Chapter 32: vol 9 PT 1
ARIFURETA SHOKUGYOU DE SEKAI SAIKYOU (WN)
V9 C1
Madness and Jealousy
"Shit! Shit! What's with this! What kind of joke is this!"
It was midnight. Inside a park located on the outskirts of the post town, Hol-ad, one boy was cursing in a hushed voice, punching one of the trees repeatedly. It was Hiyama Daisuke. Hiyama's eyes were shaking intensely in hatred, agitation, and impatience. Those were truly ugly and impure eyes, from which it was not an exaggeration to they were full of madness.
"As I thought, you really did lose your temper… well, I know it can't be helped though. After all, your precious, precious princess Kaori was snatched by another man before your eyes, right?"
A voice filled with scorn and slight sympathy rang out from behind such a Hiyama. Fwip, Hiyama immediately turned around. Next, he momentarily raised an expression of relief when he recognized the other person was the one he meeting in secret, and, following that, with his fists clenched, he replied with a voice that was just like a beast's howl.
"Shut up! Shit! This… this shouldn't have happened! Why, why is that bastard alive!? Just why did he did that…"
"Don't be distracted by yourself, I want to have a talk, you know? Also, it will become a serious matter if someone sees us meeting in secret."
"… I, I don't have anymore reasons to go along with you… my Kaori is already…"
In between the trees' shadows created by the moonlight was a person's silhouette, to whom Hiyama bitterly spoke as he pummeled his fists on the tree.
Hiyama cooperating with this person was only because he heard that he would be able to make Kaori his own. That's why, with Kaori leaving, he had lost his reason to cooperate, and it was too late to threaten him with exposing his attempt to kill Hajime as the victim could have said it himself.
However, the person in the darkness smiled as its mouth turned curved into a crescent at such a Hiyama, and it once again tempted him just like the devil.
"If she is snatched then just snatch her back. Is it wrong? Fortunately, we have good bait here."
"…Bait?"
Not knowing what it meant, Hiyama dubiously tilted his head which made that person grinned and nodded.
"That's right, bait. Even if she puts priority on her feelings and parts from those comrades of hers… her best friends that were always by her side, her childhood friends… do you think she can just leave them be? Especially if she knows they are in a predicament."
"You…"
"It is easy to call her back. So, there's no need to be pessimistic about it. Especially in this case, even I got a chill… but I am glad that it resulted in something convenient for me. Yup, it could be said as a godsend. Shall we finish everything once we return to the Imperial Capital? Then… you will surely obtain what you desire, you know?"
"…"
Though knowing it was useless, Hiyama glared at his accomplice that stayed in the shadow. Even receiving his gaze, the person before Hiyama laughed normally.
Though he didn't know all of this person's plan, from their previous words, Hiyama could have guessed that it'd involve injuring the other classmates. For their own objective, they could easily betrayed their comrades, with whom they shared joy and sorrow with. Following that, a chill ran down in his spine as he couldn't feel any guilt from that person.
(A nasty person as always… but, I also cannot back down anymore… I must do it to get my Kaori back… that's all. There's nothing to hesitate about. This is for Kaori. I am the justice here.)
Hiyama only thought of himself and his confusion had already been disappeared. Because of his accomplice, he was made to look away from the thing he must see, believing that his action was justified, while it all stemmed from his desire for Kaori.
The silhouette turned silent as it understood Hiyama's feelings. Smiling, it waited for Hiyama's answer.
"… Okay. Just like before, I will lend you a hand. However…"
"Aah, I understand. I will obtain what I desired, and you will obtain yours. Give and take, isn't that a nice word? From now on is crucial. The case in the Imperial Capital too, can I leave that to you?"
Without minding Hiyama's distorted expression, that person turned on their heels and disappeared, as if merging with the space between the trees. Afterwards, what was left was the fallen boy whose eyes were filled with darkness.
* * *
On the other hand, at the time the suspicious meeting happened in the outskirts of the town, another boy and girl were also standing under the moonlight.
They weren't in the location where the secret meeting happened, they were on a small, arched bridge, above one of the waterways that passed through between the shops and back alleys of the town. A lot of waterways were built for the large number of restaurants and service buildings, and the boy on the bridge was looking down on the flowing water's surface as it reflected the moon above it, under the moonlight.
More accurately, he wasn't looking but "drooping his head", moreover, his expression was dark, far from its usual shine. The boy's appearance was just like that a person whose company bankrupted, incurred large amount of debt, and was now despairing about his future as he looked far into the distance, into the twilight. It was our hero, Amanogawa Kouki.
"… Do you not want to talk?"
A voice called out to Kouki who didn't look away from the moon reflected on the water surface. It was his childhood friend for ten years, the pair of the girl that went away, Yaegashi Shizuku.
Unlike Kouki, Shizuku was entrusting her back to the bridge's railing, looking up at the moon in the sky. Towards the railing, her trademark ponytail was swaying, playing in the wind. Without looking at his childhood friend, and Shizuku who also not looking at him, Kouki replied as he continued to look at the moon.
"Is there something you want to say?"
"…"
There was no answer, no, Kouki just could not answer her. Even though he was looking at the moon reflected on the water's surface, what was in his mind was the spectacle of Kaori speaking her feelings. Within her anxiety and rejoice, as if praying, she spoke her feelings without any hint of a lie, which even convinced Kouki, whose denseness was at the level of a chronic disease.
Kouki and Kaori were friends for around ten years, but he was hurt when he saw her beautiful strength, he had never seen Kaori made such expressions. It was just like a bolt out of the blue for him.
Every time he recalled her expression, an unspeakable feeling sprang up in his mind. It was dark and heavy, a truly murky feeling. Unconditionally, without any basis, he believed his thought was a natural one. That was that, his childhood friend, Kaori, would always be by his side, without any change. It could be said he thought of Kaori as his. In other words, he was jealous.
That jealousy, Kouki himself didn't know as to whether it came from love or just his desire to monopolize her, but the feeling that she was "snatched" from him was swirling in his mind, intensely.
However, it was Kaori herself that decided to go along with the one who "snatched" her away, Hajime (though he would surely object to it). Moreover, he didn't want to believe and tried to deny the existence called Hajime by challenging him to a duel where he was defeated. His misery, resentment towards Hajime, doubts about Kaori's feelings, and a lot of other feelings were mixed together, making Kouki's mind a mess, just like the inside of kicked trash can.
Thus he kept looking at the water and unbeknownst to him, his other childhood friend was already standing beside him without saying anything… his reply from before was also truly not like him. Unable to find his next word, Kouki turned silent.
Sneaking a glance at such a Kouki, Shizuku frowned her brows and with an atmosphere that expressed "It can't be helped," she moved her mouth.
"… Right now, Kouki, you are being a pain."
"… A pain?"
Shizuku's unexpected reply made Kouki inadvertently parrot her. Shizuku moved her gaze from the moon towards Kouki, and continued her words.
"That's right. About Kaori, from the beginning she isn't yours, you know?"
"… That's… then, are you saying she is Nagumo's?"
Prick, Kouki's eyes were shaking as he guessed that, he desperately tried to object that as if cursing it. Hearing that, Shizuku answered with a strong forehead flick. "It hurt-!?," Kouki instinctively covered his forehead, and leering at him, Shizuku scolded him with a cold voice.
"Idiot. Kaori is her own. Whatever she chooses, wherever she goes, it is up to Kaori to decide that. Of course, even who she wants to be with… is up to her own decision."
"… Since when? Shizuku, you must have known that, right?"
Without asking "what do you mean," Shizuku nodded.
"You know… Kaori met Nagumo-kun in middle school… Well, he must have forgotten about it… Rather I also don't know in what kind of situation they met."
"…What's with that. Just what are you trying to say?"
"That is for you to ask Kaori yourself. After all, it is bad for me to say it without her permission."
"Then, the reason Kaori was always talking to Nagumo in class was truly… that is… because she loves… him?"
"Hmm, that's right."
"…"
Shizuku easily told him the truth he didn't want to hear, which made Kouki make a reproachful gaze. However, Shizuku only thought of it as a passing wind. Angered by her attitude, just like a child throwing a tantrum, Kouki began to spit out what was in his mind.
"… Why, why is it Nagumo. When we were still in Japan, he was an otaku, unmotivated, and he nothing special in terms of sports or studies either… always forcing his laugh, and being out of place… He took a noncommittal attitude whenever Kaori talked to him… he was an otaku… if it was me, I wouldn't treat Kaori coldly. I'd always think of her as important, and I would do my best for Kaori's sake… Besides, Nagumo was waited upon by those girls in such a manner, isn't he the lowest to treat them like that? Not only that, he is a murderer! He killed a non-resisting woman. So, do you think I was wrong!? That's right, it is strange for Kaori to like such a bastard after all. He surely must have "SWISh!" Guhah!?"
Heating up as he spoke, Kouki began to badmouth Hajime with fabricated truths which once again awarded him a forehead flick (No Beat ver.) from Shizuku. What are you doing!?, was conveyed by Kouki's glare which was ignored by Shizuku who was wearing an amazed expression.
"Again, your bad habit is coming out, you know? I've kept saying until now that you should stop interpreting things at your own convenience.
"Interpreting things to my convenience… there's no way—"
"Haven't you noticed it yet? Kouki, you don't know anything about Nagumo-kun, right? You don't know anything about the time we were still in Japan or in this world… and those girls looked happy, no, they really were happy, you see? But you ignored that fact and said something selfish… The current Kouki is only trying to make Hajime out to be a bad person who is unsuitable for Kaori. If that isn't called as interpreting things at your own convenience, then what is?"
"B-But… it is the true he killed a person."
"… At that time, even I was about to kill her. However, I couldn't muster my strength. Even in the future… if a similar thing happens, then I will surely swing my sword to kill, for the sake of surviving, for the sake of the people important to me. Though I don't know whether I can do it, since I will only know when the time comes… For now, the thing I did was only attempted murder… but, are you going to despise me if I become a murderer?"
Shizuku's confession made Kouki speechless. His childhood friend, Shizuku, held a stronger sense of responsibility and justice than others, so he suddenly felt like she was a distant existence after hearing she was truly going to kill. However, Kouki shook his head when he noticed the shadow of anxiety and the fear of injuring a person in Shizuku's bitter smile.
Seeing Kouki's reaction, Shizuku continued her words which could be called a soliloquy.
"Certainly, his transformation is surprising… and thinking about his character when we were still in Japan, it's not an exaggeration to say he's a different person… Well, even so, it looks like Kaori still thought of him as "Nagumo Hajime," and it looks like not all of him has changed… but one thing you must not forget, he fought that woman to save us and killed her in our stead."
"… Are you saying it is right to kill."
"I… I don't think it is right. A murder is a murder after all… I can neither justify it nor do I want to."
"Then…"
"Even so, we aren't qualified to criticize Nagumo-kun. It was no one's fault, but our own weakness…"
In short, he should solve it himself if he has a problem with it. It was simply that he was not strong enough, so he couldn't reach the result he hoped for. It was a mistake to complain about the result to the person he left everything with.
Noticing the unexpressed words, Kouki recalled that he could only crawl at the time Hajime displayed his peerlessness. Unable to object, he fell into sullen silence. His dissatisfied expression was obviously saying, "But, it is the truth that he killed a person!"
Towards Kouki's obstinacy, with an admonishing tone, Shizuku tacitly warned him about what had happened thus far, along with what she felt after coming to this world.
"I don't hate Kouki's straightforward sense of justice."
"… Shizuku."
"However. I think it's about time for you to start doubting whether you are actually in the right."
"Doubting my justice?"
"Certainly, a strong feeling is necessary to get things done. But, a distortion will surely appear if you don't doubt it and just keep moving on, blindly believing on it. That's why when that happens, I want you to react to it by wondering if you are really in the right, or whether you still need to do it "even" if you know it is wrong… it isn't bad if you continue to think like that, okay? … truthfully, it is difficult to keep on living rightfully. Having come to this world, I cut lives even though they were demonic beasts… I've come to think so."
Totally ignorant that Shizuku was thinking thus every time she killed a demonic beast, Kouki became pop-eyed.
"Kouki. You are not always the correct one and even if you are in the right. You should know that your rightfulness can become a lethal weapon. Well, the way you interpreted things at your convenience this time was not coming from your conviction of "justice," it was coming from your jealousy."
"N-no, for me to feel jealous…"
"It is uncool to make an excuse to deceive me here, you know?"
"…"
Kouki once again cast his gaze down, looking at the moon on the water surface. However, the dark mood from a while ago had weakened, and he seemed to be thinking deeply about something. Anyway, he had avoided rushing into a spiral of negativity, and Shizuku leaked out a relieved sigh, knowing that.
Thus, thinking it was necessary to leave him alone for now, Shizuku stopped leaning on the railing and tried to quietly leave the place. Then, Kouki's mutter came from behind Shizuku, who had already turned on her heels.
"Shizuku… you won't go anywhere, right?"
"… What's with this all of a sudden?"
"… Please don't go, Shizuku."
"…"
Kouki's words were as if he was petitioning her. It was a line that would made the female students in Japan and the girls of the Kingdom that fell for him go kya kya, but unfortunately, Shizuku only displayed an "amazed" expression. He might be weakened by the feeling of loss because Kaori had gone… Shizuku looked over her shoulder, towards the blurring moon. It was the moon that was on water surface which Kouki had been looking at previously.
"At the very least I am not like the "moon"… I won't just leave a man that is depending on me."
Saying thus, Shizuku left the place. Left behind, Kouki watched the alley where Shizuku disappeared for a while, then once again, he looked at the moon reflected on the water surface. Next, he noticed the meaning behind her words.
"… I see… the moon reflected on the water's surface."
Flowers reflected on a mirror and the moon reflected on the water's surface. Those were words speaking about a thing that could be seen but not be reached, visible but with no substance, just like a reflection. He unconsciously looked at the reflected moon as Kaori, and certainly it was not something he could reach. Especially after seeing Kaori's expression at the time she confessed her feelings to Hajime.
Shizuki said she was not "the moon reflected on the water's surface". So, it's possible for him to reach her. However, her next words were severe. Kouki inadvertently made a wry smile. He thought about what he had just said to his childhood friend.
Kouki stopped looking at the reflected moon, he looked up at the sky. He had unconditionally believed that he could reach "it" if he just stretched out his hand, but he realized "it" was awfully quite far. Letting out a deep sigh, Kouki began to think about the words coming from his strict and gentle childhood friend.
To change or not to change… it was up to Kouki.
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ARIFURETA SHOKUGYOU DE SEKAI SAIKYOU (WN)
V9 C2
Aiko's Disappearance
Prologue of fourth arc.
The event happened sometime later.
Three weeks had passed since the time Kouki's party had received shock from the reunion and the complex feelings because of to the separation in «Post Town, Hol-ad».
Currently, there was one thing Kouki's party must immediately deal with: to kill people. They wouldn't be able to fight anymore as long as it was not dealt with, so they returned to the Imperial Capital. It was necessary for them to experience "murder" if they wanted to participate in the war against the Demon race. They would only be liabilities in the war if they could not overcome it.
To begin with, they wouldn't be able to think about it properly since not much time remained. The event that occurred in Ul had already reached their ears. It was obvious the Demon race's movement had became more active since they themselves had also been attacked, and everyone could guess the war was drawing near. Therefore, as quickly as possible, Kouki's party wanted to overcome this problem by all means.
Currently, Kouki's party were doing battle practice against the Knights commanded by Meld. Ryuutarou, Kondou's party, and Hiyama's gang; those who were already prepared for it actually repeatedly asked themselves if they could really do it after seeing Hajime shoot the Demon race woman's head. There wasn't much time left, but they would be broken if they were forced to murder, so Meld and the Knights were also looking for a solution.
Towards the gloomy them, a small, good news had arrived.
It was the return of Aiko's party. Normally, Kouki's charisma would be able to pull the classmates together. However, the hero was depressed, which made everyone depressed, too. The reason for them not to be broken from the severe defeat and the current problem was thanks to Suzu's mood making which followed by the prudent people such as Shizuku and Nagayama. Even so, their minds swallowed by uneasiness forced themselves to look more than welcoming to the adult they were familiar with and trusted. Everyone truly wanted to meet the teacher who always did her best for her students.
Hearing Aiko had returned, Shizuku made the first move. Shizuku wanted to consult AIko about various things, so she rounded up her training. She also wanted to hear the impression of the classmates who met Hajime much earlier than her, and she wanted to exchange information objectively with Aiko who neither assume nor prejudices.
Wearing the jet-black sheath she received from Hajime and belt for another jet-black, double-edged sword, Shizuku walked through the passage in royal palace. Her appearance somehow made more noble ladies and maids blush comparable to other men. It was a problem that haunted Shizuku even in this different world. She really wanted to be spared from being called "Onee-sama" by the women who were older than her.
Having heard the things Hajime did in Ul, Shizuku wanted to directly asked Aiko as to what she thought of Hajime. Depending on Aiko's impression of Hajime, Kouki's currently balanced mind would possibly leaned towards undesirable point. It was Shizuku's nature that burdened her with hardship wherever she goes.
"Surely, there was also a mess when they were in Ul… but he also gave me this katana-like sword… Seriously, what's with "sturdy and able to cut anything nicely." Isn't it an artifact at a level of a national treasure."
Talking to herself, Shizuku silently moved her hand onto the Katana hanging on her waist. Walking towards Aiko's room, Shizuku recalled the time she visited the Kingdom's smithy for the sake of her katana's maintenance.
Shizuku called her katana simply as a black katana and shown it to the Kingdom's best blacksmith. At first, the blacksmith were formal before her as one of "God's Apostles." However, his attitude completely changed as soon as he examined the black katana with appraisal magic, and he asked Shizuku while grabbing her shoulders. Thus, as if his previous attitude was just a lie, he barraged her with questions, no he interrogated her with words, such as where did she obtained it and who was the creator.
Although she was dumbfounded, Shizuku somehow managed to regain her calm and asked what happened. The blacksmith said that even within the Kingdom's treasury, this sword should be more or less at the same as Holy Sword. Although its output and capacity for receiving magic power didn't reach Holy Sword, it's functionality and minute details as a weapon were above Holy Sword.
Next, detailed examination found that if it was supplied with magic power, the blade would be extended by 60 centimeters in form of wind blade. Furthermore, two more blades would form beside the extended part, and they could be fired.
Then, the sheath was examined. It was understood that the sheath would be cladded in thunder if it was supplied with magic power and there was a switch-like part on the sheath's mouth that would shoot needles with tremendous force.
The blade part was made of azanthium so it wouldn't be chipped and there was almost no need to undergo maintenance. The maintenance was only to replenish the needle if it was used.
However, there was a problem, it didn't have magic array to supply it with magic power. It was a natural thing. Hajime was capable of directly manipulating magic power and he was originally never thought of giving it to anyone. So, it wasn't a mistake when he said "sturdy and able to cut things nicely" if it was used by Shizuku.
Those were the only functions installed, and the mysterious black sword (or so the blacksmiths had seen it as) could only be used by manipulating magic power directly, made the Kingdom's blacksmiths burn with fighting spirit.
'Even though we can't make a weapon with such minute details and functionality, we will make this sword usable!' was what they thought. In short, they would somehow make the user's magic power supply into the sword by any means. Resultantly, after three days and nights, the blacksmiths, with the best one as the core, set aside all of their other works and somehow succeeded in creating the magic array.
As such, Shizuku would be able to pull the black katana's abilities without using a chant. Afterwards, the blacksmiths whose magic power was dried up were slept for several days with truly happy expressions.
Shizuku was looking in the distance as she recalled the terrific craftsmanship spirit, then she arrived at her destination, Aiko's room. She knocked, but there was no response. She heard Aiko was going to report to the King and the other officials, so Shizuku thought she must have not return. Leaning against the wall, Shizuku decided to wait for Aiko's return.
Thirty minutes had passed until Aiko returned. Her footsteps could be heard from the inner corridor which somehow sounded depressed. Aiko was walking without looking ahead, and her serious expression made Shizuku understandd Aiko was desperately thinking about something in her head.
Thus, Aiko didn't even notice her room with Shizuku right beside its door and passed them. While wondering what had happened, Shizuku called Aiko to stop.
"Sensei… Sensei!"
"Hoeh!?"
Raising a silly voice, her body twitched in surprise. Aiko looked around and finally noticed Shizuku. Afterwards, Aiko sighed in relief seeing Shizuku's healthy look, then she smiled in joy.
"Yaegashi-san! Long time no see. Have you been healthy? Are you unhurt? Are the others safe?"
Even though she had been depressed up until now, the things she said were only her worries about her students. Towards the unchanging Ai-chan sensei, joy also entered Shizuku's gaze as she smiled, and sense of security filled her mind. For a while, the two were happy for each other's safety and their reunion, then they entered Aiko's room for consultation and exchanging information.
* * *
"So that's what happened… Shimizu-kun was…"
Shizuku and Aiko were alone in the room, and they mutually exchanged information as they drank the tea inside the tea cups with cute, cat-like legs. Hearing the things happened in Ul, those words were Shizuku's response.
Inside the room, an awkward mood hung in the air. Aiko dejectedly drooped her shoulders; she was obviously depressed about Shimizu. Thinking about Aiko's personality and sense of responsibility, Shizuku could not help worry no matter what the circumstance was, but she could not find the words needed to be said.
However, although Shizuku was reluctant to let Aiko continue being depress, so as cheerful as possible, she rejoiced about Aiko's safety.
"I feel bad about Shimizu-kun… however, I truly am glad that Sensei is alive. I really want to thank Nagumo-kun."
Towards the smiling Shizuku, Aiko was reflecting because she once again made her student worry about her, then she returned a smile.
"I see. At our reunion, he didn't have any interest in us and this world… but he came to save Yaegashi-san and the others. Furthermore, he even protected a small child… Fufu, it is possible that some part of the past him had come back. Or should I say he is growing up as he change… he has become reliable."
Saying so as she looked at the far distance, somehow Aiko's cheeks were… slightly dyed in red. Shizuku was confused while thinking, Isn't that a strange reaction for just remembering one of her student? She watched as she Aiko sometimes laughed while reminiscing, "Fufu."
Noticing Shizuku's gaze, Cough!, Aiko cleared her throat. However, she was unable to smooth things over, her cheeks convulsed, and she gained a bad premonition. Shizuku decided to press on. While half persuading herself that it couldn't be possible, Shizuku said,
"… Sensei? From our talk, Sensei said he saved you from a dangerous situation, can you tell me the details?"
"Eh!?"
"Well, it was said Sensei might have died, so I want to hear how did you recovered from that…"
"A-About that…"
Shizuku recalled the special medicine that quickly healed the near-dead Meld, she thought it must be that, so she played the fool and asked Aiko. Aiko's cheeks began to turn redder than before. Aiko's gaze was swam around and hesitatingly, she muttered her words… it was indeed suspicious.
Like a swordsman she was, Shizuku cut to the case.
"… Sensei. Did something happened between you and… Nagumo-kun?"
" !? Th-There's no way anything happened, you know? J-Just what are you trying to say? It was just the usual me as a teacher and him as a student!"
"Sensei. Please calm down. Your expression had turned strange."
"!"
Aiko was truly shaken. Frantically, Aiko muttered, "I am a teacher, I am a teacher…" Aiko must have thought she was muttering in her mind, but she wasn't. Thus, Shizuku was convinced. Although Shizuku didn't understand in what stage it was, Aiko began to hold a special feeling towards Hajime different from the other students!
"Nagumo-kun! As a person! What did you do to Ai-chan!?"
Already, anyone could see Shizuku's cheek was convulsing while she was thinking so. Hajime had already became a flag raiser whose level couldn't even be compared to Kouki. Though unlike Kouki, Hajime wasn't dense towards affections from others and he had answered to it clearly… and he must had told that to Aiko, too.
Her best friend's rival appearing in an unexpected place made Shizuku looked at the ceiling with her hand covering her convulsing cheek. Regardless of gender, Shizuku had come to hate that side of Hajime, and a dangerous idea of seriously spreading a painful nickname had crossed her mind… which she managed to give up.
Aiko and Shizuku tried to smooth things over by repeatedly clearing their throats, then they continued their previous conversation as if nothing had happened.
"Then, Sensei. Did something happen when you reported to the king? After all, it seemed to have been a serious talk."
Shizuku's question made Aiko recall something and she made a bitter expression where anger and distrust mixed.
"… Officially, Nagumo-kun is branded as a heretic."
"!? That's—!… What do you mean? No, I somehow can guess it… but isn't that decision a hasty one?"
Hajime was powerful. With only several people, he repulsed more than 60,000 demonic beasts while using mysterious artifacts. Hajime's comrades also possessed unbelievable power. However, his stance was he would not cooperate with Church of the Saints and would even oppose them depending on the situation. It was true Hajime was a truly dangerous existence for the Kingdom and the Church of the Saints.
However, it was truly too hasty to brand him as a heretic so quickly. The brand of a heretic was given to those who disobeyed the teaching from Church of the Saints and became the God's enemy, and such branding would make it legal for anyone to subjugate Hajime any time, any where. And according to the situation, even the Temple Knights and Kingdom's army might move out.
Following that, by attacking Hajime because he was a heretic, they would receive the treatment of an enemy from Hajime, his merciless and severe attack. There was no way the King and Church people didn't know the danger. However, Aiko said they decided it right away. There was no way Shizuku would not be surprised by that.
Shizuku had guessed up until that point, which made Aiko nod in admiration towards the unchanging fast-learner.
"It is completely as Yaegashi-san said. Moreover, no matter if he has tremendous power and not following the church, he ended up saving Ul, but they ignored my protests. Nagumo-kun had expected this situation, so he bolstered by title "Goddess of Bountiful Harvest." Also, I heard from the bodyguards that the name "Goddess of Bountiful Harvest" and "Goddess Sword" had spread further into the other towns. So, by branding him as heretic, it is also means the church is denying "Goddess of Bountiful Harvest" who saved the people. Thus, they shouldn't be able to easily ignore my protest, or so it should be. But those people forced the decision. They were obviously being odd… also, I recalled that other than Ishtal and church's people, the king and other royalties' appearances were strange…"
"… That's troubling. Just what are they thinking… But the thing they couldn't help and think of now is "who" they should send to the powerful Nagumo-kun, right? And that's the point here."
"… It is so. Perhaps…"
"Eeh. There's only us… but I will absolutely refuse that, you know? I don't want to die. If I become Nagumo-kun's enemy… I don't even want to imagine it."
Shizuku shivered, and Aiko made a wry smile understanding what Shizuku felt.
Thus, before the Kingdom and Church told Kouki and the others to fight Hajime, Aiko decided to tell them about the things Hajime told her. About the Mad Gods and his purpose during his travels. She held no proof, so she didn't know whether Kouki and the others would believe it. Furthermore, up until now they did their best because they believed the God would return them to their original world as long as they won the war against Demon race.
In truth, the God takes delight in people's reaction to His doing, and the possibility of returning is extremely low. So let's look for the dwelling of those who rebelled against the gods in the old times and look for a way to return ourselves! No one would believe it if those words were said all of a sudden. After Kouki and the others heard what she told them, whether they would see it as nonsense and continued to fight like before, or believed her and looked for another way… That was not something Aiko could predict. However, she must nail it to them not to blindly believing the Church. Aiko convinced herself to do that now.
"Yaegashi-san. Nagumo-kun knows his information is an unbelievable one and will be antagonized by Amanokawa and the others, so he said this only to me."
"Information… is it?"
"Yes. It is about the God worshipped by the church and the objective of Nagumo and the girls' travel. He didn't give any proof about it… but it is a truly important information, so tonight… no, this evening, I want to tell this to everyone."
"That's… no, I understand. Then, should I call everyone now?"
"No, it is an information I don't want to be known by the church's side, so I want to tell it at a time when everyone has gathered naturally; at dinner. And we should be able to talk among ourselves if I said I want to spend time with the students I haven't seen for a long time without any outsiders."
"Indeed… I understood. Then, at dinner it is."
Afterwards, a good amount of time had passed while Shizuku and Aiko chatted. However, they couldn't have known that the promise for the dinner could not come to pass…
* * *
The time was evening.
While the sun was setting, it gave a parting gift of vivid orange color, and Aiko was walking along the empty corridor. The evening sunlight entered the corridor from the windows and drew an obvious contrast on the wall and floor at the other sides.
Aiko went towards the dining room while her gaze was captivated by the evening sun, but she immediately stopped after she felt someone's presence. When she looked forward, she saw a woman-like figure inside the shadow. The woman walked in the middle of the corridor, and gracefully stopped her feet with a straight stature. Her clothing was the nun's habit of Church of the Saints.
The woman was beautiful, however she spoke to Aiko with a somewhat mechanical and cold voice.
"Nice to meet you, Hatayama Aiko. I've come for you."
Aiko felt a chill ran down her spine when she heard her voice, but she feigned her calmness as to not become impolite to someone she met for the first time.
"Umm, nice to meet you, too. Coming for me… you mean the dinner with the students?"
"No, your destination is the main church."
"Eh?"
The sentence which didn't give her a chance to answer, made Aiko inadvertently ask her again. At that time, the woman moved out from the shadow into a place lighted by the evening sun. Seeing the woman, Aiko held her breath. Even Aiko, who was the same gender as her, was instinctively charmed by the woman's beauty.
Her silver hair was sparkling while it was being reflected by the evening sunlight. With big, long and narrow blue eyes, and her mysterious and wonderful features that seemed to be both of an adult woman and a young girl; all of her parts were perfectly positioned. Her height was tall for a woman, around 170 centimeters, which forced Aiko to look up at her. Her white skin was as smooth as a white porcelain, her hands and feets were slender. Her breasts neither big nor small, it was a truly exquisite size if one was thinking about the balance of her entirety.
However, she was regrettably had no expression. Rather than expressionless, it was as if she wore a Noh mask. No one would doubt if it was said she was a statue — the best masterpiece by a famous sculptor. The woman possessed an inhumanely artistic beauty.
Towards Aiko, who held her breath, the woman smiled and indifferently continued her words.
"We feel the thing you are going to tell them will inconvenient us. After all, what your students will be doing now looks "interesting" to us. That's why, until the time come, you will temporarily leave the stage."
"Wh-What are you…"
The beautiful nun slowly approached Aiko without even making a footstep, and Aiko instinctively backed. Then, Aiko saw the nun's blue eyes shone. Aiko felt her mind grow hazy. Immediately, she concentrated as though she was going to invoke magic, and her haziness dispersed in a snap.
"… I see. As expected, I can only disregard that you are calling yourself a "God." For you are capable of resisting my "charm". There's no other way. I will just take you by force."
"D-Don't come! Wh-What I want—… ugh!?"
The pressure from the woman's true character made Aiko immediately tried to activate her magic. However, faster than her finishing the chant, the nun momentarily shortened their distance and drove her fist into Aiko's stomach. Aiko collapsed, and at the time she felt her consciousness about to be swallowed by darkness, she heard the nun's mutter.
"Don't worry. I won't kill you. You are an excellent piece, and you might be useful against that irregular."
The white-haired, eye-patched boy floated inside Aiko's mind. Following that, while knowing it wouldn't reach him, she shouted his name in her mind right before her consciousness completely disappeared.
———— Nagumo-kun!
* * *
"?"
The nun easily shouldered Aiko as though she was weightless, then she looked around the corridor as if she had sensed someone. For a while, the nun silently searched for something. Then, she slowly opened the guest room's door along the corridor.
Following that, she entered the room, looked around, approached the closet without any sound of a footstep, and she forcefully opened the door. However, there was nothing inside, so the nun tilted her head and looked around once again, looking here and there. Before long, after not finding anything, she shouldered Aiko again and went outside of the room.
With silence returning into the room, a trembling murmur could be heard.
"… I must tell this… someone—"
No one was inside the room. However, retreating footsteps could be heard, and before long, the room completely regained its silence.
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ARIFURETA SHOKUGYOU DE SEKAI SAIKYOU (WN)
V9 C3
Immediate Trouble in the Great Desert
A brown world.
«Guryuu-en Great Desert» was a place those words expressed, perfectly. The sand was brown, formed by millions of miniscule grains. The wind that was blowing constantly threw up the sand and dyed the air brown, and in a 360 degree radius, there was only one color as far as one's eye could reach.
Moreover, there were numerous sand dunes, big and small, whose surfaces were always stirred by the wind. Moment by moment, the surface's pattern of the dune was constantly changing, as if expressing "I am alive." The blazing sun and its unreserved heat made the temperature of the sand on the ground shoot up quickly. It easily exceeded 40 degrees celsius. Coupled with the fluttering sand, it was the worst environment to travel in.
However, it was only for "ordinary" travelers.
Currently, inside such a severe environment, a black, box-shaped vehicle, a magic-driven four-wheeler in fact, was advancing casually while raising a dust storm. Though there was neither road or pathway, it was solved by the compass installed inside the vehicle.
"… The outside is amazing… I am really glad that this is not a normal carriage."
"This one agrees. This one doth not know how it became such an environment… but indeed it isn't a place this one wants to be actively moving in."
Sitting on the rear seat while watching the sand battering the window and observing the brown-colored world, Shia and Tio muttered so, wholeheartedly. No matter how much of an M Tio was, this environment only depressed her.
"It's completely different from when Myuu came here before! Here's very cool, and Myuu's eyes aren't hurting! Papa is amazing!"
"That's right~. Hajime-papa is amazing, right~. Myuu-chan, do you want to drink cold water?"
"Want to~. Kaori-oneechan, thank you~."
Sitting on the lap of Kaori, who was seated on the window side of the front seat, Myuu was excited because it was different from the time that she was here when she was kidnapped before. Myuu was looking at Hajime, who created such a comfortable space, with sparkling eyes.
That was natural. It would have been terribly severe for Myuu, who was a member of sea-dweller tribe, to cross the desert. For a young child around four years old like her, it would not be strange for her to have died due in her weakened state. Having endured such an environment made Myuu's surprise further increase at the gap between that time and now. After all, this four-wheeler was equipped with air conditioning.
Following that, the one who agreed with Myuu, took out cold water which normally didn't exist in the desert even if one hoped with all their might, was the one who made an impactful confession to Hajime and declaration of war to Yue in Hol-ad, and, before he knew it, she had become one of his companions. She was Kaori. Incidentally, the water was taken out of the refrigerator installed in the car.
"You know, Shirasa-… Kaori. Please stop saying Hajime-papa. It is somehow made me felt terribly itchy over here."
"? But, isn't Myuu said that as if it was the norm?"
"Well, I don't mind Myuu. However, for a classmate to call me papa is really…"
Due to her personality which liked to look after others, Kaori somehow became the one who took care of Myuu and she mostly called Hajime as Hajime-papa when she was by Myuu's side. And for a classmate, and a girl at that, to call him papa, Hajime felt a different sense of resistance from when Myuu called him that, and he wore a truly subtle expression.
Incidentally, for Hajime to call her as "Kaori" was a result of her petition. Her reason was, Hajime-kun calls everyone by their own given name, so it is unfair for me to be called by my family name!, something like that.
"Is that so? Then I won't… but, someday when I also have a child… at that time…"
Kaori said so with her cheeks dyed crimson, while sneaking a peek at Hajime. Thus a strange atmosphere wrapped everyone inside the vehicle, except for Myuu. Then Yue answered Kaori in place of Hajime who pretended not to hear anything.
"…Unfortunately, I have made that appointment already. Hajime promised it to me."
"!? … Hajime-kun, what does she mean?"
"… I don't think it is something that strange. After all, it is something still in the far future."
"… fufu, Hajime already promised to introduce me to his parents."
" !?"
"…He's thoroughly made a bright family plan."
" !?"
"…Even the dates in Hajime's hometown."
" !?"
Yue's vigorous attacks couldn't be stopped! Those words, one by one, became stakes, driven into Kaori's chest. However, Kaori wasn't a woman that would be done so easily. She believed in Hajime's survival even in such a despairing situation and she held the courage to challenge Yue, who obviously owned a special bond with Hajime. In the moment Yue's words were stopped, she began her counterattack!
"I, I know a lot of things about Hajime-kun that Yue doesn't know! For example, Hajime's dream for the future, his hobbies, even his favorite genre! Does Yue know the anime and manga that Hajime-kun likes?"
"Hmph… that's… but, those aren't related to the current us. There are no such things here. Hajime can just teach me once we arrive in Japan…"
"How naive. Just look at the current Hajime-kun. Doesn't he looked like an anime character?"
"Geh!?"
It should've been a fight between Kaori and Yue but somehow Hajime received the damage.
"White-haired with an eyepatch, moreover his magic eyes… those are certainly the things Hajime-kun's favorite characters have… even his weapon, that Cross Bit is modeled from funnel… ah, but the one Hajime-kun likes is 00, so is it GN Bit? Whatever it is, the current Hajime-kun is still quite the otaku."
"GAH!? K-Kaori…"
"Mu, muu… for Hajime's weapon to be derived from that."
"Yue, can you say it is your victory if you don't know the things the one you love likes?"
"… Kaori… that's some courage… then, let me teach you myself. About the things that Hajime likes on…the bed."
" !? … W-, w-, w-, on bed, uu~, as I thought…"
"Fufufu… it is good that you now know the difference between us."
During their travel, Yue and Kaori had already made so many sparks against each other that the other party members already came to ignore them. In the beginning, Shia watched them anxiously, but in the end, it didn't become a serious problem, so she stopped getting herself involved with them.
In a way, it was Hajime who received most of the damage. Hajime was the source of the two's quarrel, so the content of their fights made him want to writhe. Even now, he received mental damage because the things he worried about the most were being pointed at.
Now Yue boldly told them about the "night" activities which made Kaori close her ears, not wanting to hear it. Hajime himself didn't want Myuu to be exposed to that, so he tried to stop Yue.
However, faster than Hajime, Myuu unexpectedly came to stop the two's quarrel.
"… u~, Yue-oneechan and Kaori-oneechan always quarrelling! Myuu hates it if big sisters don't get along!"
Saying so, Myuu moved from Kaori's laps towards Shia's lap in the back seat. Moreover, Yue and Kaori became flustered. It was because the four year-old girl said she would hate them.
"Geez, you two are unbecoming in front of Myuu-chan. Rather, that was bad for her education. I also understand how much you two think of Hajime-san, but please be more prudent."
"! …What a failure. To be scolded by Shia…"
"I-I am sorry, Myuu-chan, Shia."
To be admonished by Shia made the two droop their shoulders.
For Yue, Shia was akin to a friend and younger sister, and although Shia also held affection towards Hajime, Shia also thought similarly towards Yue which made Yue didn't think of her as a love rival. As for Tio, she was just a pervert. That's why, Kaori, who made a full-frontal declaration of war towards Yue, was the first love rival she ever had.
Yue was convinced that there was an absolute bond between her and Hajime. She held an unwavering confidence that she was Hajime's "special person." That's why she was confident that she would be able to easily defeat the challenger, Kaori, when the confession and declaration of war happened.
However, although her confidence didn't change, Kaori sometimes made the flowers bloom between her and Hajime when they were reminiscencing about Japan, which was unknown to Yue and the others. Towards Kaori, who knew the past Hajime that she didn't know of, Yue's sense of rivalry budded before long.
As a result, just like children boasting about their collections, their quarrel turned from a serious one into such a situation and today, Myuu and Shia finally got angry at them.
Normally, Hajime was the one who should be stopping Yue, but he was the one who received most of the damage from the two' quarrels. And now, he could only look far into the distance, as if it didn't have anything to do with him, to heal his wounded heart.
"Nn? What is that? Master, there seems to be a commotion in the direction at three o'clock."
Yue and Kaori were desperately appealing that they were getting along to mend Myuu's mood and Shia was also calming Myuu with a wry smile. Hajime muttered, "I am not a chuuni" with hollow eyes. While those happened, unexpectedly, Tio who watched them in interest called out to Hajime. She seemed to have discovered something outside the window.
Hajime looked towards the place Tio mentioned, a big dune at his right. There, numerous worm-like demonic beasts, sandworms to be precise, had gathered. Their numerous heads could be seen at the top of the dune.
Those sandworms were 20 meters on average, large-scale demonic beasts while the largest ones were around 100 meters in length. They lived in this «Guryuu-en Great Desert» and would usually submerge themselves underground and attack prey in their vicinity by opening their big, fangs filled mouths from below. They specialized in surprise attacks due to being hard to detect and were feared by people who crossed the large desert as the gods of death.
Fortunately, the sandworms themselves weren't very perceptive, so as long as one wasn't so unfortunate as to come near them by accident, they would neither notice nor aim at anyone who was far away. As such, it could be said that there was someone who was not that fortunate at that dune, but…
"? Why are they just squirming around?"
That's right, Tio would have not made a doubtful face and asked Hajime if there were just sandworms appearing. With Hajime's perception skills, he would have noticed any of the sandworms' surprise attacks, and they'd be able to get out of the sandworm's range with four-wheeler's speed. What was abnormal was that if the sandworms were attacking someone, rather than attacking, the sandworms were squirming around in their surroundings.
"It's as if, they art confused as to eat or not, right?"
"Well, from what I see, isn't that so?"
"This one hath no knowledge of this place. But those art all-eaters, they shouldn't be hesitating to eat anything…"
Although Tio was a masochist pervert, she had lived far longer than Yue and unlike the imprisoned Yue, her knowledge was pretty vast. That was why she owned reliable information about demonic beasts. For her to be looking doubtful must mean that something extraordinary is happening.
However, they didn't have any reason to be involved with it. Hajime decided to get as far away as possible without confirming or getting involved in it.
And at that time,
"Kh!? Everyone, brace yourselves!"
Hajime shouted so and immediately accelerated the four-wheeler. Morrow, from behind the four-wheeler, starting with a small part of its body surfacing, a gigantic figure with the same color as the desert jumped out. With its mouth open, it was a sandworm. Apparently, Hajime's party were also unfortunate ones.
Hajime further steered to the left and right, advancing through the sand at high speed. Under the four-wheeler that drew an "S" letter, a second and third sandworm jumped out.
"Kyaaaa!"
"Hiu!"
"Wawawa!"
In order of screams, there was Kaori, Myuu, and Shia. Met with a strong centrifugal force, Kaori turned behind, worrying about Myuu in the back seat. But her balance crumbled and she fell into Hajime's lap with her hip on Yue's lap.
Blinking her eyes, Kaori's cheeks were flushed, and as she was, she clung tightly to Hajime's waist. Her position was actually pretty bad. It made Hajime's cheek cramp. Incidentally, the other half of Kaori's body was crushing on Yue.
"Oi, Shira-… Kaori! What are you doing in such a situation!"
"It's a dangerous! A dangerous situation! So, I'm just clinging to Hajime-kun!"
"…Damn you, Kaori. To pin me under, is it… a surprise attack?"
While receiving an ambush from the sandworms, Kaori used this chance to hug Hajime. Yue was slapping Kaori's butt even now, but the blushing Kaori was still clinging to Hajime's waist, not moving at all.
While they were like that, the three appearing sandworms, with their upper bodies out of the ground, were glaring at the four-wheeler that evaded all of their ambushes. This time, those gigantic figures came forward to attack from overhead.
If it was a normal carriage, everything would've ended with that attack. However, it was an artifact created with a portion of Hajime's otaku soul. It wasn't even daunted at being made out as prey.
Besides…
"Ah, this is the first time I am using THIS!"
Saying so, Hajime turned around the four-wheeler with a drift, advancing backwards, he poured his magic and activated the installed function.
CLANK! KA-THUNK! KA-THUNK!
At the same time the mechanical sound effect rang out, a part of the four-wheeler's bonnet slided open and an arm with a set of four rockets came out. The arm moved as if looking for its' prey and when it turned towards the incoming sandworms, wooosh!, such an sfx rang out accompanied by the deadly warheads scattering their sparks.
Shining in an orange color, the rockets entered right into the sandworms' opened mouths and after a moment, they created great explosions as they destroyed the sandworms from the inside. The sandworms' crimson blood and flesh poured down like a shower and some stuck on the windshield of the currently back running four-wheeler.
"Uhee… Shia, don't let Myuu see it."
"I did that already~. Anh! Myuu-chan, was it painful? But please hold on for a while."
Hajime asked Shia to do so at the time the rockets were fired into the incoming sandworms because the stimulation might be too strong for Myuu. Like that, in synchronization with Hajime, Shia was already embracing Myuu closely to her chest so as she would not see it. However, maybe because she could not breath from her face being buried in Shia's breasts, Myuu tried to sip out and inadvertently touched a part of Shia's body. Inadvertently, Shia moaned. Hajime decided that he did not hear anything.
Currently, although Kaori was clinging onto Hajime's waist, Yue was finally able to fix her seatbelt. Indeed it was not a situation where he could be defeated by his own impulse, even though his ears were dyed in red with his face cramped.
"E-Excuse me, Hajime-kun. I am sorry. That, that I impulsively… there's no perverted meaning to it. That is, for a bit, I just wanted to hug…"
"… then if things go well, are you going to satisfy Hajime like that?"
"Un, that is so… wait, no! Yue, don't put such strange things into my mouth. I am not as lewd as Yue."
"…You said I am lewd… certainly, I can't refute that when I am alone with Hajime."
"…Girls, please shut it already. Also, Yue, please don't talk about night activities because it's embarrassing."
With the three sandworms crushed by the rockets installed in the four-wheeler, Hajime sharpened his gaze because the sandworms on the dune before could be seen moving due to perceiving the explosive sound and impact.
However, on his side, Kaori and Yue were conversing just as usual which reduced his tension. Inadvertently, he admonished them due to him being embarrassed.
To begin with, in his mind, the "night" Yue was certainly a lewd one and, when he was alone with her, he thought of her as pretty erotic. Kaori who seemed to have seen through him was teary eyed. Yue, with a bewitching smile, was looking at Hajime while licking her lip. Kaori, who saw that, raised a cute groan. Unconsciously, her fighting spirit blazed further.
From the back seat, Shia said, "I understand your feelings, Kaori-san. We are comrades here," while patting Kaori's shoulder with sympathetic eyes.
Hajime ignored them and the moved four-wheeler above another dune. He could see the group of sandworms on the lower side of the ground with their lower parts still underground. They didn't hide anything as they slightly raised the sand. They might have guessed that they had been noticed by Hajime's party, so they chose speed over another surprise attack.
Hajime put the rocket launcher away and activated another piece of weaponry in its stead. The center of the bonnet slid apart and a rectangular machine appeared from inside. Following that, the rectangular box extended its barrel with kashun! sound effect, and it became a rifle was similar to Schlagen.
Next, bright red sparks gushed out from the four-wheeler's Schlagen. With its arm adjusting the angle, DUuuoo!!, came a roaring, firing sound as a line flashing line tore through the brown world.
The bullet, which was fired at a high-velocity, advanced as it raised the sand on the ground upon impact and grandly raised a dust storm. On the sand column that was raised just like an eruption was, of course, a lot of sand colored meat and red blood.
The Schlagen installed on four-wheeler continued to fire bright red flashes, one after another. The sandworms that were hunting their prey exploded on the ground and became small bits of nourishment for the barren ground.
"Hajime-kun! Look at that!"
"…A white person?"
When four-wheeler's Schlagen, which was trailing white smoke, was stored back, Kaori let out a surprised voice and pointed her finger. In the place Kaori pointed at, just as Yue muttered, was a collapsed person who was wrapped in white clothing. It was probably the one the previous sandworms were looking at. However, from their distance, it was unknown as to why it wasn't eaten.
"Please, Hajime-kun. Let's go there… I am a "healer" after all."
Kaori looked at Hajime, petitioning. Even Hajime was interested as to why that person was not attacked by the demonic beasts of the desert in such a situation, so he accepted Kaori's request. It was possible that the person carried a method or item capable of keeping demonic beasts away. And in actuality, there was a mineral called the Faeadren crystal that carried such an effect in the sea of trees. The crystal only made it difficult for demonic beasts to approach, but there's a possibility that even stronger items exist.
As such, the four-wheeler came near the collapsed person. The person wore clothing that was similar to galabeya (egyptian clothing), and it wore a hood that was large enough to hide its' face. Its' face couldn't be seen. Falling prone, the hood hid it.
Getting off the four-wheeler, Kaori ran with short steps towards the fallen person.
"!… This is…"
When the hood was taken off, a man's face could be seen, a young one that was still in the middle of his 20s. However, what surprised Kaori was not that but the young man's state. With a pained expression, he was drenched in sweat, his breathing was rough, and his pulse was fast. He generated an intense heat from all over his body that could be felt even through his clothing. Moreover, blood vessels could be seen as if they were being pressed from the inside of his body, and he was bleeding from his eyes and nose. It was obviously an abnormal situation. It was neither a sun stroke nor cold.
Hajime became cautious towards the virus-carrier like young man, but he decided to keep quiet and watch as the healing specialist was examining him. Kaori activated "Infiltrate and Examine." Using magic power to infiltrate the other's body, she could examine one's state and the result could be seen on her status plate.
With one hand placed on the young man's chest, Kaori's other hand was holding her status plate where the result of the examination was displayed. The result was…
"…Rampaging magic power? Does it mean the magic power inside his body is out of control because of poison?"
"Kaori? Do you understood anything now?"
"Y-Yeah, but this is…"
Saying so, Kaori shown what was displayed on her status plate,
Condition
Excessive release of magic power, unable to release it outside.
Symptom
Fever, hazy consciousness, pain in whole body, rupturing of blood vessels and hemorrhage
Cause
Abnormality in bodily fluid.
"It is just my guess, but he must have drunk something which resulted in his magic power going out of control… moreover, because he can't release it outside, his magic power was pressuring from inside his body and his body couldn't endure it… if this keeps up, his internal organs and blood vessels will explode. It is also possible that he will be weakened to death due to a large amount of hemorrhaging… I am requesting a blessing unto this location, "Ten Thousand Heavens."
Concluding so, Kaori chanted her healing magic. "Ten Thousand Heavens" was what she activated. It was onne of the middle-ranked healing magics with the effect of curing abnormal conditions. It was the magic used to undo Suzu's petrification.
However…
"…There's almost no change… why? For it to be incapable of curing it… does it means too much time has passed?"
Apparently, "Ten Thousand Heavens" could not cure the man, it could only delay the progression. Next, maybe because of the pressure from inside his body, the young man groaned in pain. His bleeding didn't stop. At the moment, because she didn't have any clear treatment method, Kaori ground her teeth and decided to use her emergency measure.
"Here I declared the light of grace, here is my realm, my sanctuary, which crushes all evils just as I intended to, "Holy Ground.""
High-ranked light attributed healing magic, "Holy Ground." It was a magic that transfers peoples' magic power to the others within the area. Basically, by transferring one's magic power to one's companion, that person would temporarily escaped from magic power exhaustion. It was a magic that aimed to supplement another if s/he didn't have a sufficient amount of magic power to shoot a strong magic.
Moreover, it wasn't limited to the user's magic power, so it could forcefully transfer someone else's magic power to another within the area. It held the same principle as magic drain. However, it needed a lot more time to extract the magic power from another person and it was impossible to extract a lot of it at once. This was the reason it is only a "High-ranked magic."
To begin with, it only became practical because Kaori was capable of activating magic which originally needed ten notes with only three notes of chanting. It showed how capable Kaori was.
The reason she used this magic on the suffering young man was of course to release the rampaging magic power that was building pressure inside his body towards the outside. It was displayed on the status plate that the young man was in state where he "cannot release magic power to outside of the body," so she decided to try "if" it could be solved by forcefully draining it using high-ranked magic.
The pure-white light expanded from the center of the young man's body, and firefly-like, fleeting lights sprang about. It was a mysterious sight. With her eyes shut, the appearance of Kaori, who placed her hand on the young man's chest as she concentrated and was wrapped by the fleeting light, was divine.
Kaori, who easily activated high-ranked magic, made the ones well versed in magic, Yue and Tio, inadvertently leak "Hou…," voices of admiration. While being held by Shia, Myuu watched Kaori in an entranced expression and muttered, "Beautiful…"
Without noticing that her new comrades in the surroundings were raising voices of admiration, Kaori put the magic power extracted from the young man into the bracelet made of God Crystal that she received from Hajime. Apparently, the forced drain from the high-ranked magic was effective.
Incidentally, the reason it was not a ring was because Hajime didn't want to repeat the past misunderstanding.
Gradually, the young man's breathing became steady. The redness of his body also disappeared as it seemed the bleeding was also stopped. After deactivating "Holy Ground," Kaori activate beginner-ranked healing magic, "Blessing," which healed the young man's blood vessels.
"For the time being… I don't think it will have an immediate effect as I don't see any real solution for it. There's also the possibility of a slow death from over magic power extraction, so I only extracted it until the level where the pressure inside his body is decreased. If this keeps up, I think the possibility of a slow death from either pressure from inside his body or fatigue is… high. I also have no memory of such a symptom from the things I studied… Do Yue and Tio know anything about it?"
With the young man out of the crisis, Kaori was somewhat relieved but anxious as she could not heal him completely. Thus she asked Yue and Tio whose knowledge was deep. The two's gazes wandered around as they searched about it inside their memory, but there was none. In the end, it became a situation where they could not even say that it was a disease of an unknown cause.
"Kaori, just to be safe, try to examine us too. After all, there's also the possibility that it is an unknown disease that is spread by aerial infection too. Well, there's no need to worry about it if it is just a rampaging of magic power."
"Un, you are right."
Nodding at Hajime's words, Kaori examined everyone and didn't find any abnormalities. Therefore, because it seemed not to infect anyone from respiration, Hajime's party patted their chests in relief.
When they did that, the young man raised a groan and his eyelids trembled. Thus, he woke up. Slowly opening his eyes and then looking at his surrounding, the young man saw the nearby Kaori was watching him in worry and he said, "Goddess? I see, so this that world…"
Following that, the young man began to heat up for different reason and tried to reach out towards Kaori only to have his stomach trampled by Hajime, who didn't conceal his irritation from the already annoying heat and sand.
"Ufffph!?"
"H-Hajime-kun!?"
Leering at the groaning young man, whose body bent into <, and Kaori, who raised a surprised voice, Hajime began to question him.
Hajime knew that the garaveya-like clothing and overcoat worn by the young man was a specialty of the «Dukedom of Ancadi» that was located in the biggest oasis of «Guryuu-en Great Desert». He studied it as way of escaping reality at the time he was called "incompetent." If the young man says that a kind of disease was spreading in Ancadi then they would change their next destination due to the current one being a danger zone. Thus he asked the young man.
Regaining his senses after being trampled by Hajime, the young man didn't even look at Hajime's party surrounding him and stared at the black object, blinking in confusion. After hearing the rough circumstances from Kaori,and understanding that Hajime's party were his life benefactors, he bowed his head, said his thanks, and began his story.
Hearing the young man's story, is it those Gods playing tricks on us?, Hajime was looking at the sky doubtfully because trouble always followed them wherever they went.
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