Arifureta Vol 7 Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3 : Undesired Result

For s.h.i.+mizu Yukitos.h.i.+, to be summoned to a different world was the dream he yearned for. Because he knew that was impossible, every day he was dreaming by a reading book in his hand or web novels. In his dream, he saved a lot of worlds, though he didn’t know if he went towards the Happy End with the heroines. Inside s.h.i.+mizu’s room, the walls couldn’t be seen as they were buried by posters of beautiful girls, and inside the gla.s.s rack at one of the walls were his favorite beautiful girl figures with improper poses lined up in such a cramped place. His bookshelf was filled with manga, light novels, thin books, and eroges, while the ones that couldn’t be put there were all over the room as they made towers.

That’s right, s.h.i.+mizu Yukitos.h.i.+ was a genuine otaku. However, there’s no one among the cla.s.smates who knew that fact. That’s because s.h.i.+mizu himself thoroughly hid it. There was no need to talk about his reasons. He had seen the cla.s.smates’ att.i.tude towards Hajime, that’s why there was no way he could become an open otaku.

Inside cla.s.s, it could be said he was just a mob character by those who knew him well. There was no one he was especially close to, and he always quietly read a book in his seat. If he was talked to, he would give the minimum answer in a small mutter. To begin with, he kept the quiet att.i.tude because he was bullied in junior high school. Maybe because it was the natural flow, he became a truant and stayed inside his own room every day, and he inevitable tried to create books and games to kill time. Even though his parents always worried about him, he brought otaku goods into his room every day which made his big and little brother annoyed. They even showed that in their att.i.tudes and words, which made s.h.i.+mizu feel that the comforting house became worse, the so-called losing his place to stay. With such a gloomy environment, s.h.i.+mizu thought of doing devious things to others inside his mind without letting it out on the surface. Thus he became more and more devoted into delusions and book creation.

Because he was like that, when he understood the summoning to a different world was the truth, his mind’s state was as if shouting, “Here it come–!!”. Even at the time Aiko protested fiercely against Ishtar, or when Kouki pa.s.sionately decided to help humanity win and return to their original world, inside s.h.i.+mizu’s head were only the delusions of the real him doing spectacular things in this different world. He was elated because the delusions he thought as impossible had become truth, and the pattern of being summoned to a different world where the protagonist was being unreasonably demanded was driven away from his mind.

Thus it actually became just as he expected, there was a conflict in this different world life for real. First, s.h.i.+mizu certainly kept a certain cheat-like spec as a secret, but that was the same thing for the other cla.s.smates. Furthermore, Kouki was the “hero,” not him and maybe because of that the women only kept coming near Kouki, and it became the saying that “he was just one of the many additional people.” With this, nothing changed from the time he was in j.a.pan. Though his wish was fulfilled, the reality that didn’t become just like he hoped for made s.h.i.+mizu increase his deviousness, and his dissatisfaction was increasing in his mind.

Just why am I not the hero? Just why do the women only surround and desire Kouki? Just why is it not I, but Kouki who always gets treated as special? Even though I can do better if I am the hero. Then, the girls will accept me if I approach them… this, this satisfying condition is everyone’s fault, I am the only special one,that’s the egoistic idea which gnawed on s.h.i.+mizu’s mind.

At that time. The combat practice held in the « Orcus Great Dungeon ». s.h.i.+mizu thought of it as his chance. I won’t mind about anyone else. It was the same even if they are here or not. Those cla.s.smates that treated me as background will surely notice my skill, s.h.i.+mizu tried to use this opportunity… however, there was something he noticed.

He wasn’t a special existence at all, there was no opportunity-like development, and he certainly would become a “dead” person in the next moment. As he was about to be killed by the Traum Soldier, he saw the “hero” who fought with a more brutal monster in the distance, and his fantasy about a different world crumbled as it made a rattling sound.

Then he witnessed the cla.s.smate who fell to “death” into the abyss, and his heart was broken. He only interpreted things on his own convenience and his mind always kept seeing others inferior than him, so naturally his heart was not strong.

When he returned to the royal palace, s.h.i.+mizu once again shut himself in his own room. However, the literacies that could cheer him up just like in his room in j.a.pan were not here. That’s why s.h.i.+mizu naturally spent his time reading books around the skills and magic concerning his cla.s.s, “Dark Magic-user.”

Dark magic system was a magic system which acted on the others’ minds and senses, it was recognized as magic that basically give bad statuses to the target in battle. s.h.i.+mizu’s apt.i.tude were such as altering the others’ recognition, showing illusions, interfering with the image of the completed magic to disrupt the invocation, and with further mastering, he could make disorder in one’s body control.

Thus the depression in his heart was completely blown away as he read the books, and s.h.i.+mizu immediately recalled something. Can I brainwash someone if I master dark magic?, something like that. s.h.i.+mizu was excited. If his a.s.sumption was correct, he could do whatever he wants to anyone. That’s right, whatever he wants. The stagnating darkness spread in s.h.i.+mizu’s mind. Since that day, he zealously trained with undivided attention.

However, it didn’t easily go his way. First, for something with strong ego like a human, he needed to continuously apply the spell for several hours or else he could not do the brainwas.h.i.+ng. Naturally, that was if there was no resistance. As expected, there’s no one who wouldn’t react if he put the spell. It was necessary for him to put the target in a sleep-like state. If the target was a human, it would be too hard for him to hide and control brainwas.h.i.+ng, circ.u.mstance-wise and time-wise. As he thought of what happened when he was found out, s.h.i.+mizu couldn’t help but abandoning this because of the high risk.

s.h.i.+mizu drooped his shoulders, but he immediately recalled about the reason he was summoned, the demon race could control demonic beasts. He wondered if he could brainwash the demonic beasts who moved by instinct and have small egos compared to humans. To confirm it, s.h.i.+mizu went outside the Imperial Capital and repeatedly experimented on small fry demonic beasts. As the result, he proved that it was far easier to brainwash them compared to humans. To begin with, he could only do it because s.h.i.+mizu was one of the cheaters and had an extremely high talent in dark magic. Previously, Ishtar had said that even if the people of this spent much time, they could only control 1-2 things.

s.h.i.+mizu who had finished the experiments in the Imperial Capital’s outskirts thought it’d be good if he could control strong demonic beasts. However, he felt intimidated to go towards the dungeon frontline just like Kouki’s party. Then at the time he was at lost of what to do, he heard the talk about Aiko’s bodyguards. If he joined them, he’d be able to encountered a good demonic beast or so he thought.

In the end, Aiko’s party came to Ul town, then he heard about the demonic beasts in the mountain ranges area in the north and he was lost in greed when he thought to make them his subordinates. In their next meeting, everyone would be in awe and respect towards his great achievement, and he’d be treated as special or so his delusion went.

Normally, for the short amount of time of around two weeks, no matter if s.h.i.+mizu was a genius in dark magic, and he used the efficient method by only brainwas.h.i.+ng the leader of the groups, 1,000 was the limit. Moreover, it would only be those in Brutal’s level in the second mountain range.

However, he was helped by a certain existence, and he was able to control Tio, who gave her power to s.h.i.+mizu to efficiently brainwash even the demonic beasts in the fourth mountain range by chance. And at the same time, that certain existence promised him to reinforce him with troops of demonic beasts every day, and s.h.i.+mizu’s bound of reasoning completely came off. Finally, as he was soaked in joy that he was indeed special, the large crowd in his full control was turned towards the town.

Thus as the result…

He was turned into such misery for those who saw him, and he was made to kneel in front of Aiko and the others. By the way, the reason why he looked like a defeated soldier was because Hajime dragged him using magic-driven two-wheeler on the ground which covered with demonic beasts’ flesh and blood coupled with the fluttering cloud of dust. s.h.i.+mizu was unconscious with the white of his eyes displayed, and when they saw he was brought to the town with his head repeatedly hitting the ground, Aiko and the others’ expressions were cramped.

By the way, their current location was in the outskirts and in this location were only Aiko, the students, several people from the bodyguard Knights and town leaders, Will, and Hajime’s party. As expected, if the mastermind behind the attack was brought to the town, the commotions would become bigger and it’d be difficult to hold a conversation or so their reason. The town leaders which remained inside the town were currently busy with post treatment.

Aiko had stepped up towards s.h.i.+mizu who was collapsed with the white of his eyes shown. His appearance which wearing a black robe, following by the fact he was dragged back directly from the battlefield became una.s.sailable proofs that he was the culprit behind the attack. It was a fact she didn’t want to believe as Aiko’s expression warped in sadness, and she shook s.h.i.+mizu to woke him up.

David and the others told her to stop it because it was dangerous, but she shook her head to refuse them. The same thing happened with the restraint. It was released because she wouldn’t be able to hold a good talk with s.h.i.+mizu with that on. In the end, Aiko was only wanted to talk as a teacher and a student.

Before long, s.h.i.+mizu’s consciousness begin to return from Aiko’s call. He looked at the surrounding with a blank look, and maybe because he understood his situation, Hah, he raised his upper body. He immediately tried to distance himself, but maybe because the damage on the back of his head, he staggered and fell on his b.u.t.t, then backed away as is. With caution and abjection, he had a mixed expression with irritation excluded, and he looked around.

“s.h.i.+mizu-kun, please calm down. There is no one here that will harm you… sensei only want to talk with s.h.i.+mizu-kun. Just why did you do that… I don’t mind if we talk about something else. Will you, let sensei hear s.h.i.+mizu-kun’s feelings?”

Because Aiko matched her gaze to s.h.i.+mizu, he stopped looking around. Following that, he averted his eyes and looked down then spoke with voice that couldn’t be heard easily… rather he started cursing.

“Why? You still don’t understand that. That’s why this guys and that guys are so incompetent. Treating me like an idiot… the hero, that hero is annoying. Even though I could do better if it’s me… unnoticed, and treated like a mob character… honestly, there are only idiots… that’s why I thought of showing my worth…”

“You… know your place! You almost destroy the town!”

“That’s right! If you are talking about idiot, it is you!”

“Think how much you made Ai-chan-sensei worried!”

Far from reflecting, s.h.i.+mizu was cursing out his dissatisfaction to the surrounding, so Tamai, Son.o.be, and the other students were angry and said their objection one after another. Maybe because he was pressured by their momentum, s.h.i.+mizu looked more and more down and a.s.sumed silence.

Because Aiko couldn’t stand s.h.i.+mizu looked like that, she tried to held down the further heating up students, and questioned s.h.i.+mizu with a voice which carried as much warm as possible.

“I see, you have a lot of dissatisfaction… however, s.h.i.+mizu-kun. If it’s about triumphing over everyone, that made sensei don’t understand it even more. Why, did you tried to attack the town? If you attacked the town as is… a lot of people will be dead… aside on how you subdued a lot of demonic beasts, that cannot show your “worth.””

Aiko’s justifiable question made s.h.i.+mizu slightly looked up and his dreary, dark eyes turned towards Aiko from the gaps of his dirtied forelock which hanged down, then he floated a faint smile.

“… I can show it… if it’s to the Demon race.”

“Wh-!?”

Those unexpected words which came out from s.h.i.+mizu’s mouth made not only Aiko, excluding Hajime and his party, everyone in that place were shocked. s.h.i.+mizu raised a satisfied expression when he saw their appearances, and though it was the same as before, he began to talk with a voice that stronger than the previous pressure which made him shut up.

“To capture the demonic beast, I went to the mountain range area in the north alone. At that time, I met a person from demon race. At the beginning, of course I was cautious… but that Demon race wanted to talk to me. Then, we came to an understanding. That guy know my true worth. That’s why I came to that guy… demon race’s side and made a contract.”

“A contract… you say? What do you mean?”

Aiko was shaken by the fact he was connected to the Demon race, their enemy in war, but she was sure that the Demon race must have coaxed her student and she asked that while restraining her anger.

Looking at Aiko, s.h.i.+mizu was grinning as if he saw something amusing, then he said the impactful words.

“… Hatanaka-sensei… it is to kill you.”

“… Eh?”

For a moment, Aiko didn’t understand what he had said as she spontaneously let out that silly voice. The same thing happened to everyone there, they became stupefied for a moment, they understood the meaning earlier than Aiko, and stared at s.h.i.+mizu with fury in their eyes.

s.h.i.+mizu ducked for a moment from the piercing glares which filled with strong anger from the students and the guard Knights, but he stopped mid-way and continued his words as if to shake off their glares.

“What’s with that expression. Did you think I was used by the demon race? In certain ways, you’re a more troublesome existence than the hero… “G.o.ddess of Good Harvest”… if I make it looked like you killed the townspeople, I will be welcomed to demon race’s side as a “hero.” It’s that kind of contract. My ability is amazing after all. They said it’d be too wasteful for me to be under that hero. As expected, the one who understands it will understand. Actually, they also lent me strong demonic beasts, and I was able to create an army that exceeded my imagination… that’s why, that’s why I thought can absolutely kill you! What’s with that! What the heck was that! Why an army of 60,000 was defeated! Why those weapons existed in this different world! You, just what on earth are you!”

Because of the ridicule at the beginning, Aiko could only stare blankly at s.h.i.+mizu, her student when he said the word “kill,” and maybe because he was agitated as he spoke, he began to shout when he looked at Hajime. Inside his eyes were something more than melancholy and abjection, the irritation because nothing went according to his desire, the hatred towards Hajime who obstructed him, following that, the envy towards that power were mixed, mixed and created his madness.

Apparently, s.h.i.+mizu didn’t notice the gray-haired, eye-patched boy before him was Nagumo Hajime, his cla.s.smate. To begin with, it could be said it couldn’t be helped because he never talk to him…

s.h.i.+mizu kept glaring and cursing at Hajime as if he would attack him at any moment, and Hajime who suddenly became the target could hear s.h.i.+mizu cursing as “Even though you’re just a chuuni character,” and actually he got a considerably deep damage as he looked at the distance to escape the reality. His att.i.tude could be seen as, “I don’t think anything of you,” so it caused s.h.i.+mizu to agitated further.

Having guessed Hajime’s feeling, his back was patted by Yue and her kindness made him want to cry again.

Maybe thanks to Hajime ignoring the serious mood and entering his own world(?), Aiko was given the time to regain her sense from the impact, she took one deep breath and even without any courage to confront his rage, she didn’t move from her spot then grasped s.h.i.+mizu’s hand, and talked quietly.

“s.h.i.+mizu-kun. Please calm down.”

“Wh-What’s with you! Let go!”

He was surprised by the sudden touch and s.h.i.+mizu immediately tried to shake her off, but Aiko said she wouldn’t let go and further increased the power of her grip. Maybe because s.h.i.+mizu couldn’t look back at Aiko’s serious gaze, he gradually calmed down as he looked down again, and his expression was hidden by his forelock.

“s.h.i.+mizu-kun… I have understood your feelings. You want to be “special.” Your feelings aren’t mistaken. It was a natural wish for a human. Following that, you surely can become “special.” After all, although your method was mistaken, it is the truth that you can do that much… however, don’t go to the demon race’s side. Having heard your story, that demon race was just trying to use your desire. Sensei, can’t entrust her important student to that kind of person at all… s.h.i.+mizu-kun. Let’s do it over, okay? I don’t want anyone to fight, but if s.h.i.+mizu-kun wish for it, sensei will support you. If it is you, you definitely can fight as equal with Amanogawa-kun and the others. Then, some day, let’s return together when we found the method to return to j.a.pan, okay?”

s.h.i.+mizu heard Aiko speaking in silence, and before one knew it his shoulders trembled. Even the students and the guard Knights thought s.h.i.+mizu was shaken by Aiko’s words and began to cry. Actually, Son.o.be Yuka, who famous to be easily moved to tears in the cla.s.s, was already crying when she saw Aiko and s.h.i.+mizu.

However, it wasn’t something sweet as it wouldn’t simply went her way. Aiko patted the trembling s.h.i.+mizu’s head with gentle expression, but s.h.i.+mizu suddenly gripped the outstretched hand in return and pulled her, then he turned her over and coiled his arm around Aiko’s neck. Aiko unintentionally groaned because her arm was bound behind her and he took out a 10 cm long needle from G.o.d-knows where, then he pointed it at back of her neck.

“Don’t move! Or I will pierce it!”

s.h.i.+mizu shouted hysterically. His expression was twitching in convulsion, in his eyes had the same madness when he was cursing Hajime. His previously trembling shoulders was apparently from laughter.

Aiko looked in pain because she was unable pull apart s.h.i.+mizu’s arm which coiled on her throat. The surrounding people desperately stopped their movement after they received s.h.i.+mizu’s warning. From s.h.i.+mizu’s appearance, they understood he would seriously do that for real. Everyone worriedly called Aiko’s name with regretting tone, and s.h.i.+mizu continued to ridicule them.

Incidentally, Hajime finally returned to reality at this time. Because he was on the trip to escape the reality up until now, his face said, “Oya? Since when…,” because of the sudden development.

“Listen, this is a poisonous needle I got from a demonic beast in the northern mountain range! She’ll only suffer for a few minute before she die if I pierce it! If you understand, then everyone must throw away their weapons and raise your hands!”

With the words from the maddened s.h.i.+mizu, the surrounding people turned pale. s.h.i.+mizu was grinning at the students and guard Knights who completely couldn’t move, and he turned his glance towards Hajime.

“Oi, you, chuuni b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you! Not on your back! I am talking about you! Don’t take me for a fool, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! If you keep joking around, I’ll really kill her! If you understand, give me your gun! The other arms too!”

Because the way s.h.i.+mizu called him was too cruel, he inadvertently looked back appealing, “It’s not me,” which ended as futile, and Hajime face looked so unpleased. In spite of the tense situation, his att.i.tude didn’t change as he was calm, and s.h.i.+mizu lost his temper because he thought he was taken for a fool again. Thus hysterically, he demanded Hajime to hand over his firearms.

Hajime returned to look at s.h.i.+mizu with extremely cold eyes when he heard that.

“Well, you, to say you won’t kill her… to begin with, you can’t go to the demon race’s side if you don’t kill sensei, so you’re going to kill her anyway, right? That’s why I won’t hand them over.”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up! Just be quiet and hand them over! An idiot like you should just do what I said! Th-That’s right, hehe, oi, give me your slave too. Let her carry the firearms!”

With his calm returning, s.h.i.+mizu shouted some more. Because he was too cornered, he couldn’t do a normal judgement anymore. s.h.i.+a, who marked down by s.h.i.+mizu, was trembling and her expression displayed her disgust.

“Even if I fired three times in succession to shut you up, you’ll only become more creepy… rather, s.h.i.+a, even if you’re disgusted don’t hide behind me. He isn’t that dreadful.”

“But, he is really disgusting… it can be said my mind can’t accept it… just look, those pimples. It’s impossible to not feel disgust.”

“Well, though he wish to be a hero, his lines were the same as the thief that was killed easily by the protagonist in the very beginning after all.”

Though the person in question couldn’t hear because they lowered their volumes, everyone could hear them because as her disgusted eyes and their volumes were becoming louder. s.h.i.+mizu could only flapped his mouth and his complexion gradually dyed in red, then it changed to blue, and in the end it turned white. It was an example of the change in complexion because of the anger which became too high.

s.h.i.+mizu began to mutter, “I am a hero, I am special, this guys and that guys are just idiots, everything are those guys’ fault, there’s no problem, everything will go as I wished, I am a hero after all, I am special,” with hollow eyes, following that, he suddenly let out a high-pitched laugh as if he was shaken free of something.

“… s.h.i.+-s.h.i.+mizu-kun… let us talk… after all… everything is okay…”

Even though Aiko was in pain as she was exposed to s.h.i.+mizu’s crazed antique, she let out those words, and at the moment he heard that, s.h.i.+mizu completely stopped his laugh and strangled Aiko further.

“… How annoying. Stop trying to be a good person, you hypocrite. Just shut up and become a tool for me to escape from here.”

s.h.i.+mizu muttered that with a dark tone and he looked at Hajime again. Without any agitation or other expressions, he looked at Hajime with eyes filled with negative feelings, next he saw the gun in the holster on his thigh. What he wanted was transmitted without the need for words. If he falter here, he could just disregard his life and death and, no, his good future would be only a dream if he didn’t harm Aiko.

Hajime leaked a sigh, he thought to fire the wire when he pa.s.sed the gun and used “Lightning-clad” even if Aiko got involved, but he slowly reached Donner-Schlag so as to not stimulated s.h.i.+mizu. Because Aiko body was small, she couldn’t become a s.h.i.+eld, and it was possible for Hajime to hit s.h.i.+mizu before he realize with his drawing speed, he thought it’d be okay to be looked by Aiko with slightly hurt eyes.

But, at the moment Hajime started to drop his hand, the situation suddenly changed.

“Kh!? Don’t! Avoid it!”

As she shouted that, s.h.i.+a strengthened her body to the best of her ability and momentarily achieved a high-speed movement on Ground Shrinker level, and she jumped towards Aiko.

Because of the abruptness, s.h.i.+mizu immediately tried to pierce the needle into Aiko. s.h.i.+a was doing the impossible by pulling Aiko and twisted her body to protect her from something, then a blue colored water current penetrated through s.h.i.+mizu’s chest and that laser-like thing pa.s.sed over the place in which Aiko’s head where a while ago almost simultaneously.

Hajime, who was inside the trajectory, used Donner to defend against the laser of water that probably the offensive magic called “Break” from water system. Then about s.h.i.+a, she vigorously charged as she embraced Aiko closely, as is, she slipped and dived into the ground with her shoulder. She raised a dust storm, and s.h.i.+a who finally stopped, “Uguh,” raised a pained groan and remained lying.

“s.h.i.+a!”

Among everyone who was stiffened by the sudden development, Yue ran with all of her might as she called s.h.i.+a’s name. Following that, she took a position to protect s.h.i.+a and the woman she embraced, Aiko from another attack.

Hajime didn’t say anything and only thanked and praised Yue in his mind because she moved just as he hoped for, then he held Donner with both hand while he used “Farsight” to trace the trajectory of that “Break.” Immediately, he saw a black clothed man with pointed ears and swept-back hair who rode on a huge bird-like demonic beast in the distance.

DOPANh! DOPANh! DOPANh! DOPANh! DOPANh! DOPANh!

In a flash, Hajime successively fired the railgun towards the flying demonic beast and the silhouette. The man with swept-back hair, as if he had antic.i.p.ated the attack, made the bird-like demonic beast desperately evade by doing barrel roll as he confirmed Hajime’s location. It was quite an agile demonic beasts, but it couldn’t evaded everything and one of the bird-like demonic beast’s leg was blown off, the swept-back man’s shoulder was also blown off. Even so, rather than falling, its speed didn’t slowed and it aimed to escape at full speed. It could only said the way it escape from the series of attacks as nothing but splendid.

Hajime guessed that the man probably the person from Demon race from s.h.i.+mizu’s talk. The man already detoured to the town in low alt.i.tude as if he was making the town as a s.h.i.+eld, then vanished. From the method he used to escape from Hajime’s bullets, it seemed the information about Hajime and his party were already known by the Demon race which made Hajime raised a bitter expression. Because he escaped towards Uldeia lake, it’d be too difficult to pursuit him using unmanned reconnaissance plane if he escaped through the forest. Above all, that’s not his current priority.

“Hajime!”