Chapitre 44: Epilogue: The Creeping Silver Malice and Madness
"Fuck! Shit! Dammit! You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Late at night, Daisuke
Hiyama drove his fist into one of the many trees surrounding him. He was standing in
one of Horaud's public parks, and cursing in a low, but vehement voice.
Hatred, fear, and impatience warred within him. He was on the verge of descending
into insanity.
"As I thought, you're pretty shaken up about this… Well, I suppose it's understandable.
Your poor, precious Princess Kaori got snatched away from you by some other man."
Someone called out to Hiyama, their voice full of scorn. Hiyama froze, then let out a
sigh of relief as he realized it was the person he was supposed to meet. He clenched
his fist and replied through gritted teeth.
"Shut up! Fuck! It… It wasn't supposed to be like this! Why's that fucker still alive!?
What do you think I tried to kill you for in the first place…"
"Could you at least hang on to your sanity long enough to listen? I'd rather not be found
by anyone here. It'd be hard to explain."
"I don't have any reason to listen to you anymore… My Kaori's already…"
The second figure was hidden by the shade of the trees. Hiyama turned to face them
and slammed his fist into the tree behind him. He'd only agreed to cooperate with
them because he'd been promised Kaori in return. Now that she was forever beyond
his reach, Hiyama saw no reason to continue following this person's orders. Even if
they threatened to tell everyone about his attempted murder, it hardly mattered.
Hajime himself knew Hiyama was guilty. If he wanted to, Hajime could divulge that
whenever he so chose.
However, the figure before him smiled darkly and offered an option he hadn't
considered.
"If she was stolen from you, all you need to do is take her back. Am I wrong? And
fortunately for us, I have the perfect bait to lure them in."
"Bait?" Puzzled, Hiyama repeated the word. The figure grinned and nodded.
"Yes, bait. Even if she chose to follow her heart over following her comrades… do you
really think she could abandon her best friends in their time of need? If she knew they
were in trouble, what do you think she'd do?"
"You…"
"It would be a simple thing to lure her back here. There's no reason to get so upset.
Though I must say, it was a close call this time… Fortunately for us, things still ended
up working out. In fact, you could even say this turned out in our favor. Shall we put
the finishing touches on our plan once we return to the capital? When we succeed…
your wish will be granted too."
"...…" Hiyama glared at his co-conspirator, though he knew they wouldn't be fazed by
it in the least. As expected, their smile didn't falter.
While Hiyama wasn't aware of the details of his accomplice's plan, he was certain it
would end up harming many of his classmates. They would be betraying the people
they'd fought alongside for so long. And frankly, what scared Hiyama the most was
that his partner didn't seem to feel any guilt at all.
This is nuts… But I can't turn back anymore. To get my Kaori back, I've gotta do this… I
can't hesitate now. This is all for Kaori. I'm doing the right thing.
Hiyama was too far gone to notice how illogical that train of thought was. The reason
he'd been able to do so many terrible things so far was because he'd justified it to
himself. He'd done it all for the sake of Kaori.
His accomplice understood Hiyama quite well, which was why they'd picked him to be
their pawn. Smiling, Hiyama agreed to the figure's terms.
"Fine, I'll do it. I'll keep cooperating with you. But…"
"Yeah yeah, I know. You'll get what you want, and I'll get what I want. Give and take,
right? Anyway, we're almost at the moment of truth. I'll be counting on your help when
we reach the capital." The figure turned on its heel and faded away into the darkness
without waiting for Hiyama's reply.
A dark flame began to burn in the young boy's clouded pupils.
Around the same time that Hiyama and his accomplice were having their little talk, a
young pair was staring each other down in the moonlight. Unlike Hiyama's meeting
place, they were out in the open, atop an arch-shaped bridge. It spanned a small canal
that had been dug between the town's main street and its back alleys.
There were a few such canals that served the water needs of the many restaurants and
inns that dotted the streets. The waning moon was reflected off the gently flowing
stream, which illuminated Kouki's handsome features.
He was hanging his head over the bridge, looking down at the canal below. His pensive
expression marred his perfect features, and he seemed a far cry from his normal,
bright self.
Tortus' great hero looked like a small business owner who'd gone bankrupt and was
saddled with massive debt.
"You're not going to say anything?" Kouki said, not taking his eyes off the moon's
reflection. The other figure on the bridge was his childhood friend of 10 years. Shizuku
Yaegashi, the other female member of his group.
She had her back to the railing and was looking up at the actual moon. Her trademark
ponytail fluttered in the breeze.
Like Kouki, she didn't take her eyes off the moon as she responded.
"Do you want me to say something?"
"...…"
Kouki said nothing. No, perhaps he couldn't say anything. He was looking down at the
canal, but all he could see was that scene of Kaori confessing her feelings to Hajime.
She'd looked so nervous, but at the same time, seemed so happy to finally be able to
let him know how she'd felt. Even someone as dense as Kouki had to accept that her
feelings had been the real deal.
He'd known Kaori for 10 years, but he'd never seen her make an expression like that
before. It had been so powerful, so beautiful, that even he couldn't help but be moved.
Now that he'd calmed down enough to think about it rationally, anyway. Her
confession had been a bolt out of the blue to him. Even now, when he thought back to
it, he felt this indescribable feeling well up in his chest. It was dark and heavy, and
threatened to crush him with its weight.
Until that point, he'd always assumed that Kaori would be with him forever. He'd had
no basis for it, but he'd never questioned that belief. Loathe though he was to admit it,
he'd thought of Kaori as his. In short, Kouki was jealous.
Whether that jealousy stemmed from love, or simply a desire to monopolize Kaori,
Kouki didn't know. All he knew was it felt as if Kaori had been stolen from him.
However, the person who'd stolen her, not that Hajime himself would ever claim to
have done such a thing, hadn't really taken her. Kaori had chosen to travel with him of
her own volition. The reality he still didn't want to accept, his anger toward Hajime,
and his own feelings of helplessness that came from challenging Hajime to a duel and
losing all whirled around in his head, turning it into a jumbled mess.
And so, he'd tried to distract himself by talking to his other female childhood friend,
but he'd been met with a curt dismissal. Unable to think of a reply, Kouki fell silent.
Shizuku shot Kouki a brief glance and sighed. What a hopeless guy. Reluctantly, Shizuku
opened her mouth.
"You know, those feelings of yours are completely irrational."
"Irrational?" That was certainly not what Kouki had been expecting. Shizuku looked
at Kouki properly for the first time and elaborated.
"Yes. You know Kaori was never yours, right?"
"Well… Does that mean she was Nagumo's?"
Kouki was just being contrarian for the sake of it at that point. He knew that wasn't
right, but he couldn't stop. Shizuku flicked his forehead.
"Ow!" He covered his forehead as Shizuku calmly continued.
"Moron. Kaori's her own person. She doesn't belong to anyone. What she chooses,
where she goes, all of those are for her to decide. Including who she wants to pledge
herself to… It's always been up to her."
"Since when? You always knew, right Shizuku?" Even without clarification, his
question was clear. Shizuku nodded.
"Since middle school. That was when Kaori first met Nagumo-kun. Though he'd
completely forgotten… or rather, he hadn't even realized they'd met back then."
"What the heck's that supposed to mean?"
"Ask Kaori yourself if you really want to know. It's not for me to say."
"Then is the reason Kaori was always talking to Nagumo in class because she… well…
liked… him?"
"Yep, that's right."
"...…" Kouki scowled bitterly. Even though it was the truth, he hadn't wanted to hear
it. For her part, Shizuku didn't really care if Kouki liked it or not.
Shizuku's lack of sympathy annoyed Kouki, and he started whining to her.
"Why him? Back when we were in Japan, he was a nobody. Just a lazy, unmotivated
otaku who wasn't even good at studying or sports. Always smiling like an idiot. He just
did whatever it took to escape the situation he found himself in… He wasn't even that
nice to Kaori… Plus, he was an otaku… I'd never treat Kaori like that. I was always nice
to her. I did everything I could for her… so how come Nagumo's the one with the
harem? He doesn't even respect those girls! Besides, he's a murderer! He killed that
demon, even though she was helpless to resist. There's something wrong with him! I
knew it, it's just too weird that Kaori likes him. He must have done something to—
Guaah!?"
Before he could get so heated up that he started misinterpreting reality again, Shizuku
hit him with another forehead flick. This time it had the added power of her No Tempo
behind it. Kouki glared at her, but she just ignored him. She was getting tired of his
bullshit.
"This is a bad habit of yours, you know that? How many times have I told you not to
make baseless assumptions?"
"I don't make baseless assumptions…"
"Yes you do. Kouki, you don't even know the first thing about Nagumo-kun. Not about
what he was like in Japan, or what he's like now. All of those girls looked happy to be
with him, you know that? You're the one ignoring reality and interpreting things
however you want… Even though all you really want is to convince yourself that
Nagumo-kun's some kind of demon who doesn't deserve Kaori. If that's not making
baseless assumptions, I don't know what is."
"B-But… he still killed someone!"
It was a poor argument, but Shizuku still hesitated for a second. After some
deliberation though, she came to a conclusion and spoke with conviction.
"Back then, I was planning on killing her too. I just didn't have the strength to do it.
From now on… if we run into enemies like that again, I'll strike to kill. In order to
survive, in order to protect those important to me, I'll need to do it. I'm not sure if I'll
have the confidence to really go through with killing someone when the time comes,
but… Well, at the very least, I tried to kill her too… Do you think I'm a murderer as
well?"
Kouki was stunned by Shizuku's confession. He couldn't believe his strong, caring,
responsible, and above all, righteous childhood friend would even consider killing
someone. It was like he suddenly didn't know her anymore. However, he could sense
a shadow of the fear and regret she'd felt from behind her wry smile. In the end, Kouki
just silently shook his head.
Shizuku continued talking, her words meant more for herself than for Kouki.
"Of course his transformation was pretty surprising. Considering how he was back in
Japan, it's almost like he's a different person now. Still, Kaori seemed to think he was
the same Hajime Nagumo at the core. And it's not like he's completely changed… We
can't forget that he came here to save us. He just killed that demon for us in our stead."
"Are you saying killing her was the right thing to do?"
"No… I don't think murder can ever be 'right.' No matter the circumstances, murder is
murder… I can't really justify that, and I don't think anyone should."
"Then…"
"But you know, I don't think we have the right to judge Nagumo-kun for it. After all,
the reason he did it was because we were too weak to do it ourselves…"
They, who'd just powerlessly watched from the sidelines, had no right to complain. It
was their own fault that they hadn't been strong enough to guide things to a
conclusion they'd wanted. They could hardly blame Hajime for his choice when they'd
left the decision to him.
When Kouki thought back to how he hadn't been able to do anything, he fell silent.
Shizuku had a point. Hajime was the one who'd saved them. But still, murder is wrong!
Kouki scowled again.
Seeing his unwillingness to relent, Shizuku finally talked about all of the things she'd
implicitly understood when they'd come to this world.
"You know, I actually like that straightforward and righteous side of you, Kouki."
"Shizuku…"
"But still, that doesn't mean you can just assume you're always right."
"You want me to doubt myself?"
"Yes. You need a strong will to achieve your goals. But blindly believing in yourself and
rushing forward without thinking about anything will warp even the purest of ideals.
That's why you need to learn to think about the situation you're in, and the people
involved at all times. You need to really question whether your will is still 'justice' or
not. And if it's not, is it something you still want to do regardless? Sometimes what
you want to do isn't always the objectively right thing to do. In fact, I think living a just
life is one of the hardest things to do. Ever since coming to this world, it's something
I've been thinking about… After all, even we've killed monsters."
Kouki was shocked. He hadn't thought Shizuku would have been worried about killing
monsters, of all things.
"Kouki. You have to understand that you're not always right. And sometimes, even
when you are, that sense of righteousness is dangerous. Though this time, you weren't
right at all. Just jealous."
"I-I wasn't jealous, I was just…"
"You look pretty lame when you try to make excuses like that."
"...…" Kouki hung his head and once again examined the moon's reflection in the
water. This time, though, his expression wasn't as dark. He seemed deep in thought.
Shizuku heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed she'd stopped him from drowning in a
negative spiral of his own emotions this time.
Thinking he probably wanted some time to himself, she quietly started heading back
to their inn. Kouki called out to her retreating back.
"Shizuku… You won't leave me, right?"
"Where'd that come from?"
"Please don't go anywhere, Shizuku."
"...…"
He was practically begging her now. Had he said those words to any of his fans back in
Japan, or the noble ladies here who were infatuated with him, they'd probably have
fainted with joy. Sadly, all Shizuku felt was disgust.
He's probably just depressed over losing Kaori. Shizuku looked down at the shimmering
reflection of the moon. The crescent floating on the water's surface seemed very
different from the one she'd been looking at until now.
"I'm not as ephemeral as that moon you've been staring at, but… I'm not very fond of
clingy guys." With that, Shizuku walked out of sight. Kouki stared at the alleyway she'd
disappeared down for a few minutes before turning back to the moon's reflection. A
certain saying came to mind.
"The moon's reflection, huh…"
The moon's reflection is forever out of one's reach. It meant there were things people
could see, like the moon's reflection, but never make their own. For Kouki, Kaori was
the same. Like the reflection he was staring at, he could never make it his.
However, Shizuku had said she wasn't. In other words, she was still within Kouki's
reach. Though her words right after had been pretty harsh. Kouki smiled bitterly to
himself. Why on earth had he spilled his guts out to Shizuku?
Kouki stopped looking at the illusory moon in the water, and stared up at the real one
in the sky. The things he'd always believed were within reach felt so very far away now.
Sighing, Kouki began to ponder his stern but kind childhood friend's words.
Whether he changed his attitude or not was all up to him in the end, and so he spent
a very long time mulling over his recent experiences.
Three weeks had passed since Kouki and the others had learned of Hajime's survival
and Kaori had left their party.
They had all returned to the capital. There was one very important thing they had to
do before they headed out again. Help Kouki overcome his reservations against killing
people. If he was to fight in this war, he would need to be able to kill, one way or
another. Otherwise, he would likely find himself dead before long.
There wasn't much time left. Kouki and the others had heard about the events at Ur. It
was clear the demons were gathering their forces. The battle would start soon. And
so, it was imperative that Kouki overcome his aversion to killing as fast as possible.
He was currently training for anti-personnel combat with Meld and his knights.
Ryutarou, Kondou, Nagayama, and the others had all been somewhat prepared to kill,
but their resolve had been shaken when they'd seen Hajime blow the demon's brains
out. They accompanied Kouki for his training, wondering all the while if they'd really
be able to do it when the time came.
The knights were worried as well. They needed the kids to be ready to kill, but it was
meaningless if the mental strain of it broke them.
It was in the middle of this that good news finally reached the castle.
Aiko and her guard had returned. Normally, it fell to Kouki and his charisma to keep
everyone in high spirits, but now that he himself was dejected, the other students had
no one to turn to. An air of gloom had fallen over the castle. Demoralized from their
loss, and still grappling with the issue of murder, the students were on the verge of
breaking. The only things holding them together were Shizuku and Nagayama's calm
leadership, and Suzu's cheerfulness, but they weren't able to lift the heavy fog that had
settled on the students' hearts. That was why they were all extremely grateful for
Aiko's return.
Shizuku was the first to act when they learned she'd come back. She ended training
early and ran off to see her. She wanted to exchange information with Aiko before the
other students talked to her. Shizuku was worried their opinions about Hajime would
bias her objective viewpoint.
She dashed through the halls of the palace, the jet-black sword she'd received from
Hajime dangling at her waist. For some reason, the maids all stared longingly at her
when she passed by. Even in another world, Shizuku was more popular with the ladies
than the guys. Worse, everyone, including older ladies, had taken to calling her "Oneesama."
Shizuku had read reports about Hajime's exploits in Ur, but she wanted to hear the
details directly from Aiko. It was possible her opinion of Hajime could tilt the scales of
Kouki's heart in an undesirable direction. So as always, it fell to Shizuku to make sure
everyone was taken care of.
"I bet he pulled all sorts of crazy antics in Ur too. I mean, he's strong enough to hand
out weapons like this like they're nothing. What do you mean 'It's just sharp and
unbreakable?' This katana's probably stronger than any artifact in the kingdom's
treasury!" Shizuku traced the jet-black sheath as she mumbled to herself. As she ran
to Aiko's room, she recalled the conversation she'd had a few days ago. In order to
learn how best to maintain her new sword, she'd visited one of the king's personal
blacksmiths.
For lack of a better term, she'd christened her new katana "Black Blade."
At any rate, she'd gone to the best blacksmith in the country and showed them the
Black Blade. They'd been respectful at first. She was one of Ehit's chosen warriors after
all. However, when they'd appraised her weapon, their manners had gone out of the
window. They'd grabbed her shoulders and demanded to know where she'd gotten it
from, and whether or not it was something she'd found, or something someone had
made for her.
Confused, Shizuku had asked what had gotten the blacksmith so worked up. According
to them, the holy sword Kouki was currently using was the only thing that could even
compare to the splendor of her weapon. Black Blade didn't have the same capacity to
deflect magic that Kouki's holy sword did. Nor could it output as much energy.
However, the precision of the craftsmanship and the strength of the weapon itself far
surpassed that of the holy sword's.
Furthermore, by pouring mana into it, Shizuku could elongate the katana. More
specifically, a 60-centimeter long blade of wind sprouted from the tip. Not only that,
she could sprout more blades from the hilt and fire them off like shockwaves.
Even the sheath had additional features built into it. By pouring mana into that,
Shizuku could wrap the sheath in a veil of lightning. Then, by pressing a switch, she
could fire needles at supersonic speed from the tip of the sheath.
Lastly, since both the blade and the sheath were made of azantium, they wouldn't ever
break, and didn't require maintenance. All Shizuku needed to worry about was
occasionally replenishing the stock of needles in the sheath.
The only problem was there were no magic circles anywhere that Shizuku could use
to transfer her mana to Black Blade. Hajime had originally designed this for himself,
and he could directly control his mana, so as far as everyone else was concerned, it
was just a very hard sword that could cut through anything.
Once their amazement had died down, the blacksmith had actually been rather
puzzled over this oversight. Why would the weapon's creator add all of these amazing
features, but then make them unusable?
Their pride as a blacksmith couldn't let such a defect go unfixed. They'd never be able
to make a sword that well-crafted, but they could at least modify this one so it was
usable. After three days and three nights of ceaseless work, the kingdom's best
blacksmiths had managed to add magic circles to Black Blade. They'd ignored all other
work, and had neither eaten nor slept during that time.
Thanks to their efforts, Shizuku could utilize the full potential of Black Blade.
Exhausted, the blacksmiths had all been out of commission for the next few days. But
each and every one of them had slept with a contended look on their face.
Shizuku brought her thoughts back to reality as she spotted the door to Aiko's room.
She knocked, but there was no reply. One of the nearby servants explained that Aiko
had gone to give her report to the king and not yet returned. Shizuku leaned against
the wall and decided to wait.
Aiko finally returned after half an hour. Her mouth was a grim slash, and she was
heedless of her surroundings. It seemed she was pondering something serious.
She passed by Shizuku, and the door to her own room, without even noticing it.
Wondering what on earth had her so lost in thought, Shizuku loudly spoke up.
"Sensei… Sensei!"
"Hwuh!?" Aiko started and looked around wildly. After a few seconds, she spotted
Shizuku leaning against the wall. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Yaegashi-san! I haven't seen you in ages. How are you doing? You're not hurt, are you?
Is everyone alright?" Despite the fact that she was quite clearly struggling with her
own problems, she put her students first as always. Shizuku smiled, glad to see that
"Ai-chan-sensei" hadn't changed at all.
The two made small talk for a few minutes before moving on to the main reason of
Shizuku's visit. The two of them went inside Aiko's room to swap stories.
"I see… So Shimizu-kun was…" A cute claw foot table separated the two girls. They
both sipped their black tea and lapsed into thought. Aiko had just finished telling
Shizuku what had happened at Ur.
Shimizu's death weighed heavily on Aiko and Shizuku, too, was saddened to hear of it.
Aiko's shoulders drooped as she thought back to that day. Shizuku didn't know what
to say. Considering how much Aiko valued her students, Shizuku knew it must have
been a heavy blow. Even if Hajime'd had a valid reason for killing him.
Still, she did her best to cheer Aiko up.
"What happened to Shimizu-kun is truly unfortunate. But still, I'm glad that you're
okay, Sensei. Thank god Nagumo-kun was around to help you guys." Shizuku smiled at
Aiko, and Aiko smiled back. She didn't want to burden her students with her own
problems.
"Indeed. You know, when we first reunited with him he acted like he didn't care about
any of us, or this world at all… I can't believe he's changed so much that he came to
save all of you. To think he's become the guardian of a little girl too… Hehe, I guess his
old self is finally starting to come back. Or maybe he's simply learning to be kind all
over again… Either way, I'm glad to hear he's not as apathetic as before."
For some reason, a slight blush spread up Aiko's face as she said that. Shizuku shot her
a puzzled glance. There's something off about her expression. She doesn't look like that
when she's thinking about any of her other students.
Noticing Shizuku's gaze, Aiko quickly cut short her reminiscing and cleared her throat
loudly. However, the damage had already been done. Shizuku saw the need to probe
into this a little further. Her expression wooden, she glared at Aiko. She didn't want to
believe it was possible, but for Kaori's sake she needed to make sure.
"Sensei. You mentioned that Nagumo-kun saved you from certain death. Can you go
into a bit more detail about that?"
"Huh!?"
"I'm just curious how he managed to heal such a fatal wound."
"W-Well…"
Shizuku had already guessed Hajime had used the same medicine he'd used to heal
Meld, but she feigned innocence. Aiko's blush grew more pronounced. Her eyes darted
about the room, and she clearly didn't want to talk about it. Suspicious. Too suspicious.
Shizuku went in for the finishing blow.
"Sensei. Did something… happen between you and Nagumo-kun?"
"N-Not at all! Wh-Why would you even ask such a thing? We've got a perfectly normal
student-teacher relationship!"
"Sensei. Calm down. I didn't even say anything yet."
"Ah!"
Aiko started mumbling "I'm a teacher he's a student, I'm a teacher he's a student…"
over and over to herself. It was obvious she was rattled.
Shizuku's worst fears had been confirmed. She wasn't sure how deep they ran, but she
was certain Aiko had feelings for Hajime. What on earth did you do to Ai-chan, Nagumo-
kun!? Her eyebrows twitched menacingly.
Hajime's tendency to unconsciously make girls fall for him had become even worse
than Kouki's. The only difference was, Hajime wasn't as dense as a black hole. Though
in this particular instance, it was possible he hadn't noticed either.
Shizuku looked up at the ceiling and sighed. This was the last place she'd expected to
find one of Kaori's rivals. Maybe I should start spreading rumors about Hajime's chuuni
nicknames after all… Shizuku only just managed to reign her anger in.
The two of them cleared their throats and moved on as if nothing had happened.
"Anyway, Sensei. How'd your report to the king go? It seemed pretty serious from what
I heard." Aiko frowned angrily. Whatever had happened in there, it wasn't good.
"The Holy Church has branded Nagumo-kun a heretic."
"What…!? Why? Actually, I can probably guess why, but… aren't they being too hasty
in their judgment?"
Hajime's strength was unparalleled. His tiny party had wiped out a monster army
60,000 strong. Each of his companions was strong beyond measure, and they all
wielded artifacts no one had seen before. Despite which, the Holy Church had decided
they were going to oppose him. Shizuku could understand why the nobles and priests
considered him dangerous.
However, it was still too reckless to declare him a heretic without even considering
the consequences.
Now that he was considered an enemy of the gods, anyone could try to kill him at any
time, and it would be sanctioned by the government. It was entirely possible they
would mobilize holy paladins, or even the army to purge him, which meant that
Hajime would see them all as his enemy, and likely slaughter the lot of them. The
nobles and the priests should have realized this danger. And yet, they still chose to
oppose Hajime. Their decision baffled Shizuku.
Aiko nodded sympathetically.
"I feel the same way. Besides, Nagumo-kun was the one who saved Ur and its people. I
told them they shouldn't make an enemy out of him just because he won't follow their
orders, but they wouldn't listen. I thought I'd have more influence with the king after
Nagumo-kun worked so hard to make me famous, but it seems that's not the case."
Aiko looked down and shook her head.
"According to my guards, rumors of 'The Fertility Goddess and her Holy Knight' have
already started spreading through the land. To the people, declaring him a heretic is
the same as declaring me one. That's why I'd thought my words would carry some
weight with them. But they still passed down that decree. Now that I think about it,
it's strange. Ishtar-san was always a devout believer, so his behavior is
understandable, but there was something off about the king and his nobles when I
was giving my report…"
"That's certainly worrying. What could they possibly have been thinking… At any rate,
our problem now is who they're going to send to kill Nagumo-kun. Considering how
strong he is, they only have one option."
"That's right! They'll probably…"
"Ask us to do it, yep. But there's no way I'm doing that. I like living. Just the thought of
fighting Nagumo-kun sends shivers down my spine." Shizuku shivered, and Aiko gave
her a sympathetic smile.
Aiko knew she needed to tell everyone what Hajime had told her about the mad gods
that ruled this world, and what his true goals were, before Ishtar tricked Kouki into
fighting Hajime. She had no proof, though. It was possible Kouki and the others
wouldn't believe her. After all, they'd fought on thus far thinking the gods would send
them home if they won the war.
However, the truth was that those gods were twisted psychopaths who reveled in
watching people suffer. Their only hope of returning home lay in conquering the
labyrinths and finding the hidden lairs of all the Liberators. Unfortunately, that was a
hard tale to swallow.
Will they believe me? Or will they think I'm just spouting nonsense and keep fighting like
they have been until now? Either way, Aiko had to at least persuade the students not to
trust the Holy Church too much. She'd had her own suspicions, but Hajime's tale, and
their current attitude had convinced her.
"Yaegashi-san. There's one other thing Nagumo-kun told me. He didn't want to tell
anyone else because he thought they'd just get angry at him for saying it."
"What… was it?"
"Well, it has to do with the gods the Holy Church worships, and what Nagumo-kun's
true goal is. There's no proof backing up any of it, but… I think it's important that I tell
everyone. Could you gather everyone tonight… No, by this evening?"
"That's… No, forget it. I could get them all right now if you want?"
"No. I don't want it to seem suspicious. It's better to wait until a time we'd all be
together anyway, like dinner. That way we'll be able to pass it off like we're just trying
to catch up with each other."
"I see… Alright then. We'll do it at dinner."
They exchanged a few more pleasantries before parting ways. Neither of them
knowing what would happen between then and dinner.
The sun was just beginning to set. Aiko strode through one of the castle's deserted
hallways. Its cold stone walls were painted a brilliant orange by the sun's dying rays.
The dark shadows that lay over the areas not lit by the sun contrasted beautifully with
the light.
Aiko was admiring the sunset when suddenly she heard footsteps. She came to a stop,
wondering who it was. She looked in front of her and saw a female figure hiding in the
shadows. The figure was standing in the middle of the hallway, her back ramrod
straight. She was wearing the traditional garb of an Ehit priestess.
She spoke in a beautiful, but eerily inorganic voice.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Aiko Hatayama. I have come to collect you."
The woman's robotic voice sent chills down Aiko's spine.
"Umm, nice to meet you? What do you mean you've come to collect me? I was just
about to go eat dinner with my students."
"I'm afraid your plans have been changed. You must accompany me to the temple."
"Huh?"
The woman stated it as a command, not a question. She stepped out of the shadows,
and Aiko got a good look at her for the first time. Aiko gasped when she saw who it
was. Her supernatural beauty left Aiko awestruck.
Silver hair that scintillated in the sunlight, striking blue eyes, and an ageless
appearance that made her seem like both a mature woman and a little girl at the same
time. She was the perfect embodiment of feminine beauty. She was tall for a woman,
almost 170 centimeters. Aiko had to crane her neck to look up at her. Her skin was like
fine porcelain, and her limbs were slender. Her breasts were modest, but not small.
They fit her frame perfectly.
However, her face was utterly expressionless. So much so that it seemed like she was
wearing a mask. She had the kind of beauty that stirred artists, but at the same time,
she seemed entirely artificial.
The woman continued speaking.
"My master is displeased with what you are attempting to do. They would find it much
more… interesting, if your students continued down their current path. Thus, I must
remove you from the game board until events have run their course."
"Wh-What are you…"
The woman took a few steps forward. Aiko took a few steps back. The woman's
priestess robe rustled and her eyes glimmered. A second later, a haze descended upon
Aiko's consciousness. She instinctively focused her mind, like she did when she was
trying to cast magic, making the haze disperse.
"I understand now. You truly are worthy of the title 'goddess.' To think you could repel
my charm. Very well, I suppose I shall have to take you back by force."
"S-Stay back! Wh-What are you after!?" Aiko began chanting a spell. However, before
she could finish, the woman closed the distance between them and slammed her fist
into Aiko's solar plexus.
As she felt her consciousness slip away, Aiko could faintly make out the last words the
woman said.
"Fear not. I won't kill you. You are a very precious pawn. Plus, your abilities may be
required later in eliminating that irregular."
Hajime's face flashed in her mind. Even though she knew there was no way her voice
could reach him, she tried to warn him before her consciousness was completely
swallowed up.
Nagumo-kun!
"Hmm?" The woman picked Aiko up as easily as she would a feather and threw the
teacher over her shoulder. She then turned around, looking behind her suspiciously.
After a few minutes of careful scrutiny, she walked up to one of the guest chambers
and opened the door.
She made sure her footsteps could be heard clearly, then stomped over to the closet.
Without a moment's hesitation, she threw its doors open.
However, there was no one inside. The woman tilted her head in confusion, and once
more examined the room. Eventually, she decided it must just have been her
imagination and headed out of the room.
Once she was gone, a tiny whisper echoed through the silent room.
"I have to… tell someone…" There was still no one in the room. However, the faint
sound of footsteps could be heard going in the opposite direction the woman had left
in.
A few seconds later, silence filled the room once more.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone