Vol 5 Chapter 1 (1/2)
Chapter 1 – Grace
Part 1
Aine who finished the parade and entered the castle was ed her clothes, after cosmetics were applied to her, she headed to the audience rooely opened Pink was used in between,it look lovely
“Grace-sama wants to meet with Ainess-sama as quickly as possible so……in respect to Ainess-saies that you don’t even have the time to calm yourself down”
Zelsione lowered her head looking really apologetic
“No, I don’t mind”
After Aine answered so, she stared ahead of the long corridor Honestly, she didn’t remember that path inside the castle Perhaps even as a child she didn’t know about the rooements of the castle
Even now she was escorted by Zelsione and Quartu forward to the audience room
The door at the end of the corridor was opened Together with nervousness that made her stomach hurt, Aine entered the audience room
The wideness of the audience rooe castle A floor size that was a hundredwhere a ic weapon could be entered with space still left over Engravings of feeo, pictures of the sky and angels were drawn
When she coradually re with visitors was done a lot in this place Even noas similar with that period of time, the people who shouldered the core of Vatlantis Eathering here
At the center of the vast hall where several hundred people could dance at the sa as if to cleave the roo stair, and on top of it there was a huge throne The fraold and jeas unbelievably luxurious, the back of the throne which could even reach several s which were created fro there
――However, a chair like that was not of any significance
The master of that throne
If that throne was coht now
The size of the throne didn’t match the petite, slender, and delicate female
But, her presence surpassed the throne, ruling over everything in the vast audience room
What attracted the eyes most of all was the color of her hair That color eet, its radiance was high class, as if boasting the beauty of pink sapphire And then the well-ordered face that was beautiful like a bisque doll iven human shape, perhaps this would be how it turned out In the perfectly symmetrical face which was like aIt was like the eyes theht, the deep color and radiance looked like ruby
In contrast with that, the clothes she wore felt a little uneasy to be called as the outfit of an emperor, rather it seeh Her body was only wrapped in accessories and transparent cloth to an apologetic degree, the clothes looked completely like a dancer costume
But, mysteriously it suited her
The accessories put on her body were all htly on her body line Everything was order irl’s sake, masterpieces made by skilled artisans
Looking at it like that, it hly pondered and produced for the sake of displaying the beauty of the emperor’s body to the utmost
Her body was also perfect, not inferior to the orna her body In her body that see, thin and slender, was hidden trained ed line, but there were only s the whole body Her breasts were not too big and not too sravity
The girl’s subli with faint light No, it didn’t just look like that, her body was actually shi+ning
Aine soon noticed the true identity of that radiance
‘――That’s, ht’
The girl was constantly eic power It was a display of will that no matter what kind of ti happened It also displayed the abnoric power she stored That radiance enhanced the strength, the beauty, and the nobility of the girl’s figure even higher
‘――You became beautiful……Grace’
The figure inside Aine’s memory was her little sister as a child Grace that o years younger than her was five years old at that tiure of the female before her eyes Despite so, Aine ure she couldn’t iant presence, overlapped with the Grace inside her e feeling of understanding
Grace was looking down on Aine from the throne put on far above
The ruby eyes were staring hard at Aine The sparkling eyes looked like it was a burning color, yet there was coldness somewhere in it
And then the pink soft glossy lips opened
“……After suddenly disappearing, why did you return back after this long?”
The cool voice resounded in the audience roo in a clear lake And then, a wave of nervousness was spreading in all ere present at that place The authority figures atching over the develop cold sweat
“Gr……Grace?”
Aine faltered against Grace’s hard voice and attitude
Grace stood up from the throne
Agitation struck suddenly like a wave
“Answer my question”
Grace descended down the stairs
That pressure ulp, she reflexively lowered her head deeply
“That, I lost my memory……then”
“And then, you joined Lemuria’s army, and inflicted many losses to our Vatlantis army?”
“Tha-……that’s”
Aine reflexively raised her face However, she soon hung her head down again Her body was treht in a glance felt like a terrifying irl who in her childhood was cutely attached to her emotionally
“Just what kind of face are youback like this Show me”
Getting off the stairs, Grace now stood in front of Aine
“I’m sorry……I――”
“Do you think, that you can be forgiven!”
‘hii-‘, Aine’s body bent backwards while raising a short scream
Grace’s both ar to collapse behind And then, her body that was shorter than Aine gently ehtly as if to envelop her
“Eh……Gr, Grace?”
“There is no way I can forgive you! Just how much, I…just how much I worried, just how sad do you think I was! Nee-sama!”
Grace buried her face on Aine’s shoulder, her voice was tre
“I absolutely won’t forgive you I won’t let Nee-sao for a second time I will put Nee-sama inside my treasure box and lock you up at the depths of the royal palace There is no way I’ll let Nee-sao anywhere as you please anymore”
“E, err……”
Grace’s voice was hitched, her beautiful face that was like a doll ith tears
“I’lad For this kind of miracle to happen……my praise to Genesis”
“Gra, Grace……no, your majesty……”
“Stupid, what are you saying Nee-sama I want you to call me Grace Just like in the past”
Grace lifted her face and wiped her tears with her finger Even so her red eyes were stillto spill out With still teary eyes, she turned towards the authority figures lining up in the audience room And then she raised her voice
“Listen well everyone! O the people who see with their own eyes the return of enerations of thecountries, return back to your country and spread about this hout the country The miracle that the current emperor of Vatlantis made happen!”
Voices of admiration and applause welled up However, they only ca here The re
Parting through that stir, a lone noble stepped forward
“Please wait, Grace-sama!”
“Mu? Vyuren huh What is it?”
The noble called Vyuren was already in her forties, but she was stillher youth and beauty She came out of the lines of the lords with a solemn attitude, stepped forward in front of Grace, and bowed reverently
“Please letthe order with Grace-sa you Grace-sama, please refrain from such really rash remarks”
Ainess and Grace were close in age, because of that there was once a political conflict of which one to support as the next emperor Vyuren was someone from the Grace faction at that tiht now the Ainess faction had all its members driven away into dead-end posts, or exiled into provincial cities
The political struggle had been decided conclusively
Only until now, in this day
For Vyuren who had coht of her prosperity, this return of Ainess was a bolt from the blue Surely she didn’t want to lose the interest that she had obtained at great pains Even the other nobles of the Grace faction were glaring at Aine with bright red faces
“I didn’t say anything rash or the like The enthroned Nee-sama is the current emperor, it is an obvious fact nothat Nee-sama’s absence It doesn’t matter what kind of impression all of you are under”
The nobles of the Grace faction clenched their fist and flowed cold sweat In contrast, a noble of the Ainess faction was covering her mouth with a feather fan and showed a composed smile
“How unsightly Grace-sa up quietly?”
Vyuren yelled with foa out of her mouth
“Don’t fool around! You are just a trash insect that can only look small in the corner of the room until now! To let Ainess-sama who had been absent for ten years to stay in a place like Le is not supposed to happen!”
That yelling left echoes inside the audience roo completely
The audience roorave, the air froze
Grace’s red eyes were lit with flae
“You, just nohat did you say?”
“Eh? Gra, Grace-sama?”
“To put shame to Nee-sama, the Vatlantis emperor……”
The light that coiled around Grace’s body was increasing in strength, as if to display her burning rage
“Hi-, ple, please wait I didn’t mean that in the least! Grace-sama!”
Vyuren was drawing back while repeating justifications with a shrill voice
Grace whispered lowly
“Koros” (TN: In japanese, it’s read as ‘korosu’, which means kill)
The next instant, Grace’s body was enveloped in dazzling light Pink light was crystallizing, creating a shi+ning arertips until above her elbow in silver and golden radiance, they were put on her with a slide And then her legs, breasts, and head were being equipped with ar to the body, there was no boorishness in the least froic armor that resembled refined music
And then, like a tree that reached out its branches, silver wings were growing on her back It was folded up once, and then as if to shake off the light enveloping the wings, it flapped greatly
The wings granted on the beautiful Grace Originally, it was supposed to be the appearance of a divine angel
――However, that figure was far away froel
The wings that appeared fros that were only bones
A devil’s wings on the figure of an angel
An ominous and disastrous existence
――This was Grace’s ic armor [Koros]
The hter
“That reckless remark towards Nee-sama, deserves certain death”
Grace’s red eyes and pink colored hair e intent
“Please forgiveabout your majesty’s――”
Vyuren ran away flurried She brushed aside the other nobles lining up in the audience room and headed to the exit
“Forto use me as a tool for the nobles’ benefits”
Koros spread its wings Feathers of light were produced fros and danced in the air
“HIIIIIIII-!”
Vyuren got out of the audience roo about
The cluster of feathers dancing in the air stopped still in empty air The next moment, the feathers flew out like fired arrows The arrows of light seeaving through the crowd then changed their direction to fly out from the audience room towards the corridor
“He-, help――”
Vyuren leaped out of the castle’s exit, she then stepped out her feet to the stair that went towards the castle gate, and at that time
The light arrows pierced that body
“Guha……a-!?”
Vyuren’s movement stopped while her hand pressed on her chest She stood stock still while staring at space for a while, before her body shook violently The body that lost its strength fell down frouard that rushed to the body and shook it wondering what happened found that the body wouldn’t stand up anymore
The arrows of light that pierced Vyuren were dyed orange That was the color of e tracks, the arrows of light once more returned to the audience roos as if returning to their nest, the ic power that was taken out froht particles were sent fro its pink color to shi+ne even more vivid and even more beautiful
“Taking in the ic power of such a worthless fellow feels a little disappointing”
Grace spoke so as if to spit out and her face distorted in displeasure
――[Harvest(Magic Power Suction)]
Aine stared at the shi+ning Grace who increased to be even more beautiful
That was the Corruption Ar a weapon would consuic power drastically However Koros was an exception It plundered the ic power With that ic power, the hair and the eyes of the user shi+ned even more beautifully
Harvest was like so that could independently perform Heart Hybrid
Grace noticed Aine’s gaze and she showed her an angelic smile like a completely different person
“Nee-sae the eyesores immediately, so you don’t need to worry”
“Purge you say……”
Aine’s spine turned cold
Grace spread open her arms fully and announced with a voice that resounded all over the audience room
“Nee-saitimate emperor of the Vatlantis Empire But, because she has just come home, I will continue to fulfill the official business for a while yet However eventually Nee-sama will take over and I will become her aide That’s it!”
Leaving those words behind, she turned her back on the audience roo in chaos, Grace then took Aine’s hand
“Let’s go, Nee-sama There is a lot that I want to talk about with you”
“Ye, yes……”
Aine let herself get pulled away by Grace and left the audience room
Part 2
That night, Aine took a bath together with Grace and now she would talk with Grace in her rooht
“Ainess-sa early for today”
Not lending her ear to those words of Zelsione, Grace dragged Aine to her room no matter what On top of the bed where five or six people could sleep in lines, the two of theuard inside the room, it was a time for the sisters where there was no interruption Both of the over anyone’s opinion
Thethat first class artisans tailored using high class material Laces that looked like works of art and fluffy frills were arranged in lovely result The fabric with texture like a silk was excellent to retain one’s teht and so thin that it looked transparent The two large round breasts, and the shape and color of the protrusion on the su it
How did Aine pass these ten years until now, that hat Grace asked and talked about Grace felt shocked and angered at each and every story of Aine, she was listening in a daze Aine as looking at Grace’s expression that kept changing frequently naturally burst out in a smile
“Hreat adventure Just fro to stop”
Grace’s hand touched her chest and she sighed deeply
“That’s exaggerated Grace was the one that was really in difficulty right? Really……I’m very sorry”
Grace shook her head left and right and touched Aine’s lips with her index finger
“Nee-sa is forbidden already I don’t think that it’s difficult or anything at all I protected this place in Nee-sama’s absence as a little sister That’s all there is to it”
Grace smiled happily That was not a face as the representative of the Vatlantis Eirl
“But……”
Even if she was told that, the feeling of guilt couldn’t be easily wiped off Aine disappeared from this world at seven years old Grace was five years old at that time She was made to sit in the seat of emperor at a little under five years old and passed these ten years at this whirlpool of trickery that was this iine, that it wasn’tordinary
Suddenly, she recalled about the incident in the audience room
That Grace who innocently chased after her back, killed with her own hands one of the nobles of the faction that supported herself She did it very easily, without any hesitation at all
When Aine’s face looked down in ic melody
{The Goddess is dancing With nothingness, with death, with the emperor And then to eternity}
Grace closed her eyes and hu
That was a song that was handed down in the royal family
Aldea once sang this song for Aine to hear That was to test Aine If she showed a reaction, that would mean she had some kind of connection with the first princess Ainess whose whereabouts was unknown
“……I even co too”
“Is that so? Even though Nee-sa in your childhood”
She didn’t understand thelyrics, but she had heard that it came from the inscription on Genesis She didn’t know ing this song together with her little sister
“Nee-saether――”
There was the sound of the door being knocked, after that Zelsione’s voice could be heard
“Grace-sama, Ainess-sama, excuse me”
The door opened and Zelsione’s face peeked inside
“What is it? I should have told you to not disturb us tonight”
To soothe the displeased Grace, Zelsione lowered her head with a s face
“My apologies To of Ainess-sama’s return towards the people of the eht, so at least we have to take the measurements”
Grace pursed her lips “Mu” and her words stayed in her throat
“Then it can’t be helped After all there is no e can let Nee-sama come out in front of the people of the empire in a shabby appearance”
After e to Aine persistently to return back after the o out froh the astonishi+ng wide and long corridor After turning over several corners and up a stair, they came to a halt
“This way”
Zelsione opened a door When she entered inside, Aine reflexively felt like her chest was constricted
“This is……my”
“Yes This is the room of Ainess-sama”
Aine stepped her feet inside her rooo
The roo for a princess, it was overfloith elegant and lovely furnishi+ngs At the center was a bed attached with canopy A little distance aas a large desk for studying and a chair Near the as a dressing table Bookshelves were lined up along the wall, she could see the lighting of the castle town frole furniture inside the roo sure of their existences
‘――That’s right Certainly this is my room’
Aine had three rooms One was this room The second was the one at Nayuta Lab, the bland roo in it And then the third was the one in the exclusive floor for Amaterasu at the student dor up like mountains
Each of the room didn’t resemble each other at all But, without any doubt all of them were her rooms They were like the mirror that reflected her self at the respective times
‘――Which roo for the current me I wonder?’
“The artisan will arrive in no time, so please wait here for a while”
“I understand……hey, Zel Can you, leave me alone for a little?”
“Ainess-sama?”
Zelsione showed her a worried expression, so Aine replied with a wry smile
“It’s nothing big I have been surrounded by everyone all this tio anywhere by myself so rest easy”
“I understand Forgive me for my lack of consideration”
Zelsione bowed faithfully and then left the room
Listening to the distancing steps, Aine released a sigh of relief She stared at the city of Zeltis that was visible froh once more
Her battle with the AU as a member of Amaterasu just a little under half a day before felt like a lie Her facing the Tokyo recapture operation with the preparedness to die felt like so of the distant past
‘――Is this, really okay like this?’
Such thinking flashed in her head
‘No, what a? In the first place I’m a human of this side am I not? It was only because I lost my memory and fell to the enemy’s hand that I helplessly lived there’
She thought so Yet despite thinking so, for soht now
More than half of her life was spent as Chidorigafuchi Aine In these ten years, as constructing her current self was the tier than the time she spent as Ainess
Aine pressed her head as if she was feeling a headache
Herself was created from two selves that ran counter with each other But it didn’t mean that she had two personalities Both of them were herself, existences that were hard to throay
However the two selves that composed herself, Aine and Ainess wouldn’t tolerate each other’s existence
And that this could even change the position of the war between Lemuria and Vatlantis
‘――What should I do?’
She didn’t understand But, there was is The safety of Kizuna and the others who became prisoner, of Amaterasu and Masters She had strictly ordered so that they wouldn’t be treated cruelly, but tomorrow she would confirm it properly
Aine clenched her hand tightly and resolved herself At that ti behind her
“Zel? You came back?”
A different person was standing where she turned her head at
“Excuse me, Aine”
There was only one person in this Vatlantis who called Aine like that
White long coat like a doctor’s robe and long black hair The face that really resembled the come Since Aine ed at all
“Professor……Nayuta”
“Aah, excuse hness the emperor of Vatlantis aren’t you? Or else should I better call you Ainess?”
“……Aine is fine Just what business do you have with me I wonder?”
“No, until now I didn’t know that your highness is the e for your forgiveness”
Aine stared hard at Nayuta with a grim face
“You didn’t know……you?”
The corner of Nayuta’s lips rose
“Correct”
There was no way that was true If it was this person
“Actually you had noticed o already That hy you used that kind of forceful method to try to release the Forbidden Armament Because you knew that if you do that then my memory will come back”
Nayuta raised her voice cheerfully towards Aine’s pressing
“A good reasoning If I honestly speak, I didn’t have the definite proof that Aine is a human of Vatlantis……that’s how it is I understood that Zeros is loaded with a weapon other than Corruption Armament Your memory didn’t really return with normal Climax Hybrid, so I attempted to release the Forbidden Arent situation were necessary A situation where it was unavoidable For that sake I took a hundred thousand people hostage Although――”
Nayuta narrowed her eyes and stared fixedly at Aine, it was unclear whether she was happy, or being mean
“It was a little shocking, that what the lives of a hundred thousand people couldn’t achieve, could be achieved with the single life of Kizuna Is this what is called the power of a maiden in love?”
Aine’s cheeks became red in a flash
“Shut up! Why can you do such inhus so calmly!? Those innocent people……even Kizuna almost really died there He is your child!”
“That was the most efficient method, so it cannot be helped”
“That……that’s really, unbelievable……”
Aine couldn’t close her opened mouth from the calm answer of Nayuta
“Actually I planned for Aine to recover your uished service of rescuing the first princess will make it easier to approach Grace-sama, it will be convenient to act in Vatlantis then But, unfortunately you failed your Climax Hybrid And there I had to let Zelsione-sama take the credit”
Aine’s body was shi+vering She didn’t know if it was fro inside her chest If she didn’t clench her fist and bit her lips, it felt like she would explode
“The commander said it didn’t she? That you are a demon”
“Yeah, it seeical mother”
“It’s only natural that she said that!”
Nayuta sentle expression
“Is that so? In reality, Ainess-sama could recover her memory like this and returned hoer which the current Vatlantis is falling into will be resolved in the near future Rather than a deel instead?”
‘――Just what is this person talking about so shamelessly?’
“……Professor Nayuta What is your objective?”
“My objective?”
Nayuta put her finger on her lips and pondered with a gesture like a child And then she lifted her face as if she had thought of so a smile like a holy mother
“There is particularly nothing”
“Nothing you say……”
Aine lost her words
“There is no way that’s true!? Why did you create Heart Hybrid Gear? Despite doing that, why did you now defect to Vatlantis? I don’t understand what do you want to do Are you the ally ofas if you are only inviting chaos?”
“That itself is not my objective Of course, I could hypothesize that such fact would take place, but it was the result of advancing my experiment, it was only a side effect that such fact occurred”
Nayuta answered with her usual smile
“You know, I cannot tolerate that there is so in this world that I don’t know about”
Gentle shing Those were eyes that were constantly observing and analyzing the target
“That’s why if there is so to obtain and investigate it Whether it’s Heart Hybrid Gear, or the Entrance, or the ic weapon, and then even this world too”
A purity in the level of absurdity, a simplicity in which one could feel madness