novelThe Faceless God (1)
| ← Ch.052 | Ch.054 → |
"Eei, can one really stay in house arrest at a time like this!? What's with this riot!? What the hell is the current Sword Division student council president doing!!"
Kanae who leaped outside from the student dormitory was yelling her lungs out while making her small statured body hop around.
The surrounding students who were running about trying to escape stared in amazement looking at Kanae's figure.
"Ka, kaichou...!"
"Not kaichou! Right now I'm just a Storm Cat. Call me Kana-nyan."
"Ka, Kana-nyan..."
"Nya―☆ What's happening right now? Explain the situation."
The female student that Kanae inquired explained as best she could even while in a state of confusion.
"That, illegal magicians have come invading inside the grounds, here and there were destroyed by magic...their chanting speed was staggering, their chanting didn't stop even when cut by swords, it's uncontrollable..."
"Illegal magicians? Not the Magic Division? Unknown enemy...? Do they have some connection with the person who tried to trap Nii-sama? Oi, where's their location?"
The moment Kanae asked, "DON!" the sound of explosions and buildings crumbling down deafened their ears.
"...I don't even need to ask, huh. Thank you, if I'm not mistaken...first year class two Iijima!"
"Y, you know my name!?"
"Be careful and escape okay! Nya―☆"
Leaving behind a strangely cute voice, Kanae dashed away.
"...Can I say that Kana-nyan-senpai is reliable? ...But she really does bring quite a relief though."
The student that was left behind mysteriously recovered her calm and whispered.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Kanae's beloved Sword Division was destroyed, left a mere shadow of its former self.
The school building that was made from wood was burned down by magic, becoming a pitch black fire-devastated area. It seems the fire was not spreading, most likely because of Kohaku and her comrades using the Battou Kaikon of the Sacred Treasures that possessed power over water like [Murasame] and [Sukehiro] to work in extinguishing the fire.
Moreover the mist was enshrouding the height of the people just right, concealing the figures of the escaping students. There was no mistake that this unnatural mist was the smoke screen magic that was Liz Liza-sensei's specialty.
But as she was approaching the limit of her magic power, the mist was starting to thin out.
Kanae first thought whether she ought to rescue the students who were collapsing from magic intoxication, but someone had already performed the rescue inside the mist. Inside the mist that was already in the process of clearing up, she couldn't find the figure responsible anywhere.
The worst situation was avoided due to that correct judgment.
And then Kanae discovered the figures of the enemy.
Ten silver-haired magicians covered in masks were forming a column to the side, they were advancing while pouring magic on any noticeable humans.
Regarding that there was a group that was unleashing counterattacks using Sacred Treasures. It was Kohaku's crew.
"But...that isn't really even a fight."
Kanae whispered in a bitter voice.
―Kohaku and the others' forte wasn't really effective against the enemy.
The strong point of Kohaku's party that equipped the Sacred Treasures was fast rotation of long-range attacks. Its might was decidedly inferior compared to Summoning Magic but, Battou Kaikon was able to invoke magic without chanting.
Therefore Kohaku and her group would obstruct the opponent's spell chanting with swift attacks and overcome the resistance one-sidedly, that's how their tactic should be happening. But that kind of tactic wasn't working on the enemies in front of them.
There were two miscalculations.
First, the cycle of the masked magicians' spell chanting was abnormally fast.
No, the speed of their spell chanting might not actually be that fast. But from what Kanae saw, she had a hunch that those guys were chanting four kinds of magic all at once. That was not a joke.
And then the second miscalculation, even when the masked magicians got hit by Kohaku and the others' attacks, their concentration toward spell chanting wasn't interrupted at all. Rather than saying their concentration was uninterrupted, it looked more like they didn't think of anything at all, it was an eerie sight.
As a result, Kohaku and her group were taking the masked magicians' magic one after another. They couldn't prevent the opponents' chanting at all, that's why if they were not a [swordsman that could evade Summoning Magic] then they would not be able to fight. That was the limit of relying on just the strength of Sacred Treasures.
If it was not a fighter around the level of Kohaku, Kanae, or Iori, then they wouldn't be able to make a dent to this formidable enemy.
"Move back! The only one who can become their opponent is just this one!!"
Finally Kohaku ordered her comrades to retreat with an expression of grief. She made the tragic judgment that her fighting alone was a better decision.
"Geez...what kind of pitiful face are you making, student council president!"
"Ka...Kanae-kaichou!?"
Kanae overtook Kohaku who was exercising long-range attacks, approaching the masked magicians like a gale.
"The president is you! I am Kana-nyan!! Nya―a!!"
Kanae evaded all the magic that came flying with paper-thin distance, then she started hacking to pieces with her two katana like she was dancing.
"Kaichou...no, Kana-nyan-senpai!"
Kohaku helplessly accepted the weird given name and yelled.
"Please be careful! Their magical power is unusually massive, no matter how many times Kana-nyan-senpai keeps cutting with those small katana it won't make any damage...!"
"I know!" Kanae yelled back.
"The thing that we should do right now is buy time! Until Nii-sama and Otonashi Kaguya come...we have to hold back the damage to the Sword Division as much as possible!"
————————————
Kazuki and the others finally escaped from the underground facility.
When they hurriedly exited from the underground, the grounds of the Magic Division was enveloped in a strange silence. As though all the students finished taking refuge...
From the other side in the Sword Division, sounds of buildings being destroyed and the stir the escaping people could be heard.
"Don't tell me...the Magic Division left the Sword Division alone and is taking refuge!? Even though those Quad-core Magica aren't opponents that can be defeated without the aid of the Magic Division students!!"
Mio raised her voice as if she couldn't believe it.
"...This is the work of Nyala-whatchallit-pu. That guy probably returned to the appearance of Headmaster Otonashi and put out instructions for the students of the Magic Division to take refuge."
Using the appearance of Headmaster Otonashi to control the nucleus of the Magic Division, what a scheming Diva.
There was no doubt that the one who tricked him into all those false crimes was that guy.
That jet black Nyala-whatchallit-pu...!
"Kazuki...it's Nyalatoteph."
Koyuki gave a tsukkomi toward Kazuki calmly.
"Anyway let's hurry!"
Kazuki and the others ran in the direction of the sounds. Vast magical power was blowing violently like a storm.
When they leapt over the pitch-black burned down area of the carbonized wooden school building and finally arrived at the battlefield, over there was Kanae and Kohaku who were fighting as the opponents of the ten Quad-core Magica.
Especially Kohaku who was markedly damaged from the magic that she couldn't dodge.
The moment Kazuki and the others finally came, the shrouding mist cleared up completely.
"Kanae! Kohaku! Are you guys okay!?"
"Kazuki! So you returned from the underground safely!"
"Nii-sama!?"
Kohaku and Kanae were both turning around in his direction.
Kanae's cheeks flushed in the blink of an eye, her eyes started to glitter like a shining star.
"Ni - i - sa - ma~~!!???!! Meeting Nii-sama after so long, Kanae with the force of a cat at full speed is nya nya nya nya~n!!"
While screaming, Kanae dashed fiercely to Kazuki with a force that left behind afterimages.
"Fast!? Even compared to that time...!" Kohaku shuddered after seeing that speed.
"Nii-sama Nii-sama Nii-sama~!! Pleaseee give me a kiss of reunion!!"
Kanae came hugging him with the force of a tackle.
"Idiot, what are you doing in the middle of battle!"
Kazuki stretched apart Kanae's mochi-like cheeks with a 'GUII~'.
"Funyaaaaaaa!" Kanae raised a shriek happily.
At that time a huge ball of fire came flying.
"...Look out!"
Kazuki held Kanae in a princess-carry and leapt to the side.
"The long awaited Nii-sama's princess carry! Kanae...has no regrets anymore even if I die nyan..."
"Cut it out!"
As expected Kazuki raised his voice and scolded Kanae. This was completely not the situation to joke around.
"Everyone, let's form the Heaven and Earth Formation! Me, Kanae, and Kohaku will cut into them! I will become the shield as much as possible, everyone else will attack with magic from behind!"
"Understood!"
"Okay desu!"
"I understand."
Mio, Lotte, and Koyuki began chanting spells at the same time.
While Kazuki sensed the torrent of magic power at his back, he plunged into the column of Quad-core Magica.
He had to draw the magic towards him as best as he could!
"O will of the god of the whirling sky! Assemble in my hand, lend me the authority of judgment! O radiance of the divine right of the King, become a dazzling brilliance bow drawn to its limit! Thunder God BowLightning Line!"
A dignified voice was audible from somewhere―several streaks of lightning pierced the Quad-core Magica.
This magic is...!
"Hoshikaze-senpai!"
"Hayashizaki-kun! ...Did you find it, the proof?"
Hoshikazi-senpai slipped through the rain of magic with lightning speed utilizing Ride Lightning, rushing over to Kazuki's side. This person's battle power was first rate as expected.
"...Yes! Sorry to make you worry."
Without asking for the particulars, Hoshikaze-senpai smiled and said "Is that so" with just that.
"This, I'm returning it."
The item she handed over was Kazuki's beloved katana, Doufuu. After handing over the katana, senpai carried a different katana that she used during the time she was practicing with Kazuki.
"...What in the world are those enemies?" Senpai inquired.
"Those are, artificially strengthened magicians that had been experimented on. Their personalities had been destroyed, there is no way to save them anymore other than to defeat them."
Hoshikaze-senpai's expression darkened. Senpai was a kind person after all. But in this situation there was nothing more they could do.
"Understood. So there is no other way than to fight, right?"
When Kazuki nodded, Hoshikaze-senpai dropped her pained expression and chanted the magic "Storm Fort". The Quad-core Magica launched their magic over but all of it was sent flying by the storm. If they attacked based on compatible elements, the wind would probably be pierced, but as the compensation of having their personalities destroyed, they didn't have that much intelligence left.
Inside that wind...Hoshikaze-senpai kneaded up an enormous magic power!
"Know the rage of the god with this thunderous roar of the sacred flame! Every howl of the sky resides in this hand, bring down the hammer and break the world! One blow to destroy the world! Sky Drum Pressing Lightning HammerYagrush!!"
The wind ceased. In Hoshikaze-senpai's hand, a large hammer was gripped tightly.
That was...Baal's level 8! A high tier magic that Kazuki and the others still couldn't chant!
When Hoshikaze-senpai held that hammer aloft, it raised a boisterous noise and dark clouds covered the sky.
Hoshikaze-senpai ran, not to the whole group of Quad-core Magica itself, but to the middle point between two Quad-core Magica. Once there, she raised the large hammer overhead.
"I will end this painlessly at the very least...!!"
Along with a yell of fighting spirit, she swung down the hammer at the empty point where no one was.
At that moment, countless flashes of lightning that blinded the eyes poured down from the dark clouds in the sky.
The raging sound of lightning reverberated, all of the world was shaking loosely with a thunderous roar and earthquake!
Nothing could be seen from the light and the cloud of dust―when all of those cleared up, a huge crater was formed at the point where Hoshikaze-senpai struck the ground, the two Quad-core Magica that were located at either side of that point had exhausted all of their defensive magic power and collapsed. Both those elves together with just one hit was...
"Nii-sama...that person, she tried to smash Torazou with that at the inter-division match, right?"
Kanae whispered while drawing back.
...Let's absolutely not make Hoshikaze-senpai mad shall we.
"Let's get going quickly!"
Hoshikaze-senpai began to chant her next spell. Even while chanting she ran around with lightning speed, hitting ceaselessly with Lighning Line, she couldn't be targeted by the opponents' magic.
"...Kenki Tensei! Thy name is...Ooishi Susumu! Go!"
A phantom dashed into the battlefield holding a long katana in his hand.
"Thy name is...Otani Nobutomo! Go!"
Another phantom ran at full speed holding a wooden sword.
"Thy name is...Shimada Toranosuke! Go!"
The owner of the voice was Kazuha-senpai. The same as when she was fighting Kazuki, it seems the limit of the phantoms this magic could summon were three bodies. Right now the three master swordsmen that were summoned to this place were master fencers in Bakumatsu era.
"Mikohime-sama!? ...You can't, senpai mustn't use magic in the place where people are watching!!"
Kohaku raised a voice tinged with a shriek.
"Don't say stupid things! Even though that shameless man over there is also fighting, there is no way I could just sit quietly in this emergency situation!!"
"GUWAHHAHHA! Kazuha, looks like this battle is not a place you can joke around, you mustn't try to do close-quarters combat, you understand!!"
At Kazuha-senpai's side, Futsunushi no Kami's avatar who was in the role of overseer was floating.
"Uuu...I know! Don't laugh! Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!"
Rain of Sacred Treasures poured incessantly at the Quad-core Magica who just stood stock still like scarecrows because of their lack of combat instincts.
At that moment, Mio, Lotte and Koyuki fired off their magic too.
The trend was determined. The battlefield was blanketed with the blue light of magical power, displaying the damage of the Quad-core Magica.
Even though they were Quad-core Magica, they were defeated one after another.
Kanae and Kohaku were no longer needed to act as the vanguard, they watched over the situation attentively.
"That is Nii-sama's Heaven and Earth Formation, Kohaku."
"..."
At the side of the proudly looking Kanae, Kohaku kept silent with an expression as if she was chewing a bitter bug.
Kazuki looked at those two with a sidelong glance, he once again thought curiously about what was going on between the two of them.
But that was for another time...with all these comrades, they could stop the Quad-core Magica!!
——————————————
"Please wait a little bit, Beatrix-sama, Damian-sama, Eleonora-sama."
Headmaster Otonashi lowered his head respectfully to the three Einherjar that appeared at the staff room.
"...The battlefield is waiting for me you know?"
Beatrix floated a smile with a broad grin. Those cheeks were blushing like a maiden in love.
"Beatrix~, do you really need all three of us heree~. For this kind of school you seee~"
The small statured girl called Damian talked while showing ridicule on her face.
The magic power of females was higher compared to males, in the current era where many females were far better at battle than males, the number of females that were named with male names were not few.
"Three people are still not really enough you know, Damian. After all our opponent is a BasileusKing. Actually we should bring not only three but come here with even more numbers but, since this is a sudden request."
"For the captain to lose...maybe there is some mistake."
Eleonora who was a lady with a tall stature that was long, slender, and well proportioned, whispered expressionlessly.
"This me, without doubt had lost, Erii. If the one that beat me is just a normal student then my stock will fall sharply. I guarantee that boy is not just a normal opponent."
"I'll buy it~, that free-falling stock, I'm going to buy it for sure~. And then I will be promoted to captain."
Damian raised a laughing voice 'kekeke'. Her tone was vulgar but she had a high-pitched voice like a child.
A confused atmosphere flowed in the staff room because of the three visitors.
"Fathe...Headmaster."
Kaguya who was on standby in that place cut into the conversation.
"The report that the attack had already been resolved should have come in already, shouldn't it?"
The report that the situation had been resolved with the unknown enemies exterminated had already come to the staff room. However Headmaster Otonashi shook his head.
"What are you saying? These girls came to capture the illegal magician and Charlotte."
The illegal magician here was referring to the matter of Hayashizaki Kazuki.
"Oi, how about making that Ojou-chan help too huh~....Or rather that Ojou-chan is quite strong right? I can feel her presence is not normal ze~"
Damian fixed her sights on Kaguya, Headmaster Otonashi nodded his head toward her question.
"Of course, Damian-sama. Kaguya...you understand."
After being made sure by Headmaster Otonashi, Kaguya felt like her head was dulling.
Along with the haziness from the dulling in her head, even her own emotions felt like they were going far away...
"...Yes." Kaguya replied flatly and distantly.
"Yosh, me and ~Damian of the Sword~, ~Eleonora of the Shield~ will stand as the vanguard. The daughter of Headmaster Otonashi will provide rear guard support. I've heard that you are not just an average student, I have high expectations of you, okay. Rather I want to try to fight you someday, fufufu!"
Beatrix unintentionally leaked out a laugh like a kid waiting for her treasured holiday.
"...Lad, this is my Heaven and Earth Formation!"
| ← Ch. 052 | Ch. 054 → |