novelThe Night of Beginning (1)
| ← Ch.038 | Ch.040 → |
"So, there is no mistake that the [meeting place] of Kohaku's gang is inside this abandoned club room?"
In the night where there was not even any shadow of students who loitered around the school, the Sword Division student council led by Hayashizaki Kanae came to this clubroom building where they sensed the presence of [clandestine meeting].
Kanae looked up to the building that towered over them in the darkness of the night and knitted her eyebrows.
―The second day since Nii-sama disappeared from the Magic Division.
Two days ago, headmaster Otonashi from the Magic Division handed down the order to [arrest Hayashizaki Kazuki and Charlotte] to Otonashi Kaguya. However Kaguya was obstructed by Hikita Kohaku, and one moment later Kazuki and the others managed to slip away. After that, the whereabouts of Kazuki and the others were completely unknown.
Kohaku, who helped with their escape, even now still brazenly attended her class.
It was clear that they sheltered Kazuki and the others somewhere in the Sword Division.
However some teachers of the Sword Division might be pulling the strings of Kohaku's action from behind the scenes―the teachers from the Magic Division's side were vigilant of that possibility and were unable to seek cooperation from the Sword Division. There were also some thoughts that they didn't want to let the students know about this incident. For these kinds of reasons, they couldn't perform a large scale [Kazuki search] inside the grounds of the Sword Division, freezing the state of affairs.
In the middle of all that, the Sword Division's Kanae and others, who were aware of the situation from Kaguya, started to move independently.
"I checked the data of the camera monitors from these few days all night. I had confirmed that Kohaku came frequently at late night here to this clubroom building. It was only a glance though."
Yamada Torazou answered the question that Kanae asked from before.
The camera monitors that were laid out inside the Sword Division's ground were originally a countermeasure for suspicious people.
Torazou confirmed the footage from those cameras using the special privilege of the student council.
"This building has the abandoned clubroom of the ping pong club that had been abolished. The adviser of that ping pong club was that Tsukahara."
Tsukahara Hisatada―the Sword Division's teacher who was suspected as Kohaku's backer.
"I tried to search this abandoned club room in the afternoon, but the key to the room had been changed without anyone's notice and even the master key cannot open it. There was no sound at all from the inside, so it seems they're not hiding Kazuki and the others here. There is no mistake however that this is a room of some importance."
The suspicious teacher Tsukahara, had built a secret room and there, Kohaku had come and visited frequently. There was no more room for doubt.
Continuing, the vice president Kamiizumi Iori gave her report.
"I was on the lookout while eating anpan and milk yo~. I had confirmed that when all club activities were finished at evening, Kohaku and her two friends entered the clubroom building while being careful of people's eyes yo~."
Based on the information from the camera monitors, Iori was monitoring the students who entered the clubroom building.
"As soon as I finished eating those anpan and milk, the trash became a nuisance you know? But what if those bunch came when I went to throw the trash, what to do~, is what I thought. When those guys finally came and I manage to confirm it, I went away to throw the trash in relief yo~. Those guys haven't come out since then."
"You were having too much fun [playing make-believe game of police-detective lookout]. Well, anyway Kohaku and the others still haven't come out from the clubroom right? Yosh, then let's not wait for the decision of that indecisive Magic Division. Let's bring down those guys' plan before it happens with just us here. This is the so-called Ikedaya Incident of this era!"
Ikedaya Incident was the incident where Shinsengumi attacked the Meiji restoration patriots who were hiding in the inn and were planning to set fire to Kyoto. After comparing their own action to a historical event, Kanae grinned broadly and laughed.
The Magic Division's student council of Kaguya and the others were in internal dissension because the vice-president, Hoshikaze Hikaru, opposed the order. Even if they were in a party together with those bunch, they must not let the problem from that side hinder them too.
To say nothing that this time, the incident happened inside the territory of the Sword Division.
"It's surprising that Kaichou doesn't let her feelings get in the way. How can you go along with this kind of order?"
Torazou once again asked about the impossible to believe event that he saw.
The situation that Kanae's big brother, Hayashizaki Kazuki was put in was very severe. Kazuki who was contracted with a mysterious Diva plundered a Sacred Treasure from a Haunted Ground. Because of that an order to arrest him along with Charlotte who accompanied him had been handed down. Kazuki resisted the attempt to arrest him and escaped.
"It's not like that." Kanae denied Torazou's words.
"My objective is only to meet Nii-sama and see him with my own eyes. Things like Nii-sama attempting to pillage a Sacred treasure...there is no way that kind of thing could happen. Even if that's true, that must be the Diva contracted with Nii-sama that possessed him. If it's the Niisama-meister, me, I would be able to see whether Nii-sama is himself or not with just a glance. If it is the case that an evil Diva possessed Nii-sama, I'll catch Nii-sama and I won't have any objection about performing the [Stigmata Transplanting Operation]. I have heard about the danger of the transplanting operation of the stigmata, but..."
'But', Kanae's eyes turned grim.
"If Nii-sama is actually still himself...that means the report about [Nii-sama attempted to pillage a Sacred Treasure] is wrong. That means someone is trying to frame Nii-sama. In that case, I'll find that someone and kill him. I'm not using any metaphor, I'll kill him without fail. I couldn't care less about Charlotte, so I'll let her go. It seems she would be killed if she is to be handed to Germany."
"Oioi...you are not going to follow the order at all?"
Torazou whispered flabbergasted, at his side Iori laughed cheerfully.
"Even though Kana-chan is too fired up by her emotions, it's cool how all your arguments are so sound."
"That's because my Brocon is very reasonable. Even if I was too fired up by my emotions, it won't lead me to a mistaken conclusion. My love to Nii-sama is the justice of the universe."
"Someone trying to frame Kazuki who is just a normal student, isn't that story too unreal?"
"Shut up, is your spanking still not enough Torazou? Nii-sama is the treasure of the universe after all."
Torazou shut his mouth dejectedly. Because he secretly went behind Kanae's back to go along with Kaguya to arrest Kazuki, he was spanked after that by Kanae with all her strength.
"We won't charge in to preserve the evidence, let's wait until those guys come out from the clubroom building. We will beat them up completely and make them spit out where Nii-sama is, and also take the clubroom's key. We will investigate the inside of the abandoned club room to search for something that can be used as evidence, and punish Kohaku and the others with suspension from school. While they are suspended, we will bring everything to a conclusion."
——————
When Hikita Kohaku exited the clubroom building with her comrades, there were shadows waiting in the darkness of her path.
The Japanese garden of the Sword Division at night looked like an ink-painting. But to Kohaku who reinforced her eyesight with magic power, she could make the distinction of the identity of the shadows clearly even more than someone using a night scope.
A small-statured swordswoman with her braided hair fluttering in the night wind like a cat's tail.
On her right and left a swordsman with large build and a swordswoman with bobbed hair were waiting.
There was no mistake with what she saw. The strongest swordsmen squad―Sword Division student council.
But Kohaku didn't feel any fear. On the contrary, finally they came, her blood quickened.
Tonight is the night when the curtain will open.
"Where did you hide Nii-sama?"
The shadow in front of her―Kanae threw her a question. A question that she didn't expect to be answered, in other words a proclamation of war.
Without waiting for a reply, sharp sounds of drawn swords from the scabbards on the swordsmen's hips, rang out at that place.
"You're not coming here just for talking right, Kanae-kaichou. But if you try to judge our selves using the power of the student council and yet the table is turned back on you unsightly, you senpais won't be able to introduce yourself as the student council anymore, you know? Isn't that great? Tonight this one will take over the seat of the student council president."
The Sword Division held the doctrine of strength even more extremely than the Magic Division. Because the doctrine of true strength was beaten into them through and through, the students bore inferiority complex toward the Magic Division and they became unable to go against the Magica Stigma.
It was recognized in the Sword Division that the strong students held many privileges, it went without saying that the student council president was also awarded various special privileges. In exchange, if the president was defeated by anyone even once, then no one would recognize them anymore.
The seat of the Sword Division's student council president was decided not by election, it was something easily transferred by the result of a single duel.
If Kohaku could achieve victory against Kanae right now in that place, Kohaku could reach the top reigning position in one go.
So their plan could go on smoothly from now on, this was something that Kohaku just needed.
"Don't get too conceited, you first year lad!"
Kanae drew out her two-swords style blades. With that as the signal, Torazou and Iori both at her side also drew their katana.
"Hiiragi! Kagura! Use the ~Sacred Treasures~ and bring down the extra at her sides! This one is going to defeat Kanae-kaichou!!"
Both of Kohaku's comrades also drew out their Sacred Treasures just like Kohaku commanded.
"Burn the ascetics, ~Nobukuni~! Battou Kaikon―Long Sword of Divine Excess FireKannabi no Tachi!!"
The slender swordsman wearing glasses―Hiiragi drew his katana, that katana created sparks from the friction with its scabbard and was enveloped with flame. When the flame sword was swung, 'GOU!" a wave of flame flew toward Iori.
"Uwawa!? A surprising weapon that looks like Summoning Magic!? What is that, not fair!!"
Even while raising a scream, Iori read the magic power and evaded the wind of flame.
Battou Kaikon―magic power flowed into the Sacred Treasure and released the various personal magic that the Sacred Treasure had.
Its power didn't compare to the Summoning Magic of a Diva, but it didn't have casting time like a normal spell.
"Scream your refusal, ~Sukehiro~! Battou Kaikon―Large Waves BladeTouranjin!!"
The black haired swordswoman―Kagura pointed the tip of her Sacred Treasure at Torazou. The next moment, a thin jet of water like a string was released straight ahead from the tip of the katana.
"DOWAA!"
Torazou's blue defensive magic power scattered from receiving those water pressures that could even pierce a rock. But the shockwave was not to the degree that it could blow him away. Torazou went against the water jet while struggling to run towards Kagura.
"Not only Kohaku, even the small fishes also have Sacred Treasures!? ...Where in the world did they get all of that? Iori is one thing, but Torazou won't last long."
Kanae immediately attempted to help Torazou. However Kohaku beat her to the punch―
"Kanae-kaichou's opponent is this one!! ...Freeze and lock, ~Murasame~! Battou Kaikon―Drizzle Rain Boisterous DanceKirisame Ranbu!!"
Kohaku drew one katana from the seven pieces of katana that she had on her body. When drops of water were hanging down from the blades of the katana, in the blink of an eye those drops transformed into water vapor, next it froze and countless numbers of glistening blades of ice was formed.
"Go!" ―Answering Kohaku's will, the blades of ice rushed Kanae like a blizzard.
Kanae Foresighted the magic phenomenon and evaded the flying ice blades comfortably.
Kanae was cornered further and further away from Torazou, the situation unavoidably turned into an one-on-one fight with Kohaku.
While floating a daring smile, Kohaku drew out one more katana.
"Pierce the far away, ~Doutanuki~! Battou Kaikon―Sky Tempest Scythe WeaselTenran Kamaitachi!!"
Kohaku swung her katana, from there a sharp wind blew violently. It was a blade of wind invisible to the eyes, but Kanae evaded it with the prided Foresight of Hayashizaki style.
In Kohaku's right hand was Murasame, in her left hand was Doutanuki, she operated both of them at the same time, driving away Kanae with ice and wind blades.
The situation developed into a barrage of two layers long range attack that limited the place that Kanae could escape, it surely was a bullet hell of swords.
Even Kanae couldn't avoid them all, many blades grazed her and the light of defensive magic power was scattered.
But Kanae slipped amongst the gaps of the barrage and somehow approached near Kohaku.
Anyway, Kanae didn't have any method of attack if she was not in close range.
When Kanae approached until the [middle range], Kohaku quickly stored both the Sacred Treasures in her hands back to its sheath―this time her hand reached the large war sword she carried on her back. That Sacred Treasure's length reached almost two meters, she pulled it out in one breath with the assistance of Psychokinesis.
"Crush them to death, ~Taroudachi~! Battou Kaikon―Ashura BisectionAshura Ryoudan!!"
While shouting in one stroke, Kohaku poured her magic power into the large war sword.
The blade of the Taroudachi absorbed the magic power and grew large up to several dozen times.
"!?"
Kanae swallowed her breath in shock.
Kanae used her Foresight. Predicting what would happen next, she suddenly put a stop on her movement and changed into evasive maneuver. Even so―she didn't make it in time.
The gigantified Taroudachi's attack range was so vast Kanae couldn't evade it even with Foresight!
BUUUUUUUN! Taroudachi howled, Kanae was blown away like a single thread by the sweeping slash that drew a gigantic arc.
Kanae immediately performed an ukemi and stood back and the range between the two returned back to [long range].
Kohaku sheathed back Taroudachi on her back and changed once again with Murasame and Doutanuki.
She used Murasame and Doutanuki when there was a large distance from her opponent and if the opponent managed to slip through them, she would pull out Taroudachi. Like that Kanae wasn't allowed to launch a close-range attack at all.
The innermost secret of sword art was distance. Kohaku had gained total supremacy of distance and obtained an overwhelming upper hand on Kanae.
"Kanae-kaichou...you're certainly the strongest swordsman. However, you're just a swordsman from ancient era that keep using normal katana with stupid honesty. Attempting to become stronger than Magica Stigma with that seedy-looking kodachi with painful efforts alone...this one will show you, this one will create a new era where there would be no more pitiful swordsman like you."
"Obtaining clever power by outside assistance of weapon, you got too carried away just by that huh."
Kanae talked while spitting out from her mouth, looked like the cloud of dust went into her mouth when she performed the ukemi.
"Certainly the Sacred Treasure might be a helpful weapon, but your method won't change anything in society."
"...What kind of fault is there in this one's great cause?"
"You keep saying great cause great cause, but your true feelings that [you hate the Magic Division] is transparent. You will only manage to stir resistance from the other side without making them understand anything. However, you also won't be able to subdue the Magica Stigma even if you seriously use force against them. You blockhead. You who only relied on Sacred Treasure won't be able to win against Kaguya, even if you challenged her ten thousand times. Well, though you will lose to me in this place even before that."
"You can still make such shameless declarations like a poor loser even in that sorry state!"
Kohaku swung both Murasame and Doutanuki at the same time and discontinued their dialogue.
The barrage of ice blades and wind sword attacked Kanae once again. Kanae sheathed her kodachi and started running with all her strength.
Iai stance...? What was she planning to do...?
Without even overlooking any slight change, Kohaku tried to look for Kanae's aim.
Hayashizaki-style originally was a school of Iaijutsu.
But to compensate for her powerlessness with the number of attacks, Kanae normally used the stance of two swords style.
However―if she thought about dodging the magic that flew about in the battlefield and approach the enemy, she could dash even faster in the state where her swords were sheathed. That was the essential aim of Hayashizaki-style's Iaijutsu.
In short, she planned to sacrifice the number of attacks in favor of speed.
The reality was that Kanae who dashed while swinging her hands had accelerated even more exceptionally compared from before.
"Your methods are mistaken! You should wait for a kind person like Nii-sama to connect both the Sword Division and the Magic Division! Actually the distance between the Sword Division and the Magic Division are shrinking right now. Kaguya too is trying to compromise. But you don't want to understand that because of your childish pride. You declared a dignified great cause, but in the end you just want the Magic Division to submit to you!"
While dashing like a wind, Kanae blamed Kohaku severely.
Those words pierced Kohaku's chest like a thorn. She only wanted to make the Magic Division submit...it would be a lie if she said that there was no such dark sentiments inside her.
"You saying things like that, are you saying that with Kazuki's method anything and everything will go smoothly!? This brocon Kaichou!!"
"Certainly there is a strong brocon bias in my eye, but at least there is no feeling of hate towards anyone in Nii-sama! That's why he can give good influence to the surrounding people!! Compared to the misunderstood you who is only invincible when you have Sacred Treasure, you are shamefully conceited!!"
Kanae slipped through Murasame and Doutanuki's barrage and drew near Kohaku once more.
"Ashura Ryoudan!!"
Kohaku switched Sacred Treasure and perform a similar slash like before with Taroudachi.
It was unavoidable even with Kanae's current speed. She unsheathed her kodachi and chose to block the gigantic slash. But that was a reckless attempt.
Kanae couldn't block Taroudachi and was blown far away.
...Even if she got a little faster and whatever she shouted were not a problem at all.
The blown away Kanae stood up in a stagger.
"If you turn to violence, then the Magic Division and the Sword Division will return back to their gloomy relations. Whatever Nii-sama had done will come to nothing. That's why I'm going to stop you. Your sham great cause is only a bother...!"
"Are you going to keep sermonizing with that condescending attitude even though your hands and legs have been giving out?"
"Fun...I'm going to accelerate a little bit more."
Was she a sore loser...?
The moment Kohaku still doubted her ear, the ~Storm Cat~ Hayashizaki Kanae was kicking the ground once more.
'Byun!', that small body was [accelerating] even faster.
Was she still concealing her full power!? ...Kohaku was taken aback, however, nothing would change with Kanae becoming just a little faster. She restrained her with Murasame and Doutanuki once more, lured her out, and then make her the prey of Taroudachi!
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
"What!?"
Kanae entered her fighting spirit into her loud scream and clashed her Iai towards the ~Ashura Ryodan~ that Kohaku swung.
Kanae's Iai draw didn't have the power to repel Taroudachi back.
However she diverted the trajectory of the side sweep slightly above.
And then with the gap that was formed between the blade and the ground, Kanae slipped through with a cat-like low posture.
Kohaku felt a chill in her spine. Kanae had drawn near...until the range of the kodachi!
Kohaku immediately released a kick. Kanae who charged ahead with a forced posture couldn't avoid it, she received the blow fully from the front and drew back.
Kohaku back-stepped in panic and created a [long range] distance between them.
The defense and offense returned right to their starting point.
However...she had allowed her to get close?
Kanae's damage had been piling up and most of her magic power had been shaved off. Her breathing was rough from her mental tiredness and her body was wobbling.
Despite all that, her movements hadn't declined. On the contrary she was accelerating. Her eyes were still not dead, her eyes were glaring at Kohaku with ominous light.
Kohaku shuddered with fear against that figure.
The sensation was as if she was facing against a naked blade.
"...It had been a long time since I really wanted to defeat an enemy in front of my eyes and from the bottom of my heart in a serious match... I cannot get this kind of feeling facing off with the kind Nii-sama...fufufu!"
...Don't tell me this person, was she saying that she was not used to a serious fight and her engine took time to get warmed up? [Hayashizaki Kanae's seriousness] that hadn't been discovered because there was no worthy opponent in the Sword Division till now, had it finally woken up in this place!?
...No, Kanae wouldn't be able to defeat her opponent anymore. Her magic power would be all used up with only one more attack. She was nothing more than a slow starter that had been too late!
Kanae once again kicked the ground and sprinted. She accelerated even faster with that explosive power. At first, many of the ice and wind blades grazed her, but now nothing hit her anymore.
Kohaku had lured Kanae close enough, so she swung the gigantified Taroudachi.
Kanae once again clashed her Iai draw with her whole body against Taroudachi just like before and altered its trajectory.
And then she slipped under the blade. The strength of her Iai, the speed of her sprint, everything was still increasing compared from before.
This person, does she keep getting stronger the more she is hurt like a zombie!?
Kohaku repeated her previous offense and defense method and released a front kick.
Kanae who had more composure now Foresighted the kick and avoided the kick smoothly with a sidestep.
Kohaku threw away her Taroudachi. She didn't even have anymore leisure to sheathe the sword in her back.
And then she unsheathed another Sacred Treasure.
"Run beam of light, ~Mikadzuki Munechika~! Battou Kaikon―Long Sword of MoonlightGetsuei no Dachi!!"
The new Sacred Treasure she used was something for close-quarter combat.
The moment she gripped the hilt of the katana, it produced a slash that drew an arc of a crescent moon. Kohaku didn't even need to swing the blade consciously. Transcending speed, it produced the result even before the attack was released, a magic sword that reversed the cause and effect.
However Kanae evaded that attack. ―In front of Hayashizaki-style's Foresight, the speed of the attack was not a problem.
Kanae, who evaded the crescent shadow of the sword, slipped into Kohaku's flank with a speed that left an afterimage behind.
In that state where they crossed paths, 'ZUBA!ZUBA!' two streak of slash carved apart Kohaku.
When Kohaku turned back, Kanae's figure was not there anymore.
Only the sounds of her footsteps kicking the ground and dashing away echoed from somewhere. Kanae accelerated even faster.
"Damn―!"
Kohaku swung Mikadzuki Munechika around at random. The black shadow slipped through her attacks, slashes visited her when they passed each other.
At last they entered a close quarter combat...! Moreover, the pace became even faster than before!
When the sound of braking 'ZUZAAAAAAA!' entered Kohaku's ear, immediately the sound of ground-kicking was heard leaving only the sounds of footsteps behind. Kanae ran around her with the speed that she really couldn't catch, sharp slash visited her every time Kanae passed through.
Kanae was not only fast. She Foresighted Kohaku's line of sight's movement and dashed to her blindspot.
It was useless to rely on eyes dealing with this sword dance.
However, her current self's training in Senses Reinforcement MagicExtra Sense was insufficient...!
Kanae's slashes were light, the damages of each attack were small. Just with those, Kohaku tasted humiliation because she was continuously cut so one-sidedly.
"This is absurd-!"
Kohaku swung Mikadzuki Munechika around blindly.
Thoughts of resignation that she couldn't win flashed in her mind.
She believed that she could win even against Otonashi Kaguya as long as she used Sacred Treasure. However...
"...First year brat, has your heart broke?..."
The black shadow left behind ridiculing laughter each time it passed. That form was not reflected in her eyes, only the footsteps echoed around her. Kohaku's mind turned pure white from the shame of having her inside seen through.
Sheet, who is the one that's going to give up! Her plan had already started to move!!
"Burn the ascetics, ~Nobukuni~! Battou Kaikon―Kannabi no Tachi!!"
Wind of flames blew in Kohaku's surroundings to protect around her.
Kanae stepped for a hasty brake because of the sudden obstruction of the wind of flames.
Both Kohaku and Kanae opened their eyes wide from the sudden development. Kanae's godspeed had been interrupted, in that instant―
"Scream your rejection, ~Sukehiro~! Battou Kaikon―Touranjin!!"
A blade of thin and white water pressure pierced Kanae's defensive magic power.
Kanae's magic power hit rock bottom, she went down on her knees because of the abuse her magic forced on her body.
What just happened?
When she looked around the night battlefield―both Torazou and Iori had already used up all their strengths and collapsed.
This was a three-on-three fight.
"...I didn't make it in time huh."
Kanae fell into the ground while squeezing out those words. Kohaku looked down on the collapsed Kanae who was supposed to overwhelm her while doubting her own eyes.
"...Somehow or other...this is this one's victory, Kanae-kaichou."
Kohaku forcibly put on a smile of triumph on her face.
Can this one say that she really won? That discord welled up inside her heart.
"Surely you won't say that you won't recognize your defeat. From here on, this one is the student council president. This one proclaims victory, if you are not going to deny it, then the change of administration is done."
"Well, that was an interesting fight for sure." The collapsed Kanae replied in a subdued tone.
"I can't really get serious without killing intent, so it had been a long time since I can fight like this."
The words she said in the beginning was [an interesting fight], wasn't it?
This person is even more a [Sword Demon] than Kazuki, that was what Kohaku thought.
"...Because of your offense in carrying an assault against innocent students, you are hereby receiving a suspension from school. Please watch the execution of our plan attentively while undergoing house arrest in the student dormitory."
"Hmph, that kind of thing doesn't really matter, because Kaguya or Nii-sama are going to stop you somehow. Aaah, geez! I want to meet Nii-sama quickly―!!"
Kanae looked up to the night sky and yelled, while it seemed she was really serious about not caring what course of events were going to develop in the future.
―In this night, the Sword Division student council was dismantled by Hayashizaki Kanae's order.
| ← Ch. 038 | Ch. 040 → |