Vol 5 Chapter 2 (1/2)

Chapter 2 - Another Chaotic School Day

Part 1

Tamaura Shrine was located in the section of Yus.h.i.+ma^ closest to the

Kuramaebas.h.i.+ Street.^

Seishuuin Ena was greeting visitors on its grounds.

A few hours had pa.s.sed since her visit to Nanao Shrine, and it was already

evening.

”How do you do, Ena-san. It's been a while. By the way, if you need a

shrine, just pick any modest one you like..,” said one of her guests,

Amakasu Touma.

He was a man in the late twenties, clad in a cheap business suit. He

usually ran errands for History Compilation Committee.

But that certainly did not make him an underling. Even amongst the

experts from the committee, he was working directly for the Sayanomiya

family in all of Kantou^

Facing him was Ena, who had already changed from her school uniform

into her miko outfit.

White robes and a red hakama; in her hands, a cloth bag concealed the

mysterious power of her broadsword.

”This shrine is fine. Those places with many people are a pain anyway,

and Ama no Murak.u.mo feels more comfortable here as well. Don't worry

about it.”

”If that's so, feel free to stay. I will take care of the paperwork, so use it as

you like.”

Ena nodded appropriately at Amakasu's words.

She had already talked to the administrator of this place and gotten the key

to the shrine.

She intended to use it as she liked even without being told. The G.o.ds

enshrined here were Oinari,^ Yamato Takeru no Mikoto,^ and Oto

Tachibana no Hime.^

All of them had extraordinary compatibility with the girl and her partner.

There was nothing to criticize, for a temporary home.

”I heard the story from Yuri-san and the head of the Seishuuins. Yeah, how

should I put this...”

'”Don't meddle'?”

When Ena preemptively interjected with a smirk, Amakasu showed a faint

smile.

”You can't be that blunt now, can you? You actually do feel close to the

Committee, but since those feelings won't show this time...”

”It's what Grampsy said. Yeah, my sympathies...”

”Thank you. By the way, Ena-san, you've already come into contact with

Erica Blandelli and Liliana Kranjcar, haven't you?”

As one would expect, the information had traveled fast. Not intending to

hide it, Ena admitted immediately.

”Well yeah. The idea of a.s.saulting Erica in her sleep last night came up...”

”And you left it at that? A wise judgment. The barrier that great knight of

the [Copper Black Cross] raised around her home should provide more

than just any normal defense. Although I would like you to refrain even

more from interfering with her if possible...”

”Why? Finally j.a.pan has its own king, and now some foreign girl is his

mistress? Isn't it better to chase her out?”

At Ena's proposal, Amakasu shook his head as though he were

disappointed.

”Maybe so during the era of national isolation, ^ but the times have

changed. Whether it's the [Copper Black Cross] or the [Bronze Black

Cross], they are both extremely powerful magic a.s.sociations. It might be as

you say if they were agents of riffraff organizations, but here...”

”Those girls are troublesome?”

”Yes. It's like laying hands on foreign diplomats. In the worst case it might

spark strife between our countries.”

Ena understood those feelings well. But she had no intention of changing

her plans.

Politics and diplomacy were too complex for her. Fights were more fun

when they were simple. Matching blades and competing with true strength;

was not that enough?

”Uuuum, sorry. Granny and the others at my place had asked me to drive

those girls out, so I can't just stop now. Fighting it out with her also seems

like fun. Well, let's just leave it at that, okay?”

For the moment, Ena decided to apologize in advance.

Amakasu shrugged his shoulders at Ena's frivolous apology, and her other

guest suddenly smiled.

”Your honored grandmother — the directions from the head of the

Seishuuins? And your guardian, the Old One, approves as well. It's unlike

him to hold an interest in worldly power struggles...”

They were the first words of the third party who had kept her silence thus

far.

Sayanomiya Kaoru. As the leader of the Tokyo branch of the History

Compilation Committee, she had authority over the Committee in Kantou.

”That's strange. Any idea why the Old Man gave such an order?”

”Who knows? There's no way Ena would know. But even if grampsy looks

heroic, he can be unexpectedly wicked. Maybe he's plotting something?”

While happily giving her reply, she showed Kaoru a wry smile.

Sayanomiya Kaoru had a graceful beauty and an aura of being lost in

some transient world. There was not an ounce of unnecessary fat on her

slender frame.

”You never change, Ena, never bothered about anything. That's really like

you.”

The expression was a bit affectionate. Her smile was clear and charming.

Her delicate and androgynous appearance defied reality. If you called her

a man, she could probably appear as a ”gives off no feeling of reality”

pretty boy in a shoujo manga.

But Sayanomiya Kaoru had the same s.e.x as Ena. She was one of

Musas.h.i.+no's Hime-Miko as well.

After finis.h.i.+ng the fruitless interview with Seishuuin Ena, they left Tamaura

Shrine.

As Amakasu Touma walked off, his superior Sayanomiya Kaoru followed

next to him.

She was not only the next head of the Sayanomiya family, but also a

candidate for the next leader of the History Compilation Committee.

It was fine that she was still a high school third year. There were no

complaints to be made about her abilities, either. After all, the problem was

her behavior — the crossdressing, for example.

She was currently wearing the boys' uniform.

A white s.h.i.+rt with necktie, blazer and pants. Not a pleated skirt, but

trousers for boys.

”Still, I wonder why the Elders decided to increase the number of Kusanagi

G.o.dou's lovers,” Amakasu tossed the question out to his neither male nor

female superior.

”Until now, they never had any complaints against your plan of leaving it to

Yuri-san alone, so it feels strange. It will only invite vain disorder, so I'd

really like to avoid it...”

”Well, I think they have their own thoughts about this,” Kaoru said

thoughtfully. At times like these she looked like a dangerously frail beautiful

boy, or maybe girl. Even though he knew her real gender, Amakasu still felt

that way. Strangers would feel the illusion more intensely.

”But if they're increasing the number of lovers around the Campione,

wouldn't it mean it's okay for all the families to offer their daughters and

start a debauched feast? But the Elders sent only Ena. I think that's gutsy.”

”So the Elders caved in against pressure from the Seishuuin family,”

Amakasu grinned broadly.

That was impossible. While being convinced of that, he voiced the

complete opposite opinion.

Kaoru probably believed the same thing. As expected, she smiled back

evilly.

”There's no way. Just like the Sayanomiyas, the Seishuuins are one of the

four families. Especially against the Old One, the Elders can't persist on

such selfishness.”

”So it's rather that the Seishuuins are being utilized? ...like adorning your

cat with a bell?”

”Or possibly sticking insects onto a lion.”

The Elders probably wanted to provoke some kind of reaction from

Kusanagi G.o.dou.

Having matched their opinions, the boss and underling made their way to

the car in silence.

Part 2

Mariya Yuri's mornings began early. She woke up before seven o'clock

and went to the kitchen.

Both her parents were employed. Her father worked for a certain

restaurant chain (that being said, the proprietor was her father's father, in

short her grandfather), and her mother lectured at a teaching school.

It was Yuri's daily routine to make breakfast in her busy mother's stead.

Sometimes, she would prepare lunch boxes for herself and her little sister

Hikari.

But this morning she made one box too many and left home earlier than

usual.

The Mariya family lived in an apartment complex in Toranomon.^

Although their main house was in the Saitama prefecture, they used the

Toranomon apartment for easy commuting to work and school.

Getting on the Chiyoda line and debarking at Nezu Station was her usual

routine.

However, this morning she used the Ginza line and got off at Suehiromachi

Station. It was to meet Seishuuin Ena. She was informed the girl occupied

a small shrine in Yus.h.i.+ma, so she would come to check up on her every

once a while.

With her face flushed red and facing downwards, Yuri rushed to the shrine.

When she opened the unlocked front shrine, she found Ena rolled up in a

sleeping bag, lying on the floor.

”E-Ena-san...!”

She hadn't expected her to sleep in the shrine.

While thinking how horrible that was, Yuri called out quietly.

”Hey, Yuri, morning-. That smells nice-, did you bring me a lunchbox?”

Ena suddenly opened her eyes. Her voice was so clear it did not sound

like she had just woken up.

”Y-yes. I brought your share, too, so if you'd like...”

”Of course I do~. You really are sensible, you know-. You're the number

one girl I want to make my wife. Good girl, good girl. My praises to you.”

While bantering like that, Musas.h.i.+no's greatest Hime-Miko opened her

sleeping bag.

She got up, immodestly clad only in a tank top and shorts. She looked

thinner in clothes; while slim, her curves were amazing.

Yuri became embarra.s.sed, as the splendor of Ena's body could easily be

seen through her thin clothes.

”B-by the way, were you already awake, Ena-san?”

”I was perfectly asleep. I just woke up when I heard the taptaptap of your

footsteps all the way here. You seemed totally hurried, what was up?”

Immediately waking up because she discerned who came from footsteps.

While amazed by Ena's inhuman hearing ability Yuri quietly said: ”U-um,

around this shrine there are so many strange buildings...”

”Ah, sorry sorry. Ena was also surprised when she came; it really is full of

dirty hotels, isn't it! Tokyo really is amazing-! But it's convenient to have a

convenience store so close. And there are no bears.”

Apparently for half a year, Ena had gone through training in a sacred

ground in the mountains.

Laughter born of a wild lifestyle made Yuri blush. They were in a quiet

residential area. But several hotels of a certain kind were erected around

the shrine.

”But you know, Yuri, don't you come to these places as well?”

”I don't! How did you reach such conclusions?!”

Yuri strongly refuted the idea.

However, Ena curiously inquired with a blank face: ”Why?”

”I don't! G.o.dou-san and I are only friends! We have a pure relations.h.i.+p!”

”Ehh~? But your rivals, that Erica and Liliana, are foreigners, right? ... I'm

not quite sure, but don't they make progress that way?”

”P-progress?”

After putting away the sleeping bag, the two Hime-Miko sat down across

each other in seiza.

Ena accepted the proffered lunchbox, quickly opening the lid and wolfing

down its contents.

”Yeah, your cooking is great as always. Lately I've only had nuts, wild

plants and the like, so this is exceptional-.”

Apparently she had abstained from all kinds of grains. Ena's training was

harsher than the one for other Hime-Miko.

Polis.h.i.+ng her sword skills, chastising herself again and again, emptying her

mind. Lately Yuri could not stay quiet without discussing this issue as she

worried over the girl's body.

”...That is, does G.o.dou san... no, do men prefer a.s.sertive and sensual

women after all?”

”Uhm~, Ena doesn't really know either, but isn't it different-?” Ena said

while happily tasting the white rice.

She spoke frankly, but when sitting in seiza she looked terrifically beautiful.

Her way of eating and mannerisms were good and she sat upright.

Actually, in terms of being a young lady, she exceeded Yuri.

”Yesterday, you know, after I finally came back to Tokyo, I went for some

sightseeing. To Akihabara.”

”Ahh, aren't there many foreigners around there?”

”And then, after looking through most of the electric appliance stores in the

main street, I also entered the shops in the buildings and other places...

and it was amazing.”

”Amazing?”

”Yeah. There were many small stores, all so strange and fascinating.

There are lots of shops that are, you know, completely pink, or like

skin-colored.”

”Completely skin-colored...!?”

”Nirvana or Paradise, may be like that. Whether it's to the left or right, in

front or behind, there are nude images all over the place. Hey, you know

the Mithuna reliefs'- 9 -' in India or somewhere? Like those, BAM, a wall of

pictures of naked men and women!”

”I'm sure very pious people must have gathered there...”

She had not known Tokyo had such a sacred place for foreigners.

While embarra.s.sed by her own ignorance, she decided that one day she

would go there herself and study it.

”Maybe. Anyway, Ena understood that boys probably like these kinds of

things,” Ena remarked as she gobbled down on the vegetable side dishes.

She was looking somewhere far away. Like there was a very sensational

scene going on.

”I think since Kusanagi-san is a boy, he's the same. In the end being naked

will work, definitely!”

”You're saying too much! It's a bit doubtful at times, but G.o.dou-san

basically is someone diligent!”

”I wonder-. Yuri, you're too fastidious so he just might not be able to say

it.”

Yuri was taken aback when her fellow Hime-Miko pointed it out.

On Sardinia, Lucretia Zola had thoroughly lectured her on boys' mentality.

But she could not understand that profound theory in the least. Possibly,

the key for a smooth interaction with Kusanagi G.o.dou lay in that.

”By the way, you brought Ena's lunch box, but did you properly make one

for Kusanagi-san? Although it doesn't look to me like you have that extra

baggage...”

”Ah, yes. It's just your share.”

”You can't do that! Don't forget the shortest way to get close with an animal

is through feeding!”

”B-But there is no reason to. There is no reason to make a lunch box for

that person in the first...”

”Don't worry about that. You need to start acting first! First, need you to

approach him more forcefully, like by asking him to embrace you and

sneaking over at night.”

”Sneak over at night!? Please hold it, how did we end up there!?”

”I think it's easier to win his heart if you do. Hold nothing back!”

”Me, sneak over at night... don't the men usually do that? First of all, it's

illegal nowadays!”^

”You've got problems- — . Anyway, you need to do at least that much. Ena

will help out too, you see? For now, let's develop your relations.h.i.+p with

Kusanagi-san all across today. Okay?”

Yuri paled in response to Ena's exceedingly unreasonable proposal.

”1-1 can't! That's impossible!”

Part 3

Jounan Academy had segregated physical education for boys and girls.

Two cla.s.ses would take lessons together; then boys and girls would split

up. G.o.dou's cla.s.s five was together with cla.s.s six.

The sun's rays were still relentless and the temperature was high, too. It

was late summer, but the weather felt like midsummer. Therefore, the pool

was used during physical education.

Once again, the curriculum called for swimming.

But that was only for the girls. The boys had gymnastics in the humid

gymnasium

The feverish atmosphere was stuffy to the limit, and in the swirl of heat and

body odor, the male students did mat exercises or apparatus gymnastics.

”Gentlemen, don't you think this is wrong?”

Someone asked a forceful question.

The speaker was Nanami. He often made problematic statements like

”Actually, I'm a sucker for miko.”

But he was also an unexpectedly charismatic leader. Whenever people did

something as a group, he was usually found at the center of it all... as

good-for-nothing of a center as he may be.

'”Segregated society.' Let's think about the meaning of these words once

more, comrades. Gathered here are nothing but men, in a gray wasteland

of a world with neither warmth nor color. Is it fine to submit to this? Most

certainly not!”

Nanami was shaking the gymnasium with the heap of nonsense he was

loudly proclaiming.

Incidentally, the teacher in charge of physical education was absent. A few

minutes earlier, he had left, accompanying a student who had fallen off the

balance beam and apparently fractured a bone. Now they were in the

middle of self-study.

”So if this world is a wasteland, only those! Only those! Who follow their

ambitions will be able to change this place. We have to pry open the doors

of paradise ourselves!”

”Nanami... what you want to say is, in short, that?”

The one who asked was Takagi. He belonged to the Kendo club and, due

to his large build, he was quite able at it.

But he was a man weak to strange influences and easily led astray.

”At this very moment, we must aim for heaven!”

”Yeah. Currently, the place closest to heaven in this school is the pool. The

pool where our girls of cla.s.ses five and six are taking lessons together!

The sacred grounds we are forbidden from entering, the secret flower

garden where more than thirty girls are frolicking in the water and where lily

flowers bloom!^ 11 ^

”But the risk is too high...”

A cool voice poured over them like cold water. Sorimachi derisively

laughed.

The self-styled ”Man with 108 little sisters in 2D.” As ridiculous as it may

be, it was a weirdness only when carried to an extreme. At least he was

not an ordinary person.

”We boys from cla.s.s five and six number a total of thirty six. This many

people would act at the same time to appreciate the girls at the pool.

Certainly it is a charming idea but we only have forty minutes until cla.s.ses

are over. We won't even be able to make proper preparations in such a

short time. Feelings alone won't take us anywhere...”

Nanami stomped towards the speaker.

Bam! Nanami's fist struck home. Sorimachi sternly looked at the a.s.sailant

who had hit him on the cheek.

”Nanami, you!!”

”I misjudged you, Sorimachi. I never thought you were such a boring man.”

The one who struck and the one who was struck were facing each other,

one with anger in his eyes, the other with pity.

”Back then, you'd never have used that as an excuse. You boldly faced

even the most difficult missions, a hero dedicated to victory. And yet,

you've turned into such a p.u.s.s.y!”

”What are you talking about, you a.s.shole!”

”About two months ago. On the day before the release of 'Saint Little

Sister Academy,' you fought to see all endings of 'Together with Onii-chan,'

where you have to clear four little sisters, and 'Imohare!', where you have

to marry seven little sisters. All that while suffering from a 38° fever and

diarrhea...”

”Tsk. You remember some unpleasant things.”

Sorimachi looked away from Nanami who was talking about old times.

”Back then I said, 'Stop already. Just shelve it as c.r.a.p. Your body's at its

limits.' But then you replied...”

”Yeah. Tm a man with 108 little sisters. I'm no useless brother who will

abandon a little sister once he's started capturing her.' On that one day I

conquered all the endings, and on the next, I devoted all my power to

'Saint ik Little Sister Academy'...”

Flames were lit in the two boys' eyes.

Flames inside their hearts that only lit up when two comrades with burning

spirits understood each other.

”Looks like I forgot my guts from that time. Thank you for reminding me....

This is my thanks!”

”Gun!”

”Hen. How is it. Did you feel it?”

This time Sorimachi did the striking. But Nanami smiled even as he was

sent flying.

His smile seemed to say, 'Have you finally awoken, you stupid idiot?' Just

now, between the two of them, their fists had been words.

”That was a nice punch. It held your spirit. You've got a hot fist...”

”Shut it. I'm done hesitating. Let's fight together.”

Sorimachi stretched out his hand and took Nanami's. Like that he pulled

him up. It was an emotional scene of two men deeply understanding each

other after a clash. However, finally getting fed up with it all, G.o.dou said

with a sober voice.

”Hey, guys”

The two comedians directed their stares full of enmity at him.

But G.o.dou kept going, not losing to the pressure.

”There's so much I want to say right now, but first of all, can you not peek?

You know that's like a crime.”

Foop (The sound of heaving a gymnastic mat)

”H-hey, what are you — ”

Bam (The sound of said mat being dropped on G.o.dou)

WupWupWup (The sound of male students A, B and C jumping onto the

mat)

”Guha. H-hey, wait a sec, are you trying to crush me?”

Squashed under the bulky, stinking mats, G.o.dou complained.

The weight of the three students weighed down on him, so it was quite

painful. He barely managed to stick his head out from under the mat and

secure some oxygen.

”Dammit, he's alive. Well, killing him would be bad, too.”

”If you like, I can finish him.”

”Calm down. If we do it, we must do it carefully from where his legs can't

reach.”

The three idiots Nanami, Takagi and Sorimachi said some dangerous

things.

G.o.dou loudly asked the other boys surrounding them.

”Do you guys resent me or what? Why the heck do you do this to me?”

”You ask why?”

Nanami glanced down with a cold look.

”Let me ask you then. Kusanagi, why can you say things like 'Don't peek'?”

”Hiding at the school pool and peeking is a hair's width away from

committing a crime. Most of all, don't you feel bad for the girls? Don't ask

me such obvious questions...”

G.o.dou made sound arguments while silently praying for everyone to

quickly regain their senses. If they lost their way over a momentary whim,

in all likelihood they would come to regret it in the future. But that question

made most of the students in cla.s.s five and six go even wilder. Some were

even crying tears of frustration.

”You d.a.m.n hypocrite...”

”d.a.m.n it all. You're looking down on us because you have no problems

getting girls...”

”Anzai-sensei, we want to see girls in swimsuits!”

”Everyone, calm down. Together with everyone's anger and suffering, I will

do the talking. I'll teach this harem b.a.s.t.a.r.d who thinks it's normal to capture

several girls at the same time about our pure hearts!”

Nanami took control of everyone present and looked down on G.o.dou once

again.

”Hey, Kusanagi, I like girls in swimsuits. It's no exaggeration to say I love

them.”

”Well, I won't criticize your personal hobbies.”

”Just shut it and listen. I like girls in swimsuits... that's right. In year one,

cla.s.s five and six, Arakawa-san stands out for having a great body, doesn't

she? And obviously the appeal of Miyama-san's small build and flat chest

strikes home with those enthusiasts. We can expect the swimsuit to bring

forth another kind of charm in the bespectacled Sawa-san, too. And

Nagasato's plumpness should turn into the characteristic soothing aura

that slender girls don't have. But, even so.”

Nanami strongly clenched his fist. He probably was about to present his

good-for-nothing pet theory.

”Even if those girls are so fascinating, in terms of idol groups, they wouldn't

be in the front row. They are the second row, so to speak, reserve

members. So, who's the creme de la creme?”

”Hmm... I don't know.”

He had an idea of the other's emotions, but G.o.dou dared playing dumb.

”Erica-sama with her supremely gorgeous body. Mariya-san who makes

you wonder if she's hiding splendid sizes somewhere. And then there is

Liliana-san who became the 'Number One girl I want to put in a leotard'