novelVolume 2
| ← Ch.09 | Ch.11 → |
Volume 2, Chapter 1
Part 1
After going through and past many narrow alleys and corners.
At far deep, inside where even the hustle and bustle of the main street couldn't be heard anymore.
At a dead-end buried inside a multi-tenant building, there was the door of that antiquarian bookshop.
When the rusted door was opened, the peculiar moldy smell released by old books pierced the nose.
But, the young boy didn't even stop to pay attention and entered inside the shop.
And then he went past the book shelves lined with old books with moldy smell.
There, a dark-skinned youth staring at a paperback book with a bored look was beside an antiquated looking register.
Perhaps sensing a human's presence, the youth directed his sleepy gaze at the young boy―
Immediately, the youth expressed a wide smile.
{Hey! We meet again. Boy!}
Throwing away the paperback book he held, the youth kicked away his chair and stood up to welcome the boy.
He looked happy as if reuniting with a friend after ten years.
{To come here means that you have made your resolve I wonder?}
Against the youth's question, the boy just stayed quiet and only returned a nod.
The youth's eyes sparkled from that gesture, his mouth slackened slovenly.
Yet, ―perhaps from thinking of something, the youth's mouth closed back, he cleared his throat *kohon* once.
Suddenly making a serious expression, the youth further piled up more questions.
No, rather than calling it questions, it was a warning.
{But, is it really alright? If you receive that, you won't be able to go back you know. Just like the tens of thousands of people until now without even a single exception among them, you will get devoured by that book's knowledge and become a cripple.
No―
Even if you manage to decipher it, what is waiting ahead is a solitude that is even colder than death.
The person who reveals all knowledge of this book will surely obtain the means to control even god at will.
Those are words that I once said to all of you humanity, but... this is the truth.
If you reveal everything of this book, you will truly obtain the power that can subdue even god.
An overwhelming power to the degree that no enemy or ally, not a single person will be able to match.
But... such power is too much to be possessed by an [individual].
[Society] undoubtedly wouldn't permit such [individual].
They would certainly move to ostracize that individual.
Whether now or in the past, heros can die as heros only when he died in a battle.
Hm? You asked why I understand that kind of matter?
Of course I understand. After all I have observed all of you for several centuries.
No matter how much you ground your body into dust fighting the demons for the sake of humanity, no matter how much blood dyes your body, there will be no one that would look back at you. There is no blessing at the end where you are going. What will wait for you is only rejection and persecution. Even so, will you still seek the power of this book I wonder?}
However, the young boy returned a nod even towards that warning.
In his eyes, a strong will resided.
{No hesitation huh. }
That was only natural. There was no reason for the young boy to hesitate.
His father died being split apart from top to bottom.
His mother died from her body being twisted.
His younger sister was eaten alive.
While all that happened, the young boy could do nothing but watch.
Because he had no power, he could do nothing except letting everything goet stolen from him.
―Things like that already happened a lot. His weakness was a lot.
He wanted power. Power in order to fight, power in order to protect.
He didn't need any blessing.
It was fine even if he couldn't become a hero that everyone would praise.
If he could just save even a single person more from this irrational plundering that happened to him―
If that could come true―
Then he wouldn't mind even if the world would reject him.
... A voice filled with dense and heavy determination like an unshakeable giant tree.
The face of the youth who listened toward that boy's reply, broke out into a grin from being unable to endure himself anymore.
{... Not a vengeful heart towards demons, not even selfish desire, there is not even a family that you want to protect.
Just purely, for the sake of complete strangers you seek the knowledge of darkness, is that it....
Fufu. Perhaps this is the first time. A human that sought ~Liber Legis~ for that kind of reason.
It's truly noble, so helplessly foolish... so adorably interesting.
It seems that my choice which selected you was not mistaken!}
After saying that, the youth snapped his finger.
Thereupon from the darkness that had precipitated between the bookshelf, a girl showed her figure.
But, it was only for an instant that thing was taking the appearance of a girl.
Suddenly, a gale was blowing inside the dusty and smelly shop, the girl's body was turning and breaking down into scattered pieces of paper.
And then the broken down pieces of paper were swallowed up by the wind and flew around the shop, before long it gathered into the right hand of the youth becoming a single book.
The youth handed over that book to the boy―
{Welcome to the world of mythos.
If it's you then you might show ~father~ a little bit better dream than now.
You who have been shown the ugliness of the humans that you tried to protect, what kind of decision will you make.
I'm waiting in anticipation you know. ―O the future Grand MagicianGrand Master-dono. }
He blessed the young boy who was heading to his own destruction, the future of Kamishiro Homura right from his heart. [1]
While floating a smile that was like the crescent moon cutting into the darkness of night, under the burning three eyes.
Part 2
"――-"
While reminiscing a memory that couldn't be said as particularly good, Homura's consciousness returned from inside his slumber.
Nearing his awakening, he could hear the sound of the waves and high-pitched voices of children making merry.
When he opened his heavy eyelids, what entered his eyes was the blue sky of summer and the shadow of a parasol that cut the view.
And then―
"My. You awake?"
The eye of a black haired girl that was looking down on him, Onjouji Shiori.
"......"
When he rotated his neck to the side, what he could see was a white sandy beach. There were the children of age around the beginning of elementary school students wearing swimsuit making merry around there, and the figure of Ichinotani Chikori in a swimsuit appearance mixing with those children in high spirit.
Looking at that scene, Homura recalled about the situation he was in right now.
After he defeated the ~Demon King class~ demon?Typhon who changed ninety percent of the world to ash, due to the ~United World Government~ that feared his power that was too much, completely untrue false accusations that made him out as a [traitor that tired to rule humanity by borrowing the power of evil gods] was put on him and he was chased out from society, but―
(Now that I remember, I became a student now... )
At the time when the spring just ended, turning into summer, due to his old friend and also his once former boss Onjouji Kai, he got ordered to enroll into the academy in his former home of Japan.
Most of all, Homura who was a Grand SorcererGrand Master that even subdued god didn't need things like education after this far.
Enrolling into school until the end was only for his cover story to deceive the world.
The true objective of his being called here was because of the direct cooperation request from Japan's current prime minister?Kinugasa Yoshinori.
The so called ~One Year Plan~ that was advanced by the ~Five Great Leaders~, the leader council that was established by those that possessed the power even inside the ~United World Government~, the five representative that were [United States of America] [British Empire] [China Union] [Soviet Socialism Republic Union] ―those four countries and, the historical religion organization the ~Holy Path Church~ that at present had grasped the majority of the humans' hearts. To stop this plan of country integration, Kinugasa wished to borrow Homura's power.
In regards to this, although Homura didn't clearly say that he would exactly cooperate, but during this one year until the ~One Year Plan~ was carried out, he would continue to stay in Japan as a deterrence power against the ~Five Great Leaders~ and acknowledged that in the worst case he would become their strength.
Fundamentally Homura had no intention to get involved with a conflict between fellow humans, but Japan was also his own birth place.
Most of all, it was also because of the fact that he had allowed the ~Five Great Leaders~ to grow impudent from the authority that they got due to the false power relation between him and them, where he as the ~Evil God User~ was bound by ~Aureole~ so that he didn't give pointless terror towards the people that feared the ~Evil God User~.
Thus Homura became the student of New Tokyo Sorcery Academy, assigned to the 101st trainee platoon, and today too, he was doing his duty as a trainee platoon member for today.
By the way, today's duty was to escort the swimming class performed at sea by the war damaged orphanage inside [Tokyo life sphere] and ensured the safety of the orphans, truly a chore that fit a trainee platoon.
Since ~Walpurgis Night~, because the number of demon invasions from the demon world to the human world had increased in earnest, it seemed that the sea had become a place that was hard to guarantee its safety beforehand and so a magician's accompaniment was indispensable.
But this duty was something that Homura couldn't just get motivated to do no matter what.
It was not like he didn't care for children.
It was merely that this situation, where they were waiting for an enemy that they didn't know would come or not, was a situation where Homura's potential couldn't be displayed.
After all, because the unit of magic power that he possessed was just too big, he was completely insensitive towards other people's magic power to an absurd degree, his ability to detect the enemy was equal to nothing.
Therefore, there was nothing at all that Homura could do at the present stage.
Because there was nothing to do, there was no way for him to show any motivation.
Because there was no way to get motivated, he dumped all responsibility to Shiori who excelled in detecting enemies and slept.
―Yet,
"... I don't remember borrowing your lap but, why am I sleeping on top of your lap?"
Correct. Before this Homura was only lying sideway on the sheet, he didn't remember borrowing Shiori's lap.
Yet right now, the back of his head was placed on Shiori's thighs, and he was looking up at the girl.
Why? When such a question was to be honestly answered,
"I thought that you wouldn't be able to sleep well on the ground so I lent my lap to you. Don't you even have a single word of thanks to this attentive and kind childhood friend I wonder?"
Shiori made a slightly mean smile while saying such thing.
He felt that such things shouldn't be said by the person herself, but... certainly the dream that he had just seen was not something satisfactory. Although there was a sheet spread out, he could only think that this sandy ground made him unable to sleep well and brought about a negative outcome.
If someone was being helpful to him, then he should say thanks he guessed.
"... Is that so. Thanks then."
"It's fine. I too had fun pinching your nose or blocking your mouth after all."
"No matter how I think about it, ain't it the fault of you bastard that I saw a nightmare!"
He must be really didn't sleep well. No wonder that he saw a nightmare.
"I'm sorry. I'll apologize like this. But it couldn't be helped. When I saw how comfortable you slept, I unintentionally felt really irritated for some reason."
"Eh, is that an apology? Or are you picking a fight?"
"But still, you, even when you sleep your face looks ugly isn't it?"
"As I thought you are picking a fight eh."
In a flash Homura raised his upper body.
After that he directed his gaze at Shiori and asked her with an amazed expression.
"... Hey. Since we met again, ain't you acting a little thorny to me?"
"Is that so I wonder? Hmmm. Talking with you is something as inconsequential as the waste that pooled up at the sink filter, so it doesn't really remain in my memory."
"Just now ain't what you said at me really jagged-!"
Since Homura's reunion with Shiori after five years, the communication between Shiori and Homura was always in this vein.
But in the past it was not like this.
Homura got along with Shiori fairly well.
It was before Homura got called the ~Evil God User~. He had already associated with Shiori since the time when he belonged to the special unit of a mercenary organization called the ~Knight Order Without Borders~ that didn't differentiate country or race and protected the people from the threat of sorcery and demons.
And then Shiori at that time was really attached emotionally to Homura even more than the current Chikori.
―No, it was even fine to call it dependence.
When he thought about that time, for Homura the current Shiori even made him feel that she was like a different person.
But―it also wasn't like he didn't have some idea about what was the cause of this complete change.
"... As I thought, are you holding a grudge to me?"
"I wonder what you are talking about."
"About how I got out of Japan without saying anything."
―Five years ago, after he exterminated ~Demon King Typhon~.
Just as mentioned before, after the demon king's extermination, Homura, whose power that was too much to be owned by an individual, was ostracized by the ~United World Government~ and was chased out from human society by their secret maneuvering, but...
... the truth was, there was also a path for him to remain in the human society.
Certainly at that time even the minimum infrastructure was in a destroyed condition, even the slightly remaining method to relay information was mostly the network of the ~Holy Path Church~, because of that the majority of humans completely believed the false information released by the church which said that [Kamishiro Homura was a traitor that borrowed the power of evil gods to try to rule over mankind].
However, even so, in Japan beginning from the current prime minister that was Kinugasa, there were a great number of people that knew that Homura was not a human like what the ~United World Government~ said.
Although the power that he used was evil, those people didn't doubt that his soul was noble.
Therefore if he relied on them, it might be possible for Homura to remain in human society.
As a fact, with Kinugasa and Onjouji Kai as a start, the great men that supported Japan after the previous influential people abandoned the people of Japan because they valued their own lives, they showed movement that protected Homura.
But, it was none other than Homura himself that rejected it.
He rejected their good will, then without consulting anyone or even saying a word, Homura accepted the undeserved measure from ~United World Government~ and disappeared completely from Japan.
Of course there was a reason for Homura to take this action.
For the sake of protecting a single person that was him, Japan would be watched by the ~United World Government~ that tried to rule as the new world order, surely it wouldn't be beneficial for the people that lived in this country. That was Homura's prudence. It was his consideration from knowing how his power that was too vast would make the people tremble just from him existing at their side, he would only become an object of terror. That was his reason that came from being considerate of other people.
But even so... for those people that tried to protect him, those that idolized him, there was no doubt that this decision of Homura that shouldered all the loss by himself was something that vexed them.
From a certain point of view, it was not strange for them to even feel betrayed.
Shiori who idolized Homura at that time was also the same.
And then the more the affection ran deep, when it was turned into hatred it would become even stronger.
Perhaps it was the source of Shiori's current harshness to him.
Thinking that, when Homura asked her,
"... If you said that, then will you make up for it I wonder?"
Shiori asked back while staring at the horizon from the conjecture that Homura asked at her.
For her to return this kind of reply, he guessed that his guess was correct just as he thought.
Homura who was convinced of that nodded at Shiori's returned question and gave his answer.
"If it's within my ability."
For Homura too, it wasn't like he didn't feel that what he did was inexcusable.
If by apologizing he could redeem himself, then he wanted to do that.
It was because he thought that that way both sides could feel at ease mutually.
Looking at Homura's nod, Shiori gave a short sentence "I see" and,
"Then I wonder if you will perform even dogeza for me?" [2]
She gave him such a demand.
Homura was a little surprised with this demand that his eyes were opened wide.
"... What you ask is unexpectedly straight."
"You can't do it?"
"No, if it's just something like that then it's fine, rather I thought that because this is Shiori we are talking about that you are going to demand for something stranger."
Rather this demand was too proper that it shocked him.
Getting told that, Shiori raised her eyebrow and made a sullen expression.
"What a rude talk. Despite how kind of a woman I am who gently gave a lap pillow to you who were sleeping."
(I think a kind person won't block all of a sleeping person's air duct when he was sleeping though. )
"... Anyway if I do dogeza, you will let bygones be bygones about how I disappeared as I pleased right?"
"A woman won't go back on what she has said."
Shiori nodded firmly. Seeing that Homura resolved his determination.
"Got it.... Even I feel that what I did is unforgivable after all."
"Then please wait a little. I will borrow an iron plate and a burner from the beach house for this."
"Wait a second. What are you gonna do borrowing something like that?"
"That's necessary to show your sincerity right? People in the past said it. If the feeling of regret are really filling the heart, they will do dogeza even if they have to do it on top of an iron plate that roasts their meat and melt their bones."
"I ain't feeling sorry until that much y'know!?"
Homura's voice turned rough from the bullshit.
Thereupon Shiori's gaze instantly turned cold,
"Then I won't forgive you."
She declared resolutely throwing away her previous remark.
Homura directed a fixed reproachful stare at Shiori who was like that.
"... If you are like this, then you didn't plan to forgive me from the start then?"
"Yes of course. It's obvious right?"
Answering like that without trying to hide it, Shiori reached out her hand and touched Homura's cheek. And then with a strong pinch, she forcefully made Homura's upper body laid down and brought his head onto her lap once more.
Being treated so forcefully that it even made his neck feel slightly painful, Homura said "What the hell are you doing?" in protest while directing his gaze at her, but―right there his words of protest suddenly got lodged inside his throat.
The eyes of Shiori that were looking down on him, were full with love that it seemed it was going to overflow.
"Just what kind of feeling do you think I had waiting until you can returned to touch you like this again?... I will never forgive you. I won't forgive you forever and ever."
While caressing Homura's cheek gently, she let out words engraved with curse using a sweet tone as if she was reciting love.
Homura reached an understanding from that tone of voice.
(Ah damn it. )
Against the earnestness that surpassed his own expectations, Homura leaked out a small sigh.
Rather than something like this, it was far better to be hated.
He would apologize if he was hated. If she was angry it would be fine to atone to her.
But―Homura didn't have anything to return back for love that didn't fade even after five years had passed.
Homura whose very existence was feared because of a power that was too strong, couldn't stay in one place for a long time.
Whether in political meaning or in the emotional problem of the people.
Because sooner or later, Homura would leave Japan alone once more.
When thinking about that future that wasn't far off, it weighed him down no matter what.
"... A woman that holds her grudge is hated you know."
Homura murmured sulkily.
In regard to that Shiori quietly narrowed her eyes and smiled,
"I'm not a promiscuous woman that will fall in love with a man that I can just forget easily."
- muni-*, Shiori pinched Homura's cheek with strength that didn't hurt him.
"Het ho-"
Like that, when these two were joking around between trusted friends like this,
"Aaa―! Homura-san, what are you doing slacking off like that-"
Such a reprimand flew at him.
When they turned their eyes, the one who was there was a blond haired girl wearing the same uniform like Homura and Shiori―
The ~Leader~ of the 101st trainee platoon both of them belonged too.
One of the S-rank magicians, that only ten in the world had existed.
Hoshikawa Sumika the ~Grim Bullet~ who was holding a vinyl bag filled with pet bottles, was glaring at Homura with a ruffled up expression.
Part 3
"Sumika. You yourself, just where did you go until now?"
"Today the sun light is strong, so I had already said that I'm going to buy drinks for everyone. Didn't you listen?"
"Now that you mentioned it, it feels like I heard something like that before I slept."
"Geez-"
Looking astonished and making a deep sigh, Sumika put the vinyl bag where the beverages she bought were in on the sheet a little roughly.
After that she directed a criticizing gaze at Homura once more.
"During the time I went to buy everyone's drink in this heat, the sole male in this platoon was taking a nap under the parasol on the lap of the platoon's female member. You are really having an enjoyable vacation aren't you? Are you a lord from somewhere?"
"It doesn't really matter isn't it? If it's about those brats Chikori are already taking care of them, I got nothing to do even if I'm awake see."
"Well, that might be so but..."
It had also been mentioned before but, Homura's magic power that was too enormous made him extremely insensitive of other people's magic power.
Leaving the observation to Shiori who specialized in detecting enemies while Homura who specialized in battle was standing by at her side, considering that arrangement from the point of the right man in the right place, it couldn't really be said as a mistaken choice.
Sumika also knew about that, so she couldn't find words to argue back there.
In the first place what made Sumika dissatisfied was another matter entirely―
"But, you don't need to go as far as having a lap pillow... something like that, looks like you two are lovers... doesn't it..."
"I couldn't hear you because your voice was too small just now."
"No, nothing at all-!"
- puff*, while her cheek reddened Sumika waved around her hands and immediately covered her leaking out jealousy.
Correct, it was jealousy.
In regards toward Kamishiro Homura, Hoshikawa Sumika was harboring a faint awakening of love.
For Sumika, who piled up hard work, strongly wishing to become an existence that could save a great number of people like Homura since she witnessed the moment of Homura putting down ~Demon King Typhon~ with her naked eyes, Homura was exactly an existence that she aspired to.
But this aspiration, after she by chance was now in the same platoon as Homura and got to know a lot more about the person called Homura, it was changing into a definite love to the degree that she was self-aware of it.
Already, it was changing into a strong feeling that couldn't be described as a mere aspiration.
From such Sumika's point of view, the sight of Homura relaxing using Shiori's lap pillow was not something that she could really welcome.
But, toward such a girl―
"But you come back in a good timing, leader. Actually my knees are quite tired already right now. That's why I'm sorry to bother you, but can you do me a favor to replace me, I wonder?"
"Eh... -!?"
Suddenly, Shiori proposed an unexpected suggestion.
"Re, replace you said, you mean with the la, lap pillow!?"
"Yes."
Shiori nodded surely as if it was nothing.
But as for Sumika, she really couldn't be calm about it at all.
Imagining herself giving Homura a lap pillow―
Just picturing that made her brain feel like it was boiling.
"Do, doing that is impossible-, that's impossible you know! That, I, with a man, doing lap pillow... I've never done that-... perhaps Homura-san won't feel comfortable."
"It's going to be fine. Leader, you have thighs that are far more suitable for a lap pillow compared to someone like me."
"I, is that so..."
"Ain't that saying it's chubby in a roundabout way-buhe-!?"
Shiori dropped her palm with all her strength on the face of Homura who was going to say something needless.
But, Sumika at this time didn't have any composure to mind about what Homura was going to say.
What her wise brain as a S-rank magician was currently processing was, the figure of Homura sleeping comfortably using her lap pillow.
―That's great. Really great.
What a happy scene that was.
Although she refused in mostly reflex just now, Shiori's proposal was truly something that made her mouth water for Sumika.
That's right. Without action there was nothing that could be obtained.
Whether in training as a magician or love, such fact didn't change.
(In addition, there is also a distance that can be felt between me and Homura-san compared to Chikori-san and Shiori-san. )
This was the time to be brave.
Sumika resolved herself so and wringed out all her courage.
"I understand-. It's a little embarrassing but, I'll do my best... -"
And then while her face was reddening to a degree that it seemed like steam would burst out, Sumika dropped her waist on the sheet with a plop,
"By all means... -! Homura-san...... !"
Even while closing her eyes tightly from embarrassment, she invited Homura. But―
"No that's fine already. Somehow I'm wide awake during the talk here."
"Eh?"
In the first place, even the lap pillow from Shiori was not something that Homura wished himself
It was something that had already happened without him noticing when he woke up, so there was no reason at all to continue until even Sumika needed to take the baton.
That was why Homura turned down Sumika's offer and stood up alone. ―Then,
"Ah. Homura-kun. From behind you."
Suddenly, Shiori said that with a surprised face.
Behind. Was there something behind him? When Homura turned back,
"Bu-!?"
Suddenly, along with an impact that struck his nose, Homura's field of vision turned dark for a moment.
"A volleyball is flying at you."
"... Say that without cutting off in the middle."
Part 4
Homura caught the volleyball that hit his face and got rebounded to the air.
It seemed like it was a ball that flew wildly from the dodge-ball game the orphanage children were playing at the beach.
"Uwaa―, it hit right on the face there..."
"Moreover this girl Hime, to hit that ~Evil God User~ of all people."
"I don't know anything yeah... Hime you go apologize... -"
Commotion and agitation spread among the orphanage children.
After ~Walpurgis Night~, most of the war damaged orphanages that increased in number explosively were built by the assistance of the ~Holy Path Church~, because of that the influence of the church on them was strong.
Most likely these children had also been given an explanation about how terrifying this existence called the ~Evil God User~ by the people of the church habitually.
Before long, a twin-tail girl appeared from among the children as if she was ejected out from inside the commotion.
The girl was the perpetrator that threw the ball at Homura.
The girl timidly walked near Homura and looked up at him with scared eyes,
"Aa... -, err, sor... -, ry, y... Fo, forgi, ve..."
With a small voice like a fly's buzzing, the girl said out words that were more like begging for her life rather than apologizing.
―Looking at that, honestly made Homura troubled too.
Of course Homura was not angry only because of a thing like this.
But, in those eyes that were shaking fiercely from terror, Homura was reflected as nothing but an object of terror.
If she kept like this, then no matter what he said it would only make her cry.
What should he do?
While Homura was thinking that,
"Sorry Master―!"
Suddenly an energetic voice slipped in between Homura and the girl, crushing the atmosphere that was so strained it felt like the air would crack just by a stirred movement.
While raising a loud voice, a girl wearing a sky blue bikini ran closer to Homura in quick steps, she was Ichinotani Chikori who was in the same 101st platoon with Homura, the one who until just now was playing dodge-ball together with the children.
When Chikori had ran until in front of Homura, the front of her breasts that were too big for her petite body jiggled before she joined her hands and apologized.
"Sorry-! The ball that I dodged flew away. Master, are you hurt? It looked like it hit pretty hard but..."
In order to compensate for the difference in their height, Chikori stood on her tiptoe and brought her big and round eyes closer to stare at the face where the ball hit worriedly.
But the place that was hit was really not something that needed to be worried about that exaggeratedly.
"Just getting hit by a ball thrown by a brat is no big deal."
Certainly he was surprised and it felt a little hurt, but it was just a ball thrown by a child.
Naturally there would be no wound or anything.
After answering like that, Homura once again looked at the girl who had thrown the ball at him.
There, the extreme terror that was in the girl's expression until just now had already gone.
Perhaps by looking at Chikori who was playing with them until now talking normally with Homura, her feeling of fear towards something unknown had lessened a little.
That was why Homura saw that as a chance,
"Here."
With a toss, he returned the ball at the girl's hands.
"Ah-"
"That's quite a good throw. You reflexes are rather good huh."
And then he stroked the girls head with his right hand.
It was a gentle and affectionate hand.
It was did in a form that was near like a surprise attack, but the kindness that was gradually transmitted from Homura's hand passed over the authenticity of the malicious rumor regarding Homura that had been habitually imprinted into the girl, it was enough to make her understand that a person like him didn't hold any ill will to her.
"Th, thank, you... -"
The girl's scared expression changed. She showed him a wide smiling face that looked bright and brought back the ball in her hands to her orphanage friends.
Homura heaved a sigh of relief inside his heart from that situation.
―It's great she didn't cry.
Even the ~Evil God User~ couldn't win against a crying child.
In the first place he couldn't make them listen to him so there was nothing he could do.
And then, looking at Homura who was like that,
"Puh~"
Chikori endured her smile and stared at him with a gentle face.
"... What?"
"I just thought that Master is really kind to children isn't it?"
"Yeah. That's why I'm also kind to you."
"??? Master, I'm the same age as Master you know?"
"... Like always it's useless to speak in sarcasm to you Chikori."
"What d'you mean?"
"Just forget it."
"Ok. If that's what Master says, then I'll forget it!"
Showing her white teeth, Chikori nodded with a face without worry.
She was really an obedient girl.
This personality of the girl that was like a puppy was really lovely even from Homura's point of view.
Chikori didn't fear Homura who was the ~Evil God User~ possessing a power beyond the pale and even able to accept him, such thing largely came from her bright personality.
―But, it was a precious charm that couldn't possibly be discovered in everybody.
When he looked again... all children except the twin-tail girl from before were sending Homura scared gazes.
They wanted him to be gone to a place out of their sight.
It was gazes of exclusion that conveyed such will.
The harmonious mood that existed before the ball hit Homura couldn't be found anywhere.
Everyone were getting scared.
"―Then, I'm going to patrol around too, so I'll leave you to look after the brats."
His presence obviously made the atmosphere of the place worse.
Homura who sensed that tried to leave quickly. ―But,
"Wait wait-"
He was blocked by Chikori.
The girl grasped Homura's hand tightly.
And then the girl said something unthinkable.
"If Master is not going to sleep anymore then let's play together with everyone. Let's do dodge ball-"
It was really like the not cowardly Chikori, a proposal that didn't read the atmosphere.
"No way I'm gonna play with some brat. Besides Chikori. We came here because of our duty to protect the brats, we ain't coming here for holiday."
Naturally Homura showed his disapproval of it, he tried to refuse using a really sensible reason, but―
"Ahaha, I don't want to be told that by someone who had slept until now―"
"I really can't say anything to that."
He was defeated in the argument in the blink of an eye.
"Besides, I think perhaps Master is being considerate so as not to make everyone scared, but about that I have an idea so it's going to be fine! Leave it to me!"
- pyon*, Saying that full of confidence while hitting her large breast, Chikori went away from Homura and called out to the children of the orphanage that numbered thirty children.
The children answered her without even one person making a reluctant face.
It seemed that Chikori had become the children's leader before anyone realized.
Chikori's cheerful personality that had no ulterior motive behind it was also received well among the children.
And then Chikori explained the gist of the idea of Homura joining them to play, asking for their yes or no.
"Everyone―. That big brother there is saying that he wanted to play together, but I wonder if it is okay to add him to our group―?"
What came back from that question was, just as expected, voices of complaint.
"Eeeee......"
"But that person... he is a bad person, right?"
"Yeah, the sister said that guy is one thousand times the bad guy compared to the criminal in CoXXn you know." [3]
"Wasn't he trying to kill us, together with the demons... he is scary..."
It was exactly as imagined. Their reaction was subdued like trying to light a fire using wet firewood.
But this reaction had been naturally predicted. Even Chikori should have understood this.
But Chikori who just before this said to him "Leave it to me" was full of confidence.
―Did she have some kind of plan?
Homura who was a little interested observed Chikori's action. ―Then,
"By― the way! It seems that for those that can win against this big brother in dodge ball, big brother will present to them a DX-Specter Watch Zero-edition-!"
"YOSSHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
"JUST COME AT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"
"KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL"
He witnessed an outrageous bribery.
"Oi wait right there! I'm not saying anything like that! Rather I don't have anything like that!"
"It's― fine, if Master wins then it doesn't matter."
"Are you a dirty adult that makes a deal you don't plan to pay up!?"
"Because, look, everyone is completely happy compared to before right?"
"...... nu, u"
Certainly the explosive that Chikori just set made the children really fired up.
The uneasy atmosphere from before had gone somewhere, and the children started passing the ball around with a look filled with killing intent.
It was not just his mind playing tricks that the exchanged balls between the children were all rotating like a gyro, right?
Just what was it that made them stirred up until this much? Homura who was halfway adult didn't get it, but this overflowing energy from the children was far more preferable, he couldn't bring himself to douse cold water to their excitement.
"... Haa. Can't be helped. Just one round okay?"
That was why Homura got on Chikori's proposal reluctantly.
What, no matter how much they got serious they were just children anyway. No way he would lose.
"Then let's quickly divide the team."
"Yes. But Master is absolutely strong right? I thought that I'm someone who is really good in moving my body, but I've never won against Master even once in our spar."
"That's obvious. After all I'm a battle pro that joined a special unit since I was still a brat."
"That's why I wonder if it's fine even if Master get a handicap?"
"Yeah. Just do whatever you like. It won't be any problem at all anyway."
"Thank you―! Then the team will be Master VS us all-"
"Is dodge ball a sport that looks like bullying like that!?"
"Everyone do your best―!"
"""OOO―――――――!!!!"""
"Listen to me-!"
But no one listened to that yell of Homura in the end.
Part 5
"You guys-! You guys really are some quick brats ain't you!"
"Surround him, surround him! Grab at him and stop him from moving―!"
"This shitty brats! Don't enter at your opponent's area! Hey, holding is foul already!"
"Kyaaa! He is not stopping at all even with ten people clinging!"
"Ahahaha-, big brother is amazi-ing?"
"Mumumu―. As expected from Master. Yosh everyone, get ten more balls!"
"I told you dodge ball is not that kind of game-!"
A beach overflowing with energetic commotion.
Homura who was surrounded and attacked by children filled with greed, was stared at by Sumika who was in a slightly separate distance with a face that looked as if the soul was falling out from it and blank eyes.
The backlash from her action that was born from wringing out all the courage that she had yet ending up completely in vain, made her fall into an absentminded condition.
On the lap of Sumika who was like that, *plop*, Shiori put her head on it.
That weight pulled Sumika back to reality.
She looked down at the girl who was putting the back of her head on top of her thighs and asked.
"...... What are you doing?"
"No, it's inexcusable to leave alone the vacancy from something that resulted from my request."
"Please stop reading too much strangely. It makes me feel hurt unnecessarily."
"My bad."
Saying that while removing her head, Shiori chuckled like a mischievous kid.
Seeing that smile, Sumika stared at Shiori with a slightly surprised feeling.
"Shiori-san is unexpectedly playful."
"My? Why is it unexpected I wonder?"
"Because before Homura-san came you always looked bored, you always made a face as if there is nothing of interest in this world."
"... fufu. As expected of [Leader]. You really look at your platoon members properly. Certainly, I am elated since he returned. To the degree that I can't control myself."
"... That's because, you love Homura-san, don't you?"
"Correct. Though I hate him to the same degree. ―I had talked about that before I wonder?"
Sumika nodded.
"You love him but, you hated him to the same degree.... It sounded contradictive the first time I heard that and I didn't understand the meaning of your words, but right now I too understand that feeling."
At the occasion of the battle with ~Demon King Jambure~ the other day, Sumika too came to be able to understand Shiori's feeling.
The fate of the world. The lives of the whole of mankind. A heavy responsibility that was originally too heavy to be held by an individual.
Homura's strength and isolation that took such responsibility by himself, she couldn't approve of it because she loved him.
That way of life where there was only loss.
"Because right now my feeling is the same..."
The feeling that she harbored towards Homura was already exposed to Shiori.
That was why Sumika didn't try to deceive her and honestly recognized that.
Shiori narrowed her eyes to those words of Sumika,
"Fufu. I'm glad for that."
Shiori murmured that, looking really happy.
"Glad... ?"
Sumika suddenly felt uncomfortable from Shiori's reaction... rather she felt a doubt.
She said glad, what was she glad about?
About Sumika feeling the same like Shiori towards Homura.
For Shiori it was the birth of a rival in love, by no means was it something that she should give her blessings.
No, if she thought about that then her previous conduct was also like that.
"Er, Shiori-san. Now that you mentioned it, why did just now you try to hand over the lap pillow position to me?"
It was a strange story because Shiori loved Homura.
Even though for Sumika, just seeing Homura getting a lap pillow from Shiori made her jealous already.
Why was she able to do something like that?
Sumika asked that doubt to Shiori honestly.
Thereupon, sorrow immediately mixed into Shiori's smile.
"―Because, I'm no good for this."
"Shiori-san is, no good?"
"Yes. I cannot make him happy. People's happiness can only be born between person and person. But after ~Walpurgis Night~, I couldn't release my tie to the human world to accompany him when he headed towards a loneliness bearing all the losses."
She didn't have any value to make Homura stop going.
Shiori watched Homura who was playing with the children with a distant look while murmuring that, then she returned her gaze to Sumika.
"... That's why, I'm thinking to root for Hoshikawa-san."
"Ro, rooting, for me-!?"
Sumika was very much surprised from those words.
That was obvious. Because Sumika didn't understand how Shiori could reach that kind of conclusion.
"Isn't that strange? Shiori-san, even though you also said that you love Homura-san... -"
On the other hand Shiori,
"Yes.... Certainly I love him, but more than that feeling I want him to be happy. I want him to obtain the normal happiness, not as a lonely hero that was forced out from the world, but as a really normal person. And then such thing, is not something that I can do. But, perhaps you can do that.... That's why, if you can make that come true, then it's enough for me."
Without any hesitation, without any wavering, Shiori answered like that with a tone that made one feel a core of steel in it.
"...... -"
Looking at the face of Shiori who conveyed the determination inside her from the side made Sumika lose her breath.
She was pressured by the strength of Shiori's feelings of great devotion.
"Why are you going until that far for Homura-san..."
Her mouth spontaneously asked that question.
But there was no answer returned for that question.
{Get away from the children right away!!!!}
""-――!?""
A loud disparaging voice pierced their ears, it came from the direction of Homura and the others.
Part 6
"Get away from the children right away!!!!"
The strong words were suddenly thrown towards Homura who was lightly evading the barrage of balls thrown at him by the children.
When Homura turned his eyes towards the voice wondering what was up, there were two females running at their direction.
One of them, a middle-age female with a troubled face was the caretaker of these children, a teacher named Nagashima. He knew that because this morning they had met face to face before.
But as for the other female.
She was the source of the voice. A red haired girl with her noble look reddening from rage that he didn't remember ever seeing before.
She was wearing the uniform of New Tokyo Sorcery Academy, so he understood that she was a student there, but just who in the world was she?
―But Homura was not even given time to ponder, the girl unfolded an ~Arms~ in the shape of a [lance] in her hand, and thrust its tip to Homura's nose.
The children and teacher raised their voices in surprise toward the girl's sudden act of violence.
But Homura only stared at the tip of the lance extremely calmly and asked.
"Oi oi oi, what are you planning with this?"
"You are the one who is planning to do something by getting closer to the children! This demon pawn-!"
Suddenly, Homura saw something shining at the chest of the girl who returned his question with an angry voice.
Looking at it, it was a cross necklace.
Moreover, it was not a flashy decoration like accessory.
It had a shape that while simple gave off a certain dignity.
Looking at that, Homura guessed the identity of the girl.
"Are you a nun of the ~Holy Path Church~?"
"Be quiet. A sister(nun) of the ~Holy Path Church~ has no intention to exchange words with the enemy of god! Stay quiet and get away from the children! All of you too, I have always taught you all right! The ~Evil God User~ borrows the power of evil god, a devil in the guise of human that schemes to rule the human race. Therefore he is the enemy of god! You cannot recklessly approach him!"
While scolding the children, the sister hid the children on her back as if to protect them from Homura.
The children were making troubled faces looking at the sister's action.
Surely they were thinking that the sister's reaction was too exaggerated, seeing that until now they were just playing.
Well, it was actually too exaggerated.
After all in the first place Homura didn't have any intention of hurting the children or anything.
The story that Homura was an evil person was in the first place a lie broadcasted by the ~Holy Path Church~ for their own benefit.
In the eye of the simple children who accepted everything as it was, they were in the middle of noticing the kindness that was Homura's true nature.
And then,
"Err, sister..."
One person among the troubled children.
The girl called Hime who before this threw a ball at Homura's face, said out her confusion honestly.
"Onii-chan, is not a bad person, you know? He forgave Hime who threw a ball at his face, he also played together with everyone... -"
"Wha.... . -!"
Suddenly, the color of the sister's face paled.
The sister threw away her lance while grabbing the girl's two shoulders with both her hands, then she shook her fiercely.
"What are you saying!? Retract your words right now-! To say something like that, it will make you lose god's divine protection!"
"Sister, it, it hurts... -"
It seemed that she was holding the girl with quiet a strong force.
Hime frowned and raised a voice that was nearly a scream.
Homura who couldn't just watch tried to cut in. ―But,
"You have gone too far, sister Lily."
Quicker than Homura could move to act, a voice of a man with solemnity rebuked the girl.
Part 7
The voice came from the same direction where the sister and the teacher of the orphanage came before.
Looking there, there was a large man, with height that might have reached two meters, his body wrapped in the priest clothes of the ~Holy Path Church~, wearing a bowler hat with wide brim, and a face like a Buddha, that man was approaching their direction.
That large man was slowly walking until the location of Homura and others while remonstrating the sister's action.
"The girl is in pain. Release her."
"Father... ! Ho, however..."
"They, the little children are unable to differentiate between the good and evil correctly. To press them forcefully will only make them scared."
"Ye, yes... If that's what Father said..."
The sister released her hands from Hime after being rebuked.
The man that was called Father watched at that situation with narrow eyes that looked like string, and he nodded in satisfaction.
"That's good sister Lily. There is no sin in a little child. A little child's error is the adult's responsibility. To be unable to teach the really obvious truth, that the children must not come to associate with the enemy of god, whose existence should be avoided―this responsibility is on the shoulder of the incompetent educator."
And then, with a gentle smile still fixed on his face, a fist was swung aimed at the face of Nagashima of all things.
"Divine Punishment?Enforced."
"Te, Teacherr―!"
"KYAAA―――!"
Even with the children screaming from the Father's sudden brutality, the Father's fist didn't stop.
The trained body to the degree where the muscles could be perceived even from outside the priest robe, the rock-like fist that was launched from that body mercilessly, extended out to the nose of the dumbfounded Nagashima―
With intense strength, a sound of struck flesh resounded.
However, that rock-like fist didn't reach Nagashima's face.
It was because Homura held his hand out between the fist and the face and blocked the fist.
"... Oh? Oh oh ohh? What is the purpose of this, ~Evil God User~-dono."
"What about you bastard, what are you gonna do in a place where the brats are watching?"
Homura who blocked the fist that was almost as big as a basket ball with one hand, was standing in front of Ms. Nagashima "Awawa" who was unable to stand up from fear, glaring at the clergyman in front of him with eyes filled with quiet rage.
The Father received that gaze without breaking his smile,
"Hoho, what a strange thing this is.... Naturally, I was going to hand down the divine punishment towards the educator that was unable to correctly guide the young children. After all the instruction of clergyman and acting as the agent for divine punishment are the roles of this ~Special Missionary~ Alfaro."
Alfaro. Homura obtained a single understanding from the words of the man who introduced himself like that.
"I see. [Special] huh. Indeed, you are wrapped in an unpleasant presence." [4]
What was called as ~Special Missionary~ was a position that only those who held exceptionally strong faith even amongst the priests of the ~Holy Path Church~ were allowed to introduce themselves as such.
They are fundamentally the same as any other priest, it was their duty to give their best effort for the sake of expanding the ~Holy Path Church~'s influence in every place, but... they, whose title was added with the word [Special], had one more role, a role that was exactly [Special].
And then, Homura strengthened his vigilance exactly because he knew something about that.
"What business a [Special] has in this kind of place? Gonna swim?"
"Hohoho, what a man with bad judgment. The time has just become afternoon, so I came to deliver the distribution from the ~Holy Path Church~ towards the children of the orphanage. Well, originally this is sister Lily's role, but I heard that today you are accompanying the children, so for the sake of my peace of mind I also came along here.... However, it's a correct decision to come along here. There is a teacher here who cannot sufficiently accomplish her duty to guide the young children. It's necessary to quickly teach her with divine punishment."
Inside the narrowed eyelids, only the eyeballs moved in a fierce glare, glaring at Nagashima who was unable to stand.
"Hii..."
"I really didn't know that. For that lazybones god of you bastards that couldn't bother to save even a single person at ~Walpurgis Night~, to have such a diligent personality that scolds every single minor mistake of the humans and give out divine punishment, that's really unexpected."
"Wha... -! Are you intending to ridicule god!? This insolent person-!"
"I'm just merely saying a fact though."
"You...... -!"
"Sister Lily. Calm down."
Alfaro restrained Lily who got provoked by Homura's words with his hand.
"The appearance of this man is a human, but the inside is the same as a demon, an evil existence. There is no way we can make something like this to understand the greatness and generosity of god. Trying to convince him is only a pointless waste of time. Leave him be.... Rather than a man like this, there are many more people who need god's teachings and saving."
And then once again, Alfaro called out to Nagashima who was behind Homura.
With a really gentle voice,
"Miss Nagashima. Come. How long are you going to hide behind the back of an evil man like that, come out. And then atone for your sin by divine punishment. If you do so then surely you will be forgiven by the generosity that our god has."
- grip*, while his fist that was like a rock made a cracking sound.
Naturally Nagashima froze.
For Nagashima who was just a middle-aged woman without any power, Alfaro's fist was a brutal weapon even more lethal than a knife.
There was no way to not get scared.
'Yes, I understand', she shouldn't be able to say that. However―
"―However, if you say that you won't atone for your sin, then it cannot be helped. We the ~Holy Path Church~ will recognize you as a renegade, and from now on, we will stop all the support for this orphanage."
Alfaro informed that towards Nagashima who wouldn't get out from behind Homura.
Suddenly, Nagashima's countenance turned pale.
No, not only her. Even Lily who was beside Alfaro was the same.
"Th, that... -! If you do something like that, then the children will...... -!"
"Fa, Father. That's just too harsh so..."
Just as mentioned before, the majority of the war damage orphanages couldn't function without the support of the ~Holy Path Church~.
No, if something attracted the eyes of the ~Holy Path Church~ who was involved with all the infrastructure of this world, even a country could possibly fall into ruin. The power of the ~Holy Path Church~ was just that strong.
Something like a small orphanage was helpless against that.
In this age, what awaited after being thrown away by the ~Holy Path Church~, was only death by hunger and thirst.
However, Alfaro was without mercy even knowing that.
Against the two whose faces were pale, his face was still smiling yet he declared with an indifferent tone.
"It's just as you imagined. However it cannot be helped. Because young children are pure and innocent, their nature is largely ruled by their upbringing. Young children that are taught by a renegade can only become renegades. And then we cannot wish for a world where unbelievers and renegades against god run rampant."
His tone was filled with a strong and solid core of fanaticism.
He was serious.
If here Nagashima didn't receive punishment, with his authority as a ~Special Missionary~ he would cut off this war damage orphanage from all the church's support.
Nagashima understood that,
"I, I understand... ! I'll receive the punishment!"
She answered so while her knees were trembling.
With that Alfaro nodded in satisfaction.
"A good reply. Now, can I have you move away from there I wonder, ~Evil God User~-dono."
"Bastard-...."
Alfaro who was going to raise his hand towards the teacher that could be said as the parent of the children right in front of their eyes.
But Homura was not someone that would overlook that unreasonable atrocity.
A dangerous light filled Homura's eyes.
Both Homura and Alfaro wouldn't back off, it was exactly at this explosive situation.
{Both of you, that's as far as you go. }
Inside both side's head, a voice resounded from a ~mental transmission~.
It was the voice of the ~Operator~ of the 101st trainee platoon, Onjouji Shiori.
Until now, the girl who even while watching the situation from afar didn't get negligent of her vigilance of the surroundings, announced to everyone.
{―A dimension shake has been observed. Estimated ~Knight class~ 1. It's coming in front of your eyes. }
Instantly, exactly at the sea right in front of their eyes, a water pillar with width of twenty meters and height of fifty meters shot up― and that appeared.
A gigantic squid, it was a monster that looked like a giant squid beyond the pale.
A monster of the sea that was told in legend all over the world.
~Knight class~ demon―~Sea Monster?Kraken~.
Part 8
With the appearance of the sea demon that resembled a squid, different from squid, among its few hundred tentacles, several dozen tentacles stretched out and attacked the children at the beach.
"Kyaaaaaaa!"
"It came here―! Help us sister―!"
The children screamed and ran about everywhere.
But the speed of the approaching tentacles was far faster, they couldn't escape.
But―that was only if they could reach.
"Leave it to me-!"
In order to protect the escaping children, Lily cut between the tentacles and the children with her lance in hand.
And then she faced the approaching several dozen tentacles that looked like a tsunami and took a stance with her lance,
"~Thousand Kill Thorn SpearGae Bolg~ ――–!!!!"
She released the ~Hero Skill~ of her contracted heroic spirit that possessed her.
The spear thrust that she launched against the approaching countless tentacles was only one.
Be that as it may, just with that one thrust all several dozens of the tentacles were pierced and tore apart.
It was a magic technique that performed thrust attack against all the enemy that was reflected in one's field of view with a single attack.
That was Lily's contracted heroic spirit that was said to pierce a large army with one thrust―
The hero of Ireland, the ~Son of God~ Cu Chulainn's Gae Bolg.
However, although all the tentacles that approached the children were shot down,
"Kuh-! It's too big... !"
The damage to the giant kraken was of little significance.
No, rather, right now from the section of the tentacles that were torn apart, white meat was overflowing bubblingly, sprouted, and in the blink of an eye regenerated as new tentacles.
Like this there would be no progress.
She didn't have a method to deal a more powerful attack.
At that time the one who leaped forward was―
"Leave it to me!"
The ~Striker~ of the 101st platoon, Ichinotani Chikori.
"~Peerless Herculean Strength~――!"
Chikori received the divine protection of her own contracted heroic spirit, the ~Depraved Monk~ Musashibou Benkei, making the power of an ogre become contained inside that small and slender body.
And then with a superhuman leg strength, with one step she leaped far above the giant kraken's head, until 100 meters in the air, then
"Megaton Punch-!"
Riding her clenched fist at the momentum of her fall and the arm strength of an ogre, she struck aiming at the kraken's long head.
Yet,
―*nurun*
Like that, the instant she touched the kraken's body, Chikori's fist slipped and struck empty air.
"Fua!? So, somehow it feels really slippery――!?"
The viscous body fluids that the kraken was clad in completely diverted all the impact of Chikori's fist.
Chikori's attack missed the target in a large way right in front of the kraken that it broke her posture, and she got restrained by the rushing tentacles.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Chikori-san-!?"
The tentacles that were clad in a great amount of mucus entangled Chikori's body that was in her bikini, they crept around through the mountain and valley of Chikori's body that possessed violent undulations unsuited for her petite body, leaving a trail of mucus that kept stretching out *nunununu*.
"Ya, yaa... slimy thing is creeping around my body... ahn-"
"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what are you doing letting out a strange voice like that―! There are children looking here―!"
Sumika raised her voice towards Chikori who became something problematic in an unexpected direction, she then deployed her two revolvers that were her ~Arms~ in order to help Chikori.
However before Sumika could move―
"Wait Sumika."
Homura stopped her with his hand.
"Homura-san?"
"I'll do this. It's enough with just me."
Saying that, Homura glared at Alfaro that he was confronting until just now with a sharp glare filled with killing intent.
"―You bastard too, don't get involved. This is a compromise. If you want to take me on more than this then I'm not gonna guarantee your life."
"Hohoho... Well, that's just fine then."
"???"
Sumika who was listening to the exchange of the two from the side couldn't comprehend the situation.
She didn't understand what the two were talking about.
But Homura had no intention to explain that and he walked ahead alone.
Both his hands were empty.
The salty sea breeze was not good for the grimoire that was his weapon, so it didn't accompany Homura to this place.
However, the opponent was a single ~Knight class~.
Even without grimoire or anything, even without summoning evil god or whatever else, ―a mere familiar would suffice for this.
"Eat greedily. Do it gruesomely."
Homura knocked at his own shadow that was projected darkly on the white beach with his heel.
Instantly, the black shadow that was until now acting as Homura's shadow wriggled, with a fierce speed it stretched out and headed to the kraken.
And then while it stretched out it began to spout out black bubbles foamingly.
The black bubbles gradually became bigger and higher, like a bursting out magma, mucus of black protoplasm possessing luster of iridescent color crept out from the shadow, flowing on top of the sea. And then while doing that, like fuel oil that leaked into the sea from a stranded tanker, the azure sea was polluted by black mucus while surrounding the kraken.
And then with a wave that was remarkably bigger, something like a human arm raised up from the iridescent colored sea in uncountable number.
{GI? GIGIGIGI? GIGIGIGIGIGI!}
The thin arms that looked like a dead tree swarmed at the kraken one after another.
It completely looked like the arms of the dead.
Several hundreds, no, several thousands of arms clung at the kraken's giant body as if they were demanding help.
The kraken rattled its tentacles, twisted its body, attempting to shake off the arms of the dead, but
{GI, GIGIGI?!}
It couldn't be shaken off.
Although each single arm didn't possess considerable strength, the number was too many.
Further, that number even now kept increasing in acceleration, already black arms clad in iridescent luster were clinging at the kraken numbering at tens of thousands.
And then―
{TEKELI?LI! TEKELI?LI!}
Suddenly, such weird, high pitched sounds were reverberating.
The cry that was as if it was laughing in scorn at everything in this world was raised up countlessly from the black mucus.
That instant, the black arms that captured the kraken produced changes.
From the inside of the arms dripping with mucus, human eyes that were bloodshot in deep red appeared.
They were closely packed on the surface of the tens of thousands of arms.
And then those uncountable eyeballs glared terrifyingly at the kraken all at once,
{ TEKELI?LI! TEKELI?LI! TEKELI?LI! TEKELI?LI! TEKELI?LI! TEKELI?LI! TEKELI?LITEKELI?LITEKELILITEKELI?LITEKELILITEKELILITEKETELIKELI?LIKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKELILILILILILILILILILILILILILILILI!!!!!!!}
Along with voices of great joy, all those eyeballs changed their shapes into mouths lined up with yellowing teeth, biting at the kraken.
{GIGIGIGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIiIIIIIIIIiiiII!!!!!!}
The teeth that resembled human mouths where their sharpness was dull, ate and tore apart the meat leaving it to their strength with tearing sounds.
The kraken shrieked from that unimaginable pain.
It released the restrained Chikori and writhed with all its might.
But even so the restraint of the black arms couldn't be torn.
The hundreds of thousands of black arms closely clung to the kraken, the mouths with yellowing teeth lined up were opened everywhere on those arms, picking at the kraken while it was still alive, biting and tearing the kraken apart, eating so ravenously.
The scattered fresh blood dyed the sea red.
But the amorphous monster didn't let escape even a single drop, it reached out a strangely long tongue that licked the water surface repeatedly.
Such scene was continuing for almost a minute.
Before long the kraken's body was thoroughly becoming smaller, as if it was sinking into a swamp without bottom―, finally its appearance disappeared from the sea surface, no, from this world.
{TEKELI?LI TEKELI?LI}
At the same time the amorphous mucus of iridescent color that spread at the sea surface was also pulling itself up from the sea draggingly, it crept on the land as if sliding and returned into Homura's shadow.
Sumika who witnessed that from start until finish obtained an understanding of what was happening.
That was because the girl understood, just what that monster of amorphous shape, which crept out from the shadow and swallowed the kraken without leaving even a single piece of meat or a drop of blood behind, was.
That was an existence called Shoggoth.
Rather that calling it an existence of old, it was a race created for service, if it had to be said it was a familiar.
But this familiar, it was a monster with a history of raising a revolt towards the old being which was the parent that birthed it, originally it was not an existence that a human in general could control.
However, Homura was different.
(A person that could even subdue evil god. Something like a Shoggot is not a big deal at all. )
But, she didn't understand.
Why did Homura... do the killing in this kind of way?
No, she didn't intend to sympathize with the demon.
In the first place it was an invader that crossed over to this world with malicious intent. They were beings that needed to be killed.
However, Homura should have many methods to do this in a smarter fashion.
(This way, if he instead kills in such a gruesome way like this then... )
"ah"
There Sumika suddenly noticed.
She realized, and then she looked around at the surroundings.
"Hii...... -"
"uaa, ueee...... -!"
Thereupon it was just as she imagined... the [confusion] towards the ~Evil God User~ that was more sociable than the story that the children had heard that they had until just now, the children whose eyes were now showing an obvious [terror] were taking distance from Homura while their expression paled.
No, those were still the better ones.
There were children that were affected in a worse way, there were those that fainted or vomited.
The girl called Hime that before this covered Homura from the sister was also included there.
"Hohoho. Those are really good expressions everyone."
And then, Alfaro clapped his hands in joy at the reactions of those children.
"Now all of you reaaally understand correct? You can comprehend correct? The brutal action and ugly method just now are exactly the true nature of this person, the evil magician that joined hands with the demons and betrayed mankind, the demon that wears human skin! A person that is accompanied by an existence that is that terrifying, there is no way the he can be the ally of humans. Are all of you listening? That terror, that disgust, never forget it by all means, remember that. After all if you do that, God will without fail protect everyone from this demon."
Hearing that voice gently admonishing them and the soft smiling face, needing to choose which side these children had to side with, these children understood it in their own way as children.
Everyone nodded at Alfaro's words in uniform, and gathered around him.
As if idolizing him. As if relying on his god.
Alfaro nodded in satisfaction at those children's attitude.
"Hoho. In deference to the children's devout behavior, I'll overlook your sin, Miss Nagashima.... Now children. Please follow me. Meal is prepared at the beach house. Perhaps right now you all have no appetite because of that man's fault, but to keep being near him for a long time will also make us unable to refresh our spirit."
Leading away the children, they left the beach.
On the other hand, Homura didn't move.
He didn't even see them off.
He was just staying silent, fixing his gaze to the horizon that continued without end,
"... What's with that face?"
Homura complained with a wry face at Sumika whose gaze was piercing at him since a while ago.
In contrast Sumika was,
"―Nothing at all."
- puih*, she averted her gaze in discontent.
She had already understood the reason for Homura's actions and the true meaning of the circumstance of his conversation with Alfaro.
In brief, it was a compromise.
Homura wouldn't tolerate Miss Nagashima getting hurt.
Alfaro, too, wouldn't tolerate the children not having a bad impression at Homura like that.
The compromise of both side, was something like this.
―She didn't criticize that.
Sumika knew that Homura was a human like this, and most of all it was because she understood that she didn't have any right to criticize his actions.
Because she was weak.
She was so weak to the degree that she couldn't shoulder the burden that Homura carried together with him.
She didn't even have the qualifications to meddle.
To only talk with words even though she didn't have any power to move the situation in a direction smoother than the method Homura presented, that was nothing more than selfishness.
That was why even though Sumika hated his way of living, she didn't deny it, however―
"Please just don't forget, that there are also people who understand you."
She told him that sentence directly.
"Yeah yeah, I'll remember that." [5]
Homura, like always replied with a blunt attitude towards those words of Sumika.
But, Sumika thought that the color of his eyes were more affectionate than usual.
... Then when the two were exchanging words like this,
"―Sumika."
A voice came from behind.
Part 9
The one who called out was the sister of the ~Holy Path Church~, at the same time she was also a student like Sumika and the others at New Tokyo Sorcery Academy, Lily Hoegaarden.
The girl was staring at Sumika with her eyes that were the same red as her hair.
"It has been a long time since we talked like this isn't it?"
She said that with a bright smile tugged on her lips.
It was a calm smile that really suited Lily's mature looks.
In contrast Sumika returned her words with a confused expression.
"... Yes it is. Our classes are different even in school, so we didn't really meet with each other, besides... honestly I don't know how I should call out to you."
"What. You girls are acquaintances?"
"Yes. Since we were children, we were friends when I was still in the ~Holy Path Church~."
"That's unexpected. So you were a Christian."
Sumika nodded a little reservedly towards Shiori's surprised words.
"... It's something in the past. My parents were Christian, so when I became aware of the things around me, I was already one. Well a [second generation] like me is a common pattern."
"However you suddenly said that you are going to aim for the ~Evil God User~ and quit the church."
Lily inserted her words covering over Sumika's voice.
Her tone sounded blaming.
"Even after witnessing that repulsive power just now, I wonder if you are still planning to continue saying such nonsense? Cut it out already, open your eyes. That kind of abominable power, is not something that the human race who are the people of god should touch."
No, the girl in fact was actually blaming.
When they were children, her friend turned her back on the god that they worshipped and dirtied her hands with the power of an evil god.
"Come back to the church, Sumika. And then repent for your error. God's generosity will surely forgive you."
But Sumika shook her head towards this counsel.
"... I'm sorry, but I cannot listen to your counsel, Lily."
This old friend of hers was thinking of Sumika in her own way, she understood that she was trying to lead her back to the church thinking of her sake.
In these few years since Sumika had left the church, Lily had always been like this.
For that reason, Sumika came to avoid her.
She tried to not get involved with her as much as possible.
For what reason―
"That time at ~Walpurgis Night~, I understood clearly.... That the god we had faith for, at the very least he is not a god that will protect the things that I want to protect."
The ten days of nightmare, where a demonic dragon so gigantic it covered the whole sky, burned everything to nothing until beyond the horizon.
She couldn't forget that even if she tried, that hellish scene.
But... even so the god that Sumika and the others believed in at that time didn't reach out his hand for the humans.
Despite that many people who died.
Despite that many people praying for salvation.
―Those wishes, wasn't answered by god.
The one who protected them, protected mankind was not god, but a lone young boy.
That time when she saw that, Sumika decided.
She wouldn't rely on god anymore. She would protect the things she wanted to protect with her own strength, with her own actions.
Even if, she had to make use of the power of a evil god.
"That's why I won't go back to the church. Because it has none of what I'm looking for."
Sumika clearly displayed her determination of rejection.
Looking at that unshakable attitude of Sumika,
(Well, seems like that's that. )
Though Homura who was watching the conversation of the two from the side.
Although it was only the personification, Sumika was the ~Grim Bullet~ that employed the power of evil god, though imperfect.
Sumika's determination, her tenacity and hard work that worked out such sorcery with her own efforts, was something substantial.
Homura who made use of the power of the same evil god understood that.
At this late hour, the heart of this girl wouldn't be shaken only by words.
And then he guessed that fact was also conveyed to Lily.
How would Lily react in regards to this answer of Sumika?
Would she obediently pull back, or would she not give up and tenaciously try to persuade Sumika?
―As for Homura, he wanted her to quickly give up.
The time was already past noon.
Perhaps because he was playing with the children, something that he was not used to, so his stomach was hungry, he wanted to quickly have lunch.
That was why he took a peek at Lily's reaction from the side wishing for her to just quickly give up.
And then, he was taken aback from an unexpected reaction.
"Uuuuuuuuuuu~~–"
Of all things, Lily's face was all red until her ears, she raised her eyebrows and from her red eyes, large drops of tears spilled out like a river.
"Sumika you idiooooottt-! E-e, even though I'm this worried for you-! Why don't you understand!?"
Her calm atmosphere until now was thrown away to who knows where.
Lily sobbed like a petulant child and hit repeatedly *poka poka* at Sumika's chest.
And then,
"Hic... -! Sumika in the past, was not a child like this-! UUuUu! ―Everything is all your fault!"
Lily's temper flew from Sumika to Homura.
"Eh, me?"
"Just who else is there!? How dare you drag my best friend to the path of evil, this heretic!"
"No, I don't remembered ever dragging her anywhere y'know. She just came along as she pleased."
"That's the same thing! In the first place if you didn't exist then Sumika wouldn't step on the wrong path! In other words your very existence itself is evil! Just by entering their sight you gave the children bad influence, you are someone that mustn't come into the sight of children!"
"Hey, don't describe people like an indecent book."
Besides, if Homura didn't exist then humanity wouldn't have been able to survive past ~Walpurgis Night~, so this was not a problem of stepping on the wrong path or not.
Such rebuttal almost came out from his throat, but Homura restrained from that.
Even if his argument was correct, this kind of person would surely not lend him her ear.
Thereupon,
"But I won't give up! Because even now I think of Sumika as my best friend. If your best friend mistakens her path, then even if she fell into disgrace temporarily, a true valued friendship will lead her back under the true god even forcibly. I will lead back Sumika under god's benevolence without fail. For sure!... I will never hand over my best friend to someone like you!"
After yelling everything she wanted to yell, Lily left that place while leaving behind an angry remark, following after Alfaro and the children.
Seeing off her back, Homura made a fed up deep sigh.
"...... Somehow I just got caught up in something messed up just now ain't it?"
"At least be careful so you don't get stabbed in the back."
"Gehh―"
"Err, please don't take it that seriously, Homura-san. That girl... since she was a child she has the habit of getting a temper if things don't go her way. She was just getting too excited.... It's hard seeing her crying loudly like that each time I rejected her, so recently I avoided seeing her as much as possible but..."
"... What a difficult friend."
"Bu, but, she is a good child that is really kind you know?"
"I know that."
"Eh..."
Homura's quick answer made Sumika's eyes open wide in surprise.
That reaction of hers made Homura's expression a little sullen.
"That ain't something that should get you that surprised. Even I got eyes here."
Her friend in the past whose path differed from her, yet even now she still continued to worry for that friend.
Even after being refused so many times.
It was not something that could be done just because.
Putting aside whether her actions were correct or not, Homura didn't hold a bad impression towards that girl who expressed her anger straightforwardly at him for Sumika's sake.
Rather, he even thought of her favorably.
―Though it was the truth that she was troublesome.
And then, after Lily was gone―
"Master-"
In the timing that seemed like they were passing each other, after Shoggoth devoured the kraken, Chikori who fell into the sea from that was now returning.
However,
"Master! Leader! Big trouble, this is big trouble-!"
It seemed that Chikori had a strange circumstance.
Chikori swam in the sea with only her face coming out from the water surface.
For some reason her expression looked panicked.
Just what in the world made her that panicked.
Everyone thought in doubt but,
"What's wrong? Did your swimsuit get washed away?"
"Eeh!? Chi, Chikori-san! If that's so then you must not get out from the sea like that!"
Now that the kraken had vanished, the big trouble that Chikori said mustn't be something that serious.
Both Homura and Sumika, and also Shiori were thinking like that.
However―this thinking was mistaken.
"Hmmm. My swimsuit is fine though―"
The next moment, all present opened their eyes wide in shock.
Why was that? It was because in the hands of Chikori who got out from the sea with a splash was―
Carrying a woman with emerald blonde hair wearing a dress, that looked the same age as them.
"... Somehow, I picked up a girl inside the sea here."
"""Haaaaaa!?!?"""
That situation which was outside their expectations, as expected, made all present raise their voices in surprise.
"Eh, eeeh!? Wh, wh-wh-what is the meaning of this!? Just who in the world is that person!?"
"I don't know. I found her when I fell into the sea."
"Is that girl still alive?"
"Yes. But she fainted."
"... Did she got washed away from somewhere? Or else―"
"Th, that kind of thing currently doesn't matter! A, afnhyway let's give her CPR quickly! Chikori-san, quickly bring up the girl to the land―"
Sumika gave out commands even while she bit her tongue from getting too flustered.
Chikori nodded and she made a small run towards the location of the three while holding the girl.
But, in the middle of that―
"u...... nn, -"
The girl's body stirred in Chikori's arm.
And then after she painfully brought her eyebrows closer, her eyelids opened slowly.
"...... E, eh... I, just what.... ."
"Ah! Leader! Looks like she is awake!"
"Really!?"
Sumika too rushed closer to them from what Chikori said.
When she looked at the girl, certainly the girl's eyes that were the same emerald like her hair was moving in confusion.
The movement seemed unreliable. But the light of her eyes were unexpectedly steady.
Looks like she didn't seem to be in a condition of heavy injury that could affect her life.
Sumika was relieved at that.
"I'm glad-. You have recovered your consciousness haven't you? Is there some place that feels hurt on your body?"
"Ye, yes... I'm fine, but, ... who are you all... ?"
Perhaps because she was surrounded by people that she didn't know when she woke up, she looked troubled.
There was also a little fear mixed in her voice, but she was speaking articulately.
Then, rather than arranging ambulance or anything else in a panic, she should prioritize calming down the girl.
The head of Sumika who finally calmed down from thinking too much made that decision,
"Yes, sorry for our late introductions. I am the leader of the 101st trainee platoon of New Tokyo Sorcery Academy, Hoshikawa Sumika. And then the one that right now is carrying you is a member of the same 101st trainee platoon, Ichinotani Chikori-san. She was the one that discovered you floating inside the sea."
First Sumika made clear of their identity.
On top of that,
"My apologies, but may I ask your identity?"
Sumika tried to ask the information that would be necessary for arranging an ambulance.
But in regards to Sumika's question, the girl was
"... Tokyo..."
After the girl mused over that word with a tone that was slightly off in pronunciation, suddenly her eyes turned bright.
And then she jumped down from Chikori's arm, rushed to Sumika, and grasped Sumika's hands.
"My! What you were saying is that this is Tokyo right!?"
"Ye, yes. That's right, but?"
Sumika showed her confusion towards the girl that was suddenly getting lively while returning a nod.
Just what in the world made her become that happy?
(By any chance... is she a stowaway?)
Currently when all countries were in an alliance as the ~United World Government~, it was a case that had almost never happened.
But it didn't mean that it didn't exist.
Especially in the life sphere other than Japan, the power of the ~Holy Path Church~ was even stronger than the government depending on the situation.
Occasionally, there was also believers that worshipped god of another sect that got washed away into Japan that was comparatively free in its religion.
That was why from the reaction of the girl, Sumika guessed that the girl was that kind of stowaway.
This guess of Sumika was half right.
The correct part was that the girl was really a [stowaway].
The mistakened part was―
"I'm glad-... When I was eaten by the kraken I thought that was it for me already. I don't know how things got this way somehow, but in any case it seems that I managed to arrive at the human world safely."
"Eh――"
... beginning from the point where Sumika thought that this girl was a human that came from another life sphere.
When the girl was carried by Chikori it was hidden by the long hair and Sumika didn't notice, but now that she looked really carefully, the ears of the girl were strangely long and sharp.
Correct, just like the elves that came out in the fables.
Most of all, if it was only that then it might be only a mere peculiar body trait.
What clinched it, was what was on the girl's back.
At that back, something that looked similar like ~Air Raid~ that the magicians used, transparent four pieces of wings were growing there.
It was a part that a human shouldn't be equipped with.
"Yo, you, do... don't tell me, are you a demon-!?"
Sumika move several steps back from agitation while asking.
On the other hand the girl was,
"Yes. There is no mistake that I'm an existence that all of you humans call as demon."
The girl confirmed that without hesitation and with a smiling expression.
And then she straightened her back and pinched her long skirt, before bowing in an elegant gesture.
"Nice to meet you all, humans, everyone.
I am the one who served as the queen of the [Fairy race] in the demon world, my name is Elfiena.
On this occasion, ―wishing of forming an [alliance] between us the [Fairy race] and all of you humans, I come here as an envoy from the demon world as the representative of the two million [Fairy race].
Please, can I ask to trouble you all to lead me to meet the leader of the human race?"
The girl introduced her name, while also saying many outrageous things.
Hearing those words, not to mention Sumika, even Homura was at a loss for words from the shock.
That was obvious.
It has been a century since the demons appeared in this world.
And this is the first moment, where for the first time a resident of the demon world brought interaction without hostility towards the human race.
Translator's Notes and References
1. ↑ It's not specified at all who or what is doing the blessing here.
2. ↑ Kneeling on the ground with both knees and both hand touching the ground, and the forehead pressing on the ground too.
3. ↑ Perhaps referring to Detective Conan.
4. ↑ Homura here actually shortened rudely the title of Special Missionary, though I got no idea how to shorten it in English.
5. ↑ I really can't translate this one well. Here Homura is talking like a government official who said that he will do his best to handle the situation yet in the end there was nothing done at all. The word that he used is pretty doubtful for the listener. Anyone has a better suggestion?
| ← Ch. 09 | Ch. 11 → |