Chapter 4: Demon Blade Within the Typhoon
[START]
Since Bourtange was originally a fortified city, the buildings overlook the streets in order to make it easier to intercept invaders, and that fact stands out.
Due to that, I would hear about any new arrivals to the town– so I asked Lisa about the people I had seen.
「Master, I believe that a choir is arriving at the church today.」
Lisa reported after returning from shopping in the falling light morning snow.
In terms of Christianity, the Netherlands have a 3 to 2 ration of Catholics to Protestants, and the church here in town in Catholic.
And the head of the Catholic faith… is the Vatican.
And right now, I am at odds with Meiya from DEEN.
Bearing that in mind, I continued to watch the group on the road to the church through a gap in the curtains–
There were 3 black classic Fiat Tipo 509’s
A rumble of engines rising from the motorcade, 10 nuns in matching white vestments entered the church.
Each of them carried an instrument case but did not wear a veil, exposing their blonde hair. They were young. Probably about my age or younger.
…?
From the way they walk, I can tell that their gazes are flickering back and forth, assessing possible cover before entering the church…
If this were Butei High, I’d get the impression that these were ASSAULT or LEZZAD students.
The size of their instrument cases is suspicious as well. By size and apparent weight, I’d guess that they carried something other than musical instruments.
This is no ordinary choir.
Those thoughts passing through my mind, I continued to watch them through the lightly falling snow–
「…!」
Taller, with a larger chest than the other nuns, and with more gold embroidery to her white robes… Meiya was the last to exit the vehicles.
Then moving out as if to greet her, with a *Flap!* *Flap!*–
The dove with the golden collar that I had seen at the festival came to rest on the back of Meiya’s hand.
Crap…!
I’ve seen this before. Shirayuki with her Hotogi butterflies, Patra with her scarabs, Katze with her crow… these witch all seem to have their own『familiar』.
Adopting some kind of insect or bird as their subordinate, via sorcery they employ them to scout, spy, or boost their attacks.
That dove wasn’t just some kind of carrier pigeon. It was Meiya’s familiar…!
But then the people with Meiya–
I saw them carrying food, documents, and a desktop PC into the church. But I didn’t get the impression that they are planning to search the immediate area. Rather, that they are using this fortified city as a base to search a broader area.
In any case… It appears that the dove is not as sophisticated a familiar as Edgar and was only able to communicate『This is the area』to Meiya.
Even so, it is probably a coincidence the eyes and ears of the Vatican have led them to this area and a result of Meiya’s good luck skill.
That luck enhancement… makes it hard on her enemies.
Being discovered here by Meiya is a definite risk.
If it came to a battle, I would certainly be defeated.
She is accompanied by 10 people– corresponding to 2 platoons. And I get the feeling they are under her command.
To oppose that, there is one of me whose Hysteria Mode had long worn off.
Rather, only a portion of 1 person. Due to my unfortunate promise, I cannot fight without the handicap of protecting Lisa.
Despite the fact that Lisa intends to surrender, Meiya is one of the most radical elements of DEEN. Declaring GRENEDA pests, she took Hilda’s head, and at Bandire her battle-loving personality called for taking drastic action against Katze. Even if the former member of GRENEDA Lisa raised a white flag, I’m not entirely sure that she would accept it.
If Lisa were attacked, I would have to fight Meiya.
At this moment– I do not want to fight with Meiya. Finding out who the traitor is and stopping the leak of information from DEEN is my first priority. The chief culprit is still out there.
I have to get out of here!
Making that determination, I immediately check my wound.
It’s swollen and hurt if you press on it. But it’s not enough to hinder movement.
It’s not a complete recovery, but if I get an opportunity– I should be able to deflect an attack.
That thought in mind… I looked around the large, comfortable room.
Farewell, Bourtange. These days… were peaceful, living day to day with Lisa.
Reciting that in my mind–Lisa was still happily making lunch in the kitchen, and I said:
「Pack up, Lisa. The choir is part of DEEN’s combat forces.」
I ordered, changing the mood.
***************************************************
Despite having had the time to accumulate, the snow had barely covered the old cobblestones.
Up until this moment, Bourtange has done a good job of keeping us safe– In addition to being easy to see people entering, it is also easy for people to escape unseen.
Then, in my Cromaetel disguise, I pulled along Lisa who was disguised as a glasses-wearing businesswoman behind me as I walked at a brisk pace– rushing to the town’s only exit and entrance, a drawbridge crossing a deep moat.
Then…
…What?
A lot of people were gathered on and around the drawbridge.
This is bad…
Did Meiya and her group find out about our preparation to flee, and gather here? How?
Due to the difference in elevation, I could see… and I quickly understood the reason.
A child was drowning.
The moat had begun to freeze over with bits of ice floating here and there.
From on top of the bridge, an elderly couple that appeared to be his parents called the child’s name.
「Franz…! Franz…!」
Took look at, it appeared to be the chubby neighbourhood bully that egged the dog on to tease Lisa earlier. On the bridge were fresh tyre marks.
He must have been messing about near the guardrail and an approaching motorbike must have sent him over the rail.
Observing from a distance, by comparison, we stood out…
So, in order to blend in with the crowd of onlookers, Lisa and I moved toward the bridge. Then…
…!
The nuns must have come to the bridge to see if they could not help the drowning Franz in some way.
With everyone on the bridge–Lisa and I might be able to slip past even Meiya.
No one is paying attention to me. They are all concerned for the drowning boy.
Looking back from the other side of the moat, the sisters found it difficult to help Franz and they could not swim in their robes.
There were other Dutch on the bridge too. There was a man who tried to jump in, but he was stopped by others. The reason was easy to understand after a brief glance at the moat. The moat was built for warfare, and it was wide and deep. It was constructed with a cliff-like slope such that once an enemy fell in, they would not be able to escape
If he had jumped in, he would not have been able to get back out and only increase e the number of drowning people.
What’s more, Franz’s foot must have been caught in his motor bike, spraining his ankle and making him unable to swim. From his frantic movements, his strength is failing. A far distance from bridge, he repeatedly sunk and rose above the surface of the water.
Lisa–
Wiped tears from beneath her glasses. With how it is, it would be difficult to save him. This must be fate.
What’s more… we… can’t help him.
You have no luck, do you Franz?
Meiya will discover us, won’t she? We have to leave so that I can prove my own innocence. Cross the bridge, leave the town, I took the first step.
…!…
Oi! My feet!
I’ve gone through a lot of trouble–
All to leave Bourtange.
Why am I turning back toward the bridge?
Now I’m running for some reason! Running the wrong way. Meiya and her group are distracted by Franz, I should escape.
「S-stop please, Master! You will die if you go…!」
Lisa panicked behind me.
Kinji. Are you really like that? Pretending to be an ally of justice?
I looked totally uncool in my Cromaetel disguise. Did I want DEEN to think of me as『a good person』?
No– that wasn’t it.
There is no such thing as good or bad people. Just like DEEN and GRENEDA. I learned that in Brussels.
Ally s of justice do not exist in this world. I learned that a long time ago.
In the first place, nothing like justice exists.
Well, how should I say it?
A person has their path– their moral principle– do such things exist?
Justice is a more ambiguous moral principle, but some things are more moral than others.
Right now, I should follow my own path, abandon the boy and leave the town, but I can’t. That is the simple truth. In from of Meiya and the rest–
I must leap into the frozen moat. That was the simple truth.
「No, Master! A sludge has collected at the bottom of the moat, and once caught in it, you will be unable to get out again!」
In order to hide the true meaning of her words, Lisa shouted in English–
「If you ignore a dying man, it will keep you awake at night. A good night’s sleep is important.」
I said the same thing as when I rescued Lisa in the underground tunnels, but this time in English.
「Lisa. This is my final command as your master. You must run. I wish you all the best luck.」
Saying that, I forced my wallet with what little funds remained into Lisa’s hands–several Dutchmen tried to stop me, but in a flurry of movement– using my ASSAULT training, I swept clear of them.
「…Master…!」
Lisa shouted at my back, and I leapt in. Still wearing my Cromaetel disguise.
*Splash!*
I submerged myself fully into the moat’s water–but it was almost frozen.
If I hadn’t warmed up with my sprint, I would have died from my heart stopping.
I jumped in still wearing my coat and wig, and fully clothed swimming was a drill on ASSAULT. Paddling over, I swam to the drowning Franz.
「Heeeelp…!」
「Hold on!」
I grabbed Franz underneath the arms, and although he had taken in quite a bit of water, it probably wasn’t enough to be fatal. However, because of the water his clothes had absorbed, he felt a lot heavier. Holding on to Franz and swimming clothed is impossible.
「Swim toward the wall!」
「Come on–!」
Everyone from the town, and even the sisters who didn’t recognise me– encouraged us with loud voices. Struggling to swim, I checked the drawbridge, but Lisa wasn’t there. Good. She must have listened to what I said and run.
Keeping Franz’s head above the water, I swam toward the wall– With a *Fwish!*, I kicked out my foot, but… something had a hold of my foot and tangled it.
–The sludge. A clayey mud must have trapped my foot. Franz’s injured foot wasn’t the only reason he couldn’t swim. Franz’s feet were also caught in the mud.
Crap! Struggling and kicking however entangles my feet even more. I’m trying to swim… but I can’t!
Trapped stationary in the freezing water, the cold began to set in dangerously.
*Rumble!* *Rumble!* *Rumble!* … the sound of a large motor approached the bridge… then with a *Whoosh!–
From the guardrail, a woman leapt.
She had the perfect form of a professional diver.
Was she Muslim? Her head was wrapped up, and bangs concealed her eyes, but she looked young. But her clothes were like those of an old punk rocker with a black leather jacket and trousers.
The girl made her way over to me with a butterfly stroke and grabbed Franz. Then things seemed to improve– both of our feet caught in the mud were freed as if by magic.
Now…!
After that, I– along with the woman’s help, pulled Franz to the wall of the moat. My feet no longer encumbered by the mud, I could swim properly– and finally reached the wall.
But now that we are at the edge, it didn’t appear to be a simple matter to get up out of.
Along with a 70-degree slope, the face was also covered with rows of rust iron spikes pointing downward. This must be what are known as anti-ninja countermeasures. What’s more, the surface undulated, making it impossible to climb up unless ropes or chains were dangled down from above.
This is the deadly moat that completely defeated Napoleon’s armies. I don’t see any kind of way to scale it.
「…」
As we both supported Franz, even the girl with the scarf…
Seemingly lacking a method how to get out of the moat, her lipstick covered lips pulled down into a frown.
The longer the three of us stay here, the more the icy water will leach away our heat and sap our strength–I had that thought.
「Master!」
From beside us, there was a voice–
「!?」
Turning my head…
With a *Squeak!* *Squeak!*, an old-fashioned copper sheet rowboat approached…
…Lisa…!
Our eyes met through her black-rimmed glasses.
On the prow of the boat… was an engraving of the careful collector landlady’s ladybug shaped family coat of arms. She even had something like this!?
Taking care that my wig didn’t come off, I got up into the boat… Then each of us took tone of Franz’s arms and pulled. The woman with the scarf pushed his butt from behind, and he came up into the boat.
Franz, you are really pretty heavy. You seem to have the ability to gain weight. If you come to Japan in the future, you might be able to earn a living as a sumo wrestler.
He lay face-up in the boat, gasping for breath… but if he has the energy to do that, he seems fine…
Then I sat and faced Lisa.
「… I told you to run.」
Lisa received the scolding of her master with a grin.
「I did run. But then I came back. So I really didn’t disobey your instructions. Now then, let’s get out of here.」
Twisting the truth with a smile on her face, she pointed toward the bridge.
There, the city residents had cut off a firehose and dangled down from the bridge.
Then emerging last from the water–
「…」
The woman with the scarf silently came up into the boat.
Then… I had a chance to have a good look at the brave woman’s clothing.
Her black leather coat was studded with gold rivets. There were gold rings on her fingers. She even had a necklace in the shape an ancient 
symbol. Even that was gold. They all gleamed… and were probably 24 karat.
Is she really a rich Arab or a celebrity? Her scarf completely hid her face.
She wiped her hands on her snakeskin belt.
「…」
Tying up her wet scarf, she turned her back toward me…
Her not saying a word, Lisa and my eyes met for a moment, then… *Squeak!* *Squeak!*
The two of us sculled the oars and returned to the bridge amidst cheers and applause.
************************************************************
After each of us had been pulled up to the bridge one by one–Franz’s grandparents hugged me and expressed their gratitude over and over again.
But that over there could be a bad thing…
The nuns are chattering among themselves, praising me and coming this way.
I whispered to Lisa,
「Tell them that I『didn’t expect to have to swim on such short notice, but I’ll be alright』.」
Now the everything was over, I moved to leave–
The water made my wig more apt to slip, and as Franz’s grandmother ran her hands through it, it shifted slightly.
「…!」
Hurrying back with a change of clothes in hand, the Dutch let me pass–
Thoroughly drenched, I rushed back just as hurriedly as we had attempted to leave the town.
The nuns probably noticed us.
Responding to everyone’s applause with a small wave, I looked to see what the nuns were doing…
… I just made it in time… It’s alright.
They looked after me in amazement but weren’t following.
They may not have discovered my identity… or the fact that I was pretending to be a girl. The didn’t recognise me as Kinji Tohyama.
At the very least, they aren’t sure.
Lisa and I broke out of the ring of people on the bridge– and at that moment:
「…Tohyama-san?」
At a distance, I clearly heard Meiya’s voice–
I flinched as my name was called.
Flinching– I turned to look back. Crap!
Dammmit…!
Turning back, our eyes met for a moment, and Meiya’s eyebrows furrowed in an expression of『I thought so』.
I had proved her suspicion in turning in response to hearing my name…Then Meiya’s ultramarine eyes went wide in surprise.
In short, everything clicked into place. As soon as she called my name.
What’s more, I’m completely trapped.
I had proven the fact that Cromaetel was Kinji for her myself.
–I’ve been discovered. Run!
As soon as I began to run…*Grip!*
There was someone else who was shocked at Meiya’s astonished『Tohyama-san?』
It was the woman with the scarf and leather clothed from earlier. Like a reaction comic1, she fell pinned beneath the Harley Davidson as she looked my way. Why?
Caught off guard by the sound, Lisa turned toward the scarf woman.
Losing her balance, Lisa fell backwards onto her butt.
Wha-What’s with this? This chain of surprised reactions.
「Pa-Patra-sama…?」
In response to her words–
It was my own turn to have trouble standing.
Outed as a former member of GRENEDA, the scarf fell away from the woman in the leather outfit…
It really was Patra!?
So that must be the reason that I thought the mud magically let go of my feet. It really was magic acting on the mud. Well, Patra is the『Sand Witch』after all.
A while ago, back in Daiba she did say that swimming was her forte. It all makes sense.
「Lisa. I used astrology to find you… with only a small difference in time between myself and Meiya’s discovery. But what was this behaviour on the boat– your face was surely lively with Kinji Tooyama. I cannot remember you ever smiling once in I.U.」
Running her fingers through her bobbed hair to put in order–
Patra disguised herself to infiltrate the Netherlands to track down the deserter Lisa.
However, prepared for the possibility of being discovered by Meiya, she started up her motorbike.
Making their way through the crowd, Meiya and the nuns were making their way toward us–
「Kinji Tooyama. It appears… that you are being pursued by DEEN. I can scatter these children if you wish to escape.」
Patra said in a condescending tone.
「There’s yourself to consider too, Patra. Sneaking into DEEN’s territory, you were discovered, weren’t you? But… you are much too kind to me. I must think better of you for it. 」
I answered, discarding that abominable wig and coat for my bulletproof uniform.
「I-I– just happened to want to swim, that is all!」
Blushing red in response to my words, Patra shouted these bluffing words.
「Even so, it does seem that the rumours of discord amidst DEEN’s ranks were correct. Hohohoho!」
Saying that while smiling, Patra– *Kiss!* *Kiss!*
With fingers outstretched, she blew 2 or 3 kisses toward the moat.
After that, the surface began to tremble slightly… slithering up the stone wall, several animals appeared…
C-cobras…?
The sham figures were probably constructed from the mud at the bottom of the moat, but they moved exactly like real snakes.
The cobras made their way onto the bridge, and everyone there began to panic as they slipped underfoot– Gathering around the Harley they stood their bodies up.
I was wondering what they would do next, but then something began to slither.
Patra’s belt– what I thought was a snakeskin was actually a real snake, and it dropped to the ground and slithered among the other forgeries.
I didn’t know which one was the real cobra, then… *Whoosh!* The snaked spread out.
「…!…」
I kicked at the cobra near my feet, but if it happened to be the real one, that’s dangerous.
Lisa held on the me, sobbing, so there was no way to run.
「Hohoho! Lisa, I will overlook this blunder. Bring Kinji to the dragon’s port.」
Patra left us with those words, then made a swift movement.
Straddling the motor bike, the engine roared. Now that I come think of it, it was probably Patra that ran Franz off the edge of the bridge. The tyre marks seem to match.
The cobras infested the drawbridge, and the Dutch there scattered like a swarm of baby spiders–
With girlish shrieks, the sisters dashed here and there like mad.
But in the midst of the chaos, *Ka-shing!*
Like a shout to bring someone to their senses, a heavy metallic sound rang.
「Do not fear, my sisters! This is a witch’s trickery! To anyone who shrinks back before the witch, I will dispense divine punishment! Physically!」
She spoke in Italian–about 30% of which I understood–then there was a *Whoosh!*
At the end of the line of nuns, Meiya’s usual oversized sword cut through the air.
Rather than aiming it at Patra or us, she was aiming to intimidate her subordinates.
Then the nervous nuns…
With perspiration standing out on their foreheads, stopped running from the cobras– *Jingle!*
With a sound of bells, they drew thin double-edged blades from inside their robes.
Then there was the whisper of blades. And they turned their sword in unison toward Patra.
From their coordinated movements, I could tell that this manoeuvre was well-practised. These are nuns, after all.
In Japan, they would be something like warrior monks, and if I had to name the, they would be sister soldiers.
「That is the『Sand Witch』Patra! If we exterminate her, Canossa will give us 20 credits, and that means we can take half a year off! Adonai Melek Namen!」
Despite having worked together with the Diamond Dust Witch until recently, she recited some kind of Catholic mantra with a fixed gaze– Honestly, I get the feeling that she just wants to hunt down anyone with the title of witch.
「–You dare to attack me? The Vatican often boast of things it cannot accomplish. Hohoho!」
With a *Twang!*, Patra spun her bike and something like shots flew toward us from her body–*Whoosh!*
Her rings and rivets transformed into golden bullets, spreading out from her like a shotgun blast. Directed toward the nuns.
With a rush, the small highspeed bullets flew toward the nuns without having been fired from a gun, knocking them down. But that was all a smokescreen.
As for the real attraction… Her necklace coalesced into a baseball sized metal orb. Then it flew at Meiya’s head–
「–Dispenses divine punishment–!」
*Shiiiiiiiing!*
With a loud, piercing metallic screech, Meiya swung the long sword on her should like a bat and swatted it back. It looked like the Yankees Robinson Cano taking a swing.
The batted ball flew past Patra and struck the edge of the wooden bridge rail, destroying it and sending up a shower of splinters.
Wh-what strength you have, Meiya! You’re like a human piece of artillery.
As expected, Patra merely inclined her head, and Lisa fell once more onto her butt–
「…Hump! So you dodged that, huh?」
Casting an eye over her fallen sisters, Meiya tutted
Seeming to have no intention of reengaging, Patra slammed down on the accelerator… and the motorbike sped off. Then springing into a bag located by the rear wheel with a leap, the real cobra jumped in. It appears to be well trained.
I thought that I should make my escape as well, however– both my feet are tangled by the cobras formed from the mud.
Damn you Patra! You left me as a present so that Meiya wouldn’t chase after you, didn’t you?
The sister soldiers’ robes appeared to be bulletproof, and they appeared uninjured.
The slow-footed Lisa hadn’t even run, firmly determined to stand by my side–
–Lisa and I were caught by Meiya and the Vatican.
*************************************************************************
We were taken by the nuns into the church in the centre of the town.
The nuns were armed. They also had Meiya who was on the same level as Patra, Katze, and Hilda.
Naturally, I want to break out and escape. But I Couldn’t take Lisa with me.
So…
For now, I’ll wait and see how thing go.
For one thing, Meiya hasn’t attacked us yet.
Having captured us, the nuns still held on to their weapons.
There must still be room to negotiate here.
We entered the transept and– dazzling multicoloured stained glass windows and elaborate painted scenes filled our entire field of vision. On the well-used altar at the end, no more than candles served as offering… it was just like an ancient Japanese Shinto shrine. This is different
「… Marvellous, isn’t it? The church.」
I said as we went down the aisle, wanting to gauge Meiya’s level of anxiety–
「Yes. I will have to show you St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This is a rustic church.」
She responded with a gentle laugh.
As I suspected… even though her face is a bit tense, she doesn’t see me as a hostile threat.
Afterwards, Lisa and I were taken to a small cellar room– under the supervision of the sister soldiers, we were given warm clothes, warm soup, bread, and coffee to go along with it.
After being confined for a while…
Having seemingly combed her hair and rested for a bit, Meiya appeared once more and cleared the room of nuns.
Then immediately after closing the door–
「Tohyama-san..! Thank goodness we’ve met again…! Thank God…」
Tears stood out suddenly in her eyes, then *Squish!*
She hugged me with all her strength as I sat in a chair.
H- O-oi…!
She had done it so suddenly that I didn’t have the chance to avoid her, but n-now– Meiya’s nuclear carrier class abundant breasts were pressed into my face. Through her white robes.
Shirayuki had battleship class breasts, I believe Nakasorachi exceeds that classification, but there was an overwhelming volume here… and what’s more, there was a sweet sugar milk scent wafting from her…!
What’s more, Meiya is one year older than me. It is one year, but that still means she is older!
For some reason, it is a verifiable fact that my Hysteria Mode is weaker to older women.
***************************************
***************************************
That is to say, let me go. I’m suffocating…!
Then as if Christ had heard my prayer, suddenly Meiya released me–
…*Glare!*…
Wh-what…?
Sitting well-manneredly diagonally across from me, Lisa gave a horribly intense glare. Directed at Meiya.
「–Sister-sama, you have huge breasts, don’t you?」
Seemingly irritated for some reason, Lisa put on an unusually sullen expression–
「Eh? Well, yeah… their weight just makes my shoulders stiff.」
Meiya replied with a wry smile. Despite Lisa’s expression, her reply was amicable.
「–Please do not let those nuns back into the room. The food they brought in earlier was not to Master’s liking. I am here to care for his daily needs. There is no need for anyone else needs to care for him.」
Her pride as a maid injured, Lisa puffed out her cheeks.
Fluffing her sleek blonde hair, she whirled to face away.
「Understood… My apologies. I seem to have unwittingly offended you. But now… Tohyama-san. Can we speak for a moment?」
Bowing to Lisa, Meiya took my hand to lead me out of the room–
After making eye contact to tell Lisa『Don’t move』… I stood from my seat.
*********************************************************************
Going down the church aisle, there was an old wooden booth with check-patterned carvings on it.
I couldn’t see inside, but it looked like a wooden telephone booth.
Meiya order the rest of the nuns out of the room, then I entered it from one side.
It could barely fit 2 or 3 people inside, and the booth was dark and cramped–
In the middle there was a partition made of olive brown wood.
It was a bit like a police detention visiting room.
I sat on the chair inside, and Meiya entered the opposite side.
Uh… This seems dangerous. This confined space.
As soon as Meiya entered, the scent of milk filled the space.
Thanks to the difference between Western and Japanese eating and bathing habits, Japanese are more aware of body odour, and it could be an issue– depending on the source, that is. In this case, the scent wafted up from the beautiful older woman who had thrust her breasts into my face and made me aware of the opposite sex… As a natural consequence the stirrings of Hysteria Mode in my body increased, creating another issue entirely.
As I worked to reduce my Hysteria Mode by counting prime numbers, on the other side of the partition that I couldn’t see through, Meiya said–
「I’m sorry for the cramped space. This is a confession booth. It is intended to be used by Christians after baptism to confess their sins to a member of the clergy. Anything you say here, I swear by God will not be revealed.」
「..You mean it’s confidential? Can I really trust that?」
「For example, even if someone confessed to a murder in this room, a nun will not reveal it to anyone– not talk to the police or leave any kind of record. This is an absolute religious rule. So please, tell me anything that you would like say now.」
As Meiya shifted to take up an attentive posture, her womanly scent tickled the inside of my nose–
After a brief moment of silence, I took advantage of her offer to listen.
「…Did Jeanne come back to DEEN?」
「No.」
「Do you suspect me and Jeanne?」
「Here, I can only speak the truth, so I cannot remain silent. I will answer the question truthfully. I do not suspect you.」
「…」
「As I told you before, I am a believer. Be believing, I gain the divine protection of God. I do not doubt any of my allies.」
I see.
–Meiya.
Thank you.
You are one of the traitors.
You have just confirmed that for me once more.
I was half hysterised when you hugged me, in this cramped room I am 80% there, and thanks to that I am sure, but… Meiya is only one part of the traitor problem. She is only about 20% responsible.
But now is not the time to dig into the details.
Rather– I am 80% sure that I can stop the leak of information.
「… Tohyama-san.」
Meiya broke in on an entirely different track than my train of thought–
From within the depths of her cleavage, she extracted a quartered A4 size paper.
She then passed it to me through a crevice below the wooden lattice.
「I believe that Tohyama-san should leave Brussels. I will work in secret to prove your innocence. However, Liberty Mason suspects you. Unfortunately, the Vatican has followed suit.」
Opening the paper she had given to me– It was a KLM airline electronic ticket. It has already been reserved, and there are instruction written on it explaining how to obtain a boarding pass using the barcode.
The destination was– John F. Kennedy Airport. New York.
「I came to help you. You should use this ticket to leave Europe for a while I spoke on the phone with Tamamo-san at the beginning of the year, and I heard the G-3-san is in America. He will certainly give you refuge.
So this would take me out the European operation– Meiya might truly suspect that I am a traitor.
I’m dancing on the palm of her hand, and that is a bit frustrating…
As long as Liberty Mason is my enemy, chances of victory in Europe are slim.
I should retreat for a while. Returning with American and Japanese allies of DEEN would be helpful.
Coming to that conclusion–
「I owe you for this, Meiya. I have one more request, however… I will ask for one more ticket. For Lisa to come with me… she is a deserter from GRENEDA.」
「Ah! I am surprised… I have already thought of Tohyama-san’s native wife.」
「N-native wife? I don’t even have an actual wife, so how could you have already considered a native wife?」
「Because when it comes to Tohyama-san, you can always count on him to take every chance with women that comes along– Don’t you know that’s what everyone thinks?」
「『When it comes to Tohyama-san』When has that ever happened?」
「All the time.」
「How can you say something like that while smiling? I–」
As I was saying that there was a *Knock!* *Knock!*
There was a sharp knock on the confessional booth door.
Meiya leaned over and cracked the door behind her slightly–
「What is it? I told you not to disturb us. Do you want to be horse-slapped 3 times as divine punishment?」
She scolded the terrified sister soldier. In Italian.
She seems pretty strict with her subordinates.
「H-here. It’s an urgent telephone call. From『above』.」
Shrinking back in fear, the sister soldier proffered a mobile phone to Meiya,
「…」
The Catholic Church is a completely hierarchical, and it appears the Meiya cannot defy her superiors–So she exited the narrow booth…
Leaving me, she left to take the call.
A while later… the call drug on.
It was in Italian, but I caught the words『him』and『airport』several times. They seemed to be talking about me.
Were they trying to arrange another ticket…?
I tried to listen in on Meiya’s conversation.
「–Bringing up something like excommunication is a bit much, is it not? You say that, but– I know all too well that no one can defy it. But if that is how it is to be… Please do not order me to fight. It is a grave tactical error. Toh… do you know his second name? He is strong. If I fought him while protecting my subordinates, the odds that I would win or lose are even.」
I was able to make out 30%, but due to my limited knowledge of Italian, I was able to make out the sense of what was being said–
Thanks to Meiya’s clear voice, I was able to pick out words here and there… however…
This was a dangerous conversation.
Meiya fighting me. That was what they were talking about.
「What’s more, his role as DEEN’s representative soldier has made him into a sworn friend. I like him. Toh… I do not want to fight him.」
As Meiya spoke into the phone, she made a face at what the other side was saying.
「So… I will take him to the airport. Adonai Melek Namen.」
With that, Meiya ended the call–
Gripping the phone tensely, Meiya passed the phone back to the nun.
She had acted as an ally toward me, but now I feel that she has become an enemy.
Peeking through the gap, I could surely escape. But how far could Lisa make it?
With those thoughts passing through my brain…
Meiya did not return to the confession booth.
Turning her back toward me, she remained silent.
While inside, she cannot tell a lie. She must not want to risk opening her mouth and making a mistake.
…If that’s the case, let me confirm something.
Stepping out of the booth into the nave– I addressed her back.
「Meiya. I have to ask you one thing. You…. must know that someone in DEEN is leaking information to GRENEDA, right?」
Hearing my voice, Meiya did not turn around… but she answered with a voice full of emotion.
「I am a believer. Even if I suspect, I cannot doubt. I must have faith.」
That’s the reason…
That is the reason that no one knows who exactly the traitor is.
With regards to Meiya, this is something well known in the courts of law– a sub-type of『Unintentional Consequences』.『Committing a crime without knowledge』, unknowingly aiding and abetting, or overlooking a crime.
In Meiya’s case, the reason for her complicity is unusual…
Her beliefs have caused the harm.
Even while able to confess that「something is suspicious」, knowing that her words will be heard by the traitor, she still shared intelligence with her allies. Meiya cannot distrust anyone.
–Believing.
That is a good thing, but dangerous. Believing in Jeanne led me into the debacle with the members of DEEN. Meiya is completely defenceless against this danger. In order to gain the divine blessings of her『Luck Enhancement』, she must continue to be defenceless.
Because of that– according to her own words, she is a kind of religious fanatic–despite harbouring no ill intentions, she became an accomplice, leaking intelligence to the traitor form the front lines.
But who is the actual traitor? Why would they pass along information to GRENEDA? Why did Jeanne lead me to Bewitching Blade?
These questions had no clear answers… The conclusion of this matter is still a long way off.
「Tohyama-san, you have always been a very perceptive ally. I know what you want me to say. I understand that much. However, I cannot stop believing. The moment I stop… all the recoil from the blessing of my Luck Enhancement will be visited upon me. If that happens… I would not be able to avoid death.」
Meiya said as she turned toward me.
「–Will you fight me, Tohyama-san?」
Her eyes held a certain degree– of fixed determination.
I don’t know if I can win, but if it comes to fighting, I will fight.
That was what the meaning behind look in her eyes.
「If I attack, the source of the issue will be resolved, and our successes on the European Front may rally.」
…*Shing!*…
Form Meiya– a bloodthirsty aura was released.
1, 2 seconds passed in silence…
The situation the nave felt like a powder keg.
「…」
「…」
Now… in that instant it became a one on one encounter. Like that night in Brussels, but different.
But this time I was almost in Hysteria Mode.
And– I had my gun. Meiya’s subordinates hadn’t disarmed me.
What should I do?
What are you going to do, Kinji?
A cold sweat stood out on my forehead–
Then…
…*Crack!*…*Crack!**Crack!*…
The stained glass cracked.
What? The entirety of the stone church… felt as if it was moving.
The shaking became worse. Feeling the tremors, Meiya broke off her confrontational gaze from me to look around. Then it wasn’t any of Meiya’s magic.
「Earthquake…?」
「Explosion…?」
As Japanese and European, we both voiced the thing that came first to mind in unison– somehow differing.
While trembling, the sister soldiers looked outside through the windows.
Outside was a strange sight.
–There was a strong wind.
Outside the church in the city of Bourtange– a hurricane like wind blew. The shaking was due to the wind. In any case, the Netherlands don’t have earthquakes, after all.
And amidst the wind–*Whoosh!
–An arrow? Something like that sped by outside the window. *Thunk!*…!
Simultaneously with a roar, the whole church shook in an explosion.
「…This wind… 『Sara’s typhoon』…!」
Meiya paled, and there was a *Ka-thump!*
From the back of her robes, a large sword thudded onto the church floor. Falling on her right side, she gripped it in her right hand– but her target was not me. It was outside.
「Invasione!」
「Invasione–!」
The sister soldiers cried unanimously, pointing at the window. Outside, an arrow rode the wind and turned like a guided missile. It was tipped with high-explosives, and was like a small-scale missile–
*Thump!* *Thud!* *Whish!*…
One after another, the arrows struck the church wall, demolishing it.’
From the size and power, it was powdered titanium explosive. It was a cutting-edge explosive with 190% the power of TNT.
「To-Tohyama-san. Outside… you must escape! GRENEDA is attacking!」
Shattered from the shock, multi-coloured sharp fragments of the stained glass blew about the chapel.
…GRENEDA…!
Hearing that, I drew my Beretta– I turned toward the stairs leading to the cellar where Lisa was, but a tapestry from off the wall had fallen and covered it entirely.
Because our enemy was conducting a bombing raid, it would appear that the basement was the safest place to be.
「…Lisa! Hide there! It will be alright. I will protect you!」
I shouted at the frightened Lisa from the church aisle…
「Yes, Master…!」
Came the reply.
Then, holding her large sword, Meiya called out and assembled the sister soldiers–
「Meiya, how can I『escape』? I don’t know what you think, but I will fight as a member of DEEN. Fight alongside me.」
I said with a wry smile as I looked at my matte silver Beretta.
Then, trusting me, Meiya turned and gave me a nod.
************************************************************************
Stepping across the rubble of the destroyed front door, I stepped outside warily–
*Bang!* *Ba-ba-ba-bang!*
From both sides of the alleyway in front of me came the sounds of bullets being fired in what seemed to be a crossfire of 9mm bullets firing at us.
「*Gasp!*」
「Hrngh…!」
–*Clang!* *Cl-cl-cl-clang!*
Repelling the bullets fired at us, Meiya used her large sword like a shield to protect the nuns following behind.
Meiya and I retreated a step or two–
「Those bullets… were Walther P38s. There were also MG42s and Luger P08s. It’s Katze and her group.」
「She must have come with Patra. I am sorry that I failed to shoot her.」
Her large breasts bouncing, Meiya crossed herself–
With damned GRENEDA in front of us, she would fight with me.
「–Tohyama-san. Across the street… on top of the windmill’s blade. Observe the girl in the grey blazer with light blue ribbon.」
Meiya said, passing me military binoculars that she had gotten from the sister soldiers.
Looking where she had indicated, I checked the top of the windmill…
Then, fixed in position like a crucifix, on the tip of the windmill blade–
A bored looking 12-year-old girl stood.
Although I had an oblique angle, I got the impression of a care-free, beautiful girl.
Overlooking the town, she scowled with her cobalt coloured eyes. Her long silver hair was straight. A peacock feather stuck out of her wide-brimmed stylish hat. More uniquely… in her left hand she carried a longbow taller than she was. Even the arrows carried in her quiver were fletched with peacock feathers. An archer?
*********************************************************
************************************************
「That is『Typhoon Sara』. A single glance into her eyes tells you that she is a bad girl, and Sara Hood is a part of the warhawks of I.U.’s survivors. Descended from Robin Hood, she is a Scottish witch.」
Meiya said, increasing the tension in the air.
So, what you’re saying is that Sara is a tough opponent to deal with.
In the midst of the gale, her long hair was curiously still. Even the feather in her hat remained motionless.
Where she stood must be the eye of the typhoon.
This windstorm, which could also be called a『typhoon』was summoned by this girl. What a neighbourhood nuisance she must be.
「This… Sara Hood that has appeared. She must be one of the more capable members of GRENEDA?」
Robin Hood was a 13th century gentleman thief who made his base in Sherwood Forest, stealing riches from the nobles and dispensing it to the poor.
At some point after that, he must have crossed bloodlines with a witch.
However, her bow is able to strike from further away than the Nazi girl’s gun. I must add a postscript to Kaname’s『A sword is stronger than a gun.』
A bow has a longer range than is commonly thought. An English long bow from the Middle Ages has a range of 150 metres. That is considerably farther than the average handgun.
Due to its simple construction, it is highly reliable, and lacking the noise of a gunshot is very discreet. As proved recently, it is a very effective weapon for a surprise attack.
Having been used by humans since pre-history, if I underestimate it, I’ll be turned into a hedgehog. I have to give it careful thought.
「–Able to manipulate the wind, Sara is a bow master able to shoot her enemies at angles and ranges defying common sense. But unable to communicate with people, even GRENEDA finds her difficult to employ… she is rarely sent to the front lines, but rather is held back as a sort of trump card.」
So she is GRENEDA’s Reki, huh? At least that is what it looks like.
The fact that Ace-chan was in the Netherlands… might be a result of the intelligence on DEEN’s internal strife supplied by their spy to redeploy her.
「What is Sara’s effective range?」
「Her skill cannot be conceptualised within the ordinary practice of archery. She manipulates the wind to carry her arrows wherever she wishes. From nock to target, she is able to strike at a distance of 2km.」
2 km with an arrow? That isn’t human.
With Bewitching Blade and Sara, there must have been a bargain sale on superhumans.
「Snipers are a problem. I’ll have to deal with Sara first. Even if we get past the windmill–we’ll only give Patra and Katze an opening to attack. The wind is stopping us, but let’s break through the middle. If I run up a back alley and you run up another on the other side, we can flank Sara. Then we can attack the windmill from 2 sides in a pincer movement.」
I said, cocking my Beretta–
「Understood. Good luck, Tohyama-san.」
Meiya crossed herself and hefted her large sword.
Then,
「Holy maidens! Until we take the heads of the 3 witches of wind, sand, and cursed water for the Vatican, I will not allow any to retreat a single step!」
She gave the rousing order to the following sister soldiers, pointer her large sword toward the outside like a lance.
With a unified shout of acknowledgment, from beneath their robes… they each extracted polished silver swords with the Vatican’s coat of arms and the keys of St. Peter on them, along with a small shield.
「The Lord is my sword and my shield! Melted from the bells of the basilica of San Carlo al Corso, cast in the same mould as the holy blades of the Crusades, with silver shaved from the crucifix of the Santa Maria sopra Minerva, and polished by the Shroud of Turin with holy water– there is no witch that our holy cross-bell swords cannot annihilate. We will dispense divine wrath! Follow me–!」
Yelling a shrill cry of encouragement to her followers, Meiya jumped out into the gale as the vanguard–
With a war cry, the sister soldiers followed suit by drawing their swords.
But… they were only equipped with sword and shield!
H-how antiquated are you…!?
As the only one with a projectile weapon, I was quickly left behind–
En masse, they charged after Meiya to assault the windmill, and Katze’s underlings sprinkled throughout the town unleashed a storm of 9mm bullets.
*Clang!* *Clang!* Cl-clang!*
Following each other in rapid succession, the clash of bullets on metal shields was audible.
*Thump!* *Thump!* *Thud!*
One after another, the nuns were knocked down by bullets striking their bulletproof robes.
Even so– Meiya and the rest paid no heed to this and continued their reckless charge.
It was like watching an Imperial Japanese Army bayonet charge.
Kaname and G-3’s Neue Ange are the extreme exceptions. Typically a sword is no match for a gun. Even a child understands that.
Even so, the Vatican is proud of their own traditional style and continues to fight with it.
Are you planning to push the European Front of FEW like this…!?
In dumb amazement, I could not move and fell behind–
In accordance with the plan of attack, I rushed out into the rushing wind of the alleyway and headed toward the windmill. With the Nazi girls all firing at me, I used Mirror to destroy some of their guns.
Then with a *Whoosh!*– an arrow came flying down the alley headed toward me.
It was a nickel-copper arrow, fletched with peacock feathers.
Bow and arrow… Typhoon Sara…!
Using Billiard–
Although I tried to shoot it, what seemed like a prescient gust of wind shifted its flightpath–somehow raising it to avoid the bullet–!
I am dead.
Or so I thought in that moment.
Luckily the arrow was disturbed, and the fletching just grazed me, flying on past me–*Whoosh!*
Brushing past my cheek, the arrow disappeared behind me.
「…!」
The sudden sharp pain, no, the shock of the event caused my eyes to open wide.
Billiard… had been defeated. Suddenly upon the first encounter.
I hadn’t been aiming at the fletching. The fact that the arrow hadn’t skewered me through the cheek was merely due to luck. It was probably due to Meiya’s luck enhancement.
In a very real way, it was defeated. Billiard, that is.
If it were a one-on-one battle, I could do it.
But Typhoon Sara– that archer girl’s arrows are not limited to describing simple parabolas.
By controlling the surrounding air upon which it rides, it is entirely possible to alter its course like a missile.
But… now that I understand that, I can deal with it.
Sara-chan. To all appearances, you are a sixth-year primary schooler or a first-year middle schooler, but you are trying to kill a high schooler. Once I arrest you, I’ll spank your bottom. Using Ouka.
**************************************
Swords over there. Arrows over here.
It’s like a scene from a European Middle Ages battle in this part of Bourtange–
Meiya and I with her 5 remaining soldier nuns were preparing to flank the windmill from both sides. In the immediate surroundings, there seemed impossibly to be a lack of any wind, and standing atop the windmill blade, Sara…
「…」
She stood, without turning to look at us, nocking an arrow, or saying anything.
Then appearing on the right and left blades of the windmill–
「Hohoho! Kinji Tooyama, now… Achoo!」
A sneeze from the cold she caught from her recent swim in the moat interrupted her words, as Patra stood there in the good clothes that she had turned into a swimsuit–
「Yo, Tohyama! Weren’t you out of DEEN? Isn’t that how it was when we met?」
With Edgar riding on her shoulder, the uniformed Katze grinned and laughed as they each sat down.
At this range, Sara won’t be fighting anymore.
But even so, my mind was unsettled.
「Patra, I’m sorry.」
My Hysteria Mode still somewhat in effect, I used『Invisible bullet』– With a *Bang!*, I fired at the chains secured to the ground and preventing the windmill from turning.
Then with creaking noises… the four blades of the windmill… began to spin to the right, sinking beneath Patra’s feet.
Underneath–
Meiya stood at the base of the windmill with her large sword, ready to defeat the witches Patra, Sara, and Katze in their turn as it revolved.
But–
「Hehehe! Patra, you are heavier than I am!」
Dangling her feet over the edge as she laughed, Katze
「Ugh! I am of greater stature than you! Ho now, Kinji Tooyama! D-do you hear what insolence is directed at the supreme ruler… disgraceful!」
Patra screamed, and Sara regarded both of them with a sigh…
These members of GRENEDA are not at all anxious.
Almost as if they never expected to have to fight us–
「–…!」
I turned to look behind me.
There was something I did not comprehend.
What? Something very… powerful was heading toward us.
Bewitching Blade…? No, this was different.
Something similarly matched in power.
Meiya seemed to have noticed as well– and seeing the opportunity to kill three of GRENEDA’s witched come to nothing, she quickly put her back to the windmill. Then taking up our positions facing the church, we looked out.
「…Demon, Sword…!」
Gritting out those words and understanding our defeat, looking ahead, Meiya–
She saw it, about 170 metres away, in front of the cross on the church’s roof.
A Japanese, high school girl…?
The setting sun at her back, the girl seemed to be only about a year younger than me.
The wind violently lashed her white sailor suit and her red and green checked skirt.
A thin red ribbon bound her hair– in black twin tails shorter than Aria’s.
***************************************
***************************************
Both her slanted eyes give the impression of a strong will and prideful disposition.
Due to her small stature, she looked cute, but her large round breasts and the curve of her legs beneath her short skirt gave off an impression of sensuality beyond her apparent age.
『Demon Sword』… huh?
This is–
The Demon Sword, hired alongside Bewitching Blade by GRENEDA…!?
Compared to the mental picture I got from my encounter with Bewitching Blade…. the actuality was quite different. I imagined someone more like Hilda.
Even the swords she carried differed from my expectation. No, can they actually be called swords?
It was certainly an edged blade, but it’s shape… was circular and just under 2 metres in diameter. It was a weapon with a sharp outer perimeter.
Like the rings of Saturn, the girl remained inside like a swimming ring or hula hoop.
Above the rotating circular blade–
The sinking sunlight slanted down collecting on the blade, and the golden light began swirl. Orbiting Demon Sword’s torso like natural satellites.
「–Hohoho! Kinji Tohyama, you should observe veeery carefully, for several reasons.」
「Yo, samurai girl, Alicebell! I wonder juuust what colour Meiya’s underwear is! 」
Patra looked on with a lewd narrowed gaze for some reason, while Katze clapped her hands happily, and Sara sighed again.
Then…. the sister soldiers with Meiya…all at once became frightened.
Is it a ranged attack?
Taking up a high position at distance is what a sniper would do.
Because of that, there is nothing we can do to counter it…!
In the next moment–*Poof!*
Soundlessly, a bullet of light shot out from Demon Sword’s rotating ring blade. Heading toward–Meiya.
It was obviously some kind of ESP, and since it was the first time I had seen it, there was no way for me to counter it…!
Then the shell of light flew toward Meiya–
Scoring a direct hit.
「–Kyaaaaa!」
The golden light burst on Meiya’s body, shining from inside out… Then it exploded in shifting rainbow colours.
Then due to its power, her white robes split open with a *Rip!* from the inside–
…!
As I watched, Meiya was stripped down to her underwear.
Her lace trimmed silk underwear and embroidered white rose trimmed knee high stockings were exposed…
「Ah…Aaah…!」
Her whole body losing all strength, her face fell–*Thump!*…
Collapsing and totally unable to stand, Meiya looked up from where she had fallen.
With a *Thud!*, her large sword hit the ground…*Snap!*… with a weak sound, fragments of shattered metal scattered.
…Meiya.
The one who had taken Hilda’s head and rivalled Katze… Meiya… was defeated.
In just one shot.
No, that’s ridiculous. Meiya’s luck enhancement has to protect her. She has some kind of cheat ability to increase the fortunes of war.
Was her divine protection nullified…!? By Demon Sword’s light bullet…!?
Amidst the disorder in front of me, seeing their leader struck down, the sister soldiers acted–
Surrounding her in her underwear and putting their backs to her, they formed a configuration like Oshikuramanjuu.
Then knelling on one knee, they arranged their key inscribed swords facing outwards like a tortoise shell.
From the blades of the rotating windmill– there was a *Thud!* *Thump!* and another *Thud!*–
「You should surrender Kinji Tooyama. Or would you like to be stripped as well?」
「…Patra-nee, you are so indecent. Don’t be stupid.」
「Demon Sword–Alicebell is magic Neue Ange. She is a『witch-hunting witch』that uses some kind of unknown magic to deal with ESP users. Even that annoying Meiya was taken care of in a single blow.」
Patra had been the first to speak as the three witches descended to the ground.
Demon Sword… It appeared that Alicebell was her name. She appeared to be Japanese, but it could have been something else.
The sister soldiers squatted around Meiya who was unable to stand, trembling and shaking… those girls are hardly in a state to continue fighting.
Processing the situation in Hysteria Mode–
I am alone… and the responsibility is heavy.
I might be able to handle them individually, but all 4 at once was impossible. Even in Hysteria Mode.
To start with, my win-loss record against witches isn’t that great.
I defeated them all, but each time I had help from my friends.
As for defeating an ESP user by myself… frankly, I think it impossible.
And my current Hysteria Mode Berserker status might lead me into some kind of suicidal attack, whereas normal Hysteria Mode would be best in this case. For now–
I can’t do anything by surrender. For Meiya and the rest’s safety.
*************************************************************************
After that, the windstorm that had been shaking the town suddenly stopped…
Disarming me and the sister soldiers, Katze forced the girls into revealing Lisa’s location, threatening to:「Strip you too.」
After a short time, the Nazi girls returned with Lisa, and storing her blade somewhere, Alicebell and the rest gather in front of the windmill.
With a dignified manner, Alicebell stepped in front of me–
「…You are young, Kinji Tohyama. There is always a storm raging whenever we meet, isn’t there?」
Speaking those baffling words, she stared at me with a firm expression in her slanted eyes.
「You must have me confused with someone else. I’ve never met you.」
This girl called me young for some reason, even though she’s younger than I am.
But… that look in Alicebell’s eyes.
It is strange. It definitely looks like she knows me.
「You and Aria H. Kanzaki– are like a gold ring that warps the branches of time. Because of you in particular, the fate of Rampan has been altered, and we were required to restore the balance. Please do not meddle any more with that organisation from now on.」
I did not understand the meaning of those S-rank words…
In any case, it looks like Tamamo’s investigation missed something.
Demon Sword and Bewitching Blade are definitely connected to Rampan.
Last month in Hong Kong, Rampan was defeated by DEEN. Even so, judging from their hostility, they may have been hired by Shanghai Rampan.
「…If you don’t want me involved, why don’t you kill me.」
「Doing so would not solve anything. After all, if you were killed, you’d come back to life, wouldn’t you?」
That was unexpected. Superhuman humans are still human.
But just in case she really decides to kill me, I won’t say anything more to dig my own grave.
「But…Bewitching Blade must be a lucky guy, huh? To have such a cute girlfriend.」
My Hysteria Mode exhausting itself with those words, I diverted the conversation, and Alicebell…
…*Blush!*
Blushing hard enough that steam seemed to pour from her head like a volcanic eruption, she appeared to steal and use Aria’s rapid blush technique.
「G-g-g-g-girlfriend!? With Seiji-kun!? No, no, absolutely not! A-a-as if anyone would ever be that panty thief’s girlfriend!」
Becoming just as panicked as Aria, she began waving her arms wildly. If it were Aria here, she’d be stamping her feet and shaking her fists up and down like some kind of monkey dance.
She whirled away from me in anger, and the expression on her face was hard to describe. She was clearly angered by my use of the word ‘girlfriend’, but she also seemed to be holding back a smile.
…Hm. What a strange girl.
But speaking of Bewitching Blade, did this strange girl call him a panty thief? What was that about?
Even with such skill, she might be a terrible person. By all outward appearances she is exceptionally cute, and I can’t say with absolute certainty that such things are totally impossible…. or as Konayuki might say, she might be unclean.
But just now Demon Sword had let something slip.
Bewitching Blade’s name appears to be『Seiji』.
Good. When I get back home, I’ll run an identity check and ambush him in Narita. Then, after arresting him, I’ll take possession of his twin blades. They’ll do in place of my scramasax.
「『Enable』… I do not want to meet again if possible, but I must leave you like this. –So, until next time.」
Leaving open the possibility that we may meet again with these cryptic words–
Alicebell turned her back toward me and took her leave.
[END]
************************************************
1. A theatrical role where comedy is induced by overblown reactions to sitUations.
Chapter 4: Demon Blade Within the Typhoon
[START]
Since Bourtange was originally a fortified city, the buildings overlook the streets in order to make it easier to intercept invaders, and that fact stands out.
Due to that, I would hear about any new arrivals to the town– so I asked Lisa about the people I had seen.
「Master, I believe that a choir is arriving at the church today.」
Lisa reported after returning from shopping in the falling light morning snow.
In terms of Christianity, the Netherlands have a 3 to 2 ration of Catholics to Protestants, and the church here in town in Catholic.
And the head of the Catholic faith… is the Vatican.
And right now, I am at odds with Meiya from DEEN.
Bearing that in mind, I continued to watch the group on the road to the church through a gap in the curtains–
There were 3 black classic Fiat Tipo 509’s
A rumble of engines rising from the motorcade, 10 nuns in matching white vestments entered the church.
Each of them carried an instrument case but did not wear a veil, exposing their blonde hair. They were young. Probably about my age or younger.
…?
From the way they walk, I can tell that their gazes are flickering back and forth, assessing possible cover before entering the church…
If this were Butei High, I’d get the impression that these were ASSAULT or LEZZAD students.
The size of their instrument cases is suspicious as well. By size and apparent weight, I’d guess that they carried something other than musical instruments.
This is no ordinary choir.
Those thoughts passing through my mind, I continued to watch them through the lightly falling snow–
「…!」
Taller, with a larger chest than the other nuns, and with more gold embroidery to her white robes… Meiya was the last to exit the vehicles.
Then moving out as if to greet her, with a *Flap!* *Flap!*–
The dove with the golden collar that I had seen at the festival came to rest on the back of Meiya’s hand.
Crap…!
I’ve seen this before. Shirayuki with her Hotogi butterflies, Patra with her scarabs, Katze with her crow… these witch all seem to have their own『familiar』.
Adopting some kind of insect or bird as their subordinate, via sorcery they employ them to scout, spy, or boost their attacks.
That dove wasn’t just some kind of carrier pigeon. It was Meiya’s familiar…!
But then the people with Meiya–
I saw them carrying food, documents, and a desktop PC into the church. But I didn’t get the impression that they are planning to search the immediate area. Rather, that they are using this fortified city as a base to search a broader area.
In any case… It appears that the dove is not as sophisticated a familiar as Edgar and was only able to communicate『This is the area』to Meiya.
Even so, it is probably a coincidence the eyes and ears of the Vatican have led them to this area and a result of Meiya’s good luck skill.
That luck enhancement… makes it hard on her enemies.
Being discovered here by Meiya is a definite risk.
If it came to a battle, I would certainly be defeated.
She is accompanied by 10 people– corresponding to 2 platoons. And I get the feeling they are under her command.
To oppose that, there is one of me whose Hysteria Mode had long worn off.
Rather, only a portion of 1 person. Due to my unfortunate promise, I cannot fight without the handicap of protecting Lisa.
Despite the fact that Lisa intends to surrender, Meiya is one of the most radical elements of DEEN. Declaring GRENEDA pests, she took Hilda’s head, and at Bandire her battle-loving personality called for taking drastic action against Katze. Even if the former member of GRENEDA Lisa raised a white flag, I’m not entirely sure that she would accept it.
If Lisa were attacked, I would have to fight Meiya.
At this moment– I do not want to fight with Meiya. Finding out who the traitor is and stopping the leak of information from DEEN is my first priority. The chief culprit is still out there.
I have to get out of here!
Making that determination, I immediately check my wound.
It’s swollen and hurt if you press on it. But it’s not enough to hinder movement.
It’s not a complete recovery, but if I get an opportunity– I should be able to deflect an attack.
That thought in mind… I looked around the large, comfortable room.
Farewell, Bourtange. These days… were peaceful, living day to day with Lisa.
Reciting that in my mind–Lisa was still happily making lunch in the kitchen, and I said:
「Pack up, Lisa. The choir is part of DEEN’s combat forces.」
I ordered, changing the mood.
***************************************************
Despite having had the time to accumulate, the snow had barely covered the old cobblestones.
Up until this moment, Bourtange has done a good job of keeping us safe– In addition to being easy to see people entering, it is also easy for people to escape unseen.
Then, in my Cromaetel disguise, I pulled along Lisa who was disguised as a glasses-wearing businesswoman behind me as I walked at a brisk pace– rushing to the town’s only exit and entrance, a drawbridge crossing a deep moat.
Then…
…What?
A lot of people were gathered on and around the drawbridge.
This is bad…
Did Meiya and her group find out about our preparation to flee, and gather here? How?
Due to the difference in elevation, I could see… and I quickly understood the reason.
A child was drowning.
The moat had begun to freeze over with bits of ice floating here and there.
From on top of the bridge, an elderly couple that appeared to be his parents called the child’s name.
「Franz…! Franz…!」
Took look at, it appeared to be the chubby neighbourhood bully that egged the dog on to tease Lisa earlier. On the bridge were fresh tyre marks.
He must have been messing about near the guardrail and an approaching motorbike must have sent him over the rail.
Observing from a distance, by comparison, we stood out…
So, in order to blend in with the crowd of onlookers, Lisa and I moved toward the bridge. Then…
…!
The nuns must have come to the bridge to see if they could not help the drowning Franz in some way.
With everyone on the bridge–Lisa and I might be able to slip past even Meiya.
No one is paying attention to me. They are all concerned for the drowning boy.
Looking back from the other side of the moat, the sisters found it difficult to help Franz and they could not swim in their robes.
There were other Dutch on the bridge too. There was a man who tried to jump in, but he was stopped by others. The reason was easy to understand after a brief glance at the moat. The moat was built for warfare, and it was wide and deep. It was constructed with a cliff-like slope such that once an enemy fell in, they would not be able to escape
If he had jumped in, he would not have been able to get back out and only increase e the number of drowning people.
What’s more, Franz’s foot must have been caught in his motor bike, spraining his ankle and making him unable to swim. From his frantic movements, his strength is failing. A far distance from bridge, he repeatedly sunk and rose above the surface of the water.
Lisa–
Wiped tears from beneath her glasses. With how it is, it would be difficult to save him. This must be fate.
What’s more… we… can’t help him.
You have no luck, do you Franz?
Meiya will discover us, won’t she? We have to leave so that I can prove my own innocence. Cross the bridge, leave the town, I took the first step.
…!…
Oi! My feet!
I’ve gone through a lot of trouble–
All to leave Bourtange.
Why am I turning back toward the bridge?
Now I’m running for some reason! Running the wrong way. Meiya and her group are distracted by Franz, I should escape.
「S-stop please, Master! You will die if you go…!」
Lisa panicked behind me.
Kinji. Are you really like that? Pretending to be an ally of justice?
I looked totally uncool in my Cromaetel disguise. Did I want DEEN to think of me as『a good person』?
No– that wasn’t it.
There is no such thing as good or bad people. Just like DEEN and GRENEDA. I learned that in Brussels.
Ally s of justice do not exist in this world. I learned that a long time ago.
In the first place, nothing like justice exists.
Well, how should I say it?
A person has their path– their moral principle– do such things exist?
Justice is a more ambiguous moral principle, but some things are more moral than others.
Right now, I should follow my own path, abandon the boy and leave the town, but I can’t. That is the simple truth. In from of Meiya and the rest–
I must leap into the frozen moat. That was the simple truth.
「No, Master! A sludge has collected at the bottom of the moat, and once caught in it, you will be unable to get out again!」
In order to hide the true meaning of her words, Lisa shouted in English–
「If you ignore a dying man, it will keep you awake at night. A good night’s sleep is important.」
I said the same thing as when I rescued Lisa in the underground tunnels, but this time in English.
「Lisa. This is my final command as your master. You must run. I wish you all the best luck.」
Saying that, I forced my wallet with what little funds remained into Lisa’s hands–several Dutchmen tried to stop me, but in a flurry of movement– using my ASSAULT training, I swept clear of them.
「…Master…!」
Lisa shouted at my back, and I leapt in. Still wearing my Cromaetel disguise.
*Splash!*
I submerged myself fully into the moat’s water–but it was almost frozen.
If I hadn’t warmed up with my sprint, I would have died from my heart stopping.
I jumped in still wearing my coat and wig, and fully clothed swimming was a drill on ASSAULT. Paddling over, I swam to the drowning Franz.
「Heeeelp…!」
「Hold on!」
I grabbed Franz underneath the arms, and although he had taken in quite a bit of water, it probably wasn’t enough to be fatal. However, because of the water his clothes had absorbed, he felt a lot heavier. Holding on to Franz and swimming clothed is impossible.
「Swim toward the wall!」
「Come on–!」
Everyone from the town, and even the sisters who didn’t recognise me– encouraged us with loud voices. Struggling to swim, I checked the drawbridge, but Lisa wasn’t there. Good. She must have listened to what I said and run.
Keeping Franz’s head above the water, I swam toward the wall– With a *Fwish!*, I kicked out my foot, but… something had a hold of my foot and tangled it.
–The sludge. A clayey mud must have trapped my foot. Franz’s injured foot wasn’t the only reason he couldn’t swim. Franz’s feet were also caught in the mud.
Crap! Struggling and kicking however entangles my feet even more. I’m trying to swim… but I can’t!
Trapped stationary in the freezing water, the cold began to set in dangerously.
*Rumble!* *Rumble!* *Rumble!* … the sound of a large motor approached the bridge… then with a *Whoosh!–
From the guardrail, a woman leapt.
She had the perfect form of a professional diver.
Was she Muslim? Her head was wrapped up, and bangs concealed her eyes, but she looked young. But her clothes were like those of an old punk rocker with a black leather jacket and trousers.
The girl made her way over to me with a butterfly stroke and grabbed Franz. Then things seemed to improve– both of our feet caught in the mud were freed as if by magic.
Now…!
After that, I– along with the woman’s help, pulled Franz to the wall of the moat. My feet no longer encumbered by the mud, I could swim properly– and finally reached the wall.
But now that we are at the edge, it didn’t appear to be a simple matter to get up out of.
Along with a 70-degree slope, the face was also covered with rows of rust iron spikes pointing downward. This must be what are known as anti-ninja countermeasures. What’s more, the surface undulated, making it impossible to climb up unless ropes or chains were dangled down from above.
This is the deadly moat that completely defeated Napoleon’s armies. I don’t see any kind of way to scale it.
「…」
As we both supported Franz, even the girl with the scarf…
Seemingly lacking a method how to get out of the moat, her lipstick covered lips pulled down into a frown.
The longer the three of us stay here, the more the icy water will leach away our heat and sap our strength–I had that thought.
「Master!」
From beside us, there was a voice–
「!?」
Turning my head…
With a *Squeak!* *Squeak!*, an old-fashioned copper sheet rowboat approached…
…Lisa…!
Our eyes met through her black-rimmed glasses.
On the prow of the boat… was an engraving of the careful collector landlady’s ladybug shaped family coat of arms. She even had something like this!?
Taking care that my wig didn’t come off, I got up into the boat… Then each of us took tone of Franz’s arms and pulled. The woman with the scarf pushed his butt from behind, and he came up into the boat.
Franz, you are really pretty heavy. You seem to have the ability to gain weight. If you come to Japan in the future, you might be able to earn a living as a sumo wrestler.
He lay face-up in the boat, gasping for breath… but if he has the energy to do that, he seems fine…
Then I sat and faced Lisa.
「… I told you to run.」
Lisa received the scolding of her master with a grin.
「I did run. But then I came back. So I really didn’t disobey your instructions. Now then, let’s get out of here.」
Twisting the truth with a smile on her face, she pointed toward the bridge.
There, the city residents had cut off a firehose and dangled down from the bridge.
Then emerging last from the water–
「…」
The woman with the scarf silently came up into the boat.
Then… I had a chance to have a good look at the brave woman’s clothing.
Her black leather coat was studded with gold rivets. There were gold rings on her fingers. She even had a necklace in the shape an ancient symbol. Even that was gold. They all gleamed… and were probably 24 karat.
Is she really a rich Arab or a celebrity? Her scarf completely hid her face.
She wiped her hands on her snakeskin belt.
「…」
Tying up her wet scarf, she turned her back toward me…
Her not saying a word, Lisa and my eyes met for a moment, then… *Squeak!* *Squeak!*
The two of us sculled the oars and returned to the bridge amidst cheers and applause.
************************************************************
After each of us had been pulled up to the bridge one by one–Franz’s grandparents hugged me and expressed their gratitude over and over again.
But that over there could be a bad thing…
The nuns are chattering among themselves, praising me and coming this way.
I whispered to Lisa,
「Tell them that I『didn’t expect to have to swim on such short notice, but I’ll be alright』.」
Now the everything was over, I moved to leave–
The water made my wig more apt to slip, and as Franz’s grandmother ran her hands through it, it shifted slightly.
「…!」
Hurrying back with a change of clothes in hand, the Dutch let me pass–
Thoroughly drenched, I rushed back just as hurriedly as we had attempted to leave the town.
The nuns probably noticed us.
Responding to everyone’s applause with a small wave, I looked to see what the nuns were doing…
… I just made it in time… It’s alright.
They looked after me in amazement but weren’t following.
They may not have discovered my identity… or the fact that I was pretending to be a girl. The didn’t recognise me as Kinji Tohyama.
At the very least, they aren’t sure.
Lisa and I broke out of the ring of people on the bridge– and at that moment:
「…Tohyama-san?」
At a distance, I clearly heard Meiya’s voice–
I flinched as my name was called.
Flinching– I turned to look back. Crap!
Dammmit…!
Turning back, our eyes met for a moment, and Meiya’s eyebrows furrowed in an expression of『I thought so』.
I had proved her suspicion in turning in response to hearing my name…Then Meiya’s ultramarine eyes went wide in surprise.
In short, everything clicked into place. As soon as she called my name.
What’s more, I’m completely trapped.
I had proven the fact that Cromaetel was Kinji for her myself.
–I’ve been discovered. Run!
As soon as I began to run…*Grip!*
There was someone else who was shocked at Meiya’s astonished『Tohyama-san?』
It was the woman with the scarf and leather clothed from earlier. Like a reaction comic1, she fell pinned beneath the Harley Davidson as she looked my way. Why?
Caught off guard by the sound, Lisa turned toward the scarf woman.
Losing her balance, Lisa fell backwards onto her butt.
Wha-What’s with this? This chain of surprised reactions.
「Pa-Patra-sama…?」
In response to her words–
It was my own turn to have trouble standing.
Outed as a former member of GRENEDA, the scarf fell away from the woman in the leather outfit…
It really was Patra!?
So that must be the reason that I thought the mud magically let go of my feet. It really was magic acting on the mud. Well, Patra is the『Sand Witch』after all.
A while ago, back in Daiba she did say that swimming was her forte. It all makes sense.
「Lisa. I used astrology to find you… with only a small difference in time between myself and Meiya’s discovery. But what was this behaviour on the boat– your face was surely lively with Kinji Tooyama. I cannot remember you ever smiling once in I.U.」
Running her fingers through her bobbed hair to put in order–
Patra disguised herself to infiltrate the Netherlands to track down the deserter Lisa.
However, prepared for the possibility of being discovered by Meiya, she started up her motorbike.
Making their way through the crowd, Meiya and the nuns were making their way toward us–
「Kinji Tooyama. It appears… that you are being pursued by DEEN. I can scatter these children if you wish to escape.」
Patra said in a condescending tone.
「There’s yourself to consider too, Patra. Sneaking into DEEN’s territory, you were discovered, weren’t you? But… you are much too kind to me. I must think better of you for it. 」
I answered, discarding that abominable wig and coat for my bulletproof uniform.
「I-I– just happened to want to swim, that is all!」
Blushing red in response to my words, Patra shouted these bluffing words.
「Even so, it does seem that the rumours of discord amidst DEEN’s ranks were correct. Hohohoho!」
Saying that while smiling, Patra– *Kiss!* *Kiss!*
With fingers outstretched, she blew 2 or 3 kisses toward the moat.
After that, the surface began to tremble slightly… slithering up the stone wall, several animals appeared…
C-cobras…?
The sham figures were probably constructed from the mud at the bottom of the moat, but they moved exactly like real snakes.
The cobras made their way onto the bridge, and everyone there began to panic as they slipped underfoot– Gathering around the Harley they stood their bodies up.
I was wondering what they would do next, but then something began to slither.
Patra’s belt– what I thought was a snakeskin was actually a real snake, and it dropped to the ground and slithered among the other forgeries.
I didn’t know which one was the real cobra, then… *Whoosh!* The snaked spread out.
「…!…」
I kicked at the cobra near my feet, but if it happened to be the real one, that’s dangerous.
Lisa held on the me, sobbing, so there was no way to run.
「Hohoho! Lisa, I will overlook this blunder. Bring Kinji to the dragon’s port.」
Patra left us with those words, then made a swift movement.
Straddling the motor bike, the engine roared. Now that I come think of it, it was probably Patra that ran Franz off the edge of the bridge. The tyre marks seem to match.
The cobras infested the drawbridge, and the Dutch there scattered like a swarm of baby spiders–
With girlish shrieks, the sisters dashed here and there like mad.
But in the midst of the chaos, *Ka-shing!*
Like a shout to bring someone to their senses, a heavy metallic sound rang.
「Do not fear, my sisters! This is a witch’s trickery! To anyone who shrinks back before the witch, I will dispense divine punishment! Physically!」
She spoke in Italian–about 30% of which I understood–then there was a *Whoosh!*
At the end of the line of nuns, Meiya’s usual oversized sword cut through the air.
Rather than aiming it at Patra or us, she was aiming to intimidate her subordinates.
Then the nervous nuns…
With perspiration standing out on their foreheads, stopped running from the cobras– *Jingle!*
With a sound of bells, they drew thin double-edged blades from inside their robes.
Then there was the whisper of blades. And they turned their sword in unison toward Patra.
From their coordinated movements, I could tell that this manoeuvre was well-practised. These are nuns, after all.
In Japan, they would be something like warrior monks, and if I had to name the, they would be sister soldiers.
「That is the『Sand Witch』Patra! If we exterminate her, Canossa will give us 20 credits, and that means we can take half a year off! Adonai Melek Namen!」
Despite having worked together with the Diamond Dust Witch until recently, she recited some kind of Catholic mantra with a fixed gaze– Honestly, I get the feeling that she just wants to hunt down anyone with the title of witch.
「–You dare to attack me? The Vatican often boast of things it cannot accomplish. Hohoho!」
With a *Twang!*, Patra spun her bike and something like shots flew toward us from her body–*Whoosh!*
Her rings and rivets transformed into golden bullets, spreading out from her like a shotgun blast. Directed toward the nuns.
With a rush, the small highspeed bullets flew toward the nuns without having been fired from a gun, knocking them down. But that was all a smokescreen.
As for the real attraction… Her necklace coalesced into a baseball sized metal orb. Then it flew at Meiya’s head–
「–Dispenses divine punishment–!」
*Shiiiiiiiing!*
With a loud, piercing metallic screech, Meiya swung the long sword on her should like a bat and swatted it back. It looked like the Yankees Robinson Cano taking a swing.
The batted ball flew past Patra and struck the edge of the wooden bridge rail, destroying it and sending up a shower of splinters.
Wh-what strength you have, Meiya! You’re like a human piece of artillery.
As expected, Patra merely inclined her head, and Lisa fell once more onto her butt–
「…Hump! So you dodged that, huh?」
Casting an eye over her fallen sisters, Meiya tutted
Seeming to have no intention of reengaging, Patra slammed down on the accelerator… and the motorbike sped off. Then springing into a bag located by the rear wheel with a leap, the real cobra jumped in. It appears to be well trained.
I thought that I should make my escape as well, however– both my feet are tangled by the cobras formed from the mud.
Damn you Patra! You left me as a present so that Meiya wouldn’t chase after you, didn’t you?
The sister soldiers’ robes appeared to be bulletproof, and they appeared uninjured.
The slow-footed Lisa hadn’t even run, firmly determined to stand by my side–
–Lisa and I were caught by Meiya and the Vatican.
*************************************************************************
We were taken by the nuns into the church in the centre of the town.
The nuns were armed. They also had Meiya who was on the same level as Patra, Katze, and Hilda.
Naturally, I want to break out and escape. But I Couldn’t take Lisa with me.
So…
For now, I’ll wait and see how thing go.
For one thing, Meiya hasn’t attacked us yet.
Having captured us, the nuns still held on to their weapons.
There must still be room to negotiate here.
We entered the transept and– dazzling multicoloured stained glass windows and elaborate painted scenes filled our entire field of vision. On the well-used altar at the end, no more than candles served as offering… it was just like an ancient Japanese Shinto shrine. This is different
「… Marvellous, isn’t it? The church.」
I said as we went down the aisle, wanting to gauge Meiya’s level of anxiety–
「Yes. I will have to show you St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This is a rustic church.」
She responded with a gentle laugh.
As I suspected… even though her face is a bit tense, she doesn’t see me as a hostile threat.
Afterwards, Lisa and I were taken to a small cellar room– under the supervision of the sister soldiers, we were given warm clothes, warm soup, bread, and coffee to go along with it.
After being confined for a while…
Having seemingly combed her hair and rested for a bit, Meiya appeared once more and cleared the room of nuns.
Then immediately after closing the door–
「Tohyama-san..! Thank goodness we’ve met again…! Thank God…」
Tears stood out suddenly in her eyes, then *Squish!*
She hugged me with all her strength as I sat in a chair.
H- O-oi…!
She had done it so suddenly that I didn’t have the chance to avoid her, but n-now– Meiya’s nuclear carrier class abundant breasts were pressed into my face. Through her white robes.
Shirayuki had battleship class breasts, I believe Nakasorachi exceeds that classification, but there was an overwhelming volume here… and what’s more, there was a sweet sugar milk scent wafting from her…!
What’s more, Meiya is one year older than me. It is one year, but that still means she is older!
For some reason, it is a verifiable fact that my Hysteria Mode is weaker to older women.
***************************************
***************************************
That is to say, let me go. I’m suffocating…!
Then as if Christ had heard my prayer, suddenly Meiya released me–
…*Glare!*…
Wh-what…?
Sitting well-manneredly diagonally across from me, Lisa gave a horribly intense glare. Directed at Meiya.
「–Sister-sama, you have huge breasts, don’t you?」
Seemingly irritated for some reason, Lisa put on an unusually sullen expression–
「Eh? Well, yeah… their weight just makes my shoulders stiff.」
Meiya replied with a wry smile. Despite Lisa’s expression, her reply was amicable.
「–Please do not let those nuns back into the room. The food they brought in earlier was not to Master’s liking. I am here to care for his daily needs. There is no need for anyone else needs to care for him.」
Her pride as a maid injured, Lisa puffed out her cheeks.
Fluffing her sleek blonde hair, she whirled to face away.
「Understood… My apologies. I seem to have unwittingly offended you. But now… Tohyama-san. Can we speak for a moment?」
Bowing to Lisa, Meiya took my hand to lead me out of the room–
After making eye contact to tell Lisa『Don’t move』… I stood from my seat.
*********************************************************************
Going down the church aisle, there was an old wooden booth with check-patterned carvings on it.
I couldn’t see inside, but it looked like a wooden telephone booth.
Meiya order the rest of the nuns out of the room, then I entered it from one side.
It could barely fit 2 or 3 people inside, and the booth was dark and cramped–
In the middle there was a partition made of olive brown wood.
It was a bit like a police detention visiting room.
I sat on the chair inside, and Meiya entered the opposite side.
Uh… This seems dangerous. This confined space.
As soon as Meiya entered, the scent of milk filled the space.
Thanks to the difference between Western and Japanese eating and bathing habits, Japanese are more aware of body odour, and it could be an issue– depending on the source, that is. In this case, the scent wafted up from the beautiful older woman who had thrust her breasts into my face and made me aware of the opposite sex… As a natural consequence the stirrings of Hysteria Mode in my body increased, creating another issue entirely.
As I worked to reduce my Hysteria Mode by counting prime numbers, on the other side of the partition that I couldn’t see through, Meiya said–
「I’m sorry for the cramped space. This is a confession booth. It is intended to be used by Christians after baptism to confess their sins to a member of the clergy. Anything you say here, I swear by God will not be revealed.」
「..You mean it’s confidential? Can I really trust that?」
「For example, even if someone confessed to a murder in this room, a nun will not reveal it to anyone– not talk to the police or leave any kind of record. This is an absolute religious rule. So please, tell me anything that you would like say now.」
As Meiya shifted to take up an attentive posture, her womanly scent tickled the inside of my nose–
After a brief moment of silence, I took advantage of her offer to listen.
「…Did Jeanne come back to DEEN?」
「No.」
「Do you suspect me and Jeanne?」
「Here, I can only speak the truth, so I cannot remain silent. I will answer the question truthfully. I do not suspect you.」
「…」
「As I told you before, I am a believer. Be believing, I gain the divine protection of God. I do not doubt any of my allies.」
I see.
–Meiya.
Thank you.
You are one of the traitors.
You have just confirmed that for me once more.
I was half hysterised when you hugged me, in this cramped room I am 80% there, and thanks to that I am sure, but… Meiya is only one part of the traitor problem. She is only about 20% responsible.
But now is not the time to dig into the details.
Rather– I am 80% sure that I can stop the leak of information.
「… Tohyama-san.」
Meiya broke in on an entirely different track than my train of thought–
From within the depths of her cleavage, she extracted a quartered A4 size paper.
She then passed it to me through a crevice below the wooden lattice.
「I believe that Tohyama-san should leave Brussels. I will work in secret to prove your innocence. However, Liberty Mason suspects you. Unfortunately, the Vatican has followed suit.」
Opening the paper she had given to me– It was a KLM airline electronic ticket. It has already been reserved, and there are instruction written on it explaining how to obtain a boarding pass using the barcode.
The destination was– John F. Kennedy Airport. New York.
「I came to help you. You should use this ticket to leave Europe for a while I spoke on the phone with Tamamo-san at the beginning of the year, and I heard the G-3-san is in America. He will certainly give you refuge.
So this would take me out the European operation– Meiya might truly suspect that I am a traitor.
I’m dancing on the palm of her hand, and that is a bit frustrating…
As long as Liberty Mason is my enemy, chances of victory in Europe are slim.
I should retreat for a while. Returning with American and Japanese allies of DEEN would be helpful.
Coming to that conclusion–
「I owe you for this, Meiya. I have one more request, however… I will ask for one more ticket. For Lisa to come with me… she is a deserter from GRENEDA.」
「Ah! I am surprised… I have already thought of Tohyama-san’s native wife.」
「N-native wife? I don’t even have an actual wife, so how could you have already considered a native wife?」
「Because when it comes to Tohyama-san, you can always count on him to take every chance with women that comes along– Don’t you know that’s what everyone thinks?」
「『When it comes to Tohyama-san』When has that ever happened?」
「All the time.」
「How can you say something like that while smiling? I–」
As I was saying that there was a *Knock!* *Knock!*
There was a sharp knock on the confessional booth door.
Meiya leaned over and cracked the door behind her slightly–
「What is it? I told you not to disturb us. Do you want to be horse-slapped 3 times as divine punishment?」
She scolded the terrified sister soldier. In Italian.
She seems pretty strict with her subordinates.
「H-here. It’s an urgent telephone call. From『above』.」
Shrinking back in fear, the sister soldier proffered a mobile phone to Meiya,
「…」
The Catholic Church is a completely hierarchical, and it appears the Meiya cannot defy her superiors–So she exited the narrow booth…
Leaving me, she left to take the call.
A while later… the call drug on.
It was in Italian, but I caught the words『him』and『airport』several times. They seemed to be talking about me.
Were they trying to arrange another ticket…?
I tried to listen in on Meiya’s conversation.
「–Bringing up something like excommunication is a bit much, is it not? You say that, but– I know all too well that no one can defy it. But if that is how it is to be… Please do not order me to fight. It is a grave tactical error. Toh… do you know his second name? He is strong. If I fought him while protecting my subordinates, the odds that I would win or lose are even.」
I was able to make out 30%, but due to my limited knowledge of Italian, I was able to make out the sense of what was being said–
Thanks to Meiya’s clear voice, I was able to pick out words here and there… however…
This was a dangerous conversation.
Meiya fighting me. That was what they were talking about.
「What’s more, his role as DEEN’s representative soldier has made him into a sworn friend. I like him. Toh… I do not want to fight him.」
As Meiya spoke into the phone, she made a face at what the other side was saying.
「So… I will take him to the airport. Adonai Melek Namen.」
With that, Meiya ended the call–
Gripping the phone tensely, Meiya passed the phone back to the nun.
She had acted as an ally toward me, but now I feel that she has become an enemy.
Peeking through the gap, I could surely escape. But how far could Lisa make it?
With those thoughts passing through my brain…
Meiya did not return to the confession booth.
Turning her back toward me, she remained silent.
While inside, she cannot tell a lie. She must not want to risk opening her mouth and making a mistake.
…If that’s the case, let me confirm something.
Stepping out of the booth into the nave– I addressed her back.
「Meiya. I have to ask you one thing. You…. must know that someone in DEEN is leaking information to GRENEDA, right?」
Hearing my voice, Meiya did not turn around… but she answered with a voice full of emotion.
「I am a believer. Even if I suspect, I cannot doubt. I must have faith.」
That’s the reason…
That is the reason that no one knows who exactly the traitor is.
With regards to Meiya, this is something well known in the courts of law– a sub-type of『Unintentional Consequences』.『Committing a crime without knowledge』, unknowingly aiding and abetting, or overlooking a crime.
In Meiya’s case, the reason for her complicity is unusual…
Her beliefs have caused the harm.
Even while able to confess that「something is suspicious」, knowing that her words will be heard by the traitor, she still shared intelligence with her allies. Meiya cannot distrust anyone.
–Believing.
That is a good thing, but dangerous. Believing in Jeanne led me into the debacle with the members of DEEN. Meiya is completely defenceless against this danger. In order to gain the divine blessings of her『Luck Enhancement』, she must continue to be defenceless.
Because of that– according to her own words, she is a kind of religious fanatic–despite harbouring no ill intentions, she became an accomplice, leaking intelligence to the traitor form the front lines.
But who is the actual traitor? Why would they pass along information to GRENEDA? Why did Jeanne lead me to Bewitching Blade?
These questions had no clear answers… The conclusion of this matter is still a long way off.
「Tohyama-san, you have always been a very perceptive ally. I know what you want me to say. I understand that much. However, I cannot stop believing. The moment I stop… all the recoil from the blessing of my Luck Enhancement will be visited upon me. If that happens… I would not be able to avoid death.」
Meiya said as she turned toward me.
「–Will you fight me, Tohyama-san?」
Her eyes held a certain degree– of fixed determination.
I don’t know if I can win, but if it comes to fighting, I will fight.
That was what the meaning behind look in her eyes.
「If I attack, the source of the issue will be resolved, and our successes on the European Front may rally.」
…*Shing!*…
Form Meiya– a bloodthirsty aura was released.
1, 2 seconds passed in silence…
The situation the nave felt like a powder keg.
「…」
「…」
Now… in that instant it became a one on one encounter. Like that night in Brussels, but different.
But this time I was almost in Hysteria Mode.
And– I had my gun. Meiya’s subordinates hadn’t disarmed me.
What should I do?
What are you going to do, Kinji?
A cold sweat stood out on my forehead–
Then…
…*Crack!*…*Crack!**Crack!*…
The stained glass cracked.
What? The entirety of the stone church… felt as if it was moving.
The shaking became worse. Feeling the tremors, Meiya broke off her confrontational gaze from me to look around. Then it wasn’t any of Meiya’s magic.
「Earthquake…?」
「Explosion…?」
As Japanese and European, we both voiced the thing that came first to mind in unison– somehow differing.
While trembling, the sister soldiers looked outside through the windows.
Outside was a strange sight.
–There was a strong wind.
Outside the church in the city of Bourtange– a hurricane like wind blew. The shaking was due to the wind. In any case, the Netherlands don’t have earthquakes, after all.
And amidst the wind–*Whoosh!
–An arrow? Something like that sped by outside the window. *Thunk!*…!
Simultaneously with a roar, the whole church shook in an explosion.
「…This wind… 『Sara’s typhoon』…!」
Meiya paled, and there was a *Ka-thump!*
From the back of her robes, a large sword thudded onto the church floor. Falling on her right side, she gripped it in her right hand– but her target was not me. It was outside.
「Invasione!」
「Invasione–!」
The sister soldiers cried unanimously, pointing at the window. Outside, an arrow rode the wind and turned like a guided missile. It was tipped with high-explosives, and was like a small-scale missile–
*Thump!* *Thud!* *Whish!*…
One after another, the arrows struck the church wall, demolishing it.’
From the size and power, it was powdered titanium explosive. It was a cutting-edge explosive with 190% the power of TNT.
「To-Tohyama-san. Outside… you must escape! GRENEDA is attacking!」
Shattered from the shock, multi-coloured sharp fragments of the stained glass blew about the chapel.
…GRENEDA…!
Hearing that, I drew my Beretta– I turned toward the stairs leading to the cellar where Lisa was, but a tapestry from off the wall had fallen and covered it entirely.
Because our enemy was conducting a bombing raid, it would appear that the basement was the safest place to be.
「…Lisa! Hide there! It will be alright. I will protect you!」
I shouted at the frightened Lisa from the church aisle…
「Yes, Master…!」
Came the reply.
Then, holding her large sword, Meiya called out and assembled the sister soldiers–
「Meiya, how can I『escape』? I don’t know what you think, but I will fight as a member of DEEN. Fight alongside me.」
I said with a wry smile as I looked at my matte silver Beretta.
Then, trusting me, Meiya turned and gave me a nod.
************************************************************************
Stepping across the rubble of the destroyed front door, I stepped outside warily–
*Bang!* *Ba-ba-ba-bang!*
From both sides of the alleyway in front of me came the sounds of bullets being fired in what seemed to be a crossfire of 9mm bullets firing at us.
「*Gasp!*」
「Hrngh…!」
–*Clang!* *Cl-cl-cl-clang!*
Repelling the bullets fired at us, Meiya used her large sword like a shield to protect the nuns following behind.
Meiya and I retreated a step or two–
「Those bullets… were Walther P38s. There were also MG42s and Luger P08s. It’s Katze and her group.」
「She must have come with Patra. I am sorry that I failed to shoot her.」
Her large breasts bouncing, Meiya crossed herself–
With damned GRENEDA in front of us, she would fight with me.
「–Tohyama-san. Across the street… on top of the windmill’s blade. Observe the girl in the grey blazer with light blue ribbon.」
Meiya said, passing me military binoculars that she had gotten from the sister soldiers.
Looking where she had indicated, I checked the top of the windmill…
Then, fixed in position like a crucifix, on the tip of the windmill blade–
A bored looking 12-year-old girl stood.
Although I had an oblique angle, I got the impression of a care-free, beautiful girl.
Overlooking the town, she scowled with her cobalt coloured eyes. Her long silver hair was straight. A peacock feather stuck out of her wide-brimmed stylish hat. More uniquely… in her left hand she carried a longbow taller than she was. Even the arrows carried in her quiver were fletched with peacock feathers. An archer?
*********************************************************
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「That is『Typhoon Sara』. A single glance into her eyes tells you that she is a bad girl, and Sara Hood is a part of the warhawks of I.U.’s survivors. Descended from Robin Hood, she is a Scottish witch.」
Meiya said, increasing the tension in the air.
So, what you’re saying is that Sara is a tough opponent to deal with.
In the midst of the gale, her long hair was curiously still. Even the feather in her hat remained motionless.
Where she stood must be the eye of the typhoon.
This windstorm, which could also be called a『typhoon』was summoned by this girl. What a neighbourhood nuisance she must be.
「This… Sara Hood that has appeared. She must be one of the more capable members of GRENEDA?」
Robin Hood was a 13th century gentleman thief who made his base in Sherwood Forest, stealing riches from the nobles and dispensing it to the poor.
At some point after that, he must have crossed bloodlines with a witch.
However, her bow is able to strike from further away than the Nazi girl’s gun. I must add a postscript to Kaname’s『A sword is stronger than a gun.』
A bow has a longer range than is commonly thought. An English long bow from the Middle Ages has a range of 150 metres. That is considerably farther than the average handgun.
Due to its simple construction, it is highly reliable, and lacking the noise of a gunshot is very discreet. As proved recently, it is a very effective weapon for a surprise attack.
Having been used by humans since pre-history, if I underestimate it, I’ll be turned into a hedgehog. I have to give it careful thought.
「–Able to manipulate the wind, Sara is a bow master able to shoot her enemies at angles and ranges defying common sense. But unable to communicate with people, even GRENEDA finds her difficult to employ… she is rarely sent to the front lines, but rather is held back as a sort of trump card.」
So she is GRENEDA’s Reki, huh? At least that is what it looks like.
The fact that Ace-chan was in the Netherlands… might be a result of the intelligence on DEEN’s internal strife supplied by their spy to redeploy her.
「What is Sara’s effective range?」
「Her skill cannot be conceptualised within the ordinary practice of archery. She manipulates the wind to carry her arrows wherever she wishes. From nock to target, she is able to strike at a distance of 2km.」
2 km with an arrow? That isn’t human.
With Bewitching Blade and Sara, there must have been a bargain sale on superhumans.
「Snipers are a problem. I’ll have to deal with Sara first. Even if we get past the windmill–we’ll only give Patra and Katze an opening to attack. The wind is stopping us, but let’s break through the middle. If I run up a back alley and you run up another on the other side, we can flank Sara. Then we can attack the windmill from 2 sides in a pincer movement.」
I said, cocking my Beretta–
「Understood. Good luck, Tohyama-san.」
Meiya crossed herself and hefted her large sword.
Then,
「Holy maidens! Until we take the heads of the 3 witches of wind, sand, and cursed water for the Vatican, I will not allow any to retreat a single step!」
She gave the rousing order to the following sister soldiers, pointer her large sword toward the outside like a lance.
With a unified shout of acknowledgment, from beneath their robes… they each extracted polished silver swords with the Vatican’s coat of arms and the keys of St. Peter on them, along with a small shield.
「The Lord is my sword and my shield! Melted from the bells of the basilica of San Carlo al Corso, cast in the same mould as the holy blades of the Crusades, with silver shaved from the crucifix of the Santa Maria sopra Minerva, and polished by the Shroud of Turin with holy water– there is no witch that our holy cross-bell swords cannot annihilate. We will dispense divine wrath! Follow me–!」
Yelling a shrill cry of encouragement to her followers, Meiya jumped out into the gale as the vanguard–
With a war cry, the sister soldiers followed suit by drawing their swords.
But… they were only equipped with sword and shield!
H-how antiquated are you…!?
As the only one with a projectile weapon, I was quickly left behind–
En masse, they charged after Meiya to assault the windmill, and Katze’s underlings sprinkled throughout the town unleashed a storm of 9mm bullets.
*Clang!* *Clang!* Cl-clang!*
Following each other in rapid succession, the clash of bullets on metal shields was audible.
*Thump!* *Thump!* *Thud!*
One after another, the nuns were knocked down by bullets striking their bulletproof robes.
Even so– Meiya and the rest paid no heed to this and continued their reckless charge.
It was like watching an Imperial Japanese Army bayonet charge.
Kaname and G-3’s Neue Ange are the extreme exceptions. Typically a sword is no match for a gun. Even a child understands that.
Even so, the Vatican is proud of their own traditional style and continues to fight with it.
Are you planning to push the European Front of FEW like this…!?
In dumb amazement, I could not move and fell behind–
In accordance with the plan of attack, I rushed out into the rushing wind of the alleyway and headed toward the windmill. With the Nazi girls all firing at me, I used Mirror to destroy some of their guns.
Then with a *Whoosh!*– an arrow came flying down the alley headed toward me.
It was a nickel-copper arrow, fletched with peacock feathers.
Bow and arrow… Typhoon Sara…!
Using Billiard–
Although I tried to shoot it, what seemed like a prescient gust of wind shifted its flightpath–somehow raising it to avoid the bullet–!
I am dead.
Or so I thought in that moment.
Luckily the arrow was disturbed, and the fletching just grazed me, flying on past me–*Whoosh!*
Brushing past my cheek, the arrow disappeared behind me.
「…!」
The sudden sharp pain, no, the shock of the event caused my eyes to open wide.
Billiard… had been defeated. Suddenly upon the first encounter.
I hadn’t been aiming at the fletching. The fact that the arrow hadn’t skewered me through the cheek was merely due to luck. It was probably due to Meiya’s luck enhancement.
In a very real way, it was defeated. Billiard, that is.
If it were a one-on-one battle, I could do it.
But Typhoon Sara– that archer girl’s arrows are not limited to describing simple parabolas.
By controlling the surrounding air upon which it rides, it is entirely possible to alter its course like a missile.
But… now that I understand that, I can deal with it.
Sara-chan. To all appearances, you are a sixth-year primary schooler or a first-year middle schooler, but you are trying to kill a high schooler. Once I arrest you, I’ll spank your bottom. Using Ouka.
**************************************
Swords over there. Arrows over here.
It’s like a scene from a European Middle Ages battle in this part of Bourtange–
Meiya and I with her 5 remaining soldier nuns were preparing to flank the windmill from both sides. In the immediate surroundings, there seemed impossibly to be a lack of any wind, and standing atop the windmill blade, Sara…
「…」
She stood, without turning to look at us, nocking an arrow, or saying anything.
Then appearing on the right and left blades of the windmill–
「Hohoho! Kinji Tooyama, now… Achoo!」
A sneeze from the cold she caught from her recent swim in the moat interrupted her words, as Patra stood there in the good clothes that she had turned into a swimsuit–
「Yo, Tohyama! Weren’t you out of DEEN? Isn’t that how it was when we met?」
With Edgar riding on her shoulder, the uniformed Katze grinned and laughed as they each sat down.
At this range, Sara won’t be fighting anymore.
But even so, my mind was unsettled.
「Patra, I’m sorry.」
My Hysteria Mode still somewhat in effect, I used『Invisible bullet』– With a *Bang!*, I fired at the chains secured to the ground and preventing the windmill from turning.
Then with creaking noises… the four blades of the windmill… began to spin to the right, sinking beneath Patra’s feet.
Underneath–
Meiya stood at the base of the windmill with her large sword, ready to defeat the witches Patra, Sara, and Katze in their turn as it revolved.
But–
「Hehehe! Patra, you are heavier than I am!」
Dangling her feet over the edge as she laughed, Katze
「Ugh! I am of greater stature than you! Ho now, Kinji Tooyama! D-do you hear what insolence is directed at the supreme ruler… disgraceful!」
Patra screamed, and Sara regarded both of them with a sigh…
These members of GRENEDA are not at all anxious.
Almost as if they never expected to have to fight us–
「–…!」
I turned to look behind me.
There was something I did not comprehend.
What? Something very… powerful was heading toward us.
Bewitching Blade…? No, this was different.
Something similarly matched in power.
Meiya seemed to have noticed as well– and seeing the opportunity to kill three of GRENEDA’s witched come to nothing, she quickly put her back to the windmill. Then taking up our positions facing the church, we looked out.
「…Demon, Sword…!」
Gritting out those words and understanding our defeat, looking ahead, Meiya–
She saw it, about 170 metres away, in front of the cross on the church’s roof.
A Japanese, high school girl…?
The setting sun at her back, the girl seemed to be only about a year younger than me.
The wind violently lashed her white sailor suit and her red and green checked skirt.
A thin red ribbon bound her hair– in black twin tails shorter than Aria’s.
***************************************
***************************************
Both her slanted eyes give the impression of a strong will and prideful disposition.
Due to her small stature, she looked cute, but her large round breasts and the curve of her legs beneath her short skirt gave off an impression of sensuality beyond her apparent age.
『Demon Sword』… huh?
This is–
The Demon Sword, hired alongside Bewitching Blade by GRENEDA…!?
Compared to the mental picture I got from my encounter with Bewitching Blade…. the actuality was quite different. I imagined someone more like Hilda.
Even the swords she carried differed from my expectation. No, can they actually be called swords?
It was certainly an edged blade, but it’s shape… was circular and just under 2 metres in diameter. It was a weapon with a sharp outer perimeter.
Like the rings of Saturn, the girl remained inside like a swimming ring or hula hoop.
Above the rotating circular blade–
The sinking sunlight slanted down collecting on the blade, and the golden light began swirl. Orbiting Demon Sword’s torso like natural satellites.
「–Hohoho! Kinji Tohyama, you should observe veeery carefully, for several reasons.」
「Yo, samurai girl, Alicebell! I wonder juuust what colour Meiya’s underwear is! 」
Patra looked on with a lewd narrowed gaze for some reason, while Katze clapped her hands happily, and Sara sighed again.
Then…. the sister soldiers with Meiya…all at once became frightened.
Is it a ranged attack?
Taking up a high position at distance is what a sniper would do.
Because of that, there is nothing we can do to counter it…!
In the next moment–*Poof!*
Soundlessly, a bullet of light shot out from Demon Sword’s rotating ring blade. Heading toward–Meiya.
It was obviously some kind of ESP, and since it was the first time I had seen it, there was no way for me to counter it…!
Then the shell of light flew toward Meiya–
Scoring a direct hit.
「–Kyaaaaa!」
The golden light burst on Meiya’s body, shining from inside out… Then it exploded in shifting rainbow colours.
Then due to its power, her white robes split open with a *Rip!* from the inside–
…!
As I watched, Meiya was stripped down to her underwear.
Her lace trimmed silk underwear and embroidered white rose trimmed knee high stockings were exposed…
「Ah…Aaah…!」
Her whole body losing all strength, her face fell–*Thump!*…
Collapsing and totally unable to stand, Meiya looked up from where she had fallen.
With a *Thud!*, her large sword hit the ground…*Snap!*… with a weak sound, fragments of shattered metal scattered.
…Meiya.
The one who had taken Hilda’s head and rivalled Katze… Meiya… was defeated.
In just one shot.
No, that’s ridiculous. Meiya’s luck enhancement has to protect her. She has some kind of cheat ability to increase the fortunes of war.
Was her divine protection nullified…!? By Demon Sword’s light bullet…!?
Amidst the disorder in front of me, seeing their leader struck down, the sister soldiers acted–
Surrounding her in her underwear and putting their backs to her, they formed a configuration like Oshikuramanjuu.
Then knelling on one knee, they arranged their key inscribed swords facing outwards like a tortoise shell.
From the blades of the rotating windmill– there was a *Thud!* *Thump!* and another *Thud!*–
「You should surrender Kinji Tooyama. Or would you like to be stripped as well?」
「…Patra-nee, you are so indecent. Don’t be stupid.」
「Demon Sword–Alicebell is magic Neue Ange. She is a『witch-hunting witch』that uses some kind of unknown magic to deal with ESP users. Even that annoying Meiya was taken care of in a single blow.」
Patra had been the first to speak as the three witches descended to the ground.
Demon Sword… It appeared that Alicebell was her name. She appeared to be Japanese, but it could have been something else.
The sister soldiers squatted around Meiya who was unable to stand, trembling and shaking… those girls are hardly in a state to continue fighting.
Processing the situation in Hysteria Mode–
I am alone… and the responsibility is heavy.
I might be able to handle them individually, but all 4 at once was impossible. Even in Hysteria Mode.
To start with, my win-loss record against witches isn’t that great.
I defeated them all, but each time I had help from my friends.
As for defeating an ESP user by myself… frankly, I think it impossible.
And my current Hysteria Mode Berserker status might lead me into some kind of suicidal attack, whereas normal Hysteria Mode would be best in this case. For now–
I can’t do anything by surrender. For Meiya and the rest’s safety.
*************************************************************************
After that, the windstorm that had been shaking the town suddenly stopped…
Disarming me and the sister soldiers, Katze forced the girls into revealing Lisa’s location, threatening to:「Strip you too.」
After a short time, the Nazi girls returned with Lisa, and storing her blade somewhere, Alicebell and the rest gather in front of the windmill.
With a dignified manner, Alicebell stepped in front of me–
「…You are young, Kinji Tohyama. There is always a storm raging whenever we meet, isn’t there?」
Speaking those baffling words, she stared at me with a firm expression in her slanted eyes.
「You must have me confused with someone else. I’ve never met you.」
This girl called me young for some reason, even though she’s younger than I am.
But… that look in Alicebell’s eyes.
It is strange. It definitely looks like she knows me.
「You and Aria H. Kanzaki– are like a gold ring that warps the branches of time. Because of you in particular, the fate of Rampan has been altered, and we were required to restore the balance. Please do not meddle any more with that organisation from now on.」
I did not understand the meaning of those S-rank words…
In any case, it looks like Tamamo’s investigation missed something.
Demon Sword and Bewitching Blade are definitely connected to Rampan.
Last month in Hong Kong, Rampan was defeated by DEEN. Even so, judging from their hostility, they may have been hired by Shanghai Rampan.
「…If you don’t want me involved, why don’t you kill me.」
「Doing so would not solve anything. After all, if you were killed, you’d come back to life, wouldn’t you?」
That was unexpected. Superhuman humans are still human.
But just in case she really decides to kill me, I won’t say anything more to dig my own grave.
「But…Bewitching Blade must be a lucky guy, huh? To have such a cute girlfriend.」
My Hysteria Mode exhausting itself with those words, I diverted the conversation, and Alicebell…
…*Blush!*
Blushing hard enough that steam seemed to pour from her head like a volcanic eruption, she appeared to steal and use Aria’s rapid blush technique.
「G-g-g-g-girlfriend!? With Seiji-kun!? No, no, absolutely not! A-a-as if anyone would ever be that panty thief’s girlfriend!」
Becoming just as panicked as Aria, she began waving her arms wildly. If it were Aria here, she’d be stamping her feet and shaking her fists up and down like some kind of monkey dance.
She whirled away from me in anger, and the expression on her face was hard to describe. She was clearly angered by my use of the word ‘girlfriend’, but she also seemed to be holding back a smile.
…Hm. What a strange girl.
But speaking of Bewitching Blade, did this strange girl call him a panty thief? What was that about?
Even with such skill, she might be a terrible person. By all outward appearances she is exceptionally cute, and I can’t say with absolute certainty that such things are totally impossible…. or as Konayuki might say, she might be unclean.
But just now Demon Sword had let something slip.
Bewitching Blade’s name appears to be『Seiji』.
Good. When I get back home, I’ll run an identity check and ambush him in Narita. Then, after arresting him, I’ll take possession of his twin blades. They’ll do in place of my scramasax.
「『Enable』… I do not want to meet again if possible, but I must leave you like this. –So, until next time.」
Leaving open the possibility that we may meet again with these cryptic words–
Alicebell turned her back toward me and took her leave.
[END]
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1. A theatrical role where comedy is induced by overblown reactions to sitUations.
