Vol 2 Prologue (2/2)

Akane Acaderoup called the Strikers

An elite unit that Moroha was part of

A group of Saviours that were given the qualifications and honour to go out into live combat

The best were chosen frost the entire school, a mere thirteen elites

Those i

“Then, I’ll open the gate”

Sole next to him

She wore a business woman like suit, and a witch-like pointy hat that soether

She wasn’t a student The principal of the academy was this person

Including Moroha, the Strikers all corrected their posture and assented

Sweeping away her luxurious blonde hair so it wouldn’t get in the way, her blue eyes congealed in seriousness

“Trace”

Her slender finger traced lines of light into the eical characters

I long for ia

Oh my hometown, across the distance, thousands of miles distant, tens and tens of thousands of miles away

Oh land of the past, out of my reach,

I am deluded, I am hateful,

Take these feelings and curtail the distance between us,

Take this curse and warp the world between us

Her gla

The principal’s mana rose and the atmosphere screamed as a noisy wind blew

Then, further sing the forces of nature, the surroundings suddenly darkened

As if the area had suddenly entered dusk

Plink

In the courtyard, a point of pallid blue light appeared

The light gradually strengthened, spreading out in a circle

Slowly, slowly, like a blot eating away at the world, it drew a geoic circle

With that, the principal let out a sigh of satisfaction

It ithout a doubt a witch’s technique

A fantastic spectacle

However, it was an everyday thing at Akane Academy and no-one was surprised

Then, at the leader, Isurugi’s command, the students chorused

“We are the ‘Saviours’!”

“We are the ‘Strike’ for our people, our peace and our justice!”

Isurugi nodded firmly and took a step forward

Into the pallid blue ic circle

As if he had stepped into a fountain, his body sunk within the light

With the reservists supporting and watching theo, one by one the members continued after

“You’d better be first”

Satsuki encouraged Moroha once more

“You’ll bring ht?”

shi+zuno relaxed things with a joke

Moroha thanked them both with his eyes, and finally leapt into the circle

It was as if he’d just strolled to a nearby place

In a natural stance, without getting worked up, without re smile

A discomfort pressed in on him, as if the heavens and earth had suddenly been reversed, but he was already used to it

In a little under a second, Moroha stepped out from the circle

The scenery had coed

Where the roith trees

Wherever you looked there was an infinite series of twisted tree trunks, the spread branches and leaves forrass and moss that there was barely a place to stand

The sun’s light was distant, almost as if the scenery were haunted

There wasn’t the slightest whiff of s like asphalt or concrete

Only the thick scent of the greenery filled Moroha’s nose, tightening his awareness

From the prelie

The area was separated from Akane academy by several hundred kilometres and they had instantaneously moved there

Through the Erethic Portal the principal had made

“All et is approximately five kilometres ahead”

With a grilared northwards

“We’re playing this by the book Momochi Haimura”

“Sir!”

At Isurugi’s call, an energetic, short haired second year girl cheerfully came forwards

Moroha followed at her right

“Both of you will advance and perfor up as et as you can”

At his order, Moroha and Momochi shot off like arrows

Moroha’s entire body was enveloped in a radiant white light, and Momochi’s in a radiant blue

It was the light of the power that communicated with the divine — namely, Prana

The two of theth and sprinted into the mountains with God Speed Link

They rushed through the trees like a gale, leaping fro a trackless path

If you were to look from above, you would probably be able to discern two lines of light, blue and white being drawn abnormally quickly

So as if in a dance of splendour, they rushed north

“How shall we attack today, Moroha?”

The short haired upperclass parallel

“Isn’t the same as normal fine?”

Moroha replied half-heartedly, whilst continuing to sprint at full speed

However, they weren’t foolish enough to look to the side or to bite their tongues

“Hey hey, how about we get it on our own?”

“It won’t end well if we get carried away?”

“It’s a joke! You’re too damned serious”

“That’s because I’d like to collect es”

They cracked jokes as they travelled on foot through the trees, at superhuman speeds

She and Moroha competed for first and second users of God Speed Link in Akane Academy

To them, even this trail that aniarden

“I’ on you for support, partner!”

“Sure thing”

After getting close one last tiht as if repelled apart

In front of them, already visible —

Was a roughly dozen metre tall black panther like monster

It was unreasonably tall for a creature in the feline family

And old

They weren’t reflecting the sun, they the like flames

That alone, whilst it was crouched in a clearing, stood out

At that very ht down a bear and was indulging in its meat

Frorotesque organ, extended, deeply thrust into the bear’s throat and was sucking from inside as if it were a vacuum cleaner

It was a frightful form of predation

Therefore, just frolance, anyone could tell

This disco creature shouldn’t be on this blue planet

It shouldn’t exist

It couldn’t exist

Namely, a Metaphysical

A natural enes that could only be defeated by Saviours

The monster noticed their approach

It retracted its rubber hose like tongue into its mouth and raised its head

Its two, disembodied soul like eyes were fixated on Moroha

There was still more than a hundred metres between them

Regardless, a ferocious thirst for blood, so much so that it reeked of the stench of blood, reached hi his skin crawl

Letting the grotesque flood of bloodlust wash over him, Moroha—

“Coa…!”

Sht hand

His ID tag was already within his grip

Pouring prana into it, it instantly changed shape

It extended like red hot ht hand

“…First one attack Let’s see its toughness”

Moroha pushed a huge asword

The blade gathered a white light, as if shi+ning in the sun above them

Whether the fighting intent had reached it, the Metaphysical prepared for battle

Suddenly, the black hair all over its body stood on end, sharp like a hedgehog

Solely because of its sheer size, each of those needle was like a javelin, holding a brutality

The Metaphysical roared like an animal

Simultaneously, it fired all of its needles at Moroha

It was like a rain of arrows fired by an entire battalion, they ca the sky

“Moroha!?”

Momochi shrieked from where she had separated too

However, Moroha didn’t falter

He raised his sword over heat, and with a doard slash, released the prana he had thickened inside

A violent blade of elled forth, enough to mon the trees before him

A white wind of destruction, with plenty of Moroha’s prana riding along with it

It raged like a tornado, sing the onco them

Ancestral Arts, Jupiter

A high class light technique that not many could use, even at Akane Academy

After blowing away the needles, the aftershocks struck the Metaphysical

Even its huge body faltered

“Taaaaaaa!”

Not letting that opportunity go to waste, Moot in close and sliced with her short sword

Consecutive, high speed attacks that would allow her to beinto four

One flash, two, three, four, with each fluttering of her sword, the sound of it being deflected rang out

“This one’s pretty tough, Moroha!”

With it having fur that could change to needles, it ithin reason, Moroha nodded lightly

After being sliced at by Momochi, the Metaphysical noisily stirred, and its fur all stood on end once again

In a panic, Morotesque monster fired half of its needles after her

“Didn’t I say I was counting on you!”

Being pursued by several hundred needles, Moh pitched scream

“And I said sure thing”

In the meantime, Moroha had rushed to her side

With his ele phrase in the empty air

“Fire discriood nor evil as it burns and purifies with ferocious mercy”

The characters of light beca her

Not one needle was allowed to pass

It was one of the Ancestral Arts, dark art, Flare

By the classification of the White Knight Order, there were two types of Saviours

Those that used superhuht techniques, White Steels

And those that used es

Save one exception, there were no other types of Saviours

Haimura Moroha was that exception

The only one in recorded history to have two past lives, an Ancient Dragon

Therefore, he could use both light techniques, and dark arts

Enraged at its attack being interfered with, the Metaphysical fired the re needles, this time at Moroha

However, using the embers of his previous Flare, he burnt those away as well

Several hundred needles vanished instantly

“Could it be weak to fire!?”

Being barely saved, Moht

“It h like metal, but fur is still fur”

Moroha in the end, quietly began an experiment like a scientist, to confirm it

“Trace”

His left hand once again drew ancient ic characters in the empty air

This time it wasn’t one line, it was three

“Over here, you!”

To buy time, Momochi made a pass at it with her sword

The olden eyes towards her

Its whole body’s fur once again stood on end — but it was already too late

“All people die and return to dust, now, let the rites of crein”

Moroha’s third step dark art was complete

Its name was Incinerate

Flaulfed the Metaphysical’s entire body

The grotesque monster let out an unbearable roar of pain and writhed around

Suddenly an awful s protein enveloped the area

“Good job, Moroha”

“Don’t let your guard down yet, soht happen”

As Moroha said, even whilst covered in flames, the Metaphysical slowly rose

Within the flickering, bright red flahter

That unnatural vitality was another of the terrifying things about Metaphysicals

“Do you think fire on top of fire ork…?”

Moot about the attack

“Who knoe can try that too—“

Grabbing her shoulder, he retreated in God Speed Link whilst answering

“— This time with everyone”

As he sensed the presence of the other eleven that had finally arrived

Akane Academy’s schoolyard was filled with cheers

All of the classroo thunderous applause

Applause celebrating the wonderful extermination of a Metaphysical by the Strikers, and their triumphant return

The whole fight had been recorded by staff of the White Knight Order and streae screens in the schoolyard

Everyone saw and adth, they looked up to it, and some pined for the members

The students were nearly all in a frenzy, calling their favourite member’s names

The girls calling Moroha’s name, the super rookie who’d quickly risen to an ace, were particularly prevalent

“I’ a mistress, so love me, Haimura-kun～♥”

Resulting in these high pitched voices gushi+ng forth

Returning the same way they left, by the principal’s Etheric Portal, the somewhat ardent voices washed over Moroha, and he could only tilt his head

“It’s already the fourth tione, are you still not used to this mood?”

The principal, who happened to be next to him, winked playfully

As expected of an adult’s presence, it was very amorous

“Ah, well”

Moroha performed reconnaissance on newly appeared Metaphyscials and investigated all of their fighting capabilities, thanks to that, the group had been able to fight so much more safely

But Moroha hi the principal’s praise just made him self-conscious

“I think you’re the a one”

He didn’t want to stand there and keep having praise heaped on him, so tried a counter attack

Moroha hadn’t yet completely escaped the sense of normal people and felt that a dark art which instantly connected two areas hundreds of kilometres apart was certainly extraordinary

“I suppose so With this we can send you anywhere and anytime a Metaphysical appears”

The principal puffed up slightly with an eh

This technique and usage of the Strikers were large and valid reasons she had been appointed the i twenty

Indeed —

This Etheric Portal couldn’t be used by anyone other than her, so it was a secret technique ain

In actuality, even in Shuu Saura’s memories, he didn’t know of such a cheat ability

However,

“Isn’t ‘anywhere and anyti too much?”

Isurugi, returning last through the ic circle corrected the principal

The vanguard leaving and the rear-guard returning was the captain’s policy

Before Moroha enlisted, the dangerous reconnaissance holly done by Isurugi

In other words, it showed just how h of that

“The Etheric Portal should have several conditions on its usage You should always keep that ina rookie like Haimura-kun”

This demon of responsibility opined to the principal, feared as the Modern Witch

“I’ve got it, geez I’ll properly teach next time, so let’s just celebrate for now?”

The principal raised her hands in surrender

Privately, Moroha thought that she needn’t ever teach hie from shi+zuno before and received a litany of small, troublesome conditions like ‘it can only be used once a day’ If the principal knew that, then it was fine, Moroha didn’t feel he had to ask and learn

That aside, Isurugi looked over all the rand voice

“Good work, ladies and gentlemen We were able to dispatch the Metaphysical without any casualties It’s entirely a product of your hard work I’rateful as your commander”

They ords to rescind and dissolve the proclaency

The reserve corps ere surrounding the in

“You worked hard today too, Nii-sama!”

The very first thing Satsuki did rap her arms around his neck

They could hearwhistles from the other members

“Don’t hug me out here like this”

“It’s fine, we’re brother and sister after all!”

At that, Moroha was lost for words

He sirl and was startled, worrying “Don’t I smell of sweat now?”

He’d promised to try and think of her as his sister, but the outcome was poor

With the excessive skinshi+p with a beautiful girl like this every day, even saying “It’s your sister, so think of it as sticks and stones” Couldn’t control the speeding of his heart

“Where did shi+zuno go?”

Moroha asked, looking off into the distance

It was half to hide his embarrassment, and half because he was actually curious at where shi+zuno had gone

“Mugh, forget about other girls! This is the happy turn of siblings safely re-uniting, right?”

Satsuki gripped hihter with a sulky look

“Aren’t the reserves supposed to gather here, whether they like it or not?”

shi+zuno had the bad habit of ‘seriously not wanting to be a student’

Moroha orried whether that had surfaced again

“She was called by, I think the Chair”

Answered Satsuki reluctantly

Moroha’s unease deepened

Akane Academy had the appearance of a private school, and a chairer

However, as opposed to the principal, as surprisingly open hearted and often around the students, Moroha had not once seen the chaireration to say he didn’t know him at all

“What do they ith shi+zuno…?”

While holding a playful Satsuki, Moroha thought half absentmindedly

“Mugh What are youthat worried face for, it’s only Urushi+bara!”

“Ah, sorry But aren’t you curious?”

Moroha raised an eyebrow at Satsuki’s dissatisfaction

“Hmm, well, if I had to say, I am… maybe”

Satsuki pondered whilst holding her jaw

The chairman and shi+zuno

Just what connection did those two people have?

If they were to compare —

The excite his life in battle, the joy of victory, the still-lingering cheers of the students

None of them could reach him

While the Strikers were fighting the Metaphysical

A man stood at thein the chairman’s office

His hands were clasped behind his back as he gazed on the screen in the schoolyard

He focussed on how the Strikers fought, or more precisely, on how Moroha conducted himself

Moroha using both light techniques and dark arts before his eyes was irresistible

On the serious face of the man, his lips slowly curved into a smile

Simply because he couldn’t resist

Like that, thephone

Without aze even an atom from Moroha, he answered

“hello, Tadanori, are you well?”

And heard alish

“Exceedingly so”

The lish and responded respectfully

“Oh? Did soood happen?”

“Right now, I’ style”

“How nice! Then, how is the Ancient Dragon? As expected?”

“Indeed, it’s a shame you can’t receive this video”

“Neither of usit”

“True Well, it’s good that you’ll soon be able to watch in person”

Continuing the private conversation, the aze still didn’t waver from Moroha

Like a snake, his cruelly calculating gaze remained fixed

“I phoned about that My schedule allowson you”

“I shall be waiting, Sir”

Theup

The one on the other end of the phone was an outstanding Saviour, and an easy person to talk to

An acco with his plan

His footas light and to quickly co-operate he promised to arrive in japan

Just a little further, to reinforce his plan, some preparations were required

“The Ancient Dragon has finally appeared, and appeared in my country at that I must make the best use of this once in a lifetime fortune”

As he ued, shi+zuno knocked at the door

Earlier, he had summoned her

The man sat at his desk and called for her to enter

She would certainly have to take on a role in his scheme