Antimagic Academy 35th Test Platoon - Volume 01 - Eienherjar wakes

by YANAGIMI Touki

  There were definite signs of life in this place, Takeru and Ouka stood on both sides of the door and confirmed the lock.

  After confirming that it couldn't be opened using a normal way, Ouka pulled out a sawed-off shotgun she had in the holster on her back.

  She gave it to Takeru, he knew she meant for him to destroy the lock.

  "............ *furu furu furu furu*!"

  "............"

  Ouka didn't know about Takeru's cursed skill in marksmanship. Seriously, in the worst case scenario he could even hit Ouka.

  She made a disappointed face and posed with a shotgun after making a small distance from the door.

  A deafening gunshot resounded, the lock was blown off, and the door opened.

  Takeru immediately kicks the door wide open.

  "Idiot, I should rush——"

  Ouka tried to stop Takeru, at that moment,

  ——*piin*, sound as if something was pulled reached them.

  "——Kusanagiii!"

  After being called by Ouka from behind, Takeru turned around.

  What he saw was the figure of Ouka suddenly embracing him.

  But more than an embrace, it was more like a tackle. He was struck down because he was defenceless.

  In that moment, a sweet smell of a girl entered his nose, their lips almost overlapped, it was breathtaking. His consciousness was almost swept away by desire, and then, a tremendous roar came from behind the door he was about to rush into.

  As he was coughing in the smoke, Takeru understood what happened.

  "Could it be... a trap?!"

  "Stand up! We're running!"

  Before Takeru even noticed, Ouka's figure ran behind the prefab. Takeru followed her immediately.

  A black van's engine just started running, it must have been prepared as emergency escape means to be used right away.

  "Shit... we're late."

  As the van was getting away from them, Takeru frowned.

  "No, not yet!"

  Ouka changed her gun's magazine to live ammunition and posed on one knee.

  And then, the barrel oddly jumped up as she fired three times in rapid succession.

  The van that was already as small as a pea.

  "As expected it's impossible——"

  Just as Takeru was about to say that, the van in the distance started to fluctuate. It collided with a nearby container and landed on its roof. The bullet fired by Ouka hit the van's tire.

  "......you've got to be kidding me."

  "It's really amazing... but the recoil is nasty."

  Ouka said that as she pulled the magazine out from the handgun. She stood up with a cool expression.

  Even though it was partially thanks to Ikaruga's special gun, the enemy's escape route being in a straight line, and because there was no wind. With that gun, at that distance, that reaction and that skill were remarkable nevertheless.

  Takeru couldn't believe what happened in front of him.

  "Kusanagi, check on the guys in the van. I will check the building."

  "...I-I got it, thanks for saving me befo——"

  "Don't thank me, just hurry up!"

  After he got yelled at, Takeru ran over to the fleeing car. He no longer knew who was the captain.

  He handcuffed three people who fainted there, and quickly went over to the prefab.

  After reaching it, he entered through the door in the back. As soon as he entered, he noticed abnormalities inside.

  A strange smell, a fleshy, nauseating odour.

  Takeru warily went down the building's corridor towards the source of the strong smell.

  At the end of the corridor, there was a room that was probably a bedroom. Behind the wide opened door he found Ouka.

  While holding his nose, he looked at Ouka's face.

  "............"

  Ouka had eyes wide open, her movement stopped completely. Takeru tried to say something, but then.

  "What——gu...ugh...?!"

  The strange odour's intensity was beyond comparison to before, he held his nose involuntarily.

  The colour and the scent of blood permeated the room, Takeru's stomach was revolting. He grasped what was going on inside.

  ——Inside, there was hell.

  Packed in plastic bags, were countless human parts. Hands, legs, torsos, heads. They were divided in five groups, they were packed into bags and classified separately.

  But the real problem was elsewhere.

  "...aaa....aa..."

  Instinctively, a cry spilled from his mouth.

  The curtain was being swayed by wind to and from. When evening sun's light entered the room.

  The wall was stained with huge amounts of blood.

  In the middle of that hell, on top of the bed there was a young child.

  The center of that child's chest was pierced by a knife.

  "———"

  His eyes narrowed, his expression showed mortification. Takeru bit his lip.

  The help that would come to save you in the nick of time like in a movie or drama didn't come. It was impossible in reality.

  Probability of a rescue was equal to none. He knew that, when he decided to join Inquisition he knew it will be this way. He was prepared to see things like this on the sites.

  Yes, he was prepared for it, but even so... this was,

  This was the reality.

  "............"

  Ouka stretched her staggering hand to the boy's cold body.

  With unsteady hands she raised the boy's body, and she embraced him as if she were embracing a baby.

  "...I'm sorry... I was too late."

  A trembling, gentle voice.

  "Was it painful? Did it hurt...? But you no longer have to suffer..."

  Hugging the boy's dead body. Ouka stroked his cheek.

  "Sorry... It's fine now... Onee-chan... will shoulder all of it..."

  This sad spectacle, full of compassion, Takeru couldn't look at it.

  It was too sad. Inconsolable.

  "Onee-chan will... all of it."

  That's why.

  "All of it...!!"

  That's why, he was late to notice Ouka's abnormality.

  While he was looking away, Ouka rested the boy again and pulled the shotgun from the back.

  He didn't know what was happening in the beginning, but looking at her back Takeru understood.

  There were no anaesthesia bullets for a shotgun. It was loaded with lethal mithril bullets.

  Ouka intended to kill the three people inside the car.

  "——Ootori!"

  Takeru momentarily pounced in front of Ouka who was about to leave the room to go to the criminals and caught her.

  "What are you doing!"

  "Move."

  "Stop it, you can't! If you kill those bastards here, there will be no more chances for you!"

  "Let go."

  "Stop that! If you kill them here, all of it will go to waste!"

  "Let go!"

  Angry Ouka tried to escape Takeru's restraint. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and her pupils displayed murderous intent, they were screaming.

  Seeing her moving out looking like an evil spirit, a demon. Takeru thought he had to stop her.

  He hugged Ouka desperately, and she lowered her gun.

  "——I won't let you! Didn't you become an Inquisitor to stop people from sharing this child's fate?!"

  "...ughh...!"

  "I don't know you but... you definitely don't want that do you?! If you screw up here, you won't be able to save people you normally would...!"

  "Uu...uuu...uuuh...!"

  "Are you fine with that?!"

  "Uuu...uuuhhh..."

  Takeru's voice finally reached her, and strength left Ouka.

  She dropped on her knees, releasing the gun.

  Ouka covered her mouth with her hand, she vomited and fainted on spot.

  On the city's cemetery, located far away from the city's noise.

  The beautiful park co
vered with autumnal leaves was close, so it was busy during the day.

  Voices of children playing in the park, lovers exchanging kisses.

  Their happiness felt very distant and strange to them.

  Sitting there gaping, showing a sorrowful expression, that was the impression they gave to other visitors.

  "............"

  Ouka was standing in front of a single grave. She was staring at it for a about an hour now. Takeru was standing behind and looked at her.

  After the incident, Takeru contacted the KnightSpriggan and HealerSeelie troops. He briefly reported and wanted to take Ouka to the hospital.

  But Ouka refused, instead she wanted to come to this place alone.

  Takeru, unwilling to leave her alone followed her until now.

  "...about before, sorry, I wasn't myself."

  Said Ouka with her back turned to him.

  "Why did you come with me?"

  "Because I was worried, obviously."

  He immediately answered. Ouka's hair swayed gently as she directed her face towards him.

  "......why?"

  Tender voice. Ouka's original voice was dignified and unhesitating, completely different from current one.

  It was a yet unseen, fragile expression on Ouka's face which caused him to unintentionally stare at her. Looking at her sleepy, fatigued figure, Takeru had an inexplicable urge to immediately embrace her.

  "That's because... I'm your captain."

  "...that again."

  "Even so, I want us to become comrades. I-Is that bad..."

  "There's no way for a person like me to become your comrade."

  Answering Takeru negatively, Ouka faced forward once again.

  "That's just your disillusionment."

  "Disillusionment?"

  "Like my outrage before, why aren't you honest?"

  "...there's nothing about it, I was just surprised."

  Hearing Takeru's honest answer, Ouka smiled wryly.

  "I think you know it already... no matter what, it's no good. When I face an atrocious enemy, blood goes up to my head. I forget myself and execute them, I pull the trigger and shoot them. Especially when the victims are children."

  "............"

  "Crimson Lotus Princess『Calamity』... it really is a fitting nickname for me."

  Incidents she was involved in, ended with a crimson sea of blood left behind. That's why Crimson Lotus Princess『Calamity』. But she didn't do it because she wanted to. That's what he felt after listening to Ouka. There definitely was something deep inside her that caused her to act like that.

  "That was the reason I was fired from Inquisition. I really am not in a position to blame you guys. I'm defective and beyond help... that's how I am."

  Ouka said that and sighed, she took out anpan and milk she bought at convenience store along the way, she placed it as an offering in front of the grave and held her hands together.

  It was silent once again.

  "...this grave, is it your family's?"

  "...it's my parents... and my little sister's tomb."

  "So you had a sister."

  "Nn, I had one."

  Ouka poked the milk bottle with a finger.

  "...my little sister loved it, anpan with milk."

  Slightly raising her voice, she said that nostalgically.

  It was the first time hearing Ouka speaking so gently.

  "I told her there's no way it can be delicious... 'Eat it, eat it', she wanted to make me try it no matter what."

  Takeru shut up and listened, he listened to quietly.

  "I was opinionated, I refused many times saying it's terrible. And as she continued to say it's delicious, she puffed her cheeks angrily. Childish isn't it? If it's delicious for her, it has to be the same for others. That's what she thought."

  "............"

  "...in the end, I didn't eat it a single time while she was still alive."

  "............"

  "Even though... it's so delicious."

  Suddenly, Ouka's hand that was poking the milk bottle was lowered.

  Her sunset-coloured hair flowed in the wind, floating in the cold air.

  Takeru looked at Ouka's small back, and he looked down.

  He shouldn't have listened, that's what he thought. If he averts his eyes now, Ouka will once again walk alone. He couldn't help but think that.

  "...was your family..."

  "............"

  "...and your sister..."

  The words he could use were stuck in his throat and wouldn't come out.

  At a time like this, he couldn't make himself step into Ouka's darkness. Takeru felt he was pathetic.

  But before Takeru took that step,

  "Oh... that's right."

  Ouka stood up, she looked back vigorously. and then, as though confronting something,

  "My family was killed by a witch."

  As if she tried to shake off her own darkness.

  Part 3

  Ouka was an orphan.

  It seemed like she was abandoned in a garbage dump, along with the body of her real mother.

  In the orphanage her heart was closed off as well, she was a child who didn't speak anything at all.

  The ones who took such a girl in, were Ouka's dead foster parents.

  A cheerful father, a gentle mother.

  And, a cute little sister.

  Ouka's frozen heart slowly started to melt as she interacted with her new family.

  But, one day.

  Suddenly, a witch came to their home.

  『"Well then, please kill your father and mother."』

  A very kind, creepy voice.

  『"——If you do it, you'll save your important little sister's life."』

  It was when she finally was familiar enough with her family to call her foster parents with "Mother" and "Father".

  Why was it Ouka's house, the reason was unknown.

  The witch that came to her house handed over a knife to her.

  And said,

  If you kill your father and mother, you'll save your little sister's life.

  Ouka who hated crying, cried not wanting to kill them. But the witch didn't allow it, he trembled with pleasure enjoying it, laughing, giggling.

  She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to kill her father and mother. But if she didn't do it... her precious little sister, she would lose her always smiling little sister.

  Ouka's heart was torn. She became just a crying doll.

  She couldn't hold a knife any longer, and tried to release her grip on it.

  At that time, her father and mother embraced her, and stabbed themselves with the knife she held.

  ——It's okay...

  She felt the warmth of her father's and mother's skin that was about to disappear.

  ——It'll be alright...

  She listened to their gentle voices.

  ——We leave your little sister... to you.

  Ouka broke.

  『"You did well... but unfortunately."』

  The witch laughed.

  『"You were... too late."』

  Witch grinned,

  Loudly, cheerfully, happily, the witch spread despair.

  Ouka felt something depriving her body of freedom, her feet moved on their own, and she approached her little sister sitting on the floor.

  Her consciousness was lucid.

  ——It's scary.

  She felt the knife in her hand.

  ——It's scary, Onee-chan.

  Her little sister said with a frightened voice.

  ——Help me... Onee-chan.

  She felt how she cut her little sister.

  ——Wh-y... onee--cha-n...

  Ouka, with her lucid consciousness, cut her beloved little sister to shreds.

  She wanted to scream out, but she didn't. She wanted to cry, but tears didn't come out.

  Her body didn't listen to her. Her heart shattered like glass. She wanted to kill herself right away.

/>   That's what she hoped for.

  In the end, the witch ordered Ouka.

  『" Laugh "』

  Her cheek's muscles cramped, her mouth forcefully drew an arc.

  And in a loud, hoarse, sorrowful voice.

  In front of her dead, beloved family.

  Ouka was forced to laugh.

  Part 4

  ...gruesome, wasn't enough to describe it.

  Ouka's darkness, Ouka's truth. The reason she's fighting. The reason she's going out of control.

  It was too sad.

  "A witch took away everything from me, I will not forgive witches. And..."

  In her blue pupils there was a dark flame. A murderous intent, intent directed at someone who wasn't here. At a witch who definitely was somewhere.

  After stopping talking mid-way, Ouka looked at the palm of her hand.

  She squinted, and bitterly clenched her fist.

  "...I, I won't forgive them. I will exterminate witches all of my life. For the sake of witch's victims, that's what I vowed. That's what I lived for until now. From now on as well... until I die."

  "............"

  "That's my everything."

  After she finished speaking. Ouka glared at Takeru, narrowed her eyes and smiled bitterly.

  "You get it now? I'm just going to cause you trouble. At the same time, you'll be getting in the way of my revenge."

  She placed her hand on her chest, and a bit sad, she apologized to Takeru.

  "I'm already broken, I can't stop myself from going out of control. That's why, leave me alone."

  "............"

  "I can't become your comrade."

  With a clear voice, with her eyes clear, standing in front of Takeru, Ouka...

  No, that's wrong.

  Takeru denied Ouka's words.

  He recollected what happened two years before, image of absolute strength with sunset-coloured hair.

  Ootori Ouka.

  For Takeru,

  It was what triggered his change,

  It was the person who stopped him.

  In the past, Takeru just like Ouka lived only on hatred. Just like Ouka, Takeru was once broken.

  But he was able to stop. In the wake of his own defeat, he was able to look back and deny it.

  "We will become comrades."

  Takeru denied her loneliness.

  "I will not deny your revenge. But life of only revenge is sad, no matter how you look at it."

  "...even if it's sad, it has to be done."