novelLove Simulation (1)
| ← Ch.031 | Ch.033 → |
As soon as Kazuki exited the student guidance room, Leme materialized in the air behind Kazuki's head.
Like that, she clung to Kazuki's head with both arms while both her legs were stuck to Kazuki's shoulders, turning into a shoulder ride.
"It is imprudent to say this, but...this sure turned interesting right, my King!"
"...Why are you riding on my shoulder?"
"I'm showing you that there are various ways to materialize in this world."
Kazuki felt closely a girl's lower body on his head and neck beyond the thin one-piece tunic she wore, but―this was only Leme after all. Her form was a little girl when they first met, but now her appearance had grown into an upper elementary grade school student. Even with that growth, she still felt like a child.
"Is that so? Leme felt my nervousness before the fight and came to calm me down, thank you."
"No, this is just a joke though."
"You are heavy, get down."
Okay, Leme replied obediently and 'pyon' jumped down.
"At any rate, this situation is bad for Prophet and Lotte, but even so this is still interesting. For our King to declare that he would protect Lotte by himself in the middle of this whirlpool of conspiracy of the country, that was intense. Even the development that you need to raise Lotte's positivity level for the sake of defeating an opponent of higher status is pleasant! When you pass through this tribulation, you would be really praiseworthy as our King for sure!"
Kazuki, together with Leme, went out of the school building walking through the park towards the Witch's mansion. The classmates passing by were calling out to him -"Hayashizaki-kun's relation with his contracted Diva is really good, isn't it?"
Kazuki talked to Leme after he confirmed that there was no one around.
"Knights that shouldn't be there, adding to that...the Cancer outbreak in the middle of the fight with Beatrix....Thanks to that we could escape, but the timing was completely unnatural. Did someone cause that phenomenon?"
Kazuki happened to know only one person that could cause such phenomenon using magic.
"...By chance that was about me, right Onii-chan?"
A voice that he had heard before came right from his back.
That voice that reminded him of those feelings of powerlessness was so dear and also regretful.
When he turned back, the girl that was not supposed to be inside the Knight Academy―Kaya was there.
"...!" Kazuki's breath was taken away. His whole body had goosebumps. Only that girl's existence could do this to him.
Her clothes were not the tattered rags from that time. She wore a black t-shirt printed with a skull image and jeans that were roughly damaged, boots that were arranged with silver thumbtacks(the so-called punk style), while her silver hair was fluttering around. Kaya stood there so naturally that he doubted his own eyes.
There was no way. Why is this girl here? Even though right now, Japan's Knight Order with help from Einherjar were in a frenzy searching for Loki.
...Moreover, how could Kaya have returned to her own body?
Kaya's body was supposed to have beeen stolen by Loki. But now, right in front of his eyes was not the too skinny male with blue hair, but the silver haired Kaya before she was hijacked by Loki.
"Onii-chan looks flabbergasted. Loki is laughing raucously inside me you know? His enjoyment is even transmitted unto me with our shared perception."
Kaya giggled lightly. Not only her appearance, even the voice was her's.
"If I have to say what happened...Loki didn't erase my personality, he just put me under his control. Right now I'm Kaya, however at the same time Loki is in here too."
Kazuki cautiously observed her.
A Diva is a lump of magic power. In other words―if the Kaya in front of him was attacked, her magic power shaved while magic power sealing measure was performed, ...then the only one left would purely be Kaya.
If Kaya's personality still remained, she could still be saved.
"Stop it Onii-chan, I don't want to lose this power. Moreover...the current Onii-chan won't be able to win against a serious Loki, right? I can use Loki's power properly you know?"
...Just like what she said. At the Haunting Ground, Kazuki noticed Loki's existence as the one that caused the unnatural Cancer. However at that time, he thought his chances of victory was zero, so he chose to escape.
"But, Onii-chan. Loki respected my personality, so there is no need for Onii-chan to have useless thoughts like forcing yourself to try to rescue me. Because I'm not really unhappy with this."
Kaya shrugged her shoulders, saying that Kazuki's action was fruitless effort.
"Why did Loki leave behind Kaya's personality that he had already hijacked?"
"That's because he decided it's more fun that way you see, Onii-chan! Loki is currently storing battle strength in Japan, and then the pawn for playing around ridiculing the key person of this country - that is the [King], you, Onii-chan...that was me I wonder?"
Inside Kazuki's mind, he can hear Loki's sneering voice that was rubbing him the wrong way.
Rage spontaneously welled up inside him, but the enemy that he should clash with―was not there.
For Kaya, who he thought he wanted to save, telling him that she didn't need to be saved. Such a thing...
"Fufufu, although if there was no one killed, I think the current situation would be more fun. Compared to my powerlessness from a long time ago, being half assimilated with Loki is much more..."
"You said you are happy? Then even now, you show up in front of me just to make fun of me?"
"Today is different, we have a proposal. For the sake of defeating our common enemy―the hunter of German's Einherjar, Beatrix Baumgard, how about Onii-chan forming a united front with us?"
Kaya looked around restlessly then, said something in a carefree smiling face.
"Talking about this while standing around is a little bit...how about we continue this in Onii-chan's room?"
{Enter now. }
{Okaaayy―?}
Night―Kazuki opened his room's window, then sent a thought message using telepathy to Kaya who was waiting and standing by outside.
Normally, it was a common magic that was rarely used because it was subtly inconvenient even though it appeared so.
First, using a thought message to another party who didn't open their heart, even if they sent it one-sidedly, would get it deflected by ~The Wall of Heart~. It couldn't be done without informing the other party beforehand that a message would be sent.
Moreover, when matching their consciousness and hearts with each other, not only the message, but even thoughts and emotions could flow on its own accord to the other party.
And then to protect from an incident of leaking private thoughts, an advanced control of magic power was needed.
Kazuki who was poor at telepathy magic was not inclined to do this, but...he couldn't greet Kaya from the front entrance of the Witch's Mansion. There was no other way than this to invite her in.
Kaya's head 'pyon' protruded from the window.
"Making this kind of weak girl climb up a wall, Onii-chan you brute."
Of course what made such acrobatics possible for her came from Enchant Aura which is based on Loki's magic power.
"That way of talking...You, the truth is Loki's the one inside, right?"
"That's not true Onii-chaaan! It's true that Loki can transform into a girl though. But right now, the personality of Kaya is the one that properly moves this flesh. Loki is in the middle of resting."
Kaya jumped lightly over the window frame and landed in the room.
"So this is Onii-chan's room. As expected, what a stoic room. Uwaa, dumbbells scattered around in the floor... Where are the porn books?"
"There is no such thing, I'm not interested. Wait, remove your shoes."
"Is there really no porn book here? Ah, that's right, Onii-chan knew I will come so he already cleaned it up in a panic before, right? Perhaps the girl that had entered into this room...I wonder if I'm the first one?"
"Just so you know, the residents of this mansion frequently comes and goes."
The smiling expression disappeared from Kaya's face hearing Kazuki's blunt words.
"...I want to murder all the girls in this mansion except Mio-chan right now..."
At the same time, a skull mark that signaled the decrease of positivity level floated over from her chest and was absorbed into Kazuki's ring. Wait, wait right there! What was that just now!?
Amasaki Mio―130 Otonashi Kaguya―79 Hiakari Koyuki―52 Hoshikaze Hikaru―43
Lotte―44 Kaya―50
Kazuki was amazed the moment the magic power flowed into his ring.
"Why are you being added to the conquering targets!?"
"That ring...recorded my positivity level huh? Loki is proud of his eyes in appraising things. You see, that positivity level is the embodiment of the lending of our power in this united front, Onii-chan. I hope that this can be proof that there is no double-dealing in our cooperation with Onii-chan."
Certainly the ring acknowledged the existence of Kaya in front of him. If Loki was actually disguising himself as Kaya, then the ring shouldn't show the value of positivity level of 50.
"Because Onii-chan slashed him before, Loki needs to rest as much as possible. Diva is a lump of magic power, if they receive damage, then their divinity would be wounded. It's the same with Lotte's contracted Diva who possessed her to accumulate power. Possibly...it's also the same with the three major gods who once led the world and used up their power, and now they inevitably lay dormant for a long, long time."
Used up their power...three major gods?
But before Kazuki could interpose his question, Kaya continued her talk fluently.
"Though if Loki was awakened forcibly, he could still do something like dealing with Onii-chan. Be that as it may, he is not in perfect condition. Even if he dealt with someone like Onii-chan...Beatrix would be more troublesome as an opponent. Loki is not that strong in close quarter combat. That is where he wants to cooperate with Onii-chan who is a specialist in close quarter combat. I mean Onii-chan who crossed swords with a knight, who was blessed with Thor's divine protection, with just pure swordsmanship was too abnormal. It's out of the ordinary."
Who did you say is abnormal? Even though he thought he was going to die at that fight,
Kaya suddenly looked around restlessly.
"By the way...can I meet with Mio-oneechan? It's okay if we call her to this room, right? I wanted to meet her for a looong time."
"I still haven't decided if we want to cooperate with you."
"How obstinate Onii-chan. Even though Onii-chan doesn't understand if he can win before the fight. Just so you know, I can become a powerful war asset if I borrow Loki's power."
"Even if it's only temporary for example...I'm still reluctant to join hands with guys like Loki."
"Loki is not that bad of a guy. Loki's objectives are to bring forth chaos in the world and take revenge on the gods of the Norse Mythology. For that, he wakes up illegal magicians and asks them to become his comrade, but in reality he avoids actions like killing humans in mischief. Even people like me who was driven mad and thought that they were going to be killed, they were sort of allowed to escape in reality. Well, sometimes he might overdo it as the guy who pursues chaos though. He sort of killed Mio-chan inadvertently while raising the tension and provoking Onii-chan before."
What? She said a guy whose words and deeds like Loki was not a bad guy?
"...Surely Onii-chan had heard that there were still no dead victims in the incident of the attack against the Knight Order."
That one was quite puzzling. At first it was said that Loki used Hit & Away tactic and avoid getting too deep to injure the Knight Order, but...
"They only attacked to whittle away the Knight Order's strength, then ran. It seems illegal magicians are easy to rile up. Because all the illegal magicians lost their reason, it's safe for Loki to lead them. As a result, the victims who died decreased."
"But if the Diva of illegal magicians are woken up...at the very least, there will be victims that will have their personality devoured."
Kaya's personality was left behind, but not everyone would be like her.
"Humans that had their personality absorbed are victims, that is only Onii-chan's personal opinion."
Kaya―asserted so definitively.
Even when Kaya was hijacked by Loki, she could only raise a scream of grief.
"At first I was also scared because Loki drove me to the wall mentally to steal my flesh efficiently. I was made to think to kill various people. But now that I am already absorbed―it feels so good. The fools who obtained power according to their wishes, and in the end integrated with god or devil...that is not repulsive. In the first place, the humans that have a hand in illegal contracts were nothing but humans that pursued ~Chaos~ somewhere deep in their heart."
"...What are you saying, chaos was?"
She said that was Loki's objective, but...
"See, what is called Chaos is the other side of the Mythology. Illusions going toward sweet decadence, the desire and impulse of living things called humans that they can't deny. If the gods on the front side of the mythology start to control humans with the thing called ~Order~, then we, the gods of the reverse side will start to move seeking those things that belonged to Chaos!"
The gods of the front side that she mentioned―was she referring to the Mythology of the magic advanced countries that demanded faith?
And then the opposing force towards those front side...were those Divas of Chaos?
In the Norse Mythology, Divas like Loki...?
"It's not good to see everything just from one side you know? Hearing words like Chaos, it would tickle your Chuuni mind for sure, no doubt there are a lot of humans like Kaya in society nowadays! Abandoning our body to Chaos and releasing ourselves from all shackles, attaining supreme ecstasy - humans like us! ...Well, I won't ask a man of common-sense like Onii-chan to understand the values of our aesthetics though. Because in a certain meaning, this happiness is only for the humans who chose it for themselves."
Kaya said all those in a tone of ecstasy. But it could be seen from her words and expression, there was danger that it would turn bad if you could appreciate what she said.
"It's one hundred percent impossible for Onii-chan to appreciate Chaos, but...if Onii-chan have already heard about Lotte's story, then Onii-chan won't be able to be positive towards Germany that was ruled by the powerful Order of the Norse Mythology, right?"
Certainly, Kazuki couldn't think of Germany's way of doing things as righteous.
However, was it fine for him to easily let slide everything Loki had done till now?
He couldn't get rid of this uncomfortable feeling no matter what. He didn't understand how he should feel toward Kaya who was right in front of him. The more he heard her talk...the more he felt swallowed into the depth of Chaos.
"Even so Onii-chan's Solomon 72 Pillar position was neither Order nor Chaos. But fellows like Asmodeus that's closer to Chaos also exist there. It's important for Onii-chan who is the BasilleusKing of Solomon to pick out allies from inside both Order and Chaos. Because so far Solomon 72 Pillar too increased their number like that. Looking out for allies within the enemy's side is also an important job for a King. Onii-chan is pampered too much by Lemegeton if she doesn't teach you things like that, isn't it?"
"...So are you saying I need to be broad-minded enough to join hands together with Loki temporarily to probe him out, is that so?"
"Yee―ess! Just like that, Onii-chaa―n!"
Suddenly Kaya leaped toward Kazuki and hugged his arm.
"...Just, I hope you can think of me more as the genuine Kaya right now..."
Kaya whispered faintly while hugging Kazuki and burying her face in Kazuki's chest.
"Well, let's form a united front for the meantime for the sake of beating Beatrix, okay? Onii-chan's breadth of tactics will spread even further by getting me as a comrade. It's important right? Your breadth of tactics?"
"...Do you have some kind of plan? Though I can't think of anything other than unpleasant thoughts from Loki's cunning."
"It can't be said as a plan, but I can propose a policy for the way of fighting. In any case, the opponent's contracted Diva...Thor, Loki knows everything about the scope of his powers."
Loki and Thor were both Divas from the Norse's mythology.
It was even depicted in the mythology that both of them were completely [mutual close friends].
"The fundamental is for Onii-chan to endure the opponent's close-quarter attack. There Onii-chan will obstruct her from chanting the spell for area-attack magic while also whittling her magic power. But if Thor succeeds in chanting high level magic, it's already over at that point in time. That's the lifeline."
"What should I do if she keeps running away while chanting high level magic?"
Beatrix's physical ability, after she finished chanting her two stage reinforce magic, had exceeded even Hoshikaze-senpai in her [Ride Lighning] by a large margin. If Beatrix could run away, it was impossible to overtake her.
"No, most of Thor's summoning magic has the weak point of being unable to be chanted while not fighting. As the compensation of granting overwhelming fighting strength, Thor is a Diva that wouldn't listen to anything other than the voice of a soldier right in the midst of battle. That is, Beatrix's breadth of tactics is narrow."
This was important information. If it was like that, if he could endure Beatrix's close-quarter combat, he could bring the battle into protracted war. However...
"The problem is Thor's Magic Dress of helmet and armor. It has the divine protection of defensive power. The most efficient method of attack is to inflict damage from the inner part of the armour."
An attack that operated in the inner part...[electricity] huh.
"In addition, a magician of her level is not depending on only defensive magic power to defend against an attack, she'd also use psychokinesis against physical attacks and pyrokinesis against heat to offset the attack precisely. Compared to releasing defensive magic power depending on instinct, controlled magic power has better defensive efficiency. Unfortunately, there is a difference between Onii-chan who is a student and a professional knight for the know-how in this area."
...Protracted battle. During those period, he would fall into a desperate situation if he let the enemy invoke a high level magic even once.
He was taught some significant information, but it seems it would become a considerably severe battle.
"But it would be fine if Onii-chan prepared solidly. Onii-chan is going to raise Lotte's positivity level as high as possible the whole day tomorrow. Lotte's Diva is pretty strong, that guy."
"You know Prophet's real identity!?"
"I have a conjecture. I wonder if that teacher has also guessed it already? If I have to say how important it is to make Lotte become lovestruck to Onii-chan, it's because Beatrix had brought a troublesome Sacred Treasure from Germany. That shield that could even block the flaming fist of the Muspelheim's giant that I summoned before―that was the Sacred Treasure of Norse Mythology, [Svalinn]. That shield has absolute resistance towards flames. The battle power of a King like Onii-chan that could only use fire will be reduced in half. While unfortunate, a flame user like Mio-chan wouldn't be able to do anything other than be a cute mascot character as long as that shield is there."
As expected, that shield was a Sacred Treasure.
Our side's attack was inclined to flame, so Beatrix's defense could only be seen as absolutely overwhelming.
The Scared Treasure was forbidden to use in Japan...but Germany used them properly.
"Onii-chan's job is to raise Lotte's positivity level. Kaya feels offended to her though. Even though the one that can call Onii-chan as Onii-chan is only me and Mio-chan who was in little sister position in the orphanage!"
That provocation speech was going to make Kanae-san burn though.
"My job on the other side, the comrade that this form of Kaya can control...Midgardsormr...with his cooperation, we will decrease the area of the Haunting Ground that Onii-chan will challenge for the quest in the day after tomorrow. It would be troublesome if uncertain factors that would become a hindrance in the fight would increase. Though there needs to be some allowance because if all Demon Beasts are exterminated then the quest would also get terminated. This is an important role right?"
...Certainly, there was no part that he could criticize in her proposal.
"...On the contrary, don't you dare to prepare some trap that would cause our defeat."
"...Kyaa☆ Onii-chan, can you explain logically what merit there is in that kind of action for me and Loki?"
A skull mark flew while Kaya stared scornfully to Kazuki who kept distrusting her.
"Pass the whole day tomorrow sweetly just with Lotte okay, Onii-chan! Irritating! Well, but harem...that kind of sore romance, Kaya is the understanding type you know!"
While spinning round and round without even any meaning, Kaya was "Ha―rem?" in high spirit.
"...Isn't it more natural if we go together with Mio under the pretext of party's friendship deepening meeting rather than just me and Lotte, with that Lotte could be more relieved, have more fun and then her positivity level would also go up, right?"
While more skull marks flew from Kaya because of Kazuki's objection,
"Block-head-O-ni-i-chan☆" she cursed Kazuki with a sweet voice.
"Prattling things like that is the proof that Onii-chan doesn't even see Lotte as a girl. It's okay to gamble too, but I bet Lotte would be happy being alone with Onii-chan, the chance to increase the positivity level would also increase. Because somehow her positivity level had already passed over 40. Even if in the case that Onii-chan thought of her as someone like a little sister...a girl would still be a girl for sure."
Kaya waved her finger while going 'tsk tsk tsk'.
"Furthermore, this talk also fits with me who is in the same position of younger little sister, so this will also serve as reference when Onii-chan is going to conquer me in the not so far future, right☆ Kyaa!"
"True, just like what this chuunibyou little sister said. Our King is still lacking regarding romantics."
Even Leme appeared beside Kazuki and found faults in him.
"Tonight...looks like there are no more trains. Onii-chan...can I stay in this room, can I?"
While doing an impressive action behavior, Kaya said so in embarrassment.
"Tonight, Kaya want to pass the night with only Onii-chan doing this-and-that filled with Chaos that was hard to describe, pleaseee?"
"Go home." With that, Kazuki opened the window of the room.
In any case, he must talk with Lotte to set the promise of the date.
Both Liz Liza-sensei and Kaya talked about raising Lotte's positivity level like it was something so easy to do, but...it was not so simple if he thought realistically. He hesitated at this juncture.
Although the other party was Lotte who was very friendly, but a guy who invited a girl who he just met for a few days, wasn't that too frivolous and thoughtless...
But the situation had turned into a battle that they couldn't withdraw from anymore.
He hardened his resolve and searched for Lotte, he found her in the kitchen chugging an entire bottle of milk in one gulp right after she came out of the bath. She was wearing a T-shirt and short pants while a towel was wrapped at her neck.
"O, Onii-san."
"...What are you doing Lotte?"
"I learned from anime that in Japan you have to do this after getting out from the bath. There is no custom to warm our body inside the bath in our country, so I yearned for this desu."
"The path of drinking milk after bathing is deep, you know? There are also coffee milk or lemon milk and many others."
"Is that so desu...I want to master them all desu."
Lotte whispered with an expression that's hard to describe. That expression seems to be tinged with a little worry.
"Moreover, I also heard that your breast will get bigger if you drink milk. I learned many important things in human life from anime desu. Does Onii-san like big breasts?"
"Eh, I wonder...I don't really think about that honestly."
The moment he said that, the images of breasts that almost spilled over from the figures of Kaguya-senpai and Mio in their Magic Dress appeared clearly in his mind, Kazuki shook his head and cleared those images from his head.
"I'm ashamed because mine is not big desu. My stature is also small and scrawny desu..."
"Based on your age, won't you still have a lot of growing up from now on?"
"That's right isn't it desu? Until now my body is weak and underdeveloped, so...from now on is a crucial moment desu. I'll drink various milk, and grow rapidly from now on..."
While saying [From now on], Lotte's expression clouded over drastically.
Lotte spoke of the [Future] that she couldn't grasp in her hand even until now.
Despite that, why is she so...speaking of the future with that kind of helpless expression?
"Kazuki-oniichan, the Einherjar that came to attack us at the end of the quest...she was aiming at me, right desu?"
Aah, that's right...there was no way she wouldn't notice.
"As expected, I am a bother for everyone, isn't it desu? Probably, no matter where I go, I'll always be a bother to the people in those places..."
Lotte whispered frailly like a flower petal that was scattered in the wind.
That expression made Kazuki's chest feel painfully crushed.
"You are not a bother."
"...Why desu? For all that it's my fault that we were attacked..."
"Because I'm so glad that I met Lotte. The plus is much bigger than the minus, so don't think that you are a bother. To not have any place to belong to anywhere in the world, you must not think such sad things."
Kazuki remembered the time when he was an orphan. Even that me was found by people who gave me a place to belong. Then I too, for this girl...
Inside Kazuki's head, the nervousness and hesitation he felt in inviting her to a date disappeared.
"But as it is, I will surely be...killed."
"It's okay. I will protect Lotte."
Lotte's face was dyed with surprise, blue sparks were released around her face's vicinity.
The girl who was a genius in telepathy perceived Kazuki's heart unconsciously.
Lotte's face contorted and almost cried when she sensed the inside of Kazuki's heart.
"Onii-chan's words...why is there not even a bit of lie mixed there desu? Even though you said such unbelievable words..."
"It's not unbelievable. That Germany's Einherjar can only stay in Japan for one month. They won't also get any open help from the internal of Japan. The other side only has limited chances. I'll drive away that female soldier for sure!"
Lotte's pupils shook in anxiety."It's okay." Kazuki held Lotte's cheeks between both his hands.
It was Kazuki's habit that he used to calm down Kanae, when she was crying, during their childhood.
"Lotte, let's go play tomorrow."
"Eh? Playing...why so suddenly..."
"I want to teach Lotte about happiness and your place to belong in this world."
"This world's enjoyment...my place...? For me, that kind of thing...? Seriously desu?"
Lotte blinked her eyes in surprise while her cheeks were held between Kazuki's hands.
"...Bu, but! If I go play with only Kazuki-oniisan, it would turn out as a date like in the love comedy anime...!? Or maybe, Mio-oneesan will also come together?"
"Let's go for a date. Just the two of us."
Immediately, blue spark scattered around Lotte and she undsrstood Kazuki's honest feelings.
The cheek that was kept between Kazuki's hand suddenly burned hotly.
And then in the next moment―a super large heart mark flew towards Kazuki. He was involuntarily taken aback because it was so large even though it was just a vision with no substance.
Lotte's positivity level increased to 57 in one go. Lotte understood whether her company was lying or honest using telepathy. Maybe that was why the jump in her positivity level was so drastic.
Lotte perceived Kazuki's heart and came to believe it.
"If Kazuki-oniisan says that it's fine, then I want to go on a date with Onii-san desu..."
Lotte replied with a face so red that smoke 'pushu―' came out from her face.
"Please treat me well...date of man and woman..."
"Then, is there any place that you want to go? By any chance, you haven't gone sightseeing around Tokyo since you arrived right?"
Kazuki removed his hands from Lotte's cheeks. Lotte put her own hands on her cheeks and,
"Tokyo's sightseeing! Those words tickle my chest desu...!"
She said that cheerfully and with that, her spirit returned. Then she thought for a while and replied.
"...I, want to go to Akihabara desu!"
| ← Ch. 031 | Ch. 033 → |