Published at 25th of March 2019 10:11 pm

Volume 12 Chapter 3 - Contact

Part 1

What kind of contact should they accomplish with the other forces.

――Kazuki was thinking that what would be the most important thing in this battle of Ragnarok was that point.

In front their eyes [another world] that was even more prominent than all the Haunted Grounds they had seen until now was spreading out.

What greeted Kazuki and group was the rainbow colored ground and a rainbow colored forest.

When the world received the light of the sun, each and every angle reflected completely different colors, everything was shining rainbow-colored. Rather than calling it fantastical, it was rather a psychedelic scenery.

“Is this also the magic power of the manager……?”

“It’s like [Choueki Tanka Chibou] eh.”

Shouko said to herself.

“Choueki……?”

“That kind of unexplored region exists in China. It’s not a Haunted Ground but comes to be from natural origin. The ground has layers made from minerals with different reflections, it shines a rainbow when bathed in light……it’s a place called mother nature’s miracle, something like that yeah.”

“I heard that in Mauritius there is also that kind of place.”

Akane-senpai nodded while taking a pinch of the soil under her feet.

“It’s not tinged with magic power…… This place isn’t a Haunted Ground, its nature without abnormality. I wonder if this might be iron oxide or sulfur.”

After that she directed her extensively knowledgeable observing eyes to the trees of the forest.

“This tree……perhaps it’s rainbow eucalyptus.”

“Rainbow……what’s that?”

Kazuki’s eyes blinked while getting tongue-tied by the amount of knowledge Akane-senpai had.

“There is a variety of eucalyptus that will become various colors depending on the time the bared texture of the bark is peeled. Though the work itself is the same as the changing of colors of leaves in autumn.”

In other words this strange scenery was by no means something mystical.

There was flapping sounds, small birds were flapping their wings towards the sky from the trees of the rainbow colored eucalyptus.

They weren’t Demon Beasts, it seemed that normal birds were living here.

This place wasn’t a Haunted Ground. If he thought about it, existences like that of Demon Beasts would be a hindrance for the decisive battle. There shouldn’t be such a blunder at the stage prepared by Basileon. In exchange they were firmly imprisoned inside the fairytale-like scenery that existed in reality like inside a jewel box.

“I guess that the people of the ancient times looked at this kind of scenery and became illusioned that the world had mysteries. From there mythology was born…… I wonder if this can be said to be as the origin of illusions……that is to say the archetype of mythology.”

It was truly fitting for the stage of the decisive battle.

When Kazuki became convinced of that, the land shook fiercely.

“Earthquake!?” When he thought that and looked around, the sea surface and the ship were gradually sinking below.

That wasn’t it. It wasn’t the ship and the sea that were sinking.

The ground they were standing on was the one rising up.

When they looked down to the sea, there was a gigantic shadow on the surface there. When they looked up to the sky, the clouds were gradually approaching. The wind was becoming stronger with a whistling sound.

Atlantis was heading somewhere, liberated from the yoke of the sea and land.

The wall that had finished its duty disintegrated into rainbow lights and vanished.

While flying to the sky, the surrounding clouds were tinged with rainbow colors. Glowing clouds――this too was a natural phenomenon.

“Continent of the sky huh……what an outrageous plan again……”

With this it could be said that Atlantis was even more released from outside interference.

The other countries should have landed here too.

……And then, the problem was how they would come into contact with the other forces.

He looked at his surroundings once again. His attention was taken by the rainbow colored trees and ground, but the surroundings were enshrouded by light blue magic power and they couldn’t see through the path ahead very far.

He wondered how wide this forest was.

Far at the distance, there was a faint outline of a mountain visible from here.

Mountain――thinking with common sense, if there was a mountain on a battlefield then first and foremost they should take position there.

However with this much magic power cloud enshrouding the space, even if they looked down from the top of the mountain then he guessed they wouldn’t be able to find the other forces or launch attack magics from the mountain. On this Atlantis, the mountain didn’t really have any value strategically.

First, the problem was how they should move, of course they had talked about it with each other beforehand.

{The basics of a battle royale is to let the running about enemies destroy each other}……such opinion was also expressed but this battle was not a complete battle royale because there existed alliance relationships.

If Japan was moving about from place to place, it would make it disadvantageous for the other Cosmos Side countries. If only the forces of the Chaos Side survived because of the effect of Japan moving about then it would be bad.

Continuously running around also meant continuing being a solo force. If they kept operating as a solo force, then they wouldn’t have any chance of victory if they encountered two forces that successfully united.

Rather he thought that they had to quickly come into contact with another force. It would be good if the first force they encountered became an ally, but even if the force that they encountered was an enemy force they could just finish it as an equal battle one on one.

However, Atlantis was vast and it was unclear just how vast. Even if they moved about blindly it didn’t seem likely that they could easily encounter another force. They needed some kind of magic.

“Fuuka-senpai, please do it.”

Kazuki requested one of the senior knights for a magic.

“Uh huh……” Fuuka-senpai nodded a little.

Yamasheeta Fuuka. She wasn’t their senior in the knight academy, she was an older girl of twenty years old that was already working as an active duty knight in the knight order. Her appearance with her black short bob hair and quiet demeanor, then the black mantle that was her Magic Dress that she wore gave her the air like a fortuneteller from somewhere.

“……O flickers of torch, o string of constellation. Please guide me to the thing that I seek……”

Behind Fuuka-senpai, the avatar of a Diva with a lion face <Purson> was floating up.

“Witch’s GuidepostDirection Witch”

Fuuka-senpai pointed straight at Kazuki. Thereupon red light was overflowing from Kazuki’s left ring finger.

The red light pulled a trail behind while flying to the other side of the forest.

The track of light was floating in the air like a string and remained without vanishing.

“So it’s fine if we follow this light isn’t it?”

Fuuka-senpai nodded repeatedly.

“Purson is a Diva that located the sought object of the human target. [Direction Witch] is showing the location of the thing that you are currently looking for the most.”

“I thought that the guidepost would surely be stretching towards me~”

Mio said with a carried away face.

“……It won’t show the location of the thing that has been obtained.”

“Ehehe, I already belong to Kazuki~” Mio was wriggling happily.

“You are an airhead even in the decisive battle aren’t you.” Koyuki retorted with an exasperated face. Koyuki was cool when they weren’t alone.

“The location of the thing that I’m currently looking for the most is it……it might be Britain or Germany then.”

It might be Britain where Arthur was or Germany where Beatrix was.

Or possibly……Loki Einherjar where Kaya was.

Although he was thinking that logically they should merge with an allied country first……instinctually he felt like he was looking for the conclusion with Loki and his group above all.

“One’s feeling is something not understood even by oneself. That’s why the destination that this magic showed won’t be known until we actually go there to see. ……Furthermore Purson’s own subjectivity is strangely mixed into the verdict result. When I once used this magic when I wanted to eat delicious ramen, for some reason I arrived at a tonkatsu shop instead.”

“Is this really okay……”

Nevertheless it was far better compared to loitering around without any hint.

It was lucky that a Diva that could use this kind of magic was included in his camp.

“Then next is Yuika-senpai, please.”

Kazuki called out to another senior.

It was someone clad in bird feathers, a Magic Dress that looked like a karasu tengu.

“You are the king so it’s fine even if you don’t call me senpai you know-!”

“I don’t have the courage to call someone older than me without honorifics.”

“What a modest king huh……you are saying that even though at the battle election you beat me black and blue.”

Kazuki made an awkward wry smile. Nakasaka Yuika-senpai was the second year student he fought at the first round of the battle election.

She was also one of the people selected into the one hundred of the <Imperial Guard Knights> from the knight academy.

He saw just how much she had raised her strength in the short time since then.

“I’ll do it, Valefor!”

Yuika-senpai made the avatar of the Diva <Valefor> who had a bird appearance to emerge.

“See through the path of a thousand ri, expose here the evil that is lurking in the darkness……Wisdom of CowardDetect Ambush!”

Yuika-senpai’s eyes were strongly shining with magic power. “I can see it!” Senpai raised her voice.

“Valefor is a bird Diva that the thieves came to love since ancient times, this magic secures super sense towards the presence of allies and opponents. ……Um, the magic power cloud that is extremely thick is jamming the effect a little but it’s okay. I can sense until ten kilometers ahead. I won’t even miss any footstep. I’ll shoulder the role as the scout.”

Scout――the role of someone that went ahead of the main group and performed reconnaissance of the path’s surroundings.

“Please don’t force yourself. I hope senpai can stay in the range where I can detect your whereabouts.”

“How much can my king sense me? I wonder around how much my positivity level to you is.”

“……It’s 58. With this positivity level inside this magic power cloud, surely it’s quite a vast range.”

“So it’s to that degree.”

Yuika-senpai clearly expressed her dissatisfaction. Although her scouting ability was high, but that power wouldn’t be able to be used to the best of its ability if she didn’t take quite some distance from the main group.

“No, that’s quite a high number you know. Honestly it makes me nervous somewhat.”

“You are saying that it’s quite high comparatively to how we didn’t even exchange that much talk until now?”

Yuika-senpai said as though she had seen through inside his heart.

Kazuki was startled. Certainly he was perplexed from that thinking.

“You see, I lost to you at the battle election, watched your activity in the East-West War. I admired you and wanted to become stronger. You taught us the meaning of battle as candidate knights. You gave us the true meaning to our lives. Perhaps it feels a little weird that your are liked by some girls that you don’t really know and you can also see the number of that positivity level, but see…… we liking you isn’t something that is that unnatural you know.”

Certainly……if he used his imagination he got it that it was a natural feeling.

The number of 58 wasn’t something excessive by any means.

“Furthermore that applies even more if it’s a cool younger boy.”

Yuika-senpai added that with a little reddened cheek.

“I too was thinking that I want to be useful in real battle so I trained intensively until today. With that I became the best among Valefor’s contractors like this. And then I thought that the show time of Valefor is exactly right now. On this kind of battlefield where we don’t know what is ahead, scouting is horribly important.”

“……I also think that how we come into contact with another force is the most important matter.”

If their side could discover the enemy first, they would be able to do anything from an ambush to a surprise attack.

In the case the enemy also deployed their scout, they had to discover that scout first and remove them.

The difference in scouting ability would dictate the hegemony of the battle.

“I think that right now in this moment, is the meaning of my existence.”

Yuika-senpai declared that she was resolved.

That was why even if it was accompanied by some danger, she wanted to force herself?

“That’s not allowed. I won’t permit senpai to distance yourself too much from me. We don’t know just what kind of magic exists out there. I think that Japan’s strong point is the power of bonds and cooperation. We won’t win if we lose sight of that.”

“……But, I have confidence in Valefor’s ability……”

Even now Yuika-senpai was murmuring. However when Kazuki put strength into his eyes, she reluctantly nodded.

“Please go ahead while confirming our direction. I’ll raise my right hand and give the signal when the distance with senpai is just barely inside the effect range of the power of bonds. That’s the range senpai can move the farthest as the scout. Please don’t go more further than that from us.”

Yuika-senpai nodded once before rushing out to the forest ahead. Her characteristic back figure with the bird feathers fluttering behind was soon swallowed by the magic power cloud enshrouding the rainbow forest and she soon vanished from sight.

Kazuki could feel Yuika-senpai’s presence even when he couldn’t see her. The positivity level became a string of bond that connected them in the mental world, Kazuki could follow that string.

That line of connection was gradually thinning. Yuika-senpai’s presence was fading the further she was due to the interference of the magic power cloud. When she was at the distance limit already, Kazuki raised his right hand.

A moment later, Kazuki felt disappointment.

Yuika-senpai’s presence halted just for a moment. However――she soon advanced further and vanished completely from the range of the bond.

Part 2

The moment [the king] raised his right hand, she felt disappointment.

‘……It’s still only this far! There is no meaning being a scout at this kind of distance!’

The power of Valefor……couldn’t make use of the full meaning of her existence!

Kazuki had became unable to see her figure since a while ago. However Yuika’s eye could see Kazuki’s figure as if he was right nearby. It was to the degree that she could even feel his breathing.

There was a large gap in the way they were sensing each other. That was why Yuika naturally brought her leg to step even further ahead.

Even so she also had the basis of why she thought that it was fine. Valefor’s magic――[Step of CowardEscape Step], it was a special magic where it was possible to be used consecutively even though one needed almost no incantation to do a [space-leap] for five kilometers.

Even in the case that she encountered [something], she could immediately return to the range of the bond.

In the first place there was nothing that he needed to worry about.

Being underestimated…… For Yuika who had worked hard until she was selected as one of the Imperial Guard Knights in the end, it was a sad thing that pierced her heart. She wanted to obtain trust that was suitable for her hard work. She thought that maddeningly.

That was why even after seeing his right hand lifted up, she advanced several steps ahead.

After advancing for several steps, the other side had also noticed that she was advancing even further, so she noticed that she would soon be chased and she would get scolded.

It was meaningless. It was several steps that weren’t accompanied by logic. It was nothing more than the disarray of her emotion.

She soon noticed that she better return. But――,

{Why are you alone?}

――Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

Enemy!? No way it couldn’t be this fast!!

She quickly turned around, behind her a gigantic old woman that was like a mountain was towering over her.

She was gigantic, but she was half assimilating with the surrounding forest as if overlapping with each other――an avatar that wasn’t accompanied by the real body.

The red eyes that were opened round like a fish were looking down straight at Yuika. She was an eerie old woman. The remains of her mostly falling out white hair was hanging down like a fleeing samurai, her cracked skin had uneven bumps swelling all over. An evil countenance that couldn’t be thought of as coming from a Diva, as though the old woman was a monster.

{How pitiful, are you abandoned? Then <I’ll> welcome……}

While smiling repulsively, the old woman’s arms that were covered by old rags were stretching out to Yuika’s direction.

‘Which country’s mythology is this!?’ Yuika snapped to her senses and invoked her magic.

“O protector god of thieves, from here until beyond, cut and connect the path! Escape Step!!”

The space behind Yuika was extinguished and her body leaped toward far behind. Putting a distance of five kilo’s in less than a second――it wasn’t a move that could be followed physically no matter how fast you were.

……But in front of Yuika’s eyes that should have performed the emergency escape already, the old woman was still smiling without change.

The old woman didn’t leave her for even an instant, as if she was an evil spirit haunting her.

‘What kind of magic is this!? This isn’t physical, something more conceptual……!

It’s invoked after fulfilling some kind of requirement, it absolutely won’t let go no matter what……!’

The arms of the old woman embraced Yuika tightly. Even though it didn’t have a real body, her spine froze.

Her mentality completely became unfit to fight an enemy.

{Come to <me>. Come to <me>…… It’s fine, even if you don’t return back. Nowhere……}

“Hii!?”

While still inside the old woman’s embrace, the figures of Yuika and the old woman were fading starting from their legs. Her consciousness was also getting farther. From her legs to waist, and then to chest, her body and senses were vanishing.

She was taken away to somewhere that wasn’t here!

She had to Resist…… There was no magic that couldn’t be resisted. If she understood the phenomenon that was happening to her body and produced the phenomenon that countered it……

……She couldn’t. She couldn’t grasp it. She didn’t understand. Lies, lies lies! ‘I lost already!?’

She wasn’t lying when she said that this was the meaning of her existence. Rather than the danger to her life, what was scorching her mind was the fear that she would lose without accomplishing anything for the sake of the world.

“N, NOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

If she just bought a little more time, everyone will come to save her! However, Yuika noticed after she yelled.

The old woman appeared from her back. That was why when she used the magic of emergency escape……she became separated for 5 kilometers in the opposite direction of the main group!! No one……would come to save her!!

{Nowhere……}

Yuika vanished together with despair.

Kazuki ran at full speed, but the figure of Yuika-senpai couldn’t be found anywhere.

It was strange. There was no way she would go ahead at the speed that couldn’t be caught up with even with his full speed.

The moment she went out of the range of the bond, something happened.

Enemy intervention? Were there enemies right nearby? Was Yuika-senpai kidnapped without being able to detect it?

The enemy attacked with a perfect grasp of the range of the bond?

This fast? It seemed that the gate for each country was equally distanced but……

“Fuuka-senpai, please use the magic before one more time.”

If that magic was used one more time, this time it should display the direction of where Yuika-senpai was.

“Uh huh. That’s fine but, there is a risk that we will take a detour. Perhaps we are being thoroughly lead into a trap. Also Purson’s magic is influenced not only by logic but also by emotion. If in your heart there is anger like [How dare she ignore my order!] or distrust like [It’s dangerous to go saving just one person when there is still ninety nine here], the magic surely won’t be able to forecast Yuika’s whereabouts.”

“I have no such feeling at all.”

“……Got it. You won’t be able to assert your feelings that surely without considerable conviction. You are a good king aren’t you. ……Direction Witch!”

Small heart marks flew from Fuuka-senpai to him while she was re-chanting the magic.

The line of red light was pointing at a new direction.

It was unknown how much distance there was, but Yuika-senpai should be ahead of there.

Because they had lost their scout, this time Kazuki and the swordsmens became the vanguard unit and advanced.

Even while hurrying they needed to advance while being vigilant.

Kazuki thought that it was a fifty-fifty whether Yuika-senpai was safe or not. If an enemy managed to kidnap a person, what would the enemy do then? Would the enemy easily make the one kidnapped unable to battle, or would the enemy use her as a bargaining material……

If the enemy was someone who knew that Kazuki was a person who put the importance of his comrades above all else, perhaps the enemy would choose to use Yuika-senpai as bargaining material. In the case that he was asked to do something absurd in exchange of the girl’s safety……

He was the King, so he had to hold the resolve to reject the things that ought to be rejected.

If he weighed the important matter that would be controlled by the end of this decisive battle and the life of Yuika-senpai, he had to abandon her. No matter just how tragic what happens in front of his eyes……

There was a watering place with rainbow moss growing on it and a rare butterfly traversed in front of him, but he advanced without giving a glance to all of those things. Each time he took a step forward, the dark cloud of anxiety in his chest grew heavier.

And then――,

“……I haven’t laid my hand on the girl. Nothing at all.”

He saw Yuika-senpai being captured.

There was a faint half-transparent hut composed from magic power. It even looked like a birdcage. Inside it, the figure of Yuika-senpai laid down on a bed through the hut. It seemed that she lost consciousness.

Beside that hut, a silver queen and her knight order were waiting.

The scenery inside the forest was like a fairy tale from somewhere.

“I haven’t done anything to her.” That girl said that one more time.

Ilyailiya Muromets!

It was the opponent that Kazuki didn’t want to meet the most inside his heart.

The knight order Ilyailiya led, eighty percent of them were women wearing Magic Dresses, the remaining twenty percent were wearing the uniform of the Russia knight order that was a dark grey jacket and pants complete with a military cap. It seemed that her hundred of people weren’t composed with only Magika Stigma. They had a very little amount of decoration, their appearance was more of a military rather than knights.

When he followed the magic power from the hut that captured Yuika-senpai, it was linked to the Magika Stigma standing beside Ilyailiya. Behind that woman, the avatar of a gigantic old woman was floating.

It was an old woman with a horribly eerie look. It couldn’t possibly be thought of as the figure of a Diva that represented Order.

“Our side has no intention to attack. To prove that, let me introduce her.”

Ilyailiya talked with a voice that kept her cool.

“This girl’s name is Izolda. Her contracted Diva is Baba Yaga, an evil spirit of the forest. Perhaps it’s closer to the impression of Japanese people if I said that it’s a forest monster.”

“You say you don’t have any intention to attack……?”

Kazuki asked back while taking battle readiness without letting his guard down.

The old woman of the forest <Baba Yaga>. Kazuki who had investigated mythology beforehand obviously knew that name. Its popularity was high even as the legend of Russia, one of the existences that was most feared there.

“With this magic of Baba Yaga……[My Fun HouseHome Sweet Home], we took custody of your comrade. This magic can pull close a girl who wanders alone inside a forest to the user’s side. There is no way to resist without advanced Resist or powerful magic power ejection. The number it can catch at a single time is only one person. However the further the target is the larger the consumption of magic power.”

Wandering alone……the moment Yuika-senpai got out of the range of Kazuki’s power of bond, the condition of being [alone] without anyone being able to detect her was fulfilled.

An abduction magic that activated without question when the condition was fulfilled. Distance was unrelated. Yuika-senpai was helpless no matter how many kilometers she could look ahead with Valefor’s power.

That was how it was……the existence of magic that they couldn’t even imagine.

The initiative was taken by the enemy. They were surpassed by the enemy on the first move.

However……she didn’t ask any compensation at all? Why did she politely explain the magic?

“Why didn’t you do anything to her? Are you planning to make a deal?”

“I want you to be relieved.”

There was no way he could be relieved.

“From what I guessed through the particulars of your battle against Regina before, your group is able to sense the whereabouts of your fellow companions. Therefore when I saw that the captured person was a Japanese, I thought that you would surely come rescuing her even if you have to brave through danger.”

It was an exceedingly accurate deduction. After this much it was scary to hear the continuation of her talk.

“We could even kill this girl and then leave behind this place. All of you who come searching for her would be reunited with her dead body…… We also had enough time to do that. We didn’t do that because I want to rebuild a good relationship with your force. In order to prove our goodwill, we didn’t lay a single finger on her.”

“You are talking about friendly relationship, not negotiation?”

Ilyailiya smiled sweetly. The ice queen who usually never made a smile at all mechanically warped her cheek muscle and showed a stiff smile.

“We of Russia wish for a new alliance with your force.”

Kazuki fell silent with a baffled feeling.

Ilyailiya was waiting for a reply with a smile she wasn’t used to doing.

Enemy――furthermore it was exactly the one he recognized as the most troublesome enemy in the early stage.

“What are you going to do about your alliance members? We are absolutely incompatible with China and Loki.”

Ilyailiya smoothly answered that as though she had prepared to be asked that beforehand.

“Now that we have become unable to cooperate with each other, our alliance with them has already become a dead letter. It’s not useful at all. What is more important than that is to avoid fighting with the force we encounter in the very beginning. Each force will reach balance sooner or later. If we suddenly fight then even if we win there will be no future ahead.”

“Then you, you planned to propose an alliance to the first force you encountered no matter who they were?”

“It’s fortunate that the first force we encountered is your group. Because your group is the party that is the most reasonable. My standpoint is actually similar to you. Not Order and also not Chaos.”

“I’m not thinking that it doesn’t matter whether one is Order or Chaos. You who thinks that whichever side is fine as long as you win, and I who wants to find out the best path, we are not similar.”

“Victory should be necessary in order to find that best path you are looking for. Aiming for victory……at the very least our objective coincide until the middle of the way. If it’s you who is more open-minded than any other King, you should understand that this is only logical.”

Kazuki kept silent and pondered. He had to hypothesize every kind of possibility regarding joining hands with Ilyailiya right here.

There was only one point that was unnatural. What she was saying wasn’t logical.

For her there should be an easier way to make use of him by making use of her forte.

It was fine if she herself didn’t notice it. It wasn’t like all the enemies would be cunning like Clark. But if that wasn’t the case?

‘……Weren’t we actually lured by the ability of Baba Yaga and brought into the most terrifying situation that could possibly happen?’

The most terrifying enemy that needed to be watched out for the most at the early stages in Atlantis wasn’t even Loki or Fu Xi. The reason was because this girl――in this insulated battle royale, was the fastest person here.

There was an out of place feeling that she would wait fixedly for them here like this.

“Besides I know after forming an alliance with them. Fu Xi of China is terrifyingly strong.”

Kazuki had also heard the story from Shouko, how she was [an existence that was out of the norm].

“Even if I join hands with Fu Xi of China and defeat other forces, it will be meaningless if in the end I am defeated by Fu Xi. First all the other forces need to join hands and defeat Fu Xi of China……I think that is the most logical for all the other forces. Because that’s just how strong Fu Xi is.”

“I see.”

Perhaps, at a glance that was reasonable.

However even so the doubt Kazuki was harboring didn’t clear away.

But there was no need for him to stupidly press the question honestly, because he had learned his lesson in the battle with America. Cold sweat was going down through his back.

“Got it. I too want to avoid sudden fighting and exhaust my forces. Let’s make an alliance.”

Kazuki held out his hand.

After thinking for a moment, Ilyailya took his hand as though she was just remembering [Come to think of it again, there is the custom of shaking hands in this world isn’t it]. Her palm was cold to the touch.

{……Everyone.}

Kazuki called out through telepathy to all the Chouki like Mio and Koyuki and Kaguya-senpai.

{For now we will pretend to form an alliance. While pulling out information from them, if there is something that you think is suspicious……match our timing and attack all at once. Perhaps she doesn’t know that we can even match our timing using telepathy.}

When the half-transparent hut vanished, Yuika-senpai that was captured inside it immediately woke up.

She raised her upper body and looked around, then when she discovered Kazuki, she rushed to him with a face that almost burst out crying.

“Sorry, sorry I, that time I took a step……!”

That single step where she exited the range of Kazuki’s bond. That surely wasn’t something logical, but an impulse that couldn’t be helped. For a human, anyone must of have had that kind of moment.

“Please don’t mind it. The magic was invoked without caring for anything like distance. Something that I or senpai cannot even imagine happened. That’s all.”

Those words came from his heart, but senpai still powerlessly looked down in dejection.

It would be bad if she withered just from a single failure.

“It’s fine. It hasn’t become a bad situation from there.”

His hand propped up the withered shoulder and he grasped with a little strong grip. Yuika-senpai’s shoulder twitched with a start and she lifted up her slightly reddened face.

“Ilyailiya only used that magic before in order to call us out. Japan and Russia will temporarily fight together.”

“With Russia……will it be okay?”

Yuika-senpai directed an uneasy look at Ilyailiya.

“Our interests coincide with each other.”

The ice queen showed a stiff smile once again.

“We were able to avoid the most feared result which was [contact with another force].”

He said that to encourage Yuika-senpai as though what happened was a matter of great celebration, and also with the intention of letting Ilyailiya hear that.

For the time being he only intended to pretend making an alliance. However, he couldn’t convey that to Yuika-senpai in front of Ilyailiya. That was why he needed to make Yuika-senpai accept the situation from the bottom of her heart.

Not just Yuika-senpai, all his other companions whom he couldn’t speak with using telepathy were also unable to calm down and made bewildered expressions. He had to calm down everyone.

Yuika-senpai tensed her expression that seemed like she wanted to cry and looked around the surroundings.

Her scouting eyes that could search for the enemy in the surrounding ten kilometers went around the surrounding area.

“Understood. ……But I’m sorry for going against the order.”

It seemed that she ascertained that there was no ambush in the surroundings. He was thankful for that quick wit.

There was no ambush, the problem was only the one hundred people before their eyes. ……He didn’t know whether their number was accurately a hundred though.

“Then how are we going to advance?” Ilyailiya asked.

“We have divination magic. Although it doesn’t mean that we can accurately understand where we will arrive at.”

That they could understand the whereabouts of Yuika-senpai was actually thanks to this magic.

“I see. We don’t have that kind of guiding magic. Then we will follow with where your group is going. That’s because I believe that is the best path for us whose interests coincide with each other.”

When Ilyailiya gave the command, Russia’s knight order took position that attached themselves in a line at their left.

Kazuki secretly transmitted his voice to everyone with positivity level above 150, the ones with whom telepathy was possible.

{The line will naturally become disordered when advancing through the forest, so everyone use that disorder as cover to secretly move to the right side. Pull the hands of the Magika Stigma around you to move following you. The Magika Stigmas are to distance themselves from Russia’s knight order and push the swordsmen near that side. The point is to nonchalantly create heaven and earth formation that is facing left. It’s so that we can fight Russia anytime.}

If the members who could use telepathy with Kazuki took some action wordlessly, the others were to consider that the same as an order from Kazuki. He had made everyone understand that beforehand, so there shouldn’t be any confusion.

“Then Fuuka-senpai, please.”

“Uh huh. Direction Witch!”

A string of red light stretched out ahead to the forest once again. The destination was a little different compared to the first time. It was unknown whether the target had changed or the target had moved.

“Yuika-senpai, can I ask you to be the scout?”

“……Yes! This time I won’t get out of range again!”

Yuika-senpai went ahead from Kazuki and group once more.

“I see, a scout. There is no Diva in our Mythology that is adequate as a scout. Consequently we can only walk around aimlessly while putting expectation so the magic of Baba Yaga would luckily succeed.”

There was no personnel that was adequate as a scout?

There was no way that was true. Kazuki was convinced of his doubt. He wanted to press the question to her but he understood that in doing so would become the trigger that would become bad resultsexplosive.

This was the same like the time with Clark. They were mutually gauging the timing of when to betray the other.

He didn’t understand what Ilyailiya was waiting for.

The Japan knight order was starting to move in succession. The Russian knight order was following right besides them.

Advancing through the forest, the trees that blocked the path disorderly threw the line of the knight orders into a mess. Kazuki’s comrades took the advantage that was created from that and secretly changed their formation.

Their formation changed into the heaven and earth formation that faced toward Russia’s knight order who was lining up at a few meters to their right side.

“I want to ask this before we decide the alliance but, if you obtain <the ultimate illusion> then what do you plan to do with it?”

Kazuki was thinking to occupy Ilyailiya’s attention with conversation.

Ilyailiya answered. “We are fighting for the sake of reviving the gods and spirits, and the simple monsters of ancient Slavic Mythology whose existences were deleted.”

“Their existences deleted?”

“You should have heard about the story of the three great Mythologies. Because of the defeat in Ragnarok, the gods of Slavic people were sealed for a long time until now due to the oppression that occurred since then. We are fighting for the sake of taking revenge for that.”

Revenge……that was an act without any productivity at all.

It was another matter if that was a personal emotion, but that wasn’t something that a whole country would do en masse.

“After achieving revenge, what are you going to do?”

“We are already not even Order or Chaos. Our Mythology that has been worn down throughout the long history no longer has any teachings left to lead mankind. There is no ideal in us. We will only win to the end and stand at the top while absorbing the doctrines of the Mythologies we defeated. That’s all that we are going to do.”

There wasn’t any emotion surfacing on her expression, Ilyailiya was speaking with her eyes still on the path ahead.

What a truly futile story. It wasn’t to realize their ideal, it wasn’t because there was something they wanted to do, they were going to stand at the top because they wanted to stand at the top. It was just like someone that was lusting for power only because he wanted to become famous.

And she was talking about that not with an expression which was overflowing with ambition, but merely with an apathetic tone and an expressionless face.

“What kind of meaning is there in that?”

“Meaning? If you love your god, it’s only natural to wish for your god to stand at the top. It’s because we loved the gods of Slavic Mythology.”

“Loved?”

Ilyailya’s eyes opened a little wider, as though she was shocked by her own words.

“We……loved……there is no mistake. This is because the current me has no emotion remaining.”

Strange, painful pity ran through Kazuki’s chest.

“The current you has no substance……”

Gods who lost their substance. And the believers who forfeited their own substance in order to reach victory. It didn’t matter if there was not even Order or Chaos, it didn’t matter what kind of teaching it would be, it was fine as long as they just had Slavic Mythology……

There was no more faith in that. It was a failure, nothing more than a completely withering cycle.

”There is no substance in me, is it. That’s correct but, it’s a mysterious feeling to have that pointed out to me once again. However, I believe that the idea of enlightenment that is talked about in the orient is something like this.”

Enlightenment. The imperviousness that came from being liberated from egotism. Emptiness.

The heart of this girl wasn’t moving. She was moving automatically by being reduced into her habit.

That was why this girl was fast.

“There is substance inside your words.” Ilyailiya said to Kazuki.

“Your words come from your heart, resounding inside me. It’s different from the words of someone like Loki. Before I knew it, I began wanting to get a chance to talk with you like this. Surely in the end it will become a battle against you. However……I judged that undoubtedly there is meaning in the talk just now.”

“A human who said that she had lost her emotion, has that kind of feeling?”

“Because if I defeat you who is my antithesis after associating with you, then I will be able to become even more pure.”

She still hadn’t reached her ideal self. Her emotions still hadn’t completely become empty.

In other words these guys……became stronger the emptier they were!

That was the strength of Slavic Mythology, the authority of Ilyailiya as King.

“An opponent who makes me feel like this, is only you.”

Ilyailiya turned to his direction, and declared.

Their eyes met. Her eyes were like jewels without impurities. An automatic killing intent in emptiness.

However, Ilyailiya was being zealous. She was pouring her nerves into the conversation with Kazuki. She accepted Kazuki with all her strength, she was saying that she could become perfectly pure by defeating that.

She looked expressionless, but for her this was a fervent speech. As though it was a confession of love.

Sensing that zeal, Kazuki decided.

{Everyone! Now, attack!!}

The next moment, Kazuki and his Chouki magicians moved together like a single living thing.

Ilyailya opened both her eyes in surprise from the magic powers that were expanding in a single breath. However, even Ilyailiya that was logical and decisive in everything stiffened and stood still.

“Mode Phoenix!”

Kazuki poured magic power into Zekorbeni and invoked instantly towards the opponent before his eyes.

“O the undying bird that repeated life and death! Liberate the final flame, become the sun of the surface……Imitation Flare!!”

A gigantic bird of fire was emerging from the arm that Kazuki held aloft. The fire bird released all the flame of life that was residing inside its body and bulged into a ball that was like a sun.

The gigantic solar flare swallowed Ilyailiya as well as the knights of Russia following behind.

Phoenix’s level 8――he wasn’t being stingy. His comrades also followed after him.

“Flap thy wing and scatter from the bottom of the earth. Trail the wind of spiral, become the bullet that expose the rage of this star! Flap and shoot! Volcanic Barrett!!”

“O will of whirling heaven god, I become the agent of the rage of god! O radiance of royal divine gift, become the storm of dazzling brilliance! Arrow Storm!!”

Mio and Hikaru-senpai successively invoked the fastest level 1 magic. By turning into Chouki Magicians, both <Barrett> and <Lightning Line> obtained attribute of rapid fire and shot rapidly like a storm.

Ilyailiya didn’t make it in time to use defensive magic and she became rooted on the spot due to the impact of her smashed magic.

“O maddening desire of the depths, bloom the forbidden flower right here! Consume greedily beautiful things in no time at all! Timeless Black TentacleInfinite Tentacles!!”

Kaguya-senpai summoned glistening violet tentacles from underground and the tentacles twisted around Ilyailiya. Ilyailiya’s white modest limbs were pressed hard by the terrific number of tentacles without leaving any opening as though they were going to tear her apart.

“O tear of mermaid, reveal the pain of the chest to the world. The chair at the side without that person, the blank album, summon the freezing world……Desolate Ice WhiteSolitary White Album!”

In that opening Koyuki invoked level 5 magic. Inside that prison of tentacles――a world of intense cold was created where the output was compressed into an extremely cramped space.

The attack magic were invoked in sequence postponed by the level.

“The alliance is a lie for the sake of a surprise attack! Swordsman squad, go!!”

Kanae who was the only one among the swordsmen who could receive Kazuki’s telepathy ordered the swordsman squad.

The swordsmen of Japan who followed the doctrine of strength obeyed Kanae without hesitation and descended on Russia’s knight order like a surging wave.

The knights of Russia began to show resistance even while being bewildered. The Magika Stigmas of Russia moved back in panic while beginning to chant.

“This son of a b*tchSobaka!”

The uniformed Russian knights yelled their abuse. They weren’t carrying weapons and attached iron armor on both their legs and arms. And then they handled the slash of Japanese katanas using peculiar breathing and motion. Russia’s hand to hand fighting art――Systema. By draining the strength using peculiar ways of breathing and in reverse reading the flow of tension of the opponent’s flesh and magic power, they showed flowing blows and evasion.

The elusiveness that was a mix of mystery and logic had similarity with Chinese kenpo.

The [Systema Wall] splendidly obstructed the momentum of the swordsman squad.

Kazuki tried to pour magic power into Zekorbeni once again. But before he could do that, he sensed presence of action from Ilyailiya that was caught inside the cage of tentacles.

“……Burst into flame, silent flux of all creation. Ogni Fonarei.“

It was Ilyailiya’s instantaneous magic invocation. The entwining tentacles bloated and silver flame overflowed from the gaps. The silver trail of the flame was flickering while hardening, changing into a sword.

“Mec.”

shun shun shun!* The silver blade made several laps and carved apart the tentacles.

“ShieldficationSicieto.”

Ilyailiya that recovered her freedom was being vigilant of further attack coming at her and changed her silver fire into a shield next. This silver fire could freely change its form and nature into all kinds of metallic shapes.

If Kazuki chose to attack using Summoning Magic, this silver shield would surely repel it back. But Kazuki didn’t do that, he unsheathed Ame no Murakumo and rushed closer.

In the battle against Ilyailiya, to Foresight her movement was too slow. He had to Foresight the <killing intent> produced before she moved――the sign of her mental world from the flow of magic power that was produced together with her will when she decided she was going to move. That was what he learned when fighting her before.

“Distort, Ame no Murakumo! Battou Kaikon――Kushihebi no Tachi!!”

Kazuki faced Ilyailiya and released the power Ame no Murakumo was hiding.

Ilyailiya wasn’t holding up her shield while perfectly understanding the situation. She was only holding up her shield as soon as she was liberated from the tentacles.

Surely that would be enough against simple attack magic that flew at her. But the blade of Ame no Murakumo that Kazuki wielded twisted like a snake and encircled the shield, attacking Ilyailiya from the shadows.

The move of the snake that couldn’t be blocked by a shield――the sensation of defensive magic power being smashed was conveyed to his hand.

Ilyailiya formed a sword in her right hand and repelled the snake sword with sweeping movement. But the snake sword didn’t get discouraged from being repelled and persistently attacked Ilyailiya even now by twisting its body.

Ilyailiya was overwhelming in speed. The sword in the girl’s right hand and the shield in her left hand were reacting with dizzying speed and warded off the snake’s attack. Kazuki was Foresighting her defensive movement while twisting and turning Ame no Murakumo in an attempt to pass through. Sometimes the blade was repelled and sometimes it succeed in biting at Ilyailiya. Twice, thrice the magic power of Ilyailiya broke.

Ilyailiya’s forehead slightly formed the wrinkles of irritation.

“Flow down, cutting flash of sky. Plijie Zvezda.”

The sky. Kazuki sensed the sign of an attack coming from the sky and his body evaded from the trajectory that he predicted. Small meteorites sharply rained down diagonally. *pshuu pshuu pshuu!* Countless holes were gouged on the ground.

“Run around, Domovoi.”

Even while managing her sword and shield, in rapid succession Ilyailiya floated small a fireball at her side this time. It was small, but it was a compressed flame that one should be on guard against.

However, all of it was magic that he had seen when fighting in Fuji’s sea of trees. Ilyailiya was trying to fight with only the magic that he had seen before so as to not expose her trump card even more.

“Don’t look down on me! ……O rejection of absolute zero, become the armor of isolation that protects my body! Freeze Barrier!”

Before Domovoi could rampage, Kazuki exchanged Zekorboni into Vepar and put up an ice barrier. The fireball and cold barrier clashed and extinguished each other.

While reacting to deal with the opponent’s swift attack, Kazuki continued to swing his snake blade.

“I am also trying to read the flow of your tension as a user of Systema but……it seems I cannot match you in martial arts.”

Ilyailiya let out her voice while continuing to move her shield and sword sharply.

“……However what are you planning with this? Aren’t we joining hands with each other?”

“What I’m planning, you ask? ……This alliance is just too convenient for you isn’t it?”

Kazuki answered while trying to pass through the silver sword and shield using the snake blade.

“With me acting together with you……what are you going to do if the next force we meet is a Chaos force? Aren’t you going to redo your alliance with the Chaos force and then bare your fangs at us? How can you declare that you won’t do that?”

“……So you cannot believe me, that’s unfortunate. You are being taken by excessive paranoia.”

“If you want to be believed then don’t tell barefaced lie. Stop the joke, like you saying that there is no one on your side who can scout. You yourself are the strongest scout in the world, aren’t you, Ilyailiya!”

‘Isn’t this girl finished already with her action’――that was Kazuki’s doubt.

This girl had already acted one turn faster than his side.

If at the moment they landed this girl flew around Atlantis by herself with all her speed then…

Normal scouts would move carefully so that they wouldn’t be separated too much from the main group.

But if it was a King that could boast of being the fastest then it was a different story. She had the confidence of safely escaping even if she encountered an enemy. She had the combat force that could resolve any situation no matter how unexpected by her lonesome.

Yuika-senpai was also contracted with the optimum Diva for scouting, but Ilyailiya was in a different dimension.

The fastest King was the sole scout who could fly around Atlantis alone as she pleased.

With that speed, just what had this girl done……

“Since a long time ago, you had contacted forces other than us already right?”

It was a terrifying fact that almost made his lips trembling now that he said it out loud.

“You had already contacted your alliance partner, then from there you chose one or two people to bring back to your own camp as a combat force didn’t you?”

The concentration and dispersion of battle strength. The basic concept that was the most fundamental in strategy.

Inside this forest, it wouldn’t be that easy to determine whether there were a hundred or a hundred and one people. It might be just one person. However there was an existence that could change the battlefield just alone.

Ilyailiya didn’t say anything. That was why Kazuki talked even further.

“Loki or a King, is already mixed inside your group.”

Loki was also troublesome, but even worse than that was a King. And the worst King even among the seven Kings……

“Good discernment.”

There was a voice.

In the surroundings the Magika Stigmas were attacking each other with Summoning Magic, while the battle of the swordsmen and the Systema users became a clashing battlefield.

Despite so at the rear line of Russia’s knight order, there was a knight that didn’t participate in the fighting at all. Even though she wasn’t wearing Magic Dress but the uniform of the Russian knight order, she didn’t go to the front and become a shield of the Magika Stigma. She was wearing the military cap low over her eyes and remained a spectator to the situation.

With a shine that uniform was disassembled into magic power light――transforming into a Magic Dress.

Kazuki opened his eyes wide together with a shudder.

“We were also reluctant to hide like this.”

What emerged after the uniform vanished was the silhouette of a petite girl. However, a ring of dazzling light was floating on her back, her four limbs covered by dragon scales that looked like amethyst, while her chest and waist were enveloped in colors restricted only for nobles.

Correct, it was only this girl whom he had never met face to face until now.

Even so, just at a glance, he understood who this person was.

His worst assumption came true. As expected, Ilyailiya was telling him the worst lie.

“Chukadou’s <Reborn Emperor>, Fu Xi.”

The girl emperor where the dragon of destiny resided gave her introduction.

There was an extreme difference between a hundred people with one King and a hundred and one people with two Kings.

He understood something like that. That hopeless understanding overwhelmed Kazuki’s heart.

“Ilyailiya. Wouldn’t it be better to do as we said? If the difference in battle strength is overwhelming, then we should crush them as soon as we discovered them without using coaxing/flatterycajolery like an alliance.”

Fu Xi was talking while staring at the fighting Ilyailiya with a composed face.

“Because I wanted to fight him after talking. This is a battle between Kings, therefore there is meaning in that.”

Ilyailiya answered. She didn’t even look timid. Kazuki’s decision to launch a surprise attack was correct.

However, just because one took a correct decision didn’t mean that it would surely create hope. What did some damage given from the successful attack bring to him?

This was the worst openingcontact.

At that time, feeling the presence of magic power getting closer, Kazuki lifted up his face.

Ilyailiya and also Fu Xi turned their heads too.

From the other side of the forest, a gigantic ship came flying by weaving through the trees’ gaps.

A flying ship. Originally it wasn’t something that could fly between the densely packed trees. But that ship was emitting light while sometimes distorting, sometimes the hull was folding while passing through the gaps swiftly.

Rather than calling it a ship it also looked like a gigantic dragon, but when it came closer it was a ship as expected――a dragon ship that the Vikings boarded.

“I see, just when I rush to take a look it already became this kind of situation. Ilyailiya made use of her speed and transported her ally quickly to fight Hayashizaki Kazuki. However, the one with confidence in their speed is not limited to just you. Perhaps my way is slower just for a little, but I’m still not too late am I?”

It was the <Skidbladnir>, the extraordinary sacred treasure of Norse Mythology that Kazuki had seen in America. Perhaps it couldn’t fly in the sky due to the influence of the magic power cloud, it was floating while zigzagging forcefully inside the thick foliages of the densely packed rainbow eucalyptuses.

The Queen of the Vikings was looking down with an air of composure at the bow of the ship.

Hrotsvit Lesedrama. The contractor of the famous chief god Odin.

“Furthermore on my ship, elite brave warriors are riding together with me.”

Shadows of ten people were lining up behind the queen. There was a presence that Kazuki knew really well there.

“Let’s go, Beatrix. This is the beginning of the enjoyable Ragnarokwar.”

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