Published at 25th of March 2019 10:11 pm

Volume 7 Chapter 5 - The Kings

Part 1

The claws that grasp my body have the power to obstruct magic power…

Lotte who was held tightly by the claws of the white swan calmly analyzed what was happening to her own body. Sharp claws grew from the legs of the swan instead of flippers and it possessed a peculiar power. The person that was grasped in these claws would be forced into hand-to-hand combat with this beast. It was that kind of power.

Lotte who was currently in a weaponless state couldn’t resist with anything.

The swan that held Lotte tightly flapped its wings elegantly and flew to the north above the Haunted Ground.

It was a swan with unusual strength. Not to mention how easily it drove away her companions, even when it encountered powerful demon beasts like gryphon or wyvern while in the middle of flying above a Haunted Ground like this, she stabbed to death all of them with just one attack using its beak.

It was not a magic just to the degree of transforming into a mere animal.

For this swan to not even show any sign of getting rid of her, where in the world was it planning to carry her…?

“Excuse me for being rough. …Maybe getting away this far is good enough, the scenery is also less objectionable for a Haunted Ground of foreign culture. We are landing.”

The swan talked to Lotte attentively and lowered its altitude.

Lotte was let off on top of an asphalt surface that was in full of cracks.

Their surrounding was encroached by the trees of the Haunted Ground, several huge jet coasters were constructed around the area although they were covered with vines.

This place…it was the ruins of the amusement park that was once located near Kawaguchiko.

Of course right now that it had been turned into a Haunted Ground, the once beautifully ordered scenery was changed completely from the encroachment of the vines and the sea of trees though.

Even though the swan evaluated this place as [less objectionable scenery for a Haunted Ground of foreign culture], this area was a good place.

The swan perched on the rail of the jet coaster that crossed besides the standing up Lotte.

“Why was I kidnapped desu? Is it for the sake of defeating Kazuki-oniisan…the King of Japan by using me as hostage desu?”

Lotte asked the swan. The line of sight of the swan that was perching on top of the rail was directed at just right with Lotte’s height. Both of them were staring at each other fixedly.

“King of Japan? You mean Hayashizaki Kazuki. How foolish, he doesn’t have the worth of even a single piece of spaghetti.”

The swan calmly said that as if spitting out.

“A King that cannot subdue his country. A country that cannot serve under its King…I came here as an envoy and I despise all about this country from what I see. …It doesn’t deserve to be recognized as a Magic Advanced Country, an ugly country. Hayashizaki Kazuki and the like is just an eyesore and there is no problem even if he is killed but, rather than something like that, you are a far more important matter for me, o contractor of Prometheus.”

“You know about Prometheus!?”

The swan flapped its wings once and landed down on the asphalt from the rail.

At the same time that form emitted light and changed into a human.

The white feathers became pure white mantel and hat, a long brown hair appeared…

{…I remember.}

A voice of one other person besides the two was added. Prometheus’s avatar appeared beside Lotte.

“Prometheus…?”

{I know her.}

That tone of his was agitated in a way that was unlike him.

{Her name is Regina Olympia Folnar. Italia’s Papal BasileusPope that is contracted with Greek Mythology’s chief god Zeus.}

Zeus! ―There was no mistake that name was one of the most famous god’s name in the world.

Lotte remembered about the anecdote about how Zeus transformed into a swan and abducted a beautiful human woman before making her pregnant with his own child. If they were talking about god that transformed into a swan then it was Zeus.

“It has been a long time huh, Prometheus. It’s strange saying this seeing that I along with Zeus-sama left you half-dead but…”

When Prometheus’s avatar appeared, Regina turned to Prometheus and talked as if she had lost half her interest of Lotte already.

That was right, Prometheus was wounded by somebody from Greek Mythology, lost his memory, and was on the verge of annihilation. There he fused with Lotte while resting to try to recover his divinity. So the perpetrator that wounded Prometheus was this Regina and Zeus then!

“You were the one that half killed Prometheus, then what is your business with us?”

Lotte asked.

“Shut your mouth. I’m talking directly with the Diva of Olympia Prometheus.”

Regina kept her eyes fixed on Prometheus and cut off Lotte without giving her any notice.

{…I and Lotte are of one body. I have no intention of interacting with anyone except through Lotte.}

Prometheus said that to cover for Lotte.

In a blink of eye Regina’s expression distorted into a look of rage.

There is nothing more infuriating than this…it was that kind of expression.

But Regina released a long sigh from her mouth and her expression soon loosened back to before.

“It’s hard to comprehend. It’s hard to comprehend but…this time I will be the one that compromise.”

Settling down her rage as if it couldn’t be helped, Regina turned to face Lotte.

“I came to Japan thinking that I want to talk once more to Prometheus. I hear that Prometheus had become amnesiac. If that is so then perhaps his thinking will come out differently than before this. This time is different from before, he should be able to give a correct reply to my proposition. After all as long as he keeps his composure, then a Diva of Olympia like Prometheus must be able to understand the correctness of Zeus’s thinking.”

“…So you want to talk with each other once more when you both have cool heads, that’s what you say isn’t it desu?”

Lotte replied.

“It’s unsatisfactory to answer you for every single thing, but it’s just as you said. Prometheus and that contractor extra, it’s fine for both of you to come together with me.”

Hearing her talked unpleasantly, even the gentle Lotte looked daunted.

{I refuse. I have decided about something together with Lotte. As long as Lotte doesn’t want to come along with you, then I cannot go along with you.}

Once again look of fury appeared in Regina’s expression.

“For a Diva of Olympia of all people to leave his own thinking to a human! Are you going to become a mere accessory of human!!?”

{…I slightly remember your doctrine and tenet. …<Olympia Aristocrat Doctrine>. While unfortunate, such doctrine is something Kazuki and Lotte’s thinking absolutely cannot accept. There should be fairness between humans, they and I are thinking like that.}

Lotte gave a nod at Prometheus’s words.

She didn’t knew the detail of the story, but the former aristocrat Lotte felt animosity from just hearing the words aristocrat doctrine.

“Fairness? Equality? What a stupid thing! Such [ridiculously kind thinking] will lead the world to a [mob rule]! This country called Japan is exactly like that! …You are certainly being dragged down by this country’s foolishness, how could you still keep saying such thing.”

Regina opened her hands exaggeratedly and showed her lamentation.

“Woman. Charlotte Liebenfrau. During the time you were together at Hayashizaki Kazuki’s side, have you never felt the foolishness of this country? If you are really not an imbecile, then you shouldn’t be able to say you never felt it.”

Against Regina’s question, Lotte stayed quiet without confirming or denying it.

Certainly she couldn’t say that the matter she mentioned had never happened.

“Think about it, o Prometheustitan of wisdom. The concept of fairness and the like had already been a denied concept since the [former era] of several dozens of years ago. The wealthy was always persecuting the weak while greedily devouring the resources of this planet. Human race had to be broken out from the deception called fairness and the like under the august name of the god.”

Regina began to talk with oratorical tone as if she was drunk with herself.

The King was going to talk about her own political philosophy.

“From the ancient times of long ago, the world was being made up of struggles for riches. The wealthy countries were wealthy because they were plundering wealth from other countries. This country called Japan was living the world’s most prosperous livelihood as a mechanized Magic Advanced Country. For such country to say fairness and the like, it’s just too much even for a deception.”

“Right now, Japan doesn’t have diplomatic relations with foreign country desu.”

Lotte cut in with her objection.

“Japan is wealthy not from exploiting other countries. Even with Japan’s few resources inside their territory, with advanced development of science civilization and alchemy they can maintain the nature sustainability by recycling the resources and accomplish self-sufficiency desu. All of that is not accomplished from exploitation, but it was accomplished by hard work. I think this is a civilization of science and alchemy that deserve praise. Such endeavor for prosperity must be able to realize fairness someday in the future desu.”

That was the thinking that Lotte who came from foreign culture always harbored about Japan.

“That is so, currently this country is not plundering riches from other country and they are realizing a prosperous livelihood for their people. But that’s because the number of population that is still few from the declining birth rates effect of the former era.”

“The population is few?”

“Right after magic became entrenched in every Magic Advanced Countries, there is a data that the birth rate was ascending little by little. The reason was simply because the countries became wealthy from getting their hand on the power of magic, the death rate decreased, and the worry about the future vanished. I don’t know about Japan’s data since they severed diplomatic relation, but if there is no kind of policy to deal with this then a few dozen years from now there will be an explosion of the population number occurring. Do you think the people of this isolated island country can still spend their life in the prosperous lifestyle equally like until now if the population increases?”

Lotte was slightly pressured to keep her silence but she immediately objected.

“If the population increases, then the number of workers will also increase proportionately and they can produce similar level of prosperity desu.”

“That’s a fantasy. Human population multiplies like rats. But resources don’t increase and stay at the same pace. Just like the principle of [Malthus’s Population Law] that was said three hundred years ago. If the sizes of the cultivated land stay the same while the population’s number increases in geometric progression, the land’s production output wouldn’t be able to catch up. Human population will surely increase in a prosperous place, if population increases then surely before long scrambles for riches will happen. This country would without fail lose their fairness in the future.”

“…If population control is performed in some kind of endeavor…”

“I wonder if that can be done? If people have a prosperous life then they will think that a lot of children to a certain degree mean happiness. But if a politician advocate correctly that [making children must not be done] in the election, then that politician will definitely lose the election don’t you think? Democratic government cannot do anything other than postponing their problem without exception.”

{Aah, I’m gradually remembering that thing you called your political philosophy.}

Prometheus threw in appropriate words with a flat bored tone.

{So that’s what all of you called as mob rule.}

“That’s right, under the democratic government you all will absolutely be unable to solve the long term problems. Because the greedy humans move the world based on the desire that is right in front of their eyes. This kind of human gathering, once they begin to lose their wealth they won’t be able to maintain the fairness in their society.”

Lotte couldn’t consent to that. However words to object didn’t appear in her mind and she kept silent.

“It’s not only population problem. Though imperfect, this country is a Magic Advanced Country, that’s why they can become prosperous. But even magic technique is not fair. Even now the number of countries that cannot even use magic in the level of changing sea water into fresh water account for the majority of the world. That was because Basileus Basileon was first selling the Philosopher Stone to the advanced countries.”

Human that was bestowed with Philosopher Stone would awaken as a magician.

But even without being granted a Philosopher Stone, human that awakened as a magician just by staying near another magician was increasing.

When Basileus Basileon was killed, the method to create Philosopher Stone was completely lost into the darkness, but in Japan right now even without relying on the Philosopher Stone the majority of the born children were born as magicians.

“In the countries where there were almost no citizen of theirs that could buy the Philosopher Stone at that era, even now there is completely no sign that magic will awaken there. Such countries are being supported by the Magic Advanced Countries except Japan.”

“You are not supporting them but controlling them.”

“It’s the same, both of those words. At the very least I don’t want to be told that by you all who proclaimed words like [fairness] or the like while averting your eyes from the poor countries. This country is living a life that is more than thirty times wealthier compared to the Magic Developing Countries that had been poor since the previous era. You all didn’t have diplomatic relation with foreign countries so you didn’t even exploit anything. But comparatively while you are saying fairness in your mouth, you too didn’t even aid the poor countries. Does this country’s isolationism and your ideal conform with each other really?”

Lotte couldn’t say anything.

Because Lotte’s birthplace <Seinmundo Dukedom> was also by no means a prosperous country.

“But that’s fine, things like fairness is a fantasy that should be given up from the start. …Poor countries should be ruled by wealthy countries, poor people should all become slaves.”

Queen Regina finished talking about this denial of the country called Japan and strengthened her tone from entering the main topic from hereon at last.

“This world is made up of the rich managing the poor. Even if there are those that can gloss over that framework, they still absolutely cannot make it disappear. If it’s like that then we should just make it clear. Lies and misrepresentation make the society impure, making the government stray off their way. The people with absolute influence stand above the masses, the masses has to be divided clearly into the aristocrats and the slaves. Like that people can escape from the original sin of greed and all problems like this planet’s resources and population explosion can be resolved.”

{So it’s a slave system…that way of thinking is really not progressing at all from the era of ancient Greece.}

Prometheus said.

“After all human’s truth is unchangeable.”

“How will you conduct that differentiation between aristocrat and slave?”

Lotte asked.

“Those who are born with strong magic power and deep faith are the aristocrat chosen by the gods of Olympia, spending their days enjoying poem and philosophy. Those whose faith are insufficient become slaves, spending their days in labor to heighten their faith.”

{It really has the feels of Greece, doesn’t it?}

Prometheus said in amazement but Regina continued her words without minding it.

“This is no fair society, so the will of human who stand on the top is absolute. By culling the slaves, the population will always be maintained in a fixed number and the wealthy lifestyle of the aristocrat can be sustained constantly.”

Culling―that meant killing the population that grew too much and adjusted their number.

“Even supposing that they are a slave, their magic power will increase if they heighten their faith and they can become an aristocrat. If they cannot become an aristocrat, that’s because their faith is insufficient so it can’t be helped. Under the august name of god, the framework of the wealthy people and the poor people can be preserved in stability without anybody getting dissatisfied.”

Lotte could only hear of what she is saying as nothing more than ‘This is what the god decides so just give up’.

“The government conducted by the people with absolute influence that is the aristocrat borrowing the wisdom of god is undoubtedly superior compared to Japan’s mob rule. Population control in my country is also looking good in prospects, even the gradual ridding of the machine civilization is being a success without any dissatisfaction from the populace. A world where prosperity, population, and also environment can be stabilized eternally is being realized.”

That was Olympia Aristocrat Doctrine…

Lotte couldn’t say anything, she couldn’t accept it no matter what and dissatisfaction that was close to anger seethed inside her.

“I think it’s fine even if you don’t have to rid yourself entirely of machine civilization though desu…”

“Machine civilization exhausted the resource of this planet, producing wealth while putting a burden on the earth’s environment. The human race has awakened to an energy that they produced by themselves that is the magic power, so they should live only by magic power. Control the population, abandon the machine, live by the power of one’s own heart…”

“In this country they are trying to overcome the problem of machine civilization by using combination of alchemy and magic power. For example they have established a perfectly clean method of generating electricity. I think such great effort is very noble desu.”

“The time when human race once created Freon gas, they delighted in creating a technology that was perfectly harmless. But a few tens of years later, the fact that Freon gas destroyed the ozone layer of the earth was discovered. The time when once a mineral called asbestos was discovered, the human race lionized it as a miraculous mineral. But a few tens of years later, it was understood that asbestos would became many small dusts after a time and affected human’s life adversely when they entered human body. The rushing ahead of human race was those kind of things. Even when it looks like the problem is resolved in the first glance, that’s a way of doing things that twisted the god’s providence, so it only created distortion in a different place instead. Fufufu, things like creating a perfect method to resolve all problems using human’s effort is impossible.”

After all it’s impossible, so what!

“…I cannot accept your thinking desu.”

Lotte finally found her answer, how to express this feeling inside her that couldn’t consent of what she said with words.

“All of you are just delegating everything of this and that wholesale to the god desu! Who will become the aristocrat and who will become the slave…even whether you yourself can become happy or not, in the end you just leave everything of that to god! That kind of thing is not fairness, your head is just empty desu!!”

“You call the head of this I is empty!?”

“Certainly there might be problems in the current Japan! But to give up facing those problems and stop endeavoring in resolving those problems, to even run away from deciding whether you can be happy or not, that kind of thing is not how a human lives desu!!”

{If Lotte cannot consent, then as expected I too cannot follow your way.}

“Prometheus! For a god of Olympia of all people to depend on human’s thought…!”

{I am not a god but a titan. While I want the human race to be independent from god, you are wishing for the exact opposite. That’s why I follow Lotte, that’s why I won’t follow you. It’s double impossible.}

“…Even the system to suppress beforehand the dissatisfaction of being born in a slave system using the blind belief of a religious country, isn’t that just a mere deception desu.”

“You dare say our faith as blind belief!”

“Certainly there are a lot of humans that can only think of the greed right before their eyes. However advancing little by little to obtain small wealth in their hand while also advancing their heart, I don’t want to give up such thing! …Even a kind person like Kazuki-oniisan exists in this country. Kazuki-oniisan is a kind person, that’s why we around him also becomes influenced, we can become kind without doubting other people desu. I believe that such small progress will someday bring about the day where the world’s problem is overturned!”

“What a foolish thing… I couldn’t possibly imagine that Hayashizaki Kazuki is a man with influence to such degree. Then Prometheus…there will be no more attachment from me. As I thought, you have to disappear from this world together with that contractor of yours!”

{Since I got crucified in Caucasus Mountain, after I got half-killed twice finally you declared to kill me completely. Hooray―!}

Prometheus made fun of Regina in provocation.

“Before the fury of this I, do you think you two presently have the leisure to joke around!?”

Enormous magic power and killing intent whirled and exploded from Regina, making Lotte sense that the time of talking had ended. Regina’s body was wrapped in light and it became Magic Dress.

Sky god Zeus, Regina whose body was possessed by that power changed in appearance into a battle maiden with brilliant armor that hosted the light of the sun and elegant decoration of swan feathers.

Battle preparation―no, it wouldn’t even be a fight.

The status between herself and the opponent was too different in scale. Lotte got that hunch just by confronting her.

Scary. But even herself that could become able to think of death as scary…was thanks to that person.

“…I’m not scared of someone like you! After all I believe that Kazuki-oniisan will come again to save me desu!! Custom Liberion!!”

Lotte changed into high speed maneuver mode and ignited the thruster systems that were equipped on her back and limbs all at once.

For the sake of escaping that place, she took off backward and flew away.

Her surrounding scenery sped off with a raging force.

“Idiot, don’t think you can escape with a level 6 magic!! …Drifting away from secluded place blossoming in full glory at this transient world, White Divine BloomingLeucothea Metamorphosis!!”

Regina’s whole body was covered with white plumage and she once more transformed into an elegant swan.

Spreading her large wings in rustles, she flew and pursued Lotte.

Lotte ran through the vast road of the amusement park while spouting off flames.

But the swan that was chasing her elegantly flapped her wings and shortened the distance in the blink of an eye.

Only two flapping wings of an animal was producing speed faster than a rocket thruster. Lotte looked back and felt as though she was looking at an absurd bad dream.

“With my transformation into an animal with Zeus’s power, doesn’t mean that I, who is a King, am degraded into an animal! Every animal are possessing divinity as one part of nature!! Zeus as the chief god that ruled over all in the world is able to manifest the maximization of the divinity that the animals possessed!”

Regina who lost her human form yelled. That was by no means inconsistent.

“I, who have transformed into a swan, am even more elegant and can fly even faster than a swan! Don’t think that something like the power of civilization can run away from the speed of nature that is the very divinity of the world itself-!!”

What came pursuing from behind was not an animal but a god.

“And then swan even while symbolizing the beauty of the femininity, this long neck is also a symbol of phallus!! Now, I’m already catching up here! The hunt is over! I’m going to pierce you with this beak!!”

“If you do that I’m going to get pregnant desu!”

“Then get pregnant! That’s the way of Zeus!!”

A really serious reply came back so Lotte got really scared from the bottom of her heart.

Regina was a female, but that was already irrelevant. Regina who controlled the power of the Zeusraping god that was famous in the legend, was exhibiting the power of the swan that also symbolized the possession of both sexes. Those words of hers were by no means a joke.

“In front of the watching Prometheus, I’ll kill you in a way that is stained with the most disgrace!”

Lotte flew out from the amusement park and came out to the public road. The fearsome swan had already caught up to Lotte right behind her.

Right now, exactly in this timing―Lotte had such a hunch.

At that time from beyond the sky something was―the person that Lotte had been waiting impatiently for came flying.

“Deep Striker!!”

“…What!?”

Regina who lost herself in the hunt didn’t notice the thing that approached her until the very last second.

[That] which flew through the highway from beyond the sky like a meteor assaulted Regina who transformed into swan at her flank in a straight line. The swan was blown away following the direction that she had traveled until now vertically a few dozens meters away while somersaulting until she was crashed onto the ground.

“…Kazuki-oniisan! I believed that you will absolutely come desu!!”

Lotte’s expression was completely overflowing with happiness.

The person that finally came was Kazuki who sensed Lotte’s whereabouts with the power of King and rushed there.

{…The power of civilization, is the union of people’s power that created strength that doesn’t even lose to the mother nature you know.}

Prometheus threw words of ridicule to the swan that rolled around on the highway.

{Moreover you talked too long and didn’t even notice us buying time.}

“You bastard-!” While raising voice of fury, the swan flapped her wings once more.

Part 2

While Kazuki kept hovering on the sky, he felt relieved that he made it barely in time.

But at the same time, having comprehended who was the perpetrator that kidnapped Lotte made him feel cold in his stomach.

The form was a swan, but that was without a doubt Regina Olympia Folnar.

The King of Italia he met at that time…!

At the same time he also discerned why she was here.

By transformation. The gate detected the number of the people that went through from their temperature and weight. Right now she was in a form of a really big swan, but surely she came inside by becoming a smaller animal and clung to Yumeno-san.

“How could you rush here in such a short amount of time…no, the power of King… So you have the ability to detect the whereabouts of your own subordinate…?”

On the other hand Regina too reached the answer of how could Kazuki appeared with a good timing.

“But, do you think you can win against me even if there are two of you!?”

{Kazuki, please be careful. She might look like someone that is easy to handle because of her impulsiveness, but her impulsiveness is something really unmanageable for the current you.}

Prometheus warned Kazuki. Exactly as he said, Kazuki too nodded.

“We are running away Lotte! It’s our victory if we can escape from this Haunted Ground!!”

Lotte sensed Kazuki’s intention and cancelled [Custom Liberion] before leaping into Kazuki’s chest. While carrying up Lotte, Kazuki ignited back the flame in the hovering [Deep Striker].

Lotte was flying low with [Custom Liberion] because she had guessed that help would come from the sky and in order to make Kazuki’s surprise attack succeed she drew the enemy’s attention to the ground.

If comparing the speed in straight line, the [Deep Striker] was the superior one.

“You won’t escape! There will be no problem or anything even if the likes of you escape from this place, but this is a hunt! A hunt is exactly an aristocrat’s amusement! Make me amused with all of your strength before I kill you!!”

The swan flew up once more.

That speed of hers was overwhelming as expected, even with the speed of [Deep Striker] the distance between them was steadily shortened.

“Ride Lightning!!”

While Kazuki escaped to the south, he cast an acceleration reinforcement magic as if challenging ‘how about this’.

The accelerated electric signal not only increased the activity of the physical ability but also the brain activity. The mechanized weapon’s performance that was using magic power as full was also dramatically enhanced.

The combination of these two magic was the maximum speed Kazuki could exert.

Kazuki still didn’t have any experience of an enemy that could pursue this speed.

The swan that until now had gradually shortened the distance was slowly getting left behind farther.

“You bastard, are you trying to make this me throw away my elegance!”

The swan Regina who was elegantly flapping her wing raised a voice that was colored with rage and then she flapped her wings desperately in a rough motion.

Surprisingly the swan was accelerating even further, the distance with Kazuki that had been widened was once more getting shortened.

“To make me work this hard…unforgivable!”

“Who cares!” The shocked Kazuki yelled at the approaching swan.

This was not a joke. Even though his side had raised the speed by piling up level 5 magic, she surpassed him just by trying hard!

But they could get out from the Haunted Ground before long. After that this game was theirs.

This girl too shouldn’t be able to so openly attack them outside the Haunted Ground. If they could just reach the vicinity of the Haunted Ground’s boundary line, the Knight Order was standing by there. The helicopter that patrolled the sky would notice the abnormality.

The distance was gradually shortened but they would make it with the difference in speed around this much!

“…So that I can overtake that guy then.”

Regina leaked out a low voice in a murmur.

Kazuki’s strengthened perception power transmitted a danger sense of the greatest class to his brain.

Magic power swelled out from Regina. Guessing what was going to happen next, Kazuki felt a chill on his back.

“…Lotte, defensive magic against electric shock!!”

“The radiance of my hand is the logos that pierce through the darkness. Fill that direction, Crush all existence and become a cadence! Unshakeable ThunderKeraunos!”

Kazuki looked behind him. Regina turned into a form that should be called as half human half bird with only the swan’s wings remaining on her back, a dazzling light was grasped in that right hand.

What was being grasped in her hand was lighting. No, it was not just a mere lightning. It was not the likes of a natural phenomenon.

Symbolizing the lightning, the divinity of destruction.

Regina threw the light. The moment it separated from her hand, the light explosively expanded out.

“ “This hand reached out to the height of Babel, right now this hand grasped the lightning of god! In accordance with my life, o thunder, whirl following my will! Collider Field!!” “

Kazuki and Lotte simultaneously equipped electromagnetic iron armor on their right arm and put up an electromagnetic barrier.

Gigantic lightning ran to Kazuki from the expanding light.

The converged line of light was a thick hammer that was exactly made from lightning.

And then a thunderous roar―a roar as if there were dozens of lighting all at once.

From Kazuki and Lotte’s eyes and ears, defensive magic power overflowed to protect their retinas and eardrums.

The iron hammer of light smashed the double layer of electromagnetic barriers, destroyed Kazuki’s [Deep Striker], without even caring of the likes of Resist, the defensive magic power of Kazuki, who instantly covered for Lotte, was destroyed in one breath until the brink of magic intoxication.

Having a great damage driven into him all at once, Kazuki desperately held out even while feeling his consciousness get dragged into the Astrum in one go.

Having their armaments destroyed, both of them free fell into the forest.

“Kazuki-oniisan, are you okay desu!?”

Inside the thicket of the Haunted Ground where they fell, Kazuki replied “I’m okay…” while standing unsteadily and made Lotte worried.

In front of such Kazuki, Regina swooped down leisurely with the wings of swan on her back stretched out.

Kazuki raised his face and glared at Regina while talking.

“It really helped that you made a really flashy attack on us. Communicating our location successfully was hard.”

“What?”

From the other side of the trees, “Over there!” a voice they had heard before came.

The next moment, offense magic was raining down.

“Glacier Wind!”

“Lightning Line!”

“Moon Scraper!”

It was the familiar magic that had low chanting time of their companions.

“Withered silver grass that is just ignited of fox fire…the sending off person is also invited to nirvana! Fire of FieldYa no Renga!”

Karin too cast the Summoning Magic of the nine tailed fox, Tamamo no Mae. When they thought the surface around them was lit up in blue flame, the flame swayed eerily while becoming ball of fire that rained down on Regina.

“Tenran Kamaitachi!”

Kohaku too swung her Sacred Treasure, firing a blade of vacuum that scattered around the leaves in their surrounding.

“Mu-!?” Leaking out a slightly surprised voice, Regina tried to defend by wrapping her body inside the swan wings. A faint light of magic power scattered.

The members of Kazuki’s advance troop team rushed to his side.

Kazuki rushed alone knowing that Lotte was in danger, during that time his companions transported Yumeno-san who fell into magic intoxication to the Knight Order.

After his companions finished that business, they came searching for Kazuki and Lotte. But they only heard from Kazuki that he was heading to the general direction of north and the possibility of regrouping with him was low.

Regina’s maximum attack magic just before was the most suitable for a landmark.

…The group of Mio who could communicate telepathically with Kazuki were doing a different action for him.

“Not just two, how about against six people?”

“…You think you will be safe with six people?”

A voice that made him shudder was returned―as if Kazuki’s bluff inside his heart was seen through.

There was no damage at all on Regina. The shining light that appeared when Regina got hit with the attacks was not defensive magic power, but the light of general magic.

An instantaneous and yet precise magic power control. Using a [Resist] so masterful that it looked artistic, all the level 1 attack magic was [dismantled].

With this number of people, it was still insufficient to brag superiority against this opponent.

“You understand right, that you are still a prey…Drifting away from secluded place blossoming in full glory at this transient world, Black Divine BloomingMelachrinos Metamorphosis!!”

Regina’s form with the wings of swan growing on her back were distorted. Except the wings, her whole body expanded, lengthened, becoming supple jet black fur―with the wings of white swan remaining on her back, she transformed into a giant bull!

“I’ll kick you around!” The bull with wings growing on its back kicked the ground ferociously and came like a cannon bullet to ram her body at Kazuki. Kazuki couldn’t immediately evade because there was Lotte behind him.

“Kazuki! …Storm Fort!”

“Seusenhofer!!”

Sensing the danger, Hikaru-senpai and Lotte each brought their respective wall of storm and steel armor on Kazuki.

But the charge of Regina who became a bull broke through the storm with her head and then her head-butt pulverized the armor into pieces in one attack, blowing away Kazuki and Lotte both altogether for a few dozen meters.

“Crush to death, Taroudachi!”

From the side Kohaku enlarged her beloved Sacred Treasure and swung it down.

However Regina’s swan wings that could be said as elegant lightly blocked it.

It was an unimaginable instant for Kohaku having her one attack she put all her strength into being blocked like that by a wing of swan.

“Wha, what the, this animal…”

Kohaku leaked out a weak voice exactly as if her soul had been shaved.

“Not animal. A King.”

Regina declared haughtily, then she swept away the large war sword that was the size of log lightly with her wing and rammed back at Kohaku. Kohaku too was blown away with her defensive magic power smashed apart.

“HAA-!”

In the gap created when Kohaku was done in, Karin slipped through the wing of swan and broke through into the bull’s bosom.

Raising a voice with a flash of fighting spirit, a flying kick was launched with power unimaginable from such small statured body.

Karin felt a dreadful feedback and became lost for words.

In the instant of impact of Karin’s kick, the shockwave was transmitted slowly . Time absorbed physical energy. Karin felt her own kick was absorbed into the body of the ox limply.

And then backlash. Karin’s leg that felt like it was absorbed was bounced back *BOYON!* from the repellent force of the ox’s body that was solidly restored to a form that was even harder than how it was originally.

“Wha, what is thisss!?”

Karin raised an upset voice while being blown back from that sensation where she felt like flying kicking not a living being but a trampoline.

“A King! Regina Olympia Folnar!!”

Being asked what she was, Regina haughtily answered Karin who had fallen on her butt in mute amazement.

“No matter how many small fries like you crowded around, the quality is just too different-!!”

While the bull stepped on Karin and inflicted damage, this time she charged at Hikaru-senpai. The blown away Kazuki also stood up but he didn’t make it in time to help her.

“O goddess of affection…please shine the light to the soldier that challenge the trial under thy attentive watch. Moonlight SongMoonlight Breath!”

Miyabi-senpai chanted reinforcement magic on Hikaru-senpai. A blessing for soldier by the moon goddess shone down on Hikaru-senpai. Her whole body was overflowing with power.

“Maimuur!”

Hikaru-senpai produced the spear of wind and returned a thrust with all her might against the charging bull.

“It’s better than the sword and the kick from before, but…you think something of this degree can stop me!!”

The bull’s charge and the strike of the spear that contained the storm collided with a *BANG!*.

The one who was defeated was Hikaru-senpai. Her spear was repelled away and she backed off with a stagger.

The bull stepped forward again and rammed her body. “Ku-!” Hikaru-senpai swung her spear from a disordered stance. The second collision. Hikaru-senpai was further blown away behind and fell on her backside.

The bull for the third time stepped on Hikaru-senpai who fell on her backside. Hikaru-senpai barely swung her lance. In the third collision, Maimuur was completely defeated and got thrown away from Hikaru-senpai’s hand.

The bull stepped on Hikaru-senpai again to give the finishing blow.

“Mind attack magic…is useless even if I do it, isn’t it?” Miyabi-senpai leaked out a hopeless voice.

“Hikaru-senpai!” Kazuki ran in an attempt to help.

“Kazuki-oniisan, if the current onii-san enters to help then onii-san will be killed desu!”

Kazuki had already bore a grave damage where he was now on the brink of magic intoxication. Lotte was immediately grasping Kazuki’s arm and pulling him back. Kazuki couldn’t shake off her hand and was late to help.

Mio still hasn’t come yet!? He screamed inside his heart.

―In front of such Kazuki,

“Please stop right there. Queen Regina. You have played around too much no matter how you see it.”

A figure in glen check suit appeared instantly and cut in to save Hikaru-senpai.

A stick was stylishly brandished and blocked the bull’s body ramming.

Inside the eerie silence, the body ramming and the stick’s power were in equilibrium.

“You…Arthur! That stick, to stop my charge…”

“After all a stick is the weapon of an English gentleman…”

“That’s not just a mere stick!”

“But of course!” Arthur replied with a dignified tone.

Regina flapped her wings detecting danger and escaped to the sky before her figure returned from a bull to a human leaving behind just her wings. In contrast Arthur’s stick was emitting a dazzling light.

“Please show a glimpse of your strength…o my beloved sword!”

Along with light, the stick transformed into a knight’s sword that was sheathed inside a scabbard. With a masterful movement as a swordsman, the sword was unsheathed from that scabbard. The light that ran from the mouth of the scabbard changed the color of Regina’s face.

“O sword of steel star, run-! Excalibur!!”

It released a light that seemed it would suck even those who were seeing it from afar, a silver sword.

When it was brandished, a silver flash ran swiftly with the force of its drawing not weakening at all towards Regina in the sky.

“Show the majesty of Zeus right here! The great protection that promised victory repulsing every disaster right here! Splendorous Olympia’s ProtectionKithemonikos Aegis!”

A membrane of light emerged out in front of Regina’s body, repelling away the running light.

“So that’s the power of the famous Aegis of the Greek Mythology!”

Arthur who swung Excalibur leaked out an admiring voice.

Light and light, brightness that dazzled the eyes was filling the space between the two. The air and magic power in the area around them were vibrating in rattles.

“…I made it!”

From the other side of the trees, Mio, Kaguya-senpai and the others were running to them.

This time for sure Kazuki was relieved from the bottom of his heart. The situation of this side had been informed to Arthur.

Kazuki had also asked Mio’s team to return for the moment to the entrance of the Haunted Ground, until the real identity of the person that kidnapped Lotte had become clear, he asked them to wait in standby there.

That was because he had the premonition that this matter was related with one of the envoys from the Magic Advanced Countries.

When Kazuki understood that Regina was the one that kidnapped Lotte, he conveyed it to Mio through telepathic communication and Mio reported it to the Knight Order that Regina had violated her role as an envoy and came to deal harm to them. When the situation developed like that, the other Magic Advanced Country moved even ahead of the Knight Order.

So the one who moved the earliest was Arthur.

“I never thought that it’s not Queen Ilyailiya that would rampage recklessly like this but you instead. It seems there is some kind of circumstance, but you can still act quietly, Queen Regina.”

Arthur called out like that while putting back Excalibur inside the scabbard. The combination of the figure in suit and the refined knight sword were mysteriously suited with each other despite the mismatches.

“…Queen Ilyailiya is also coming you know.”

Regina who suddenly realized turned her gaze around.

Behind Regina, in a distance of few dozen meters, that Ilyailiya Muromets was wordlessly floating in the sky with her Magic Dress of dress shape and her silver hair trailing on the wind.

Kazuki who examined the situation on the ground suddenly felt the presence of an attack and leaped behind.

*DOSUDOSUDOSU!* Several small meteors rained down on the ground where Kazuki stood before, opening holes on the Haunted Ground’s ground.

“Hmm. The speed of my attack is not something that can be evaded by seeing it with eye, that’s how it should be.”

Ilyailiya opened her eyes slightly wide and talked with a voice that had no intonation.

“I mistook my aim. That was shooting for the sake of holding Queen Regina in check from continuing the fight just so you know.”

“You liar.” Arthur restrained. “Please stop such cowardly behaviors like trying to assassinate Japan’s King amidst the confusion, Queen Ilyailiya.”

“It’s not a lie. I’m not telling a lie.” Ilyailiya shook her head left and right.

Arthur scowled his face while saying “Are you a kid?”

Three Kings gathered around Kazuki forming a curious power gathering that were glaring at each other.

“Queen Regina. You judged Hayashizaki Kazuki as [worthless] and so you thought it was trivial before attacking him didn’t you, but I am not evaluating Hayashizaki Kazuki that lightly.”

Arthur faced Regina back.

“And so your action right now, seen from where I’m standing is [a dangerous action that disturbs the balance between fellow Magic Advanced Countries]. For Kings, to carry their each respective weapon in hands and glaring at each other like this, there is no way you don’t understand the meaning of that right?”

Regina looked down on Kazuki haughtily while keeping her altitude in the sky with the flaps of her wings.

“So you act towards making my action reach the ear of other Magic Advanced Countries. And the ambush from before was not everything of your plan… Hmph, putting aside your battle ability, that performance is something considerable.”

That eye of Regina who until now was looking at Kazuki as if staring at trash was for the first time gazing at him with a different emotion.

“And then there is no doubt that this is just a mere chanced development, but there are this many humans that move for your sake. Hmph, just like Arthur said, I’ll admit that there is a little prospect in you. …I’ll resign from this place, be thankful.”

After one-sidedly assessing him like that, Regina flapped her wings and flew from the sky of the Haunted Ground.

They somehow pulled through. Kazuki was relieved. However, what a girl that did as she pleased…

“That’s quiet a poor loser.” Arthur faced Kazuki and smiled wryly.

While their attention were directed at Regina, before they noticed Ilyailiya too had gone from the sky.

“Now then.” Arthur changed Excalibur into a stick with magic before making a smooth rotation with a twirl and *katsun!* stabbed it onto the ground. He faced Kazuki.

“You just received a harsh baptism under fire but are you okay? While unfortunate it seems that Queen Regina’s rampage is going to go unquestioned. But for the time being I will keep her in check okay. Well then, by your leave.”

In a certain meaning, there was nobody in Japan that could judge Regina except for Arthur and Ilyailiya. The other Magic Advanced Countries would only warn Regina and settle the matter without anything else.

“…I thought that I was going to die.”

“I believed that Kazuki-oniisan was going to save me desu♪”

Lotte smiled at him gently while Kazuki released a deep sigh from exhaustion.

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