บท 83: Final Curtain | Campione
In Italy, in Rome, within this Catholic church, there stood a statue from Greek mythology—Prometheus.
Kurumi had not come here by chance. She had heard a calling, just like before.
The next world... will it be a world related to Greek mythology?
Kurumi pondered this.
???
Finally... it was time to leave.
Kurumi had confirmed that there were no longer any traces of the Kabane on this land. History could indeed be changed.
Letting out a long sigh, she turned and left, leaving behind a trail of photons that scattered into the sky.
——
Heian-Kyō.
The city's houses were built against the mountains, and the Kyoto Basin opened to the south, toward Osaka Bay. The streets rose and fell, with the Kamo and Takano Rivers meeting in the city and flowing toward the Katsura River.
It was Tanabata, and everywhere you could see vibrant Nishijin silk, one of the girls' most beloved items.
Hozumi ran quickly, her hand gripping her mother's, her wooden sandals clacking on the pavement.
"Hurry, hurry! If we're late, we won't get a good spot!"
The little girl dashed forward, her pace swift, heading toward Sakyō. That was the noble district, the best place to watch the fireworks.
Her mother didn't rush but looked at Hozumi with a bit of helplessness, keeping up with her daughter's quick steps.
This little girl was always a bit different from children her age. Instead of embroidery, she preferred archery. Instead of calligraphy and painting, she favored her father's swords.
Even in fabric, she always chose either bright red or pitch black.
The little girl wore a fox mask, but rather than covering her face, it hung playfully on the left side, covering her ear. She kept urging her mother, causing passersby to laugh.
Hozumi, distracted, suddenly bumped into someone. Softness and a fragrant breeze surrounded her.
It was a pair of well-dressed figures, a man and a woman, walking from the direction of the imperial palace. Both were tall, with the girl dressed in a simple white dress and the boy following closely behind, like a samurai escort.
However, this "samurai" clearly wasn't doing a great job, his face flushed as he followed the girl's light footsteps. Her dark hair swayed gently with her movement, exuding a faint fragrance. Just keeping up with her made his face burn red, so much so that he didn't notice the little girl rushing toward them.
It seemed he hadn't confessed his feelings yet, making him tense. But judging by the girl's smile, she was already well aware of his heart—she was just waiting for him to make the first move.
That must be why they had dressed up in disguise and snuck out together on Tanabata.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" The boy scolded the little girl, clearly displeased.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hozumi's mother, seeing their fine clothing and guessing they had come from the imperial gardens, quickly bowed in apology.
"Tch—" But the little girl, fearless, stood with her hands on her hips, pulling on her mother's hand.
"Oh, come on! It was just a little bump!"
"You!" The boy snapped at the girl, stepping forward. His right hand instinctively reached for his waist, only to realize that he hadn't brought a sword.
Seeing his movement, the little girl braced herself, ready to step forward.
"Kuzuru." The girl frowned, stopping him.
Kuzuru was fine in most situations, but whenever something involved her, he became too nervous.
She stepped forward, gently grasping Kuzuru's hand, then smiled apologetically at the mother and daughter, her expression soft and kind.
"Apologies."
Then, she pulled Kuzuru away, and the moment his hand was held, his entire body stiffened, his handsome face turning as red as a boiled shrimp.
Only an idiot wouldn't know how he felt about her.
The girl hummed a cheerful tune, her smile growing brighter, while inwardly thinking, "Idiot."
Still... maybe it wasn't so bad.
As long as she could prove to her father that she was worthy of inheriting the Yomogawa family, he probably wouldn't object.
???
On the other side, the little girl's mother still seemed somewhat displeased with her reckless behavior.
"Hozumi..."
But before she could finish speaking, the little girl cut her off, putting on a pitiful, sad expression, her eyes shimmering like those of a cat.
"Mother... it's Tanabata today..."
Though this trick had fooled her many times before, she still couldn't help but soften, gently ruffling the girl's hair.
"Don't do that again."
"Mm-hmm!" The little girl agreed, but in her heart, she was thinking, "Next time? We'll see."
At the ancient temple, the two of them wrote their wishes on colorful paper strips and tied them to the small bamboo tree in front of the shrine.
Although many interesting things had come from the West, and more Western holidays were becoming popular, for some reason, Hozumi still held a special fondness for Tanabata.
???
Brightly colored fireworks shot into the sky, piercing the night, blooming brilliantly. Beneath the Milky Way, they unfurled and blossomed, painting the entire sky with vivid hues.
The world's clamor seemed far away. Watching the fireworks spread across the sky, Hozumi felt a sudden ache in her heart, an emptiness, as if... something had been lost.
"Hozumi, do you know... no matter how many years pass, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl will never forget each other."
Her mother whispered in her ear, but Hozumi only felt her heart growing more hollow.
???
I will... remember you...
Remember who?
The fireworks cast a dreamlike glow on Hozumi's snow-white attire—her mother had carefully chosen the dress, making the girl appear even more playful and adorable.
But... her face was streaked with tears.
"Hozumi... Hozumi!" Her mother noticed her odd behavior, crouching down in front of her, gripping her shoulders, worriedly asking what was wrong.
???
DONG—
DONG—
A series of nine chimes rang out from the clock tower behind her. It was one of those rare items brought from the West, and the massive clock face was visible from all over Kyoto.
Hozumi turned to stare at the clock tower's face, her expression dazed, as if she saw... an eye.
What? How could someone have eyes like a clock?
She denied it, yet her heart felt more and more empty.
Until... blood surged into her heart, a fiery flow that shouldn't exist, shouldn't run through her veins—the blood of a Spirit.
"Kurumi... Tokisaki..."
"Onee-sama."
"You... did you hear me? I haven't forgotten you."
...
——
[Ding~]
[Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress~ Cleared]
[Deaths: 0 | Clear Time: 1432:44:21]
What appeared before Kurumi was an enormous "S" ranking.
Perhaps because she had altered the world, the rating was unexpectedly high.
[Obtained Materials: Fate's Mark x100 | Eternal Melody ×100]
[Obtained Skill: Trickery of the Time God]
Kurumi's lips twitched as she read the skill description.
Hey, hey, I'm really not a loli lover.
I'm just a hero of justice, doing it for fun.
——
"Miss Erica..."
"Miss Erica!!!"
...
The gentle voice urging her grew increasingly insistent.
A girl lay on her side in a soft bed, clutching the bedding tightly in her arms.
Her appearance was exquisitely beautiful, with a noble and elegant aura akin to a princess. Though she appeared to be only eleven or twelve, her youthful body had already begun to show signs of graceful curves, slender and fair.
The girl's bright golden hair shimmered like a radiant crown, exuding a sweet, youthful fragrance.
"Just let me... sleep a little... bit longer..." The girl, called Erica, murmured with her eyes closed.
"A little longer?"
"A whole day..."
...
Milan's summer breeze was gentle and dry, with the sun shining brilliantly.
The sky was a boundless expanse of blue, a shade deeper and clearer than other cities or countries.
Though the maid wanted nothing more than to let Miss Erica sleep a little longer, the thought of Lord Paolo's rare serious expression made her steel herself and pull back the curtains.
The warm, almost scorching sunlight immediately flooded the girl's bedroom, illuminating her delicate, fair skin, which took on a tempting golden glow under the light.
"Miss Erica!" The maid stood with her hands on her hips, looking stern. "You must get up now!"
"Ugh..." Erica curled up, trying to bury her head in the bedding, but the sun's warmth on her back made it impossible for her to continue lazing about.
She groggily lifted her head, her eyes still drowsy, looking utterly adorable.
While many Italians were known for their bad habits of being late or sleeping in, Erica's environment didn't allow her such luxuries.
She was currently undergoing training within the Mage Association known as the [Bronze-Black Cross], the descendants of the once-dominant Knights Templar from the Middle Ages.
And her mentor was none other than the head of the [Bronze Black Cross], Paolo Blandelli, who also happened to be Erica Blandelli's uncle.
"Arianna..." Erica pouted, grumbling at the maid. "If I recall correctly, today is Sunday, isn't it?"
If it weren't for the maid, she would have slept until noon.
Arianna smiled warmly.
She stood just over 1.6 meters tall, slightly taller than Kurumi, and appeared utterly harmless—just an ordinary maid.
But Arianna's appearance was equally refined and delicate. As she stood by Erica's bedside, she resembled a delicate lily, graceful and enchanting.
"Yes, today is a day of rest," Arianna said, her hands folded at her waist, her smile impeccable.
"Then... why wake me?" Erica propped herself up, revealing her pale, smooth skin beneath the bedding and a cute, pink, ruffled camisole.
"This week's training has been hard enough. I just wanted to sleep in," she complained.
"Miss Erica," Arianna reminded her, "if you haven't forgotten, you played a prank on Lady Liliana yesterday, and Lord Paolo caught you red-handed. He ordered you to undergo an extra session of iron-smelting training today."
Erica's drowsy face instantly froze as her uncle's statue-like, intellectual face appeared vividly in her mind.
"Tsk... unlucky."
"Miss Erica," Arianna frowned, chiding her. "Please remember to maintain your ladylike demeanor."
"Hoo—" Erica sighed, displaying all the signs of a low blood-pressure morning person. She straightened her posture and spread her arms, signaling for the maid to assist her.
The girl's young chest had already begun to bud, like tender lotus flowers standing proudly.
Yet, as hinted by Arianna earlier, behind Erica's image as a noble lady lay a mischievous little devil. She often exploited Liliana's serious nature and sense of duty as a knight, turning her into her unwitting plaything.
Under Arianna's care, Erica quickly changed her clothes and freshened up.
Because the [Bronze-Black Cross] was symbolized by the colors red and black, Erica, as a member of the Mage Association, donned a black and red lace dress. The back of the gown was designed with a delicate cross-shaped cutout, exposing her slender, graceful shoulder blades.
Lord Paolo had assigned her the task of practicing iron-smelting magic today, so there was no need to wear the standard short skirt and sleeveless sweater designed for ease of movement.
Although Erica would much rather be wielding a sword and sparring with the knights of the [Bronze Black Cross] than practicing iron-smelting.
As one of the most powerful Mage Associations in Europe, the [Bronze-Black Cross] and the Blandelli family, its prestigious mage lineage, maintained luxurious training facilities.
Their training grounds were housed in a monastery that had existed since the Middle Ages, originally built as a fortress. The white stone walls gleamed under the sunlight, blindingly bright.
But Erica was used to it.
Led by Arianna, Erica slowly made her way toward her private training ground. Being summoned for training on a Sunday left the girl pouting, causing the young knights they passed to give her a wide berth.
After all, this was the infamous Blandelli heiress—a devilish little figure. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of her tricks.
Erica specialized in magic that allowed her to freely manipulate iron and steel, known as "iron-smelting magic." She excelled in creation, transformation, destruction, and reinforcement magic.
The "training" Paolo referred to was making Erica use her iron-smelting magic to produce steel suitable for forging weapons, to be used by the knights.
Though it sounded simple, for young Erica, producing enough high-quality steel to forge a sword or spear would take her an entire day and require an immense amount of focus.
"I wanted to spend the afternoon playing with Liliana..." Erica grumbled.
"Lady Liliana has already gone to the Giardino Monastery," Arianna reminded her.
"Huh!?"
Erica froze. "Why did she go there?"
"Whose fault do you think it is?"
Arianna couldn't help but retort. "If not for your prank, Lady Liliana wouldn't have had to return to retrieve her arrows."
"Oh... really?"
Erica stuck out her tongue playfully.
"And if you get distracted again, you'll fail the iron-smelting process," Arianna warned just as a hissing sound filled the air. The iron, wrapped in layers of magic, had completely failed.
"Ugh... what bad luck!!!"
The girl's anguished cry echoed into the sky.
...
After a long day, Erica finally returned to her room. She loosened the ribbon on her dress, allowing the elaborate gown to slip to the floor, revealing her young body beneath.
Clutching her bedding, Erica fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.
Tick-tock—
The faint sound of a clock's hand moving echoed, and the world subtly, mysteriously, began to change.
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