V1C2

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

“——————Thus, begins the story.”

In the profound darkness, she murmured.

Dragging her hair, darker than darkness itself, she took a step.

As if she was reading a book she had finished many times before, her tinted eyes were consumed with a stagnant boredom. Then, she scratched her other shoulder passionately. Such a demeanor could not be described as compatible with her deep weariness.

As it was, she whispered dreamily,

“One more time, one more time, ahhh—this time”

This time, I want you.

Then, the voice suddenly ended, and a broken sob soon sounded thereafter.

＊＊＊

“Well, are you awake?”

Kaguro Kou opened his eyes.

He blinked again and again, repeatedly.

His vision was covered in a blanket of white.

When he came to, he found himself in a pure white room. The walls, let alone the door, did not even have any seams. It was unclear where Kou had been thrown in from. In addition to this, the walls seemed to flicker blue periodically. Upon closer inspection, the light seemed to be in sync with Kou’s heartbeat. Whatever it was, it clearly wasn’t something possible with current magic technology.

This room is likely a relic of the Prehistoric Era.

There was very little information that could be obtained visually, however Kou had already concluded there was nothing else to think of.

At that moment, a voice echoed from the walls.

“If you’re awaaaaaake, you should say somethingggggg.”

The voice was absurdly boisterous, and Kou covered his aching ears. The other party seemed to have sensed something, Apparently, the room was being monitored, as this time the voice sounded more soothingly.

“Aah, my bad. It’s been a long time since I’ve used this Prison Room, so I forgot to adjust the volume. Hmm, this should be fine, right? Okay—I’ll remember next time. Anyway, do you have a memory? Do you still remember it clearly?”

“……What?”

Suddenly, there was a little more affection in the call. Kou became more alert, wondering what was going on. In the meantime, the other party remained absent from sight. He didn’t trust the other party, but even if he wanted to escape there weren’t any exits in the room.

Kou tried to scour through his memories again, until the other party suddenly continued with startling words.

“You…and a Kihei got married, right?”

“——What?”

This time, their words simply made no sense.

In response to them, Kou raised his voice. Silence then followed for several moments, the white room flickering blue occasionally. After what seemed like minutes, the other party seemed to understand what was going on, and laughed aloud.

“I see, you’re not aware of the pattern. It makes no difference, so I’ll explain. You survived outside without even wearing any magic armor, and there was a girl with you. She is a Kihei.”

“Hey.”

“And she’s a real gem. Not only that, but she’s also married to you.”

“Married…what exactly…can I ask a question? There are a few things I don’t understand.”

“You’re calm. That’s an appropriate, student-like response. Once you’re all sorted, feel free to ask away, okay?”

The voice responded generously. The other party seemed fine with Kou taking the time to sort out his doubts first.

The room was silent.

First thing Kou did was shake his aching head side to side, reflecting on his memories. He couldn’t remember anything about the time of his return. However, he did remember that he had died. After that, it was all a blur.

How am I still alive?

All he could remember was…something very beautiful.

It was white, fragile, and beautiful.

Kou was desperately trying to sort out his thoughts. Then, he finally asked his questions.

“One, I should be dead. Two, I…perhaps, unless death was playing with my vision, the girl I encountered…looked human. Is she a Kihei? Three, what did you mean by saying I was married to a Kihei?”

“Sixty points.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll award you ten extra points, totaling to seventy points. I’m a bit lax with my grading—but, it’s more trouble to fail an exam anyway. Also, even though you just asked questions that arose before you, it’s quite impressive that you were able to grasp that much in such a confused state.”

The other party then spoke fluently again, but most of what they had said was almost entirely to themselves.

Kou really wanted to bring the conversation back to the classroom. But to his surprise, the other party then gave a straightforward answer.

“First of all, she got your heart going again and used nanomachines to completely repair the damage. The misalignment of your bones was also adjusted and bonded while you were unconscious. Second, that girl is a Kihei. It seems that this is the first time you’ve encountered a fully humanoid Kihei, but for now, just accept it as is. You’ll see her later—and then, third,”

A concise explanation, followed by a disturbing announcement. The other party’s hand seemed to move.

At least, that’s what Kou saw, as he witnessed three fingers being held up in front of him. Aloofly, the voice continued.

“As you know, Kihei kill humans. The purpose and principle behind those actions are unclear, of course. However, some of them—in fact—demand humans to become their masters.”

“……I don’t follow. The two contradict each other. They are supposed to be enemies of mankind.”

“Yeah, but it is true. Most humans don’t have the adaptability of a master and will be killed on sight, but sometimes there are those who are suitable in their eyes. When that happens, the Kihei will ask for a contract.”

Kou pressed his forehead, and the image of a white girl came to mind.

She took his palm and said,

—From now on, you shall be my master, and my wings shall be yours.

“For some reason, they have a tendency to regard the contract as a marriage and the other party as a partner. We’ve settled on calling those contracts marriages, with the Kihei contractor being the Bride, and the contracted being the Groom—regardless of whether the Kihei is feminine, masculine, or humanoid.”

With a jolt, Kou felt his eyes shake. His brain couldn’t process all of this new information. If Isumi had been around, he would have been furious and demand them to stop messing around. However, Kou was able to understand.

For some reason, he felt as if he had already known this information.

——I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life.

That’s right, when he responded to the girl.

Or maybe it was long before that.

From the time when the lingering dream began.

“So, I’ll give you a choice—huh? What? Wait, she ran away?”

The other party’s tone suddenly jumped. Kou raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on.

Just then, it seemed that he heard some kind of muffled voice in the distance. The other party’s voice continued to talk with someone else.

“Approaching the Groom while destroying the surroundings? Ah, that’s fine, leave her be. The walls of that room will repair any damage done to them, and that’s why we haven’t housed any relics in a while, right? If it comes down to it, I’m ready to leave…oh, wait, she’s arrived————”

A roar sounded.

Right before Kou’s eyes, a circular engraving formed in the white wall in front of him. The engraving fell out of the thick wall in a cylinder shape. This had to be a joke. Even though it will repair the damage, damage of this magnitude will take a long time to restore.

A few moments later, Kou realized the room had been cut through.

He could see through the gaping hole, and saw a girl standing in a bleak corridor. Her eyes were as blue as the sky, and her hair was as crystal clear as snow. She was wrapped in a thin cloth and was staring at Kou.

“Kou!”

A flash of joy colored the girl’s face.

In an instant, Kou was enveloped by mechanical wings. It didn’t hurt at all, and the vicious metal didn’t touch his body. He was covered as if he was something special to her. The girl breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank the heavens, Kou, you’re okay. I’m so relieved, so happy.”

“Uh, Shirahime? Can you let me out, please?”

Kou asked, remembering the name he had heard in his dream. There was no response. Fearfully, he tapped one of the mechanical wings. A moment later, the wings retreated, retracting into the girl’s body as if it had all been a lie

“You remembered my name!”

The girl—Shirahime—got excited. She stepped on the rubble and ventured over to him. The way she took each step was like a soldier, contrasting her vague and fragile appearance. When she came in front of Kou, Shirahime brought her heels together and stood at attention.

She smiles like a flower. It was a pure and innocent expression, just like that of a young child.

Suddenly, Kou felt a wave of nostalgia. The image of a somewhat young individual surfaced from the depths of his memory. He suddenly felt as if parts of him were fitting into the empty gaps in his chest, just like a puzzle.

He quietly gazed at Shirahime. In front of him, Shirahime pressed her palm to her own chest.

“I’m so happy. It’s a blessing to be called by my name. It makes me feel fulfilled.”

“Uhh…that’s good, right?”

“Mhm…good!”

Shirahime nodded vigorously, and Kou nodded back in response. The two of them nodded at each other.

Such a composition is perplexing, but also dumb to imagine. But now was not the time to relax.

Kou ruminated on the words the voice had told him. Carefully, he asked her a question.

“—Are you…my Bride?”

“That’s right! There is no mistake in that statement. You are my master, and my wings shall be yours. I am your Bride, and you are my Groom.”

“……I see.”

Kou was puzzled by the sudden statement. However, the girl continued to stare at him innocently with her clear eyes. Kou was at a loss for words. Looking at her expression, he couldn’t deny it at all.

Shirahime quietly lowered her blue eyes. As if in prayer, she whispered in a solemn tone,

“You’ve been waiting for me too, haven’t you?”

Kou couldn’t give an immediate answer to that question, He thought back to his words at the ruins.

“I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life.”

Kou didn’t know why he had said that. At the same time, he also knew,

Surely, I was waiting for someone.

For a long, long time.

For a long time, I’ve carried a hole in my heart.

Kou opens his mouth, then closes it.

Just then, hard sounds erupted outside. The sound of stern footsteps was approaching.

“Who’s that, and why are they so tactless?”

“———What is it this time?”

Shiraime slowly turned around, and Kou turned his eyes to look over.

A mysterious group emerged from the hole’s entrance.

They were dressed in vermilion and black military uniforms that resembled the academy’s. On their backs, their cloaks swayed. Their faces were hidden by masks which looked like foxes, cats, ravens, etc.—each having red painted eyes. All of them had underdeveloped bodies. Their appearance was bizarre, but presumably they were all students just like Kou.

Kou narrowed his eyes. At his back, he protected Shirahime. He knew that she was strong, but he couldn’t just leave her there. Perhaps because her view was blocked, Shirahime jumped up a little.

She spat out her dissatisfaction.

“Kou? Are these people your enemies?”

“No, I don’t know yet.”

“Then we’ll leave their hostility undetermined. Eradication is immediately feasible anyhow.”

Kou was horrified. Shirahime’s words were not a lie, she truly intended to eradicate the students in front of her. He clenched his fists and turned to face Shirahime, and carefully chose his words to persuade her.

“Stop it. I’m not happy about…well…having to watch people die.”

“Not happy?”

“That’s right.”

“Even if it’s your own enemy?”

“…I still don’t know, and I just don’t want to see it. Besides, more importantly…”

At this point, Kou paused for a moment. He groped through the complex thoughts that had suddenly arisen.

After finding the answer, he looked straight in those blue eyes and spoke frankly.

“…I don’t want to see you kill anyone, either.”

“What?”

Shirahime rolled her eyes. She looked very upset, but what Kou had said came from the heart. Even though it hasn’t been that long since they had met, he didn’t want to see her pure white color stained with blood.

Although he couldn’t say why, everything in him resisted this.

“Please, Shirahime. I…don’t want you to do that.”

“Understood. My bonds, my obedience, my trust to you—your words are worth listening to.”

Nodding, Shirahime lifted the murderous spirit that draped her whole body.

Suddenly, Kou felt a surge of relief flow through his whole body.

It seemed that Shirahime’s aura had made him unconsciously nervous. However, the surrounding students did not let their guard down. They kept their hands on their weapons—swords, guns, and so on—and did not move.

The air was tense. At that moment, someone’s hand clapped casually, and then came a relaxed voice.

“That’s it. Passed, passed. We’ve received a report from the Magic Research Department that you acted as a decoy and saved the troops. That’s valuable honesty. For now, you are not an enemy to mankind nor the end of the world, nor will you ever be…so yeah.”

The voice he had heard earlier from the wall rang out.

Another intruder entered the room.

Kou gulped. The intruder was a thin man with white hair and blue and black heterochromatic eyes. Those colors were by no means naturally caused, and his bangs were cut in a messy manner. Deep scars were also noticeable on various parts of his face and neck. His uniform was adorned with medals but was covered up by a worn coat. An image such as this could only be described as bizarre.

Kou squinted his eyes in suspicion. Not only because the man’s appearance was already suspicious enough, but also because he felt like he’d seen him before.

But at the same time, he didn’t look like anyone he had ever known.

The man took his steps nonchalantly. The hem of his coat swung with him as he stopped in front of Kou.

“I want you to choose. I can kill you… so, etiher—you can die right here, right now.”

The man looked at Shirahime and smiled. Kou was stunned by the expression. Without hesitation, the man simply told the truth. He really could kill not only Kou, but also Shirahime.

Knowing that there was no point, Kou spread his arms out in front of Shirahime.

She jumped behind him again.

The man’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded. He somehow seemed incredibly bored, and then continued.

“Or, would you like to join us for a glimpse of a near-eternal hell?”

Whichever was the worst option, Kou didn’t know.

The man tossed the two choices at Kou as if nothing had happened.

His gaze was dry and cold.

Somehow, it felt like looking at a bug’s corpse.

＊＊＊

“It’s difficult understand the psychology of not wanting to die.”

As he walked ahead of Kou and the others, the man suddenly spoke up.

He waved one hand meaninglessly and continued his monologue.

“Indeed, death is one of the greatest mysteries to man. No one knows what happens after the function of life ceases. So, we create gods and cling to an afterlife, but even at that point the desire not to die still persists. It’s clear that there’s no way to prove which is easier, life or death. Don’t you think so? By the way, all of this is just me talking out of my ass, so feel free to ignore me—though, of course, I’d be happy if you didn’t.”

“……Huh.”

Kou gave a bland reply. The man pouted in dissatisfaction. It was the complete opposite of cute, creepy even, especially when it was a grown man doing it.

Kou didn’t know how to react, so he chose to remain silent.

He looked around. He hadn’t passed anyone for a while now. The corridor was covered with expensive carpets, there were carvings in the window frames and walls, and the interior overall had an elegant, classical flavor. However, the interior’s décor was entirely three-dimensional images projected by the most advanced magic crystals, doing the job of decoration for them.

Kou didn’t say a word and thought to himself.

Judging by the luxury of the facility, this could only be the central headquarters.

Behind them, the intruders from earlier—the masked ones—followed in silence. With the group, Kou and Shirahime were like prisoners being escorted. The situation he was in was eerie and puzzling from beginning to end.

Furthermore, there was one more thing that Kou did not understand.

“Hey?”

“Yeah?”

Since they had begun walking, Shirahime had been clinging to his arm. Her breasts were soft against his chest, and her silvery white hair gave off a pleasant scent. Swallowing down his agitation, Kou asked,

“You, why are you clinging so tightly to me?”

“To act as a shield and die if that man tries to do you any harm.”

He received a tremendous response, thirty times more than what he had expected.

Kou was horrified and stopped in his tracks. The man continued to walk in front of him, but Kou turned to face Shirahime. He put his hand on her shoulder, which was only wrapped in a thin cloth, and earnestly told her,

“Don’t be so carefree about dying.”

“You seem to have misunderstood, Kou. According to the results of my analysis, I’m no match for that thing in my current state. Therefore, I’ve been calculating a way to increase the success rate of your survival should that thing embrace its hostile nature. No matter which choice you make, my death is inevitable.”

Shirahime tried putting on a serious face, but flopped in contrast to the weight of her words, and looked rather childish.

But with a certain heavy determination, she spoke.

“So, a choice must be made. This is quite a severe situation, not something to be taken lightly———”

“Stop it. I wouldn’t be happy at all if you died, even if you were protecting me!”

“Understood. What you dislike is a bad thing.”

Kou shouted at her and she backed off obediently, then he let out a sigh of relief.

He didn’t want this girl to die protecting him. Just the thought of it made his stomach churn and he clenched his fists tightly. Kou would never be able to forgive himself.

As he thought about the girl, he also felt confused. He couldn’t figure out why, but it was, indeed, unbearable.

Then, an aloof voice sounded from ahead. Turning around, Kou saw the man bouncing in place.

“I’m not gonna kill him! It’s preposterous to believe that such a beast who kills their own students exists!”

“Would you please stop calling me that…student?”

“Oh my, so feisty with me all of a sudden. My heart is breaking!”

A question mark appeared in Kou’s mind. In front of him, the man was now flapping the hem of his coat. It seems he was still keeping up the creepy demeanor of his. Hearing his question, the man paused for a moment and nodded.

“What’s wrong? You are my student. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! I’m Kagura.”

———The Kagura.

Kou gulped when he heard the name. He had heard it once before.

He is considered the strongest teacher in the academy.

To work for Kagura was to join the elite unit under his direct control.

Why? Kou thought, returning his gaze to Shirahime behind him. He wondered if it had anything to do with her presence. After all, Shirahime had already demonstrated that she could destroy a Special Type alone.

Her strength was unbelievable, especially when compared to the Combat Department.

Before Kou could say anything else, Kagura continued.

“That’s right, as you can imagine, becoming my student means joining my ranks. However, it isn’t just any ordinary elite unit. You can’t just get in by being skilled in combat.”

Kagura paused for a moment, and with a grin twisted his lips. Without meaning to, Kagura wagged a finger in the air. Cheerfully, his voice boomed.

“We are the one hundredth class of the Combat Department, the Non-Existents. A special unit formed only by those who are married to Kihei.”

Suddenly, Kagura resumed his steps. Before Kou knew it, a door had appeared at the end of the corridor.

Grabbing the handle, he pulled it open.

“————Welcome to Hyakki Yagyō.”

Kou’s eyes widened in surprise. The structure of the classroom was very similar to the large lecture halls in the academy. However, there were no windows, and behind the rows of seats was a large pile of what appeared to be the students’ personal belongings.

Then, there were also things that should not be present in a classroom—Kihei.

The way they were seated in the lecture hall was like an absurd joke or a nightmare.

There were also a number of students sitting in their seats with the Kihei accompanying them. There were about twenty people scattered through the classroom. If Kagura’s words were to be believed, they would be the ones who were married to Kihei.

In other words, everyone here is either a Groom or a Bride.

Curiosity, amusement, hostility, disgust, indifference.

All kinds of stares fell on Kou and Shirahime.

＊＊＊

Instantly, lively voices rang out behind Kou and the others.

It turned out that the masked group spoke up. As soon as they went through the door, they let their guard down as if to disperse. The masked ones took their steps carelessly.

“Ahh, I’m so tired, so tired…”

“Escorting a Princess series and a Groom is no joke. Why can’t you do it on your own?”

“I was really nervous. The strongest said he didn’t want to go alone! What a lonely bastard!”

“Geez, my shoulders are so sore, they’re about to fall off. Teacher, gimme a rub.”

“Hell no, get your wife to do it.”

“And turn my shoulders in mincemeat? No thanks!”

One after another, the students took off their masks, and the faces of ordinary boys and girls emerged. The group of individuals who had been like statues before were suddenly filled with humanity. Face with this unexpected scene, Kou froze and blinked.

The students under the masks were beyond what he had imagined.

It seemed they were all members of Hyakki Yagyō.

Once inside the classroom, the students were free to take their seats, while others snapped their fingers or stomped their feet.

“Come on, you can come out now, my girl.”

“Thank you for your hard work, my baby.”

Bride’s appeared around the students. One after another, Kihei began to appear.

Their shapes and forms varied. There were some that looked like snakes, some like scorpions, and some even humanoid. There were B, A, and Special Types.

Kou took a step back. An instinctive fear struck him, sending chills down his spine.

If they wanted to, the Kihei here alone could slaughter the entire student body of the Research Department. There was such a quantity and quality of Kihei in the room.

Kou felt dizzy. In front of him, Kagura put his hand on the shoulder of one of the Apprentices. He began to explain despite the disgusted expression he received from them.

“This kid’s Bride is rather special, a type of Kihei that can hide their appearance. Had you come across the other’s in the center with your Kihei, you’d have probably been in a lot of trouble. So, I asked them to help escort you…oh, you’re leaving? But teacher will be all lonely!”

As the red-haired Apprentice ran way, Kagura flapped the hem of his coat. Stop it, not cute, the students complained. It seems his behavior wasn’t that well received in Hyakki Yagyō.

In the face of their leisurely interaction, Kou broke out into a cold sweat.

I didn’t realize that Kihei would be here.

For the Kihei who could hide themselves, there should be records of them in the Combat Department’s database. However, the majority of students had never actually encountered one. If they had encountered one outside, they would have been slaughtered.

No, Kou recalled. As long as Shirahime was present, perhaps the result would be different.

For some reason, she protects him. However, the Kihei girl is still an unfamiliar presence. Kou already cherished Shirahime very much, a level of intimacy that made Kou feel incredible. However, Kou is not yet able to accept the reality that she is his Bride.

He turns his gaze toward Shirahime.

What was she thinking? She just gave a bright smile. Stumped, Kou returned a slight smile.

Shirahime smiled even more brightly, like a blooming flower. It was a very cute expression.

Seeing this, someone whistled from their seat in the classroom.

“That’s hot.”

“You seem to understand what it means to cherish your Bride.”

Kou turned his head, only to see a large group of all ages staring at him.

Their eyes seemed to be smiling, yet mistakenly cold. If Kou and Shirahime made any disturbing moves, they would be executed in a well-trained manner. Kou was able to predict such a situation.

Once again, Kou protected Shirahime behind him. Following his own impulses, he acted.

Only she must be protected.

Kagura, on the other hand, cheerfully tapped Kou on the shoulder. He continued, pointing at Shirahime.

“These are our new transfer students, everyone! This is Kaguro Kou-kun, and this is Shirahime—or as you all know, the seventh unidentified number in Princess series, the strongest of Kihei. Their common name is…”

“Curtain Call.”

“That’s it! Hey, you guys with good intuition have a bad feeling about this, don’tcha? Ahahahahah.”

Kagura said something that Kou couldn’t understand, and then laughed happily again.

Yeah…Kagura’s lost it, Kou concluded.

He didn’t exactly understand what Kagura was saying, and it didn’t help that the other members of Hyakki Yagyō seemed to be on high alert. Kou flinched slightly, and the air became vicious with tension.

Despite the situation unfolding, Kagura just continued cheerfully.

“Best regards for now, transfer student—get along with everyone, okay?”

Absolutely not, Kou thought.

All the while, Shirahime simply looked up at him, continuing to smile.

TRANSLATION NOTES

Hyakki Yagyō: lit. Parade of a Hundred Demons

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