Chapter - 21

…Oh, I'm….

The consciousness of Shizuku, who had been blown away by a tremendous impact as if her entire body had been struck by lightning, slowly came back. Heavy eyelids lifted, and she saw what was in front of her.

Ali…ce….

Shizuku looked up. Arisuin's face was there, upside down in her field of view. Though he was saying something with tears flowing down his desperate-looking face, Shizuku couldn't hear anything.

Suddenly, she felt a sense of discomfort, and Shizuku turned her gaze downward.

And she realized it. The lower half of her body was gone. That made her remember at last.

Ahh, I… was cut….

Did she wake up? The feeling in her body was coming back. Because of that, there was a great sense of loss.

My lower body. That and most of my innards are gone.

The entire section had probably fallen out. It was undoubtedly a fatal wound. Shizuku was able to realize that she would likely die in a few seconds.

It's frustrating, huh?

Again. She hadn't been able to win. Just like in the fight against Raikiri. Not being able to control the distance during a magic battle, and just defeated by a sword cut.

I'm… so weak….

Against another truly strong opponent, she didn't have the power to keep the adversary away. Realizing this so thoroughly, Shizuku recalled her bitterness.

If I die… Onii-sama would be sad….

He would probably be sad. Not just her brother, but Stella and Arisuin, and everyone else—right now, there were many kind people around her. They would probably grieve even for someone with such bad character and low cuteness. That scene clearly came to mind. So she thought―this was… not what she wanted.

—In that case, I should give it another try, right?

After losing to Raikiri, she had always been thinking. With her power, she was always losing against the sword. And she couldn't do anything about that. With her small, powerless body, it was impossible to control a close-range battle. She couldn't help that. And she could only think of one way to make up for that weakness.

It was something tremendously risky, so she hadn't been able to try it until now, but—at any rate, she was going to die in a few seconds even if she didn't use it. She didn't want to leave something untried.

I can, if I'll put everything into it—

Just like her esteemed older brother was always doing. She would believe in her own strength. Resolving herself, Shizuku closed her eyes. And—

Part 12[]

"Shizuku… Shizuku…."

Arisuin held Shizuku's fallen body close. A gurgling sound was coming from her wound, while blood and viscera were spilling out rapidly. Her weight. Her life. Sensing that they were fading, Arisuin's view grew dark. Once again, feeling the loss of a little sister he had cherished and wanted to protect, all of his emotions were paling away to nothing. Rage at his own helplessness. Anger at the man who had stolen Shizuku's life. All of them, he couldn't feel anything anymore. He didn't even have the will to cry out.

"This is the reality that have tried to avert your eyes from."

From behind him, Wallenstein's voice came.

"Only power is true. Even though I taught you this, and pulled you to the side of the strong. If you can't even understand this, you are beyond saving."

A dumbfounded voice. Disappointment at a personal disciple who was embracing Shizuku's body, even though it had already become nothing but a corpse.

"I have no need for an assassin who develops feelings for his target. Die."

The sound of wind being cut behind him hit Arisuin's ears. It was probably the sound of Wallenstein raising his sword. Arisuin didn't think of protecting himself. Instead, he thought of peace arriving soon. At this time, the weight of Shizuku in his arms was disappearing steadily. Because he knew he wouldn't recover it again, he didn't have any feelings about the defeat.

Steadily, steadily, the petite body was getting lighter.

Steadily, steadily, the weight he could feel in his arms was disappearing–

Eh…!?

There, Arisuin finally noticed something unfathomable.

The weight was disappearing to the point where he couldn't feel it? That was impossible. Even if all the blood and viscera fell out, the muscles and bones in the human body would still remain. That sense of displacement shined a light into the darkness of Arisuin's view. He looked down on what was in his hands. There, the remains of Shizuku's body was–

–gone. Leaving only her clothes.

And the next moment–

"It's okay, Alice."

Shizuku's voice echoed with dignity through the underground training arena.

"...Eh!?"

"Wh-What!?"

In astonishment, Arisuin and Wallenstein scanned for Shizuku in the surroundings. However, Shizuku wasn't found anywhere. No, on the contrary, even the blood and entrails that had been scattered just a while ago had also vanished.

"Wh-What is this!? What did you do!?"

At the situation that was moving too far beyond comprehension, Wallenstein cried out in confusion. And amidst the confusion of Wallenstein and Arisuin–Shizuku Kurogane appeared.

Appeared like a status formed of gathered mist, stark naked with unblemished body. And she opened her mouth to speak.

"It's okay–because I'll win."

"Shizuku, you're… alive?"

Arisuin stared at Shizuku as if she was a ghost. He hadn't taken in the situation yet. But beside him, Wallenstein–

"How can this be…!"

From his instincts born of many battles, he realized that there was only one way this situation was possible. And in order to make sure, he swung his sword at Shizuku who was standing before his eyes.

Shizuku, without moving to defend herself, received the attack on her body. A cut–Wallenstein's Device once again bisected Shizuku.

But this time no blood sprayed forth. There was no response except a spray of mist, and though Shizuku's form had been split, it immediately returned to normal–seeing this, Wallenstein was convinced.

"Y-You little rat…! You changed your own body to vapor!?"

In response, the mouth on Shizuku's flickering form curved slightly.

"Ha ha ha. As I thought, you're not just that old for show, right mister?"

Shizuku confirmed it with a sadistic sneer. Indeed. That was the true nature of how Shizuku had survived.

"I was defeated in the selection battles by Raikiri, so I've always been thinking."

–That though she had skill, she lacked determination. When facing opposition, there was nothing she could do but take a fatal wound–then how should she deal with it?

"I thought and thought… and suddenly, I hit upon an answer. Ahh, that's right. I take damage because I have a body of flesh."

In that case, she would remove that premise. In doing so, this technique was created. An aspect of water magic, an application of healing techniques for the human body, a Noble Art that disintegrates her own body into mist and dust to the point where slashes and strikes no longer affect her and then voluntarily reconstructing it–

"Aoiro Rinne–I've come up with an amazing technique, right?"

Shizuku spoke with a face that was slightly boastful. At Shizuku's explanation, Wallenstein became more and more pale.

"Come… up with it!? Do you know what you've done to yourself? Do you understand it!?"

Wallenstein's discomposure was natural. Because although Aoiro Rinne was temporary, it was a technique that severs one's own life.

"With a top-class magic control, you can reconstruct something, but it's impossible to do so after dying…! No, even if you could do it, if you make the slightest error in reconstituting the trillions of cells in the human body, I don't even know how difficult it would be…! To use that kind of power on your own body…! Are you sane, you little…!?"

Certainly there was great merit in overriding the physics of an attack. But to do so, an overly powerful technique was necessary. The burden of risk was too great. Therefore to Wallenstein in his consternation, Shizuku–

"I'm plenty sane. If it's me, it can be done, I believed."

–declared so, as if it was nothing.

At those words, Wallenstein was convinced. He had obtained information about Hagun in advance, but he had only judged Stella Vermillion as an opponent worthy of attention. But he had overlooked someone. The Lorelei, who was right under his nose, was like Stella someone very different from the masses. A prodigy beyond the pale.

What an embarrassing oversight…. But I haven't lost yet–"

Wallenstein said so, and took up his stance again. But–

"Oh? Could it be you're thinking of fighting me again, I wonder?"

–with a laugh, Shizuku smiled on him as if scoffing.

"What did you say–!?"

At that instant, Wallenstein who had recovered from his attack on Aoiro Rinne noticed something about himself.

"*Cough cough*… gah…!?"

The air he was exhaling was not returning as inhales. His lungs could not be filled with air. As if he was drowning–yes, he was on the verge of drowning.

"If the lungs are turned to water balloons, humans would become like this, right? As I expected of this technique, it's not something other people at school can possibly do, so it's the first time you've seen it."

Shizuku who was using Aoiro Rinne like this had turned all the atmosphere in the whole place the same way. Therefore, she could establish control over all of it–including the air that Wallenstein was breathing.

Wallenstein's ability to control friction certainly was an unparalleled power pertaining to external slashes and strikes. However–

"If it's inside the body, there's nothing friction can do, am I right?"

"Gah… ukk…!"

Wallenstein, drowning in an invisible sea, finally couldn't keep standing and fell to the floor with his eyes wide and his mouth opening and closing like a fish washed up on shore desperately seeking oxygen.

"Hmm? What's that? What did you say?"

"S…Sp–Spare… me!"

"Oh, you want me to let you go?"

It was actually a declaration of surrender. Wallenstein had decided that winning fight was impossible at this point, and was waving the white flag at Shizuku.

"But I won't."

Shizuku gave a merciless smile, and snapped her fingers. At that moment, blood flew from Wallenstein's entire body.

"–GAAAAHHH!"

Flesh tore from inside his body, and dozens of ice spears erupted from within him. That attack completely severed the consciousness of the One-Armed Swordsman. Wallenstein, while discharging blood mixed with water from his mouth, fainted.

And Shizuku lowered her cold gaze on her opponent as if he was trash.

"I'm not as nice as Onii-sama, or as gentle as Stella-san, so I can't help but cut an enemy who attacked me to shreds. –You chose the wrong foe."

She tore Wallenstein's overcoat off of him. With it she covered her own skin, and turned her gaze away. She had already lost interest.

In this way, the fight between the One-Armed Swordsman and Lorelei came to a close.

Part 13[]

"As long as I try, I can do it somehow or other, right? I'm not something to disregard so easily."

Reconstructing her flesh, Shizuku checked her sense of touch by opening and closing her hand. There was no discomfort in that feeling. It seemed the reconstruction magic had functioned properly.

However, it wasn't like there was no problems at all.

"…The mental exertion was too much. I feel kind of sick."

After processing excessively high-level magic, her head was screaming. The agony as if her cranium was churning made Shizuku aware of her own lack of skill. It seemed it would be best to refrain from reckless magic for a while.

To Shizuku who had checked her own condition in that way–Arisuin asked with a face covered in wonder.

"Shizuku… you're really alive?"

"Oh stop it. You're looking at me like I'm a monster."

Shizuku pouted in ill humor.

But Arisuin wanting to ask was understandable, because Shizuku's act had been a miracle.

"At any rate, I thought Aoiro Rinne out well, but having my clothes slip off every time is a problem, right? I don't want to show myself like this to anyone besides Onii-sama."

However, at seeing Shizuku who was in all respects the same as usual, relief had surpassed astonishment.

"…Ha ha ha. Yes, it's true. You're really alive. Thank goodness."

Arisuin fell onto his back in this place, and with tears flowing down at the truth before his eyes, he rejoiced.

"Really, thank goodness…."

But to Arisuin–

"That's what I should be saying."

Shizuku's lips drew sharp in discontent–and kneeling down, she embraced his head. Tenderly, affectionately.

"I… thought you might have already been killed."

"Sh-Shizuku…."

"Sheesh. Don't make worry like that…big sister."

Shizuku rejoiced at his safety with a voice just slightly trembling. That trembling voice–jolted Arisuin deep inside, and the emotions that had grown cold in his head a while ago, heated up once again. Suddenly, what came to mind was the frightened expressions of his little sisters at seeing his blood-soaked body. Seeing that, he had thought he couldn't remain with them any longer. He, a murderer, must not stay with them. And surely, he thought, Shizuku would look at him with the same eyes. He had convinced himself of that on his own. Even Shizuku, wouldn't want to stay at his side, probably.

But… but…. But if Shizuku was still calling him "big sister"–

"Can I… stay by your side again… I wonder…?"

"Are you attaching yourself to me just because it's what you think I want?"

The head that was being held shook in denial. That wasn't the case. There was a bigger reason.

"Thank you… Shizuku…."

"Then we're even, right?"

While giggling, Shizuku coughed those words. Arisuin quickly realized what those words meant–now that she mentioned it, there was the time he had hugged Shizuku after she had lost to Raikiri, wasn't there?

"…Really."

Becoming strangely happy at sharing something so trivial, Arisuin also returned a smile–and he swore in his heart.

He would not betray her again. He would stay with this girl to the end. And he would protect her and the ones important to her. After all, they were precious to this incredibly sweet girl–

He would change himself, and continue to uphold this desire, because he wanted to become a proud human being.

Part 14[]

What Kurono had felt was the movement of a bizarre magic power that she had never experienced before. That magic power that Shizuku Kurogane had become was subtle to the point that one couldn't detect it, but the span of it was wide, and its movement in converging back into human form again was erratic.

Why did that movement happen? Kurono, who knew Shizuku's magic power, guessed right away.

"She decomposed herself and then reconstructed?"

That unbelievable resuscitation was an amazing miracle.

"…Sheesh. First the brother, then the sister? What an outrageous pair of siblings."

Coughing in astonishment, Kurono scanned even more precisely the situation underground. Seeing the degree of response to magic power, it appeared that the enemy had already been silenced. It would probably be fine to pass that off as a peripheral miracle. Feeling just a moment of relief at this–Kurono looked toward the western sky.

It turned out okay over here somehow, but what about over there? Nene–

Part 15[]

"Black Blade ・ Yatagarasu–"

"Kusanagi–!"

A magic blade of lightning darker than night crashed into a sword of tornado winds, and the two knights wielding them were both repelled backward. While losing his footing on the gravel mountain path, the Sword Emperor of Wind Ouma Kurogane clicked his tongue.

"As I thought, the power drops by the third usage."

On the other side, the petite woman fighting against him who was dancing back through the air, the Yaksha Princess Nene Saikyou turned gracefully in midair, and dropped down in front of the Hagure sisters who had been cornered upon the deserted mountain.

"Sensei!"

"It looks like I got here just in time~"

"*Sniffle* We're saved…."

"Ahh. You've really been holding on. It's okay now."

After confirming the two of them and the fainted Stella were safe, Saikyou felt a moment of relief, and–

"Nooooow then…."

–immediately faced back toward the enemy in front of her. Akatsuki Academy–at the only one she recognized among them, Saikyou made a declaration.

"Haven't seen you since your grade school days, right? Ouma-chan. You really became huge."

"And you haven't grown at all."

"That's none of your business–anyway, I want to teach you a lesson right now, but what's the meaning of all this fooling around? Talk, and I'll hear you out, okay?"

Saikyou spread her weapon, an iron fan, and asked Ouma while concealing her lips behind it.

But the one who answered was Amane, who was standing behind Ouma in reserve. He, with a peculiar smile that could be described as simple-minded, answered Saikyou's question.

"Instead of chatting, how about negotiating you handing over those three people to us instead?"

In an instant.

"Ha ha. Negotiating. Is that what you said–little boy?"

The air hardened with a *crack*.

"Don't try to play make-believe with an adult, brat."

Every one of Akatsuki's members was assaulted by weight. No, not just Akatsuki. With Saikyou at the center, everything within twenty meters was being crushed into the ground by an invisible force. It was Saikyou's Noble Art that used gravity, Jibakujin. Akatsuki, who had suddenly been struck by gravity making them ten times as heavy as normal, all collapsed onto the ground as if they were sinking into it.

Except for only one person, Ouma Kurogane, who stood upright and faced Saikyou without moving even an eyebrow. Ouma slowly turned Ryuuzume toward Saikyou, and Saikyou also once again charged a pure and enormous gravitational energy into the twin iron fans she had materialized, having it take the form of the blade called Black Sword ・ Yatagarasu–

"Ah, stop stop! Please hold on a second!"

Between the two of them, the inappropriately-dressed Pierrot Reisen Hiraga interrupted. After delivering Arisuin to Wallenstein, he had immediately turned around and just barely managed to catch up with his compatriots, and–

"Everyone, please withdraw. We don't need those three."

–he urged Akatsuki to retreat.

"–Is that alright?"

"Yes. Well, we've probably made enough of an impact, and more than anything else, if the Yaksha Princess is our opponent then there's too high a risk. If the Yaksha Princess seriously went on a rampage, Ouma-kun might be fine, but I don't think the other members will escape unscathed. And our sponsor doesn't want us beaten before the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. So let's escape here somehow."

"…Hmph."

At those words, Ouma sheathed his sword in boredom.

"Yaksha Princess, this wouldn't be a problem, right?"

Saikyou, who had been asked–spent a moment in silence, then returned her twin iron fans to her kimono sleeves. There were too many enemies. Fighting by herself was one thing, but she knew she had to ensure the safety of the students behind her. It was the duty of a teacher to protect the students. Since that was the case, she had no reason reject the proposal.

"–Be glad I happen to be a teacher, you shitty brats."

"We appreciate your understanding."

And like that, the strife starting from the Hagun Academy attack on the eve of the Festival came to an end.

All Akatsuki, beginning with Reisen Hiraga, disappeared into the darkness without looking at the Hagure sisters and Stella. On the mountain path, there was nothing more than the sound of the wind passing through the trees.

"–Sponsor, huh?"

Within that, Saikyou ruminated on Hiraga's words, and looked up to the sky with a bitter face.

"These guys seem like they'll become awfully troublesome, Kuu-chan."