Vol 5 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Chapter 4 - Kusanagi Takeru
——The sky; about 20,000 round
There was a single stealth transport aircraft flying across quietly
Inside of a diirl in a full body suit along with a face-covering helmet, and a man dressed in kimono
”A surprise attack froy”
The man, Fantasy Cult'sValhalla's Orochi cleared the ash froirl as sitting next to hiun's long azine responded to him absent-mindedly
”The cult is also desperate, we can't complain”
”Ha, ya turned real cheeky haven't ya, Diluted-chan hop”
Orochi stowed the pipe in the pocket and kicked the lu in front of him
The girl too, glared in vexation at the luotten cramped
”the two of us are enough There's no need for a doll like that”
”That's cause these guys are only good for the times of war, but it's true that they ain't cut out for operations like this one”
” 《HeroesEienherjars》, disgusting”
”Well, a Hero's better than some John Doe We're the ones who su as it achieves the purpose”
Orochi e yawn and put a hand on the sword by his waist
After finishi+ng installation of , the girl buainst each other
《”Three minutes have passed since the ene the hatch”》
Froo hold, a voice that seemed like the male pilot's resounded At the sareen and the hatch dropped doith a heavy sound
Moonlight entered the cabin and a powerful wind flowed inside
Thanks to the light, the iron lump's identity was exposed
They were already-activated jet-black Dragoons, they numbered twenty
All of the inally created under the assumption they wouldn't be piloted by anyone
Pseudo-Heroes suoons Developed by Alcheolems into which a Heroes were summoned All of the machines had a Hero's soul inside
The eyes of theinorganic which made them seem eerie
《”Catapult ejection——dropping the Magical Dragoons”》
After the pilot reported, the Dragoons started their boosters and were ejected one after another
The girl and Orochi rose up, they put their hands on the wall near the hatch and were exposed to the wind
”'Aight, let's do this Let's confiry”
””
”The only one who'll be actually flying is you Confiret with your own eyes, in case you can't do that, drop down all the transport aircrafts there are Me and those Heroes will clean up all the vehicles on the ground”
”Roger”
”Hey, Diluted”
Orochi put a hand on the girl's shoulder and lightly patted her face
With a serious expression, his attitude was unlike the light-hearted one from before
”Listen, don't take any other actions than flying and don't pull your sword out The dae If you do it poorly you'll involve the civilians as well”
After being told that, the girl held the handle of a huge two-handed sword she had in the sheath on her back
It had an disproportionate black sheath anic minerals and the sword had a characteristic flame-like pattern
The girl stared at the weapon that ee, hot air
””
”Reply properly If you pull it out I'll cut your head off”
”understood”
After hearing a reluctant reply, Orochi has taken out a black crystal from his breast pocket
”I'll activate the instant charic will be activated in thirty ive it back Finish your mission in time and join up with me, if you can't do that, I will leave you behind”
”Yeah”
”It's not 'yeah', but 'roger'”
”Roger”
After saying OK, Orochi leaned forward in order to start his descent
”Wait Orochi, where's your parachute?”
”No need for one I'round after all”
”monster”
”I don't want to be told that by you——I'll be going ahead!”
After declaring that, Orochi ran outside with a crouching start
The girl followed hi out into the sky
With hatred towards the light of the city spread below, the girl cut through the air to enter the combat
At the saround
It's been five i Kiseki's convoy operation started
The transport convoy consisted of three aircrafts and seven ground vehicles which startedout from the Inquisition's Headquarters at the sa in different directions and headed for different destinations to act as decoys
All the aircrafts were duround was the convoy vehicle that held Kusanagi Kiseki inside With all the dummy vehicles there was at least one member of the EXE
This i Kanata Previously she acted alongside Kurogane Hayato, it was the SpyBanshee wo to Alchemist
”A report from the inner citadel?”
Kanata opened the cargo coan pilot in the cockpit
”There were no problems so far The dummy vehicles and the transport aircrafts didn't report any abnormalities”
”please be cautious If the ene, then the possibility of an attack froh Act earnestly”
”Hahhaaha, I doubt the witches would have a fighter plane It's all right, we're armed in here, there's no need to worr——”
The pilot's speech ended there
The copilot saw so in the sky, it was quite a distance away and travelling in their direction
”Hey! What's that?!”
He looked like he couldn't believe it and pointed at the sky
The place their line of sight was attracted at had a huure with an opened parachute in it
”Youat such time? At this altitude?”
”——Intercept it immediately! Shoot it down!”
”Ha?”
”Hurry up!”
”No, but a transport aircraft shouldn't shoot a normal huma”
In the ure with an opened parachute approached steadily It was so unbelievable, but their intersection was clearly predicted
It was perfectly heading in their direction
At this rate, that figure would without a doubt hit the transport aircraft
Moure disconnected the parachute
It's body was rounded and it has began to glide in the direction of the transport aircraft No It was clearly flying
No way?!
Kanata was surprised that a huure stretched its body and pulled out two azines from her hips, she turned the muzzles towards the cockpit of the transport aircraft
Just as he was told by Kanata, the pilot opened fire at the figure
The bullets were shot in rapid fire and grazed the figure
However, since the figure was a bit higher, it didn't hit
The figure bypassed the bulletstoruns towards the cockpit
The cockpit'sthat norun has cracked, and the bullets took down the pilot and the co-pilot
Kanata immediately jumped back
Desiring with supreme ardor——Hammer of Witches”Summis desiderantes affectibus——Malleus Maleficarum!”
At the sa a Relic Eater, the figure slipped in frolass should be But there was no way to avoid i a transport aircraft that flies at 500 kilometres per hour
The figure with a full-face hel with a dull sound
After further passing through the space, they slao hold
The hatch has completely collapsed as if it was hit by a cannon, and the transport machine shook violently on the impact
A nored to finish changing into Witch Hunter Form and was still alive
”Ghh! you!”
”——! A Relic Eater!?”
Surprised by the lead-coloured arure took a deep breath
I'ht Kanata There was no way she could predict that there was soe into the cockpit
Kanata tried to take out the figure that attacked her by surprise and was ai a kick to its abdomen The attacker was bloay by the shock and rebuilt its posture
She pulled loose her body that was stuck in the hatch and entered battle readiness
Both confronted each other with a glare
The transport aircraft is already falling at this rate it'll crash into the ground I need to defeat this guy and grab the controls Moreover, my Relic Eater isn't cut out for close combat
Her Relic Eater was 『nobunaga』, a sniper-rifle type
Its intrinsic perforreater the distance was, from up close it was no different frouns, they had strangely long e, but paired with the ene potential
Rather what's up with him why is he alive after a collision at 500 kpet it!
She continued to glare frustrated, the attacker in the body suit opened its mouth
”This seems like a miss Hey, you”
”talking with the enemy isn't my hobby”
”I have no use for this place any longer If you overlook me, I'll overlook you Escape with a parachute”
It said these words with a fragmentary speech, Kanata was dumbfounded
But soon enough she vented out, and laughed quietly
”O-overlook? You, will overlook me?”
”Yeah”
”Hahaha, don't h! You damn brat!”
Screaa's muzzle at the attacker
The attacker crouched and protruded the uns in front
”——Don't look down on Inquisitors!”
Kanata released a single hit froa However, the attacker followed the attack and avoided it with ease
Not surprised by the fact it was avoided, Kanata rushed towards the attacker instead while raising a cry
”HAAAAAAAAAaa!!”
Despite having her body bathed in the un bullets, she jumped into the enemy's bosom
The surprise attacker rotated its body and swung theat Kanata's chin Kanata received that bloith her upper left arm
Although it was powerful, it wasn't enough to break Witch Hunter Form's armour
Kanata didn't ap in the enerasped attacker's both hands
”I caught you!”
The attacker was shocked, Kanata raised a foot high up
The enemy took a defensive posture——however, Kanata hasn't intended to attack She kicked the hatch e button
A heavy sound of the hatch opening all at once could be heard, and the two's bodies were flung into the sky fro wind
”Khh!”
As they were entangled in the sky, the surprise attacker distanced itself from Kanata with a kick
Gently, the attacker grasped the handle of the sword on its back Unbelievable red, shi+ning wing-like particles appeared on the surprise-attackers back and the attacker fleay in a blink of an eye
””
She could no longer see Kanata, she wouldn't have been able to escape before falling to the ground so being dragged to the outside was convenient for the attacker
”Orochi told me not to pull it out but it's problematic when the opponent has a Relic Eater”
The attacker continued the flight, and tried heading towards the second aircraft
While flapping wings like a fly, fixing the track she turned her body to the west
However, the fact that taking distance when going against Kanata put her in a fatal disadvantage was unknown for the attacker The ot about Kanata's presence,
——vuooOOOOOON!
”Wah?!”
A bullet ic assaulted her back The attacker fluttered her wings just in tis has been erased by the luic
”——From such a distance?!”
She looked in Kanata's direction Far below, Kanata as s the Relic Eater 『nobunaga』
Despite falling down, Kanata targeted her in ht and shoot accurately
The attacker recognized Kanata as a threat beyond her
”I can't beat her like that! Gotta run!”
She rebuilt the wings, and tried leaving again However, noKanata always reached her
”There's a report froi, there was an enemy surprise attack”
On the ground, in the convoy car that was running at full speed of several hundred kilohway in order to exit the Kansai area, Kurogane Hayato heard a report from his subordinate He wasn't surprised, they expected a surprise attack from Fantasy CultValhalla in advance Rather, since it was evident they were aii Kiseki, they were able to lead them astray
”Continue with current strategy Maintain current speed and travel to our destination”
He issued a coo hold in the rear On the loading platfore Iron Maiden and a single ainst the wall
”eneo out at any time”
””
”did you hear aya”
Hearing Hayato's strong tone of voice, Kyouya as sitting on the bench raised his face up
”I know it even if you don't tell me, Captain”
””
”By the way, just like the Chairi don't you Normally there would be an application for sentence and imprisonment for him, quite soft aren't ya”
”What are you trying to say”
Without any expression and intihed with low voice
”just like I said”
””
”Are you an ally of humans? Or maybe an ally of heretics?”
Hayato didn't answer, he just looked down on Kyouya
”I'm bothered by you, the EXE's captain and Witch Hunter'sDullahan's top doing half-assed job”
”You're not in a position to suspect me”
”I can do it even without you If you're no one's ally, then don't get in the way of e!”
Kyouya stood up and glared at Hayato from below
”I'll have ainst that shi+tty necromancer! I won't discriminate and will erase all heretics fro captain, then get outta my way!”
”I see So Nero prefers shallow guys like you Ootori Ouka was an idiot as well, but you are on a completely different level”
As Hayato quietly provoked him, blood vessels appeared on Kyouya's temples
All Hayato did was look at him coldly
”I' to 『To enforce h with it Don't compare it with foolishness like that”
”you bastardd!”
”Do your job properly That is all I require of you Keep your vomit-like aspirations inside your stomach”
Air atrab Hayato's collar
That hen the transport vehicle shook
It has tilted strongly and they felt as if gravity disappeared for a moment
The two supported theed to keep standing
”so they came!”
Kyouya raised his face happily
《”Objects have fallen in front! Those are——Dragoons! There are three machines! The car in front was crushed!”》
Kyouya heard the driver's shout and opened the container's hatch
As the night breeze stroked his hair, Kyouya landed on the road and glanced in the direction the convoy's vehicles were travelling
Because the transportation was secret and there were no regulations, on the road there was a lot of civilian vehicles A number of cars passed by the convoy's side and started piling up in front
The civilians immediately realized as the cause
Standing in the centre of a huge crater in the direction they travelled were three mechanical dolls
”Niiice there's three heretics! A good harvest ain't it!”
His eyes were glowing, and Kyouya showed a glier
”these are Heroes I'll take on two of them, you deal with the one left behind”
Hayato left the convoy vehicle and lined up next to Kyouya
”HAAa?! Don't say such bullshi+t——they're all, all mine!”
”Do as you please But don't coht up in one of my attacks”
”That's my line!”
Kyouya stood while retracting half of his body and readying his gun, Hayato began to rotate the revolver's cylinder In the , the two spoke the words of power on their own and at the very same moment
Desiring with supreme ardor——Hammer of Witches” ”Summis desiderantes affectibus——Malleus Maleficarum!” ”
The two hway filled with screams
A memory from the past has been revived
Takeru was always able to clearly recall things froo
He and Kiseki had first met when they were around nine years old
In the i's house The house itself and the site were large, appearance-wise it's been visibly ruined and believed to be a haunted house by people who lived below the i True-Light style』, but because punks have drawn over it with a spray, most of the characters weren't visible
Takeru grew up Inside of as a dojo only in name; it could only be called a ruin
He had a father and a randparents nor relatives Takeru hi about his family, and had no interest in it
His entle, but his father was very strict He workedswordsmanshi+p in a different dojo, but it wasn't very lucrative Moreover, for some reason his father was always covered with bruises
From time to time Takeru was indoctrinated with swordsmanshi+p physically and mentally by his father
『”Cling to the sword”』
『”Swords that establishes your existence”』
『”Don't be upset by anything other than swords, don't rejoice over anything”』
『”The only thing you're allowed to do is swordsmanshi+p”』
The sa was imprinted into him on a daily basis That was the education policy for eneration, i family were quick to have blood rush to their heads
Ever since he was a baby, because of a feeling of being craes all the time
Although he didn't get it, anyhow, the inside of his body felt as if it was too 『narrow』 for him
Therefore, ever since childhood, i house were drilled with swordsmanshi+p At first, his parents continued to leave the theot froave to others
The children always started to think of winning against their parents, and started to yearn to learn swordsmanshi+p from their parents, their hearts, technique, body and mind were trained
Then by learning discipline and patience, they were able to overcoi household
His father was strong As an instructor of Kusanagi True-Light style his ability was impeccable
However, Takeru had a talent beyond that of his father's
On the other hand, he had more inhuman heart than anyone else
That hy he was uncontrollable even despite learning swords
During his life a him
Having the Kusanagi house being called foolish was one of the reasons for that
When he went to a normal elementary school, he was called the 'demon child', despised and sometimes even thrown stones at
Takeru left the three who threw stones at him in all beaten up and bloody
Even as his opponents were crying and calling for help, Takeru did not cease swinging doooden sword on them
『”For a long tii-san and this one's father barely even work do they”』
『”It seems like they teach kendo in a dojo elsewhere, but one can tell it's not profitable if they look at the house It seems like they don't want to work properly”』
『”what's the point of teaching an uncouth anachroniseez”』
Every tihbourhood he went around destroying s and glass in the nearby houses
Every tiized for him afterwards
『”Why does Father and Mother lower their heads? They are the ones at fault”』
Takeru was unable to understand his parents' behaviour and was dissatisfied His parents explained it many times to him, but he never understood The only ones he respected, was his own family
He was endlessly irritated It was narroay too narrow
His heart screamed, and the scrabble inside his head continued every day
It was a hot, summer day
Inside of a deep forest, he squinted as intense sunlight peeked through fro voice from somewhere
Takeru followed that voice and continued to walk through thewhat appeared in front of hi storehouse That storehouse was placed in between cliffs and was built in a place where sunlight almost never reached
It was a place he would normally never find The warehouse itself was made of black stone which looked like it was painted with lacquer It was cold to the touch, and it could be seen that it was reinforced many, many times He realized that the reinforce voice he heard was co from inside
It was a lullaby he heard hisbefore
As if invited, walked around the storehouse
His feet stopped in a place he heard the voice best
『”hey, is someone inside?”』
Fro breath
『”a p-person? I-is someone there?”』
Seehtened, the voice trembled After he looked closely, at the bottoap Takeru approached that gap and bent his knees, crouching
『”You, what are you doing in a box like that Are you a youkai or so?”』
『”AauuKiseki is called Kiseki”』
『”I'i Takeru You, are you human?”』
As he spoke to her frankly, a confused voice saying ”Ah, umm, nn” came from inside
After a while, so came out from inside
It was a white finger
Kiseki in silence poked her finger through the sap
『”what is it”』
『”Hhandshi+ook Whenpeople firsttime shake hands, is what Mom said”』
While saying it with poor wording, Kiseki tried her best to poke her finger outside
Although Takeru was suspicious of it, he didn't intend to act rudely, and seeking a handshake was soer with Kiseki's
Kiseki's finger was cold and it felt pleasant
『”ahh〜♪”』
She let out a joyful voice
Mysteriously, only when he was in contact with Kiseki, Takeru no longer felt the 『narrowness』
After experiencing it for the first time, Takeru didn't leave the place and sat down nearby
『”you, why are you inside of a box like that?”』
『”I don't know Ever since I was born, I was here”』
『”Hmmm Well, it doesn't matter”』
『”Hey hey I want, to talk”』
『”Talk, about what”』
『”About, outside About, Takeru-kun”』
Kiseki said with an excited voice
Nor with others, but when he ith Kiseki, the noise inside of his mind subsided for some reason
Froo to the place Kiseki was in every day
After speaking with her, Takeru's teh he was still unable to adapt to others, he caused less problems at school
His parents also welcoe
——Until they learned that Takeru met with Kiseki
One year has passed ever since Takeru encountered Kiseki deep in the mountains
Takeru went to the box's location on daily basis He himself didn't knohy did he
He was taught that swords was unchanged
However, strangely only when he was speaking with Kiseki, he felt comfortable
Only when he was together with Kiseki, he stopped feeling it was narrow
It was extre
『”I want to talk today too”』
Kiseki begged Takeru from inside the box like she always did
They always talked about silly things About how harsh was the practice that day, on how resilient the cockroaches in dojo were, how annoying the shi+tty brats frohbourhood were, about hoas called a catastrophe, it was nothing interesting
Even so, Kiseki happily hit the walls of the box
『”What kind of creatures are insects? I've never seen any”』
『”This deep in the mountains, there ht?”』
『”No, none entered here”』
『”Nothing entered through this gap?”』
『”Probably, insects are too afraid to enter here”』
Hearing that the insects are scared of her, Takeru faced down
Ever since theythis subject
For Takeru it was irrelevant, he didn't think there were any probleht there's no need to consider it
『”Heyyou, what are you?”』
Takeru casually asked her that question Kiseki fell silent
In silence, Takeru leaned his back on the box and felt a gentle touch
『”Kiseki is Kiseki”』
Surely, Kiseki ht Takeru
『”Didn't you think about going outside of there?”』
『”going outside?”』
『”That's normal isn't it I hate narrow places I feel like s Is it different for you?”』
『”Kiseki hates wide places I never saw it, but I know I hate theo outside Kiseki was told that she's so that shouldn't be there”』
『”Who the hell told you that”』
『”Dad and Mom”』
『”That's no parent”』
『””』
『””』
『””』
『”You want to go outside, don't you”』
『”I hate wide places, but I want to meet Takeru-kun properly I think”』
『”I got it, I'll get you out”』
『”really?”』
『”I won't lie, there's no point”』
Saying so, Takeru stood up
And he took out the sword he had by his waist all at once
『”I'll have take you out of there”』
『”I will definitely save you I promise”』
Takeru slashed the box's ith the sword
However, only a high pitched sound has come and the box was unscathed
Even so, Takeru tried dozens of ti up, he continued to hit it with his techniques
But the box wouldn't budge after all
『”Hey, let's stop?”』
『”Why would we stop? When I'm with you, my heart doesn't scream that its narrow That's why, I too, want to meet you, I want to be near you”』
『”Takeru-kun”』
『”Whether you can live or not, it's not so”』