Volume 10 Chapter 2 (1/2)

Chapter 2 - Forbidden Hybrid

Part 1

Hida Reiri ws alone at the s.h.i.+p captain room facing her desk.

Formal office procedure was meaningless in this kind of situation, but even so there was minimum confirmation and problem processing that needed to be done. Her eyes went through the report and written report from each post and processed them.

Fortunately everything was digitalized, so there wasn't mountain of paper piling up. Thanks to that mentally it was somewhat easier, but it didn't mean that the work amount decreased.

「Ha―i, Reiri-chan♪ Thank you very much for your hard work. Here is snack for you―」

A happy-go-lucky voice echoed inside the quiet room. Reiri suddenly wanted to snap the pen she was holding.

「……No one is asking for that.」

Reiri glared with a voice that was filled not by thorn anymore but by spear. Hida Nayuta didn't even pay that any attention and put the tray she was carrying on Reiri's desk. On top of the tray there were roasted green tea and Nanbu rice cracker. Nayuta showed a motherly smile with the appearance of a little girl wearing strange clothing of tights on her lower body and furisode for the top.

「You liked this didn't you? You have astringent preference since you were a child.」

Reiri scowled and grasped the teacup in irritation. She put her lips on the teacup and slurped the hot tea along with breathing in air. The inside of her dry mouth was moisture and she felt something warm was flowing in from her throat through her chest. After that a sigh came out naturally from her mouth.

Her hand reached toward the Nanbu rice cracker and she crunched on it with angered expression. Nayuta was looking at Reiri's state that was like that with a puzzled face.

「……What?」

「No, this is the first time, you eat something that I bring……」

Reiri's hand that was carrying the half-eaten rice cracker to her mouth stopped. Reiri made a shocked expression as though she only noticed this late.

She stared fixedly at her hand that was holding rice cracker.

――I thought that this person doesn't know my preference. However, there is no way she doesn't know I guess.

As though to swallow back the complicated feeling emerging in her heart, Reiri put the remaining Nanbu rice cracker into her mouth and crunched it. And then she gulped down the tea and faced the monitor screen once more.

「It's not the food that is at fault after all.」

「Fufu……you're right.」

Nayuta saw that figure of her daughter and squinted her eyes in a smile.

「Then do your best.」

「There is no need for you to tell me that.」

「Ah, but your body will break down if you work too hard. You are stubborn since in the past. You have a habit that tend to make pointless effort because you work too hard.」

Reiri couldn't bear it anymore and hit the desk.

「It's fine already so get out! I'm busy!」

「Yes yes. Okaa-san will get out now.」

Nayuta turned her back with a slightly pouting face. And then her foot was stepping forward toward the door, but she didn't move from that spot.

Reiri frowned staring at that back.

「Is there still something else?」

「Reiri……」

That voice completely changed into something coldly flat. Reiri spontaneously stood up with bad premonition.

「What's wrong, did something happen?」

Nayuta turned around and spoke with cold expression.

「Ataraxia fell into Thanatos's hand.」

「What did you say!?」

Reiri stood up so forcefully the chair almost fell off and walked away from the desk toward Nayuta's side.

「……Is that certain?」

Ataraxia was something Nayuta restored using the data she stole when Deus ex machine was recovering the whole data. Ataraxia was something like a part of Nayuta's body, so she could sense if something unusual happened.

「What I felt was that Ataraxia was moved far away from the s.p.a.ce it was originally at. However, something like this is only possible to be done by a machine G.o.d. That means――」

「You are saying, that Ataraxia is stolen by Thanatos.」

Reiri gritted her teeth audibly.

「Calm down Reiri.」

Nayuta took out a fan from her chest area with a cool face, and she spread it.

「Try to think further. What we have obtained from this matter.」

「What?」

「Ataraxia was stolen, but we understand where it was taken to. In other words, what is the meaning of that?」

Reiri frowned and then she spoke in a whisper.

「The location of Thanatos, become exposed.」

Nayuta closed her fan with a snap.

「Correct♪」

And then she smiled cheerfully.

Part 2

「Gehoh! Gohoh!」

Aine coughed because she tried to jump to her feet, and she spitted out blood.

Because she raised her body, intense pain traveled through her chest. That pain pierced through her head and for a moment her consciousness was getting far away again. She collapsed on the bed once more and writhed while pressing on her chest.

「Aine! That's great, you are awake!」

Just what is great from this much pain huh!? Even though she wanted to curse like that but her chest was too painful, she was unable to say her words out loud.

――Eh?

Aine didn't understand where she was. She also didn't understand why her chest felt this pained.

Even when she was lying down, she felt like the world was rotating and her field of vision couldn't focus.

There was a brown skinned girl wearing a joyful expression inside her blurry field of vision.

――Gravel?

Why, is Gravel in this kind of place……eh? This kind of place……where is, here again? Ataraxia? Vatlantis?

「Queen Landred! Aine recovered her consciousness! Please come to take a look here!」

「Yes yes, aa―, wait Aine-san. Don't move around okay―」

An excessively huge breast appeared. Most of her view looking up was filled with soft-looking breast.

――Wha, what is this? This breast monster.

Her own breast was touched by something cool and soft. It seemed this breast monster's hand was touching her. Then mysteriously her pain was receding. And then pleasant, calming feeling was spreading inside her chest.

「How is it? Have you calmed down?」

Like a moon that was rising up from behind mountain, a gentle-looking woman showed her face from behind the huge twin hills. Under her faint blonde hair, her drooping eyes were smiling.

「Queen, Lan……dred.」

「Ufufu, wroo―ng. The correct answer is the health teacher of Ataraxia♪」

Aine fell into chaos once more.

「Queen, please refrain from bewildering Aine with your prank.」

When Gravel said chidingly, Landred stuck out her tongue cutely and shrugged her shoulders. Gravel peered into Aine's face and then she leaked out a relieved sigh.

「You were lucky Aine. You would die if Queen Landred wasn't there.」

――Die?

「Why……did I almost die?」

Gravel smiled wryly at Aine who was responding with a vacant voice.

「So you don't even remember that. Well, surely that's because your memory is in chaos right now.」

Around an hour after that, Gravel slowly explained what was happening to ascertain Aine's memory.

「I see……I couldn't even make a scratch.」

「Yes. If there wasn't the healing power of Queen Landred, right now you would be completely dead.」

This place was an apartment around three kilometers away from the arena. At the fourth floor of ten floor wooden building. Even though it was made from wood, the wood's hardness and quality were greatly different from earth's wood. The lumber that possessed surprising hardness and flexibility could even endure being turned as material for high-rise building. And then the lumber was carved with magic circuit that was filled with various functions. This aspect was also similar with the culture at Landred's country, Baldin.

Aine turned her face to the side and said her thanks to Landred.

「Thank you Queen Landred.」

「No no, you're welcome.」

But what did she mean by health teacher? Aine thought that inside her heart, but it wasn't even something terribly important so she ignored it.

At that time the door of the room opened and a green haired beauty entered.

「I'm home……my, Aine. You are awake?」

Former Vatlantis Empire imperial guard, and currently an aide of Gravel at Izgard, Aldea. She was holding baggage in both hands, when she entered the room she closed the door using her b.u.t.t.

「Then I've to prepare the meal. You need to supplement for the blood you lost and also to repair your body function.」

Aldea disappeared into the kitchen while holding her baggage.

This room was a room that was rented using the money Aine earned from her ranking's reward. Even Gravel and others who arrived here to save Aine was currently living nearby.

The Golden Dragon they boarded broke down when they landed in this world, it seemed that it couldn't fly with its own power for now. In this case they could only stay here until Lemuria group or Vatlantis group found them.

All the residence of this world was equally warrior, there was no cla.s.s system here.

However there was hierarchical system.

Then how was that hierarchy decided?

This world was actually simple, ruled by primitive sense of value.

What decided the hierarchy was by who was the strongest.

Ranking showed that hierarchy. All the people in this world were given silver bracelet. The number displayed there showed the whole value of that person.

The rank was decided by pure strength. Who was stronger between this person and that person? There was number to display one's fighting strength that was called divinity number as standard, but that number didn't include other factors like affinity and tactic and so on.

There they were made to fight for real. If the lower ranking person won then they would steal opponent's ranking, the loser would have their rank decreased by one. While that was being repeated endlessly, the ranking of everyone in this world was formed.

And then the winner had special privilege. They would be able to steal one weapon or authority from the loser. The loser would be kicked down even further. Naturally it was also not rare for someone to lose their life.

This ranking decided the value of everything. That was to say, social status and income also whole depended on one's ranking.

For example Aine who ranked 133rd won against Frei who ranked tenth, so Aine's ranking became tenth rank. The loser Frei fell to eleventh rank from tenth.

However surely Frei would be unable to fight in his condition. He couldn't accept other warrior's challenge and he would loss by default continuously. And then what would he become? His income that was provided from Odin would stop and his living place taken away. He would be evicted from this city and lived at the wild, he could only obtain food by hunting wild animal and eating the gra.s.s under the snow.

Other than Aine, Gravel was at rank 450th. Aldea was at rank 382nd. Aldea's rank was higher than Gravel was because Aldea was looking forward happily to matches one after another.

This ranking was applied to all people, so Landred was also not an exception. But, Landred was a non combatant so she quickly gave up against others every time she fought, her ranking fell until several ten of thousand lower. Even so she was able to survive thanks to the income Aine, Gravel, and Aldea earned.

Those who didn't have anyone to rely on would do business with the warriors, for example providing food or alcohol, maintaining weapon or body, and so on. They would endure like that with bare livelihood.

In this world, there was no one who could escape from this ranking system.

It was unrelated with their own will. Whether Aine or Gravel, when they noticed they already had a silver ring put on their wrist. When someone was summoned to this world, a ring would be fitted on their hand naturally.

This was the admonition, shackle that Odin imposed on them. As long as this ring was on them, Aine and Gravel were a part of Odin world, they couldn't escape from that curse.

But, not everyone was grieved because of that. Aldea wearing ap.r.o.n showed her face from the kitchen.

「But, this place is rea―lly a good place isn't it. I wonder if it's fine if we just live here forever.」

She was seriously thinking that so she was hard to deal with. Gravel replied with a fed up voice.

「Then you will stay here behind alone? I'm going back to the original world.」

「Ee~ don't wannaaa. Gravel, you too stay together with me here.」

Ignoring Aldea who behaved like a spoiled child with wheedling voice, Gravel was going to replace Aine's bandage. Aine stared at a spot at the ceiling before she murmured with firm voice.

「I……will absolutely return to the original world. To the world where Kizuna is.」

Gravel's hand that reached toward Aine stopped.

「……Queen Landred. Can I ask you to do the rest? I'm going to help out Aldea.」

「Yes yes. Leave it to me~」

Queen Landred's personality completely slackened because of life in Ataraxia huh, thinking that Gravel smiled wryly inside her heart. But, the person herself didn't hate that change of herself.

Aldea leaped at Gravel and took her arm with good mood.

「Ufufu♪ As I though Gravel is fine me aren't you?」

「Don't hug me every time.」

Aldea didn't even get discouraged by that tone and she leaned on Gravel while heading to the kitchen.

「Then Gravel, can you wash the vegetable?」

「――I get it.」

After entering the kitchen, Gravel took out a vegetable that resembled potato from the paper bag Gravel carried and turned on the water on the sink.

「Hey Gravel?」

「I know. You want to say to take the sprout too when I peel the skin right?」

Aldea put a slab of meat on top of a chopping board, and then she took out a knife from a drawer.

「Does you, has any prospect of winning against Aine?」

Gravel washed away the dirt sticking on the vegetable with the water flowing from the tap.

「What are you saying? There is no need to fight against Aine right? From what happened before we understood that defeating Odin is not realistic. We can continue to live just by protecting our current ranking. What's left is only to wait for help. There is no need for us to raise our ranking deliberately, much less a fight between comrade…….」

Aldea put her knife on the meat and started to slice.

「That's not what I mean.」

Gravel put the vegetable she had finished was.h.i.+ng on a place and took out one more vegetable of the same kind from the paper bag. And then she stared fixedly at that vegetable.

「……I wonder.」

Water continued to flow from the tap, flowing down to the drainage.

Gravel suddenly made a smile and put down the vegetable, she then returned to the room where Aine was sleeping.

「Aine, you think your throat can take in food?」

「I don't know. Honestly, I don't have any appet.i.te but……but if it's necessary for recovery then I'll wash it down my mouth.」

She answered Gravel with wry smile.

「Let's make something that won't be too heavy. Queen will also be eating right?」

Queen Landred joined her hand together and smiled.

「Wa―i. I'm happy. My children, all of them are scattered everywhere and I'm lonely.」

Baldin group had few people among them that could fight, many of them were operator. Therefore they weren't fighting and worked hard to contribute by trying to investigate this world. They walked until every corner of this city, investigating if there was any data regarding this world's origin and Odin.

Gravel confirmed Aine's complexion one more time before returning to the kitchen.

She really understood how Aine was feeling. Because similar with her, she also wanted to meet him so much it was unbearable.

However――,

Returning to their original world, then reunited,

And after that?

――What will happen with me at that time?

Such thinking suddenly pa.s.sed through her heart.

Part 3

「Everyone has gathered?」

Reiri entered the bridge of battles.h.i.+p Ataraxia. And then she sat at the captain seat that was at high position like on a tiered platform inside the bridge. Kizuna and Yuris.h.i.+a were standing in front of there.

「Looks like Hayuru hasn't arrived yet isn't it?」

When Yuris.h.i.+a looked around the bridge, it was right at that timing the door opened and a black haired girl arrived with a small run.

「I'm sorry, I'm la――」

The girl stood still when her eyes met Kizuna. Her cheeks were turning red at once.

「Aa……」

Kizuna also felt his cheeks getting heated. He felt embarra.s.sed and also somewhat awkward at the same time.

That was understandable reaction.

『I, love you.』

Since then, both of them were somewhat distant. They were even avoiding to look at each other's face.

――How should I answer?

It would be a lie if he said that he didn't know about Himekawa's feeling. He vaguely felt that she was directing good will to him. However, he also wondered if a.s.serting that might be an overconfidence or excessive self-consciousness in his part.

And then at the same time, they were also doing Heart Hybrid and Climax Hybrid due to their duty. Kizuna looked back at himself and wondered, that perhaps it was because of those that he tried not to be conscious of romantic emotion as much as possible.

He wasn't behaving like that intentionally. However, now that he was looking back, it could also be thought that he was acting with such thinking at the bottom of his heart.

Kizuna was at a loss at how to answer Himekawa's confession. Seeing such Kizuna, Himekawa continued what she was saying in fl.u.s.ter.

『I, I don't need to, hear the answer right away-. Besides, doing this while Aine-san is not here, somehow it also feels cowardly.』

Himekawa stood up from the bed.

『It' s just, I want you to think about it.』

『……Got it. But, why, so suddenly?』

Kizuna thought 'd.a.m.n it' after saying that. Surely this wasn't something that suddenly occurred in Himekawa's mind. Undoubtedly she was worrying about it all this time until now, and today she finally gathered her courage to confess.

『Sorry! Forget what I said just now. I'll think properly――』

However Himekawa smiled gently without showing any sign of anger.

『Because we don't know what will happen from here on.』

『Eh?』

『There will be operation against really powerful enemy where we cannot really see any prospect. It won't be strange even if the world end or we die any second. Even until now we have been continuously going through difficult situation, but I have the feeling that what will be waiting for us ahead of this will be something so dangerous that cannot be compared with that.』

『Hayuru……』

『That's why, I thought of doing everything I can so I won't regret anything.』

She cutely shrugged and showed him her smiling face.

『Well then, excuse me.』

『Yeah……』

And then she turned her back to Kizuna and exited the room.

――Such thing happened and his reply was still postponed.

Was it awkward because the reply was postponed, or else was it because the reply was postponed that they only ended with this awkward atmosphere? Even the two of them didn't know which one it was.

But, they understood that right now wasn't the time to for them to be preoccupied with that.

「What's wrong?」

When Reiri inquired with suspicious look, Himekawa shook her head and answered「There is nothing」and lined up beside Kizuna.

『Currently battles.h.i.+p Ataraxia is approaching Thanatos's world favorably. The time until our arrival is approximately twelve hours of this s.h.i.+p's internal time.』

A staff officer chair was placed diagonally front the captain seat where Reiri was sitting. The one sitting there was s.h.i.+kina Kei, she was typing on her keyboard and the content was displayed as text on the screen.

After Megafloat Ataraxia was stolen by Thanatos, battles.h.i.+p Ataraxia changed course to Thanatos's world urgently. Oldium was currently taking separate action and kept their course heading toward Odin's world.

There were also voices that felt cautious of dividing their battle strength, however――,

「We don't have any intention of fighting Thanatos from the start. Until the end this is a rescue operation. If possible it's desirable if this is carried out covertly by few elites. Besides, Oldium also won't be attacking, first please start from investigating. I also feel some kind of abnormality with Golden Dragon, so I think it's better to hurry with that side too.」

Those words of Nayuta made the other reluctantly agree.

In the end, they were still divided into two teams, where Lemuria group was still in battles.h.i.+p Ataraxia, and Vatlantis group still inside Oldium, each of them heading toward their own destination.

And then, the time to invade the stronghold of Thanatos was rapidly approaching Kizuna and others in battles.h.i.+p Ataraxia. Kizuna, Himekawa, and Yuris.h.i.+a who were a.s.sembled in the bridge had their expression colored with nervousness. The only one who looked relaxed was Nayuta who was sitting on a chair that looked even more splendid than the captain seat.

「Well, please don't be that nervous. If you are like that then even things you can succeed in will end in failure you know.」

Saying that, Nayuta then waved her fan. Reiri glared fiercely at such Nayuta. However, she didn't say anything and turned back at Kizuna and others.

「Listen. The mission this time is not defeating Thanatos. It's to infiltrate Thanatos's world and rescue the captured Ataraxia students. That's our objective. If we are going to exaggerate, than the most ideal is for you all to return here without firing even a single bullet.」

Yuris.h.i.+a raised her hand with a face that looked unconvinced.

「But what about Ataraxia? Is it okay to just leave it like that?」

「I don't mind. One day the time to steal the world's configuration information Thanatos have will come. We can leave Ataraxia at Thanatos's custody until then. What we needed is battle strength, and then the life of our comrades.」

Nayuta narrowed her eyes staring at Reiri who was handing down order with dignity. Kizuna felt like he had seen that look and expression of Nayuta somewhere. He suddenly remembered after thinking for a while.

It was when he was a child, perhaps at his upper grades in primary school. There was a student that raised his hand to answer the question the teacher asked at the parents' day. When that student answered with splendid correct answer, slight commotion occurred at the back of the cla.s.sroom.

During the parents' day, the students were told not to look behind just because their parents were coming. However, Kizuna looked back because he thought no one would mind anyway, after all his parent didn't come. There a mother at the center of the commotion was smiling looking embarra.s.sed, but also happy and proud somehow.

He recalled the smiling face he saw at that time.

「Kizuna, are you listening?」

「Eh? Aa, sorry――no, my apologize! Commander.」

Come to think of it, there was someone that made great mistake when he answered a simple question from the teacher, and then he got laughed at if I remember right. When all is said and done, I'm at that guy's position right now huh.

He somehow held back his face that almost broke into a smile.

「Do Climax Hybrid with a partner that is the most optimum for this rescue operation. You get that Kizuna?」

「Roger……but, optimum partner Nee-san said……who do you mean?」

Zelcyone's face immediately came to mind, but unfortunately she was heading to Odin's world in Oldium.

Reiri tilted her head slightly to the back and called out to empty air.

「Valdy. You're there?」

――Valdy!?

The unexpected name caused Kizuna to be taken aback in surprise.

「Right here.」

The wall behind the captain seat flickered as though shadow was peeled off from it. In the blink of eye it became a substantial figure of female, turning into Valdy, former Vatlantis Empire's imperial guard, the one who was acting as the watcher and also the bodyguard of Nayuta.

Kizuna didn't notice at all that she was standing there until now. As expected from the a.s.sa.s.sin of Vatlantis Empire imperial guard. It was a splendid stealth ability.

However it seemed she received a really great shock after she was used and thrown away by Nayuta, but had she recovered from that? He didn't understand her actual condition just from seeing her behavior. She was staring fixedly at Reiri and didn't even glance at Nayuta. That appearance of her looked like she had overcame her past, but it also looked like she was still dragging out something.

Himekawa was strangely bothered by that state of Valdy.

Perhaps it was because she had confessed? She was feeling an emotion that was close with jealousy inside her chest even more than until now hearing about Kizuna doing hybrid with other girl.

However she shook her head trying to shake off such obstructive thought.

――This is a mission! Get a hold of yourself Himekawa Hayuru!

Yuris.h.i.+a tilted her head and spoke out her doubt.

「……You, you aren't staying behind at Ataraxia because of injury? Even if you come along you should be at Oldium right? You are one of Vatlantis group after all.」

Valdy's expression clouded.

「My injury……is fine already. Rather than that I have to protect……Reiri-sama's safety.」

「「Re……Reiri-sama?」」

Kizuna and Yuris.h.i.+a's expression convulsed spontaneously. However Himekawa turned to the other two and spoke with relatively calm tone.

「Valdy-san's admiration to the headmaster is famous among the girls don't you two know? Ah……thinking back that's at Ataraxia that Professor Nayuta created, so I guess Yuris.h.i.+a-san doesn't know about it.」

Kizuna murmured in surprise.

「Is, is that so……」

「Yes. Among headmaster's fan, Valdy-san is an existence that formed a matchless pair with Landred-sensei.」

「What kind of academy life you all were going through……」

Yuris.h.i.+a spoke with astonished voice. And then she added saying, 'I want to go to school like that too.'

Valdy sworn her loyalty once more in front of everyone there, but Reiri herself wasn't even shocked. Most likely she had already heard that from the person herself many times. Reiri looked up at Valdy with a sharp look.

「Valdy, it's just as you heard. Will you do it?」

Valdy sent a glance at Kizuna. Kizuna's heart throbbed unconsciously from feeling startled.

Tall and thin body type like a model. Flexible and slender waist that made him wanted to say that it was truly a willowy waist. Her white skin and glossy long blue hair entangled on it was really s.e.xy. And then, her hesitant att.i.tude, her timid gaze, it stirred up his s.a.d.i.s.tic heart fiercely no matter how he felt about it.

She was a bewitching beautiful woman somewhat clad in dangerous aroma.

「If that's what Reiri-sama commanded……bu, but……」

「What?」

「That, this is Reiri-sama's, little brother……is it okay? Because――」

「I don't mind! I permit it!」

Reiri yelled with voice that contained anger as though to veil up Valdy's words. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it looked like there was blood vein emerging on Reiri's forehead.

Valdy who was already looking fearful even at the best of time opened her mouth in an excessively scared state.

「The, then……that, there is……just one thing, I want to request……」

「What, say it. I cannot promise that I'll grant it for sure, but I'll consider it depending on the situation.」

Valdy joined both her arms together and approached Reiri fidgetingly. And then she reservedly left some distance opened and whispered with a small voice that Kizuna and others couldn't overheard.

The color of Reiri's eyes were changing while she was listening to that whisper.

「Granted!」

――Instant answer!?

Kizuna and others were spontaneously staring at Reiri and Valdy in dumbfounded state. As for Nayuta, she was sinking into her chair while her face seemed to say 'good grief'.

――Just what kind of request it was?

When Kizuna looked up at Reiri, Reiri was grinning with her eyes looked smiling.

Part 4

When that girl showed her appearance from the fitting room, the staffs that numbered around twenty waiting for her were causing commotion.

Tall body with height of more than 170 centimeter. That slender body was being wrapped in white lovely dress that looked like wedding dress. The long black hair was shrouded with a veil, and her face that was shyly looking down was worthy to be called a beauty. Her sharp eyes with their long slits were wandering around looking anxious, that separated that girl from the image of a cool beauty which produced another kind of loveliness from her.

A black body suit protected the skin under the dress, firmly covering from the tip of her toe until her neck. There was no skin exposure, but the suit that clung tightly conversely gave off obscene aroma, coupled with the white pure dress, the combination granted the girl an immoral impression.

There was also the breast that looked large for her slender body, that female was like an existence that stirred up contrary feeling in every aspect.

That appearance caused Reiri, Himekwa, and even Kei to stare in astonishment with their mouth opened wide unmoving.

「Is, is it really that strange?」

What came out from that female's mouth was a lovely voice that sounded a bit husky. However her tone was awfully manly. And then she looked around anxiously with blus.h.i.+ng cheeks at the people who were paying her attention.

Reiri wordlessly took out a camera and clicked the shutter toward that girl.

「Ah, wai……」

The girl in dress raised a fl.u.s.tered voice.