Now, there was a giant wearing a golden armour... the monster looked like a man-made artificial doll.
《"What do you think, Chairman?"》
"...yeah, without doubt. His body is one thing, but the enemy is an HeroEienherjar. A really powerful guy."
After saying "Hero", Sougetsu shuddered.
——"Hero『Eienherjar』"——
For Inquisition Board, that kind of magical organism was considered a product of the past.
During witch hunt era, a hostile witches used a certain summoning magic.
A high level summoning magic, there were three non-standard ones infeasible in modern times.
『Hero Summoning』, 『Legend Summoning』, 『Deity Summoning』.
One of them, Hero Summoning. Was magic that was used for the last time 150 years ago. Among witches, it was a forbidden magic only heretics with the greatest talent could use.
During the era in which the entire world was subjected to infestation of fantastical creatures, an era when magic usage was common. There were many people whose power rivaled God, their feats of valour were handed down after their death, and in current modern world they're hero of stories.
During the war, the cornered witches revived them and violence escalated with them as the vanguard. This summoning magic required tens of thousands innocent lives to be sacrificed. Many precious lives have been lost as a result.
It wasn't a magic that could be used by any ordinary person. But now, it has been revived once again.
Sougetsu's shoulders trembled... as he laughed.
"——Kukuku, kuhahahaha! A hero, they dusted off such a thing! How in hell did Illusory CultValhalla summon such a thing!"
There were no reports that would imply the required tens of thousands died in recent years.
Having no idea how they did it, Sougetsu laughed while holding his belly.
"...that's fine, it's really nostalgic. It has really gotten interesting, I wonder if they're going to start it again, a stupid war like the one that had so many people die."
Inside Sougetsu's eyes there was madness dwelling within.
The secretary with whom he was communicating with was confused.
《"...umm, Chairman, what are we going to do? Even though it's slow, the Hero is heading towards the academy."》
"Their aim is the tower with sealed Magical Heritages... no, it's probably the forbidden area witches are held in... well then, what to do. Against a Hero, KnightsSpriggans aren't sufficient..."
That's when Sougetsu narrowed his eyes, and grinned like a Cheshire Cat.
"...aah, that's right. There's that, don't we have a perfect guy for that. I see, indeed. It's a good opportunity to awaken him."
《"...Chairman?"》
"Connect my microphone to the speakers for the academy-wide broadcast to all students."
《"Y-yes, is it going to be evacuation orders?"》
Towards the confused secretary, Sougetsu,
"Evacuation? Don't say such stupid things."
He voiced it bluntly,
"We don't want to shave off such a fighting potential do we? We have enough human resources to become a wall all over!"
After the secretary realized what he wanted to do, she tried protesting against Sougetsu's decision.
《"Chairman, that's too much! You should call in Witch HuntersDullahans and authorize use of Relic Eaters immediately!"》
"Of course I'll call them out, the Witch HunterDullahan. But only if it goes out of hand, It's just a mere Hero. The high-ranking witch is definitely more frightening, even if we use Relic Eaters."
《"Then why... why is there a need to use the students?! They aren't part of regular Inquisition yet?!"》
The secretary's yells didn't reach Sougetsu.
"...well then, I wonder if the boy and the girl will properly form a contract with each other."
There was nothing and no one who could stop his laugh anymore.
Part 2
"Shit! That Ootori... leaving alone without permission!"
Takeru was heading towards the school at full power on a borrowed bicycle that was lying on the road.
It's only a guess, but Ouka is heading towards the witch's location, meaning where the explosions are happening.
Since the explosions are moving towards the academy little by little, Takeru naturally headed to the academy as well.
"...I've got a bad feeling."
He shouldn't have followed Ouka alone towards where the witch is.
That's because he couldn't help, but feel that something irrevocable is going to happen, and that creepy premonition hurried Takeru.
"Don't die, Ootori...!"
While scattering droplets of sweat, he rushed towards the place explosions sounded and smoke rose from.
There was no crowd, it was good that there were no people. Takeru was racing on his bicycle through the shopping mall as a shortcut. KnightsSpriggan apparently evacuated citizens from front lines.
The mall was quite empty. But, in exchange.
"——Guhh."
After he left the residential area and rushed through the large shopping mall, a stark naked human came out from the children's clothing area all of a sudden.
Takeru pressed the brake suddenly, and he stopped right before crashing.
He tried to apologize in a hurry, but immediately noticed that the other party was not human.
It's weird for someone to be naked in the first place. He retorted to himself.
Takeru facing a monster without mouth nor eyes, he got off the bicycle in a hurry.
Monsters suddenly jumped out from every direction, they were hiding in the stores and feasting upon meat.
"...these guys are...!"
Corpse eating demons, that term appeared in his head instantly. Takeru gripped the sword's hilt strongly and sharpened his mind.
Front, left and right, and one from behind. At the same time.
The situation was incredibly disadvantageous.
But, however.
It wasn't the time nor place to act perplexed.
"...out of my way."
After acknowledging the enemies aren't humans, Takeru's clan blood was boiling.
In the first place Kusanagi-style wasn't created to fight with humans.
So to speak, it was the perfect situation for Kusanagi Takeru.
As if it was a custom-made battlefield for him.
Takeru shifted the sheath attached to his waist towards his back, he pulled out his sword all at once while twisting his upper body strongly.
Kusanagi's Double-Edged style—— 『Single Rotation』. A heretical sword-drawing skill, sliding the sheath near the tailbone, twisting the waist to the limit, squeezing the sheath with left hand and release of the twisted upper body. Withdrawing the sword all at once while drawing a circle matching the rotation of the hip.
A skill used against humans by Kusanagi's at siege once before, it was only effective when many enemies were attacking at once, an all-range attack uncommon in swordsmanship.
It reached 180 degrees in front and 180 degree's in back without loosening the momentum of the drawn sword. Force made by waist rotation is multiplied by the held out foot, and slashes behind. What is needed, is timing, a strong waist and above all a loose lower body while slashing.
He let out the load without thinking. The Double-Edged technique style variant has been thoroughly trained by him. Burden on the waist was huge, and the gap between them was big. But the hit-rate was 100% even while he shouldered that burden. The Kusanagi style holds its own.
Takeru sank four corpse eating demons bodies within one breath, and he stopped the momentum with his feet and sheathed his sword.
"Are these guys familiars? They have fragile bodies like humans but... these numbers."
As he looked around, he had an illusion of being surrounded by a pack of wolves. The corpse eating demons could be seen coming from all corners of the shopping mall.
If a witch came out
now, it would be extremely reckless for Takeru to challenge it alone. Just by the fact the witch could manipulate corpses like this, it meant it's an opponent that can't be defeated by a student.
But unless he breaks through, he won't be able to do anything. Neither follow Ouka, nor join his comrades.
"——Just because you're were humans before, I won't be as nice as to let you off!"
Takeru lowered his body and kicked off the floor. He ran maintaining his posture as if he were to fall down forward. Supporting himself to the very limit to avoid falling, he ran through the mall at full speed.
"You're in the wayy!!"
He hit the corpse eating demon in front with a single sword strike. Takeru's legs didn't stop at all, his movements changed to Kusanagi-style's 『Battle Rush』, a technique that allows delivering blows while running. A fundamental thing like footwork did not exist within that technique, by having his body lean forward to the limit of almost falling forward for the sake of allowing him to slash with his sword. The entire body weight was used in the blows because it was intended to move on while crushing the enemies rather than cutting them.
A single point breakthrough. For the sake of slashing again and again despite their fear for counter, those who mastered Kusanagi-style could move their lower body and upper body separately. No matter how legs were moving, no matter how he travels, the upper body was resourceful and doing its own job.
The fact that the enemies were a monsters with no intelligence was a great bonus and really convenient. The battle swordsmanship used against hordes of demons, that was the Kusanagi's Double-Edged style. Takeru crushed the corpse eating demons that attacked him as he broke through the shopping mall like a fierce tiger.
He finally saw the way out, he didn't see any signs of life in his surroundings as he ran. Takeru noticed that the enemy sensed his movement thanks to their auditory senses. All the monsters jumped on him, at least, he should make it so he didn't appear alive to them anymore. He stroked his own chest.
And then.
At that moment, he heard something that sounded to him like a bell.
From the gap between the monsters, he looked towards the source of the sound.
He saw something unbelievable.
"——Wha..."
There was a girl who looked really out-of-place standing in the mall.
A figure that looked like a hallucination. Takeru couldn't help but suspect his own eyes.
Azure-coloured hair, azure coloured-dress, and her pupils also were azure-coloured.
"...why in such a place?!"
While surrounded by corpse eating demons, the girl was still staring at Takeru. His and the mysterious girl's gazes met.
The illusion of the world stopping, Takeru's thoughts stopped as well.
Muscles moving Takeru's body stopped and he was falling forward losing support. $ "Gah——s-shit!"
Takeru passively crashed and rolled on the floor getting covered with scratches, he flew towards the girl while rebuilding his posture.
The Corpse eating demons that enclosed her, were ready to pounce on her.
Takeru sheathed his sword and embraced the girl's body barely avoiding the enemy. He dashed towards the exit at once.
"What are you doing in a place like this?! Didn't you hear the alarm?!"
"............"
The girl just looked at him with clear pupils as he held her by his chest, she didn't say anything. Maybe she was shy, but she didn't show any fear during this emergency, either she had nerves of steel or she knew too little.
Takeru ran out of the mall, he ran to a safe street, put the girl down and grabbed his own knees.
Apparently not knowing Takeru had a hard time, the girl continued to ogle him expressionlessly.
In front of this silent girl, Takeru was at wit's end. It wouldn't be a problem if he left her with KnightsSpriggans for the time being, they would have taken her to an emergency shelter but there was no way to contact KnightsSpriggans.
If it's just one person it shouldn't be a problem, he will survive this hell together with the child.
Takeru put a hand on his chin as he thought about it, when the hem of his jacket was suddenly pulled.
Looking down, he saw the girl looking up at him while pinching his clothes. As if astonished by something, she opened her mouth slowly. Breath leaked faintly from her pale pink lips together with the words
With a mysterious atmosphere about her, finally from girl's mouth a voice came out for the first time.
"Panpakapaaan"
............
............
An incomprehensible sound, Takeru was stunned with surprise.
The fanfare-like sound definitely came out of the girls mouth, strength left Takeru, despite the appearance her voice was very clear and mature, she made fanfare with such a voice. *clap* *clap* she even threw in a few claps as a bargain.
"...what are you doing?"
Takeru came up with a question.
As Takeru was stunned, the girl continued.
"——Congratulations. Mr. Kusanagi Takeru, you have been chosen as the second contractor. In order to initiate the contract please answer the following questions."
She said it without intonation and with a machine-like voice, the phrases sounded like the ones scamming advertisement sites that are rampant on the net use.
"...eh? Eh?"
"Question number one. Do you intend to become an inquisitor?"
"Yes! ...no, wait, what are you talking about?"
"Question number two. Do you have any intention of exterminating witches?"
"............"
His head indeed hurt, Takeru placed his hand on his forehead.
He definitely became crazy after seeing something so terrifying. It's understandable, he saw corpse eating demons attack someone so small. It was very definitely super frightening and painful.
Thinking like that, his tears came out for some reason.
He must escort this child to a safe place by all means, even if he has to do it while crying. He tried putting his hand on the staring girl's head.
"Question number three. For the sake of your own goal, will you discard yourself?"
Takeru unconsciously stopped his hand, at a loss of words, for some reason incomprehensible words came out from her mouth. He couldn't ignore them this time.
Explosions and screams at the distance still didn't stop.
Feeling distant from the noise, Takeru didn't take his eyes off from the girl's pupils, Azure-coloured and very, very deep pupils.
"...? Communication?"
Takeru was dazed, suddenly there was a call from his watch-type device.
It was from... Ikaruga.
《"Kusanagi? Where are you now?"》
"Suginami, what's going in school now? And I'm... well a lot happened. I was chasing Ootori, but on the way——"
《"More importantly, it's pretty bad over here, listen to this for a moment."》
Ikaruga suddenly switched the communication.
Then, he heard the Chairman's speech.
《"——To all of the students, right now, we the Inquisition Board are in danger on unprecedented scale. As you might already know, the prosecution target that appeared in the city is an Hero『Eienherjar』. You probably know from the educational materials, but the Hero's strength is beyond our imagination——"》
Sougetsu continued with an exaggerated tone of voice.
"This is... a school announcement?"
《"Shut up and listen, this part is important."》
《"——Many innocent citizens and Inquisitors have been already sacrificed. Hero is heading towards the academy, we assume their target is the contraindicated area. It's a matter of time before he reaches them. Telling a thing like this might be shameless... but right now, we're not strong enough. It will take some time before reinforcements from other branches arrive. That's why... that's why I implore of you. Lend us your strength. I want us to fight together. Again
st the detestable witch that took lives of innocent people. In order to give him a hard blow, I want you all to stand up against him! Qualification or class matter no longer! All of you are Inquisition, all of you are Witch HuntersDullahans, together we shall conquer them... time to witch hunt has come! It's time to judge the heretics!"》
Takeru finished listening to broadcast, made a crooked expression unintentionally.
"...that's crazy."
《"It's not a conscription, it means it's completely voluntary. Some look at other platoons, these guys who are most enthusiastic about it already started participating in intercepting by making a defence line in the academy together with KnightsSpriggan."》
"...can only Witch HuntersDullahans do something about that enemy?"
《"No idea, the Hero was not left in any documentation from Witch Hunt Era. If we leave this alone, before the reinforcements arrive the school will be turned to rubble. As it was said in the broadcast, the enemy's aim is the contraindicated area."》
——Takeru opened his eyes wide.
Contraindicated area... it's the area located in the deepest part of the academy that witches are being held in.
From petty criminals to criminals accounted with severe crimes, the treatment is different according to the weight of their crimes. A prison for witches.
《"Kusanagi? ...what do we do?"》
"............"
《"You're the captain. Usagi is here as well, running is fine, fighting is fine... I at the very least will follow your decision."》
Ikaruga leaves it to him, Takeru fell silent for a moment.
He shut his mouth tight and clenched his fist.
"I... about the enemy this time... It's better to run away.."
《"............"》
"For us who couldn't seize even a single F-rank artefact until now. There is no way we can stand against an enemy like a Hero, wait for the dispatch of Witch HuntersDullahan. It's best to evacuate until this is over. As a captain, I don't want you guys to die in vain."
It was a weak attitude, but also a decent conclusion. There was no objection from Ikaruga, it was the Captain's choice.
《"But even in such situation, you intend to go right?"》
Ikaruga said those words and sighed, Takeru nodded.
Antimagic Academy 35th Test Platoon - Volume 01 - Eienherjar wakes Page 11