novelThe Witchs House (2)
| ← Ch.006 | Ch.008 → |
After the self-introduction was over, Liz Liza-sensei brought the students outside of the school building.
Beside the school building, there was a sports ground surrounded by verdure. The signing of the contract ritual with the Solomon's 72 Pillars of Demons was currently being carried out on the sports ground.
——Right now in Japan, forming a contract with a Diva outside of Solomon's 72 Pillars of Demons was not accepted.
If they were to form a contract with another Diva, they would be treated as an Illegal Magic User and be pursued by the Knights.
It was a crime. Because among the Divas, there were some that hold malice towards humans. Through giving power to lure humans, they would erode the human's mind and seize their human body.
15 years ago, when Magic had just appeared in the world, an incident occurred where humans that were controlled by Divas destroyed Tokyo. In front of the Illegal Magic Users where Normal Magic and Weapons were no match for them, the ones to lend a helping hand to Japan, who was forced into a dire situation for the first time, were the Solomon's 72 Pillars of Demons.
Through the efforts of the ~Original Knights~ that formed a contract with the Solomon's 72 Pillars of Demon, the Illegal Magic Users were suppressed.
Because of this story, Solomon's 72 Pillars of Demons became the only partner that could be trusted.
Within their hearts, the freshmen that were awarded an enigma were filled with expectations about which Demon of the Solomon's 72 Pillars of Demon they would form a contract with and challenged the contract ritual.
This was the first important matter after the entrance ceremony.
"In the end, what kind of Diva would I form a contract with? Once I thought up to here, my heart is so excited as if I was drawing lots."
On the road leading to the sports ground, Kazuki attempted to talk with Koyuki.
It seems like she was the only one who would not treat him with any prejudice.
"It does not matter which one for me. No matter which one it is, it is still the same."
"Still the same? How is that possible!"
The voice that suddenly interrupted from behind Kazuki and Koyuki was——Mio.
"In the 72 Pillars, there are still various different types. There is one that looks like a fish and there is also one that looks like a starfish. Isn't it a lot better to find one that looks more beautiful than them!"
"Appearances...that is the most useless thing in the world."
Koyuki probably had her mood destroyed by this topic and quickly sped up and walked away.
"What a cold person", Mio, who was left behind pursed her lips.
She probably hated the topic of appearances. Even though that person was obviously so beautiful.
"Forget it...The E-Rank classmate, who is still lingering about sword skills, should try hard to find a suitable Diva! For example, a Diva that looks like a cockroach, a Diva that looks like a millipede, or perhaps a Diva that looks like a mushroom, etc."
Mio threw a spiteful gaze towards Kazuki and started to make fun of him.
"...I think that within the Solomon's 72 Pillars of Demon, there are no such Divas."
"Speaking of which, it is possible that you could not even turn your enigma into a stigma!"
Mio, who was speaking like this, seemed to be showing a childish angered expression towards Kazuki.
...It feels that this person's quarreling method wasn't average.
"Hey, during the self-introduction, you were waving to me, right?"
After hearing Kazuki taking the initiative to ask this topic, Mio's eyes "!" widened.
"Where have we met?"
"Baka!" After Kazuki asked this question, he immediately received a bitter reply.
Afterwards, Mio seemed to reveal an expression pent up with anger and walked briskly away without turning back.
...Was she mad? As expected, he must have met her some place before.
However, even when he think back to elementary and middle school period, he still had no impression of the name, Amasaki.
The orphanage where he had stayed before ——Inside the children caring organization ~Nanohana Institution~, there were basically only children that were smaller than him, so first, that can't be right...
"But that attitude isn't an attitude towards a person she does not know..."
However, even if he asked again, he would only pointlessly make her mad, so Kazuki felt troubled again.
"All of the freshmen, we meet again! I am Otonashi Kaguya."
On the sports ground, Kaguya-senpai was currently waiting for our arrival. She was wearing a robe similar to the one during the entrance ceremony.
"The contract ritual will be performed under the assistance of the Student Council President."
After lining up the students based on their attendance arrangement, Liz Liza-sensei began explaining the ritual.
"Listen up, Summoning Magic is divided into four steps ~AccessConnecting with Astrum~, ~OrderInviting the Phenomenon~, ~TragetingAppointing the Coordinates~ and ~CastActivation~. Diving into the deep psychological world, heading towards the destination pass the Heart of Doors and speaking with a Diva. After learning the simplified ~Spell~ for these four steps of Summoning Magic, the contract is formed...In other words, you will officially become a Stigma Magic User."
Finally becoming a Stigma Magic User——After hearing Liz Liza-sensei's words, the students suddenly became excited.
"However, rather than being a ritual, it is more like a trial. Although it is the initial hurdle, connecting with Astrum is not so simple. You will have to let your consciousness dive down to the depths of your heart and within the darkness inside the Astrum, capture the Diva's figure and voice, it requires a very keen Perceptibility Enhancement Magic. Incidentally, the number of successful people in Class 1 was zero."
In order to make the students, who became impulsive, tense up, Liz Liza-sensei said this.
Kaguya-senpai was the first to let a slight smile to ease the student's tension.
"I will be responsible as the instructor to guide your initial path towards Astrum as well as prevent accidents from occurring. Although using Telepathic Magic could help guide you to the path towards Astrum, but aside from that, there is little that could be done. However, there is no need to force yourself to succeed on your first try, so please relax a bit."
"So then, attendance number 1——Amasaki Mio! Come up to the front!"
"Yes!" After issuing a slightly nervous tone, Mio walked up to the front of the queue.
"First, close your eyes and allow your consciousness and unconsciousness to merge together (Trance)."
After obeying Kaguya-senpai's instructions, Mio closed her eyes. From her body's surface, a faint blue light emerged.
The so-called Trance was to allow your mind to enter a highly concentrated state through Perceptibility Enhancement Magic.
"Then I will use Telepathic Magic to synchronize with your mind. Although the actual mind guiding path may seem more abstract than what you imagine, but if two people synchronize their minds, the fluctuations inside my heart would turn into wavelengths and be sent to you. You will also need to match it and allow your consciousness to move."
Kaguya-senpai's body also emitted a blue light. The blue light seemed to be a bridge and flowed inside Mio's body.
The two of them closed their eyes and did not move. Only the blue light that seemed to be the light on the surface of the water was shaking. Although it was not apparent from the side, the two human consciousness have departed towards an alternative world
——After a few minutes, the two of them opened their eyes.
Mio's pupil inside her gaze seemed to be inside a dream still and was absentminded. However, she slowly opened her mouth as if she was a priestess who received a divine revelation and began to weave a spell.
"I know thy name...Thy name is ~Phenex~...A poet and a Magician!"
"Could it be...she succeeded in one attempt!?" Liz Liza-sensei said in a surprised voice.
Sounds of cheers spread across the sports ground, then the girl with the top results——
"The poetic bird that uses sweet words to play with the truth, obey my command and display thy power!"
The chanting of the spell ended remarkably. At the same time, orange color lights that were just like flames were released. Within the light, her school uniform was decomposed. The ~Consciousness of the Diva~ flowed into the uniform that was made through alchemical silk, reconstructed its root particles, and cleverly dressed the contractor in an appearance ~Worthy of being Majestic~.
This was the battle outfit that only people who are selected could obtain from the Divas——Magical Dress.
Behind Mio, a shadow of a large firebird emerged. Wrapped in the curtains of the orange lights, Mio revealed——the appearance after changing into the Magical Dress.
From the place where the skin was exposed, a crimson pattern emerged——Stigma.
Having the same graceful curves as a dress for a party, it was a somewhat mysterious and beautiful posture.
Mio's fuzzy eyes regained the colors of reality and repeatedly blinked several times.
"...I know! The spell is appearing inside my mind!! Inviting the Phenomenon, Appointing the Coordinates and Activation all...I can immediately activate the Level 1 Summoning Magic!!"
"It's fine if you do not do up to this point! The person who just dove into Astrum for a long time should not be reckless!!"
After Liz Liza-sensei hurried up to stop it, Mio cut off her mind connection with Astrum.
Phenex's illusion turned into light particles and disappeared. Her Magical Dress also turned back into the school uniform.
"It is just like after swimming in the pool. Although you may not feel it, you are actually very tired. There is no need to rush. Since the spell has already been taught, then it has already connected into a hotline. You will be able to enter a connected state more easily from now on...Congratulations for your successful contract!"
Kaguya-senpai revealed a smile and applauded. The classmates also began to applaud.
After Mio heard the sounds of the applause sent to her, she happily looked around. Once her eyes met with Kazuki's, she could not help but reveal an overwhelmingly happy expression and stretched out her hand to make a V gesture.
Kazuki, who was clapping his hands, did not know how to respond. Thus, Mio was suddenly filled with unhappiness and returned back to the queue.
"Attendance Number 14, Hayashizaki Kazuki, come up to the front!"
——Then it was finally Kazuki's turn. None of the people after Mio had succeeded.
"We meet again, Kanae-chan's otouto-kun!"
After Kazuki step up from the queue, Kaguya-senpai let out a delightful laugh.
"...I'm extremely sorry for this morning, I made you see the embarrassing places within the school all of a sudden."
Kaguya-senpai seems to think that it was her own responsibility and lowered her shoulders in sorrow.
"I think that the person who was most correct at the scene was you, senpai."
"If you are able to say this, it really makes me feel pleased. Although I had once appealed for the Magic Division and the Sword Division to become more friendly and get along together, everybody did not listen to my words...In the end, without knowing it, my support rate has gradually decreased. The trust in Otonashi, the Student Council President, is already in a major crisis...But I believe that if I do not work hard to let the Sword and Magic make up for each others' shortcomings, it is impossible for them to draw out their true power!"
Kaguya-senpai clenched her fists and passionately made a speech.
"...I believe that senpai's thinking is correct."
"You agree with my views, otouto-kun? You will help me, who is alone!?"
"Because I was also once a swordsman before! If there is anything I can help, anything is fine!"
"Comrade!"
Kaguya-senpai's eyes became moist and held onto Kazuki's hands tightly.
"Thank you, comrade comrade! Although Kanae-chan's dillydally type is very cute, but a straight-forward type like otouto-kun is also very cute. WAHHH, can I rub your head? I rub, I rub, your hair is very soft. Lovely, so lovely——. Otouto-kun, do you want to eat candy?"
"Are you an Oba-chan from Osaka!"
Kazuki unleashed a hand blade attack on Kaguya-senpai's head, who had pulled out candies from the pockets of her robe, and complained.
"I was complained to", Kaguya-senpai happily stuck out her tongue.
"...Hey, you two, quickly begin!"
Liz Liza-sensei's roar rushed over and only then Kaguya-senpai began giving instructions to Kazuki.
"Then from now on, otouto-kun also needs to allow the ceremony where your consciousness and mine intimately synchronize with each other."
Listening to her words, it felt like there was a subtle resistance. Kazuki also followed Kaguya-senpai's instructions and closed his eyes. Using Magic to unify the minds and diving into the spiritual world——
What spread within his inner heart was an overwhelming and vast darkness. It was a place that gave off a feeling where a person would lose themselves.
However, on the surface of this darkness, slight ripples were spreading out. These were the ripples that were triggered by Kaguya-senpai's consciousness.
"Follow me", Kaguya-senpai's voice rang out. As if he was drawing ripples, Kazuki followed along.
Continuously heading towards a deeper place within the darkness.
It was an image of the deep sea. The pitch-black color of the darkness slowly became more and more dark.
However, it was just like the seabed of the deep sea. It was a world where light cannot reach. If you used Perceptibility Enhancement Magic, then you would understand that the ~Distant Past~ and ~Past Feelings~ that you could not recall were currently sleeping here, just like it was accumulating layers. The so-called unconscious mind was this kind of world.
Just like how the deep sea's water pressure was very high, inside the spiritual world, the color of the darkness would become darker as you dive further down to the depths, and your ego would become more blurred. If you maintained Perceptibility Enhancement Magic for a long time, you would even lose consciousness.
The feeling of resistance from the darkness was just like that of rushing forward against the wind.
Finally, after crossing a line——The world's phase changed.
Kaguya-senpai's consciousness that was leading, stopped. They had passed through the Heart of Door and arrived at Astrum.
Within the darkness in which was still very easy to lose consciousness, Kazuki searched for the presence of the Diva.
"...Ara, it feels like the atmosphere is very strange."
Using Telepathic Magic to synchronize with Kazuki's consciousness, Kaguya-senpai's voice rang out in Astrum.
"——Hayashizaki Kazuki."
A different voice than Kaguya-senpai rang out——It was a female voice. Is this the voice of a Diva...?
The darkness in front of him increased in viscosity and condensed. It seems that something lodging there exists.
"Do you have the resolve of being burdened by a power that can change the world?"
Kazuki could not identify its gesture. He did not have the power to identify it.
However, the voice that came over was clear. If that was the case, they should be able to converse and should be able to make a contract.
A power that can change the world——Was this something that could be obtained through a contract with this Diva, was it really such an enormous power?
To tell the truth, I am clueless about how I would use such tremendous power.
However, if I was the person that was ~Chosen~, then I should respond to it.
Perhaps I am only a tiny human, but I will still stake my life and give it my all.
"...If it's resolve, then I have it!"
After Kazuki replied like this, a powerful light flashed up in front of him.
——When he recovered, Kazuki's consciousness had already returned back to the sports ground.
It felt strange. Inside his muddled mind, he was gradually confused.
Was the contract over? No, it did not tell him the spell.
And the appearance of the Diva was unclear till the end. In the end, what on earth was that?
Was it even possible to form a contract under the situation where he did not know who the other was?
At this moment, a white light suddenly illuminated in front of Kazuki.
At the same time, he felt his Magic was being sucked out from his spirit and was entering the light in front of him. Something...Something from another world was currently materializing!?
The next moment, a light that made everybody close their eyes burst out——
"A girl!?" Kaguya-senpai could not help but cry out.
The light turned into a young girl's appearance.
A naked girl with brown skin was currently floating in front of Kazuki.
And, this was a ~Complete Summon~. This girl was not an ~Illusion~ made fixed by Magic, but was a body with mass.
The girl that appeared within the air was gently floating and stared at Kazuki.
"Through a kiss, form a contract with Leme."
The girl pulled Kazuki's head with both hands and brought him in front of her.
Ignoring the confused Kazuki, *Chuuu*, she kissed him.
An intense heat moved from his mouth towards his left hand.
Hot! W, What is this...It changed!? The Enigma...became a Stigma!?
"Fufu, with this, the contract is complete."
She smiled and the heat stopped. Kazuki timidly looked at his left hand to confirm it. What was there was not an Engima, but a star-shaped ~Hexagram~ Stigma.
The contract——was completed? But who was this person? Why was the summon casually activated?
Looking at the developments that was different from normal Divas, the sports arena suddenly began to stir.
"Eh?...Eh?"
After she fell down onto the ground, she incredulously looked at her own body.
"WAHHHH!? WHAT IS THIS! WHY IS LEME NAKED! WHY IS IT NAKED——!?"
She used her two hands to cover her body while crying out "Clothes——! Clothes!?"
With a subtly panicked mode, Kaguya-senpai took off her own robe and handed it to her.
The little girl expressed her thanks, "Oh, oh, thank you!", and put it on nervously.
Kazuki casually stared at Kaguya-senpai and was suddenly shocked. After Kaguya-senpai removed her robe, what was beneath it was a highly revealing outfit. Although her entire body was covered with something similar to a black armor, but the surface area was extremely small. The contrast together with her white skin made it extremely stimulating.
"If you stare like this, I will become very embarrassed...!"
"S, Sorry. My gaze naturally just...That is, is that Asmodeus's Magical Dress?"
The black colored outfit was releasing a faint purple light. That means Magic Power was flowing.
"In order to immediately deal with any unexpected issues during the contract ritual, I could not help but wear my Magical Dress! But, Asmodeus's Magical Dress is loaded with an irritating design...Even though I was thinking of using a robe to hide it!"
A Magical Dress is created by revealing the Stigma's form. For Asmodeus's Stigma, there were many tiny parts that needed to be revealed on the body, thus, the exposure degree was that high.
Kazuki once again looked at his own body. Speaking of which, he did not get a Magical Dress.
Everything was in a mess.
"Liz Liza-sensei, what on earth just happened......!?"
It seems that Kaguya-senpai did not understand the situation and turned her head towards Liz Liza-sensei.
A Diva that obtained a physical body could use the powerful power of their own myths without any restrictions.
A legitimately unknown Diva materializing in front of their eyes was an extremely dangerous situation.
Originally, a Diva's materialization should not be achieved without consuming a certain degree of Magic Power...
"...You are a different Diva than Solomon's 72 Pillars. Who are you?"
Liz Liza-sensei used a completely different tone and carefully asked this Diva, who was out of the specifications.
"Leme is Leme. Aside from that...That, I don't know. Ara? I can't remember it."
"A memory loss Diva? Then the next question, what kind of power do you hold? A Diva should normally hold 10 types of Inherent Magic."
The symbol of a Diva is their 10 types of Inherent Magic. Through the contract, this becomes Summoning Magic.
"About that, the contract was indeed completely...Inherent Magic? Inherent Magic...There is no such thing. What is this power you are speaking of? Inside Leme's body...There is no such power?"
"A, a powerless Diva!? How is that possible!?"
"...Wawaahh. Although I do not understand, but I am sleepy. Leme is going to sleep. Good night."
Leme just lied down at that place, shortly after, snoring sounds began. She was really too free.
"...What on earth is with this fellow? This is plainly unbelievable..."
"About that, Liz Liza-sensei...Could it be that a contract was formed outside of the 72 Pillars of Diva?"
Kaguya-senpai revealed a terrifying expression and asked Liz Liza-sensei.
"...We will discuss this matter at the staff meeting. First, let us send this fellow to the infirmary."
Looking at the young girl who was sent to the infirmary, even Kazuki would lose his cool.
"P, Please wait a minute...It was you who changed my life!? At least explain to me why you gave me the Enigma! You are too irresponsible, aren't you!?"
"I know thy name...Thy name is called ~Vepar~ ...The mermaid singer conveying icy cold thoughts, causing the entire world to be planted with tears of sadness."
Releasing a light blue radiance, a fantasy-like illusion of a mermaid appeared above Koyuki, who was chanting the spell.
At the same time, her uniform became a tight white colored Magical Dress.
"With this, this is the 3rd person. The amount of people that succeeded in this class..."
Liz Liza-sensei let out an extremely surprised voice. Amasaki Mio, Hayashizaki Kazuki, then Hiakari Koyuki.
However for Kazuki, could he still be counted as one of the successful ones ——
| ← Ch. 006 | Ch. 008 → |