novelOutbreak of War (2)
| ← Ch.094 | Ch.096 → |
Without any sound or vibration, a frame with a streamlined shape that emitted blue light left behind the scenery outside the window.
Using the new metal born from alchemy, ~Mythril~, abundantly, the ~Magic Light Train~ ran by receiving the assistance of Psychokinesis. Because of how rare mythril was even now, this train was never operated except when it was operated privately during trials by the staff.
But the rare mythril was prioritized to be circulated for the Knight Order, so a [magic light train for military use] covered the whole country from Hokkaido to Kyushu. War roads for military use were spread out running parallel with the civilian Shinkansen. It could transport the knights to major cities throughout the whole country with a capacity easily surpassing 1000 people.
There was also criticism on the military's monopoly of mythril, but an efficient transportation method was essential for the Knight Order that was few in number to deal with all the incidents throughout the country of Japan.
The total of 150 Knight Academy students led by Kanon-senpai also settled themselves comfortably and headed to Shizuoka garrison. There was no noise, no need to decelerate the speed in curves, using the special characteristic of magic light trains to always run at it top speed, even the distance between Tokyo to Shizuoka wouldn't take more than one hour.
"We will arrive at Shizuoka soon after this. Let's have a soak at Atsumi's hot springs―?"
Kanon-senpai raised a cheer, they had arrived at Shizuoka before they even realized it.
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The Knight Order's garrison at Shizuoka was a building that was once called Shizuoka prefectural police headquarters that had been expanded and remodeled. Once they disembarked from the military train, the building was located within immediate walking distance from the station.
After passing through a bombastic entrance made from stone, they were greeted with splendid buildings that were equipped with transmission towers and the like lining up, but in contrast with that splendour, they couldn't feel any human presences in the area.
"Right now this place has been completely deserted. The main force of Shizuoka regiment had moved to the western prefectural border...In other words, the area close to the military demarcation line with Yamato. There they had already set up a temporary front line garrison and transferred there. It's for the sake of defense. It's just that we have to follow a track to reach there, so we are going to travel by bus from here."
Akane-senpai explained briskly while leading Kazuki and the others to the destination. Cars and buses for military use were lined up in a huge parking lot. If it was in the old era then this place would be used to deploy tanks or armored vehicles without a doubt, but against magicians, the shells of tanks and armor of armored cars were nothing more than a pointless waste of expenses.
Vehicles were not a method of battle but merely a means of transportation for knights.
Because of that reason these military use cars and buses that were lining up here had almost no difference with the passenger vehicle of civilians.
"Cars are well used to assist us in dealing with incidents within the prefecture, but it's the first time for me to use the bus."
Akane-senpai whispered. It means that a big incident that is needed to collect and transport a lot of knights had never happened until now.
There was a driver that had been already on standby at the driver seat. The driver was not a specialist in magic battles but seemed to belong to the rear support unit. He was a little older compared to the usual knight. Magic power declined at the peak of 20 years old. The knight who had reached a certain age and even more didn't manage to get promoted to management class would be reassigned to the rear support unit like this.
Kazuki and the others were pushed inside the rustic military bus that was painted in olive drab color traditional since the time of the Self Defense Force until they were packed tightly. They couldn't possibly wish for a comfortable ride like the train that they had just ridden before this. This uncomfortable ride really made them feel the [sense of the actual scene] of the Knight Order's work. The number of words the students spoke started to lessen naturally.
Divided separately into four buses, Kazuki and the others headed to the military boundary line.
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"Oh my, Kazuki. How pleasant it is to be able ride with you. I can't help but feel a destined throbbing in my chest."
Inside the bus that was packed tight like a crowded train, Miyabi-senpai was there at a distance where their bodies could easily touch each other.
"...Looks like the men of the Sword Division were provided with an exclusive bus for men and got crammed there, but you could ride in this bus couldn't you? Fufuu, so this is the benefit of being a swordsman of the Magic Division."
"There was a different bus for that? They were saying that it's okay to just ride this bus and I was pushed inside from the back."
"There are only girls that will welcome to get jam packed together with you here you know?"
"...That's not true. I don't welcome you here."
A quiet voice came from beside Miyabi-senpai. It was Shinobu-senpai.
"So Miyabi-senpai and Shinobu-senpai also volunteered."
"For the moment, we believe that we are quite powerful even among the upperclassman. It's not like there is some laudable feeling inside me that wants to fight for the world and for the people. Fufufu."
After chuckling refreshingly, she added one more thing."Moreover, our hometown is also under occupation."
So Miyabi-senpai was also from west Japan.
Miyabi-senpai had a past where she was persecuted by her surroundings because she became an elf. Miyabi-senpai and others who were in the generation of [the first elves] should have been oppressed even more severely than Koyuki.
Such a senpai talking about her feelings of her hometown...was surely the proof that she had overcome her past and let bygones be bygones. Even though her words of [for the world and for the people] were mixed with a joking tone, he could also feel the nobility in it.
"It's fine even if that kind of place got totally destroyed."
But Shinobu-senpai murmured such words vacantly.
"Don't say such things like it's okay for something to get completely destroyed Shinobu. With the passing of time, the feeling of ourselves and our surroundings will also change and we might be able to think that maybe we could just let it go, isn't that so? If something got destroyed then that's the end of it you know?"
In fact, the discrimination against elves was thinning as the years went by. It was because of the conjecture from telepathy scan that the elf's mind structure was no different at all from normal humans, and also elves that became knight cadets capitalizing in their excellent traits in magic power or becoming famous as young alchemists had begun to appear here and there.
The product of human experiments―such a truth still hadn't been made public to society yet, but a part of the politicians that knew the truth influenced the mass media, and indirectly began to form the public opinion to protect the human rights of these elves. From now on their situation would surely gradually become better in time.
Although she was not the person concerned herself, Shinobu-senpai also had a past that deserved her resentment. It seemed that resentment didn't simply fade however...
"...There is nothing that's changed. Whether it's the surrounding bunch, or my own feelings..."
Shinobu-senpai rejected all change. Even the fact that Miyabi-senpai transformed into an elf had not been recognized by her. Inside Shinobu-senpai's eyes, it seemed she was seeing Miyabi-senpai with black hair.
Denying reality―even in the case where the truth was really obvious, if accepting that truth caused a great uneasiness then that person would reject accepting that truth, it was that kind of mental state.
"You said that nothing changed. Don't you feel a locked up feeling that choked your breath from that unchanged situation?"
"!" Against Kazuki's question, Shinobu-senpai's expression tightened rigidly with hollowness somewhere in it, then she glared at Kazuki. From the side, Miyabi-senpai embraced Shinobu-senpai's face in her arms.
"...Kazuki, thank you. This child even now should be feeling it still. Also for a person to think of us and talk this much, in these ten odd years you are the first..."
"...Nee-sama, please don't say such irresponsible things! This kind of guy is nothing!!"
Shinobu-senpai separated herself from Miyabi-senpai's hand and tried to take distance from Kazuki. However she crashed against other students inside the cramped bus making "Wait" troubled voice coming at her.
"...If it wasn't for Nee-sama participating then I had no intention of volunteering for this kind of Quest either. To get stuffed inside like this.
"Please be patient." Miyabi-senpai attempted to soothe Shinobu-senpai and embraced her head once more.
From there she moved her gaze outside the window.
"I'm looking forward to this. To fight as a knight, as a hero, like that."
The early afternoon sunlight coming from outside was reflected at Miyabi-senpai's moist red eyes in a glisten.
"...If I make a notable service in this Quest, then this me who is an elf, will be thanked by everyone...such a thing might also happen, don't you think so?"
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Kazuki also looked outside the window. West Shizuoka―according to the signboard that they just passed they were approaching the area around Hamamatsu city. However the grave-like silence that was really unnatural didn't show any sign of people.
Akane-senpai, who was standing beside the driver seat opened her mouth.
"The residents in the vicinity of the military boundary line have already been evacuated. This area has been emptied. Because we won't know what kind of damage will happen if the other side invaded and it turned into a defensive battle."
These urban areas might transform into a battlefield, it made Kazuki ponder once more. How much damage would come out in the coming battle? Even the public houses and the like might get toppled like dominos from offensive magic.
If Yamato really came invading, they would surely march to the garrison aiming for the Knight Order there. Exterminating the knights - making them retreat with their defensive ability lost, all for the sake of completing the occupation.
Where should the knights meet the enemy? Should they have unfolded the border war at the military boundary line, or should they hole up in the garrison and bring the battle into a siege battle, or else to reduce the damage to the surroundings should they lure the enemy skillfully outside the urban areas?
In this magic war where everything was still an unknown, tactics that could be called [established tactics] didn't exist.
Suddenly the bus stepped on the emergency brake, the jam packed students staggered and pitched forward as if to fall.
When he peeked at the front glass far at the front wondering if something happened, four or five men and women carrying large baggage on their shoulders were walking this way from the opposite side of the road that was supposed to be empty from people.
Kanon-senpai disembarked from the bus and walked approaching those people and said a few words.
After senpai nodded with 'uh-huh" listening to the people she returned. Then she explained the circumstances to the students.
"...Looks like people that got delayed in evacuating. Surely they have a lingering attachment to their city and homes and didn't leave until the last minute. Even if they rebuild their homes again, the memories can't be recovered after all..."
Thanks to alchemy, construction costs for houses, buildings, roads and the like could be cut far cheaper than in the previous era. Actually, with Kazuki's fight against Loki and the final match of the battle election, the fountain plaza had been destroyed twice, however he had witnessed how it was immediately repaired to be just like it was before being destroyed.
However, people who couldn't feel good even though the broken things were restored as it was brand new existed in great numbers in society.
After seeing off those men and women passing through beside the bus, they departed once more.
―After that, for a while similar occurrences happened a few more times. When they had advanced just for a little, they would immediately encounter some people that were in the middle of evacuation. Just like the first encounter Kanon-senpai would get down from the bus and listen to their story one by one, but gradually the bus kept advancing forward without stopping even when they encountered more people without confirming each and every one of the refugees.
"...There are quite a lot aren't there, these people that are late in evacuating."
While pressing close to Kazuki more than she needed to inside the bus that was packed in like a can of sardines, Miyabi-senpai whispered in his ear. Certainly there was a lot. Even though the people who were evacuating didn't necessarily need to use this road, they kept running into almost dozens of people here and there already.
"...Kazuki-oniisan!" Suddenly he heard a panicked voice, Lotte pushed her way through the jam packed bus and ran to Kazuki's way."What is it?" Kazuki embraced the girl.
"...It was the people who were evacuating just before, but it was from inside the bus so I can't really perceive it clearly and I don't have much confidence in it desu but..."
Lotte prefaced her talk that she didn't really have any confidence in what she was going to say, but as if she had conviction in the feelings that she harbored, anxiety and trepidation came to the surface in her expression.
"Those people from before...harbored hostility toward this bus desu."
―Lotte was a prodigy in telepathy. Even without exchanging words, the girl could perceive the emotion of the people around her....Hostility, she said? The refugees? Was it from how they had to evacuate so they harbored dissatisfaction toward the Knight Order? That was stupid.
...Then were they enemies? Were they secretly passing through the border and coming to this side for the sake of taking guerilla action inside eastern Japan? No, for dozens of sleeper agents to pass through the same route should be inconceivable.
Their aim was...to take the rear of the bus.
"Kanon-senpai! The refugees just now...!" Kazuki who became aware tried to call out in a loud voice but,
―Even earlier than him, Akane-senpai yelled some words in high emergency.
"Kanon! Magic power reaction from the front!! ...Offensive magic is coming!!"
Kazuki whose attention was taken by his talk with Lotte noticed it too late. Magic power sprang forth from further ahead in the road, it swelled out as if rupturing―magic was invoked!
Several fire balls and rocks came flying from the road ahead. One moment, the front window of the bus looked like a screen of a shooting game. However they couldn't evade like in a game. The fireball impacted the front side of the bus, the bursting heat and shockwave fused the glass and armor. Right there many rocks were launched one after another, easily penetrating inside.
"The driver's protection-!!" Kanon-senpai yelled.
A fire ball struck the inside of the bus with explosive force, the bus was blown up and pulverized.
Inside the exploded remains of the smashed apart bus, countless blue lights of the students were shining. Just from having their vehicles blown up and getting thrown outside wouldn't cause any damage to magicians who were protected by defensive magic power.
But, they fell into chaos―the students who were thrown onto the street couldn't grasp the situation at all. They looked around restlessly in confusion while being enveloped in blue light inside the flame and smoke. And then from behind, of all things that could happen the following buses sent the students flying. Those buses were also bombarded with offensive magic from the front and went through the same fate as the first.
"Form the Heaven and Earth Formation!" Akane-senpai yelled with a desperate voice.
However the movements of the panicked students were sluggish.
Furthermore angry roars and footsteps of a charge that was as if an earthquake was happening came from further ahead.
What came was several dozens of ~swordmen~. Young people with common clothing like shirts and parkas were charging this way holding Japanese katana in hand―Yamato's army!
"Sword Division unit! Follow me!!" Kanae immediately reacted, she charged the enemy while yelling."It's okay not to think of anything, anyway just come with me!!"
Hearing that voice, the students of the Sword Division finally recovered from their confusion. A simple principle―remembering that it was fine to just follow the Sword Division's strongest student council president blindly, they chased after her back.
Swordsmen and swordsmen clashed against each other. The sound of blades clashing informed the start of the engagement.
Yamato's swordsmen were merely ordinary people with slightly stronger magic power that got incited by the politicians. When compared with the students of the Sword Division, they could even be said to be a disorderly mob.
However the enemy's rear guard―Yamato's Magica Stigma launched offensive magic one after another, the Sword Division students were blown away without even any time to bring the fight into a match of swords.
The Magica Stigma of Yamato chanted their Summoning Magic while being possessed by their Divas.
The chanting time of this ~Possession SummoningDrive~ was short.
The students of the Magic Division had to support the swordsmen of the Sword Division.
Akane-senpai yelled her commands to the Magic Division students who were still in a state of chaos.
"The students of the Magic Division come forward, chant defensive magic and low level magic to restrain the enemy!"
They had to come forward for the sake of confirming the enemy's figure by sight so they could invoke the Summoning Magic. If they didn't settle the enemy into their ~magic perception range~ then the Summoning Magic couldn't be chanted.
Summoning Magic that was borrowing the power of Divas need the [recognition] of the Diva by showing [ what their strength would be used for] by transmitting that intent in the shape of a spell. Only by earning that [recognition] could the Summoning Magic be invoked. For that sake, first the Magica Stigma needed to perceive the enemy's existence clearly, and then they had to transmit the will to defeat that enemy to the Diva.
They had to catch the figure of the enemy. The students of the Magic Division advanced through the road that was still smoldering with smoke attempting to ascertain the enemy while being protected by the frontline swordsmen.
And then they were [sighting] the illegal magicians of Yamato. Their bodies were dressed uniformly with Japanese style Magic Dresses and they were accompanied with what seemed to be the avatars of Japanese Mythology's Divas at their side.
The students of the Magic Division were also starting their chanting all at once.
"Burnt to ashes of all you touch...O scorching heat of rejection without any place to depend on! Self Burning!"
"First we start from hardening our defense right? ...Mirror O mirror, lop off the gaze of the unsightly people and their craving hand! Mirror Shield of Moon CircleMoon Ring - Mirror Field!!"
"Hmph....Thy wing bestowed by Belphegor, O ~ice pillar of flame~! Cover and hide us, become the contradicting wall of irrationality! Cross Conflict!!"
Kazuki, also Miyabi-senpai and Shinobu-senpai attached defensive magic on the swordsmen.
"Dancing wing's scattered sparks. Lingering wind of spiral, become a life gouging bullet! Flap and shoot! Barrett!!"
"O nihility of ancient times, become a freezing deep sigh that resides in the vacuum of this chest. To the flowing absolute silence, freeze and be silent...Glacier Wind!!"
"O gryphon crossing over the ocean, cause the wind of the north pole with wings that well up the overturning rough wave...Northern Wave!"
Mio and Koyuki, also a great number of students invoked their attack magic with great urgency.
Defense and offense of magic had started. The enemies' offensive magic were blocked by this side's defensive magic, this side's offensive magic blew away the enemies' swordsman sporadically. Caught by the raging waves of magic, the swordsmen were tossed about.
...This was inefficient. Kazuki noticed. Conflicting elemental magic like ice and flame were launched at the same time without any prior thought and interfered with each other, weakening its power.
It might be good to divide the platoons of Magica Stigma in accordance with each element of magic that they used.
"Third years are to prepare high level magic! We are going to catch the whole herd in one throw!!"
Akane-senpai took command of the battle, the third years were being protected at the very back and began their chanting.
Looking at that situation, Kazuki was "This is bad" and remembered.
"Akane-senpai! The rear is dangerous, the refugees from before might not actually be refugees!!"
"...What did you say!?" Akane-senpai directed an uncomprehending expression at him.
When Kazuki yelled, it was the same time with the sounds of angry yells and charging footsteps from behind.
When he turned around―from the back too, swordsmen of Yamato in casual clothing holding Japanese katana were approaching with the momentum of surging waves. It was the people that they saw off from inside the bus passing through them. They pretended to be refugees and hid Japanese katana inside their baggage, and then after choosing the best timing they turned back―for the sake of taking the back of the Heaven and Earth Formation.
...The third years who were completely defenseless in the middle of chanting were aimed. Akane-senpai went pale.
"Sword Division students, go back to the rear too! From the back as well, enemies are...!!"
But the swordsmen were also in the middle of fighting the enemies right in front of their eyes while being exposed to offensive magic, they couldn't possibly do such a thing like turning their back. Besides, to only pick one portion of the best swordsmen in a hurry to be allocated as rear guard in a good balance, executing such detailed orders without any prior planning was impossible.
Whether they heard Akane-senpai's instructions or not, not even one of the swordsmen was moving in reaction of that command.
The one who reacted in place of that was Kazuki.
"Beatrix, come with me!"
Not as a swordsman but as a magic swordsman, he would swing his sword. At the same time, [he called on a comrade he could rely on].
"Kazuki, add [chan] when you are calling my name! Fuhahahaha...I will have a good fight, welcoming a good death, and hope to participate in even more battles in the heavens! Divine protection of blood color in my eye! Berserk!!"
"It's a melee, just bring it on zee! ...We act in accordance of Hodur's wish, entrust the exaltation of battle in our body too! The blood and fat running in my sword the wartime fire of fury!! Stories Flame!"
"I have to engage in a close quarters battle too? ...O billowing stormy sea, envelop my hand and become the whip that lashed at small thing! Undulating Sea SnakeFl?te Schlange!!"
Each one of the Einherjar who had close-range combat specialization went along behind Kazuki.
"I reach my hand to the height of Babel and become the suppressor! In accordance with my life O lightning, praise the foolhardiness of the human race! Blitzkrieg!!"
"O unrivaled master, perform once more from beyond the dream! Along with the flame of transformation, liberate the locked memory inside the silver mirror right here!! Kenki Tensei!!"
Lotte too equipped her electromagnetic lance and followed after Kazuki, Kazuha-senpai summoned the phantom of swordsmen, "Kanamaki Jisai, Yoshioka Kenbou, Miyamoto Munisai, go!" she directed him toward the enemy.
"Just a mob of swordsmen, I'm going to test just how much resolve you all have in challenging us..."
Kaguya-senpai too, she plunged alone into the crowd of the swordsmen.
"...No hesitation even when thy curse also wounds me...shared pain is my great joy! Cry and scream in the mirror's reflection! Suicide Black!"
Kaguya-senpai's figure was covered with black haze. The swordsmen of Yamato swung down their katana all at once at Kaguya-senpai―the screams from the reflected agony reverberated.
"O the god of death's whispering voice tired of waiting for the visitor, resound widely and deeply, dye the dream with agony! Resound O evil sound of sadism! Ultra Violence!!"
Kaguya-senpai made the evil voice of Ultra Violence resound. The swordsmen of Yamato were writhing around and lost their will to fight. He didn't know for what purpose these guys were added to Yamato's forces, but they didn't have any of the needed determination that could make them fight with Kaguya-senpai.
The close-range combat capability of Kazuki and the others pushed back the disorderly mob of swordsmen. The worst damage of having the rear that was in the middle of chanting getting interrupted was averted, the third years breathed a sigh of relief and they got carried by a calm atmosphere.
The students had completely recovered from the mayhem and began to make a comeback in the midst of the battle.
However...was it fine like this.
The leading actor who was the first to protect the third years, Kazuki harbored an out of place feeling inside his heart.
Performing an ambush at Kanon's independent brigade, who were made up of the students of the Knight Academy when they were going to link up at Shizuoka as added reinforcements, and then the surprise attack by posing as refugees and circling to their back...That pincer tactics.
This tactic, it was impossible to be realized without the enemy inferring beforehand that today Kanon-senpai would pass through this road at exactly this time. Moreover this enemy force passed through the military boundary line that was supposed to be currently guarded by the Knight Order and easily invaded like this.
[However he thought about it, this was a surprise attack that should not have happened. ]
"...Earth Lava FlowFire Stone Flood!"
Large scale enemy offensive magic―the asphalt of the road was developing extensive cracks, from there lava was bursting out. It rained down incessantly on the whole formation of students.
On top of that magic's destructive power, the traces of magic power waves in made Kazuki gasp in realization.
...He had some experience with this magic power. The [Earth Snake] that was together with Kaya, this magic power owner was that man who was contracted with Midgardsomr. Loki's gang was also added in this enemy force.
Defensive magic reduced the force of the lava flow and the students also endured with Resist. Even when the swordsmen fell down they immediately stood back up and slashed at the enemies, the Magica Stigma maintained their concentration and continued chanting.
"Heart Disorder Heaven DanceShinran Tenbu!"
Ame no Uzume―the avatar of Japanese Mythology's entertainment god that was clad in bright crimson garment floated in the middle of the battlefield, then she started to dance with a twirl. The Sword Division students in the frontline that witnessed it wobbled, their sanity disappeared from their eyes, and they began attacking each other.
"If it's that kind of attack then it's exactly the chance I've been waiting for! ...I become the shrine maiden of the sword. Rock cleaved, root torn, sin severed, that spirit sword of crushing evil right now in this hand! Draw sword, Futsu no Mitama!!"
Kazuha-senpai brandished the sword of crushing evil, returning the sanity of the swordsmen who lost their minds one after another.
"O goddess that arrives in the future accepting the abuse of people...change that darkness into deadly poison, vomit it all around! Slander the foolishness of these people!! Poison Argument!!"
In reverse Mibu-senpai scattered bubbles of nerve poison and dulled the movements of the enemy swordsmen.
"Way to go, when you all calmed down properly, this side's magic skill and support power is much greater compared to the enemy!"
Kanon-senpai raised her voice and inspired everyone.
"We've also finished with our chanting here! Brace yourselves right now!!"
The third years that were protected and covered by Kazuki and the others were finally finishing with their chanting of high level magic successively. Finally the power of Magic Division's highest school grade was made apparent―,
"Come on Akane! Match your breath, we are going to make a big haul for sure-!!"
"Right, Kanon!" Both of them lined up their shoulders and nodded to one another.
Kanon-senpai altered her clothes into a Magic Dress that emitted a clear bluish-white light.
At her side, an avatar of a beautiful angel burning in blue flame was floating.
Kanon-senpai's contracted Diva was―~Belial~. She was a god of Phoenicia similar with Baal, but she was an existence that was altered into the worst fallen angel by Christianity.
"O angel covered with wounds waving the blue flag of rebellion...under the justification of [worthlessness] liberate that looked down upon silent anger! Blue Lotus that Descend from HeavenEmission Flare!!"
When Kanon-senpai commanded Belial, several streaks of blue light poured down from heaven like lightning. That light spread out through the battlefield like an overflowing flood.
There were bluish-white flames. The flame changed color because of its high heat from red to blue and from blue to white―that heat's intensity possessing [blue color] rivaled the energy possessed by the stars in space.
The blue flame representing Belial's fury spread out in the battlefield burning down the arrogant people. With force that even Kanon-senpai herself couldn't hold back, friend and ally, everything in the battlefield was going to be swallowed...
―Akane-senpai too finished her chanting at the same time.
Akane-senpai was clad in a Magic Dress that was similar with traditional garmentsheath dress of Egypt's attire. At her side, with the face of an owl, the body of a wolf and snake for a tail; the figure of a devil with atypical appearance was floating.
Akane-senpai's contracted Diva was―~Amon~. ~Amon~ of Egyptian Mythology likewise had its figure degraded into a devil for being a pagan god.
"To all phenomenon of heaven, riding the wind bursting out from those wings...O wind of god, wash away the foundation of the world and rule it as I see fit! Divinity Elements TideRizomata Mastery!!"
Terrific wind burst out in Akane-senpai's surroundings. When Akane-senpai moved her hand like a conductor giving commands, that wind was controlled in accordance with her desires, it was heading to Yamato's forces and swept over them.
Every element that existed―flame and water and lightning brought forth by magic on this battlefield was swallowed by that wind and were flowing away inside it.
The wind of the god of atmosphere Amon put all energy under its rule and became a tidal current of power.
Even the raging mad blue flame that Kanon-senpai released, just before it swallowed and dragged even allies inside it, was entwined with Akane-senpai's divine wind. That divine wind rotated violently forming a sphere, pressing together the blue flame until it turned into something like a line of light inside the small sphere.
That light of fire was compressed even further until it was the size of a grain of light like a shining star in the night sky. ―Condensing heat above 20000°C, an ultra density flame. He already couldn't understand how much energy it currently possessed.
―When Akane-senpai waved her hand once more, the grain of light became a line of lightleyline and danced in the middle of the enemy formation. The enemy swordsmen and magicians that were touched by that line immediately collapsed. The extraordinary heat took away all their magic power in an instant. With delicate direction Akane-senpai was running the line of light from one enemy to the next driving them to just before an instant death.
Kanon-senpai produced an energy so enormous that even she couldn't control, while Akane-senpai amplified, controlled it precisely and distributed it to the enemies―it was a combination that really demonstrated both of their personalities just as it was. With a silence as if a sparkler was losing its light, the blue dot of energy burned away all its flame. On the battlefield, dozens of enemies were lying down in unconsciousness.
Quality was far more important than quantity in magic...this was a sight that really impressed that truth once more into him. Just two Magica Stigma had consigned dozens of enemies into oblivion in one attack.
It was a destructive enough power that brought about a complete change in the battle situation....As expected from third years. For the first time Kazuki really felt aware of that fact. And then the third years were not only these two.
The ten other third years that Kanon-senpai brought along also finished the chanting of their high level magic all at once right at this time. The battle was over with this―everyone was able to be convinced of that.
The third year seniors directed their Targeting at the enemy formation and ended their chanting―at that moment, an unlikely voice could be heard.
"Target change!"
It was a voice he had heard somewhere. The inside of Kazuki's head became pure white, his memory flipped over to the past. Where he had heard this voice was...when he was going on a date with Hikaru-senpai. That time when he was attacked by the students of the Magic Division that were brainwashed. The voice of Hayashi Shizuka.
This voice was when Hayashi Shizuka [gave out the command to the humans she had brainwashed].
Why was this voice, right here at this time and place...
When he turned his eyes to the direction of the voice, inside the crowd of Yamato's magicians―Hayashi Shizuka was there. When her eyes met Kazuki, The face of the girl that looked like a noh mask warped in a broad grin. An expression of triumph, ridiculing Kazuki.
The next instant, an abnormality occurred in the magic power waves of the third years that were going to activate their magic.
Assaulted by a premonition of unknown terror, Kazuki directed his sight at the faces of the third years.
The expression of the third years made a complete change into that of expressionless and soulless wax statues. Emotion fell out from their eyes, their mouths that were in the middle of chanting spells became half-opened.
Completely like the students that attacked Kazuki at the public park, a blank face.
Post-hypnotism―as if when a fixed requirement was triggered that their minds were suddenly converted into a brainwashed condition.
The third years who were forming a rank of troops horizontally facing the enemy force changed their formation even though no one was commanding it. The five people in the right wing faced Kazuki in a twirl, the five people in the left wing faced Kanon-senpai's way in a twirl. And then the target of the magic that was on the verge of invocation―were overwritten to target Kazuki and Kanon-senpai.
A movement that was twisted forcibly by a third party's will. Kazuki couldn't Foresight such movement. With a delay that was really unlike Kazuki, he understood the situation. The third years' offensive magic was on the scale of level 7-8, five of them at once were taking aim at him. Both evasion and defense wouldn't make it in time.
"Wh, why...!?" Kanon-senpai too was just the same as him.
The girls were brainwashed without anyone noticing it. When...?
"O rage of the bottom of the earth...release the prohibition right here, reduce to ashes the arrogance on the earth with the ardour of ancient times...Lava Flow EruptionVolcanic Geyser."
"Time is circling, drawing a circle, the history is repeated inevitably, awaken the once forgotten era...leave behind everything inside the dream, to the era of glaciers...Absolute Ice WorldIce Age."
"O unyelling sage Dantalion's infinite power of words...change the wisdom of eternity into blade, gouge out deeply the depth of the heart, burn and crumble the reason with that interdiction...Last WordLast Word."
"Lethargy is changed into degeneration before long, tears are finally changed into blood, reverberating screams will surely change into ascending souls in the end...O Laruvaseed of malicelurking in the back of the world, wolf down the living souls...Festival of NightmareCurse Stream."
"O beast where heaven's most important seven stars are residing in that body, descend down to this land while shaking down the earth, gulp down the stagnating people with that large jaw...Saturn's Great CrocodileChronos Crocodile."
Enormous lava was, sublime freezing air was, thought waves that would destroy the mind were, vengeful ghosts that would eat his soul were and a fierce beast of the underworld were all approaching Kazuki at once.
A clear premonition of death froze his brain. Resist...no, to use general magic for things like reducing the might of five different kinds of magic at the same time was impossible with the skills that he had. They got him!
"...DANGER!" At that time, there was only one person who could react against Kazuki's predicament.
A surprise attack that couldn't be reacted with Foresight. What could react against such attacks was only the strengthening of reflexes nerves. [Berserk]―The magician that was able to do that, there was only one person in this place.
In front of Kazuki's eyes―a large powerful back of a female was forcing her way through in front of him.
"BEATRIX!!" Kazuki spontaneously yelled to that back.
"I told you, add 'chan' on...GUU!!" All the magic hit the girl right from the front. From the body of the girl, defensive magic power was shining with light as if all the magic power that she had was exploding.
You can really joke about adding 'chan' in this kind of situation!!?
Not ae to sustain her Access, Beatrix's appearance transformed back to her black Einherjar uniform. She collapsed into Kazuki's chest.
...The damage didn't penetrate to her flesh. Kazuki confirmed that fact in a panic.
"Beatrix, why are you, for me..."
"Why, you ask... That's because love is an irrational thing, right..."
While saying words that sounded like a joke, Beatrix slumped inside Kazuki's arm and fainted after losing her strength. Magic intoxication―even though there was no damage to her body, her mind was burdened radically. Could she wake up if it kept like this, how long it would take until she opened her eyes again, he didn't know at all.
"Che, I missed the chance to kill him." From afar, the sound of Hayashi Shizuka clicking her tongue rang out."Give him the finishing blow!"
The third years that had blank faces directed their aim at the two people who became defenseless with magic intoxication and wounds.
"Everyone...are you all sane!?" Akane-senpai rebuked her comrades' action.
"Captain...sheett! What are we going to do!?"
"We are?gir's, grant me the terror of the unknown depth of the ocean! The stormy seas that toy with the small people, to me...Himingl?va!"
Eleonora produced a wall of ocean to defend Beatrix and Kanon-senpai. These two people right now would get a fatal wound even if they only got hit with just one attack.
"Draw sword, Futsu no Mitama!!"
Kazuha-senpai who sensed the situation dashed near from the back and slashed at the third years.
The sanity of the third years returned with one slash of evil crushing."Eh...huh, I, what am I...?" Being surprised and stunned, in an unbelievable situation―they looked down at their leader who was laying on the ground.
Disturbance ran through all the knight regiment members. The swordsmen who had been holding out for a long time to become the shield of the Magica Stigma directed eyes of despair toward the scene where their leader got defeated by friendly fire inside their own formation.
"Keep it up and crush them! Go!!" He could hear Hayashi Shizuka raising a piercing cry.
"Otouto-kun, get a hold of yourself! Akane-senpai too!"
Kaguya-senpai scolded Kazuki who was still dumbfounded. Akane-senpai who was still holding up Kanon-senpai with her head hanging down also lifted her face. They went on resuming the battle.
"I'm sorry, Eleonora-san."
Giving his gratitude to Eleonora who was protecting them, Kazuki laid Beatrix down.
"...Land Escape!"
In front of Kazuki's eyes, the ground split all of a sudden. From that crack the illegal magician―[Earth Snake]'s figure was leaping out. His hand was holding a sword made of rock in reverse grip."...Di, die!" With inarticulate speaking tone, he aimed at Beatrix who was in a state of magic intoxication.
He passed through Eleonora's wall of sea by digging underground like a mole.
"UOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Kazuki roared in order to clear away his shock and drew his katana.
The rock sword Earth Snake used in his surprise attack was repelled with his Iai draw.
The instant their blades touched, Kazuki redirected the opponent's power using ~Instant Positioning~, breaking Earth Snake's posture.
"...O Divine Protection of military men, double the Megin whirling in my body! The will of god spurring me to infinite battle, in this body! ...Megingjord!"
What Kazuki immediately chanted was Beatrix's magic.
Doubling the physical strength of his whole body, his second returning slash swung downward with twice the destructive power on Earth Snake.
"GUGAA!" Raising a scream Earth Snake rolled on the ground."Guge...Land..." Realizing his failure in the assassination, he tried to escape using magic for going underground."Esca..."
"...O divine protection of mermaid, stop the steps of the hateful enemy, please hasten the steps of the chosen person... O ice blade, run! Moves in the Field!"
Koyuki's cool and clear voice reverberated, then the ground froze. The Earth Snake who was leaping to the ground face first crashed severely on the surface that had been frozen over with ice. Koyuki plundered his right of rule of the ground.
Koyuki launched a flying kick with feet clad in boots of ice blade toward Earth Snake rolling on the ground. Keeping her pace she stepped on him with complex footwork and minced him. Having an ice dance performed on top of his own body, Earth Snake opened his eyes wide in fear and fainted."...Kazuki, are you okay?"
"Thank you, I'm fine already....I can fight. We have to defeat that girl. If we don't defeat Hayashi Shizuka from the very beginning then anybody else...I have a hunch that it would become very grave later on."
Inside Kazuki's head, that premonition completely filled him. There were emotions inside him that were really close with hatred and repugnance. However surpassing such individualistic emotions, a terrifying premonition welled up inside him.
"Retreat! Retreaat―!"
However contrary to Kazuki's thought, that kind of voice was starting to appear from inside the enemy forces.
The enemy army simultaneously began to move in withdrawal. While receiving covering fire from the illegal magicians the enemy swordsmen turned their backs, like a retreating wave they were drawing back from this place.
In no time at all the figures of the enemies were no longer visible.
Why are those guys retreating―he soon understood why they were doing so.
From the other side of the road he could hear the sounds of engines, knights who were riding on military vehicles were rushing here one after another. The Knight Orders at the military boundary line's garrison noticed the disturbance and finally came here. The enemy army noticed the reinforcements one beat faster and before they became the ones who met with a pincer attack this time, they retreated in a hurry.
However the sensation of having finally repelled the enemy couldn't be felt for even a bit inside Kazuki and the others.
| ← Ch. 094 | Ch. 096 → |