Volume 8 Chapter 2 — Forest of Bewilderment

Part 1

“…Is this information not mistaken?”

Beatrix asked her aide with a voice that was tinged with disappointment.

Inside one of the hotel rooms where the Einherjar was made to stay, Beatrix, Eleonora, and Damian were gathering and lowered the volume of their voices unintentionally in front of the taboo information.

“I’m sure it’s not wrong.”

It was not actually information that she could assert its authenticity that surely, but for the sake of moving Beatrix's heart Eleonora dared to assert it as the truth.

“It’s hard to believe so suddenly…it’s too much…too much of an inhuman story.”

Beatrix who had a pious moral sense from Odin’s teaching felt a completely chilling sensation inside her head’s core. Disappointment accompanied by fury that were extremely silently cold.

Even Damian was in a lost of what to say.

“Of course I think that Hayashizaki Kazuki is not involved in this plan itself. …I think there is no choice but to revise our stance to be neutral against both sides in this case.”

Taboo information―that was the data that Japan was secretly conducting human experiments on its own people. It was already hard to recognize from Germany’s point of view even just about how Japan was continuing to develop their culture of machine, but this blasphemy in front of their eyes was intolerable.

―However this information was the experiment data where the former Headmaster Otonashi was secretly advancing the experiment in the period when Nyarlathotep was conducting his secret maneuvering. This data was handed over to Eleonora by a transformed Loki where it was made for the reader to misunderstand that it seemed even now the experiment was still being conducted by the government.

Beatrix and Eleonora recalled the girl with curious appearance called Hiakari Koyuki that was at Kazuki’s side. When they thought that the girl was exactly the product of this human experiment, suddenly the persuasiveness of this information increased.

And then, without even giving any time to verify the information, Eleonora urged Beatrix to change her mind.

“There is no benefit for us to tie a good relation with Japan. And so using this chance I think it is a good plan to entrust the ruling of this land to Yamato. We have to side with Yamato.”

“U, mu…is that so…”

Beatrix spoke ambiguously with bitter expression.

Eleonora who guessed what happened inside the heart of the superior that she respected and loved was also becoming gloomy inside.

In this kind of time, Eleonora always wanted to hate that young man.

“Captain is too charmed by that young man.”

“It’s really just like you said. The feeling of this 19 years old Beatrix-chan doesn’t even hesitate with the difference between our age.”

“Hesitate more. No matter what we are saying we won’t be able to understand each other with the people of this country. As long as we continue to swear loyalty to the gods of Norse. In the very end both of your destinies will surely miss each other. He is an enemy. And then his relation with Captain is a relation between warrior and warrior. Captain, is the sword inside your heart rusted completely?”

“There is no such thing! Kazuki is…that’s right…he is an opponent that I have to fight and defeat!!”

Beatrix yelled resolutely.

Hearing that Eleonora thought “Yosh”.

The heart of an Einherjar that loved battle had severed her attachment to that young man!

But “No, wait” suddenly Beatrix tapped her hand on her jaw and pondered something.

“If, if Yamato becomes the ruler of this country, and if that fellow Ikousai becomes the King of this country…Kazuki will become a mere commoner person right?”

“Eh? Ah, yes, he is going to be just a commoner then.”

“In that case…even if I take him back to Germany…there will be no problem at all right…?”

Eleonora was dumbfounded.

So it became like this? Did she want that young man this much?

Beatrix’s expression turned bright like a different person with a wide grin.

“Yosh, I got a great idea! We are going out in action right now! Luckily those bunch of Japan’s Knight Order have their hands full with observing the bunch of Kings from other countries and their observation on us is thin!”

Eleonora opened her eyes wide in shock.

“By any chance, is Captain saying that we are going to Fuji’s sea of trees after this?”

“You said that Kazuki and others are going to Fuji’s sea of trees from now on aren’t you? Fu-fu-fu, we are going to obstruct them. We are going to thoroughly get in their way, then if circumstances permit and I find Kazuki I’m going to fight him. It’s going to be a luscious fight for our conclusion! I’m going to defeat Kazuki, then after he falls into magic intoxication we will hide his body. If we do that then inevitably Yamato is going to win the struggle race for the Sacred Treasures. Kazuki will become a commoner. I’ll bring him home to Germany. And we are going to quietly hold a modest ceremony in Germany’s remote countryside. Uh huh.”

“What ‘uh huh’…Captain…”

“I-I feel that I’m not suited for a wedding dress or the like but…I’m not going to let Kazuki who will be the loser to say any complaint for sure!”

Beatrix fidgeted around. “Haa” Eleonora sighed like that.

“I have decided! As a warrior, I’m going to defeat Hayashizaki Kazuki!”

The largest love of Beatrix―her love of [fighting strong people], and her love for Hayashizaki Kazuki that had completely grown so large that it couldn’t be ignored anymore, with a strange harmony both of those loves had formed a single objective. It was idiotic when seen with a single glance, but it was a frighteningly perfect logic that offered no opening that could be taken for someone to insert their tsukkomi.

With Yamato’s victory there would be no more obstacles that stood in Beatrix’s way.

Beatrix leaped out from the hotel and ran.

She carried Eleonora and Damian on her shoulders while running. That way was faster for her.

Kazuki and his group was supposed to head for Fuji’s sea of trees using the magic light train, but Beatrix ran with her own feet. Even so she wasn’t really falling behind with her vigorous legs and stamina.

Seeing it from a human’s point of view they were nothing more except a suspicious group.

But as long as they didn’t get obstructed in this moment, then the matter of later was trivial. After all at that time Japan’s government would be overthrown and this country would become Yamato. After that they were going to bring Kazuki back home to Germany. After that whatever happened, happened. …Beatrix ran while drawing such perfect scene of future inside her mind.

Of course it didn’t mean that her aide Eleonora had completely stopped thinking.

“There are patrols by the Knight Orders at Fuji’s sea of trees.”

Eleonora had finished gathering all the intelligence of the Knight Order’s patrol schedule.

Following Eleonora’s direction, Beatrix’s group approached the gate of the wall. They evaded the entrance that was heavy with security in a detour and concealed themselves in the position a few kilometers west.

They kept concealing themselves like that while waiting for Kazuki and the students of the Knight Academy to enter the Haunted Ground.

Part 2

The two military buses where the elites of the Magic Division and the Sword Division were stuffed into came to a stop in front of the gate of Fuji’s sea of trees.

No matter how many times they saw it, the wall of adamantite with a height as if piercing the sky was a magnificent view. In its surrounding many knights and aged former knights was conducting security with numbers several times larger than before. He couldn’t think that the security could be broken easily.

The students that disembarked from the buses formed a line for each group with Kazuki standing in the head.

“Kazuki!”

Two people mixed with the former knights’ security―Akane-senpai and Kanon-senpai were rushing to Kazuki’s spot while calling his name. They were the third years of the Magic Division that were accumulating hands-on training in the Knight Order.

“So you two senpai also came here.”

“Because it seemed that Akane wanted to meet you again so…ouch”

The head of Kanon-senpai who smiled mischievously was hit by Akane-senpai with a whack.

“That’s not it. To make the security of the gate even stricter, the active duty knights were also mobilized, but knights who can be trusted indefinitely to not be a spy are not really that much.”

“That’s right isn’t it, I’m relieved if Akane-senpai and the others are here.”

“But certainly this is also a rare chance, ehem, let’s exchange our contact address too.”

“Eh? Ah, that’s right, thank you very much.”

Akane-senpai took out a chic mobile phone with champagne golden color from her chest pocket.

Kazuki similarly took out his cell phone and made sure of each other’s contact address.

“If something happens then you can ask for a consultation of anything to me as the highest student of the Witch’s Mansion. Though it’s fine to contact me even if you don’t have any business.”

Hikaru-senpai clung on Kazuki’s back and came mingling into the conversation.

“Mufufu, Akane-senpai is approaching Kazuki♪”

Kanon-senpai too went ”fuhihi” and clung at Akane-senpai’s back to mingle into the conversation.

“Geez really―, how unexpected―, for that Akane to be this fast in moving on a man―☆”

“Do, don’t misunderstand you two!”

A slight embarrassment peeked out from her expression, Akane-senpai then drove off Kanon-senpai.

“I just think of him as a man I can respect…no, as a junior I can respect, that’s all. I’m just a mediocre person after all. …Kanon! Start processing the procedure for these children to pass the gate!”

Akane-senpai pulled Kanon-senpai’s hand and walked to the gate’s direction.

“That person is exactly a person you can respect you know.”

Still clinging on Kazuki’s back, Hikaru-senpai brought her face near to Kazuki.

“With the exception of Enchant Aura, her abilities are uniformly high levels in all lineage of magic. She is a person with no field she is bad at.”

All her abilities were equal―which meant without a doubt that it was the result of not trying to rely on the quality she was born with but methodically continuing to temper herself objectively.

Achieving completion just by her strong will, a person of hard work.

“She totally lost at magic power’s absolute amount and output power against Kanon-senpai, but her chanting speed is said to be number one inside the history of the Knight Academy. She also has never gotten a score below 95 in any subject.”

“How amazing…like that she doesn’t have any grounds to say that she is just a mediocre person.”

“She is going to lose in a duel against Kanon-senpai and Kaguya. But if each of them are thrown into Haunted Ground, then perhaps the one who will successfully clear the place first is going to be Akane-senpai I wonder.”

Kazuki felt complicated while listening to the story.

For Akane-senpai to evaluate herself as a mediocre person, compared to him which part of him was it that could be said as special then? Why did Leme choose him, he didn’t get it at all.

He was unexpectedly chosen by Leme, so could he be called as a special human because of that…

…Then this power, was he going to say that he was not worthy of it and he wanted to throw it away?

No. He didn’t want to do that.

Then, he had to become a human that was more worthy of this power.

He had to obtain the power of a King in his hand with his own will.

In front of this battle that gambled the Three Sacred Treasures, all the cowardice vanished from his heart.

“Kazuki and Akane-senpai are a little similar. Both of you are hard workers. I love the two of you.”

Hikaru-senpai rubbed her cheek on Kazuki while clinging at him.

“I too must work harder so not to lose against Akane-senpai. …Come on, Hikaru-senpai is also one of the leaders so please return to your own group.”

Kazuki tore off the clinging Hikaru-senpai from his body and pushed her back toward the direction where her members were at.

“Well then, operation start!”

The students that entered inside the Haunted Ground were scattered in each group so as to not let their area of exploration overlap with each other. Everyone was aiming for the direction where the magic power was thick and no one had gone into yet while defeating the Demon Beasts they encountered and liberating the Haunted Ground very thoroughly. That was the strategy they were using.

Fuji’s sea of trees was divided into three levels. The sphere of 5 kilometer radius with the peak of Mountain Fuji as the center was the level 3 area, and then further within 5 kilometer outside from it was the level 2 area, and then even further 5 kilometer outside was the level 1 area―each of the areas’ borders were encircled with a gigantic wall where no one could pass except through the gate.

It was a Grand Haunted Ground that had grown to possess three areas with a total radius of 15 kilometer.

This wall was used because the Knight Order was once unable to liberate the Haunted Ground, and at that time they encircled it with the wall for the time being and yet in the end the wall too was completely swallowed by the Haunted Ground…these walls were created from the repeat of such occurrences multiple times.

Right now was exactly the time to liberate this Grand Haunted Ground while taking the opportunity to discover the Three Sacred Treasures.

Because before this Kazuki and others had split into two groups and searched the left and right near the entrance for a few kilos, at the beginning there were no figures of Demon Beast around. Everyone scattered widely all at once and the other groups soon became invisible.

“Let’s go around in a circle from the deepest place for our group.”

Kazuki moved following his image of entering the depth aiming for the second wall inside, and from there they were going to go around in a circle. Like that they were going to the place where the magic power was the thickest―which meant that they were going to explore the area with powerful Demon Beast, but a small number of elite had gathered in Kazuki’s group. Kazuki felt that going around that area was only a natural responsibility for them.

Kazuki, Ryuutaki Sisters, Karin, and Kohaku. It was a group with these five.

As far as the eye could see, the more they advanced deeper the dampness and the stench became more choking in the air and around them became a forest of Haunted Ground. There was no green of the nature but a poisonous tint that was spreading around them.

There was still no atmosphere of mountain around them.

“Don’t you dare order me and Nee-sama around, you quack student council president.”

…Shinobu-senpai ignored Kazuki from the very beginning and kept pulling Miyabi-senpai’s hand while advancing forward rudely.

“You dare calling this one’s bosom friend a quack you bastard!”

Behind Shinobu-senpai who was advancing forward, Kohaku yelled exposing her rage.

After Kazuki admonished Kohaku, the result was Kohaku stopped thinking of Kazuki [based in marriage] and tried to build the human relationship between them from the start again. It seemed that she settled down to regard Kazuki in the position as a [bosom friend].

“To insult mine’s bosom friend that has been arranged to become this one’s husband, this one who is his future wife wouldn’t allow it!”

Somehow it was a bosom friend with a really impure feel in it.

But Shinobu-senpai was advancing forward rudely as if Kohaku or anything else didn’t exist.

“Why is she participating in this quest anyway if she just acts like this?”

Karin tilted her head from the totally justified question.

“I think that’s because Miyabi-senpai said that she would participate and so she came along.”

Miyabi-senpai was feeling that she wanted to have a connection to the outside, her consciousness of wanting to become useful to the society with her ability was stronger than other people. She wished to become useful and from that have the surrounding people recognize the power of elves.

Yet with Miyabi-senpai like that, Shinobu-senpai was like a guard dog that displayed its threatening glare so that no one would approach near them…she was someone that was similar to a hindrance.

Even while Miyabi-senpai called “Shinobu!” in reprimand, her arms was still pulled ahead without stopping.

“Wait I mean, moving ahead carelessly like that is really dangerous senpai!”

Kazuki chased them in panic.

But with Kazuki chasing behind, Shinobu-senpai then moved her feet even faster unnecessarily.

“KIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”

Suddenly a gryphon that was lurking on top of a tree that looked poisonous in color determined Shinobu-senpai and other as prey and swooped down nearing them. It was a fantastical wild beast with a head and wings of eagle on body and limbs of a lion.

“HAAAAA!”

Karin immediately dashed and overtook the Ryuutaki sisters and launched a flying kick to the swooping down gryphon with all her strength.

Kazuki sensed Karin’s movement and entered a stance for support.

“GUKIIIII!”

The torso of the gryphon distorted from Karin’s fierce kick. Pulverized sounds rang out crackingly under its bulky fur. Karin’s kick that was strengthened with Enchant Aura possessed a destructive power of that much.

But from the mouth of the gryphon that largely opened, swirling magic power was produced―rather than calling it organism activity, it was a phenomenon that was closer with magic. The whirling of magic power transformed into a whirling of flame and it was spit at Karin along with a long breath like a gale―fire breath.

Karin’s posture was stiffening because of her full power kick to help the Ryuutaki sisters, she couldn’t move to evade.

But Kazuki knew beforehand that the gryphon would do that kind of attack.

“Burn to ashes all that you touch…the scorching heat of rejection without any place to resort to! Self Burning!”

With Kazuki’s support magic, Karin’s body that was very nearly swallowed was wrapped in armor of flame.

The flame armor absorbed the fire breath and cancelled each other.

“Oo! Thank you, Hayashizaki Kazuki!”

Karin raised a happy voice while landing from her flying kick, then she stepped on the earth and filled her fist with power.

There Kazuki controlled the flame armor with Psychokinesis and concentrated the flame on Karin’s fist.

The flame armor transformed into a flame knuckle.

“Oooo!?”

Karin raised a shocked voice while swinging her flaming fist. When she struck a further kick in a combo, Kazuki Foresighted that movement and this time he moved the flame to her toes.

The gryphon that received a boisterous dance of flame raised a scream “KIIIIIII!” and dispersed into magic power light before vanishing.

Karin went “Hooray!” and jumped up and down.

“As expected from Karin huh.”

Kazuki once again felt admiration toward the martial arts of Karin while approaching near the back of the girl that was jumping up and down.

“Oi Hayashizaki Kazuki! It was really great just now you know!? Somehow just now was awesome!”

Karin grasped Kazuki’s both hands and swung it up and down.

“What are you saying, just this much is only a normal teamwork right?”

“Teamwork! I don’t know that! It’s my first time doing something like this-!”

“First time you say…you also fought together with Hayashi Shizuka right?”

When Kazuki said out that name, Karin’s bright eyes became dark and clouded and got dull instantly.

“Fighting together with Shizuka…was mostly painful…”

Now that she mentioned it…the teamwork between Karin and Shizuka was something like that.

Shizuka granted Karin with power of immortality accompanied with intense pain and making her as a wall of meat single-mindedly.

Such an act couldn’t be called teamwork…

“I have the hunch that it’ll be really fun to fight together with you!!”

“That, well, compared to a treatment as a meat wall…sorry to make you remember a strange thing.”

Karin was going “Teamwork♪ Teamwork♪” cheerfully while turning round and round around Kazuki and a little heart mark flew out from her.

Katsura Karin―48

“…”

Kohaku saw that only one gryphon wouldn’t pose any problem and she was being vigilant toward the surrounding if there would be any reinforcement for the Demon Beast or not.

She was really reliable with her calmness.

“…Hmph, a teamwork like that, the teamwork between me and Nee-sama is far more skilled than that.”

Shinobu-senpai stood upright when she was protected by Karin, but even now she was still pulling Miyabi-senpai’s hand while walking ahead briskly. She was trying to walk in the lead stubbornly. Kazuki chased her in panic.

“Senpai, that’s troubling!”

In the space between Kazuki who was hot on Shinobu-senpai’s heels and Shinobu-senpai herself, Miyabi-senpai was being in a dither from the current happenstance.

“KIIIII!”

―Without even any time to persuade Shinobu-senpai, a gryphon once again descended down from the sky before them.

Shinobu-senpai stood right in front of Miyabi-senpai to cover for her.

“You think I care if you bastard is troubled. We are going to show you that other people are unnecessary for both of us! …Thy wings bestowed from Belphegor, o moved out.

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