Mokushiroku Arisu - Volume 01

by Kagami Takaya

  However, with a delighted smiling face,

  "In an instant, in a flash, in the time of a flash ♪ --- Acceleration switch."

  Yayoi murmurs. It's slower than mine. It's probably another magic that's simpler than mine. But, with a speed that's overwhelmingly faster than the human me, she takes a step backward. Staying away from me. Even though I'm unarmed, she's perfectly, and completely on her guard against me.

  I can no longer hope to win against her.

  With my target gone in an instant, I readily fall to the ground. Unable to do anything.

  Vexed, I look up at the sky with half-opened eyes.

  The sky that enters my vision is red.

  With the sun rays slanted, red like blood.

  I knew it, a worthless thing like hope doesn't exist. Things like love, romance, friendship, justice, all these indulgent illusions don't exist in this world.

  "...... ha, haha, hahahaha."

  I should have known. It's all over the instant I let my guard down.

  The only one who's trying to save my little sister is me. The rest are just self-centered, arrogant hypocrites who have no interest in others.

  I have no comrades. I have no friends. If I don't shoulder everything myself and fight on, I definitely won't be able to save my little sister --- I should already have known that, but yet, I ended up erring easily in making my choice.

  Saving Gunjou.

  Saving the world.

  And consequently, I can't save what's important to me.

  "...... jeez, what the hell have I been doing?"

  I say in a tired voice. I thrust my hand up towards the sky. The hand that couldn't catch hold of anything.

  Upon doing that, something resembling chains wrap around it.

  "Restrain him!"

  The special forces magicians of Taikou Pharmaceuticals say. One after another, chains that have been born from magic wrap around my arms, legs, and neck.

  Yayoi says.

  "Don't be rough. He's my cousin."

  Shut up, I wanted to say but could no longer talk.

  It's over.

  With that, it's over ---

  That's right, I thought.

  However, a strange voice rings out.

  "...... Penitence Severance switch."

  The low voice of a man.

  And suddenly, right before my eyes, a large knife appears. It easily cuts apart my restraining chains.

  "W-What happened!?"

  Before the shouting magicians, a man with gray hair and red eyes appears.

  It's Shiro.

  "What the f**k are you guys doing huh?"

  Yayoi looks at Shiro and scowls. She orders her subordinates.

  "Hey, What're y'all doing!? Hurry up and restrain my big brother!"

  The magicians activate their 《Headphone Fuzz》. They seem to be activating some kind of offensive magic.

  However, before those magicians, one after another, young men and women wearing the uniform of 《Metropolitan Kichijouji High》 appear.

  Kiryuu Kiri.

  Yuuyami Himi.

  Endou Yousuke.

  Mizuiro Gunjou.

  All of them are wearing special 《Headphone Fuzz》 that normal magicians are unable to use. Even if the opponents have thirty special forces magicians of Taikou Pharmaceuticals with them, they probably still won't be able to do anything to Shiro and the rest. Since the people on my side are all made up of extraordinary idiots who have actually risked their lives to raid the labyrinths filled with all sorts of hellish and monstrous menaces.

  But, I have no clue why they are here. I have no idea why these idiots would take the trouble to come save me.

  Even though they are strangers.

  Even though they are all strangers.

  "...... what in the world...... what in the world is up with you guys?"

  I ask.

  I really don't get it.

  The actions of these fellows are too much of a contrast to the dark, cold world that I knew and lived in.

  But yet, with faces asking, why are you asking that?, Kiri, Himi, Yousuke, and Gunjou turn around towards me.

  And lastly, wth a face saying, that's a given,

  "Ah? Why, you asked...... obviously it's because we're your comrades."

  Shiro said some stupid stuff to me.

  "............"

  Comrades.

  Comrades.

  Comrades......

  For an instant, I'm at a loss for words. Replying to those baffling, incomprehensible, childish, silly words,

  "...... don't, screw with me...... you guys are giving me goosebumps."

  My voice...... quivered.

  All of them smile back happily. Beaming in delight. Damn. They are really pissing me off.

  Maybe it's because she has realized that her situation has become unfavorable, Yayoi starts backward.

  Kiri asks.

  "...... hey, Shinnosuke-kun. Do we need to go after her?"

  She is already wielding her magically conjured Japanese sword. It's a purple sword, different form the one she used in the labyrinth. It's a different magic. From her tone, it seems like she's saying that she can catch her opponent even if she takes her time in giving chase.

  I say. With a slightly raised voice.

  "Yayoi. Put down my 《Headphone Fuzz》! Otherwise, we'll go after you!"

  With that, Yayoi stops. And turns around. Gazing at me with icy eyes,

  "...... Onii-sama, I'm your only ally, you know?"

  "Shut up."

  "...... just by getting a few --- just by getting a few comrades, what good will it do? Will this change the world? Has this world...... has this world that the both of us have been looking upon...... turned into such a naive, and gentle place?"

  Said Yayoi.

  I narrow my eyes.

  She's right. She's right on all fronts. The world isn't so cheerful. If it were, then Asahi Momoka wouldn't have called me kind. My little sister wouldn't have fallen ill. People wouldn't have died or wailed.

  But still, even so,

  "It's none of your business what I thought. And in the first place, I've said this numerous times but I'm not your big brother."

  "...... is that so?"

  "Yeah."

  "Well, I'll leave it at that for now......"

  She puts my 《Headphone Fuzz》 down onto the ground.

  "...... I'll leave it at that for today and go home. But, I won't give up."

  With that, Yayoi disappeared. The Taikou Pharmaceuticals' magicians too disappeared.

  It all happened in a moment. Appearing suddenly, and disappearing right away. The motorbike falls. I wonder whether she will send someone to retrieve it later.

  Shiro looks down at the motorbike whose owner was gone, then dispels the knife in his hand. Then, turning around to face me,

  "So, what kind of mess were you cooking? Who's that?"

  I shrug my shoulders.

  "Nothing. It's nothing."

  "That wasn't nothing at all. Ah, don't tell me she's your ex?"

  "No."

  "But, she said she wouldn't give up......"

  "Shut up. That's my cousin."

  Yousuke then says,

  "Seriously, you're a pervert! To think you'd date your own cousin......"

  Cutting him off, Kiri says.

  "What what, I can't let that go."

  Gunjou too glares at me.

  "...... is that true?"

  "About what?"

  "About the perverted matter of you dating your cousin."

  "Huuh?"

  I started but gave up. I no longer have the energy to talk sense with this guys.

  So, with a tired face, I say.

  "Yeah. Yes. That's right. It's pretty amazing. Our relationship is really over the top. Our immorality is at the level of getting me expelled if the school gets wind of it."

  "Whah."

  "Whah."

  Shocked looks appear simultaneously on the faces of Kiri and Gunjo
u, and lastly, Himi strikes her hand with a pohn, and says with an earnest face.

  "Aah, is that why Shinnosuke-kun had to drop out of school?"

  What the hell is wrong with her?

  Furthermore, they all start chattering away among themselves. They started chattering about something that's meaningless, worthless, and silly.

  And finally, Yousuke says.

  "By the way, Shinnosuke."

  "You really were born to be a person who loves acting casually with others huh."

  "Well well. Anyway, I've been meaning to ask you this but, are we still in a precarious situation? Will the guys just now come back......"

  I shake my head to that.

  "I don't think so."

  They probably won't attack this many magicians who are capable of producing results from their labyrinth raids without ample preparation.

  Yousuke nods and says.

  "I see. Then, let's continue our talk, ah, let's do it at that place. The place we agreed on."

  "Huh? Agreement? What's that?"

  "Let's go to a family restaurant. I'm already tired of the hospital food."

  I of course reply right away.

  "No thanks."

  Gunjou is on the same side as me.

  "Me neither."

  But Shiro grabs me,

  "We saved you, and this is your attitude?"

  "Hah, you're pretty condescending, Shiro."

  I resist with half-opened eyes, but Yousuke smiles.

  "That's right, that's right. We are a bunch of condescending people. Anyway, let's go. First family restaurant, then karaoke."

  "Definitely no way."

  I shout angrily, but on top of a lame leg, I don't have my 《Headphone Fuzz》 and couldn't resist. The two of them pull me along after them.

  "Hey hey, you must be kidding me...... Wait. Kiri, save me."

  But Kiri too smiles happily,

  "Shinnosuke-kun, I'll pick up your 《Headphone Fuzz》 for you."

  And off she goes.

  For some reason, Gunjou too plods along without going home. She has that sad-looking face again. Looking at my unmoving right leg that's getting dragged along.

  "...... ah, which reminds me, Gunjou."

  "...... uwuh?"

  "My right leg just has its nerves blocked so it seems like it can be fixed, so please don't make that face anymore, could you? It's really depressing."

  "Eh?"

  Gunjou's face,

  "Eh? Eh? Seriously!?"

  Gradually lightens up. Tears pile up in her eyes. She's really depressing.

  On top of that, I'm going to go to a family restaurant and karaoke with this depressing bunch.

  "This must be a joke, jeez."

  While getting pulled, I look up at the sky in exasperation.

  The sun has already completely set from the sky, and night starts to spread across it.

  There are many clouds.

  Not a single star can be seen.

  Yet, for some reason, when I look at it, I can't see the world getting darker.

  This should have been a rotten, foul, hopeless world, a shitty place where everyone is f**ked up by hypocrisy and deception, but yet, for some reason, right now a strange feeling is surfacing inside me.

  "............"

  And then, in the cloud-filled sky, a single crescent moon shines brightly, as if it were smirking at me.

  * * *

  Epilogue - In the first place, what does it mean to save the world?

  Another half a month went by.

  November.

  A classroom.

  From the balcony, the view of a common schoolyard can be seen.

  The boys and girls from the normal curriculum, clad in their winter uniforms, are smiling at one another happily.

  "As usual...... the trash are living with a trashy face huh."

  With half-opened eyes, I murmur sneeringly with the corner of my lip raised in a slightly sardonic manner.

  As I did that, a voice from the side speaks to me.

  "That again ~"

  It is a female voice.

  I turn my eyes in the direction of the voice.

  There, stood a girl who's a classmate of mine.

  She is in a sailor uniform. With madder red hair and fair skin. Big eyes. A slender body with huge breasts.

  It's Kiri.

  Kiryuu Kiri.

  Because of Asahi Momoka's labyrinth, the students of our school year had been reduced by half. Some died, some went mad from the fear, some dropped out of school.

  And thus, Kiri transferred to my class. Thanks to Gunjou's barf-level efforts perhaps, 『Class 5』 had fewer casualties than other classes, and in order to make up for the reduced strength, Kiri was transferred to our class.

  However, the lack of students lasted just momentarily. The empty seats were soon filled up with new talents. Since this school has been constantly conducting interviews, and there are many students who want to enroll in this school.

  Five classes of twenty students each.

  There are always replacements.

  And ever since we did that little gloomy thing in clearing that labyrinth, we've become a little famous among them.

  The team of heroes who cleared that unexpectedly high level labyrinth, which is also known as the Asahi Momoka incident that could have caused the deaths of 3 million people if things had gone wrong, is in 《Metropolitan Kichijouji High》 --- a rumor like this has been spreading around, getting embellished as it circulates.

  Well, it was probably the doing of the school, perhaps. After all, if famous stars were born in this school, then they could gather capable people here, garner more sponsorship, and with that, rake in an even more abundant supply of funds and technology.

  "............"

  Several girls from the Normal Curriculum. who are in the midst of doing their P.E in an ordinary, peaceful world that has nothing to do with magic, labyrinths, or maladies, look up at the balcony of 『Class 5』 where we are at. They are saying something while pointing at us. Kyaa Kyaa, a chorus of incomprehensible laughter rings out from the side of that peaceful world.

  From the side, Kiri looks at me with half-opened eyes,

  "Now now, how does it feel when girls go kyaa kyaa at you?"

  "Not interested."

  "Liar, your nose's going to grow long, you know?"

  "Hn ~? Aah, then let me say this. In truth, even though I look like this, I've been hiding my huge breasts, and in the past, guys had ogled at my breasts and went kyaa kyaa, so I've been used to it and can't be bothered by this by now."

  After patting on my own chest a couple of times, I look at Kiri's breasts.

  She looks at me in disgust.

  "You really have a horrible personality."

  "Eh, I've been trying to hide it, did you see through it?"

  "Jeez, I really wish that you would put some serious effort in hiding that."

  "Haha, if you don't like it, go away, would you?"

  I say with a smirk and half-opened eyes.

  But yet, she gazes at me happily and says.

  "No way. I'm staying with you."

  She comes to my side. Snuggles up to me.

  With a step, I evade to the side.

  "Eeh."

  Kiri smiles.

  I sigh.

  "............"

  It is a time of calm, and astounding peace, as if we were students from the Normal Curriculum. Even the temperature, is much more comfortable compared to the time when I first came here.

  Gunjou's voice rings out from the classroom. She says to the newly enrolled students,

  "There's one rule here. And that's to obey me. As long as you enslave yourselves to me, there won't be a problem."

  Enslave?

  Smiling, I turn around. Upon doing that, Gunjou and my eyes meet, she scowls a little, then averts her gaze from mine.

  Shiro's prowled onto his desk, sleeping.

  Yousuke and Himi are talking happily around him.


  If I remember correctly, when I first met Kiri on this balcony, she said that she doesn't like to form 'cozy relationships'.

  But I can feel that right now. Kiri, Shiro, Himi, Yousuke, and Gunjou --- 'cozy relationships'. That's right. This is how 'cozy relationships' feel like.

  Thus, I ask the big-breasted woman who's standing beside me.

  "Hey, Kiri."

  "Hn?"

  "There's something I've been meaning to ask."

  "What's that, Shinnosuke-kun?"

  About this 'cozy relationship' thing...... something which you should have hated, is there any special meaning to it in future?

  Just as I'm about to ask that, the siren rings.

  Biih Biih Biih.

  The signal that indicates the appearance of a diseased girl.

  "Paging for the students of the Girl Killing Curriculum. Return to your classrooms ASAP. A labyrinth disease afflicted victim has appeared in Hachioji, Tokyo. We're going to begin the lessons in killing the girl."

  Kiri looks up, then looks in my direction.

  The window glass of the classroom opens. Our teacher in-charge, Honjou Tsukasa-sensei pokes her head out and says.

  "What're you guys doing, Shinnosuke, Kiri! Hurry up and return to the classroom!"

  She's holding a thick stack of papers in her hands.

  They are probably documents about the diseased girl in Hachioji.

  The girl's profile.

  Hobbies and interests.

  About the labyrinth brought forth by the girl.

  The details investigated by the researchers and scouting corps are fully written there.

  I ask.

  "Sensei...... how old is the girl and what's her name?"

  As before, I'm thinking about the same thing. If the diseased girl is the same age as my little sister during her disease onset, it'd be an unpleasant thing.

  Sensei then answers.

  "That doesn't matter! Anyway, the girl must be killed! There's not much time, so hurry up!"

  She slaps her hand against the window loudly.

  "Now, let's quickly kill the girl, and save the world!"

  She goes back into the classroom.

  Kill the world and save the world.

  Kill the girl, and save the world.

  I look at the classroom. Gunjou looks at me. Himi, Yousuke as well. Shiro too gets up, and looks at me.

  And lastly, Kiri says.

  "So, she says. Ah, hey, Shinnosuke-kun."

  "Hn?"

  "Weren't you about to ask me something?"