Volume 2 Chapter 5 (1/2)

I had to watch the bright sunrise from the road outside the luxury hotel.

But I suppose seeing the sun at all was better than the alternative.

We had made it through another night.

We had won the 2nd round.

But that only meant the hands of the grim reaper's clock had advanced one more step.

The Five Battles Precipice. The demon of statistics.

We only had the 3rd and 4th rounds left to work on this. We had to find something to destroy the nationally broadcast Colosseum and drive out the Bright Cross before the fated 5th round began.

Perhaps due to shaking off the Leanan Sídhe's curse, I felt full of energy. But that did not cheer me up.

…What would I do about Itou Helen?

I knew she could heal her wounds and recover her lost stamina to an extent by shedding her skin like a snake. But she might have broken her ribs this time. Could she heal something as bad as broken bones just by shedding her skin?

This acc.u.mulation was what created the merciless rules.

I had to do better. The Five Battles Precipice did not mean we were safe until the 5th round. It meant she would die in the 5th round or earlier. So she could have easily been killed back there.

So I had to hurry it up.

I had to find a way to save Itou Helen.

”Maxwell.”

”Sure.”

”Did you find anything in common between the 1st round's TV station and the 2nd round's luxury hotel?”

”A few. First, the broadcast equipment and staff used for the 2nd round were the same as at Kukyou 1st Broadcasting. And that obviously includes the bunny girl. Also, both facilities are part of the same economic cooperation organization. That organization appears to gather the opinions of the financial world and pa.s.s them onto the political world, but it is no more than a decoration started by a specific politician. In other words, it is no more than a briefing that eliminates any opinions deemed inconvenient to Kukyou City's elites.”

”I'm not entirely sure what that means, but are you saying they're guilty?”

”Incredibly so. This is a textbook example of corruption.”

…If they were that bad, then I was in danger just having that information, but that s.h.i.+p had sailed long ago. There was no chance of safety from the moment I had chosen to oppose the Bright Cross.

”Also, this information is not certain, but I think I will provide one warning as a simulator.”

”I am a handmade disaster environment simulator that you constructed singlehandedly, but I take pride in my processing power's lack of inferiority. …And yet you have run across too many unexpected situations lately. I can only call this odd.”

”…You say that, but isn't that just because we don't have enough data to build a proper simulation of the abnormal Bright Cross? That's why your calculations aren't perfect.”

”I am saying not even that can explain it anymore. For one thing, the very beginning of this incident was odd. On the very day we had decided to head underground and destroy the Bright Cross, they had already withdrawn from that facility and started this public Colosseum. Why? Doesn't the timing seem a little too perfect?”

”…Are you saying they predicted our actions?”

”Sure.”

”Maxwell, is it possible you're being hit by a cyber attack? Have you been checking the size of the data transfers?”

”You cannot trust the answer from a possibly infected system, but I can find no trace of an attack. I am monitoring all packets, but I cannot find a single byte outside of the requests from myself or from you. You can review all of the results if you wish.”

Maxwell's simulation data was set up to be sent to the college and research inst.i.tutes that a.s.sisted in his construction…and the Bright Cross had influence there. But I supposedly had an additional program in there fooling the system when it chose that path. At this point, I doubted I had just made a simple programming error. The syntax was simple enough and, if there was a mistake, Maxwell would have sent a flagged warning during the testing in a virtual s.p.a.ce.

But wait.

What if…?

”…Isn't this really bad, Maxwell?”

”Sure. If there is no issue with my specs and no sign of data being stolen in a cyber attack, then only an extremely serious possibility remains.”

In other words, the Bright Cross was doing the same thing.

Just like us, they were running simulations with a largescale processing device to detect when disaster would befall them and to construct a countermeasure to stay ahead of it. That was why we were not doing any damage to them.

Or to put it more simply…

”It is possible the Bright Cross has a simulator much like myself. And I can estimate that they have gone a step beyond us and given it greater specs than my own.”

”You're…kidding…”

”No. I have not been given such flexible conversational ability. Everything I say is serious.”

I felt a chill in my stomach instead of my spine.

That possibility was far too devastating. A normal human - and only a high school boy at that - had only been able to get this far thanks to my unfair reliance on Maxwell.

If they had a computer more powerful than Maxwell, I would lose that advantage.

And while Maxwell was my masterpiece, we were only talking about a handmade machine limited to a container in size. There was nothing I could do if they brought out a nationally-funded supercomputer larger than a gym!

But if that was the case, then I was back to being nothing more than a high school boy. It was like being thrown into the back alleys full of guns and Archenemies with no weapon to speak of.

And it did make sense.

Kukyou City was a regional city where the disaster prevention business was booming, so a lot of effort went into developing supercomputers and simulators. The Bright Cross was a group that fought the Archenemies that they called disasters. If their tendrils really did stretch to every part of the city, it would be odd if they didn't use those handy supercomputers.

Also, what was the Five Battles Precipice again?

How had they calculated out and built up the theory of that demon of statistics? They couldn't exactly work it out in their heads, so they would use a supercomputer or simulator.

”User, this is a double-edged sword.”

As a program, Maxwell did not feel despair. Even if he knew he was inferior, he would suggest the optimal solution to the current situation.

”The Bright Cross's simulator is indeed the greatest threat at the moment, but it is also their Achilles' heel. If we can locate it and attack it, the Bright Cross will lose their eyes and ears. If their simulations stop, my proposed strategies should have an effect once more.”

Perhaps so.

But where was the Bright Cross's unseen computer?

To reiterate, Kukyou City was a disaster prevention city that worked at developing disaster countermeasures. With the university, corporations, and research inst.i.tutes, there were plenty of supercomputers or simulators for them to use. It was also possible that the actual computer was located on the other side of the planet and they were only connected by a high-speed line.

What a pain.

This was like searching for buried treasure in a minefield. The words ”safety” and ”certainty” just kept slipping further and further away.

”Pin pon pon poooon! Huh? You don't look too happy. Did something happen?”

I arrived back home shortly after 5 AM.

That was more than 2 hours before when I usually woke up. I wanted to get what little sleep I could, but could I really just flip a switch and fall asleep? And a video chat arrived before I could find out.

I had no idea how much she knew, but the blue bunny girl was acting as naively as ever.

”Look, look. It's everyone's idol, Karen-chan. Do I need to lean forward and squeeze my t.i.ts together to emphasize the cleavage? Okay, look heeeeere☆”

…Of course I still looked.

I mean, I might as well. I wasn't serious about it, but why should I reject what's offered to me? That would be immature. Okay, fine. I'll admit it!! Just how perfectly had she simulated the creature known as Amatsu Satori!? It was scary!! (Stare, stare)

”What do you want…?”

”Don't say that after staring so intently at me like that. Oh, or are you more of an a.s.s man? Did you know you have to tug at a bunny costume to keep it from riding up in your b.u.t.t?”

…I wanted her to just get on with it, but if I complained, would she show me more?

”Tah dah! It's time to announce today's subject: your opponent for the 3rd round.”

”Wait, wait, wait!”

I had to stop her there.

This was no time to be staring at that jewel-adorned cleavage!

”We only just finished the previous match! You're already putting together the next one!?”

”Hanyanya? Did we ever mention a rule about a set number of days between matches?”

Kh…

Since Itou Helen was learning to use her power as a witch, were they trying to end this before she could grow any further? Or was this all progressing according to the scenario calculated out by the Bright Cross's simulator?

Either way, this was bad news for Itou Helen who might have damaged her bones. She would finally have to fight with her previous injuries intact.

The Five Battles Precipice.

The demon of statistic was clearly beginning to bare its fangs during this 3rd round.

The blue bunny girl winked, gave a glimpse of her canine teeth, and put on a perfect smile.

”Your opponent in the 3rd round will be the brown-skinned Muramatsu Yukie! And what's this!? It says here she's a dark elf!!”

What? A dark elf?

”Wait, are you sure about that? …That's a legit Archenemy and not just an RPG species? This is feeling even more fantasy-oriented and otherworldly than vampires or zombies. Archenemies can go that far?”

”Now, now, Mr. Second. All Archenemies are fictional beings. We can't allow even one of those to exist in the real world, now can we?”

”Kh.”

I thought the pressure of her smile was going to make me drop the smartphone.

I knew trying to figure out how the insane Bright Cross thought was a hopeless task. But what was with their hatred!?

”Anyway, that's everything I needed to tell you. As before, we give both sides only as much information on the other side as we can without getting in the way. …Although Itou Helen has fought two rounds now, so the recorded footage will provide a lot of data. Hee hee. Like the way she screamed from the hit to the ribs below her cute chest.”

”You…!!”

”I haven't done anything. And I won't tell them any of that. Then again, this is a serious battle with your lives on the line. They would have to be pretty stupid if they didn't go over that footage countless times and ultimately notice it. I expect they'll aim for her side to see how she reacts. Ah hah hah!!”

She ended the video chat.

…Yes, this went beyond direct injuries and exhaustion. A lot of information about Itou Helen was known now. The first-time fighters had all of their information hidden, so our disadvantage would only continue to grow.

Was this also a part of the Five Battles Precipice?

If so…

”…I need to work extra hard.”

It was up to me to make up for our handicaps and difference in information.

This time…

Yes, this time I truly had to support her as her second.

I would do the detailed research afterschool. I planned to use the city library and used bookstore that had come in handy (or that had harmed me?) when researching Hanesaki Minori the Fairy, but the time in school pa.s.sed painfully slow. The hands of the clock barely seemed to move at all. I wanted school to end as soon as possible, but the boring cla.s.ses refused to free me.

I visited the school library during lunch, but that may have mostly been a way of reducing the pressure and tension inside my chest instead of a way of actually accomplis.h.i.+ng anything.

The library accepted requests and donations from students, so it had more than just encyclopedias and medical texts. It had probably started with someone bringing in a stuffy hardcover novel that had won some award or another. There was no manga, but there were plenty of fairly light-looking novels on the shelves.

Our next opponent was a dark elf.

…To be honest, it did not feel real at all. Vampires and zombies might not seem realistic either, but this felt like another level entirely. It felt like something you could never see while on earth. If you wanted to see a dark elf, wouldn't you need to create a magic gate and travel to another world?

I felt shocked it was even possible to meet one.

I grabbed the books from the shelves that seemed related, but the only ones that actually used the term dark elf were the light novels with manga-style ill.u.s.trations.

But.

The reason this felt so surreal may have had to do with their high ”quality” as an Archenemy. They seemed more unrealistic and more otherworldly. Simply put, they felt like another step toward being a monster beyond a vampire like Erika or a zombie like Ayumi.

”Satori-kun, what are you doing in here with such a grim look on your face? …Hm? Searching for a novel???”

The Cla.s.s Rep suddenly appeared.

Her uniform looked so impeccable I had to wonder if she had it dry cleaned every day.

”It's rare for a digital human like you to come here. But that one isn't very good. It says in big letters that it's getting an anime adaptation, but I don't have much interest in those late night shows.”

And growing harsh when it came to books may just have been the way of literary girls.

…Late night anime was not a bad companion for late night work. Y'know, like how housewives watched the midday dramas while ironing the laundry.

When carefully soldering circuit boards or wiring up large machinery, doesn't your mind just seem to boil if there isn't any background noise? Or is that just me? I kind of want to hear that I'm not the only one working at that hour.

”Do you read that kind of thing, Cla.s.s Rep?”

”I read anything that looks like a book.”

Wow. That was worse than I thought.

I could guess she was like the vice princ.i.p.al: ask her for a recommendation and the list will never end.

”What are you looking for, Satori-kun?”

”Well, a book with an elf in it. No, wait. I guess it has to be a dark elf.”

”…I feel like you're entering a deeply sinful zone here, Satori-kun.”

She sounded exasperated, but she still grabbed a few light novels from the shelves and handed them to me.

Again, this was surprising. I hadn't expected that straitlaced Cla.s.s Rep to be into fantasy. …Or did this mean they weren't as light as they might appear?

”You need to thank the vice princ.i.p.al.”

”He's apparently a strictly literary kind of person, so he sponsored this library. He even lamented that he had wanted to be the advisor for the literary club or theatre club. He apparently donated his own books.”

…Huh? Did that mean this Our Princess Went Delinquent and Became a Dark Elf 2 or this As a Master Strategist, I'm Unmatched in this Fantasy World 17 belonged to the vice princ.i.p.al? And the t.i.tles were pretty long for how silly they were!

”Come to think of it, Cla.s.s Rep, could you tell me what a dark elf is?”

”That depends on what definition of elf you're using,” she immediately answered. ”The human-sized elves from Norse mythology and the palm-sized elves from England are completely different things. Although the English ones are more commonly referred to as fairies these days.”

We had fought a fairy in the 2nd round.

In that case, I doubted that was it.

”Let's start with the Norse ones.”

”Norse elves look just like humans. It isn't clear if they actually have pointed ears, but all the texts agree that they are beautiful. Now, there are actually two kinds of elves: the Ljósálfar and the Dökkálfar. Their names simply mean Light Elves and Dark Elves. Fits the fantasy image perfectly, doesn't it?”

”How are they different?”

”Who knows. The Dökkálfar are said to have dark skin and wicked hearts, but that's mostly just for the convenience of the stories. The only differences that are known for sure are the skin colors and where they live.”

”Then what do elves as a whole do? Like, do they wield swords or spears?”

The Leanan Sídhe had used two clubs.

Itou Helen's gla.s.s wand could be used as an excuse to have us fight an Archenemy with a weapon. A master swordfighter would be enough of a threat.

But the Cla.s.s Rep shrugged.

”I don't know.”

”Hm?”

”Stories tend to have them swinging around swords or firing bows, but I don't think anyone can tell you what their sword is made from, how it's made, or what shape it's made in. The same goes for how elf sword fighting is different from the human equivalent. All we know is they probably move similar to a human since their bodies are so similar.”

…This was too broad. This opened up the possibility of an expert in the Yagyu s.h.i.+nkage-ryu. It was useless unless we could narrow it down further.

”Then is there nothing only an elf can do?”

”Hmm…”

The Cla.s.s Rep thought for a bit and then stopped moving.

”No, I don't think so.”

”What?”

”Or rather, elves just seem like pretty people who live in the forest. Fantasy stories tend to depict them as skilled in magic or archery, but it never seems like something a human couldn't do if they trained hard enough.”

If they were exactly the same as humans apart from their long lifespans, it was true an expert sword or spear user would be frightening, but if that was all, a Yagyu s.h.i.+nkage-ryu elf would not be all that hopeless an opponent. They would be a threat, but Itou Helen would be able to handle it with all her control over supernatural phenomena.

Which left one other thing to ask about:

”You mentioned something about England earlier. What can their elves do?”

”I don't recommend mixing knowledge on the two.” The Cla.s.s Rep smiled bitterly. ”But in that case, it would be elflock and elfshot.”

”What?”

Even video game magic was more creatively named than that.

It sounded lot more like English than the Ljós-whatever and Dökk-whatever, so I could see that this was from England.

”Elflock is a prank in which they tangle up or tie up someone's hair or a horse's mane.”

”…That sounds useless at first, but it's probably a real pain to deal with.”

”When a rope gets all tangled up like bird's nest, that's elflock.”

So like tangled wires?

In that case, my house may have been infested with invisible elves.

”And elfshot is a sudden, intense pain that people feel. It has a number of effects. It can cut the skin like a Kamaitachi, it can paralyze the body, or you can suddenly find a bruise out of nowhere. I think it's supposed to be a wound from an invisible flint arrow or an invisible fire iron.”

”…Hm?”

She sounded so casual, but there it was.

An attack from an invisible arrow or fire iron could indeed be deadly.

”But it's not the most credible idea. In Germany, they apparently refer to a trick back as a witch's attack, so this might just be a slang term.”

I see.

If it really was just a saying, it might have nothing to do with the actual creature. They say to let sleeping dogs lie and to not cast pearls before swine, but there was no point in taking those seriously and using them to come up with a countermeasure for the wild beast.

”…By the way, Cla.s.s Rep, you know an awful lot about this kind of thing.”

”(…Only because I studied up to get along better with your family.)”

School was finally out.

There were 2 things I had to investigate.

The first was of course Muramatsu Yukie the Dark Elf, our opponent in the 3rd round.

And the second was the Bright Cross that ran the Colosseum. Specifically, I had to look into the possibility of a simulator with higher specs than Maxwell.

…They were both important, but it seemed to me the simulator was the bigger deal. As long as it existed, I felt like any of our planes would be predicted and crushed in advance. And if its specs really were greater than Maxwell's, there was a risk they could force their way through his defenses using the brute force of their machine power.

To put it another way, things would be much easier as long as we could crush that mysterious simulator in advance.

”User, what shall we do?”