably intercept with her full power. A cornered beast is not going to hold back."

    Neither his childhood friend Asya nor Juujouji Orihime were by Hal''s side.

    Like the time when he first obtained the power of dragonbane, only Hal and Hinokagtsuchi were present. Once again, Hal argued against the former dragon king''s merciless words.

    "But if I bite seriously, there''s a chance I might kill the princess¡ª"

    "Impossible. No matter how many cheap tricks you pull out, struggling like a pathetic rat to bite the cat to death, your teeth will never tear into a berserk dragon king''s throat. And have you forgotten?"

    "Forgotten what?"

    "You said it yourself. You do not have what it takes to become a true king. Over these past few months, I have come to understand that deeply too."

    "Hmm¡ª"

    Such opinions were quite unbiased. Hal grumbled softly, "I wasn''t hoping you''d recite some kind of spell to stoke my courage, but with the duel about to begin, couldn''t you be a little more sensitive about my feelings?"

    "Fufu." Hinokagutsuchi smiled maliciously.

    "Then you posed the wrong question to ask the wrong person."

    "Indeed. Sigh, in that case, I''ll just have to make the most of it and struggle to the very end."

    Hal shrugged and summoned the magic gun with his right hand.

    Hinokagutsuchi vanished. She had returned to the object she was possessing.

    "Runes of Ruruk Soun¡ªI''m counting on you."

    The arrangement created by the self-styled devil when she was still a dragon king.

    Hal summoned forty-two runes of Ruruk Soun overhead and used the secret technique he had just learned.

    "Protect me..."

    Muttering to himself, he activated the spell.

    Hal''s body and the magic gun instantly turned into particles of light and vanished into thin air. This was the same de-materialization used by leviathans and Hinokagutsuchi to suddenly disappear.

    However, his mind and magical power had not vanished.

    "Crimson Queen!"

    Responding to Hal''s voice, what materialized was a giant red dragon.

    The dragon that once possessed the Rune of the Bow. After a long battle, with irreparable damage inflicted to its heartmetal, she had taken a finishing blow from Princess Yukikaze, the Arrow inheritor¡ª

    "Go!"

    With wings outspread, the Queen flew into the sky.

    Though slightly smaller than Red Hannibal, the Crimson Queen was quite large. Sixteen or seventeen meters long. Not only was she tall, but she also exuded impressive presence from her powerful musculature.

    A contrast to the white dragon king''s slender and graceful form.

    A giant bow appeared in the Crimson Queen''s right forelimb.

    The bow was even longer than the Queen was tall. Made of red steel, with light as the bow string, it was the manifestation of the Rune of the Bow as a weapon.

    Carrying just the mystic bow, the Queen kept rising.

    She slowly but steadily accelerated, escaping the Moon''s gravity, finally reaching a spot in the sky roughly a hundred kilometers away from the ground.

    This was the same height as the asteroid where Princess Yukikaze lived.

    "Okay... Let''s begin," Hal said to the Queen.

    Even though he was not in human form at the moment, Hal''s mind was still linked to the Queen. Under Hal''s gaze, the red dragon raised the gigantic bow.

    Next, an arrow of light appeared in the left forelimb.

    The red dragon notched it on the bowstring and drew hard, firing the arrow forward.

    Boom! Imbued with the mystic power to kill dragons by the dragonslaying bow, the arrow flew with a long tail like a comet, tracing out its trajectory as it flew thirty or forty kilometers.

    Up ahead was the disc-shaped asteroid where the ice tower was located!

    It struck. Explosion. Flash.

    The arrow fired by the Queen blew the asteroid to bits.

    However, the white dragon king''s slender and gallant form calmly flew out from the white light of the explosion.

    Both the Queen and Hal used "eye of magic" to watch the white dragon. Suddenly accelerating, they charged straight towards the unharmed Princess Yukikaze.

    The white dragon flew nimbly, as though responding to them¡ª

    Merely forty seconds passed.

    The two dragon finally met on the Moon''s orbit.

    "O Haruomi! I never thought you would be the one to start the attack!"

    "Because waiting for you to attack could end up puncturing a hole in my stomach. I was thinking might as well get started earlier..."

    The voices coming from the two dragon''s jaws was the same as produced by their human forms.

    Even in space, the absence of air did not have any effect on dialog between dragons. The Crimson Queen was holding a red bow, but Princess Yukikaze was unarmed.

    "Fufufufu. In the previous battle, it took me so long to turn into a dragon."

    The graceful dragon king smiled proudly.

    Hal could tell from a single glance. Her dragon face, which ought to bear no resemblance to a human face at all, showed a slight curl in the corners of her lips¡ªHe was able to discern this change.

    He was not sure whether it was because he understood the princess'' personality or because he was becoming more and more dragon-like.

    "But this time... I have become like this!"

    "Oh, that''s right."

    "This is proof of your efforts. Commendable!"

    Unlike Hinokagutsuchi, Princess Yukikaze was not stingy with giving praise.

    However, Hal still carried a heavy heart. He was thinking "I''d rather you act careless or underestimate me, and give me the gift of an opening I could exploit to attack, than praising me"...

    "Hazumi-san, it is time to begin at last."

    "Really!?"

    The altitude was 4205 meters.

    Luna Francois walked over with a solemn expression to inform her. Shirasaka Hazumi looked up at the night sky, dotted with stars. The stars were so numerous that they felt intimidating. They seemed so near.

    This was thanks to the altitude, which exceeded Mount Fuji''s height, as well as the clear air.

    There was also the fact that they were far away from urban areas. There were no light sources to overwhelm the starlight.

    Hazumi''s location was excellent for stargazing. After the summer expedition, this was her second time to America¡ªthe Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii.

    Near the peak were thirteen observatories from eleven different countries around the world.

    One of them was the Hawaii Observatory of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

    Hazumi was sitting on a lawn in the observatory''s premises.

    The stars were so numerous that they looked like they were about to fall out of the sky. But tonight was a full moon. The bright moonlight meant that it was not ideal for stargazing.

    "Senpai and the others are there..."

    "Yes. Roughly fifteen minutes ago, the red dragon and the white dragon apparently started fighting on the Moon''s orbit. The battle is shown live on the monitor in the observation room."

    Hazumi recalled the observation room mentioned by Luna.

    Inside a space that could not be considered large at all were LCD displays of all sizes and even quite a number of laptops. Several members of staff were there, checking images taken by the observatory''s infra-red optical telescope.

    The two girls had been given a tour as soon as they arrived at the observatory.

    "The situation appears to be unfolding in Harry''s favor. We managed to complete support preparations too."

    "All of the credit goes to you, Luna-san. Thank you."

    It was currently September 6th in Hawaii, just after 8pm.

    It was nighttime. However, the time and date at Tokyo New Town in Japan was September 7th, 3pm. This was due to the nineteen hours of time difference between the two locations. Dawn arrived at Japan first.

    The duel against Princess Yukikaze would begin at this time¡ª

    Yesterday, this message had reached Luna Francois and Shirasaka Hazumi through Ruruk Soun magic.

    This was also how they received the astounding news of "Haruga Haruomi and company were on the Moon."

    After receiving Hal''s message, the Trans-Pacific Area''s genius Shootdown Ace had taken immediate action.

    Mobilizing all of her connections and political capital, she requested full cooperation from the Mauna Kea observatory and staff, forcing them to comply.

    Next, Luna and Hazumi hurried to the scene.

    Taking a plane prepared by the Japanese American armed forces, they then reached the top of Mauna Kea via Cessna and helicopter. Although Mauna Kea was located in Hawaii, the island of eternal summer, due to the high altitude of 4205m, night temperatures approached zero and the air was quite thin.

    This sort of environment imposed quite a burden on the body.

    "I know you are probably quite uncomfortable, Hazumi-san, but your power is necessary."

    Luna Francois spoke, looking at Hazumi''s face.

    "Please endure for a while. For our Harry and Orihime-san''s sake, and Asya too."

    "I-I am fine. Although the environment is harsh... I am still okay!"

    She was not putting on a brave face.

    Hazumi was definitely not physically strong and her health was worrying, but¡ªSurprisingly, she was not suffering much. Perhaps because she was very motivated.

    Or maybe her physical stamina had improved a bit with her increase in magical power...

    To insulate against the cold, Hazumi was wearing a white double coat even it was September, along with a knitted cap, a scarf and even gloves.

    Luna Francois was wearing a black cashmere coat with a black Russian hat.

    Traveling from late summer in Tokyo New Town to Hawaii, then ascending to this peak that was higher than the clouds, what an unexpected expedition. However¡ª

    "Compared to Senpai and the others who went to the Moon, this is nothing!"

    "Indeed. We must use our power to help Harry. Moreover..."

    "Yes!"

    "There is that. Madam M offered a profound and mysterious suggestion. We must find a way to inform Harry."

    Prior to the two girls'' departure to Japan, President M had paid them a special visit just to tell them.

    Remembering that advice, reassuring despite its short length of a few words, Hazumi nodded firmly.

    Part 4

    Haruga Haruomi and Princess Yukikaze had fought once before.

    After that, Hal had obtained the Rune of the Twin Katana and absorbed King Solomon''s magical power, greatly increasing his strength.

    Nevertheless, his main weapon was still the Rune of the Bow.

    In contrast, Princess Yukikaze possessed the Rune of the Arrow as her only and absolute weapon.

    In other words, both sides were well aware of each other''s capabilities.

    There were two tactics. The prudent approach would be to neutralize the enemy''s advantage while looking for an opening to take advantage of. Alternatively, since they already knew each other inside out, might as well attack boldly.

    A bold change in mindset. Seeing as they knew each other''s best moves and and tactics, a protracted battle of back and forth attacking and defending would only be a waste of time.

    Hal''s personality favored the former approach while Princess Yukikaze favored the latter.

    "Fufufufu! Having made me wait for so long, are you still going to keep me in suspense? Sorry, I, Yukikaze, have no intention of taking detours!"

    "Uh, you''re going for a finishing move straight away!?"

    What a candid young girl with a personality as straight as an arrow. The white dragon king suddenly unleashed maximum magical power when facing off against the Crimson Queen on the Moon''s orbit.

    Runes of Ruruk Soun appeared over the graceful white dragon''s head.

    A total of twenty-one runes, signifying "I descend from the heavens as the miracle of lightning, turning in the pioneering arrow that pierces the ground." This was Princess Yukikaze''s prided move, a technique of assured annihilation.

    "I hereby decree to my emblem, the Arrow of Sirius, I, Yukikaze, will now transform into the dragonslaying arrow!"

    With her entire body glowing with blue-white light, the princess charged at the red queen.

    The two dragons, red and white, were separated by several kilometers, but given the princess'' dashing speed, she would close this distance in less than 0.1 seconds.

    The arrow of godlike speed, living up to the name of the dragon king, flying through the macrocosm¡ª

    Despite his level as an opponent, Hal was able to intercept this attack, probably because he was very confident that Princess Yukikaze would surely attempt to decide the battle in the first move...

    "Queen, we''re going too!"

    Twenty-one runes appeared over the Crimson Queen''s head too.

    They signified "I will fire the sun-shooting divine bow at the sky, to exterminate the sun." This was the technique of assured annihilation that Haruga Haruomi and his companions had relied on the whole time, his move of greatest firepower.

    "My emblem¡ªthat''s the Bow Stars of the Southern Sky, right!? Anyway, I''m counting on you!"

    Notched on the red long bow was fire in the shape of an arrow.

    The Queen fired. Incoming in a straight line, the blue-white flash of light collided violently with the crimson flames, just three hundred meters from the Queen.

    "Is this the best you can do...? Kukukuku! Too naive, Haruomi!"

    "Rune of the Twin Katana!"

    Turned into a flash of light, the white dragon broke through the sun-piercing flames, charging straight.

    The Queen was blown away despite her greater physique, instantly flying thirty or forty kilometers back like stardust. However.

    The Crimson Queen spread both wings and exhaled flight magic.

    Like a struck billiard ball, her massive body finally braked. Furthermore¡ªMore importantly, the Queen was unharmed!

    "Wow!"

    Princess Yukikaze''s white dragon face was filled with joy.

    "Splendid, Haruomi. Even Pavel Galad could no longer stand after taking a strike from I, Yukikaze, as an arrow!"

    "Hahahaha..."

    Hearing the princess'' praise, Hal laughed helplessly.

    Succeeding in defense beyond all expectation was the Crimson Queen, wielding a longsword in her right with a kodachi in her left, crossed in an "X" shape. These two blades had helped defend against the princess in her dragonslaying arrow form, in other words, acted as a shield.

    Although he had barely managed to defend against the princess'' prided technique of assured annihilation¡ª

    "You managed to trick me this time, but you will surely make a mistake if this were repeated two or three times. A 60% success rate, I would say."

    That was precisely why Hal was laughing so helplessly.

    At this rate, it would be no different from Russian roulette. The revolver would fire a bullet sooner or later and pierce his head.

    "Sure enough, I''ve no chance of winning alone, not even if I aim for a draw..."

    The ideal of "a man fights alone" was completely foreign to Hal.

    He immediately focused his attention on his right hand.

    He clenched his right hand tightly¡ªNot his dragon form that was holding the two blades, but his astral form that was staying by the side of the gigantic red dragon.

    "I''d need to prostrate in penance before Juujouji if I don''t show results from my mental training!"

    Using training as the reason, Hal had groped Orihime''s breasts like mad, truly madly.

    The number of times easily exceeded three digits, perhaps even reaching four digits. In any case, he had touched and groped Orihime''s breasts without restriction, all the way until his right hand memorized the tactile feeling from her.

    "Focus¡ª"

    Hal calmed his mind and focused his attention.

    In his mind, he recalled the feeling, a perfect reenactment of his right hand groping, grabbing, touching, stroking Juujouji Orihime''s wonderful breasts / bust / boobs to his heart''s content.

    His imagination was helping him establish a magical connection to her.

    Orihime was not at the battle.

    The Japanese witch was standing by at the Plato crater on the Moon.

    Although the two of them were separated by more than 100km, the image reappearing in Hal''s mind made him feel that the girl he loved most across the entire universe was by his side.

    The Rune of the Mother Dragon was next to her.

    "Show time begins only now...!"

    If winning alone was impossible, then just borrow his companions'' strength.

    Hal began a new gamble.

    "U-Using it the first time in a real battle without practicing ahead of time, will that really be okay?"

    "Practice leads to failure, actually..."

    At the Plato crater on the Moon.

    The magic symbol resembling an infinity sign was manifested in the center, but because it was as big as the Nazca lines, from above, all Orihime could see were "a thick curve on the ground."

    The one listening to Orihime voice her worries was in a state of depression.

    Asya''s face was gloomy to the extreme. She muttered, "The mind focuses to the limit precisely because there is only one chance. Especially when... You will be attempting magic unknown to mankind... Orihime-san, listen carefully."

    Asya''s aura of gloom was like a vengeful ghost lying in ambush against the begrudged.

    She was offering advice as a senior witch, making educationally questionable suggestions.

    "For a witch, it''s not important to have a super boring honors student''s disposition of endless practice to minimize the unexpected. Rather, it''s the gambler spirit to wager everything on a single chance... The spirit of taking your entire life''s savings to buy the year-end J¡ñmbo lottery..."

    Kuku. The indisputable genius witch laughed with reckless abandonment.

    Incidentally, her eyes were like "those of a dead fish."

    "Fufufufu... If all goes well, you can earn big bucks easily..."

    "B-But what if you lose all your money!?"

    "This kind of question is not considered. You only fail precisely because of irrelevant thoughts like these."

    "...Coming from you, it seems to make a bit of sense."

    Juujouji Orihime had won a national kendo championship before.

    She could be considered an accomplished gambler too. Agreeing with certain parts of Asya''s extremist theory, so Orihime changed her mind a little.

    However, Asya quietly added, "Well, gamblers who die penniless in a ditch are also part of life..."

    Asya had been like this ever since she found out about the relationship between Orihime and Haruga Haruomi.

    Even so...

    She focused her magical power as a Tyrannos, summoning twenty-three runes of Ruruk Soun in the air over the infinity magical symbol, completing all preparations deftly to control the mysterious rune that gave birth to dragons. This arrangement of runes was invented by Hinokagutsuchi then modified by Asya.

    Anastasya Rubashvili was a master-class witch and Europe''s former Shootdown Ace.

    Her talent and power as a witch were flawless.

    Indeed. Even when dealt a heavy blow by a romantic setback, she was still a true expert, fulfilling her mission perfectly¡ª

    Was this personality of hers the reason for her lack of romantic success, or was her lack of romantic success the cause of this personality?

    (Looks like I should avoid bringing up my relationship with Haruga-kun for now...)

    Thinking "I am so despicable," Orihime pondered.

    (At least during this battle...)

    Avoiding the topic would be better than accidentally provoking her, causing pandemonium. Because there were things they must do.

    (Sob sob, I am sorry, Asya-san...)

    While apologizing to Asya in her heart, Orihime came to a sudden realization. Her left breast suddenly felt as though someone was squeezing it tightly.

    "Ah...!?"

    "What''s the matter, Orihime-san?"

    "Haruga-kun seems to be transmitting magical power over! The battle against the princess¡ª"

    "Is reaching a climax, huh? But given her personality, the battle would most likely rise to the climax right off the bat..."

    "A-Asya-san, let us hurry and begin!"

    "Understood!"

    The "groping" feeling kept attacking Orihime.

    Haruga Haruomi had previously said, "As long as we do this mental training, even if we''re far apart, I think we''ll be able to construct a soul link!" She had angrily scolded him, "Haruga-kun, aren''t you being too big of a pervert!?" and rejected him once.

    In the end, Orihime relented with "seeing as this will satisfy you."

    She had stayed with Hal, allowing him to train for a long time.

    What Orihime cared more about was whether this could slow down the rate of his dragonification. But right now, she could clearly feel the touch of Haruga Haruomi''s right hand.

    Sending his magical power into Orihime''s heart, through her breast¡ª

    "Let''s do this, Orihime-san! O Rune of the Mother Dragon, let the blessing of life descend upon here!"

    "L-Let the blessing of life descend upon here!"

    Together, Orhime and Asya invoked the secret ritual for activating the Rune of the Mother Dragon.

    Next, the ground below them started glowing. It was a solemn golden glow. Seen from overhead, the glowing infinity sign would be visible inside the crater.

    "Rushalka!"

    "I am counting on you, Akuro-Ou!"

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    The partners materialized behind the two witches.

    The blue wyvern and the white fox-wolf. The two leviathans roared bravely, unleashing massive magical power from the most important organ and mystic source¡ªthe heart!

    This was a unison magic ritual for controlling the power of birth.

    To ensure the ritual''s sucess, Asya had already called out twenty-three runes of Ruruk Soun in the sky over the crater.

    They signified "O restless dragon souls, descend upon the world through the mother''s holy emblem"¡ª

    "Rushalka, as the vassal belonging to the Tyrannos inheriting the dragonslaying chain, complete your mission!"

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhh¡ªahhhhhhhhhh!

    The silver-haired witch issued her command sternly. The blue wyvern spread her wings wide overhead and emitted a mighty howl.

    The solemn and rigorous spell looked like a grand religious ceremony.

    Sensing their magical power, the infinity sign underfoot glowed with greater golden brilliance.

    The surrounding air seemed to take on a golden tinge¡ªA solemn scene had been created around Orihime and Asya.

    "Okay, Orihime-san, you too!"

    "Yes! Akuro-Ou, this is the crucial moment!"

    Clearing her mind of random thoughts, Orihime focused on outputting maximum magical power.

    From far away, Haruga Haruomi was transmitting powerful magical power into Orihime''s heart.

    Relying on the idea that "even if I''m not present, I can still imagine the feeling of touching your breasts with perfect accuracy", he forcibly linked their souls together.

    (My goodness. I cannot believe he learned this technique through that kind of method, Haruga-kun is such a big pervert...)

    Like the time when he grabbed her breast from behind, sending magical power directly.

    Orihime could feel deeply the bond between herself and the Tyrannos of the bow and twin katana. His magical power spread throughout her entire body, and his strong yet gentle touch remained the same as always¡ª

    "Mmmmmm!"

    Asya was present, so Orihime decided to hold it in as much as possible.

    However, due to the quantity of magical power sent by Hal, Orihime was experiencing unbearable heat. Combined with the stimulation from ecstasy and intoxication¡ª

    Her body kept writhing. Even her voice was about to spill out.

    (No! Even though I am not Haruga-kun, I must keep my expression in check...!)

    With the combination of Orihime, Akuro-Ou and Haruga Haruomi''s magical power pouring in, the golden glow shrouding the surroundings became even brighter than before. However.

    There was no additional change. Logically speaking, there ought to be¡ª

    "A-Asya-san!?"

    "Our magical power is lacking a little. Really just a little. If only I could raise my power as a Tyrannos... Or if you promoted to Level 5... It might be enough."

    "No way!"

    "Of course, there was no guarantee this plan would go smoothly in the first place¡ª"

    Asya bowed her head slightly and bit her lilp.

    Seeing the witch and renowned genius in chagrin, Orihime reflexively yelled, "Then please! Sh-Share your power with me...!"

    "Eh!?"

    "If we use that method, mentioned yesterday, I will probably¡ª!"

    "!"

    Panic and fluster instantly turned into understanding. Asya rushed over to Orihime''s side. Extending her right had, where the Rune of the Chain was emblazoned, she grabbed Orihime''s left breast.

    Apart from her beloved young man''s, her witch companion''s magical power was also entering her body!

    "Mm¡ªmmmmmmmmm!"

    A strong feeling shot through her entire body. Orihime finally cried out. Seeing her reaction, Asya nodded firmly and asked her, "My magical power has reached you!?"

    "Y-Yes. Th-There is an extremely potent energy flowing through my body!"

    "It is greatly arousing you, causing you to squirm and moan erotically!?"

    "Ch-Change your wording, okay!?"

    "What do you want me to say!? Orihime-san is squirming this way and that, about to open the gates of paradise! I can''t believe that jerk Haruomi did the same thing to Luna and Hazumi-san too!"

    Yesterday, after admitting his relationship with Orihime, Haruga Haruomi had proceeded to explain to Asya.

    Touching breasts was only for providing magical power and strengthening their connection. Both Luna Francois and Shirasaka Hazumi had gone through the same experience too.

    ...All this time, Hal had not told Asya about this power up technique.

    Was it because he could not bring himself to see Asya as a girl no matter what¡ªUncharacteristically, Orihime speculated, trying to probe the psychological depths of the young man named Haruga.

    Burning in wrath, the genius witch unleashed a roar from her soul.

    "Th-These are the breasts, huh!? These breasts seduced Haruomi, huhhhhhhhhh!?"

    "Ah¡ªmmmm! Asya-san... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Orihime cried out, but for completely different reasons.

    Regardless of the process, the two witches'' emotions rose to a climax. In response to their hearts, their magical power also reached a maximum, and a miracle happened at last.

    Out from the ground under their feet¡ªthe Moon''s surface¡ªcountless bubbles emerged.

    Bubble-like spheres kept flowing out from the Rune of the Mother Dragon.

    This was the moment of birth for pure-blooded dragons.

    Something similar had happened before, but there was a decisive difference this time¡ªHal immediate noticed.

    "Why are there so many...?"

    He had heard that Raptors were born in clutches of three hundred or so.

    But right now, within Hal''s field of vision, it felt like the spheres emerging from the Rune of the Mother Dragon easily exceeded three hundred.

    Hal used Quantity Calculation magic.

    "Thirty, forty... two hundred, three hundred, four hundred... A thousand, two thousand¡ªUh, there''s more!?"

    This was human magic completely unrelated to the wisdom of Ruruk Soun.

    It could instantly count the number of objects within sight. Normally, it was used in situations without urgency, such as birdwatching or researching traffic flows.

    The result calculated by this little spell left Hal speechless.

    "Eggs¡ªThese Raptor eggs... number over ten thousand? And still increasing..."

    "Hmph. I expected the quantity to be impressive, but not this impressive."

    "You expected this!?"

    Hal''s astral form was waiting behind the Queen that was wielding the crimson bow, looking down at the Moon.

    Dressed in a kimono, Hinokagutsuchi appeared by this side. The two of the were floating in the abyss of the macrocosm.

    "More or less. This is the rune used by dragonkind, a race without females, to produce young, you know? Compared to males, good for nothing except fighting, or females who had ascended to the dragon king throne like myself and Yukikaze, perhaps when used by females more compatible with that rune¡ª"

    "Meaning that..."

    "If your deductions are correct, my memories as a human... such as time spent with my mother, would have been long forgotten."

    "So something that Asya and Juujouji have, but not you or Princess Yukikaze, huh..."

    The result was the birth of countless eggs. One by one, they cracked open.

    The newborn dragons were very similar to Rushalka. Lacking forelimbs, with a pair of wings sprouted from the shoulders, in other words, they were wyverns.

    However, instead of Rushalka''s blue, their bodies were white like Akuro-Ou.

    They also had more tails than Rushalka. Not as many as Akuro-Ou''s nine tails, but these dragons had two tails.

    "I guess they count as the children of Rushalka and Akuro-Ou."

    White minions with two tails.

    At a body length of seven or eight meters, they were lesser dragons like ordinary Raptors. The newborn "little white wyverns" numbered in total¡ª

    "Forty thousand, huh..."

    "Hmph. A ragtag army, but with such quantity, perhaps it might be possible..."

    Forty thousand eggs had been ejected from the crater in the Moon''s northern hemisphere.

    Those eggs all hatched, producing forty thousand white little wyverns. One could consider it the gathering of a great army.

    Seeing this phenomena, even Princess Yukikaze could not help but exclaim, "So many winged lizards...!?"

    The princess had just been sent flying by the Rune of the Twin Katana, and was twenty or thirty kilometers away.

    But Hal, who possessed both a dragon avatar and a mage''s extraordinarily sensitive perception, easily noticed the white princess'' surprise.

    Hal immediately made his decision.

    Now was the time to counterattack!

    "Rune of the Bow, go!"

    He ordered the Queen in dragon form to fire the bow.

    The arrow of light was targeting the Moon and not Princess Yukikaze. The Queen casually shot an arrow at the equator of the Moon''s surface.

    Instead of attacking the Moon, his goal was to prepare a new weapon¡ª

    "Excellent!"

    Hal nodded firmly.

    The satellite known as the Moon had a diameter of 3500km. Humans called the dark part of the surface the "moon rabbit," comparing it to a small animal.

    Right now, a gigantic rune had appeared on the Moon''s surface, even bigger than that rabbit.

    "A tilted half-moon" outlined in red¡ªThe Rune of the Bow.

    Part 5

    "Luna-san, look at that!"

    "The Rune of the Bow has appeared on the Moon¡ªHarry intends to end the fight."

    At Japan''s National Astronomical Observatory at Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

    Shirasaka Hazumi was standing on a lawn within the premises, pointing at the full moon. Observed from the Earth, the Moon was roughly the size of a human head¡ª

    On its surface was a red symbol signifying the dragonslaying bow.

    Luna Francois Gregory looked at what appeared to be a scene of the white full moon bleeding and instantly realized the significance.

    The two witches were not the only ones who saw this emblem.

    Gathered at Mauna Kea to monitor the thirteen observatories, researchers from all over the world were looking up at the emblem that had appeared on the Moon, greatly surprised.

    At this very moment.

    Everywhere on Earth where night had fallen and the Moon was visible...

    The Rune of the Bow could be seen on the full moon.

    Indeed. This dragonslaying bow, desperately summoned by one whose magical power was second only to the dragon kings, was visible to ordinary people on Earth even without magical sight¡ª

    Gigantic and powerful.

    As for the Rune of the Bow appearing on the night of a full moon, causing panic all over the world from speculating "Are the dragons going to launch a main offensive!?", that would be a different matter.

    In addition.

    Right now in Tokyo New Town, there was an eccentric who could see the rune on the Moon even though it was only 3pm in Japan.

    "What''s the matter, Prez?"

    "Don''t tell me a real UFO is coming?"

    President M was staring into the blue sky from the sports field of Kogetsu Private Academy.

    The president of the UFO Research Club was endowed with mysterious senses. Dressed in a loose garment akin to a maternity dress, her plump body was full of motherliness. Next to her were junior members of the club, Mutou-san and Funaki-san.

    Less than a week had passed since Pavel Galad''s attack on Tokyo.

    They were living together with other locals who were using the school as a shelter.

    President M murmured, "No matter what, you guys lose if you go for a frontal duel. Because the key to this decisive battle rests upon how crafty you can go..."

    Words of advice to her junior who was not present.

    The Rune of the Bow summoned by Hal covered the entire Moon.

    In other words, this was a grand spell that turned the Moon itself into a dragonslaying bow. It also treated the children born from the Rune of the Mother Dragon carved on the Moon as "arrows," a secret ritual to use the Moon as a gigantic bow.

    There were forty thousand newborn white wyverns.

    Each had the Rune of the Bow on their forehead, proving they were Hal''s minions.

    "Nwoooooooo!"

    The wyverns kept attacking Princess Yukikaze.

    They flew at the noble dragon king from every direction. Furthermore, these minions of the bow would self-destruct at close range. As soon as they got close enough for the princess to become caught in the blast, the Rune of the Bow on their forehead and the rest of their body would instantly heat up and explode.

    "I cannot believe you are resorting to such annoying cheap tricks, Haruomi!"

    Princess Yukikaze grumbled at the commander who was out of sight.

    The forty thousand wyverns had turned themselves into suicide bombs, gathering around the princess to form a secure perimeter, intending to kill her through explosions.

    It was as though Princess Yukikaze was caught in a mine field.

    "Fufufufu! Do not look down at me. Compared to blazing fire and raging winds, I, Yukikaze¡ª"

    Infused with the power of dragonbane, explosions and flashes of light kept erupting.

    It was hellish space. However, despite being surrounded by such a powerful vortex of heat, Princess Yukikaze''s gallant and confident attitude did not change.

    "...Am faster!"

    She accelerated intensely, flying deftly, dodging the shock and heat of the explosions.

    Escaping the range before a blast reached her, instantly evading the next explosion by instantaneously accelerating further, then eluding the following explosion with godlike speed¡ª

    Princess Yukikaze kept repeating this process.

    Dragonslaying explosions kept detonating in front of the princess. However, the forty thousand wyverns surrounding her continued to pursue, circling ahead of her, keeping the rapidly flying white dragon king in the center of the encirclement at all times. Hence¡ª

    Breaking out of this mine field would only happen when all forty thousand wyverns had exploded in suicide.

    However, Princess Yukikaze remained fearless.

    Simply by flying at super speed, she had already caused over twenty thousand wyverns to explode in vain...

    "Impressive as ever, Princess Yukikaze."

    Seeing the dragon king''s approach, which was a little too honest, Hal could not help but praise.

    There ought to be a better way, such as using magic to teleport, or deploy a defensive barrier.

    But the princess'' movements would most likely slow down the instant she called out runes of Ruruk Soun to use magic, thus getting her devoured in explosions.

    "Simple is best. As long as she keeps flying around like an arrow, there won''t be any openings, huh...? She is truly someone completely opposite of us."

    Hal''s astral form and the Crimson Queen were hiding.

    They had moved from the Moon to somewhere closer to the blue home planet.

    On a satellite orbit twenty thousand kilometers from the Earth.

    Using telekinesis, he had gathered meteor fragments and other space trash such as rocket and satellite components to create an impromptu pseudo-artificial satellite. Lying on top, he then hid his presence.

    Naturally, he used stealth magic such as Visual Interference.

    "That being said, I did quite well in the fight against Pavel Galad."

    Holding the bow and an arrow of light, the red dragon was in a sniping pose.

    As usual, he used long-distance surveillance magic to keep an eye on his opponent. Since he could freely control the trajectory, there was no need to worry, all he had to do was hide.

    "Since I have to do it, might as well go the whole nine yards..."

    Improving on the tactics he had used in the Tokyo duel, he applied them to real combat.

    That was his goal. The net of encirclement formed by the explosions of forty thousand minions would very likely be breached. However, he was going to launch his attack the moment before that, targetting the princess just when she was the most tired.

    "Sniping, huh?"

    He never thought there would come a time for him to imitate a certain thick-eyebrowed assassin.

    "I hope it''ll work..."

    Rapid fire was out of the question. He must strike the first time, one strike one kill.

    Instinct told him that there was probably only one chance to hit Princess Yukikaze with a sniping attack. Besides, if rapid fire and a curtain of bullets could take Princess Yukikaze''s life, she would have died in the suicide bombing encirclement that was like a mine field.

    Thus, he could only fire one arrow.

    He had to settle the match with a guaranteed one-hit kill, his fastest and strongest attack.

    Also, he had to pour all of his magical power into that one strike.

    "...By the way, I need to tell you this first. I don''t think I''ll be able to control my power very well, you know? After all, I have to smash her with a ''boom!''"

    "Hmm."

    "If you continue to possess my gun, I might end up using all your energy."

    Right now, Hal was in astral form, whereas the wand, the magic gun, was merged with the red dragon''s body.

    Residing inside it, the self-styled devil said nonchalantly, "Telling this to me is pointless... My energy is insufficient for sustaining my form if I leave your wand. Try harder."

    "I will try hard, but it''ll be difficult."

    "Then at least take care of that Yukikaze lass."

    "Understood."

    "Heh."

    This was the last conversation. In the end, neither of them bid the other farewell.

    Whether this sniping attack turned out to succeed or fail, he would never get another chance to talk to Hinokagutsuchi¡ªThat was Hal''s feeling.

    But perhaps this suite them quite well.

    "Almost time, huh..."

    The Moon was thirty-eight thousand kilometers away from the Earth.

    Princess Yukikaze was decorating the long path between these two places with spectacular brilliance. Wherever the white dragon king flew past, there were consecutive explosions like a comet tail.

    Out of forty thousand minions of Hal''s, there were almost less than two thousand remaining.

    The moment before they were wiped out would be the best sniping opportunity.

    "Let''s do it, technique of assured annihilation."

    The Crimson Queen drew the bow tight with her right hand¡ª

    The arrow of light was shot at last. The incantation of assured annihilation, "I will fire the sun-shooting divine bow at the sky, to exterminate the sun" turned it into an arrow that could even pierce the sun.

    In that instant, Hal could faintly sense that the former queen was vanishing while he kept close attention to the arrow''s whereabouts¡ª

    "Ohhhhhhhhhhh!?"

    Above the Earth, in space at an altitude of thirty-five thousand kilometers.

    He watched personally as the white princess'' dragon form was pierced by the arrow of assured annihilation, penetrating a dragon''s vital¡ªthe heart.

    (It''s not thorough enough, but I did strike the heart... The heartmetal.)

    Through his super senses as the one who fired the bullet, Hal perceived this.

    This was evidence that Princess Yukikaze still attempted to dodge the magic arrow despite encountering such an underhanded sniping attack. Hal could not help but shudder.

    However, it was definitely true that the princess'' dragon form had stopped moving.

    Floating forward in space due to momentum instead of flying like a comet, her body was going to be pulled by the Earth''s gravity and start falling sooner or later.

    But before that happened...

    Ten-odd white wyverns stuck themselves on the princess.

    Then exploded. Exploded. Exploded. Exploded. Exploded. Exploded. Exploded. Exploded¡ª

    This was a final concerted attack delivered to Princess Yukikaze. However, after the series of explosions subsided, Hal was shocked when he looked at the princess'' remains in space.

    "Don''t tell me¡ª"

    One of her two white wings and her left arm were almost about to fall off.

    Her majestic body, extremely graceful despite being a dragon''s, was covered with injuries, large and small. Her right eye was gouged out, probably unable to see. Clearly unconscious.

    But Hal could see fingers of her right hand twitching.

    Although weak, what seemed to be heartbeats could be heard from the heartmetal that should have been partially blown away.

    "She''s still alive? Is this a dragon king''s resilience...?"

    He felt a bit of relief, actually, could this be because he had formed some kind of friendship with Princess Yukikaze?

    No matter what, by this point, it should be impossible for the princess to deny Haruga Haruomi''s victory. Hal took a deep breath, wanting to exhale myriad thoughts¡ªIn the next second...

    "I see."

    A lovely voice was heard from close by.

    "So that arrow was shot from this far away? Fufufufu, Haruomi, you are quite malicious. I cannot believe you took such pains to take my life..."

    "No way."

    Hal looked back, only to see Princess Yukikaze standing on her magic surfboard.

    It was her human form, clad in a white one-piece dress. Hal instantly figured it out. Her inability to turn into a dragon at will, conversely meant¡ª

    "You can also separate into dragon and human forms?"

    "Hmm? Oh, I was desperately trying to dodge your attack and ended up separating from the dragon body. Forgive me, my body is quite unreasonable."

    "Hahahaha."

    Princess Yukikaze had candidly explained the reason.

    On the other hand, Hal''s laughter rang dry and hollow.

    ''No matter how many cheap tricks you pull out, struggling like a pathetic rat to bite the cat to death¡ª''

    ''Your teeth will never tear into a berserk dragon king''s throat.''

    He naturally thought of what Hinokagutsuchi had predicted.

    Then he poignantly experienced "Oh I see, so that''s what she meant, huh?"

    Staring at the loser in front of her, Princess Yukikaze nodded firmly.

    "You are very clever indeed, Haruomi. Your tactics are good. Of course, I am not talking about the arrow. That arrow was at most ''passable'' but instead¡ª"

    In sequence, she looked at the Crimson Queen, unable to lift a finger due to consuming all energy, and Hal''s astral form, then grinned.

    "That spell is more praiseworthy. While fighting with you, I was marveling at you."

    "..."

    "When you were fighting Pavel Galad, Haruomi, you instantly lost your human mind because the violent soul of dragonkind had devoured your heart. However, you applied wisdom and fought as a human to the very end this time."

    "I simply learned from last time''s lesson."

    In that battle in Tokyo, the Crimson Queen''s violent impulses had been unleashed fully.

    The dragon body had absorbed Hal''s consciousness, merging with the Queen. This time, he had used a little trick to avoid repeating the same mistake.

    "Fufufufu, sure enough, your ideas are so interesting, Haruomi. Specifically, how did you do it?"

    "If I simply turn into a spirit, my consciousness would most likely end up absorbed by the dragon like last time... So I asked Hinokagutsuchi¡ªthe former Crimson Queen... ''Teach me the spell that turned you into a ghost after Princess Yukikaze defeated you''."

    "Oh?"

    "This is the spell that allowed her ghost to remain on Earth for over a thousand years, so I was thinking it might be useful, and I lucked out..."

    Hal had poured everything into that arrow and yet his enemy had evaded it effortlessly. Hal did not even have the strength to fight back. With slumped shoulders, he muttered and explained.

    "I originally worried it wouldn''t work, but a dragon king''s magic is truly different. This time, using that spell to make myself like a ghost, the wildness of dragonkind did not devour me at all. Though in the end, the battle still ended up reversed..."

    "No, I am surprised you devised such a plan. Well done."

    Since his body was about to turn into a dragon, ending up in a state like Hinokagutsuchi''s made no difference¡ªHal simply took the plunge. That was how he managed to fight Princess Yukikaze so spectacularly. However, in the end, even this move failed to succeed.

    Princess Yukikaze joyfully told the dejected Hal, "Then Haruomi, it is my turn to show you what is strength."

    "I can fulfill last time''s promise right away and become yours..."

    "Relax, I have not forgotten. If you take this attack and come crawling back from the underworld¡ªI, Yukikaze shall accept you as my minion!"

    "Hahahahaha."

    The princess'' answer was as expected. Hal laughed dryly again.

    Sigh, he knew things would come to this¡ªHe really wanted to shrug.

    "The queen who lent you power seems to have vanished."

    "!?"

    "Whether you follow her or not shall depend on your mettle. I shall not say farewell to you. En garde."

    Learning that the self-styled devil had vanished, Hal was shocked speechless.

    With a wave of her hand, Princess Yukikaze summoned nine runes of Ruruk Soun. Hal was instantly shocked to see them.

    He had seen this arrangement before. "Purification of evil spirits."

    A technique of exorcism for purging the likes of evil ghosts, spirits and wraiths from the world.

    Inside Solomon''s ark, the ancient witch Shamiram had used this magic. Under her instruction, Hazumi had awakened goddess power and mastered this ability perfectly.

    At this moment, the princess was trying to use the same mystic technique to eliminate Hal in his ghostly state!

    (Don''t tell me Princess Yukikaze is also...!?)

    A certain hypothesis entered his mind.

    Princess Yukikaze was human once. Unmistakably.

    Perhaps during her human days, the princess was like Shamiram, priestesses who summoned ancient leviathans. Furthermore, she had enabled her partner to awaken as a goddess...

    Goddess power was able to control special spells such as healing and purification.

    Magical power that ordinary leviathans and dragons could not use no matter what.

    (On further thought, the first leviathan we encountered capable of using goddess power was the princess'' minion, True Genbu-Ou!)

    Only now did Hal remember.

    But it was too late. He would not have the chance to use this information in the next battle.

    Proof of this was the Crimson Queen¡ªthe red dragon that was his other body¡ªwhose heartmetal had stopped. Hal''s astral body, essentially the queen''s soul, was starting to disintegrate.

    Hal could feel the spiritual power from the holy spell of "purification of evil spirits."

    He could no longer think.

 Volume 8, 4 - The Conclusion between the King and the Imitation

    Volume 8, Chapter 4 - The Conclusion between the King and the Imitation

    Part 1

    "Haruomi!"

    "Haruga-kun!?"

    Asya and Juujouji Orihime had stayed on the Moon to control the Rune of the Mother Dragon.

    Normally, it would be impossible for anyone to know Haruga Haruomi''s situation thirty thousand kilometers away on the orbit of an Earth satellite¡ªBut it was different for these two girls.

    The mini-wyverns encircling Princess Yukikaze had reduced in number from forty thousand to less than a thousand five hundred.

    For this large group, the two girls who had conducted the birth ritual were their mothers.

    This was a magical bond that rivaled that between lord and vassal.

    Precisely because of that, the mini-wyverns could share their sensory data with the girls.

    "The Crimson Queen..."

    Asya spoke in astonishment.

    Just earlier, Princess Yukikaze had been wounded grievously in a distant battlefield. However, the princess'' human form had separated from the dragon body to attack the Crimson Queen that was hiding in satellite orbit.

    Then she had used some kind of magic¡ª

    This caused the powerful Crimson Queen to start collapsing.

    The ruby-like dragon scales lost color, turning into what looked like century-old weathered brick. The gigantic body began to flake and fall apart.

    The body seemed like it could no longer sustain its form, having lost its source of magical power.

    Sooner or later, it would crumble completely, weathered.

    In human form, the princess witnessed with satisfaction the red dragon''s demise, riding her magic surfboard to soar again. Her destination was the white dragon body floating in space. She was planning to merge with her injured body again.

    However, the two witches on the Moon were in no mood to pay attention to Princess Yukikaze.

    "What happened to Haruomi...?"

    "Look at this, Asya-san."

    Orihime called out to Asya in a completely unemotional voice.

    With a hollow expression, and reluctance to face a vague realization of the truth causing the brain to shut down, she showed the back of her left hand to her witch companion to see.

    "The Rune of the Bow¡ªHaruga-kun''s rune has disappeared..."

    "!"

    Asya had lost her soul link to Haruga Haruomi when she became a Tyrannos.

    If this link remained, she would be able to have his emblem, the Rune of the Bow, manifest on the back of her left hand any time. Orihime should be able to do this too¡ª

    "Rushalka!"

    Asya used flight magic to fly into the sky.

    She summoned her blue partner. Rushalka had been standing by, flying over the Rune of the Mother Dragon at the Plato crater.

    "Let''s go! Attack target is Princess Yukikaze, follow me!"

    This was the only chance to bury Princess Yukikaze and eliminate this threat forever. She and Rushalka had no chance of winning except by attacking the wounded princess.

    Hence, Asya valiantly flew into the sky without any hesitation.

    More importantly, this was a battle of revenge. She was to avenge Haruga Haruomi, who had lost to a dragon king.

    The blue wyvern flew over, following her master who was flying towards Earth''s satellite orbit¡ª

    As for the Crimson Queen...

    Hinokagutsuchi''s former body and Haruga Haruomi''s avatar had started to fall.

    It was gradually approaching the blue planet''s ocean.

    Drained of power, the Queen could not even overcome the Earth''s gravity.

    The shock and heat from crashing into the atmosphere was mercilessly obliterating the red dragon''s body.

    In the process of crashing to an altitude of ten thousand meters, the gigantic body became more and more severely damaged¡ª

    The Crimson Queen was now in the sky over the northern Pacific. She had lost her lower body, left arm, and most of her two wings.

    Nevertheless, someone still succeeded in transporting her there.

    "Glinda, I am counting on you again! Gravity Control!"

    Master-class witch Luna Francois invoked pseudo-divinity a second time.

    At the Hawaiian island of Kauai, on a beach near Kilauea. Luna and Glinda, the three-headed lion leviathan, were looking up together at the falling Crimson Queen.

    From this vantage point, the Crimson Queen looked like a meteor crashing to the Earth''s surface.

    Catching the powerless Queen, pulling her towards the Earth''s gravity¡ªIn fact, it was Luna Francois and her partner using pseudo-divinity, drawing the Queen on a trajectory leading to the Earth''s surface, then applying force to bring her to Hawaii''s immediate waters.

    "I managed to bring her here at last..."

    Maintaining maximum magical power output from Glinda, Luna murmured to herself.

    Since the Crimson Queen happened to fall into the sky over the northern Pacific equator, Luna was able to drag the Queen over forcibly. A little farther away and even the master-class witch might not have been able to accomplish such a feat.

    "Luna-san, Minadzuki is warning us! She says "

    "I know! Don''t worry, leave it to Glinda and me!"

    Shirasaka Hazumi was on the shore too, while Minadzuki was standing by in the sky.

    The two of them had removed their winter coats and changed into lighter wear, looking up at the stars dotting the night sky on this island of eternal summer.

    The Rune of the Bow on the full moon had disappeared.

    Same for the rune that was supposed to be manifested in the two witches'' left hands. The implied significance left Hazumi in terror. Even so, Luna still issued orders.

    "Glinda, final attempt. Truly the third time, Gravity Control!"

    This was gravity manipulation for deceleration.

    Ruohhhhhhhhh! Ruohhhhhhhhhh! Ruohhhhhhhhhh!

    Glinda''s three heads, the lion, the goat, and the dragon all roared at the same time. The eruption of magical power sustained the gravity that was pulling and guiding the Queen.

    After a few minutes, the moment arrived.

    The giant dragon body of the former Crimson Queen landed on the sea at Kilauea like a landing craft that had used a parachute.

    "Hazumi-san, let''s go!"

    "Yes!"

    Ships, helicopters and ground units of the US Armed Forces were standing ready at the back to support them.

    The two witches, one Japanese and one American, made the call to head over to the Queen''s landing spot with the military and nodded to signal to them.

    Twenty minutes went by.

    Luna and Hazumi had boarded a US Marine helicopter and flown to the sky directly over the Queen that was floating on the sea surface.

    Normally, the Queen would have sunk into the water, but Glinda was supporting the body using pseudo-divinity.

    However, Hazumi instantly gasped when she looked at the red dragon on the sea from the helicopter.

    "No way..."

    "This is one out of many possible outcomes, so naturally, I predicted it, but..."

    Luna Francois sighed lightly too.

    The Crimson Queen was floating on the sea, face up.

    Everything below the waist, the left arm and both wings were practically gone. The rest was all covered with wounds and missing bits and pieces. More seriously, the two open eyes showed no signs of life. One could not sense any consciousness or reason from them.

    Deep in the Queen''s left chest¡ªThe heartmetal had stopped beating.

    No signs of movement, no magical power. The giant red body had turned into a corpse.

    "Senpai¡ªSenpai... Sob sob sob sob sob!"

    Hazumi collapsed on her knees, her head down, crying.

    As for Luna Francois, she was a seasoned warrior despite her young age and had gone through similar farewells many times. However, she felt a certain liquid, one that she had never seen before until now, slide down from the corner of her eye. In that very instant¡ª

    "!?"

    Luna looked left and right, surveying the interior of the helicopter.

    She perked her ears then stared at the sea surface¡ªthe Crimso Queen''s remains¡ªthen placed her hand on the back of the softly sobbing junior witch.

    "I am sorry, but it looks like we have a mission to complete."

    "Huh..."

    "With the Earth''s fate on the line, we must find something lost."

    With great fortitude, Luna nodded at Hazumi whose face was wet from angel''s tears.

    Part 2

    "Over there, huh?"

    Riding her magic surfboard, Princess Yukikaze approached the Earth''s atmosphere.

    Because her injured dragon body had drifted to this region.

    Pursuing her other body that was floating in space, she ended up in a zone five hundred kilometers above the Earth''s surface, quite near the orbit of the International Space Station.

    (As a side note, altitudes beyond a hundred kilometers were essentially a vacuum and considered part of space by humans.)

    At this very moment¡ª

    "Her body that was on the brink of death" was lying there in front of her.

    The white dragon king had been sniped from a great distance by Haruga Haruomi and ended up all covered with wounds.

    Roughly fourteen meters in body length, her body was the most petite among the dragon kings. Right now, unable to fly on its own power, it could only drift like a reed in the sea of stars.

    However, a smile appeared on the face of the princess'' human form when she recalled the culprit responsible for this.

    "Fufufufu, that Haruomi."

    Quagmire. Formidable foe. Tumultuous events. Challenge.

    These were all what Princess Yukikaze loved deeply. She felt the most alive when focusing her mind fully on overcoming extreme crises.

    Tasting joy for the first time in a long while, the princess was in a very good mood.

    "Going this far to delight me... How adorable of him."

    Smiling, she focused her mind.

    Of the wyverns that had attacked the princess'' dragon form, there should be more than a thousand left, but they were apparently not nearby.

    Did they scatter like a ragtag army that had lost its master?

    "Or are they planning a comeback...?"

    I hope so¡ªPrincess Yukikaze thought.

    She needed to regroup in case of emergencies.

    The white dragon''s left arm and left wing were about to fall off. Injuries large and small covered her entire body. The right eye was blinded too.

    "Let me have a look."

    Princess Yukikaze used runes of Ruruk Soun.

    The arrangement of "healing hands." A spell for treating her dragon form that was on the verge of death.

    Although she had no idea when she learned it, the princess also possessed the ability to control "goddess power." Just like True Genbu-Ou.

    The white dragon''s minor wounds began to heal and close up.

    "Impossible to recover instantly, huh...?"

    The injuries were not light enough that healing magic could cure them instantly.

    Princess Yukikaze shrugged. In the next instant, her body and the surfboard both vanished. She had merged with her dragon form.

    "Although this ending isn''t boring... Hmm?"

    An adorable girl''s voice was coming from the white dragon king''s jaws. At this moment, the princess noticed.

    The approach of a dragonslaying aura.

    However, it was not the dragonslaying bow, instead, it was most likely¡ª

    "The chain user, huh?"

    Her right eye''s vision had yet to recover.

    However, using just her remaining left eye, she could see clearly. The imitation lacking in forelimbs¡ªa blue wyvern¡ªwas approaching.

    Next to her was the successor of the Chain.

    The Tyrannos and her vassal were under imperishable protection.

    "Aren''t you going to run or hide!?"

    "Normally speaking, dealing with the likes of you would be a waste of time."

    Fufufufu, Princess Yukikaze in dragon form laughed suggestively.

    "After all, you are but a baby bird that became a Tyrannos for barely two days. Nevertheless, for this battered body of mine, an opponent like you may prove just right. More importantly¡ª"

    The Tyrannos of the Chain confronted the white dragon king squarely, glaring viciously at her.

    Sharp, intense, yet without loss of wisdom. Though her experience was lacking for a Tyrannos, here eyes belonged to an excellent warrior.

    "The fighting spirit you exude... is not bad. I, Yukikaze, like it."

    "Then it''s my turn after Haruomi?"

    "Hahahaha. Only if you can compare to Haruomi. I am not expecting that much. Show me your mettle. Bring it on!"

    "You don''t need to tell me that! I''ll be the one to avenge Haruomi!"

    "Haruga-kun... He didn''t¡ªdie... did he?"

    Unable to cry or get angry over it, neither did she dare accept it.

    Juujouji Orihime was sitting paralyzed on the Moon, her mind blank.

    The significance of the Crimson Queen crumbling as she fell towards the Earth, and the significance of the Rune of the Bow disappearing from her left hand, she knew.

    Even so¡ªAs long as she refused to confront it, refused to acknowledge it...

    Perhaps she could still believe in miracles.

    "Probably... impossible. Because Haruga-kun despite being a boy, he is a complete mismatch for descriptions like resilient or immortal. Why on earth did he get roped into this kind of thing...?"

    Haruga Haruomi''s talents were actually the opposite of his original personality.

    So far, this juxtaposition ended up being the reason he could compete against the immensely powerful dragon kings. But the gap in power had finally manifested now.

    Still, this was probably inevitable.

    There was no method for obtaining greater power except by turning into a dragon.

    But taking such a path would mean he would lose his memories as Haruga Haruomi, probably undergoing a dramatic change in personality¡ª

    "So long as he is still alive, perhaps that might be a better outcome."

    Orihime finally spoke those taboo words.

    Tears welled up in her eyes. Impossible to control. Her tears flowed without stop. She could hear nothing except her own sobbing. However.

    "I must go after... Asya-san..."

    Sitting on the Moon, Orihime clenched her fist.

    Just as she mustered what little was left of her energy, intending to go after her companion who had left on her own, Haruga Haruomi''s childhood friend¡ª

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

    Orihime''s parter howled softly to emphasize her presence.

    "Akuro-Ou...?"

    The white nine-tailed fox-wolf''s massive body was ten-odd meters long.

    Using her giant face¡ªher white fur-covered cheeks¡ªshe rubbed against Orihime''s body.

    "A-Are you comforting me?"

    Though leviathans were known as "serpents," they were not violent magic beasts.

    They were intelligent, loyal, and quite considerate of their partners. Especially Akuro-Ou, probably because of her canid nature, she was gentle like a loyal dog.

    Orihime finally lifted her head. Seeing the white fox-wolf''s expression, she gasped.

    Akuro-Ou seemed to be pleading with her, pleading "give me power¡ª" The one and only partner, shouldering the fate of fighting dragons together with witches, was definitely asking Orihime "give me more power."

    "Could it be for avenging Haruga-kun...?"

    Orihime dismissed her speculation as wrong as soon as she finished her sentence.

    Akuro-Ou''s eyes were clear. Neither anger nor hatred were visible, instead, her eyes were filled with selfless determination to complete the mission whatever it took.

    "What¡ªare you trying to do...?"

    Her partner simply gazed at her sincerely.

    Then Orihime noticed. Why were they still alive?

    "We are clearly on the Moon..."

    What had been protecting Juujouji Orihime from all unfavorable elements in space and on the Moon¡ªlack of oxygen, weak gravity, radiation, solar heat, low temperatures in places shaded from sunlight¡ªwas the barrier known as "imperishable protection."

    Normally, it was pearly in color. Previously, Haruga Haruomi had turned the protection transparent at Asya''s suggestion, which was why Orihime had not noticed instantly.

    The protection granted to Orihime by the young man Haruga was still in effect? If he were gone, then the protection would no longer be sustained, right!?

    "No way¡ªIs it you? Akuro-Ou."

    She focused her mind and tried to sense where the power protecting her was coming from.

    No mistake. With certainty, Orihime asked. The nine-tailed fox-wolf rubbed her face against Orihime again in apparent affirmation.

    "Why are you able to...?"

    Only Tyrannoi and dragon kings were capable of using imperishable protection.

    Akuro-Ou could not possibly possess this power. Could it be¡ªOrihime remembered. There was one decisive difference between her partner and the others such as Minadzuki, Glinda and Rushalka.

    "The connection is still there?"

    Saying that, Orihime noticed.

    Earlier when taken to the silver dragon''s barrier, she had made the same mistake. Her link with Haruga Haruomi''s soul had not vanished completely.

    It was simply harder to connect because the two of them were in different worlds.

    Haruga Haruomi was the one who had conducted Akuro-Ou''s birth ritual. Orihime''s partner was the leviathan with the most intimate bond with him.

    Not only that, but Akuro-Ou''s senses were sharp, beyond any comparison with humans.

    Hence, she could not jump to conclusions that the link between their two souls had been broken...

    "I couldn''t help it. I saw with my own eyes the Crimson Queen crumbling and falling to the Earth."

    Orihime''s lips were grumbling, but a smile appeared on her face.

    Akuro-Ou noticed. Even though the link seemed like it was no longer present, it was still possible to summon the power of dragonbane as long as they prayed with sincerity.

    Then to protect Orihime¡ª

    "You used power for my sake..."

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhh.

    Akuro-Ou called out in apparent confirmation.

    The white fox-wolf''s eyes were calm with no signs of vengeance. She was still pleading with Orihime "give me power¡ª" However, the power Akuro-Ou wanted was most likely¡ª

    "Let me try!"

    She was finally able to comprehend the thoughts of the partner who could not speak.

    "It is the second time now. Even without Asya-san''s presence, I will succeed! O Rune of the Mother Dragon, let the blessing of life descend upon here!"

    Orihime and Akuro-Ou were still at the center of the Plato crater.

    This time, she performed the secret ritual of life on her own, manipulating the Rune of the Mother Dragon, the magic symbol in the shape of an infinity sign.

    Naturally, Orihime''s magical power could not compare with Asya who was a master-class witch, and on top of that, a Tyrannos.

    However, she had a trump card.

    "Akuro-Ou, pour the power of the sun into the Rune of the Mother Dragon!"

    The Moon''s cycle of night and day took fifteen days to complete. Fortunately, it was currently daytime at the Plato crater on the Moon''s surface.

    Sunlight¡ªThe "fire of life" that nurtured all life was abundant right now.

    Orihime tired to use the spiritual power of the Rune of the Mother Dragon to activate the secret ritual of birth. For her, sunlight was the most reliable ally. Using magical power from the pseudo-divinity of the Sun as well, Orihime and Akuro-Ou focused, trying to elicit a new miracle.

    Soon after...

    "Akuro-Ou, look!"

    The land underfoot began to glow golden.

    The infinity sign on the crater began to give off light again.

    In addition, the white mini-wyverns from earlier had gathered in the air above by the time she noticed. There were more than a thousand of them, those that had not self-detonated in the fight against Princess Yukikaze.

    They were all taking surprising action.

    One after another, the wyverns landed in front of Orihime and were absorbed into the infinity sign on the Moon.

    The goal was not returning them to the rune that had given birth to them.

    "These children are willing to led us their power. This will probably succeed!"

    Juujouji Orihime was trying to bring about the birth of something else¡ª

    Over a thousand wyverns had returned to the Rune of the Mother Dragon, offering their bodies as sacrifices, to become part of it.

    Understanding that through intuition, Orihime nodded vigorously.

    Part 3

    "Allow me to say this in advance for the record."

    Hinokagutsuchi had said this prior to teaching Hal the secret ritual of turning into a ghost.

    "This is not a spell for creating a ghost that cannot die."

    "Then what is it used for?"

    "A secret technique to reincarnate a person into an immortal god."

    "I-Immortal?"

    An unexpected term had suddenly cropped up. Immortal god. The power of dragonbane and dragon kings were plenty grandiose already, but this even god was mentioned.

    "Something along these lines? Transcending beasts, transcending humans, turning into a god..."

    "More or less. A thousand years ago, before I fought that lass Yukikaze¡ªI had already lived long as a dragon king. Hence, I was honestly a little bored."

    "Oh..."

    How long exactly was "long" for a dragon king?

    Definitely more than a millennium or two. Five thousand years. Ten thousand years. Possibly more than a hundred thousand years. Indeed, getting bored after sitting on the throne for so long would be all too natural.

    "As such, I decided to devise a secret technique for becoming a god, a good way to kill time while I was at it. But there was one major problem. It was impossible to know how much power one would obtain after performing the ritual, and it was irreversible too. This prevented me from mustering the effort to give it a try."

    "Because it''s basically a secret ritual for reincarnation."

    "Indeed. It would be a problem if I could no longer shower my love upon the beauties in my harem."

    "And you said you were bored? Looks like you were really enjoying yourself!"

    "Hmph, that is neither here nor there. In any case, it was not a spell one could recklessly experiment upon oneself. Even if I tricked a few random people to serve as experiments, they would not be able to learn the spell at all unless they were mighty warriors on the level of dragon kings."

    "I''m so glad the devil''s plan ended in failure."

    "In the end, during my fight with Yukikaze¡ª"

    "You took a fatal wound, so you used the spell for reincarnating into a god, right? So how did it go?"

    "I would not call it a success... Compared to an ordinary ghost, indeed, I am free. However, the power is still nowhere near an ''immortal god''."

    "Yup."

    Although there were restrictions, after her death, Hinokagutsuchi could still use her magical power from when she was alive, appearing and disappearing elusively, even materializing herself to eat things. More importantly, she did not move on to the afterlife, spending a thousand years idly, occasionally interfering in human society¡ª

    A transcendent being that was on the level of cheating for sure, but nowhere near as powerful as an omniscient and omnipotent god.

    "I believe it can re-purposed. Further improvement could turn it into a secret ritual for reincarnating into a lich or a vampire lord," Hal said with a sigh after listening to the earlier explanation.

    This had happened in the Moon ruins when he was alone with Hinokagutsuchi, after meeting Sophocles.

    "There''s really no time for that, though."

    "However, brat, I am deeply surprised that you intend to settle things with Yukikaze by turning into a half-baked immortal. Are you giving up on being human?"

    Hinokagutsuchi laughed maliciously to mock Hal, who glared at her.

    "Giving up is irrelevant here. I stopped being human long ago."

    "True."

    "By this point, I can only consider it the same as accepting body modification surgery. After all, using a body that''s about to turn into a dragon is not enough to defeat Princess Yukikaze."

    Hal was already one of those monsters that could hardly be called human.

    He had to admit that he had merged with a dragon before.

    "Putting that aside, things were going pretty well during my fight against Galad until the Crimson Queen absorbed my consciousness. I want to take a gamble. As far as I know, you''re the most resilient ghost in the whole wide world."

    "Ha! Would a crafty brat like you ever take a seat at this sort of gambling table, the kind where luck is the only factor!?"

    "I can''t help it. I don''t have a single card left in my hand. Apart from leaving it to fate and draw a new card from the deck, I don''t have a choice."

    "Hahahahaha!"

    Hinokagutsuchi had thoroughly mocked the demoralized Hal.

    Even so, she still generously instructed Hal on the secret technique for turning into a ghost. Hal originally had doubts on whether it would go smoothly, but it ended up succeeding.

    On further thought¡ª

    He was forced to make a job change to a ghost from a man who was about to turn into a dragon.

    This situation was so tragic that it actually felt a bit comical. Perhaps the self-styled devil had been willing to instruct him without reserve precisely because she saw this point. Furthermore¡ª

    Perhaps there was something similar to a bond between him and Hinokagutsuchi¡ªNo no no.

    They were not the type to go sentimental.

    Haruga Haruomi and the former dragon queen were supposed to maintain a relationship based on aligned interest the whole time. Thanks to that, Hal had barely managed to survive...

    (Hmm¡ª)

    Even though he could maintain his state as an astral body, Hal overturned his earlier thought.

    (This isn''t really "surviving.")

    To be exact, he was currently on the beach of a certain island.

    Time was night. The air seemed quite clean. The starry sky was very beautiful.

    Thrown ashore by the waves was a semi-automatic handgun with the color of steel and decorated with gold.

    Hal''s soul was affixed to his personal magic gun, barely hanging on to remain in this world.

    The princess'' "purification of evil spirits" had almost erased him, but Hal had survived the crisis in the nick of time, entering the Crimson Queen''s body.

    That being said, the Queen had also started to disintegrate immediately.

    Inside the Queen was the magic gun that had been absorbed before the battle, so Hal imitated Hinokagutsuchi and possessed it too.

    (In the end, I fell down to Earth together with the Queen''s body...)

    After crashing into the atmosphere, the red dragon was damaged all over.

    The magic gun was included in the fallen remains.

    Based on scenery Hal saw on his way down, he deduced that he was somewhere in the northern Pacific Ocean. Probably the Hawaiian archipelago.

    (Not Hawaii Island or Oahu but more to the northwest¡ªwhere the Battle of Midway had taken place.)

    He was very worried about Orihime and Asya whom he had left on the Moon.

    His childhood friend could still draw on her powers as a Tyrannos, but if Hal''s beloved lacked imperishable protection, she probably would not last more than an hour¡ª

    (I hope Juujouji will actively take my power to use.)

    In fact, even though one of them was on Earth while the other was on the Moon, their bonds through the Bow and the Twin Katana ought t o allow him to ascertain her safety immediately.

    But as he was right now, Hal could not do it. Possessing the magic gun barely allowed him to keep his soul in this world, like the weakened Hinokagutsuchi, unable to do anything else.

    (Contacting my companions on Earth¡ªCan''t do that either.)

    Was he going to be swallowed by the waves and sunk into the sea just like this?

    Was Orihime okay? What were Princess Yukikaze and Asya doing now?

    He was worried sick. But not falling into the sea was plenty fortunate already¡ª

    (...That''s not completely right.)

    Hal took back his earlier words.

    A man was walking on the beach where waves were breaking on the sand.

    An eccentric man dressed in a suit, Sophocles. He was the super ancient man who had described Haruga Haruomi as very similar to him. A former Tyrannos, he had lived thousands of years without turning into a dragon, possibly by using some method to alter the nature of his body, like Hal had done¡ª

    If possible, Hal wanted to meet Sophocles and clear up his questions, but...

    (I''m pretty sure nothing good will come out of meeting him at a time like this.)

    For some reason, that was what Hal instinctively thought when he saw the expressionless Sophocles.

    He sensed a crisis. Why? Was it because his sixth sense had sharpened due to becoming a spirit-only existence? He had an intensely bad feeling of premonition.

    "Haruga Haruomi, my how you have changed."

    His voice was magnetic as always.

    "I know you are a young man who dislikes fighting. For surviving all the way till now despite disliking fighting, I truly wish to praise you from the bottom of my heart."

    (D-Despite saying that, you''re¡ª)

    Sophocles calmly spoke to the semi-automatic handgun that had fallen on the shore.

    He apparently discerned Hal''s state with a single glance. Hal tried his hardest to convey his thoughts to Sophocles.

    (Aren''t you being much scarier than usual? I can sense carefully concealed intent to kill... Something like that.)

    "Hmm."

    Ominously, Sophocles neither confirmed nor denied.

    "Actually, I was thinking. Princess Yukikaze harbors incredible affection for you. Although you are on the brink of death right now, you did keep your promise and survived. In that case¡ªI expect the princess to keep the Tyrannos of the Bow and the Twin Katana as her pet, until he breathes his very last breath."

    (Who knows? I do think she''ll keep her promise.)

    Hal remained wary of Sophocles'' intentions while answering.

    (But given her personality, she''ll probably ask me to continue fighting her once I recover.)

    "Very likely. But you already... have no more options apart from turning into a dragon. Unless you turn into a dragon to fight, you will only achieve as much as this time, at best."

    (Yeah...)

    "But apparently, you would rather die than turn into a dragon."

    (...)

    "Fufufufu, willing to turn into a ghost, yet refusing to walk the road to becoming a dragon king? I really wish to support you, but regrettably, that will be challenging. Because you not only possess the Bow and the Twin Katana, but have also obtained the Rune of the Ring."

    That was the dragonslaying rune he had stolen from King Solomon, the Tyrannos from ancient Israel.

    Hal secretly felt alarmed. Sophocles was impressive as ever, to think he even knew about this rune that had not been publicized.

    "Very well. A Tyrannos who possesses as many as three dragonslaying runes, yet has no hope of becoming dragon king. Would it be right or wrong to allow him to roam free? Or ¡ª"

    The strange man in black muttered.

    "Given the opportunity, erase his existence to liberate the powers of the Bow, the Twin Katana, and the Ring. Wouldn''t this be more beneficial to maintaining balance in our game, the Road to Kingship?"

    (That''s what you intend... to do?)

    "No, I am simply stating one possible perspective."

    (Th-Then what are you doing right now?)

    The arrangement of runes he had seen earlier was appearing over Sophocles'' head.

    "Purfication of evil spirits," the secret ritual performed using goddess power. If struck by that move again, Hal''s soul would most likely begin his journey to heaven or hell for real this time!

    (You''re going to use this spell on me!?)

    "Oh, I forgot to mention to you, but ancient serpents and priestesses are not the only ones capable of employing goddess power. A long long time ago, at Hyperborea in the sky, during the pinnacle of the human world, among male priests there existed some who possessed the same ability. In fact, I was one of them."

    (Y-You are definitely changing the subject on purpose, right!?)

    "I shall not make excuses. Farewell, Haruga Haruomi. I sincerely applaud your achievements... However, it is time for you to exit the stage."

    (Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?)

    Hal was facing a gigantic crisis that he could do nothing against.

    This was possibly the most dangerous situation after his first enemy¡ªthe elite dragon Raak Al Soth.

    However.

    "Glinda, Laser Breath!"

    An unexpected strike. A heat beam shot out from the side, sweeping across.

    It caused Sophocles to vanish from before Hal, i.e. the magic gun.

    The breath released by the lion, the center head of the three-headed leviathan, had vaporized the eccentric man.

    Part 4

    "This is Senpai... Isn''t it!?"

    "The cavalry made it in time, okay, Harry?"

    Luna Francois was holding the magic gun, i.e. Hal, in both hands. Shirasaka Hazumi was standing next to her, watching worriedly.

    Thinking he ought to be able to communicate telepathically to these two girls, Hal replied:

    (Yes, thanks to you, I''m saved. Thanks.)

    "Senpai!" "Harry!"

    The two witches cheered. Sure enough, it was very hard for them to sense that Hal was still alive when he lacked a physical body with nothing left but a gun.

    They had left the shore and gone to the back of the beach.

    There were several coconut trees there. A tropical land, apparently.

    Futhermore, two familiar "serpents"¡ªGlinda the Good Witch of the South, and Minadzuki the guardian of Tokyo New Town¡ªwere waiting ready in the starry night sky.

    (Where exactly is this place...?)

    "The northwest of the Hawaiian archipelago¡ªA small island among them where ancient Hawaiians lived a long time ago. It took me a lot of work to pull the Queen to these parts after she crashed down from satellite orbit."

    "Luna-san and Glinda worked very hard!"

    Through information provided by the two witches, Hal basically understood the situation.

    The two girls had rushed to the observatory on the Mauna Kea volcano, then did everything they could to make the Crimson Queen fall nearby, and taken a transport ship from the US military to reach here.

    (So that''s how they were able to meet up with me so fast, huh...?)

    Reasonable reasons. However, Luna shook her head.

    "This is one of the reasons, but not all of it. We initially thought you already died. After all, the Crimson Queen that we took such pains to retrieve had disintegrated."

    "But someone told us to hurry and find your gun, Senpai."

    (Someone? Who?)

    "That voice¡ªbelonged to Hinokagutsuchi-san."

    "It seemed to be her last words... just before she vanished together with the Queen''s dragon body."

    Hazumi''s eyes were filled with tears. Even Luna seemed beset by grief.

    Hal deliberately avoided responding to this. The self-styled devil had apparently provided some after-sales service at the last moment. Was this the spirit of service for a transaction partner, or personal sentimentality for an accomplice who had shared in many crimes together?

    "But I''m actually quite surprised that a shady guy like Sophocles got taken out just like that." Luna Francois voiced her doubt.

    "Did he pretend to get hit, but actually escaped? Like a lizard severing its tail to survive."

    (Possibly. And perhaps...)

    Sophocles was reportedly a Tyrannos in the ancient past.

    Perhaps he had modified his own body to prevent dragonification, thus losing his previous combat ability, thus allowing Glinda''s surprise attack to defeat him so easily¡ª

    Hal thought of this possibility, but there was no concrete evidence.

    There was a much more practical problem to consider instead of this speculation.

    (Putting that aside, what happened to Princess Yukikaze? Juujouji and Asya too!?)

    "We have yet to receive updated news on Orihime-san..."

    "Right! Asya-senpai is currently engaging Yukikaze-san in an aerial battle!"

    (Ehhh!?)

    "We confirmed already using the Mauna Kea observatory and spy satellites. The white dragon and Rushalka are fighting a super high altitude battle near the stratosphere. Probably thanks to you injuring the princess, the battle is currently even. Quite good."

    (Asya and Princess Yukikaze!?)

    This latest news was too surprising. Hal became extremely anxious.

    (Hmm. What Asya needs most right now is support, but the way I am right now, I can''t even rush over to her side! The Crimson Queen is out of commission too.)

    "Senpai..."

    (If I could use magic at least...)

    Possessing the magic gun allowed him to anchor his soul, just barely.

    This was Hal''s current predicament. Even the most basic of magic was beyond him. His life was literally hanging on a line, barely staying in this world. However, doing this was already consuming all of his energy¡ª

    If he had a body right now, he would be gnashing his teeth.

    Hazumi gently picked up the magic gun, i.e. Hal!

    "Senpai, please leave this to me!"

    It was so sudden. Hazumi, the second-year middle schooler, only fourteen years old, hugged the magic gun tightly, pressing her developing bosom against it.

    (Shirasaka!?)

    "Last time when you turned into a dragon, Senpai, doing this turned you back! Surely, this time again¡ª!"

    Hazumi shouted while pressing her bosom against the magic gun.

    Unfortunately, Hal could not feel that soft sensation despite having merged with the magic gun. It might have been different if he were in dragon form, which was at least biological...

    (I-It''s okay, Shirasaka. Even if you do this, I currently¡ª)

    "Harry, what are you talking about!? Let''s try this first, desperate times call for desperate measures!"

    Surprisingly, even Luna snatched the magic gun from Hazumi''s hands and pressed her bust, the most magnificent bust known to Hal, against it.

    No, that was not all.

    She even placed the magic gun in her cleavage¡ª

    (Puff-puff!?)

    Hal recited the legendary, even magical onomatopoeia.

    At this very moment, Haruga Haruomi was encountering surprisingly good fortune, like the early members in the story of collecting Dragonballs.

    "N-No, Luna-san! Please let me do it!"

    "No, have you forgotten, Hazumi-san? Fulfilling human desires to the limit will help Harry to recover. We must cooperate and do this together."

    "Right¡ªTh-Then for me to join in... is alright?"

    "Of course. Come, let us help Harry ''puff-puff''."

    "!? I have never heard of such a term!"

    "I have yet to confirm, but I am confident that Harry will enjoy this immensely. So together, we will..."

    "Y-Yes. Senpai, how does it feel?"

    "I am so glad that you are the one with me, Hazumi-san. Had it been Asya, her chest is too flat, ''puff-puff'' would''ve been impossible."

    "R-Really?"

    "Physically challenging. How is it, Harry? Is my love reaching you?"

    "Luna-san!? Y-You are kissing Senpai too!?"

    "Why not? Because I love Harry. You can do it too, you know?"

    "..."

    "Sorry, looks like that would be a bit too hard for you."

    "N-No! For Senpai¡ªSenpai, I too..."

    Luna and Hazumi''s kisses kept producing smooching sounds.

    Then the repeating "puff-puff" needed no description. Even so, Hal could not feel anything, having lost his human body.

    How unfortunate. How futile.

    O God, of all times when I need a human body so very much!

    (U-Uwahhhhhhhhhhhh!)

    Hal''s very soul screamed for the first time in his life.

    Not a gun and not a dragon, he wanted to return to a human body. He did not mind even if he lost all his abilities and magical power as a Tyrannos. For this moment¡ªI want a corporeal body!

    A wish and desire coming straight from the heart.

    Having lost his body and warm blood, what boiled as a substitute was Hal''s soul.

    No theory or petty trick could compare to Hal''s wish this very instant.

    Next, perhaps the soul-level wail created an opening¡ªHaruga Haruomi''s magical power instantly exploded!

    It was possible now. Hal uncharacteristically shouted in hot blood.

    (At least¡ªgive me human form!)

    Next to Hazumi and Luna, Hal''s human appearance came into view.

    Using magic, he had created an illusion of himself, recreating Haruga Haruomi in uniform, the sleepy-eyed male high school student. Since it was an illusion, his body was translucent, sorry about that.

    "Harry, your magical power recovered!"

    (Yeah. Although I can''t recover to normal, something this trivial is still within my power.)

    "Oh right, Senpai! Please accept that!"

    As soon as Hazumi called out, the surroundings suddenly darkened.

    The emerald serpentine dragon leviathan flew lightly over the two witches, blocking light from the full moon and the stars.

    The object referred to by Hazumi was held in Minadzuki''s left forelimb.

    She was holding a red metallic orb. Hal recognized it straight away. It was the most important organ in a dragon''s body.

    (The Crimson Queen''s... heartmetal!)

    "Indeed. When we rescued her, the Queen had already lost more than half her body. I immediately extracted the heartmetal and asked Hazumi-san and Minadzuki to use healing magic."

    Luna handed the magic gun to Hal''s illusion.

    "I think this is the reason? The Queen''s body has fallen apart, yet that heartmetal continues to give off beautiful light... Say, Harry, don''t you think you get a chance for a retake when you fail your final exam?"

    (That''s true...)

    To be honest, Hal believed he had no chance of defeating Princess Yukikaze no matter how much he struggled.

    But perhaps he could struggle a little more. During this time when the girls were cheering him on.

    Hal, in his soul-only state, sent his thoughts to the magic gun and the heartmetal.

    (Come back to me again.)

    The magic gun and the heartmetal gradually de-materialized and merged with Hal''s soul.

    Perhaps due to absorbing powerful artifacts, Hal''s magical power increased again¡ª

    (This time I have to materialize my body!)

    The instant his thoughts were conveyed, the translucent illusion acquired mass.

    Haruga Haruomi''s body and uniform were converted into physical matter perfectly. This was the mystic technique of materializing the soul, which the ghost progenitor Hinokagutsuchi occasionally used.

    "Harry!"

    "Senpai!"

    "Hmm¡ªDoes this mean I''ve changed from a partial dragon to become more human or less human...? Anyway, I succeeded in reviving. I wonder how long it''ll last...?"

    "Who cares? No matter what, it''s hundreds of times better than dying!"

    "I-I think so too!"

    The devil and the angel, the two witches with opposite personalities were all smiles.

    Hall nodded. Stepping on the Hawaiian beach, he looked at the western sky.

    "I should get going. Asya is fighting alone, right? And¡ªJuujouji seems to be calling me."

    "Nee-sama!?"

    "Yeah, looks like she worked hard on the Moon."

    Hal''s magical power had recovered to its peak.

    Thanks to that, the soul links of dragonslaying runes were also completely restored. Hal''s super senses could fully receive the thoughts of the person who had been working hard alone on the Moon.

    (Haruga-kun, did you revive!? Can you hear my voice!?)

    Yes. I hear you clearly. I am coming to you now.

    Hal transmitted his thoughts to the full moon hanging hight in the Hawaiian sky. The moment just as he prepared to depart...

    "Oh, Senpai, please wait. Someone had a message for you!"

    "A message?"

    "Yes, from President M."

    The person brought up by Hazumi was surely not one to be ignored. Hal straightened his back.

    "Did President M offer a prophesy or life principle?"

    "Yes. First of all, ''as much as possible, avoid fighting fair and square''."

    President M had pointed out the core of the matter right away, leaving Hal speechless. Although it was no help even if he kept this advice engraved in his heart, he was still utterly impressed by President M''s clairvoyance.

    "President M is terrifying as always... What else?"

    "''Follow your feelings and go crazy to your heart''s content!''"

    "...Huh?"

    "''Follow your feelings and go crazy to your heart''s content!''"

    "......"

    "Harry, is there any profound philosophical significance to this advice?"

    "Who knows? Maybe it''s to be taken literally, ''follow my intuition and act boldly.'' Anyway, I really have to go. Thank you, both of you!"

    Hal thanked the two girls again and de-materialized.

    He dispelled the corporeal body he had just constructed and returned to spirit state to rush to the sky. He did not even use flight magic.

    This would not have been possible if he still had a body of flesh.

    Part 5

    Anastasya Rubashvili, aka Asya.

    Until a couple of months ago when her partner''s condition suddenly deteriorated, she had always been the witch known as Europe''s strongest Shootdown Ace. Furthermore, she was one of only a handful of Level 5 witches in the entire world.

    However, this veteran warrior was currently engaged in a battle she had never experienced before.

    Flying at the super high altitude near the stratosphere with Rushalka, Asya had the Earth''s vast blue oceans beneath her.

    More importantly, her enemy was a monster feared by humanity and known as caesar draconis.

    "Fu¡ª"

    In the guise of the white dragon king, Princess Yukikaze chuckled.

    She was flying at supersonic speed sufficient to escape the Earth''s gravity.

    Furthermore, Asya and Rushalka were pursuing her closely at the same speed, trailing 300 meters behind.

    The dragon king who was like a snow fairy was clearly confident.

    "O Tyrannos of the Chain, you sure can fly! Rare are those capable of keeping up with these wings of Yukikaze!"

    "Oooh. Stop being so full of yourself."

    The princess'' superior attitude made Asya grumble.

    At first glance, both sides'' speed were on the same level.

    Asya and Rushalka were using the "high-speed flight" arrangement of Ruruk Soun runes, using everything at their disposal to surpass their speed limit.

    Not only were they holding back nothing, they were pushing themselves to the absolute limit. Furthermore.

    Princess Yukikaze had yet to fully heal her wounds.

    The wing that was almost severed seemed to have healed gradually, but the left arm did not regenerate, neither did the gouged out right eye. The effects of healing magic had yet to take on in full.

    Her body was in an awful state.

    In spite of that, Rushalka still failed to catch up to the princess.

    "We won''t be able to keep up once the princess recovers..."

    Of all the leviathans used by witches, Rushalka''s flight speed was the fastest.

    This situation was thoroughly devastating Asya''s pride and confidence. She originally thought that with the power of Ruruk Soun, no dragon would be abe to match her speed¡ª

    "Nothing less expected of a dragon king."

    Asya''s right arm was wrapped in a chain from elbow to wrist.

    This was the magic wand she had personally synthesized. Having just started on a Tyrannos'' path, Asya gained much help from her magic wand. However, ultimately what she trusted most was still¡ª

    "Rushalka!"

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Side by side, Asya and Rushalka were flying at high speed, guarded by imperishable protection. These partners, whose hearts and minds were one, instantly took action to fulfill their mission.

    "Let''s decide the match before the princess accelerates. Magic Missile!"

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    "Fu¡ªO Rune, protect Yukikaze!"

    Rushalka launched an attack at the princess flying ahead.

    Using four runes of Ruruk Soun in the "scatter shot" arrangement, she consecutively fired three hundred glowing scorching projectiles of light. However, the two runes of "holy shield" appeared behind the princess who was dodging this way and that, blocking the consecutive shots coming from behind.

    "Using the magic of dragons to decide the match... Sure enough, that''s not going to work either."

    Asya murmured to herself. Since she had expected this outcome, she was not discouraged.

    "Rushalka, the next thirty seconds of battle shall determine our fate. I don''t care if it shatters my heart and your heartmetal¡ª"

    Pressing her left hand, where the Rune of the Chain had surfaced, against her left chest, Asya declared loudly, "I will use full power beyond the limits of full power!"

    Rushalka''s flight speed increased all at once.

    A boost of almost 30%, instantly reducing Princess Yukikaze''s 300 meter lead, bringing them right behind the white dragon king.

    Princess Yukikaze attempted to lose Rushalka by using tight cornering but Rushalka pursued closely.

    In that case¡ªThe princess kept turning, turning, and turning. However, Asya and Rushalka were committed to exhausting their physical stamina and magical power, and would rather die than get shaken off!

    "Nn... Oooooh!"

    "How insolent¡ªHmm? Ohhh!?"

    With the rapid increase in strain on her heart to produce magical power, Asya groaned in pain. Rushalka seemed to be suffering too, but even so, she still responded loyally to the witch''s will.

    Princess Yukikaze clicked her tongue¡ªThen jumped in surprise.

    Because Rushalka had instantly accelerated and used a new attack.

    "Rushalka, double cast pseudo-divinity of Water!"

    "Hmm. Freezing arrangement, I leave it to you!"

    The blue wyvern produced a huge amount of "water" in the surroundings, pouring all of her magical power into it, turning the water into incomparably powerful pillars of water.

    In other words, ultimate water cannons. However, Princess Yukikaze used the arrangement of "subzero freezing" to stop the water pillars¡ª

    All of the water turned into ice crystals.

    Countless transparent flower-like crystals danced around the princess, Asya and Rushalka, adding glamor to this intense battlefield.

    Asya''s consecutive attacks were not over!

    "O jailer of heavenly imprisonment and chain of the executioner¡ªComplete your second mission!"

    "Haha! Taking out the dragonslaying chain at last!"

    Eight chains shot out from Rushalka''s chin.

    A technique of assured annihilation for killing dragons. The chains flew at Princess Yukikaze at high speed, aiming to tear her to pieces¡ª

    The princess suddenly rushed upwards twenty meters.

    The eight chains chased the princess and altered course. However, the princess'' action was not to escape.

    "I hereby decree to my emblem, the Arrow of Sirius... I, Yukikaze, will now transform into the dragonslaying arrow!"

    Using a technique of assured annihilation as well, the princess descended swiftly.

    The Rune of the Arrow appeared on the soles of the white dragon''s feet to attack the eight chains like performing a flying kick. At that very moment...

    "Rushalka, convert pseudo-divinity to the Moon!"

    "What!?"

    Asya shouted at the calculated moment, causing Princess Yukikaze to react in surprise again.

    This was because Rushalka and the eight chains had merged with space. Governing darkness and illusions, the pseudo-divinity of the Moon possessed this ability too. Furthermore, to perform this move without even Princess Yukikaze noticing, only a master-class witch like Asya was this capable.

    "Technique of assured annihilation. O jailer of heavenly imprisonment and chain of the executioner¡ªComplete your mission!"

    This time, she gambled everything and shot out the dragonslaying chain.

    Only a single chain appeared from Rushalka''s chin. It wrapped itself several times around Princess Yukikaze, depriving her of her freedom, tightly constricting her.

    "Wow! Are you trying to seal my wings away!?"

    The earlier attacks were all to lay the groundwork for this attack.

    Repeated visual interference combined with diversionary movements to disrupt the enemy, then striking at a moment of guaranteed success. This attack was the culmination of the Shootdown Ace''s experience and battle instincts that were as sharp as a wild beast''s. Even a dragon king could not possible defend against such a move. Sure¡ª

    "Impossible!"

    The chain tangled layer after layer, finally restraining Princess Yukikaze completely.

    Asya began to descend at high speed with Rushalka. The blue wyvern held the chain in her teeth. Naturally, the princess was still securely bound by the chain.

    "Hmm!"

    The dragon king''s massive body was descending together with them at supersonic speed.

    Thirty thousand meters from ground level. Twenty thousand. Ten thousand. Five thousand. Three thousand¡ªThe urban wasteland below was a familiar sight.

    "Rushalka, throw the princess¡ªover there!"

    Asya''s finger was pointed to a Monolith.

    A massive pitch-black tower. The landmark of the Old Tokyo Concession. An equilateral triangular prism standing as high as a thousand meters. Owned by Princess Yukikaze. During the aerial battle, Asya had been using Location Awareness to keep tabs on her position in the sky.

    In fact, it did not matter where exactly she smashed the princess. However.

    "There''s a Monolith at Old Tokyo, and it also saves me the time of a return trip..."

    Thus, Rushalka brought the dragon king wrapped in chain, dragged over here from an altitude of fifty thousand meters at Mach speed¡ªand threw her downwards hard.

    Smashed against the gigantic tower that was sturdy than every substance on Earth¡ªthe top of a Monolith.

    "Ohhhhhhhhhhh!?"

    The astounding impact finally caused Princess Yukikaze to howl.

    It was almost evening in Japan, but the sun had yet to set on Tokyo in late summer. The sky was still quite bright.

    Part 6

    The Moon''s distance from the Earth was 1.283 light seconds.

    In other words, it only took around 1.3 seconds at light speed to reach the lunar world thirty-seven thousand kilometers away. Only after becoming a spirit-only being did Hal finally know this.

    "So I can move at light speed in this state, huh..."

    He was deeply impressed.

    Hal''s mind was currently hovering at an altitude of 400 kilometers.

    The same height as the International Space Station''s orbit. Looking down, one could see the blue Pacific Ocean and the islands of Japan, as well as the eastern part of the Eurasian landmass.

    "Impressive as ever, this secret technique invented by a dragon king. My capabilities are so great that ordinary ghosts and astral bodies can''t compare at all."

    On further thought, Hal currently possessed a complete heartmetal.

    This was his greatest difference from the ghost Hinokagutsuchi.

    "It''s not surprising for my abilities to be better than her, who had lost her heartmetal..."

    Using the same principle as how witches performed spirit body separation, he flew up in the sky.

    He arrived in space in less than a second. Speaking of which, someone once said that "thoughts" were actually electrical currents in the brain.

    In that case, the speed of thoughts, i.e. electrical currents, ought to be quite close to light speed.

    "That being said, I currently don''t even have a brain."

    Hal grumbled while thanking Hazumi and Luna in his heart.

    Backed into a corner, he had finally recovered his energy and magical power thanks to those two girls'' help. He did not know how he could thank them enough.

    "Also Asya¡ª"

    He needed to thank her too. His childhood friend was still fighting alone.

    Facing a true dragon king, she and Rushalka remained resolute. Right now, they happened to have restrained the princess and landed in Tokyo.

    Judging by this situation, she should be able to hold out a bit longer.

    He must make preparations for a minimum counterattack durign this time and hurry over to support Asya.

    "Juujouji¡ª"

    Hal sent a magic eye to the Moon to check out the situation there.

    From several hundred meters above, he looked down at the Plato crater. The magic symbol in the form of an infinity sign in the center of the crater was glowing golden.

    The girl he loved was standing at the center of that glow.

    Akuro-Ou, the white fox-wolf with a body length of ten-odd meters, was waiting by her side. As well as newborn life¡ª

    ''Haruga-kun, you finally came.''

    "Juujouji."

    Orihime''s thoughts were sent from the Moon.

    In a short amount of time, Juujouji Orihime had obtained what witches would consider valuable experience. Just now, she had used the rune connection to sense Hal''s position and transmit her thoughts to Earth.

    ''I was really worried if you were truly gone this time.''

    "I''m sorry. My body ended up falling completely apart."

    ''Evidently... You''re capable of anything, and I don''t know whether I should be relieved or worried about that.''

    "Hahahaha."

    Incredibly, simply receiving thoughts from the girl he loved made Hal feel as though his heart had been filled.

    The key to recovering dragon kings and Tyrannoi who had strayed too far from human was probably this kind of fulfillment. Hal sincerely hoped he could turn back into a normal human as soon as possible.

    However, he had to go save Asya first, and settle the match with Princess Yukikaze too.

    Orihime had already prepared his trump card for him.

    "Say, you really did it spectacularly."

    Using the blessing obtained from the Rune of the Mother Dragon, Orihime had created a gigantic beast¡ª

    Still a dragon. Its body was a size bigger than Akuro-Ou, shining golden all over, gold with a faint tint of red.

    A special radiance akin to the sun''s own light.

    However, this gold dragon''s exterior was quite familiar to Hal. Except for the difference in color, it looked identical to the Crimson Queen.

    ''I based it on you and Kagutsuchi-san. Last time, didn''t you two help me to create Akuro-Ou? I was wondering whether I could accomplish the same by borrowing help from the Rune of the Mother Dragon.''

    "So you tried it."

    ''Yes. And in Sentai shows on Sunday mornings, whenever combining robots get destroyed, a new model always appears to turn crisis into opportunity.''

    Orihime''s thoughts were clearly filled with joy.

    ''We can use times like these for an upgrade event!''

    "Those who enjoy hero stories tend to have pure and simple thoughts, it''s nice. Thanks to you, I can do a return match straight away. But¡ª"

    Hal transmitted his thoughts from low Earth orbit to the Moon thirty thousand kilometers away.

    Feeling that the other side was right in front of him, he grumbled emotionally.

    "I totally have no idea how to beat Princess Yukikaze..."

    ''What does it matter?''

    "Huh?"

    ''Sometimes you will come up with a plan halfway through, right? The more desperate you are, the more you''ll rack your brain, which should allow you to devise tactics that you never thought of before.''

    "That sounds very much like twisted logic, but it seems to make sense."

    Haruga Haruomi was most likely the type that tended to over think.

    Thorough preparations had brought him earlier successes, but he knew a long time ago that petty tricks were completely useless against Princess Yukikaze, a real dragon king.

    Wing it. Take the plunge. Leave it to fate. Things will work out somehow.

    Hal commanded himself to abandon the small-minded concept of "take responsibility for your own actions" and forced himself to emulate a man of grandeur.

    He looked down at the blue planet that occupied his entire field of view.

    When looking at the Earth from the Moon, the scale felt like "a blue ball far away" but Hal''s current position was only four hundred thousand meters from the Earth, that near.

    The planet that nurtured life was astoundingly large.

    Confronted with a view that would change even an astronaut''s outlook on life, Hal thought to himself.

    Given how huge the Earth is, I suppose a more destructive battle wouldn''t be a problem, right?

    "I will follow your spirit and take the simple and obvious path. Lend me your power."

    Hal used summoning magic while speaking.

    This was a spell that elite dragons used to summon Raptors.

    Next to Hal''s spiritual form, a large number of glowing particles of light appeared, then materialized into the girl he missed very much.

    "I waited so long for you, Haruga-kun!"

    "Juujouji!"

    Dressed in a school uniform, completely incongruent with the environment of space, Juujouji Orihime was smiling.

    Undoubtedly the happiest smile in the whole world. Responding to Hal''s summon, she had teleported here from the Moon.

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Akuro-Ou, the nine-tailed leviathan that had been born by Hal''s hand, also materialized.

    Furthermore, the white fox-wolf performed a deft somersault as soon as she appeared. Graceful and agile.

    The gold dragon that had been born for the sake of this decisive battle also appeared¡ª

    "What should we call this child?"

    "No time to ponder, let''s just call her the Imitation. The Golden Imitation. She is my avatar, so this kind of knock-off name is a pretty good match."

    The dragon created for Hal alone.

    However, though the giant golden body looked quite sacred, the Imitation had no vitality in her eyes.

    There was no soul in her body. Deciding it was time to let his golden avatar awaken, Hal materialized the Queen''s heartmetal he had obtained from Minadzuki earlier.

    The red metallic orb was sucked into the Imitiation''s chest, merging with her.

    The Imitation''s hollow eyes began to glow while the entire body started releasing red magical power.

    Part 7

    Rushalka''s fierce attack sent Princess Yukikaze colliding hard against the Monolith, a gigantic black tower.

    Under normal conditions, this would have been a finishing move. The heavyweight impact caused even the princess to cry out in surrpise.

    "Chii¡ª!"

    After smashing against the top of the Monolith, the white dragon king did not fall to the ground.

    She hovered briefly in the air, shook her head to wake up her hazy consciousness and muttered, "Well done, to think you managed to surprise me..."

    "Only surprise, huh?"

    Asya clicked her tongue.

    How nostalgic to see the ground again, and Old Tokyo to boot. Asya decided she needed to find a place to land and picked the roof of a certain high-rise building, two hundred meters above ground.

    She looked up towards Princess Yukikaze and the top of the Monolith¡ª

    Neither was harmed in the slightest.

    For the princess, it was probably just "a little stunned."

    The Monolith was unscathed. There was not even a nick on the black stone material. The structures created by dragon kings and dragonkind were all sturdy beyond common sense.

    Even so, the Rune of the Chain continued to keep Princess Yukikaze restrained.

    Just as Asya was about to command Rushalka to attack¡ª

    "Ugh... Ooooh¡ª"

    She felt intense pain in her heart.

    Due to using magical power beyond her limit during the intense attack just now, she had subjected herself to massive strain. However, if only she held out a little longer¡ª

    "Rushahlka and I!"

    We can do it. While Asya forcibly subjected herself to self-suggestion, she saw.

    "Fufufufu. Your performance has surpassed my expectations."

    With a pearly glow radiating from her body, the princess forcibly broke the dragonslaying chain that was wrapped many times around her.

    With powerful strength, imperishable protection had broken the chain binding its master.

    "O chain user, I, Yukikaze, must praise you a little. A mere greenhorn Tyrannos, to think you would earn a ''not bad'' rating from me!"

    "Guh...!

    Asya stopped flying and landed on the roof of a building.

    Rushalka flapped her wings and stayed in the air, facing off against the white dragon king. She was already too exhausted to perform high-speed flight.

    Also, Asya noticed.

    Princess Yukikaze''s severed left arm¡ªHad already regenerated.

    The tainted white dragon scales had recovered their luster, exhibiting beauty akin to white jade...

    "The healing art finally took effect, huh?"

    Princess Yukikaze commented gallantly.

    "Although my right eye still cannot see... Fufufufu, it will recover sooner or later. I shall presently take on the dragonslaying arrow''s form with full power."

    The white dragon king narrowed her eyes, looking at Asya and Rushalka.

    The blinded right eye had definitely not recovered yet. However, how much of a disadvantage would the loss of one eye present to a powerful warrior holding absolute superiority?

    "She''s definitely too strong for me to fight..."

    Absolutely no way of winning. Asya felt that deeply.

    Back when she was the Shootdown Ace, people kept praising her extraordinary inborn combat sense. Many people also described her talent as wild instinct.

    During the series of attacking and defending maneuvers earlier, Asya had employed all her talent and experience.

    The judgment that led her to realize she only had a chance in a quick battle and made the call to attack from afar, the superb skill allowing her to chain diverse attacks together, improvising them into a vicious tide of offense, and the mental strength that allowed her to draw out magical power beyond her limit through sheer force of will.

    However, all this added together¡ª

    Still could not hurt a real dragon king.

    "A mere Shootdown Ace is still too far from dragon king-class, huh..."

    Her childhood friend would occasionally comment how he was not cut out to be a dragon king.

    Asya painfully felt the same way.

    Europe''s former Shootdown Ace possessed a witch''s power, battle experience, wild instinct, mental strength, judgment¡ªEven with so much capability, she still could not surpass the enemy blocking in front of her!

    "I don''t think I can beat her at all, even if I train for a hundred years, much less ten. I hate this feeling."

    Escape was the only option. Both instinct and reason were warning Asya.

    Beasts would not continue fighting a war with no chance of winning. Neither would smart soldiers. Asya was approaching her limit.

    Even so.

    She still could not escape.

    "I can no longer shamelessly claim to avenge Haruomi, but at least, I have to connect one attack...!"

    "Fufufufu. O chain user, your fighting spirit is not bad. However, it is not fresh enough to make me want to savor it carefully."

    "...Kuh..."

    "At least, I, Yukikaze, shall bury you with my trump card."

    From the ferocious white dragon''s mouth came a gentle voice.

    The instant Asya looked up in alarm, Princess Yukikaze had already flown high up with great speed, making herself look as small as a seed.

    "Technique of assured annihilation!?"

    The mystic technique of turning oneself into a dragonslaying arrow to charge in a straight line.

    Not too long ago, the princess had used the same move against Rushalka. But right now, her speed, altitude and vigor were clearly different from that time.

    Asya stared wide-eyed. Princess Yukikaze was finally serious¡ª

    "Rushalka! Defending is useless no matter how much magical power you use! Run away desperately if you want to live!"

    Kyuahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    Blue Rushalka cried out mournfully, responding to Asya''s reflexively issued order.

    Until now, she had stayed near the top of the Monolith¡ªThe air at an altitude of a thousand meters, letting her wings rest.

    Right now, she spread both wings wide and started to glide, borne by wind from the ground, spurring her utterly exhausted body to flee.

    Perhaps this was foolish behavior, merely postponing death from five seconds later to fifteen seconds later.

    However, if she could stall for thirty seconds or so, she and Rushalka would be able to counterattack the princess with a strike during that time...!

    ''No! Do not flee, Asya-san!''

    In that instant, Asya heard her friend''s voice.

    No, not a voice. They were thought waves coming from outside of Earth.

    ''Hold your position. Trust us!''

    "Orihime-san!?"

    The instant she received the thought waves¡ª

    Asya commanded Rushalka to make an emergency stop. For the very first time in her life, she ignored her judgment as an outsanding warrior and changed her mind, choosing to trust her companion instead.

    Rushalka swiftly braked, interrupting full-speed flight, thus managing to stop with great effort.

    0.1 seconds later, the white dragon king descended like a shooting star. Practically at the same time, something flashed in the eastern sky.

    "O miracle of lightning, let Yukikaze transform into the dragonslaying arrow!"

    "Rushalka, do not move under any circumstance!"

    ''I am counting on you, Akuro-Ou, use the flashing cross slash! The princess will definitely descend in a straight line, so just fly over to the spot slightly above Rushalka!''

    A second before Princess Yukikaze, turned into the dragonslaying arrow, collided with Rushalka...

    A flash of light dashed over from the eastern sky and intersected with Princess Yukikaze.

    Juujouji Orihime''s partner, Akuro-Ou, had flown over at light speed.

    The white nine-tailed fox-wolf horizontally swung the larger blade in her right tail while the smaller blade held in her left tail chopped downwards, thus manifesting the Rune of the Twin Katana.

    The two blades drew a cross shape in the air, practically a cross-shaped slash at light speed¡ª

    Orihime had asked Rushalka not to move in order to predict teh princess'' path of descent!

    "Nu... Ohhhhhhhhhh!"

    ''A-Akuro-Ou!?''

    Kuohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?

    The outcome of the clash between the dragonslaying arrow and the cross-shaped slash was that both sides were deflected.

    Wielding the twin katana, Akuro-Ou crashed directly into the ruins of Old Tokyo. Princess Yukikaze calmly stopped herself in the air.

    The damage was probably similar to smashing her against the Monolith.

    The princess laughed with joy using her dragon body.

    "Hahahaha! I, Yukikaze, see it now, the emblem of the twin katana cross star!"

    ''Ooh. I cannot believe it did not result in a one-hit kill even when I took pains to bluff just now.''

    Juujouji Orihime''s ashamed voice was heard.

    Next to Asya who had landed on a building''s roof, shining glowing particles of light appeared, then materialized into the form of the Japanese witch.

    The holder of the Twin Katana had probably used teleportation magic to let her return to Earth.

    "Orihime-san, so Haruomi is still alive after all...!?"

    "Yes, he ended up surviving. He asked me to pass a message to you¡ª"

    "Ohh, what is this!?"

    Before Asya had a chance to get details, Princess Yukikaze cried out in surprise.

    Stopped in midair, the white dragon king looked up to the sky in great surprise. An excessively giant crystal of light had suddenly appeared in the air over the Old Tokyo Concession.

    And it was falling extremely quickly¡ª!

    "A giant meteor!? If something like that crashed into Tokyo...!?"

    "Haruga-kun said he was aiming at the princess. There won''t be a problem, I hope?"

    "Uh, so Haruomi is responsible!?"

    Hearing Orihime''s explanation, Asya was left speechless.

    The rapidly descending mass of light was like a comet crashing to the ground.

    It probably hurtled from outside the atmosphere. Estimated speed was more than thirty kilometers per second, which would be a hundred Mach or so. The second cosmic velocity for escaping the Earth''s gravity was 33 Mach, so this object had effortlessly achieved three times of that...

    Meanwhile, Princess Yukikaze saw the suddenly descending flash of light and was overjoyed.

    "I sense it. The Rune of the Bow¡ªthe presence of my fated rival! Fufufufu. I knew it, Haruomi is certainly talented at pleasing me!"

    Princess Yukikaze did not even look at the two witches and the two leviathans.

    The graceful dragon king flew up in the air. Was she trying to head into space again, to have another duel between the dragonslaying runes of the Arrow and the Bow?

    "True, I suppose our level is too low to fight her..."

    "Nothing of that sort."

    Asya went "hmph" and grumbled unhappily, whereas Juujouji Orihime''s radiant smile was reminiscent of summer sunshine.

    "It is all thanks to you, Asya-san, for bringing the princess to Tokyo, that Haruga-kun was able to make it in time and prepare that thing."

    "What is Haruomi planning to do?"

    Looking at the ominous sky, Asya cocked her head in puzzlement.

    The mysterious glow was bright enough to illuminate all of Old Tokyo, which used to form the heart of Japan. Next, it was gradually crashing to the ground.

    Like an arrow, Princess Yukikaze rapidly shot up towards the light¡ª

    "This really looks like Independence Day or a ''the sky is falling!'' colony drop attack. I''ve got a bad feeling about this."

    "Haruga-kun called it ''Operation Spirit Bomb''."

    "Huh?"

    "Just now, he was still in space¡ªit''s called satellite orbit, right? Around there, he was shouting dialog like ''everyone, share your spirit energy with me!''"

    "......"

    Just to err on the side of caution, Asya inquired about the detailed plan from Orihime.

    "If anything goes wrong, that move could cause a crisis that destroys the Earth. Is Haruomi simply giving up because the enemy is too strong?"

    Asya muttered quietly.

    Part 8

    Ideally, things should be done with minimum effort.

    In addition, it would be best to maximize gains.

    This was Haruga Haruomi''s guiding philosophy. After meeting up with Orihime, he looked down at the Earth from satellite orbit, an altitude of four hundred kilometers.

    He suddenly thought, "Eh? Isn''t this a perfect opportunity?"

    No, calm contemplation made him realize. There were too many problems with this plan of action. The slightest misstep and he might end up being the man who destroyed civilization on Earth.

    However, if there was no way of winning against the dragon kings unless he went this far¡ª

    "Sigh... All I can do is take a gamble. If we don''t persevere to the end, the humans of Earth will have no path but extinction."

    Follow your feelings and go crazy to your heart''s content.

    Using President M''s message as his scapegoat, Hal issued the first command to the golden imitataion Queen.

    "Use the Ruruk Soun runes of ''telekinesis'' and gather up all the satellite and meteor fragments floating in the Earth''s vicinity. Like ''everyone, share your spirit energy with me!''"

    The wisdom of Ruruk Soun was a prided repository of mystic rituals and ultimate techniques¡ª

    Among them, "telekinesis" would be considered extremely basic magic. But for Hal right now, this was the most effective spell.

    "Let''s make a scene using ''Operation Spirit Bomb''!"

    After he had explained the essentials of the plan to Orihime and transported her to Earth to support Asya...

    The golden imitation Queen used telekinesis to gather up space trash such as satellite and meteor fragments to the same location¡ª

    The result was "a ball scrap metal and rock roughly ten kilometers in diameter."

    The Imitation seemed to have great potential, seeing as she was able to accomplish so much in such short time. That being said, Hal had heard before that the Earth''s vicinity contained as much trash as several thousand tons, so abundance of material was one reason. (Of course, he excluded the inhabited International Space Station as a target for collection.)

    When Hal used the Rune of the Bow on it...

    The Gold Imitation responded to his will summoned a golden longbow into her left hand.

    "Let''s go, technique of assured annihilation. The arrow... is the scrap metal you gathered!"

    Uuuuuuuuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    The Gold Imitation roared loudly.

    In front of them was a rough sphere with a diameter of ten kilometers¡ªa mass of scrap metal and rocks.

    Namely, an improvised meteor compressed using telekinesis.

    Using bow-wielding left arm, the Imitation struck this gigantical artificial object hard. Heartmetal output was raised to the maximum, pouring magical power into it without any reservation.

    "As long as I all of the Imitation''s and my power to shoot this thing down from satellite orbit!"

    The destructive power ought to surpass the sun-shooting divine bow...!

    The artificial meteor''s surface became covered by "the tilted half-moon," in other words, the symbol of the Rune of the Bow, and crashed towards the Earth.

    At first, its motion was quite slow, but the meteor soon began to gather speed.

    The planned impact point was Princess Yukikaze who had been taken to the Old Tokyo Concession.

    "A meteor that might have caused the dinosaurs to go extinct sixty-five million years ago¡ªI remember its diameter was around fifteen kilometers or so."

    Hal dug out this piece of trivia from a corner of his brain.

    "This meteor''s size is pretty close to that, so I guess the destructive power would be similar..."

    It was one of many theories about the cause of the dinosaurs going extinct.

    The meteor had crashed in the Yucatan Peninsula, resulting in a gigantic crater and sending a huge amount of sand and dust into the air. This state of affairs persisted for at least a decade, even blocking out sunlight, causing dramatic changes to the entire Earth''s climate and ecosystems, plunging the dinosaurs in famine.

    Even if less serious than that, with this meteor so big, a crash would probably cause an astounding impact on the sky and earth¡ª

    "But... Princess Yukikaze will definitely intercept it."

    Hal was very sure.

    He used this plan because he understood the princess'' personality and extraordinary abilities.

    "Oh right¡ªThis counts as a technique of assured annihilation invented by me, right? In that case, I''ll name it ''the bow of human extinction'' or something like that..."

    Mid-sentence, Hal realized he really stood a chance of terminating mankind, and felt deeply awkward about it.

    He paid attention to the meteor''s movement.

    The artificial meteor crashed into the atmosphere and began to burn. In a few minutes, it was going to smash hard into the ground at the Old Tokyo Concession, devastating eastern Asia with terrifying destructive power.

    "So it really is coming!?"

    "To you would use such a large-scale attack for my sake¡ªPraiseworthy, Haruomi!"

    Princess Yukikaze flew up.

    Releasing white magical power, her flight was the very image of a rising dragon.

    No rocket, no matter how advanced, could compare to her. The princess'' speed easily exceeded the second cosmic velocity required to escape the Earth''s gravity, and the third cosmic velocity required to escape the sun''s gravity. Her speed increased every 0.1 second¡ªCurrently reaching roughly fifty kilometers per second.

    Far faster than the falling artificial meteor.

    This was the full power and top speed of the dragon king who had transformed into the dragonslaying arrow!

    "H-How is such speed possible!?"

    With wide-eyed amazement, Hal looked down from an altitude of four hundred thousand meters.

    Far below, roughly sixty or seventy kilometers above ground¡ªthe area before the stratosphere¡ªthe ultimate bow and the ultiamte arrow finally collided with great force.

    "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    "Oooh. As expected of the princess, she singlehandedly pushed back the meteor..."

    The artificial meteor fired by the Imitation''s bow could be considered a mass-based weapon.

    A diameter around ten kilometers. Its fall was powered not only by the Rune of the Bow but also the power of gravity. The pure white draogn king had blocked it singlehandedly, pushing it back to space!

    Furthermore, the princess herself was the "dragonslaying arrow."

    An energy body that utterly smashed everything it came into contact with, even capable of slaying dragons.

    Simply colliding with the princess already caused the falling artificial meteor to start crumbling. At this rate, it was going to to explode in midair sooner or later. Just as Hal had predicted.

    "Causing human extinction would be pretty bad..."

    He did not care if the artificial meteor got destroyed.

    However, when it exploded, it would definitely catch Princess Yukikaze in the blast. At this moment, Juujouji Orihime should be asking Hal''s childhood friend for a favor, to borrow the tool needed for this situation.

    "It''s here!"

    A magic symbol similar to the "ËÈ" character appeared on the back of Hal''s right hand.

    The was the Rune of the Chain lent to him by Asya from Earth. This was just like the time when he had borrowed the Rune of the Sword from his fellow Tyrannos, the silver dragon Pavel Galad.

    "Imitation! In the instant of the explosion, use the dragonslaying chain to bind Princess Yukikaze. Otherwise, she might escape using her extraordinary speed!"

    Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    The Gold Imitation roared deeply in response. Her left hand was holding a golden bow, while the remaining right hand manifested a counterweighted chain that was akin to a live snake craning its neck.

    Hal finally finished laying his trap of assured victory. Just as he nodded...

    He heard the proud voice of the girl who was supposed to be somewhere else.

    "Hahahaha! Sure enough, Haruomi is different from the others!"

    The magic surfboard was flying over with lighting speed.

    Aiming for the bow and chain wielding Imitation''s face, the surfboard''s front end collided with the golden snout with a "clong!"

    Quite a powerful blow. The Imitation''s massive body was sent flying hard.

    "Stop!"

    Hal¡ªmore precisely, Hal in astral form¡ªused telekinesis to halt the Imitation.

    In the zero gravity environment of space, it was anyone''s guess how far one would fly as a result of such an impact. However, the Gold Imitation apparently took substantial damage. She did not move.

    Unconscious. One-hit knock out.

    "That move was the dragonslaying arrow too... Amazing."

    "Fufufufu. I, Yukikaze, is the one who wants to praise you for being amazing. The power of your dragonslaying bow is astounding."

    The magic surfboard flew to just before Hal''s astral form.

    On it was the girl in a white one-piece dress. Just like several hours earlier, this was Princess Yukikaze''s human form, again separated from her dragon form.

    "I forgot you had this move too..."

    "You have apparently learned new tricks."

    Princess Yukikaze narrowed her eyes, because Hal immediately materialized his own body, using the same principle as how he materialized on Earth.

    Below was a magnificent sight, the Earth''s landmasses and blue oceans¡ª

    Hal and the Princess Yukikaze faced off.

    "Because I can''t be treated as an evil spirit and get sent to the afterlife just yet."

    "I am surprised you thought up something like that. But conversely... It means I can do this."

    Whoosh. Princess Yukikaze''s human form jumped down from the surfboard.

    Jumping through the air with agile movements like a fairy dance, she kicked Hal from the side. Hal wondered if she had used flight magic to execute combat moves in zero gravity.

    "Uwah!?"

    "Oh? You are quite amazing."

    Hal reflexively used imperishable protection to guard himself. He also used telekinesis immediately to halt his body, which almost got kicked to the other side of the universe.

    However, what awaited him was the princess'' smile and follow up attack.

    The ferocious girl of white again danced with fairy-like agile movements, swiftly closing in.

    Just like that, she grabbed Hal''s shoulder with her slender left hand, then attacked Hal with a karate chop from her right.

    "Take this barehanded strike that can shatter a winged lizard''s skull!"

    "Woahhhhhh!"

    Hal used telekinesis on both hand, trying to intercept the dragonslaying karate chop.

    What a close shave. However, the artificial meteor and Princess Yukikaze''s dragon form were currently colliding in the Earth''s atmosphere. The time of the great explosion was gradually approaching.

    Probably two or three minutes remaining...

    "Damn it! It wasn''t easy holding out this long!"

    Holding the princess'' knifehand with both of his hands, Hal felt poignantly.

    He was corneered. Haruga Haruomi had no chance of winning anymore. Princess Yukikaze probably understood this and said with delight, "Fufufufu. For a Tyrannos who cannot become a dragon king, you have done very well. You deserve praise from me."

    "Ooh. You''re totally saying that with condescension!"

    However, Hal could not refute her at all.

    The advice given to him before the battle lingered in his mind.

    ''No matter how many cheap tricks you pull out, struggling like a pathetic rat to bite the cat to death, your teeth will never tear into a berserk dragon king''s throat.''

    ''As much as possible, avoid fighting fair and square.''

    ''Follow your feelings and go crazy to your heart''s content!''

    Don''t tell me¡ªOnly now did Hal start feeling regret.

    Originally, he had kept to unorthodoxy and the ambush approach, but in the end, he slipped again into fighting "fair and square." However, Hal could not think of any strategy more crazy than this...

    "By the way, Haruomi, I believe I have told you this."

    "Huh? Told me what?"

    Hal and Princess Yukikaze were still locked in their postures in the barehanded struggle.

    As a result, their faces were very close with only thirty centimeters between them. Hence, Hal could admire the princess'' snow fairy-like beautiful face from up close.

    "If you''re fortunate enough to survive, you shall become mine."

    "Why were trying to send me straight to the afterlife earlier despite saying that!?"

    "I could not help myself. Forgive me. Forgive Yukikaze and take this attack without a fuss. If you are fortunate enough to survive..."

    "End of conversation! This is an endless repeat!"

    Although he still had the princess'' karate chop clamped, his hands and telekinesis were reaching their limit.

    The knifehanded strike gradually came closer. Hal''s arms were out of strength, but he used his remaining willpower to squeeze out telekinesis, deflecting the karate chop to the side slightly.

    THanks to that, the view of the princess'' adorable face became even clearer...

    "Besides! Why do you have to keep harassing me every time!? Even if I hold the Rune of the Bow, it''s not like I have any direct relationship with you!"

    By this point, there was no need to hold back anymore. Hence, Hal grumbled without reserve against the adorable king.

    "Why can''t you leave me alone!?"

    "What are you talking about? I, Yukikaze, am so interested in you."

    The great dragon king looked quite surprised.

    "I, Yukikaze, hope that you would obediently kneel before me and swear eternal fealty to me."

    "Then recruit me properly! Don''t just dangle half-baked treats in front of me, but end up forcing me to get killed by you!"

    "That is because I am displeased by your indecisive manner."

    The princess went "hmph," looking a little offended.

    "You ought to be more resolute and dignified. However, you did quite well earlier, when you brought up for the first time what would happen if you were to defeat me."

    "Oh? That?"

    Hal remembered he had something quite rude to Princess Yukikaze went he got carried away in the mood.

    Something like "a promise that already assumes I''m gonna lose is outrageous. In case you lose, what are you going to offer me."

    He was very surprised that the princess actually liked this kind of attitude.

    "Yes, it is quite manly. Regrettably, I hoped you would add to that ''If I win, I will take the princess as my minion''."

    "Hmm¡ªI''m not good at dealing with stuff like that."

    "Naturally, I, Yukikaze, understand that is how your personality is. Nevertheless, I believe it wouldn''t hurt for you to be more forceful back then."

    "Why?"

    "I do not know how to answer that. However, it will be more to my liking if you acted that way."

    "Uh, meaning you''ll like me more?"

    "Yes."

    Eh? What was with this conversation?

    Hal was totally lost, and banished to the back of his mind the matters of the princess'' barehanded chop and the artificial meteor that was about to explode.

    Could it be possible that she harbored a certain level of affection for him? No, the princess herself seemed totally unaware too.

    If he exploited this situation with determination and forcefulness, perhaps he could easily¡ª

    (However, wouldn''t that interpretation be a bit too narcissistic of me...? Kind of like a boy in puberty, baited by a girl''s unintentional actions, finally ending up in ruin¡ª)

    Hal''s self-control overruled his deduction.

    However, Princess Yukikaze''s face was right before his eyes, frowning in puzzlement. She was probably feeling the same sense of dissonance as Hal''s from the conversation just now.

    The otherworldly beautiful maiden dragon king did not look displeased as a result of this¡ª

    (Since I''m destined to lose to the princess no matter what... In that case.)

    He might as well muster his courage and go crazy.

    Hal committed his resolve and brought his face close to Princess Yukikaze.

    "H-Haruomi...!?"

    The princess tried to speak but he sealed her mouth with his lips.

    This was a historical moment, a kiss between the successors of the Bow and the Arrow, between the imitation dragon king and the genuine dragon king.

    Next, the artificial meteor below exploded spectacularly near the Earth''s surface.

    Normally speaking, Princess Yukikaze''s dragon form should have flown away at full speed, to avoid getting caught in the blast.

    However, possibly because her human form''s mind was blanked out by Hal''s kiss¡ª

    The white dragon king''s massive body did not engage her prided super speed, and was completely swallowed by the perfectly timed explosion...

 Volume 8, 5 - The World Thereafter

    Volume 8, Chapter 5 - The World Thereafter

    Part 1

    Almost a year and a half had gone by since the great battle that took place outside of Earth.

    It was early March. Tokyo New Town had just entered the spring season. The weather still seesawed between warm and cold while true spring gradually approached, day by day.

    On this afternoon...

    The witch Shirasaka Hazumi got off from school early.

    The middle school division of Kogetsu Academy was nearing graduation, hence there were only morning lessons.

    Hazumi did not return home immediately. Instead, she remained in uniform as she traveled alone to Higashikomagata station of the New Town Loop Line.

    In front of the station, she entered an unassuming mixed tenant building. She passed by establishments such as a curry shop, a cafe, a massage parlor and a DVD shop before entering the glass door of Mirokudou, a used bookstore on the fourth floor...

    "Hello, it''s been a while. May I ask if it is alright for me to intrude right now?"

    "Oh of course. As you can see, we''re open for business right now with practically no customers. Stay for as long as you wish."

    Hazumi greeted the shopkeeper behind the counter as soon as she stepped into the store.

    The young man had stubble despite his handsome face and was dressed in a creased white shirt. The black apron, part of store attire, was also dirty. His name was Kenjou.

    He used to be employed at the Tokyo Branch of the research organization SAURU.

    Currently, he was the premier instructor at the Tokyo main office of GUILD, a civilian security company.

    "By the way, this lady here apparently has no intention of contributing to the store''s sales. Be my guest, have a chat with her."

    "It''s not my fault. Who asked this store to carry such extreme genres?"

    The only female customer replied to Kenjou.

    She was wearing glasses and dressed tidily in a suit. Her makeup and attire belonged to style of women in their twenties, thus presenting a very youthful impression. However, she was probably not the right customer for this hardcore and a little filthy used bookstore, which carried not a single comic book.

    Hiiragi Yukari. Back when she worked at the research organization SAURU, she had looked after Hazumi with care.

    Now, she was the head of the human resources department at the Tokyo main office of the civilian security company GUILD¡ª

    "From what I have heard, Hazumi-san, lately your health has improved from before, hasn''t it?"

    "Yes. After that incident with Princess Yukikaze... and Senpai, my health has been getting better and better." Hazumi recalled the commotion on that night, something she had not thought about for a long time now, and replied.

    "Asya-senpai says it might be because my health used to be poor because my heart and mind were unaccustomed to a witch''s power the whole time. But after Minadzuki awakened goddess power, the strain on me seems to have lessened a lot."

    "I see..."

    Hiiragi-san nodded.

    "So in the end, that night was a turning point for you too, Hazumi-san, not just the world."

    On a certain summer night, a mysterious magic symbol had appeared in an obvious manner on the full moon.

    In addition, a large dragon and several leviathans had fought, using low Earth orbit as the stage for an intense and haphazard battle.

    Finally, there was a mysterious meteor that almost crashed into Tokyo, but exploded in the stratosphere¡ª

    That night was named the "Full Moon Nightmare" incident. The media in every country competed to report on it. Nowadays, there was almost no one who did not know about it.

    The was dramatic change in the world''s relationship with magic, with the night of the nightmare as the turning point.

    "After that, SAURU''s business and staff in Tokyo New Town and the Kantou region... were all taken over by our civilian enterprise, GUILD," commented the young Mr. Kenjou poignantly, probably because it stirred up deep feelings in his heart.

    "Synthesizing leviathans, supporting various witches, devising strategy against dragon activity, on-site combat command, as well as serving as communication channels between various involved parties. Oh man, we expected the new faction GUILD to succeed easily as long as SAURU lacked the dragonbane advantage, but¡ª"

    "We never expected to win over contracts with all autonomous organizations across Japan not long after establishing GUILD for a year. How surprising..."

    Even Hiiragi-san was in awe. Hazumi laughed.

    "Smith-san was grinning when he said this was the matter-of-fact result."

    "Clearly he is a weirdo for liking such a comedic name."

    "Yes, the most surprising is our CEO after all... Oh right. I remember today is when the show airs! Kenjou-kun, could you turn on the television!?"

    "I''m on it, boss lady."

    Young Mr. Kenjou was actually older, but he was Hiiragi-san''s subordinate in rank.

    He replied respectfully as always and placed a portable LCD television on the counter, then turned it on and changed channel to show an afternoon variety show.

    ''Today, we have as our guest, the representative of the much talked about company GUILD. Welcome, John Smith Haruga-san to our studio~!''

    The female announcer introduced in a cheerful voice.

    ¡±Oh? Looks like it happens to be his turn now."

    "L-Luna-san is there too!?"

    "I requested for Miss Gregory to provide support on the side as part of marketing. Think about this. Although our representative''s abilities and social skills are so high that we have no choice but to admit defeat, his knowledge of common sense in the human world is still not enough..."

    The three of them stared at the small television together.

    Just then, the host and the female announcer was preparing to invite "today''s guest" to enter the show''s talk corner segment.

    The television showed a closeup shot of the guest sitting on the sofa.

    It was a red-haired man whose muscular physique was obvious even through the screen.

    He was dressed as a businessman of sorts, in a suit, but crimson in color. His white shirt had the top two buttons unfastened and he did not wear a tie. Based on attire alone, one might think he looked more like he worked at a host club.

    Furthermore, he was openly crossing his legs in front of the camera.

    This arrogant attitude and gaudy clothing would most likely earn criticism in normal situations.

    However, who knew if it was because of his natural charm or royal charisma...

    Mr. John Smith Haruga, the representative of the civilian security company GUILD, was rising in popularity all over Japan and the internet world.

    For some reason, his exaggerated yet natural speech and behavior was quite well liked. ''I am John Smith Haruga, the CEO of this company GUILD. Today, I''d like to explain to you all what role my company plays in Japan''s new anti-dragon defense plans, as well as its significance.''

    After saying this with a tense expression, he grinned mischievously and added, ''Oh. I welcome personal questions through email or fax. You can even send them directly to the GUILD, and I will answer them later. But let me be clear, it will depend on availability of time and staff.''

    This grinning brawny man looked around thirty or forty years old.

    However, his actual age was maybe thousands or tens of thousands of years. Age indeterminate, in any case. Only very few people knew his other name.

    The Flame Emperor. Red Hannibal. The dragon king himself who had conquered New York.

    "Phew."

    After the show, he returned to the room that television crew had prepared for him to rest.

    When Luna Francois was the only one present with him, Hannibal said contentedly, "Today''s show was quite interesting. This broadcast media called ''television'' is quite a good match for one such as I after all."

    "I think so too. But I think it''s a bit dangerous to go on shows."

    Extremely naturally, Hannibal slipped back into referring to himself as "one such as I."

    Luna calmly responded to the dragon king who possessed social skills one would not expect from a dragon. Though she normally preferred dressing up in Gothic lolita, today she was wearing a black suit.

    "Fufufufu. You should turn a blind eye to that. So-called combat instinct is accumulated through actual experience. And isn''t it because I devote so much effort to promotional activities that GUILD has taken control of Japan''s defense network in only a year''s time?"

    "Plan out, not take control." Luna corrected Hannibal''s brutally honest choice of words.

    However, she did not correct the content of what he was saying. Unlike SAURU, which was originally a secret association, GUILD''s policy was to boldly disclose information to Japan and the entire world. In other words, they widely publicized the fact that only witches and leviathans were capable of fighting dragons, and that GUILD was the organization devoted to using, researching and popularizing them.

    By spreading knowledge far and wide, the number of people wanting to become witches would increase.

    A greater pool of candidates would make it easier to find the talented ones. Increasing the number of excellent witches would promote competition and interaction between witches, thereby raising overall quality naturally.

    Hence, they made the decision to publicize information.

    That being said, the policy remained of withholding from the public the existence of elite dragons and dragon kings with the high intelligence and potent magic.

    In addition, regarding knowledge of dragonslaying runes, the policy was "it was okay to tell new witches if they actively asked" and give the standardized answer "secret techniques akin to finishing moves that only certain leviathans are capable of using" without hiding much in particular, because¡ª

    Juujouji Orihime, Shirasaka Hazumi, Luna Francois, Asya, as well as Haruga Haruomi¡ª

    One of GUILD''s objectives was to slowly increase their members from this small permanent lineup.

    "Still... I never thought we''d ask the great dragon king of New York to take on this kind of job."

    "Indeed. I am deeply surprised too."

    Hannibal chuckled "hohoho."

    The decisive battle against Princess Yukikaze happened a year and a half ago. There was no winner, and after the battle ended with the princess'' complete surrender¡ª

    The plan to establish the civilian security company GUILD entered the execution stage.

    At that point, they hired New York''s Red Hannibal to serve as their consultant.

    Reportedly, Hannibal had already entered into a private contract with Haruga Haruomi to establish a "Trans-Pacific Alliance" between Tokyo and North America to support each other. This was in consideration of a diplomatic strategy against the pure-blooded dragon kings whom they had yet to meet but may encounter eventually¡ªThe Black Lightning Emperor and the Blue Sea King.

    Because compared to a pure warrior race, a human dragon king was more suitable as an ally.

    Hannibal was quite interested in Haruga Haruomi''s suggestion, but he added a condition. He might consider it if he could take Old Tokyo from Princess Yukikaze''s possession¡ª

    Hence, the dragon king of New York became GUILD''s ally.

    He actively enjoyed this situation, taking on human form to visit Tokyo New Town, and even showed up frequently for meetings.

    Thanks to him, not only the witches but even ordinary company staff knew him as the "mysterious Japanese-American man of mixed ethnicity, John Smith Haruga." People outside of GUILD, such as Tokyo New Town''s metropolitan governor and city councilors, key persons in business sponsors, all knew of him.

    That being said, apart from Haruga Haruomi''s inner circle, no one knew his true identity.

    It was at that time that a question popped up.

    Very well, who was going to be the company''s boss?

    Founder Haruga Haruomi claimed "I''m not suited as leader, and I have after-effects to deal with, so count me out. Pick a witch and let her be the high school girl CEO." Asya and Luna said "it''s definitely better to choose someone Japanese." The Japanese-born witches also said "find someone a bit older..."

    A certain member of staff randomly suggested "Why not have Mr. Smith take the job?"

    There was virtually no opposition.

    Important people outside of GUILD who learned of this news (mainly Orihime''s grandfather, etc) all gave active support.

    Even though his resume was a little suspicious, compared to "the high schooler who somehow became a treasure hunter with deep knowledge of dragonkind''s magic" and "the world''s top-class witches, but they are high school girls," ultimately the preferred leader was an adult man in his prime¡ªThat was what conservative commoners tended to think.

    The main point was that the man who returned from America, calling himself John Smith Haruga, definitely exhibited human charisma that satisfied such thinking.

    Project leader Haruga Haruomi finally reached a conclusion.

    ''Our goal is not limited to Tokyo but to expand our business across all of Japan as well as the entire Trans-Pacific area. I''ve been thinking since a while ago, for this purpose, we need a representative who can serve as a mascot and go on television all the time. Mr. Hannibal might be a great choice as long as he''s willing to do it.''

    When they asked Hannibal, he immediately answered "Leave it to me."

    Thus, the CEO who devoted himself full time to promotional activities without taking part in running the company (more precisely, he was not authorized to participate) was born.

    Time went by¡ª

    Effective use of the CEO''s qualities in promotional activities.

    Possession of multiple master-class leviathans capable of effortlessly defeating large dragons that were more dangerous than Raptors, who had also played key roles in the "Full Moon Nightmare" incident.

    An attitude of explaining magic and the metaphysical body of knowledge in simple terms.

    Perhaps thanks to all of these advantages, the civilian security company GUILD expanded with rapid growth beyond expectation, to the current day...

    The nominal leader said solemnly, "The path to happiness is fraught with hardship. The enemy I should be most wary of right now is the legendary weekly magazine Sentence Spring, I suppose? The conqueror from dragonkind and dragon king in New York, the leader of a startup of rising prominence in Japan¡ªThey must not find out about this spectacular double life."

    "Normal people wouldn''t think of this possibility, it''s not like we''re talking Arsene Lupin here."

    A triple life as a gentleman thief / Russian noble / policeman.

    Luna named the superhuman who was capable of handling these multiple surreal missions simultaneously.

    "Actually, I think your resume fraud is the easiest to get caught."

    "My latest academic qualification is at Harvard Business School, right?"

    "However, I used my connections to have someone help make arrangements in America, so I don''t expect it to be exposed so easily. That human form, which you''ve shown to the Governor of New York, apparently has been classified as top secret by the US government, on the same level as Area 51."

    "Excellent... Oh, by the way, where is that guy?"

    "Harry?"

    "Yes. I expected my nominal nephew would surely visit the studio today."

    Hannibal''s newest alias, John Smith Haruga.

    The backstory was that he was Haruga Haruomi''s uncle.

    Luna shrugged and said, "That is the plan, yes, but today, Harry''s chronic ailment seems to have flared up again, so he didn''t even go to school and is resting at home."

    "Oh?"

    Part 2

    Well then¡ª

    The duel against Princess Yukikaze was a year and a half ago.

    Even now, Hal still did not believe he was the winner.

    However, with that incident as the trigger, "Princess Yukikaze''s complete surrender!" became reality, and Haruga Haruomi''s new life began too. This was the truth, no doubt about it.

    In addition, there were occasional flare ups of a chronic ailment, troubling Hal¡ª

    During the duel with the princess, Hal had used the technique that Hinokagutsuchi had taught him directly to turn into astral form. However, he had also learned magic for materializing his body.

    Nowadays, Hal was using a "temporary body" to live out his daily life.

    Eating, going to school, working at GUILD, fighting dragons, sleeping. Despite being a temporary body, it was still capable of doing most things well. However¡ª

    "Hmm¡ª"

    When he woke up this morning, Hal found himself transformed to astral form.

    No, more precisely, he had "reverted to astral form." This chronic ailment would flare up regularly.

    "My body has become both convenient and inconvenient..."

    Sure enough, astral form was his default state.

    Three or four times a month, he would suddenly become unable to sustain a corporeal body. At times like these, he had to spend roughly half a day in astral form, unable to materialize unless he waited a while. Today, it happened again in the morning.

    Hence, Hal used the spell of "transmit my voice yonder" to inform his acquaintances that he needed an emergency break.

    Then in astral form, he went for a random stroll in the sky.

    "I guess I''ll head home. I''m tired of wandering outside."

    His current altitude was almost 200 meters. Under him was the blue-green South Sea, stretching endlessly to the horizon in the distance. He was hovering aimlessly in the sky over the Pacific Ocean quite close to Australia.

    "Still, it''s thanks to this body that I''m no longer turning into a dragon."

    More correctly, "this is a temporary body, hence every time I switch to a new one, the dragonification symptoms reset."

    "Here I... go."

    With just a thought, he instantly returned to the entrance of his home at Tokyo New Town.

    In astral form, he could even reach space in one or two seconds.

    This level of elusive mobility was as easy as eating or breathing to him. Hal directly phased through the door and walls to enter his bed in the bedroom.

    "Let me take a nap to kill time until I can materialize..."

    He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

    After two hours or so, someone whispered in his ear.

    (Haruomi... Haruomi...)

    "Mmm¡ª"

    Half asleep, Hal answered in a vague voice. And ended up getting scolded.

    (Haruomi, get up. Your wife came to pay you a special visit.)

    "But... My usual ailment... I can''t materialize for now..."

    (No. Enough time should have passed. The wife is never wrong, okay? Haruomi, show me your mettle.)

    "Mm... But... I want to stay in bed longer..."

    By this point, Hal still tried to resist.

    "GUILD is already on track, my work has lessened quite a bit... I was thinking it''s time for me to take a long break and go on a vacation for the time being..."

    (Fool. Didn''t we already decide that if you are going to take a break, we will go on a trip together?)

    "Oh..."

    (Know that I, Yukikaze, am paying you a special visit precisely to go on a honeymoon with you, got that?)

    "No no no. We were saying next week..."

    (In any case, get up now. I desire to have a pillow talk with you, my beloved husband, to whisper sweet nothings to each other. Get up get up get up get up.)

    Though the princess was sulking, she had no intention of rousing Hal by force. She kept whispering softly in Hal''s ear.

    Hal felt poignantly this was part of the princess'' cuteness.

    He finally made his body materialize.

    Princess Yukikaze''s judgment was spot on, flawless.

    Thus, even though the sun was up, Haruga Haruomi was still in bed, face to face with a beautiful young maiden¡ªPrincess Yukikaze dressed in a white summer dress.

    "...Hi."

    "Fufufufu. You should be saying something more pleasing, Haruomi."

    Despite grumbling, Princess Yukikaze softly drew her face nearer.

    She approached the face of the sleepy-eyed Hal. Very near. Thus, she kissed Hal. A sudden kiss. Morning kiss. And not only once.

    Under the same blanket as Hal, the princess mounted him.

    Smooch. Smooch smooch smooch smooch smooch smooch.

    Without saying anything, she kissed Hal again and again.

    "A-Aren''t you being a bit too passionate?"

    "What are you talking about? When we were facing off in the sky, the one who took Yukikaze''s lips by force¡ªthese virgin lips that Yukikaze had never allowed any man to touch... Isn''t that you?"

    The princess spoke softly with a look of ecstasy.

    "Ever since, my heart has belonged to you. No, perhaps even earlier, I have harbored affections for you."

    "Ah, uh¡ª"

    "It is all because my beloved Haruomi asked that I stopped the battle, you know?"

    "......"

    This was the result of Hal following President M''s advice, to go crazy to his heart''s content during the difficult battle.

    After some twists and turns, Princess Yukikaze had declared her love for Hal and totally surrendered the battle, resulting in the current situation.

    That being said, the princess did not cling to Hal at all times.

    Sometimes she would return to the Old Tokyo Concession, or elsewhere on Earth, the sea of stars, or long expeditions transcending dimensions.

    Then she would come back to see Hal.

    "B-But I already have Juujouji..."

    "Kissing Yukikaze by force when you already have a love interest? Fufufu. It is only after entering this kind of relationship with you that I have discovered, Haruomi, you are quite a Casanova. You lecher."

    "Ah, oh no."

    From her words alone, one might think Princess Yukikaze was reprimanding Hal.

    However, the princess was gazing gently at Hal with steady sexiness in her eyes. To think that the maiden dragon king with a personality as straight as an arrow would have such a side to her.

    In addition, the princess even said this, "Besides, Haruomi, how many times have I told you that I couldn''t care less if you have other women? Rather, as Yukikaze''s husband, it is only right that you have concubines numbering a hundred or two."

    "......"

    "Have as many affairs as you wish, but in the end¡ªReturn to Yukikaze''s bosom."

    "!?"

    Still riding Hal, the princess was under the same blanket as him.

    She gently hugged Hal''s head against her chest. Haruga Haruomi''s face was directly pressed against her flat chest that was definitely nowhere near voluptuous!

    (Choopoi!?)

    A word of unknown meaning almost slipped out of his mouth.

    The princess'' chest was very petite yet full of overwhelming acceptance. It was enough to make Hal, who considered himself firmly in the "large" camp if he had to choose between large or small, slowly lean towards neutrality.

    Every time he had intimate contact with the princess, Hal would feel this deeply.

    Physical quantity of flesh was too low a bar for Princess Yukikaze.

    A brief tangent. Recently, the angel on Earth¡ªthe junior student Shirasaka Hazumi''s chest had matured substantially, showing a trend of catching up to her cousin, hence Princess Yukikaze was the most slender girl in Hal''s circle¡ª

    No matter what. Hal thought.

    Letting her have her way with me like this isn''t half bad... No no no.

    "Hey Princess. Your suggestion is great, but it''s totally beyond a little guy like me, or rather, it doesn''t suit¡ª"

    "Fufufufu. What a weirdo. Your wife Yukikaze is already not bothered by it."

    "Like I said, we''re not married!"

    "That can be solved by getting married right away. By the way, having dragged for this long, it is time to consummate the husband and wife relationship. Yukikaze shall offer everything to you."

    "C-Could you stop trying to destroy my self-control, okay!?"

    Hal and Princess Yukikaze were enjoying sweet times together. Then.

    The bedroom door suddenly opened.

    In entered Juujouji Orihime. His childhood friend Asya was also here. Seeing the dragon king and the Tyrannos "acting lovey-dovey" in bed, the two witches stared in wide-eyed surprise.

    "I should have known! Haruomi-kun, what are you two doing!?"

    "How dare you openly engage in impure interactions between genders in broad daylight~~~~! Even if God might allow it, I, Asya-san, shall not forgive you, Haruomi~~~~!"

    The two uninvited guests screamed and scolded.

    Although it was the beginning of a new conflict, Hal no longer needed to fight his own self-control. Hal inhaled deeply, finally getting a chance for a breather.

    Part 3

    "Sheesh. That Haruomi bastard, always acting so submissive submissive submissive submissive whenever he meets her!"

    Asya shouted in anger.

    She was eating and drinking ravenously at the counter of M, a cafe that did not sell alcoholic beverages, in front of Tokyo New Town''s Narihirabashi station.

    Running counter to contemporary trends of this era''s flourishing cafes, this shop employed Shouwa period ambiance and classy interior decor as its selling point.

    Naturally, smoking was allowed in the cafe. There was no separate smoking zone. Neither was there any non-smoking zone.

    Shopkeeper M was manning the counter.

    "Oh? I heard that the princess ran over to Haruga''s home yesterday?"

    Shopkeeper M. Naturally, this was President M from before.

    President M started working here as soon as she graduated. After just one week, the owner already appointed her as the shopkeeper and even allowed her to change the cafe''s name.

    "Getting a monster girl who lives only for battle and adventure to fall head over heels for him, and even made her his commuting wife, that guy did pretty well, I''d say."

    "I-Isn''t this your fault, Shopkeeper!?"

    "Oh dear, how so?"

    "Before the battle, didn''t you give Haruomi advice along the lines of ''follow your feelings and go crazy to your heart''s content!''? That''s why that bastard Haruomi did something so unlike him, kissing someone...!"

    "If you put it that way, I really can''t refute you..."

    Shopkeeper M gave a perfunctory response to the blame-assigning Asya.

    The counter was covered with food. Spaghetti neapolitan served on a hotplate. Vanilla ice cream with pancakes. Egg salad sandwich. Pork chop cutlet sandwich. Toasted sandwich. Western-style omelet rice with ketchup. Cream soda. Furthermore, there were very popular items that were available in spite of the cafe setting, such as tempura dishes, a miso pork chop set, hamburger steak with rice, plum seaweed tea, etc.

    All were ordered by Asya. And there was more.

    "Thank you for waiting. Here''s your French toast and large fries."

    The waitress bringing the food over was Asya''s acquaintance.

    Funaka-san, the twintailed girl who ended up assigned to the same class this year. There was another waitress as well.

    "This is Shopkeeper M''s special handmade soba noodles and mini tuna ricebowl meal set, limited to ten orders every day. By the way, Asya-san, I will be heading to the main office later."

    The short-haired girl, Mutou-san, deftly placed the food on the table.

    These two girls were still working part-time at GUILD, in charge of helping with handling clerical work for the main office and various offices in the Kantou region.

    Something had changed, while others had not.

    After the two waitresses went over to serve other customers, Shopkeeper M slowly started to speak. "However... Let me tell you this. You act so entitled while grumbling about the relationship between Haruga and the princess, but you don''t have any legitimate or necessary right to complain."

    Stab! Feeling her soul about to get pierced, Asya shuddered.

    "Because you and Haruga are merely childhood friends."

    "I-I am only concerned about their effect on public morals, they''ll be a bad influence on children!"

    "Shut up and listen, okay? If we use a certain famous romantic comedy as an analogy for the current situation, Princess Yukikaze would be Lum and Haruga''s lover, Orihime-san, would be Shinobu."

    "I-I don''t think children nowadays have read this manga!"

    "Those who haven''t read Taka¡ñ¡ñ Rumiko-sensei''s representative work are ignorant and lacking in common sense, forget about them. In any case, we have a young maiden is not human but super beautiful as the wife who moves in by force, as well as the Earthling lover. These two characters are the leads in the romantic comedy. As for you... a side character who shows up every now and then."

    "Guha!?"

    "If you hide your feelings for Haruga at the bottom of your heart like the dear little angel, ''avoiding action and saying wrong things,'' the type to stay by his side always... Perhaps, there''s a chance of trailing number one as number two or three, then making a sudden comeback in the final round."

    "Oooh."

    "Or like little miss Luna, biding her time while she waits for rivals to fail or destroy themselves, calmly thinking ''oh well, even if he marries someone else, it''ll be fine as long as I do a illicit & kidnap marriage later on?'', then you''ll have a pretty good chance too in the future."

    "Oooooooh."

    "But in the end, you''re simply here, eating like mad while wallowing in self-pity and despair, grumbling nonstop... If you flame someone anonymously on the internet, how will that solve love problems in the real world?"

    "Ugugugugu!"

    "But speaking of which, you totally lost in love a year and a half ago. Give up the past and move on, finding a new romance might be more productive..."

    "@¡ù¡ð¡÷¡õ!?"

    Asya wailed unrecognizably and collapsed her head on the counter.

    "By the way, why didn''t that Haruga guy come this morning? Lately, he has been coming here for breakfast when he doesn''t have school on weekends."

    "Oh, that''s right!"

    Shopkeeper M''s question prompted Asya to bounce up in surprise.

    "That bastard Haruomi took the chance to ask Orihime-san out on a date. He said ''Just the two of us, let''s go out on Saturday tomorrow''!"

    "Oh dear, is that so?"

    "Yes, it''s true. I overheard them chatting at Haruomi''s house yesterday."

    "..."

    "I knew this would happen some day. That''s why I''ve been building cordial relations with Princess Yukikaze. I''m gonna ask Rushalka to deliver a message and secretly tell the princess about this. I hope their sweet little rendezvous turns into a big incident that''ll shake the world!"

    "Girl, you need to put your efforts in the right direction..."

    Part 4

    The Saturday date arrived.

    Hal and Juujouji Orihime could finally spend time together for once, without anyone else interfering.

    "So, Haruomi-kun? What excuse did you find this time?"

    "Nothing, the princess was in my bed before I knew it... You know, right? Walls and locked doors mean nothing to her."

    "I know, but your complacency is part of the reason!"

    One could consider it a date for explaining and apologizing too.

    Trying hard to plead with the sulking Orihime, he had to find a way to make her go "there''s helping it" and forgive him. This had happened so many times over the past year and a half already.

    Incidentally, in the beginning¡ª

    ''I know you were cornered during the battle with the princess, b-but why did you kiss her!?''

    ''She, sh-sh-sh-she said she is your wife!? H-Have you and I divorced already¡ªNo! Speaking of which, we aren''t married at all yet!?''

    Pretty much like that.

    However, whether Princess Yukikaze or Hannibal, negotiation and friendship building were necessary against enemies who could not be handled by force alone.

    Thanks to Orihime agreeing to this point, GUILD was able to develop so smoothly now.

    Today, the two of them went out on a date early in the morning.

    They had agreed to meet up at ten in the morning, to watch a movie then have lunch at a trendy cafe.

    (Recently, Hal and Orihime both liked to visit the M, the cafe run by Shopkeeper M, but they unanimously decided it was not right for a date. Hence, the two of them went to a cafe at Kiyosumishirakawa to have a light lunch, a place which was not especially fun but at least they would not be running into people they knew.)

    Then they went to a seaside park at Gasai¡ª

    This park had a huge lawn, facing Tokyo Bay.

    And it was quite close to Shin-Kiba too. It was here when Hal, Orihime and Asya met for the first time and were attacked by Raptors.

    "The place where Hazumi was captured was at a pier nearby, right?"

    "Indeed. On further thought, that happened so long ago."

    There were no clouds in the sky on this day in early March.

    The weather tended to seesaw between warm and cold, but today''s weather was excellent.

    Warm. The wind was very gentle. It was totally spring weather. Hal and the smiling Orihime were strolling on the lawn on this holiday.

    Their conversation was not particularly interesting.

    But incredibly, just being by Orihime''s side made Hal felt very contented.

    Presumably, Orihime felt the same. He really wished such days could continue forever, but¡ª

    "It''s almost time for you... to depart, right?"

    "Yeah. GUILD has developed very smoothly, so it''s fine for me to leave Earth. I''m about to go on a journey of exploration."

    Hal calmly described his plan.

    "If in the long run, GUILD is to fight dragon king-class enemies and Tyrannoi who''ll come into being sooner or later, in addition to Asya and me..."

    "We might need more dragonslaying runes¡ª"

    "That''s why I have to go find them. It''d be a different matter if we could live forever without any chance of dying by accident."

    "..."

    "Anyway, I''d like to check out Mars or Venus first, which are closer, then beyond the solar system. One day, I''ll have to go to the vast universe outside the galaxy¡ªmaybe even to another dimension."

    Beyond Earth, dragons made expeditions to the sea of stars or alternate dimensions.

    Hal had heard about this more than once. However, he never expected himself to step into that territory too.

    He planned on leaving the Rune of the Twin Katana at Tokyo for now.

    This way, even if he lost his life during his explorations, he would still be able to leave the power of dragonbane with his friends...

    "We will need flints in the future too, and maybe I''ll even discover a secret technique allowing me to be reborn in a better body. Also, though Asya''s current level as Tyrannos isn''t that high, so dragonification isn''t an issue... One day, she might end up how I used to be."

    Slowly losing memories, even the body turning into a dragon.

    Once that happened, a new hybrid dragon would be born, and with it, Hal''s childhood friend would be lost.

    "I think the best way to handle issues in this area is to search for knowledge of Ruruk Soun outside of Earth."

    How incredible. Hal smiled wryly.

    After doing so much labor that was not his style, Haruga Haruomi finally returned to his original career.

    Namely, a treasure hunter and explorer.

    Probably because of that, he felt unbelievably relaxed and liberated even though he was about to set off to an unknown world.

    Orihime gazed at Hal with a smile¡ªPast tense. Her gaze instantly turned sharp, startling Hal.

    Hal braced himself, was she finally going to ask about that?

    "Then the one leading the way for you would be Princess Yukikaze..."

    "I... I can''t help it. Forget about Sophocles who can''t be located. I am heading somewhere no human had ever gone before, and Hannibal has GUILD work to do."

    Hal forced a smile to block Orihime''s sigh.

    "It''s not like I could ask anyone else¡ªEh?"

    He suddenly felt a pulse from the rune that was paired with his Bow.

    Hal immediately looked up at the sky. A small dot of light was approaching from the western sky¡ªthe direction from the Arrow user''s residence at the Old Tokyo Concession...

    "Princess Yukikaze is coming! Why!?"

    "H-Haruomi-kun, did you tell her you''ll be here!?"

    "No way! I tricked her, saying I''ll be dealing with desk work at the main office!"

    "Anyway, let us hide first! That aquarium looks good! It''s near too!"

    It was like last time when they were attacked by Raptors at Shin-Kiba.

    The two of them had sprinted at full speed to evade dragons. But last time, Hal tripped along the way, almost dooming them both.

    This time, they ran together.

    People spending a leisurely weekend at the park looked at them questioningly.

    "By the way, Haruomi-kun, I thought of something!"

    The athletic Orihime with excellent physical stamina said joyfully.

    A sprint of this level was not very exhausting for her.

    "That extraterrestrial expedition, why don''t I come along too!?"

    "W-What are you talking about!?"

    As for Hal, his physical stamina was still a normal person''s, disregarding magic and secret techniques. Hal was already panting heavily when he jumped in surprise.

    "It will be a very tough journey!"

    "Don''t worry, Akuro-Ou will be there, and you too, Haruomi-kun. More importantly, the reliable dragon princess will lead the way for us!"

    This move, huh? Hal laughed.

    Hearing that her rival had proposed this, Princess Yukikaze might be taken aback.

    Hal definitely thought the idea was not bad at all. In any case, the journey would most likely be filled with challenges. In that case, perhaps the more companions the better...

    "Why not ask Asya too, while we''re at it?"

    "Good idea. She will surely manage to find delicious food there and cook for us!"

    On July 1999, dragonkind returned to Earth.

    After that, more than twenty years passed by within the blink of an eye. Humans resurrected artificial dragons¡ªthe magic beasts, leviathans, also known as "serpents"¡ªas a means to oppose dragonkind.

    Currently, great changes were occurring in the way mankind was surviving on Earth.

    Thrown into the very center of this vortex was Haruga Haruomi. Laughing with the girl who was his reliable partner, he imagined the scenery of the stars far beyond.

    The journey was soon about to begin.

 Volume 8, Afterword

    Volume 8, Afterword

    Asya: "So with that, the concluding Volume 8!"

    President M: "Finally on sale."

    Asya: "It''s been so long... since the previous volume."

    President M: "This is a secret, but the manuscript itself was done a long time ago."

    Asya: "Specifically, it was ¡ñ months ago...?"

    President M: "Pretty much before ¡ñ¡ñ¡ñ when the weather was officially starting to warm up, I suppose?"

    Asya: "I don''t think the author remembers clearly anymore."

    President M: "Oh well, although there were many things to prepare, taking a lot of time, at least they succeeded in bringing Volume 8 to release for sale!"

    Asya: "Woohoo!"

    President M: "No need for manners tonight, just cut loose."

    Asya: "But Prez, this is the final volume. My presence need no explanation, but why is it that even you, President M, are showing up in the afterword? Wouldn''t it be better to have main characters?"

    President M: "Fool. This is approved by the author. There is no problem at all."

    Asya: "Why!?"

    President M: "The author suddenly realized what Volume 8 lacked was screen time for me. Since it''s already the end, might as well take this opportunity to write more of what he wanted to write."

    Asya: "Is it because a character that''s difficult to pin down like you, Prez, reminiscent of ''super famous person in real life'' can''t casually show up anymore, so he has to make the most of this opportunity?"

    President M: "Yes yes yes, that''s it."

    Asya: "Then it can''t be helped. Okay, it''s the last volume, let''s go full gusto!"

    President M: "In this series, the developments were not planned in much detail in advance... Only the ending was decided early to define the general direction."

    Asya: "Oh, I heard that none of the editors believed it."

    President M: "When the author said he''ll go the Uru¡ñ ¡ñ¡ñra route in the end, everyone thought he was joking."

    Asya: "Surprisingly, it really went down that route."

    President M: "There was that sudden Angel-chan special, but only things of this sort tend to go according to plan."

    Asya: "I heard that what the author really wanted to write was a relaxed romantic comedy that''s popular in the industry."

    President M: "He definitely did say that."

    Asya: "''Battle scenes are exhausting to write. Let''s make it more relaxed''."

    President M: "Then a few years went by... Popular trends went to ''accidentally ending up in an alternate world and easily setting off on a path of success'' so no matter what, this story isn''t going anywhere along the popular route."

    Asya: "I can''t believe a story where the author kept doing whatever he wanted actually concluded with the planned ending."

    President M: "It''s all thanks to the caring readers."

    Asya: "Please let us thank all of you right here and now."

    President M and Asya: "Thank you very much!"

    Asya: "By the way, I heard that editing of Volume 8 took place simultaneously with a certain series that''s being published by a certain publisher."

    President M: "Oh, the one that can even kill gods."

    Asya: "When the author first transferred to another company in the same industry, his first editor, a certain Mr. I, said ''You could write a story in the same style as Ca¡ñ¡ñ¡ñ¡ñne!, you know?''..."

    President M: "A certain godslaying series, right?"

    Asya: "Even if the setting is similar, if the story develops and ends the same way, it won''t be interesting anymore, so the author placed some kind of curse on Haruomi over here."

    President M: "In other words, the main character is a weak boy with empty knowledge who could never kill a god."

    Asya: "It just so happens that a certain series reached the point when the godslayers are in a battle royale. If Haruomi was in it, he''d most likely get kicked out right away."

    President M: "The author did mention before that''s the kind of existence Haruga is."

    Asya: "But getting kicked out instead of killed is even more..."

    President M: "But you''re not one to kill a god either, right?"

    Asya: "Oh!? I think I''m not that bad, actually! In-story, I''ve been praised as the genius witch many times!"

    President M: "The author apparently said ''Asya is too good at using cheap tricks''."

    Asya: "I-I-It''s clearly a description of the female protagonist played by Gakki in the current popular television drama, hearing that really pisses me off!"

    President M: "A prodigy who has reached the limits of humanity but totally not cut out to exceed limits. Using this kind of lineup as the main characters, this series would be a so-called unconventional battle story."

    Asya: "By the way, Leviathan of the Covenant has a lot of references paying tribute to entertainment from a past age, such as table-top RPGs. If those totally sailed over your head or if you''re interested, please go search up what kind of game they are."

    President M: "In the past, there were many specialized monthly magazines about them."

    Asya: "Recently, The Call of Cthulhu has gotten pretty famous... Right?"

    President M: "The likes of Nyarlathotep or Tsathoggua get mentioned all over the place, it''s pretty widespread right? Anyone who got all the references the author borrowed from D&D, Rune Quest, GURPS, Shadow Run, Foreigner, etc etc, would be pretty hardcore."

    Asya: "Actually, the biggest reference is the dragonslaying game, Road to Kingship."

    President M: "Translated to English, it''d be something like Roads to Lord."

    Asya: "Back during the author''s student days, he frequented Yuuentai, a game company, that had created a game with that same name."

    President M: "But back then, the production line had already stopped. Later on, the author went to another company and participated in TRPG creation with a certain Mr Itou Hiro to earn pocket money¡ªApparently something like that happened, or maybe not..."

    Asya: "So even that experience got turned into a reference to use in his work, how incredible."

    President M: "By the way, although it''s not a game, Hannibal-san''s election is inspired by the foreign novel Wild Cards which is apparently receiving a television adaptation."

    Asya: "Oh, it''s the same guy who wrote the super popular series A Game of Thrones."

    President M: "Yes yes yes. It''s a shared universe of novels using Japan as a stage with G. R. R. Martin as the organizer. It started with American writers playing a table-top RPG with American comic superheroes and then novelizing it... I could keep going about this all day long."

    Asya: "There''s never enough time to say everything, but¡ª"

    President M: "It''s time to say goodbye."

    Asya: "Everybody, My reincarnations, the second and third Asya will probably make their active appearances in the author''s new works. Please continue to support us...!"

    President M: "I don''t think the author is going to write another character with as little feminine charm as you, right?"

    Asya: "W-What the hell are you talking about!?"

    President M: "Or maybe he''ll accidentally create this kind of female character again...?"

    Asya: "Ngggggg! W-Whatever, anyway. Dear readers, thank you all for the support you''ve given for so many years, and all the best for the future! I shall return! Hey Solomon, I will definitely be back¡ª!"

    Back to Chapter 5	Return to Main Page